What‘s Happening at St. Paul’s 02-25-2022 Inbox
“The Messenger”, March 2022 issue
One Ash Wednesday when I was rector of Grace Church in Plainfield, New Jersey, our newly ordained deacon, retired former pharmaceutical company executive and I carried the freshly consecrated ashes out the front door of the church immediately after the early morning Ash Wednesday service. We wore our black cassocks with sweaters layered under them. The morning was sunny and very cold. Our aim that February… Read the rest of the Rector’s Column and much more in the March Messenger here.
SAFE CHURCH TRAINING UPDATES
Beloved Community,
On March 1st the Diocese of Maine will be rolling out an updated version of Safe Church Training. We give thanks for this updated resource that helps us to live more deeply into our Baptislam Vows as the Body of Christ at St. Paul’s, Brunswick.
What it is “Safe Church”? “The purpose of this policy is to help the church to be a safer place for all who worship, or minister, or come in any sort of need, including children, youth, elders, the vulnerable, (everyone in our community), and those who work with them. We believe that this policy is one aspect of honoring our baptismal vows to “respect the dignity of every human being.”” (Episcopal Diocese of Maine)
Who needs to complete it? Clergy, Staff, Vestry, everyone who works with children, and everyone who visits folks beyond our church walls, or anyone else who may be interested!
Why should I complete this training? Completing this training is a path for us to learn ways in which we honor our Baptismal Covenant and to put our faith in action as we commit to the work of keeping one another as safe as possible.
How can I complete training if I don’t want to do it online? We will hold a few in person gatherings for folks to complete the training together! Stay tuned for more information.
Check out this video by clicking here to learn more from the Presiding Bishop and others as to why Safe Church Training is so important.
Beginning March 1st you can find the Diocese of Maine Safe Church Training Information by clicking here. After you have completed your training please print out your certificates and turn them into the Parish office so we can make sure our records are up to date.
If you have any questions please reach out to the Rev. Carolyn Eklund or the Rev. Katie Holicky.
Sunday, February 27th The Last Sunday After The Epiphany
Family Ministries Sunday Schedule
9 a.m. Modified Eucharist in the Great Hall & on Zoom
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Meeting ID: 966 1711 1762
Passcode: church
Family Worship Bulletin here
Family Group following worship, ending by 10:15
12-1 pm, 2nd & 4th Sundays Middle & High School Youth Group
- 10:30 a.m. Modified Eucharist in the Nave and on Facebook
Click on the link below to view from home:
To watch on Facebook
for the Worship Booklet
for the St. Paul’s AnnouncementsReadings
St. Paul’s Guidance for Indoor, In-Person Worship and Gatherings
(Guidelines subject to change as pandemic unfolds.)
INDOOR IN-PERSON WORSHIP (Digital worship offered as well!)
Based on the most recent CDC instructions,
please follow our guidelines for safer in-person indoor worship:
We will require that you wear a mask. (sanitizer & masks will be at each entrance)
Double masking is recommended by the Maine CDC and the Diocese of Maine. Feel free to take one of our masks for double masking
We will encourage three feet of physical distancing. (Seating will be clearly marked and ushers will help us keep our distance. Please only pass the peace to those near you to limit movement around the Hall and Nave)
We will say the responses, but no congregational singing. (The choir will sing)
We will not come forward to receive the bread or wine; communion of one kind from pews.
We will limit two people or family units in each restroom, masked.
We will not require a limit on the number of people in attendance, and will use the Vestibule for overflow seating.
We will not offer in person fellowship after worship.
- Cumberland County has a high vaccination rate and lower cases than other parts of the state.
- St. Paul’s membership has a high vaccination rate, though we are not requiring proof.
- The Nave and the Hall are well ventilated. (*Bundle up!)
- There will be no congregational singing. (The choir will sing)
- There will be no coming forward to receive bread or wine. (Taken individually while seated in pew)
Parish Announcements
The Rector is away this Sunday for a regularly scheduled Sunday off.
Wednesday, March 2, 1:00 p.m. Sharing and Caring Support Group, which offers
support to caregivers and those living with grief, will meet inside in the Great Hall at St.
Paul’s Church with masks and social/physical distancing. Please join us as we take time to
share stories and conversation with each other. Looking forward to seeing you there. Susan
McCracken and Sandy Meyer 
Ash Wednesday and Lent
There will be no Facebook Live Morning Prayer at 7:30 a.m. on Ash Wednesday, March 2. Instead, please join us on Face-book Live when we bless the ashes in the parking lot, read Psalm 51 and say the prayer for Ash Wednesday from the St. Paul’s park-ing lot. Compline will resume on Wednesday evening on Facebook Live Wednesday evening, 7:30 p.m.
Ash Wednesday, March 2nd
7:30 am to 8:15 am – Ashes and Lenten bags will be distributed to all who come to the parking lot. We will give each person instructions for individual imposition of ashes, a Lenten prayer and the Lenten Meditations book.
Noon – Join us for Ash Wednesday Liturgy with modified imposition of ashes and Eucharist in-person in the Nave and on Facebook Live.
When you have finished placing the ashes on your forehead, please dispose ofthe leftover consecrated ashes onto the ground not in the trash bin.
First Sunday in Lent, Great Litany, March 6th
10:30 a.m. First Sundays Life Together
We expect to have Lenten Meditations Books
available on Sunday, February 27.
You may also pick them on Ash Wednesday or stop by the church office during office hours.
Adult Formation Lenten Program Offerings:
Tuesdays in Lent: Zoom, 7:00 p.m. – 8:15 p.m., March 8, 15, 22, 29.
The Evil Done on Our Behalf (exploring this important phrase we say in the corporate confession during Eucharist)
Speakers: Chick Carroll, Macauley Lord, Deborah Goodwin, Pat Ryan
The Zoom link will be included in Friday emails and will be sent separately the day
before each meeting.
Topic: Adult Formation – Lenten Tuesday Programs
Time: Mar 8, 2022 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Every week on Tue, 4 occurrence(s)
Mar 8, 2022 07:00 PM
Mar 15, 2022 07:00 PM
Mar 22, 2022 07:00 PM
Mar 29, 2022 07:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Meeting ID: 810 7755 4118
Passcode: 913693
Save the date! March 6th will be our next First Sundays Life Together Worship!
Join us at 10:30 am in the Nave and on Facebook Live.
St Paul’s Truth-telling Initiative
Have you finished the Sacred Ground program and wonder what is next? Are you interest-ed in being a “citizen historian”?
Join me and other members of St Paul’s as we look to discover more about our history as a parish and our roots in the broader context of our country history of racism.
Contact Andree Appel at andreeappel@gmail.com.
A Sacred Ground Affinity Group will meet on the 2nd Monday of the month to
further discuss the lessons learned in the Sacred Ground study. Those attending will
explore Stephanie Speller’s most recent book The Church Cracked Open: Disruption,
Decline, and New Hope for Beloved Community. The first meeting will be held in the
Great Hall on Monday March 14 at 1:30 p.m. Contact the parish office to pick up
your copy. Those wishing to offset the purchase of a book and shipping cost are invited to
make a donation of $16.
Midcoast Hunger Prevention Program
The latest economic news has not been good. First of all the Public Utilities Commission authorized CMP to raise electric rates by a whopping 83%. We have the continuing problems of supply chain shortages and rising prices of everyday goods and services, including gas prices, grocery prices, and heating oil prices. This will hit seniors, young families and those with limited incomes very hard and force them to make decisions that
will effect their well-being. In addition, school will be out next week and children who depend on school lunches will not have that meal to rely on. If you can contribute any amount to help support MCHPP as they feed our neighbors, it will be much appreciated.
Their address is MCHPP, 12 Tenney Way, Brunswick, ME 04011.
Healing Prayer Box
The Healing Prayer Team has placed a decorative box (with paper and writing implement provided) on a table in the vestibule. Please take the opportunity to request healing prayer for yourself or for someone else, just as you would if we could anoint and lay hands on you in person. Our commitment is to pray for whatever needs you share with us. As has always been true, we abide by a policy of strict confidentiality. A member of the Healing Prayer Team will check the box every Sunday. The Healing Prayer Team (Pam Nugent, Andree Appel, Sarah Arnold, Myrna Koonce, Carol Thomas, Virginia Vincent, Bob Walkling, Julia Walkling)
St. Paul’s Schedule
Sunday
9:00 a.m. Family Modified Eucharist in the Great Hall & on Zoom
(ID: 96617111762, Passcode: church)
9:30 a.m. Family Group
10:30 a.m. Modified Eucharist in the Nave & on Facebook Live. https://www.facebook.
12:00 p.m. Middle & High School Youth (2nd & 4th Sundays)
St. Paul’s Zoom Exploring the Sermon after 10:30 a.m. Modified Eucharist approximately 11:50 a.m.
Daily Morning Prayer and Compline
Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday, 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Facebook Live.
Tuesday 12:30 pm Women’s Bible Study on ZOOM, ID: 814 5988 6763 Passcode: 032484)
Wednesday 1:00 pm Bible Study on Zoom (ID: 881 3208 5376 , Passcode: 326628)
Prayer Requests
Pray for Episcopal Peace Fellowship
Pray for Anderson, Cedric, Jason, Michael, Richard, Peter, and all in the military.
Pray for those who have died remembering especially Janet Gardner, friend of Rev. Carolyn Eklund, who died last week.
We pray for:
Christy, Ryan & family, John, David, Nick, Bob, Kathy, Skip, the Blackburn family, Willow, Ann, Lollie, Carol, Harlan, Rick+, Elizabeth, Lyn and family, Sam, and Michael M., Chip, Eddie, Patsy, Robert G., Victor, Diane, Nate, Priscilla, Garrett, Elliot, Barbara, and Ed Barker family, Nancy and Dave, Reta, Sally, and Billie, Matthew, Ron, Hope, Darah, Ronald, Ray, Patricia, Diane, Therese, Julie, Jacob, Carolyn B, Kimberly B, Jane and family, Julia, Sue, Ed+, Andrea H, and Judy, Carol, Phyllis H, Arlene and Sam P.
Call or email the parish office if you would like a name to be placed on the prayer list. The names will be removed after three months unless otherwise notified.
