St. Paul’s Family Worship Weekly Postcard 9-3-20

Blessings to St. Paul’s Beloved Family Eucharist Congregation!

Join us for Worship



Join us this Sunday, September 6,
the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
9:30 a.m. Rev. Carolyn Eklund and musician Susan Brown will lead us in a time of song, prayer, story and sharing with our friends! 
Here is the link for the Zoom gathering
Click here for the 9:30 Family Worship Booklet 
10:30 a.m. Morning Prayer, on St. Paul’s Facebook Live
11:30 a.m. Virtual Coffee Hour on Zoom. 
Here is the Zoom link.


Blessing of the Devices



September 13 at 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

This year, in addition to celebrating a Blessing of Backpacks, all are invited to a Blessing of Devices. Let us take a moment during worship to honor the things that are helping us all stay connected. 

*If you need a device to connect with our St. Paul’s and worshiping community, contact the Rector.


All Things Youth




Hello St. Paul’s Middle & High School Youth!
Middle and High School Youth Gatherings

At the request of our youth we will be gathering twice on Sundays. Join us for prayers at 9 a.m. and stay for family worship. Youth group will be later in the afternoon. Please note we will use the same Zoom for both gatherings.

While the weather is in our favor, the youth have decided to gather for weekly Youth Group from 1-2 p.m. in the Garden. Please wear a mask, practice physical distance, and bring your own water and snack should you need them. 

This Sunday, September 6
9:00 a.m. Check in and Prayer via Zoom
Click Link to join
Meeting ID: 966 1711 1762
Password: church
1-2 p.m. Youth Group in the Garden 
PLEASE NOTE: There will be no Youth Group this Sunday, September 6th.


Back to School Tie Dye Sunday!On 

September 13th we will gather in the Garden for some tie dye fun!
Stay tuned for details.
*Please let Rev. Katie know what size T-Shirt you would like.


 Maine Episcopal Youth Meetings



Maine Episcopal Youth will be meeting the third Monday of each month from 7-8:30 PM starting September 21.


Youth grades 6-12 are welcome to join as we check-in and get to know one another and Christ.

Join via Zoom here.


Coming Up…Something New



This school year, in addition to other offerings, we will try on
“take home formation”.
Stop by church and grab your family’s monthly bag with simple activities.

September’s theme will be… Creation!
Contact Katie to schedule a time to pick up your bag. (bags will be available starting September 9th)

Fun Things For Families


 


Here are some helpful resources to keep you and your family faithfully connecting during this season at home.  
The Way of Love For Families.
Check out this resource brought to us by the wider church. 
Sharing Faith Cards 
– Open up some conversation with these helpful cards.

Try out this set of Sharing Faith Youth Cards as well! 
Prayer Sticks are a fun and simple  at home prayer practice.
Enjoy some Bible Stories brought us by Godly Play.
Well suited for the youngest among us.
Parents and teens, are you looking for a way to deepen your daily prayer practice? 
Enjoy this thoughtful daily practice that invites a moment of pause to be steeped in prayer. 
365 Daily Devotions
Mission of Saint Clare Daily Office 
Another great daily office offering!


Justice Resources

They’re here….. Justice Book Bags!
 We now have a beautiful collection of justice-oriented and inclusive books for children. If you would like to borrow a justice book bag, please reach out to Rev. Katie Holicky to schedule a time to pick up books.
The Center for Racial Justice in Education has some great resources to help families in the work of racial justice.
Family Sermon by Rev. Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones about the sin of racism.
list of resources from some Episcopal friends in North Carolina.
short family guide to supporting racial justice now.
Book Lists: (various social justice topics, including racial justice)
Social Justice Books; A Teaching for Change Project
Act for Social JusticeEmbrace Race: “Diverse” Books for Children
Anti-Racism Books for Elementary Students
Indigo Arts Alliance Booklist

Help with Diocese-Wide Worship



In preparation for the September diocese-wide worship service, we invite the children of the diocese to draw, paint or compose pictures of what they think angels look like. These images will be incorporated into the September diocesan-wide worship service. Note that we welcome submissions from the young and the young at heart! 
Please take a photo of the angel art and email the photo to Director of Communications Katie Clark.
Please include the first name of the artist and their age. 
You can also drop the images directly into this folder.
Just include the first name and age of the artist in your file name.


Sunday Junior Paper – Click to Read!







Parish Office Hours
Precautions to Observe While you are in the building of St. Paul’s


We want parishioners and guests to be able to contact staff members in person while at the same time we take the Maine CDC recommended precautions.


The hallway off the Union Street parking lot to the office and the office itself are the only areas open. Call or email the staff member working that day to alert them you’ll be coming and use the intercom at the parking lot door to call them to open the door when you arrive.

Wear a mouth and nose covering when in the building. We have a mask to give you.

Use hand sanitizer to wash hands. (Restrooms and kitchen will be closed.) We will provide hand sanitizer stations along the hallway off the Union Street parking lot.

Please be sure to sign in.

Observe distancing precautions: 6 feet apart.No more than four will be in the building at a time.


Click for Parish Office Hours




Outdoor Fellowship Gatherings


You are cordially invited to an Outdoor Fellowship Gathering.

 St. Paul’s is hosting this chance to get together for fellowship. Following CDC guidelines, the groups will be small and outdoors. 

We will provide the seating, six feet apart, and great conversation.

You provide your presence and a snack and beverage not to share (to keep the risk low, but against our St. Paul’s love for hospitality!)

Each gathering will be for one hour. We invite you to join us as you feel comfortable doing so. There is one gathering remaining.

Sunday September 13: Patsy & Phil Studwell at 2:00RSVPS are required, please contact Patsy Oehl poehl56@yahoo.com or Charla Spann chaspann13@gmail.com to find out about availability and sign up if there’s still room.


 Live Streaming from the Nave Soon

The bandwidth in the Nave has been upgraded and we invested in new video cameras… 
Join us September 20th for our first Spiritual Eucharist live-streamed at 10:30 a.m. from the Nave!



Thank you, Nancy Whitehouse!


Please join me in thanking Nancy Whitehouse for all the many ways she led the mission of swiftly transforming the Barnes Building into a home for a family of nine New Mainers.  From planning to connecting with contractors, to coordinating volunteers, to countless hours of hands-on work, Nancy generously taught us all that our mission is hospitality and that hospitality is justice. Please join me in thanking Nancy for her faith, generosity,
and leadership.

 
Thank you also to all the volunteers who organized inspections, donated supplies, and sweat equity to this massive effort!


Attic Treasures Needed


Time is Running Out to Donate Your Used Items!

Because of Covid-19 safety measures, all items must be received by Tuesday, September 15, at the latest to make sure they’ll be free of virus germs before being put on display for sale. But the sooner we receive them and can start finding a place for them, the better.
 
Remember—all proceeds from the sale will go to support the St. Paul’s Outreach Fund. Please donate generously! We accept cash donations in addition to goods.
 
Contact Nancy Johnson at (978) 387-6058 if you would like to have your items picked up. Donations may also be dropped off by appointment or on Tuesday, the 15th, from 9 to 12. And please come to the sale on Saturday, September 19, from 9 to 2 in the church garden.  Many thanks, Jan DeBlieu



The Gratitude Project



Still Time to Drop Off Donations

We surpassed our goal of 175 items of warm clothing, but if you’ve got items you had intended to donate, please don’t hesitate–still bring or send them in! 

Our present array consists of everything from coats and jackets and sweaters to socks and hats and headbands, not to mention scarves and gloves and flannel shirts, and even boots!

If you need someone to pick up your items, please let Carol Martin know (cmartin@northpark.edu). 


Other Christmas Fair Events




Following up on the Attic Treasures sale in September, we are planning a second in-person event for late November or early December. This will be a simplified version of our famous Christmas Fair, with limited access to the church and controlled numbers of shoppers allowed inside at once.  More details will follow! Rest assured that if the incidence of Covid-19 in Maine increases, or if events conspire to make it unwise to hold the fair events, they will be canceled or perhaps moved entirely online.

 
What can you contribute to this major annual effort to help people in need? Please write to Jan at jdeblieu@mindspring.com if you can help. There are lots of tasks, for instance:
Help photograph items for a possible online sale, and for advance publicity.
Help build plastic shields to be used between volunteers and shoppers.
Donate to help offset expenses for safety supplies and face shields (mail checks to church with memo “Christmas Fair”)Help with set up, clean up, and staffing tables.
Please volunteer!



St. Paul’s Weekly Calendar