St. Paul's Memorial Church Newsletter
Telephone: 295-2156 www.stpaulsmemorialchurch.org April 21, 2011
Pastoral Emergency: 806-9069
Rector’s Blog – Join in the conversation with Rector Jim. You are invited to join each day in conversation on Rector Jim's blog Fiat Lux. Jim updates it every day. You can reach it by clicking http://spmcrector.blogspot.com/
Easter Sunday Services
8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I with Hymns
9:15 am Festival Eucharist Rite II with Brass and Choir
11: 15 am Festival Eucharist Rite II with Brass and Choir
5:30 pm Holy Eucharist Rite II with Hymns and Choir
Liturgical Notes - The Great Vigil of Easter – Held Saturday April 23 at 7:30 p.m., this is the first celebration of Easter and the most important worship service of the year. The Great Vigil begins with the lighting of the Paschal fire outside the church doors; the congregation then proceeds into the church in darkness following the single large paschal candle lit for the first time at the fire. As the lessons are read, candles held by the congregation are lit. The lights brighten at the first proclamation of Easter. In the ancient church, the Vigil was held in the hours of darkness between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Day, and went all night. Ours is a good deal shorter.
Continuing the conversation on same-sex blessings - We've had a good response on our Sunday forums on the issues of marriage and same-sex blessings. We will repeat this series on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at Community Night beginning May 4. We've attempted to give balanced presentations on the history, culture and theology of marriage, and an examination of what Scripture says (and doesn't say) about sexuality, blessings and marriage. If you missed our Sunday forums, please come. All points of view are welcome. We will also offer this as a one-day workshop on Saturday May 14 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a lunch break.
Japan Earthquake Response Fund: Following the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that struck off the coast of Sendai, Japan, on March 11, Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting the Nippon Sei Ko Kei (NSKK; the Anglican Communion in Japan) in its initial response efforts. Please go to Episcopal Relief & Development's website, www.er-d.org, to learn more or to contribute to the Japan Earthquake Response Fund.
Community Night – Join us next Wednesday (4/27) at the 5:30 p.m. service when Lori Korleski Richardson will be our guest homilist. Our weekly community night dinner and education offerings follow the service (see below).
Earth Day Local Foods Potluck Dinner: Wednesday, April 27 at 6:00 p.m. Please join us as we celebrate with the bounty of local foods. Below are some suggestions from Susan Midland. Please call her if you have questions - 973 - 8206.
C'ville Market has potatoes, apples, pea shoots, baby turnips, flour, mushrooms, honey, jams, and cookies and bread from Mission Home Bakers in Crozet. Whole Foods has meat, eggs, cheese, and N.C. peanut butter. The Butcher next to Feast also has meats.
Linen Guild - Do you prefer to serve in an "invisible" ministry? If you do, St. Paul's Linen Guild needs you. Want more information? Please call Nancy Galloway at 973-2150, or Mary Carolyn Lawson at 906-6266.
Work Pilgrimage to New Orleans -Seek the Lord in the City of the Saints! - There are still open spaces for the Work Pilgrimage to New Orleans! Don't deny the Call! Join your fellow pilgrims June 11 - 19 in a ministry of work and social justice in the Big Easy. Contact Jonathan Schnyer by phone (434-760-1354) or email ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).
Diagnosing and Treating Depression -- Region Ten Community Services Board is presenting a free community information session on Diagnosing and Treating Depression. The featured speaker is Anita Clayton, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University of Virginia Medical Center, Medical Director Adult Out-Patient Clinic. The information session will be held on May 3, 2011, from 6:00-7:30 p.m., at the Region Ten Conference Center, 500 Old Lynchburg Rd. For more information, call 970-1453.
Stephen Ministry Update: We have had an amazing outpouring of interest in the new lay caring ministry called Stephen Ministry, being developed here at St. Paul's! Currently, your Stephen Leaders are in the process of interviewing several members who have applied to be trained as Stephen Ministers beginning in September.
Once they are commissioned, the Stephen Ministers will be carefully matched with "care receivers" - people like you and me who may be facing a difficult life situation. Your Stephen Ministers will be thoroughly trained in providing confidential, quality care for those who desire it: a compassionate listening presence, one hour a week, for as long as is needed.
Our vision: "To show the love of Christ to St. Paul's and our community through a lay caring ministry of people called to serve in love, listening, prayer and presence."
FINAL PHOTO DIRECTORY APPOINTMENTS: APRIL 27, 28, 29 & 30 - We are on the final stretch of having all parishioners included in our new Church Photo Directory that will come out later this year. Have you made your appointment yet?! Please contact Janet Hendrix at 295-5295 – leave a message for a call-back in the evenings or call her as late as 10:00 any night. Email is a good way to reach her too: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . If you are attending St. Paul’s, but have not transferred your letter – the rest of us think you are a member here. Please participate!
Shop and Share Our parish has responded generously to its April weekly food ingathering to assist the Greene County Food Pantry. Greene County continues to experience a very significant number of families who need food assistance. For many individuals, their access to unemployment insurance has expired, while they have remained unemployed or are now employed only part-time and at significantly reduced wages. For the month of May, please bring in weekly donations of Peanut Butter (a protein) and Applesauce (good for babies and seniors). If you are not able to bring food to church, please consider writing a check to St. Paul’s noting “Greene Food Pantry” on the memo line.
The Ministry Beyond Our Walls team is planning to host the Offenders Aid and Rehabilitation (OAR) Success Banquet in our parish hall on Thursday, May 26 from 6-8:30 pm. If you would like to be involved in planning this event or would like to be the primary liaison with OAR for this event, please get in touch with Joan Burchell, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 434-979-3115.
Attention, St. Paul’s KNITTERS! We are continuing to knit DUDUZA DOLLS (small knitted “comfort” dolls) to be sent to Haitian orphanages. It’s an enjoyable way to use up small amounts of yarn and create a lovable doll which can bring comfort to a child. Please keep knitting so we can build another collection to send to Haiti via friends at USAID.
The pattern is available online at www.creativestitchonline.com/pattern.html. Members of Rockfish Presbyterian Church who brought us a sackful of dolls they made to join in our November shipment have finished 25 more dolls. Let’s get knitting and match their industry. For questions phone Jane Rotch (434-972-2410). Jane will collect any dolls left at the church office.
It takes about one evening to knit the doll and some more time the next day to stitch up the back seam and stuff it.
