St. Paul's Memorial Church Newsletter
Telephone: 295-2156 www.stpaulsmemorialchurch.org October 7, 2010
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/
The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost – October 7, 2010
8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist I with Homily
10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist II with Hymns and Sermon
5:30 p.m. Holy Eucharist II with Homily
Congratulations to Kay Slaughter who was named the Virginia Conservationist of the year by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Kay recently retired as senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.
Adult Ed: The Not-So-Secret Prayer Life of Your Clergy - Have you ever wondered what goes on in your priests’ prayer life (Oooo!)? When, where, how, and why they pray? This Sunday, October 10th, at the Adult Education Forum in the Parish Hall after the 10am service. Hear Jim Richardson and Heather Warren.
Adult Ed: Spiritual Direction and Prayer - What is spiritual direction? Who and what is a spiritual direction? Come find out! The Adult Education Forum presents Dr. NorveneVest, spiritual director, retreat leader, author of Tending the Holy - Oct. 17 after 10am worship, the Parish Hall.
Bishop’s Listening Session – Bishop Shannon Johnston’s next listening session on the blessing of same gender unions will be held at St. Paul’s Ivy on Wednesday, October 13th, from 7 – 9 pm.
Stewardship - This year’s Annual Giving Campaign began on Sunday, October 3rd and will continue through Sunday, November 7th. The stewardship committee has decided to do something we haven’t done in years – an ambitious-but-worth-it “every member canvass”. During the next several weeks each member of the parish can expect a call from one of our volunteer visitors. Extend a warm welcome to them! Each Sunday, between October 10 and November 7, pledge cards will be collected with the offering. Additional information is also available at www.stpaulsmemorialchurch.org/giving. While your pledges have the power to transform our ministry here at St. Paul’s, they will also be transforming a new work of art hanging in the Parish hall. Watch as your pledges bring the image to life throughout the pledging period.
St. Paul’s Annual Giving - Frequently Asked Questions
Each week we will answer several frequently asked questions about annual giving and pledging. For more information go to www.stpaulsmemorialchurch.org/giving.
What is a Pledge? A pledge is a commitment to give a certain amount of money to St. Paul’s during 2011. Most people fulfill their pledges in installments, each week or month throughout the year.
How Do I Decide How Much to Pledge? Your decision is as personal as your prayer and only you can know what’s right for you – at this stage in your journey, in your current financial circumstances. If you've never pledged, you may want to begin by pledging something and making it part of your weekly church practice. Notice along the way how your giving is enhancing your life and your relationship with your church community
What is the goal of the Annual Giving Campaign? Our goal for 2011 is two-fold: We would like each member that has pledged in the past to prayerfully consider increasing their commitment, and for each and every member who did not pledge last year to make a commitment to do so this year.
IMPACT Update: Come to the Annual Assembly on Monday Oct 18! - The listening sessions were a great success - more people than ever participated to share ideas and areas of concern. Topics included crime and safety, health care, jobs and wages, education, and homelessness. Now that we've heard from you, please help IMPACT select the issue for this year's Nehemiah Action. Join us at the IMPACT Annual Assembly at 6:30pm on Monday, October 18th at St. Thomas Aquinas Church (401 Alderman Rd), where we'll hear testimony on the most pressing areas of concern and vote for the issue that will go forward to the research committees. Questions? Comments? Contact John Frazee ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , cell:242-0103)
St. Paul's Memorial builds for the Region 15 Habitat house - Saturday, October 16th, from 8:45 am to 3:15 pm we are needed to build the four-plex house on Francis Fife Way, off Cherry Avenue and Hanover Street on Paton Street. We'll be working with Emmanuel Church doing siding and sheetrock, and they are providing lunch this time. So, wear clothes you'd as soon have dirty, with sturdy shoes, and the rest will be provided. There is something anyone 16 and over can do to clean up the site and further this house building. Please come help and enjoy a good project - for as much or as little time that you can give. And let me know you'll come at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 293-9893. Frances Lee-Vandell
CROPWALK 2010 – The annual Charlottesville/Albemarle ecumenical Cropwalk will take place this Sunday, October 10, rain or shine, starting with registration at 1:00 o’clock at First Presbyterian Church on Park Street. Walkers, please take note: If possible have all your contributions ready in your envelopes to turn in at registration. However, if by that time you still need to collect pledges you can do so after the walk. Please send late contributions to the church office or to Wilma Bradbeer. The Cropwalk table will be set up in the Chancellor St. entrance to the church after the 10:00 a.m. service to accept contributions and provide materials for any last minute walkers.
Thank you to all who have contributed so far. Church World Service gifts create many thousands of miracles in far-flung places worldwide and in the United States - including 700 rebuilt Katrina ravaged homes; myriad small businesses producing and marketing chickens, dried fish, vegetables, rice, milk and livestock, etc.; schools and clinics; soil management and water resource training; refugee projects; and emergency and recovery service in times of natural disasters.
Concert Benefiting AIM - The Alliance for Interfaith Ministries (AIM) is hosting a benefit concert on Sunday, October 17, at 3:00pm, at Meadows Presbyterian Church (2200 Angus Road). The concert will include our very own St. Paul's Choir, in addition to vocal & instrumental solos and ensemble & choral music from other local congregations. Refreshments will be provided. A suggested donation of $10/adult is encouraged to help AIM in its outreach to the community. The primary purpose of AIM is to provide emergency assistance to local families who are facing economic crises. St. Paul's was one of the founding members of AIM in 1981, and we remain active members today. Please come to this benefit concert to support the mission of AIM and enjoy some beautiful music. Questions? Contact Alice Fitch at 296-8989 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
African Development Project’s Harambee, Friday Oct. 29, at St. Paul’s: You are invited to ADP’s annual fundraising dinner: a sale of Kenyan crafts and jewelry begins at 5:30, followed by a festive dinner at 6:00. There will be updates on the projects we support in Kenya and presentations by Susanna Williams on her recent visit to Nyalwodep Project for Orphans and Children and by Kelli Olson, Cindy Cartwright, and Julie Convisser on DAWN, the new “Dollar a Week Network” to support an orphan in school. Everyone is welcome. RSVP: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call the church office: 295-2156. Since 1985, ADP has partnered with effective development projects in Kenya, whose leaders we know. The projects enable people to improve their health and income, grow more food, obtain clean water, care for orphans and the ill, and attend school.
Watch For THE BEACON! - St. Paul's is a church rich in tradition, energetic in outreach and blessed with interesting people casting light into the world. Beginning in November you can read about the stories, ministries and personalities that make St. Paul's a special place of worship, fellowship and action in a new newsletter: THE BEACON of St. Paul's. THE BEACON will be sent automatically to online subscribers to the weekly newsletter. (To join that mailing list, send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .) Those who receive the weekly Newsletter by mail may pick up a copy in the church office or at one of the regular Sunday services on November 7. THE BEACON is a project of the Communications Ministry Task Force.
Coffee Servers - Additional coffee servers are urgently needed. If you enjoy coffee after church, please volunteer for this important service. The commitment is for only one Sunday every three months. Contact Peggy Galloway @293-3350 or by email, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
United Nations Association - The local chapter of the United Nations Association invites parishioners to honor the 65th anniversary of the U.N. by attending our meeting on Sunday, October 17 at 3:00 PM at the Unitarian-Universalist Church, 717 Rugby Road. The meeting will feature renowned ethicist, Dr. William May speaking on "Containing Runaway Fear in American Foreign Policy". The speech will be followed by a wine, cheese and cider reception in honor of UN Day and the progress made on the Millennium Development Goals.
Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks to speak on Difference and Democracy in the Post-Secular World - The Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia is pleased to announce that one of the most respected religious thinkers of our time, Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, will deliver a series of lectures on “Difference and Democracy in the Post-Secular World.” These lectures will be held in the Dome Room of the Rotunda, at the University of Virginia on October 11, 12, and 13, 2010 at 3:00 p.m.
The lectures are titled, "When Rights Become Wrongs", "Losing Civil Space", and "How Civilizations Defeat Decline".
Jonathan Sacks has been Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth since 1991, and is a widely respected authority on faith and society. A philosopher and theologian, Chief Rabbi Sacks has played a leading role in advancing dialogue within pluralistic societies. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said, "He is respected in every continent because he has done more than anyone in Britain today to focus our attention on the needs and challenges of community in the global world." Former Prime Minister Tony Blair called him "A towering figure in the intellectual life of Britain today." He was knighted by the Queen in 2005 and became a Life Peer in 2009.
