St. Paul’s United Church
Our Mission: Glorifying God through Worship, Proclaiming the Gospel of Christ and Serving Others in Christ’s name.
From the desk of Rev. Michelle…
Recently little Ella has become obsessed with My Little Pony’s. For those who don’t know, these are brightly coloured horses that have special symbols on their flanks. These marks are called “cutie marks” and are unique to each pony. Ponies are not born with their cutie mark but they magically appear. In the season Ella is watching, there are 3 young ponies who are desperate to get their cutie marks, frantically trying everything they can in hopes of getting theirs. With each activity they try that doesn’t produce the results they want, they get sad and anxious that they might never get them.
Like the little ponies, we sometimes too put our hopes and rest our joy on things and situations that can and frequently do change. I experience happiness when my favorite song is on, when my family is healthy, when I have X amount in the bank, when I take a little nap and when I am on vacation. But what happens when I am sick or the bills are more than my pay or nothing is going right? How do we approach this 3rd Sunday in advent that is focused on Joy?
“Joy to the world, the Lord has come, let Earth receive her king.” They hymns of this season are full of Joy. In just a few short weeks we will be hearing the angels tell the shepherds, they bring “Good News of Great Joy for all the people”. Maybe that is where we begin to unpack, how we engage joy. Because both of these talk about joy being given, not an internal feeling or transitory experience, but something that is here to last.
The hymn joy to the world invites us to receive and acknowledge Jesus as king, as the one who has final authority and whose opinion matters above all else. As we look beyond Jesus birth story, it is easy to point to the teachings that uphold the value and worth of each and every one of us, teachings that help us do our part in creation and help us to make meaning of even the most troubling times.
It is in the living out of the teachings of Jesus that I see the experience of the young ponies’ quest for their cutie marks and our search for joy coming together. You see, the ponies to get their cutie marks when they embrace their unique talents and follow their passions, in short when they become the ponies they were always meant to be. Joy, deep joy, is experienced for us, when we are able to see ourselves as Jesus sees us – children of God, whom God loves more deeply than we can imagine. We are able to find joy even in the challenges and the failures of life, by choosing to focus on this truth. We also find joy in knowing that God has made a place for us within the Kingdom, and given us the skills to participate with him in the building of His world here and now, all we need to do is embrace what He has freely given.
Too often we try to create our own joy – but joy, true joy is a fruit of the spirit that rises in us when we seek to follow and engage in God’s purpose. So what role does happiness have in all this? It can point us towards our passions and even help uncover the purpose God has for us. So today, as we approach Joy Sunday, let us pay attention to where our passions are and where we find happiness. Then let us ask God to help us transition that feeling into great Joy of being his child living out his will.
Let us pray
You God have blessed us
with your presence
with a place in this world
with a dream that all can share in your love and joy.
Guide us as you did the shepherds
that we may come before you and experience for ourselves
the great joy of being in your presence and help us to spread the good news that this joy is for all people. amen.
Featured In This December 8th Edition of St. Paul’s eNews
Worship This Sunday December 11th
Light Up the Season with a Memorial Candle
Audio Visual System Volunteers Needed!
Advent Newsletters
Advent Calendar
Salvation Army Kettle Drive Schedule
Supporting Campus Ministry
Annual Report Season Is Coming!
Pantry Program
Brown Bag Lunch Program
Frozen Apple Pies Available for Purchase!
Come Raise Your Voice!
Longest Night Service
Church Office Closure
Upper Room Daily Devotional
Bible Study
New Year’s Eve Service
Learning Opportunity
January 8th Worship
Gifts With Vision
Upcoming Dates To Remember
Worship This Sunday December 11th
Please join Rev. Michelle this Sunday for worship at St. Paul’s at 10:30am. Covid protocols still in place are: hand sanitizing, sitting in marked pews, and social distancing and masking while moving around the church and while singing.
As always, if you are unable to join us in person we hope to see you on Zoom – link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86854718551 Passcode: 165090
You can also join by phone only, if you don’t have a long distance plan charges will apply. All you need to do is call 1 647 558 0588 and follow the prompts to enter Meeting ID: 868 5471 8551 and Passcode: 165090
Light Up the Season with a Memorial Candle
Love never dies! Scripture tells us this, you have an opportunity to make this reality a visual experience on December 18th during our Advent 4 – Love Sunday. How? For $5.00 Candle we will place a candle in the sanctuary with your loved one’s name attached to it, during the service (and during the longest night service and Christmas Eve) these candles will be light. You can then take the candle home with you after the Christmas Eve service, so you have it at home to light during the rest of the Christmas Season, as a reminder of the love that lives on. Click here to complete the form online. Click here to download the form to print and return to St. Paul’s.
Audio Visual System Volunteers Needed!
St. Paul’s is in need of volunteers willing to help with operation of the audio/visual system for Sunday morning services in the Sanctuary. Four volunteers would allow for a rotation of one Sunday per month. Experience is not necessary and training will be provided. If you are interested or know anyone who might be interested, please contact the Church Office at 458-1183 (stpaulsoffice224@gmail.com) or John Davis at 455-1129 (johntdavis@hotmail.com).
Advent Newsletters
You should have received your Advent Newsletter in the mail. If you didn’t, please contact the office to update your address. Thank you to everyone who contributed, to our volunteer editors, and the team that stapled, folded, and stuffed envelopes. It isn’t perfect – but we celebrate another informative and fun newsletter. If you would like to help with the next newsletter, which will come out for lent, (February) please let Meghan or Rev. Michelle know.
Advent Calendar
Advent is here. If you are still looking for an advent calendar, check out the one on our website, under our new tab in Resources – Spiritual Practices. The calendar is suitable for people of any age or family structure. Click this link to get started! Advent-Calendar-2022.pdf
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Salvation Army Kettle Drive Schedule
St. Paul’s volunteers Man the Kettle on Wednesday December 14th. The following have agreed to man the kettle for the Salvation Army this day:
Regent Mall Food Court:
10am- 12pm – Roger Miller, Greg Morton, Cathy Davis [stand-by]
12pm-2pm – Barbara McGuigan, Elaine Hart
2pm-4pm – Patty Trail, Lois Walker
4pm-6pm – Chris Grant, Mary Stickles
6pm-8pm – Ann & Harold Raper
[Extras if needed – Donna Chauvin, Debbie Allison]
Supporting Campus Ministry
One of our outreach partners is the Fredericton Council for Christian Ministry on Campus, AKA Campus Ministry. On December 4th, we collected a special offering in support of this ministry. If you missed this service and would still like to contribute, you can use the special envelopes in the narthex this week, or contact the office directly. There is also an opportunity to connect with students directly. From December 12-16, the Campus Ministry is looking for churches to help staff and supply Pause Tables. These will be set up at various locations across the campus, running from 9am to 1pm. Volunteers would help set up the space, staff tables, bring/hand out snacks, and be a friendly face for students who are facing end of term stress. If you are interested in helping with this, please contact Rev. Michelle.
Annual Report Season Is Coming!
If you are a chair of a committee or group, it is time to start thinking about your annual report. This is the official record of what has happened in the life of our congregation during 2022. We will be asking for all reports to be in by mid- January, now is a great time to reflect on what you have done.
Pantry Program
The pantry needs the following items: peanut butter, ketchup, syrup, coffee, coffee mate, crackers, cookies, mayonnaise, mustard, honey, tuna, juice, chicken noodle soup, brown & white sugar, flour, apple sauce, pudding, stove top stuffing, vinegar, dish detergent, laundry detergent, paper towel, Mr. Clean, wax paper, tooth brushes. Thank you for your continued support!
Brown Bag Lunch Program
The Brown Bag Lunch program is in need of proteins with flip top lids, juice boxes, and fruit & pudding cups. Thank you for your generosity!
Frozen Apple Pies Available for Purchase!
The UCW has a few frozen apple pies still available to purchase. Small – $4 and Large – $8. Please contact Donna Chauvin 458-5885 to reserve yours! 
Come Raise Your Voice!
Downtown United invites you to get into the season with a Christmas Carol sing. We are all set for accompanists and hymn leaders, now all we need is you! Join us here at St. Paul’s December 17th at 2pm.
Longest Night Service
If the darkness of the season is getting to you, or you are struggling with grief, loss or feelings of sadness, join Downtown United here at St. Paul’s at 7pm on December 21st for a reflective service that holds space for these feelings while offering words of hope and encouragement. This reflective service is open to all.
Church Office Closure
The church office will be closed December 23rd and reopen on January 3rd. Should you require pastoral care during this timeframe, please call Rev. Michelle at 259-7602. Please note that the office will not be opening this year to receive end of year contributions. If you have contributions or other mail for the church, you can drop it off in the secure mailbox at the York Street doors. The mailbox will be checked during the closure. Alternatively, you can bring you end of year contributions to the New Year’s Eve service on December 31st at 4pm.
Upper Room Daily Devotional
The November-December and September-October Upper Room Daily Devotionals have arrived! Please stop by the office to purchase your copy for $2 before they are gone!
Bible Study
Join Rev. Michelle Wednesday at 11:15 as we dive into Matthew 1:18-25. Join in person or via zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88619319967 Passcode is 259190
New Year’s Eve Service
The worship committee decided to cancel new years day service and replace it with a New Year’s Eve service instead. Putting the service early enough that it will now impact any plans people have that night. We hope to see you at 4pm on December 31st.
Learning Opportunity
Many congregations across the country have members of the congregation who develop and plan services for when the Minister is on Study Leave or vacation, or help offer parts of the service in conjunction with the Minister. Historically St. Paul’s didn’t have to worry about this, but we all know that things change. If you have ever been asked to lead worship and thought: I have no idea how to do this, or if you have though that would be neat to do but you don’t know where to start, then check out this 5 part workshop offered by Region 15 (Nova Scotia/Bermuda) for occasional lay worship leaders. Not only does this help us highlight and use the skills and gifts in our congregation, but also provides security as the number of people available for pulpit supply deceases. To find out more or to register, click https://ucceast.ca/67357-worship-101-for-occasional-lay-worship-leaders
January 8th Worship
January 8th will be our first Sunday worship of 2023. This is also the date that the Downtown United Project Survey gets released. We are hoping to see you for worship and that you will take the time to fill out the survey online or on hard copy. More details on the survey to be released closer to its release date.
Gifts With Vision
Gifts With Vision – Looking for a gift that won’t just be discarded after the holiday season? Have someone on your list who has everything already? Wanting to make a difference in the lives of others this season? The Mission and Service Gift with Vision allow you to give gifts that directly impact the lives of people here in Canada and around the world. Pick up a catalogue in the office or stop by https://giftswithvision.ca/
Upcoming Dates To Remember
December 11th – Advent 3 ~ Fellowship Hour ~ Hosted by Trustees
December 18th – Advent 4 ~ Fellowship Hour ~ Hosted by M&P
December 21st – Longest Night Service at 7pm at St. Paul’s
December 24th – Christmas Eve Family Service at 3 pm – Everyone Welcome
December 24th – Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 7pm
December 31st – New Year’s Eve Service at 4pm
St. Paul’s United Church
190 Years of Glorifying God through Worship, Proclaiming the Gospel of Christ and Serving Others in Christ’s name
Contact Information
224 York St., Fredericton, NB E3B 3P1
Web: www.stpaulsunited.ca | Tel: 506-458-1183 | Email: stpaulsoffice224@gmail.com
Minister: Rev. Michelle Armstrong | Organist: Dr. Sharon Pond
Church Administrator: Meghan Roebuck | Custodian: Rusty Blakely