Sisters and Brothers, fellow children of the Living God,
I greet you in the name of our teacher, Jesus Christ, as the school year begins and new routines start. Much the same is happening around St. Paul’s. Though we’ve had a busy and productive summer, when the fall rolls around gears shift and programs start up and people return from vacation.
First off, Welcome Back Sunday is right around the corner on September 13th! After worship, in Fraser Memorial Hall our committees will be setting up so you can get an idea of the life and work of the church, and maybe even find your place in one of those groups. You will also notice during worship, that the space has changed. Over the summer we installed a projector and screen along with 2 large TVs for those hard to see angles. Come worship, praise and pray with your heads high and your voices out.
During the summer, I started a Wednesday Morning Playgroup that happens from 9:30-11:30 a.m. It has been sporadically attended through the month of August, but it is my hope that through the fall it will grow. If you have pre-school age children and want some time to chat with other adults while they play, come on down! Along with me, the group has a volunteer who is going through for her Early Childhood Education. Come and play!
For the fall I am starting up two programs. The first is a Men’s conversation group that will take place Monday nights from 7-9 p.m. The first session will be Monday, September 14th. The conversation starter for the fall will be a book entitled Autopsy of a Deceased Church by Thom Rainer. The book looks at common missteps in many congregations, and ways to breathe new life into our faith communities. The second program I’m hoping to get off the ground is a weekly Bible Study to take place Sunday’s from 2-3:30 p.m. For the first while, we’ll be following the weekly Lectionary – a three year cycle that takes us through the Gospels and many familiar stories. I want people to know that they don’t need to be Biblical experts to come to these Bible Studies. You just have to be excited to learn and talk about how these passages may or may not speak to where we are in the world today. The first session of the Bible Study will be held on Sunday, September 20th.
The church is going to be a busy place as the fall kicks off. Along with regular church groups meeting here, there are many groups in the community who call St. Paul’s United church home. On Tuesday, September 8th we welcomed the Central Valley Adult Learning Association to our underused upper-room. From 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, St. Paul’s is providing a space for people to get their GED.
This is just a sampling of what’s going on at St. Paul’s United Church, and we hope to get more on the go that we might serve our community in the best way possible while building the kingdom of God together. Come and join us on this journey!
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Richard