Greetings & salutations, People of St. Paul’s!
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Annual Thanksgiving Potluck
This Sunday, November 19, St. Paul’s will host our annual Thanksgiving Dinner. This is a great opportunity to extend hospitality to our family, friends, and neighbors who normally would not attend church, so invite someone to come and break bread with us (we’ll even overlook it if they don’t come to church first)!
Recognition of Veterans
Last Sunday (11/12), we prayed for those who have served in our armed forces. We are so grateful to those who have put their own lives on the line for the safety of ours. If you know or meet a veteran, be sure to thank them for their service.
This week (11/19), the prophet Zephaniah reminds us that “the great day of the Lord is near,” and our gospel lesson reminds us to be good stewards of the gifts we are given – both good lessons to remember as we navigate this season of “the in between.”
International Student Ministry
Canon Betsy, Rev. Nancy, and Barry Clark (RSU’s International Student Coordinator) are working together to establish a new ministry on the RSU campus. It will involve volunteers from St. Paul’s who are willing to befriend students from other countries. The implementation of this ministry will be fairly simple. Volunteers will
- meet students face-to-face to exchange contact information
- call or text students to check in once a week
- get together once a month for an off-campus activity
- be required to complete the free and easy Safe Church (formerly Safeguarding God’s People) training
If you are interested in being a volunteer for this exciting ministry opportunity, contact Rev. Nancy.
Way of Love in Advent
The Way of Love is a program which emphasises setting aside time each day to focus on living a Jesus-centered life. The seven practices of the Way of Love are
- Turn – pause, listen, and choose to follow Jesus
- Learn – reflect on scripture each day
- Pray – dwell intentionally with God each day
- Worship – gather in community weekly to thank, praise, and dwell with God
- Bless – share faith, and unselfishly give and serve
- Go – cross boundaries, listen deeply, and live like Jesus
- Rest – receive the gift of God’s grace, peace, and restoration
The WOL Advent series accents these practices as they pertain to the liturgical season of awaiting the coming of Christ. Beginning November 29, and through December 24, multiple opportunities to participate in the Way of Love series will be offered. Ron Parker will post daily thoughts on Facebook and Instagram; both he and Shelby Mancell will collaborate to post a devotional video each week; and our Sunday School (Christian Formation) class will journey through the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke.
December 24 Marks the Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve
Did you know that Advent IV and Christmas Eve only fall on the same day approximately every six years? In fact, depending on how leap years affect the calendar, this may happen as infrequently as every 11 years. This year marks one of these rare occasions; so on Sunday, December 24, we will forego our regularly scheduled morning service and have only one service in the evening – at 5:30pm – to celebrate the blending of these two special occasions.
Fr. Bill Announces Retirement
How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace ~ Romans 10:15
Our own Father Bill Martin has announced that he will be retiring soon; so please join us as we celebrate his service to St. Paul’s! The Rev. Canon Betsy Randall will be with us for this momentous occasion which will take place on Sunday, January 7, 2024, at 9:30am. We will, of course, cap off the event with a wonderful meal after the service. Please make plans to attend so we can show Fr. Bill and Carole how much we love and appreciate them. What a blessing it has been to have had them with us; they will be missed!
Let Us Pray
- Lift up all those traveling throughout the holiday season
- Pray for Velma Landley (Babara’s mom) as she recovers from a fall
- Doris has asked that we pray for the health of her son, Jim
- Remember the victims of the Israel-Hamas war
- Pray for our congregation as we explore our dreams and discern where God is leading us next.
- Verna has requested prayer for Robert.
- Keep Lloyd Bajon in your prayers as he recovers from a horse riding accident.
If you have prayer requests you’d like to add to the Newsletter, email them to Clergy@stpaulsclaremore.org
Save the Dates
- Sunday, November 19 – Annual Thanksgiving Potluck
- Monday, November 27 – Birthday celebration for Velma Landley (stay tuned for more details!)
- Wednesday, November 29 – WOL in Advent begins
- Sunday, December 3 – First Sunday of Advent
- Sunday, December 24 @ 5:30pm – Advent IV/Christmas Eve Service (no AM service)
- Sunday, January 7, 2024 – Fr. Bill’s retirement celebration
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