Stained glass window

April 24, 2020: Greetings from St Paul’s

Alleluia, Dear Ones!

Blessings, peace and joy this Friday in Easter Week! 

Next Sunday, May 3, we will have the joyful opportunity to meet and welcome our new assistant rector for children and youth, the Rev. Katie Holicky at a “virtual coffee hour” after 10:30 a.m. Morning Prayer Facebook live stream. You are invited to “navigate” electronically from Facebook live to a ZOOM link in order to enter our “St. Paul’s Coffee Hour.” Just imagine that you are traveling from the Nave down the hall to the Great Hall for fellowship after worship.

Personally, I long to see you again. Many of you have shared how much you have missed seeing your friends and opportunities to meet new friends during this period of “distancing.” Already, many of you have organized your ministry groups and small conversation groups into ZOOM gatherings. Congratulations on learning this media and how to navigate it! Daily, I learn something new about how to use these electronic forms of connecting.

Now, we are ready to adapt and work out the “bugs” of holding larger ZOOM groups in order to draw our hearts to each other over conversation and a cup of coffee or juice from your own kitchen and at your own “bistro table” connecting by way of ZOOM. This Sunday, April 26 after 10:30 a.m. Morning Prayer we will offer our first ZOOM Coffee Hour. This will give us all an opportunity to rekindle friendships and “see” one another after these long weeks of being apart. I will be personally building confidence in using this media.

We have not stopped being the Body of Christ of St. Paul’s, Brunswick, Maine. Christ’s body is still strong in us as we continue to “love another with mutual affection” and “Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.” (Paul’s Letter to the Romans 12:10a; 13)

We are learning so many things during this coronavirus pandemic. Not only are we learning things about the virus and its spread, we are learning things about how God is transforming ministry and the Body of Christ for our future. Who knew that all ages would become so adept at social media? Who knew that people from other parts of the country and the world are finding us on line and joining us in prayer and worship? The hospitality and welcome we are called to have expanded beyond anything we imagined!

And this Sunday, we will put into practice a way to connect socially in faithful fellowship with each other and guests through ZOOM. I love gathering with you in any circumstance and I have missed you! I am looking forward with joy to “see” you all this Sunday.

With hope, joy and love,
Carolyn +

PS
As a practical guide for us all during this pandemic, I invite you to connect with the CDC Facebook page and visit their website for excellent direction on staying safe, talking to your children and data collection on the virus. 
Here is a recent link on how to notice stress in your children and tips on how to talk with them about their worries.   CDC link



~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Third Sunday of EasterApril 26, 2020
10:30 Morning Prayer, on Facebook live feed 

Bulletin                                      
Announcements
Click here to join the Zoom Coffee Hour 
Sunday, at 11:30 am 
Click here for a Zoom meeting How-To & Tips
Readings
Acts 2:14a,36-41            
1 Peter 1:17-23
Luke 24:13-35        
Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17
The Lectionary Page 
Daily Morning Prayer and Compline – Join us every morning and evening on St. Paul’s Facebook Live for Morning Prayer and Compline, 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. 
Make sure you have your Prayer Book with you. If you need a prayer book come by St. Paul’s Wednesday morning to pick one up.

We welcome our assistant Rector for children and youth, The Rev. Katie Holicky, who joins us starting April 27th. Her first Sunday with us will be May 3. 

Thank You for Keeping up with Your Pledge-Because we will be continuing to pay our bills, we are even more grateful for electronic giving. To make your electronic offering to St. Paul’s go to stpaulsmaine.breezechms.com/give/online or text your gift amount  to (207) 407-5069. And we will be receiving mail in our PO Box 195, so feel free to mail your check. Thank you! 

The History Committee of the 175th Anniversary is including weekly excerpts describing our church’s growth. Here’s the second in a series:
“In January, 1844, the Parish was organized under its present name, and on the 8th its members met in the home of E. Murray Johnson; the parish was legally incorporated….. In March measures were taken to secure a suitable site and house of worship……Plans were drawn by Richard Upjohn of New York, the foremost American church architect of his day, who also designed the Bowdoin College Chapel, and the First Parish (Congregational) Church, both building at the same time…..The Church was completed at a cost of $4,000, including the value of the lot. It was consecrated, debt free, July 11, 1845, by Bishop Henshaw.”


Connecting by Phone -A team led by Hugh Savage and Cliff Ruprecht are standing by to join our Lay Pastoral Visitors to deliver meals to any parishioner in need. They also will connect by phone with parishioners who might feel more isolated by our closing.  If you or someone you know would benefit from a call please let us know. Volunteers are also welcome. Please email the Parish Office or call and leave a message on the phone 207-725-5342. Also, the Vestry and volunteers will be making phone calls over the next few weeks to parishioners for conversation and pastoral care. 

The Work of the Church / Meetings
We are working to find alternate ways to connect digitally in small groups and for meetings. Regularly meeting small groups are starting to meet virtually using the internet and phones if video is not available.  Watch your email for more information from your group leaders.  Any group leader interested in having your group meet virtually please be in contact with the parish office by email at stpauls@stpaulsmaine.org. We have instructions and can walk you through the process. Zoom (video calls) already happening include: Holy Stitchers, Men’s Group, Women’s Group, Prayer Group, Healing Prayer Team, Thursday Healing Prayer Service, Women’s Bible Study, Finance Committee, Vestry, Rectors and Warden’s meetings, Staff meetings, Choir, Church School, and Sunday Morning Bible Story Time.

The Parish Office
We have invested in the capability to work digitally as an administrative staff from our homes. The Parish Office will be utilized only by the limited few (entering one at a time) who need to keep us updated financially and check the mail. Those who have emergency financial needs may come to St. Paul’s on Wednesday between 10:00 am-Noon to meet with the Rector. When you arrive at the entrance off the parking lot, please use the intercom-the small black box to the right of the door-to let us know you’re there.

Do you have at home records of any St. Paul’s organization?  If so, the archivist and the history sub-committee would love to see them.  We are trying to build as complete a picture of church life as we can, including details of parish activities.  It would be great if you felt you could donate any records; please give them to Charlie Priest (cpriest1@comcast.net) and if you want the records back for some reason, please talk let him know.  Thank you! 

Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program – Please consider donating extra food items so that all of our friends and neighbors can have food during this challenging time. MCHPP will see a sharp increase for their services as this crisis deepens. Please bring your food directly to MCHPP, not to St. Paul’s. They will continue to accept drop off food donations but ask that donations be brought between 8am and10am or between 2pm and 4pm Monday through Saturday to minimize the impact to their operations and help reduce the number of people on their campus at any given time. Checks are also needed. Please send checks directly to Mid Coast Hunger Prevention at 12 Tenney Way, Brunswick, ME 04011. Thank you!

How to Help and Where to Find Help in Maine at Maine Helps
Local Brunswick Support Resources:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/support.brunswick/

https://fredhorch.wordpress.com/support-brunswick/

St. Paul’s Online This Week
Click to Join
Sunday 4/26Zoom9:30 am
Family Bible Story

Facebook10:30 am
Morning Prayer
Zoom11:30 am
Virtual Coffee Hour
Monday-Saturday Facebook 7:30 am
Morning Prayer
Facebook 7:30 pm
Compline
Tuesday 4/28 Zoom9:30 am
Holy Stitchers
Zoom
12:30 pm
Bible Study
Wednesday 4/29 Zoom 4:30 pm
Virtual Celebration Meet Rev. Katie Holicky
Zoom7:00 pm
Choir
Thursday 4/30 Zoom11:00 am
Healing Prayer Service
ZoomNoon
Prayer Group
Resources
St. Paul’s website
 Parish CalendarThe MessengerThe Episcopal ChurchThe New NortheastDiocese of Maine