Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian & St. Paul’s United

From the desk of Rev. Michelle…

Here is a behind the scenes update on what your governing bodies have been up to. On February 15th  Saint Andrew’s Session and St. Paul’s Council met for the first of several sessions, led by Rev. Rose-Hannah Gaskin. The purpose of this gathering was to start discerning what God is calling us to do and to be. In this session, we reflected on scripture (Luke 15:11-32) and our own experiences of church to explore what it means to be welcoming. We dug into two questions: Why do people come to church?  And what do we need to do to make people feel welcome? These reflections will eventually be combined in a draft version of our values and vision for this shared ministry, that will come back to the wider congregation for discussion.

Last night at the Ecumenical Assembly Meeting (EA) we mapped out the structural pieces that will make the greatest impact on creating a congregation where everyone feels welcome and involved. It was identified that this month there would be concerted efforts around moving from denominational committees to joint committees of the EA. We also celebrated the first fully functional committee of the Ecumenical Assembly – The Worship Committee. The work to make this happen started before we came together. Saint Andrew’s and St. Paul’s Worship Committees met to talk about and start sorting through some of the decisions needed to ensure a smooth transition into one worshiping community. Since then, members of the worship committee have gotten to know each other. There has been an open sharing of thoughts, opinions and traditions. We have learned how to negotiate differences. Members of the committee are actively working cross-denominationally to facilitate our worship experience. They are a model for the rest of the committees as we move forward in implementing our governance structure.

The EA has also been discussing how we want to work together as a church community. At last night’s meeting, we drafted and committed to follow the following Holy Manners.

At Saint Andrew’s and St Paul’s Ecumenical Shared Ministry we will:

  • Keep God at the center of everything we do
  • Each speak for ourselves (I statements… not some people say…)
  • Speak for a purpose
  • Sincerely say what we really feel
  • Separate people from problems
  • Allow for full and equitable participation
  • Attend to others carefully without interruption
  • Welcome the conflict of ideas (diversity of thought leads to better ideas)
  • Remain future orientated
  • Demonstrate appreciation
  • Keep the discussion at the table (actively participate in discussion & no parking lot discussions)
  • Honour the decisions of the body (we will support the decision made, even if it is not our preference)
  • Monitor our own behaviour and commit to holding one another to account when we do not keep our holy manners
  • Be mindful of our body language and tone of speech
  • Check in about good use of time (this is God’s gift, let’s use it well)
  • Allow the quiet people to speak, with an invitation to speak (so everyone’s voice is heard)
  • Extend Grace and assume positive intent
  • Be patient (God’s time is not always our time)

Holy Manners are a good starting point for building and fostering a healthy church community. I share these today with the hope that you will consider adopting them as your own set of holy manners and use them when we are engaging each other in this community of faith. When these principles are lived out, we not only honour each other but our community reflects the respect called for in the kingdom of God.

This community of faith is an exciting place to be, as the spirit continues to move among us, and we walk a path not previously travelled. As we go forth, let us pray…

Holy God you have brought us to this place.

With your spirit leading, we have followed

through grief and joy,

in doubt and hope

while nervous and yet curious,

We have felt it all, the highs and the lows,

and still you are here with us.

We pray this day for our leaders in this community of faith,

that they continue to listen deeply to your call and guide us in your way.

We pray for those in this community that each will feel at home

and find their place to serve you.

We pray this day, that you continue to hold us close

as we care for each other,

and grow in our faith following your Son.

Amen.

Featured In This February 27th eNews Edition

Worship This Sunday March 2nd

ESM Worship Committee

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

Ash Wednesday Service

SAPC Committee Reports Due ASAP!

Upcoming Dates To Remember

World Day of Prayer Services

Ongoing Church Activities

Connecting With Rev. Michelle

Bulletin & eNews Submissions

Worship This Sunday March 2nd

Please join Rev. Michelle for service this Sunday at 10:30am.

To view the bulletin in advance click here!

 

Can’t make it in person, join via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83673756287 Passcode: 2023

View anytime on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@st.paulsunitedchurch984/videos

ESM Worship Committee

The Ecumenical Shared Ministry Worship Committee is our first fully integrated committee! We are looking for more people to join this dynamic group, especially if you are Presbyterian, as currently we are weighted towards the United Church. Take a moment to ask God if this is where you are being called to help your church. If so, reach out to Mary Charters or Roger Miller. Next Meeting is Monday, March 3rd at 10:15am.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper by St. Paul’s and Saint Andrew’s in the hall at 512 Charlotte St on March 4th at 5:30 pm. Menu: pancakes, sausage, baked beans, tea, coffee, and dessert. Spaces are limited. If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please reach out to Beth or Shawn Meister for more information.

Ash Wednesday Service

On March 5th we mark the start of Lent with Ash Wednesday.  Our reflective service will take place at 5:30 pm in the sanctuary.  Grounding ourselves and setting our intentions for the next 40 days kick-off this season right with worship and prayer!

SAPC Committee Reports Due ASAP!

It’s that time of the year again! All SAPC committee chairs need to submit their 2024 annual reports to the office asap. Many thanks, Joanna.

St. Paul’s Pantry Program

The Pantry will focus on white sugar and dish soap in March. Other items needed are macaroni, spaghetti, jello, tomatoes, white rice, flour, mayo, vinegar, salt, pancake mix, 1L orange juice, plastic wrap, tin foil, laundry soap, syrup, and ketchup. Thank you for your ongoing support!

Upcoming Dates To Remember

March 2nd ~ Service at 10:30am ~ Fellowship Hosted by Beth & Shawn Meister & Kim Keetch

March 4th ~ Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper at 5:30pm

March 5th ~ Downtown United+ Ash Wednesday Service here at 5:30pm

March 9th ~ Daylight Savings Time Begins

March 9th ~ Service at 10:30am ~ Fellowship Hosted by Debbie West

March 9th ~ World Day of Prayer Service at St. Andrew’s at 2pm

March 16th ~ Service at 10:30am ~ Fellowship Hosted by Heather Labadie

March 23rd ~ Service at 10:30am ~ Fellowship Hosted by Chris Grant & Mary Stickles

March 30th ~ Service at 10:30am Fellowship Hosted by the Mission Committee

World Day of Prayer Services

An invitation is extended to all Women and Men to attend the World Day of Prayer Services in the Fredericton area. The World Day of Prayer for 2025 was prepared by the Women of the Cook Island. The theme is “I Made You Wonderful” (Psalm 139: 1-18.)

Northside: St. Mary’s Anglican Church, 780 McEvoy Street, Fredericton on Friday, March 7th, 2025 at 2 PM. Storm Date: Sunday, March 9 at 3 PM.

Southside: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian and St. Paul’s United Church, 512 Charlotte Street, Fredericton on Sunday, March 9th, 2025 at 2 PM. Storm Date: March 16 at 2 PM

Ongoing Church Activities

Monday – Friday ~ Community Outreach ~ Brown Bag Lunch Program in St. Paul’s Office

Tuesdays ~ Tuesday Morning Ladies Group at 9:30am ~ All are welcome!

Tuesdays & Thursdays ~ Quilting from 1-4pm ~ All are welcome!

Wednesdays ~ Community Outreach ~ Pantry Program from 9-11am

Thursdays ~ Bible Study from 6-7pm ~ All are Welcome!

Thursdays ~ Choir Practice from 7-8pm ~ All are welcome!

Fridays ~ Community Outreach ~ Breakfast 2 Go from 8:30-10am

Connecting With Rev. Michelle

Rev. Michelle can be reached on the main office phone lines, her office directly at 506-455-0639, by text or call to her cell at 506-259-7602 or via email at michellenarmstrong@hotmail.com. Drop-in office hours are Sundays and Mondays from 1-2:30pm. Appointments are preferred to ensure the time you need to connect.

Bulletin & eNews Submissions

Please send announcements to Meghan at stpaulsoffice224@gmail.com by noon Wednesday.

Contact Information

Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian & St. Paul’s United

512 Charlotte Street, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 1M2

Saint Andrew’s: Tel: 506.455.8220 | Email: sapcfred@gmail.com |Website: https://sapc.ca/

Office Administrator: Joanna Price |Office Hours: Monday-Friday 2pm-6pm

St. Paul’s: Tel: 506.458.1183 | E-mail: stpaulsoffice224@gmail.com|Website: www.stpaulsunited.ca

Office Administrator/Bookkeeper: Meghan Roebuck |Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 8am-3pm & Friday 8am-12pm

Minister: Rev. Michelle Armstrong |Organist: Dr. Sharon Pond

Custodian: Doug Newman |Ministers Emeriti: Rev. Doug Blaikie & Rev. Dr. Basil Lowery