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…
I want to start by saying a big THANK YOU to everyone who has put so much time and effort into getting us moved to St. Andrew’s building. It is incredible how much has been done in the past 3 months. On Tuesday, that last load of boxes and larger items from the sanctuary were moved and those of us with keys handed them in. If you are still processing what this all means you are not alone. We have been so focused on what needed to be done, on what needs to happen next, that for some there has not been a lot of time for reflection. Now is a good moment to take a deep breath. Not sure where to start, you can look back over some of the old eNews reflections, many were designed to help us walk through this transition and of course, bring your experience to God in prayer.
In the weeks and months to come, we will be building the future with our new ministry partners at St. Andrew’s. Have you ever had the joy and challenge of living with roommates? It can be both an amazing joy and incredibly frustrating, sometimes at the same moment! The reality is we are all learning what it means to share this church space, and neither of us has been in this situation before.
We would be aided in taking the stance of assuming positive intent when we run into something that frustrates us. By assuming positive intent, I mean extending the most generous interpretation possible to the intentions, words, and actions of others. A mindset of positive intent assumes that individuals are acting with good intentions and that they are doing their best. This generous point of view is maintained even when there are negative outcomes. Rather than jumping to negative conclusions or playing the blame game when things go wrong, the mindset of positive intent encourages us to understand the reasons behind a problem and seek out alternatives for tackling the challenges.
I see the assumption of positive intent as being a way that we can extend the grace that we have received from God to each other. Just like God’s grace freely given to us builds the bridge to our redemption, assuming positive intent is a good foundation for building strong and positive relationships and fostering curiosity instead of judgment.
The other thing that will help us navigate these early days of our shared ministry is that nothing will be perfect, because none of us is God. However, just like we are called to strive to be more like Christ as we tackle each challenge that arises things will become more polished and streamlined. With open communication about hopes and dreams, and deep listening to our partners, the Spirit will lead to solutions to whatever challenges we face.
Now on a totally different note, this Monday is election day here in NB. We no longer live in a time where we believe our government is ordained by God. However, that doesn’t mean that politics are areligious. As people of faith, the choices we make do influence our government and we can make our choices based on our understandings of the type of life Jesus calls us to. As you go to the polls, and I hope you do, I encourage you to discern your vote through the lens of your faith.
This week remember worship starts 10:30am at 512 Charlotte Street. Looking forward to seeing you then.
God of turning seasons,
As the weather turns cooler,
As we move into a new building
As we vote for our government
Help us to seek your way.
Be in our hearts and minds
Encouraging us and supporting us as we embrace the changes that come with life. Amen
Featured In This October 17th Edition of St. Paul’s eNews
Worship This Sunday October 20th
Pantry Program
Brown Bag Lunch Program
Upcoming Dates To Remember
Take-Out Salmon Supper
Wilmot’s Fall Rummage Sale
The Moderator Is Coming To New Brunswick
Christmas Bazaar at Nashwaaksis
Worship This Sunday October 20th
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
Pantry Program
The Pantry items needed this week are laundry and dish soap, Mr. Clean, toothpaste & brushes, ketchup, coffee, cookies, molasses, canned fruit, macaroni, spaghetti, salt, mayo, white rice, pudding cups, Cheez Whiz, plastic wrap, and tin foil. Thank you for your continued support of this increasingly busy outreach program! Thank you for your continued support of this increasingly busy outreach program!
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.
Upcoming Dates To Remember
October 20th ~ Service at 10:30
October 27th ~ Service at 10:30
Take-Out Salmon Supper
New Maryland United Church is hosting a Take-Out Salmon Supper at the New Maryland Centre (754 New Maryland Hwy.) on Sunday, October 20th, 2024. Pick up times are: 4, 4:30, 5, or 5:30pm. Cost is $20. Menu: BBQ Salmon, baked potato, peas, carrots, rolls, and apple crisp. Advance tickets only by calling (506) 459-3313 or (506) 455-1948.
Wilmot’s Fall Rummage Sale
Something for everyone! Dates: Friday October 25th from 11am – 5pm and Saturday October 26th from 9am – 12 noon. Location: Wilmot United Church, 473 King Street, Fredericton.
The Moderator Is Coming To New Brunswick
Across the country, the Moderator The Right Reverend Carmen Lansdown, has been inviting people to join with her in exploring what it means to be a flourishing church. It is now our turn on November 9th. This is a great opportunity to join with other United Church people from across our region. The gathering is at Visions United in Moncton. Registration Deadline is November 5th. To register click here :https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=qLUYz3gmEUCTEhXw9xV1dC15iUSbxN1CqdLiNwjtK9RUN1U3VUNBWDlKQkRSMVdBQ1dYUUQwOFhMUi4u&route=shorturl Want to carpool, reach out to Rev. Michelle.
Christmas Bazaar at Nashwaaksis
We invite you to our bazaar, being held at Nashwaaksis United Church, 46 Main Street on Saturday, November 16th, 9am-Noon. There will be a Silent Auction table, Craft and Bake tables and much more. Free admission.
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
Church Administrator: Meghan Roebuck