As we now turn the page towards fall there are a lot of things that are going to bring us stress in the coming days and weeks. For starters, those of us with children are overwhelmed by all the different schedules our kids have with the new virtual learning plan. I know for me it has raised the stress level by 100%. Our jobs are all launching new routines and disciplines. Church will not be the same as it once was for some time. We are now in a new normal. With all the change comes a lot of angst and grieving. With this in mind, we will be kicking off a new sermon series on September 6th called “Lamenting and Living in Exile”. We will look primarily at the book of Exodus and explore the emotions of the Israelites as they walked into a new normal and how the Israelites’ experiences speak to us here in this 2020 pandemic. I am excited to bring this series to you!
Some changes are coming this fall to our discipleship programs, but there will be many ways for you to get involved. We will be worshipping together in person, having a weekly Bible Study, Sunday School, Choir, Junior Youth Group, and Senior Youth Group. However, they will all look different than they have in the past.
FALL CALENDAR AT ST. PAUL’S CHURCH
Worship Services
Outdoor worship will happen every week starting September 13 through the end of October at 10am behind the social hall. We will evaluate the state of the pandemic in October to see what we will do in November/December. If it rains, we will have a live service online only. An announcement on a rain delay will be announced on our website, Facebook, and our answering machine system. So, if you have a question about it you can check one of those.
Bible Study
Starting on September 15, we will be back to our Tuesday night Bible Study this fall at 8pm on Zoom. We will study Rob Bell’s What is the Bible?. The book provides insights and answers that make clear why the Bible is so revered and what makes it truly inspiring and essential to our lives. We will take a deep look into actual passages that reveal the humanity behind the Scriptures. To get to the heart of the Bible’s meaning, we should be asking: “What’s the story that’s unfolding here and why did people find it important to tell it? What was it that moved them to record these words? What was happening in the world at that time? What does this passage/story/poem/verse/book tell us about how people understood who they were and who God was at that time?” In asking these questions, Rob goes beyond the one-dimensional question of “is it true?” to reveal the Bible’s authentic transformative power.
Rob addresses the concerns of all those who see the Bible as God’s Word but are troubled by the ethical dilemmas, errors, and inconsistencies in Scripture. WithWhat Is the Bible?, he recaptures the Good Book’s magic and reaffirms its power and inspiration to shape and inspire our lives today.
You can register for the Bible Study here: http://bit.ly/WhatistheBible
Sunday School
We will not be having a formal Sunday School this fall. Due to COVID restrictions it will be too difficult for us to pull off with our limited resources. However, we will be offering some great alternatives for our children! Each week as the kids come to outdoor service, they will receive a Weekly Kids Packet filled with a Children’s Bulletin and an activity they can do at their seat – all related to the weeks’ sermon topic. Of course, each and every week we will have the Kids Sermon during the Outdoor Services. In addition, we will have a once a month activity with Sunday School families to keep up the relationships on September 20 and October 11 immediately following the Outdoor Service.
Choir
Emily will be kicking off the choir for both adults and kids this fall on Thursdays starting on September 17th. The kids will be from 7-7:30 pm and the adult from 7:45-8:30 pm on Zoom. This will be a time where the choir can connect, grow in their singing, and develop in their abilities to sing. We have a great teacher in Emily so anyone wanting to join either choir reach out to Emily at emily@stpaulsmilltownnj.org
Junior Youth Group
On September 20th from 6-7:30pm, we will start our Junior Youth Group here at St. Paul’s. This summer we had a great trip Tubing with our Junior Youth Group and families. We will start this fall behind the social hall for a great time of games, snacks, and a bible lesson relevant for 4th-7th Graders. Parents of Junior Youth Groupers keep your eye out for more info.
Senior Youth Group (SYG)
A separate letter will go out to all of our student families. To kick off our fall SYG, we are going to go on a fun trip to Griggstown the afternoon of September 27th. We can rent canoes, kayaks, or just walk around! Look out for more info about our annual retreat to Harvey Cedars on February 26-28, 2021 and the mission trip July 11-16, 2021 to Niagara Falls, NY!
Confirmation
Starting on Wednesday October 7, our Confirmation class will be held weekly on Wednesdays via Zoom from 7:30-9pm for those in grade 7. We will be studying the basics of the faith each Wednesday night and will lead up to Confirmation Sunday on June 6, 2021. If you are wanting to have your child go through the class, please register here: https://bit.ly/StPaulsConf2021
There is so much happening this fall. Hopefully, everyone can engage at some point in something! We know that this is not an ideal season, but we are going to take this all one step at a time. Thank you all for your support of our ministry here at St. Paul’s. We look forward to growing more in Christ and showing His love to the world around us!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Matt