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…
Greetings from 5 Oaks in Ontario,
Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity to attend the Moderator’s (re)Generate Leadership Program. There are just under 40 participants from across Canada here, all excited and eager for this opportunity. This week is the kickoff gathering for the two-year program. The goal of this pilot project is to give leaders the skills we need to lead through the changes that the church faces and help our congregations flourish in these changing times.
Today, I had a lovely discussion with our key consultants and programmers from STRAAD about “Stucks”. A Stuck is a place that we run into and then get bogged down in. A Stuck is like trying and trying to get outside by going through a window. You try but find no success, just a pane of glass. With each failed attempt you, strike your head, shake it off, and try again. So, time after time, BANG, you experience the pain of failure over and over again.
When you are in a Stuck your initial problem is no longer your biggest problem. The fact that you are locked into a repetitive way of thinking and responding becomes your limiting factor. We can get so locked into a pattern of thought and action, we do not see the door just on the other side of the room.
The Church is not immune to Stucks. Two of the common ones in the church are “We do not have enough __X__” and “We need to change but don’t you dare change what I like”. Stucks prevent transformation and new growth by demanding our focus and distracting us from the kingdom work we are called to.
Psalm 121 says “I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” The psalm reminds us we are not alone, God cares about us and seeks to guide us to life, true life. When we are clear on God’s faithfulness for us and the church, we have a powerful tool. Believing God will show up and guide us, invites us to adopt a position of openness and curiosity that spurs us to look for God’s inbreaking into our lives.
Looking for God’s directional arrows in our lives is incompatible with getting stuck in repetitive patterns of action and thought. Focusing on how we help to manifest the kingdom of God here and listening for God’s call now keeps us moving forward.
As you think about the church and your life, do you see any places where a stuck has taken hold? If you say yes, then let’s pray.
God who is known
It was your breath that swept across the formless void of creation and got everything moving,
It was your heart that called forth both preachers and teachers who offered insight to the people and pointed to the path so that we could journey with you.
It was you, who came when we were totally stuck and unable to help ourselves,
making a new way, you left the well-trod path to offer new life.
Do this again Lord,
Take what we thought we knew and turn it upside down.
Open our eyes to the new things you are bringing forth,
And help us to stand in awe and wonder of you.
And lead us for your name’s sake, now and forever. Amen.
Featured In This January 25th Edition of St. Paul’s eNews
Worship This Sunday January 28th
Welcome Jaedyn!
Annual Reports Due!
Wilmot & St. Paul’s Family & Friends Bowling
FundScrip Returns Sunday, February 4!
Fellowship Hour Servers
Warm Mittens & Winter Boots Needed!
Brown Bag Lunch Program
Pantry Program
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
God’s Story, Our Story
Bible Study on Sunday Reading
Evening Small Group Faith Exploration
Upcoming Dates To Remember
Reimagining Church – Reclaiming Your Call (Lay People only!)
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper At Nashwaaksis United
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper At Gibson Memorial
Worship This Sunday January 28th
Please join Rev. Michelle for service this Sunday at 10:30am
Welcome Jaedyn!
The Ministry and Personnel Committee is pleased to announce that Jaedyn Williams has accepted the position of Church Custodian at St. Paul’s United Church effective January 22, 2024. She is working 9 am to 1 pm Monday to Friday. ~ Ann Krause, M&P Chair
Annual Reports Due!
Sending a gentle reminder that all Committee, Board and Trustee reports are due. Thank you to those who have already made their submission. Meghan will be away on vacation from February 16th – March 4th, so to have the Annual Report ready for the Annual General Meeting, it must be completed before she leaves. Please forward to Meghan via email to stpaulsoffice224@gmail.com and remember that your report should be no longer than 2 pages.
Church Envelopes Available For pick-Up
Church envelopes are available at the office. Please pop in to pick yours (and friends) up!
Wilmot & St. Paul’s Family & Friends Bowling
Sunday January 28th from 2:30-4:30 pm at The Drome, 301 Main Street.
Gather your friends and family and join Wilmot for a fun-filled afternoon of bowling and laughter. If you plan to attend, please contact Wilmot Church office at 504-458-1066 or email Lynn Fullarton at lfullarton3@gmail.com.
The cost is $6.00 per person and if you require transportation to attend, please let us know. This event is sponsored by the Wilmot Radical Hospitality Committee
FundScrip Returns Sunday, February 4!
If you’ve used all the gift cards you purchased before Christmas, now is the time to get your order ready. Order forms are available in the church office, the narthex or click here to print one February-4th-2024-FundScrip-Order-Form.pdf. Need more information on this program? Here’s the scoop. FundScrip is Canada’s most successful gift card fundraiser offering gift cards for all your shopping needs… groceries, gas, hardware, restaurants, etc. Cards from over 200 retailers are available in different denominations. Each purchase automatically includes a donation to St. Paul’s calculated as a percentage of the card’s value. There is no cost to you for this donation. You receive the full face value of every card you purchase. Just take your order and payment (cheque, cash, e-transfer) to the church office or give it to Carole Peacock on or before the deadline date. Orders are placed once a month, usually the first Sunday, with time off in the summer and January. Cards arrive within the week. Contact Carole Peacock if you would like more information. Remember: Shopping is fundraising for St. Paul’s!
Fellowship Hour Servers
Thank you to everyone who has provided for our fellowship time this past fall and those who have already signed up this winter. We have a full slate of servers for January. You can help our faith community by picking one day to serve. Check the bulletin board across from the hall for available dates.
Warm Mittens & Winter Boots Needed!
We are in desperate need of warm mittens and winter boots for folks without. If you have any gently used items to donate, please drop them off at the office. Many thanks!
Brown Bag Lunch Program
This week, the program needs proteins with flip top lids. Thank you for your continued support and generosity of this program.
Pantry Program
The Pantry program needs the following items this week: Mayo, flour, white sugar, pancake mix & syrup, ketchup, juice boxes, granola bars, stewed tomatoes, hearty soups, laundry detergent, toilet paper, Kleenex, and paper towel. Thank you for your continued support of this increasingly busy outreach program!
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper at St. Paul’s Frasier Memorial Hall on February 13th at 5:30pm. Menu: pancakes, sausage, baked beans, tea, coffee, and dessert. If you are interested in volunteering at this event, please reach out to Ralph Simpson for more information.
God’s Story, Our Story
Pick up this reflection guide in the narthex to use as a home devotional or with your friends.
Bible Study on Sunday Reading
Tuesdays from 10:45am-11:45am in the Board room. Can’t make it in person, Join by Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81736183320 Meeting ID: 817 3618 3320 Passcode: 750844
Evening Small Group Faith Exploration
Thursdays from 6-7pm in the Parlor. We hope you will join us.
Upcoming Dates To Remember
ASAP ~ Annual Report Submissions Due
January 28th ~ Service at 10:30 ~ Fellowship Hour hosted by Mel & Barb McGuigan & Debbie Allison
February 4th ~ Service at 10:30 ~ Fellowship Hour hosted by Beth & Shawn Meister
February 13th ~ Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
Reimagining Church – Reclaiming Your Call (Lay People only!)
Imagine your community of faith as a fellowship of disciples (instead of a floundering institution); Imagine following the footsteps of our radical Teacher (instead of being ground down by budget shortfalls and petty conflicts); Imagine being part of a Christian community that understands the essence of our identity and call as people of God. Fall in love with your faith all over again! Join this six-week series to renew and rekindle your call to discipleship. Live sessions are led by a diverse group of United Church people with a depth and breadth of experience including national staff members. The live sessions take place February 10th, 24th, March 9th, 23rd, April 6th, 20th, 2024 from 1pm-3pm. Between live sessions, there will be reading, journal-writing, and online conversation among other participants to further your learning and growth. Cost: $99.99 (discount when registering as a group) Register today at United in Learning https://churchx.ca/local/shop/product.php?id=132
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper At Nashwaaksis United
Nashwaaksis United Church at 46 Main St. is hosting Shove Tuesday Pancake Supper on Tuesday, Feb. 13th from 4-6 pm. Pancakes, sausage, baked beans, brown bread, cake, tea, and coffee. Price $10. For more information, please contact the church office at 506-458-9452.
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper At Gibson Memorial
Gibson Memorial United Church at 183 Gibson St. will be hosting a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, Tuesday, Feb. 13st from 4 – 6 p.m. and in celebration of Valentine’s Day, “Bring your Sweetheart for Pancakes”. On the menu: pancakes, sausages, ham, baked beans, scallop potatoes, brown bread and dessert. $20 per person. Please call 506-457-1951 to reserve your tickets.
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 | Organists: Dr. Sharon Pond & Alexis Ervin
Church Administrator: Meghan Roebuck | Custodian: Rusty Blakely