June Newsletter

In this Month's Newsletter:
Preacher's Part from Pastor David
A Note From Pastor Donnie
Monthly Mission
Pastor's Discretionary
Hospitality
The Church Mouse
Communion for the Home bound
Birthdays
Anniversaries
Schedule
Monthly Events
Seasonal Announcements

Life Outside the Church –

I love the church. I love the hymns, the worship, the people, the scriptures, and everything else. I have always been in churches and I feel like I always will. I just LOVE the church. But sometimes I worry that we who become so deeply embedded in the church only see the insides of the church as the church. If I’m not careful I think of “Church” as a thing we do on Sundays, a building we spend time in, or even the organization that bears its name.
Church is people and actions and it’s far too big to fit inside a building for an hour on Sunday.

So this summer, we are getting OUTSIDE the church for a sermon series I am titling “Life Outside the Church”. In this series, we will engage with actionable things we can do each day, we will learn to love our neighbors better, We will care for God’s green earth, we will learn to welcome strangers and we will advocate for those on the margins.

On June 16th, we will worship outside on the front lawn, symbolizing our commitment to move our faith into the world around us. Each week, we will explore different ways to embody our Christian values beyond the confines of the church building. From community service projects to environmental stewardship, from acts of hospitality to social justice advocacy, we will find practical and meaningful ways to live out our faith daily.

This is an opportunity to not only deepen our understanding of what it means to be the church but to also actively participate in making a positive impact in our community. Join us as we step outside our comfort zones, step outside the church, embrace the world around us, and truly live out our calling as followers of Christ. Let’s make “church” something we do every day, in everything we do, and everywhere we go.

I look forward to seeing you on the lawn and in the community as we embark on this journey together.

With love and blessings,
Rev. David Petty

In addition to our dog, Sonny, we have two cats, Cricket and Chloe. They are good cats that are very different from each other. For example, Cricket eats to live while Chloe lives to eat. Cloe’s never-ending appetite has gotten me in trouble many times.

Chloe is cognizant of when someone has left the kitchen, especially me. As soon as the kitchen light is turned off, Chloe stalks into the kitchen to look for any food that might have been left out on the counter. Just as a lioness silently stalks an antelope, Chloe will quietly enter the kitchen to search for something to eat, making sure that she can’t be heard.

Before I go on to describe Chloe’s efforts to supplement her carefully measured caloric intake, you must know something that often contributes to many of Chloe’s successful quests for food. We store our breads in the microwave oven; sliced bread, bagels, rolls, etc. When we need to use the microwave, we must remove all the bread and place it on the kitchen counter before we can use the oven. After we finish using the microwave, we are supposed to put all the bread back. My wife, Daphne, and daughter, Christine, are very good at returning the bread where we store it, but I’m not, and Cloe knows it.

Have you ever suddenly experienced the feeling in the pit of your stomach that something was wrong? Maybe like when you go to take clothes out of the washer only to discover pieces of dissolved paper that once was an intact document that you forgot to remove from a pocket before placing the garment into the washer. Sometimes we just forget to do some things. We’re human after all. Right?

I know that I forgot to put the bread up when Chloe deliberately, I’m convinced, walks by me with the whiskered ends of her mouth seemingly raised upward in a smile while she slowly licks the sides of her mouth. I know that the plastic wrapping around each type of bread has been chewed through as Chloe sampled each as if I left a buffet dinner for her.
When we forget our call as Christians, we must remember that the consequences can be more serious than an over-weight cat or a partially eaten loaf of bread. Someone may never hear our witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We just finished celebrating Pentecost when the Holy Spirit entered the hearts of believers, an event that marked the beginning of the church. The Spirit gives us the power to continue the work that Jesus began. It’s never too late to allow the spirit to work within us.
A prayer commonly attributed to Teresa of Avila poetically expresses the task ahead of us as Christians, a task we should never forget:

God of love, help us to remember
That Christ has no body now on earth but ours,
No hands but ours, no feet but ours.
Ours are the eyes to see the needs of the world.
Ours are the hands with which to bless everyone now.
Ours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good.

~Pastor Donnie Sturgill

Each month, our community comes together to extend our blessings beyond the walls of our church through the "Monthly Mission" offering. This special collection traditionally supports various organizations and causes, reflecting our commitment to support God's mission in our community.

This month, the mission committee has decided to direct our "Monthly Mission" offering to an exceptionally vital cause — our own church. This offering will help to address an urgent need within our church budget that ensures our ministries continue to thrive and our facilities remain a welcoming place of worship and service.

While this might be a shift from our usual practice, it is a reminder that maintaining the strength and stability of our church is equally crucial in fulfilling our mission. It allows us to continue providing spiritual guidance, community support, and a facility for the whole community. We are “putting our own oxygen mask on first” this month to make sure we can support this neighborhood for many years to come.

We ask for your continued generosity to our May monthly mission, knowing that every contribution will play a direct role in sustaining the church. Let us come together in this collective effort to support St. Paul's as our monthly mission.

Thank you for your steadfast faith and dedication to St. Paul's.

Each communion Sunday we have a basket for those who feel called to give above and beyond their pledge. This "second-mile" giving will help fund the pastor's discretionary fund, which helps meet community needs as they arise, such as gas, lodging, clothing, etc. Feel free to bring your spare cash and change to help make a change in the lives of those in need.

A big Thank You to Paul and Ginny Fredell, Bailey, Jasper and Scarlett Brandt for being the Hospitality Team for May. Couldn’t do it without you all.

June 2nd, we will be celebrating our Graduates with a cake during Fellowship. Plan on being there to help us celebrate their achievements.

On June 9th we will be treated to special music by a visiting youth choir. To say, “Thank You” we are hosting a potluck immediately after church. Please bring a main dish, side or salad to serve 10. THE CHURCH IS PROVIDING A CAKE!

The Home School Music Concert on, May 10th was a huge success , not only for the musicians but for St. Paul’s. A great big THANK YOU to all of you in the congregation who made or purchased cookies!! The kids and adults were so excited and appreciative of our hospitality. We received many compliments and thank yous. There were some cookies left over and you will see those out on trays during Fellowship time.

“Love is patient….love is kind…”
1 Corinthians 13:4

Patience and Kindness
     Someone makes a gift for you—perhaps a painting, sweater, or chair – and spends weeks and months sketching, weaving, knitting, and building it.  Their familiarity with you ensures that you can use their gift, but their personal investment in it ensures that you will love it.  They have put time, energy, heart and soul into creating something.  They didn’t just spend money on this special gift; they invested themselves into every detail.

      This is the kind of love we see Christ demonstrating—magnified many times over, of course.  He knew that patience without kindness doesn’t have much invested.  And kindness without patience may not be able to give at the right times.  However, when patience and kindness come together, love is demonstrated.

     Today, infuse your patience with kindness for those around you.  Demonstrate the kind of mature love that we see in the life of Christ, the kind Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13.

St. Paul’s members- we need your help. If you know of anyone in our St. Paul’s family who is homebound, in a nursing home, or unable to come to church for a while, please let me know their name and phone number. I will be happy to contact them and see if they would appreciate having communion brought to them. Lu Petersen, 597-2824.

Amberly Petty 6/1
Nathan Nors 6/10
Linda Griffin 6/13
David Hall 6/13
Robert Meikle 6/14
Evelyn Panos 6/14
Norm Thom 6/15
Kristine Thom 6/18
Bob Barnes 6/19
Michael Mowery 6/22
Kerry Cooper 6/25
June Cornish 6/27
Becky Hall 6/30

Scott & Amy Kruse
June 3, 2012
12 Years

Scott & Lisa Mowery
June 5, 2010
14 Years

Norm & Lori Thom
June 9, 1973
51 Years

Bill & Ruth Morr
June 14, 1964
60 Years

Ellen & Michael Witham
June 20, 2009
15 Years

Gayle Myers & Dennis Riggs
June 20, 2020
4 Years

David & Judy Reither
June 22, 1958
66 Years

Eldon & June Cornish
June 22, 1956
68 Years

Getting your Ducks in a Row--June 8th: Whether financial and estate planning, keeping medical records, planning for emergency evacuations, or simply making our lives less stressful, we all know we should be better organized. Since we don’t know where to start, we procrastinate. Senior advisor Judy Rough has spent her career helping older clients organize their lives. Though she lives in Denver, she has offered to sponsor a free community seminar at St. Paul’s. The only cost will be for binder materials, available upon registration. The workshop is only a starting point; be prepared to devote some time to following her advice. We’ll enjoy a potluck brunch followed by a half-day workshop. So, sharpen your pencils, bring that egg casserole, and prepare to get your “ducks in a row.” Remember to invite all your friends, since this is a community outreach from St. Paul’s. Contact Jeanne Marsh (719-229-1708) or the church office to register.