Stewardship of our Physical Resources
Worship
Acolytes assist the parish clergy at worship, and in doing so help to lead the whole worshipping community in prayer. The Acolyte program at For more information, contact acolytemaster@stpaulsmp.org (please put ACOLYTE in the subject line). In addition to seeing that the parish's vestments are properly cleaned and set out, the Altar Guild cleans the sanctuary and choir areas, sets up linens and vessels; attends to the frontal and pulpit and lectern hangings; sets the readings in the various books used for the service; and sets the hymn numbers in the hymn board for the congregation. After the service, things are cleared and stored until the next service, which may well be a wedding, baptism, funeral or mid-week service. Flowers may be placed on the altar in memory of a loved one, for a special occasion or simply in thanksgiving for God's blessings. There is an altar flower sign-up chart on the wall just to the left of the entrance to the Lounge. During Lent, no flowers are placed on the altar, except on Rose Sunday. At Easter and Christmas, we ask for special flower memorials.
Lay Eucharistic Ministers are trained and licensed by the Diocese to assist the clergy at worship or to lead worship in the absence of clergy. At St. Paul's, LEMs help by serving at the altar, reading the second scripture lesson and leading the psalm, and by assisting at the Eucharist as first chalice bearer. A second LEM also assists by administrating the second chalice. In addition, the LEMs go to Crestwood Nursing Home on Whippany Road to lead Sunday afternoon worship services for the residents.
Lay Eucharistic Visitors, who are trained and licensed by the Diocese, assist parish clergy with pastoral visiting and bringing the sacrament to those who are hospitalized or homebound. Lectors assist at public worship by reading scripture (usually the first lesson) and leading the Prayers of the People. From time to time, Lectors are also called upon to serve at weekday services for Holy Days. Our music program at St. Paul's continues to thrive through our fine choir. This choir, composed of parish volunteers, sings a wide variety of choral repertoire from the Renaissance to 21st century compositions. In addition to providing music leadership at the 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning services from September through mid June, the choir also sings at the Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Advent Lessons and Carols services, and Christmas Eve services. An informal pick-up choir meets during the summer months to continue un-interrupted music leadership for the entire liturgical year. The choir is always interested in new members. Participation is open to anyone of high school age and older. Prior musical training is not required, just a sincere desire to regularly offer one's singing ability in a choral setting in service to God. Regular rehearsals are Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00, and on Sunday mornings from 9:15 to 9:45, prior to the 10:00 service. For more information, contact choirdirector@stpaulsmp.org (please put CHOIR in the subject line). The ushers for the Sunday morning worship services are volunteers who have agreed to serve on a regular scheduled basis. Some provide assistance at our 8 am service, while a larger group helps out at the 10 am service. These two groups join forces and share ushering for summer 9 am services. They are also the first welcome that newcomers experience when they arrive at St. Paul's. Additional volunteers are always welcome at any time to be added to the existing informal roster. The duties of the ushers are organized around the basic purpose of helping the congregation to participate in meaningful worship as guided by the Rector.
Our picturesque Church building was built over a two-year period in the late 1920s. The Church itself is of traditional English “puddingstone” construction, with a muted, multi-colored slate roof and topped by a bell tower. Entering through large oak doors, the Church seats approximately 160 people in two rows of pews on either side of a wide center aisle. Leaded glass windows line the walls of the Church, while a beautiful stained-glass window depicting Christ in four biblical scenes rises above the raised altar and choir benches. Local tradition has it that the building is an exact replica of a much-older church somewhere in Attached to the Church proper are a sacristy, vesting room and choir room. A large undercroft is used for meetings and social occasions and has a large, well-equipped kitchen. A significant addition, featuring Church offices, a lounge, a nursery, and Sunday School classrooms, was completed in the late 1960’s. Adjacent to the Church is our memorial garden, used for the burial of the ashes of departed parishioners and friends. A memorial plaque listing the names of those interred in the garden is located just inside the front door of the Church.
An informal gardening group was formed at St. Paul's for people who enjoy gardening and wish to help beautify the church grounds. There will be occasional planning meetings or work parties, as needed; we do not expect to hold regular meetings. Some folks wish to come out for work parties and some wish to putter in the garden in solitude. All are welcome. It is not necessary to be an experienced gardener, just to have a desire to make the grounds of St. Paul's more attractive. Interested in getting on the e-mail list, or just learning more? Contact siteadmin@stpaulsmp.org (please put GARDENING GROUP in the subject line), or leave a message at the church office.
There is a small memorial garden on the Hillside Avenue side of the church. At the end of 2005, the Vestry established a set of policies for Memorial Garden burials. The following guidelines are currently in use:
We offer a varied adult education program. Some typical offerings include: a variety of book discussions, DVD series, Sunday Forums, and a Quiet Day retreat. For more information, please send your inquiry to adultchristianformation@stpaulsmp.org Church SchoolChurch School at St. Paul's takes place during the 10 am worship service. Children meet in their classroom and join the service for communion. The classes are divided into three groups: preK - 2nd grades, 3rd - 5th grades, 6th - 8th grades. This division was determined after careful examination of the teachers available and the population to be served. The lower classes take advantage of the Sunday Paper Junior which we already offer to children attending worship services. In the lower classes, the focus is on the liturgical year and appropriate bible stories, while the 6th - 8th grade class discusses a variety of current issues in an Episcopal/Christian context. We have a 5-week rotation of teachers and encourage team teaching, especially in the lower classes. Thank you to all the parents, grandparents and friends who support the Church School program. Special thanks to those of you who have taught - you do not know how important your influence may be in a child's life! And there is always room for more! We would love to have a few more teachers and/or teacher assistants. For more information, contact ChurchSchoolCoordinator@stpaulsmp.org (please put CHURCH SCHOOL in the subject line).
The Youth Group (grades 6-8) meets every other Sunday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. One of the goals of the Youth Group is to have fun while increasing our knowledge and understanding of Christian principles. They seek to serve others as Christ would do. The Youth Group is looking forward to more parties, field trips and service activities. More youth, families and adult leadership would be very welcome. If you are interested in joining the Youth Group or becoming a Youth Group mentor or chaperone, leave a message with the church office at parishadmin@stpaulsmp.org (please put JR HIGH YOUTH GROUP in the subject line). St. Paul's continues its tradition of outreach in many forms. Two of our ongoing efforts are the Interfaith Food Pantry and Homeless Solutions. The ever-present shopping cart in the Hillview hallway is filled by many on a consistent basis with its contents delivered to the Interfaith Food Pantry each week. Several food drives are also held throughout the year, such as the Fall Soup Can Drive and Thanksgiving Drive. We encourage parishioners to consider partnering with another family and picking one of 6 dates to make a meal for those staying at Homeless Solutions (usually around 50 people). In addition, we try to help where needed - "adopting" a family of 4 for Christmas; collecting coats to be given away to those in need; and delivering care packages to the Market Street Mission. The primary mode of communication with regard to our Outreach activities continues to be the Sunday bulletin and postings on the Community Care bulletin board, which is located just outside the Lounge. For more information, contact outreach@stpaulsmp.org (please put OUTREACH in the subject line). Twelve-Step Groups and Community GroupsMinistry at Five 12-Step groups, including meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous and SA, make use of We have also become a more actively used gathering place for diocesan events, having hosted meetings of District 3, the Diaconal Ordination Committee, a regional youth pre-confirmation retreat and a weekly, local clergy bible study group. Parishioners have also made use of our facilities throughout the year for birthday parties, baby showers and other family celebrations. St. Paul's has sponsored Pack #233 for over thirty years. At present, roughly 45 boys in grades 1-4 are involved in den activities. In addition to regular leadership meetings held at St. Paul's, several dens have been holding their meetings in our classroom spaces. Our undercroft also has been used for major Pack gatherings as the Pack continues to grow. Our relationship with the Boy Scout's Fishawack District for monthly regional meetings of commissioners and Roundtables at St. Paul's has been greatly appreciated by the group and will continue to draw about 50 adults and scouts to St. Paul's each month. Prison Ministry Pen Pal ProgramFor several years, the diocese has sponsored a pen pal program to provide fellowship to inmates who would otherwise have little contact outside prison walls. If you're interested in exploring this ministry, contact Karen Eberhardt at deacon@stpaulsmp.org (please put PRISON PEN PAL in the subject line). The Communications Commission is responsible for the maintenance of the website (www.stpaulsmp.org), parish newsletter Epistle and church signage. For more information, contact Communications@stpaulsmp.org (please put COMMUNICATIONS in the subject line). The Evangelism Commission is a relatively new commission at St. Paul's It is a multi-purpose commission that touches every aspect of our Christian lives. The goals of this commission are to: - Increase St. Paul's visibility and responsibility within the community, finding ways to become more involved; - Create a Welcoming Package to be distributed to guests and/or anyone interestred in making St. Paul's their parish home. This package would contain a brief history of St. Paul's as well as basic information about parish life, including: What time services are held, Sunday School, child care, adult education opportunities, and types of fundraising events. An information card to be completed by the guest who receives the package would also be of vital importance in this package; and - Provide trained greeters to welcome our guests/new members and to follow up with them in writing after their initial visit to thank them for visiting our church (the date and service they attended). Everyone's input and participation are welcome. Please contact evangelism@stpaulsmp.org to find out more about how you can get nvolved and help.
The Fellowship Commission plans and carries out social events to encourage participation in the life of the parish. It is made up of a member of the vestry as chairman, and any other persons who wish to contribute their time and efforts to the Commission. These events are free to the parish. Fundraising Commission
Featured on the Brag Board in the Hillview entrance to St. Paul's are the 22 children currently enrolled in the Guild of the Christ Child, a tradition at St. Paul's since January 1977. Children under the age of four are invited to become members. In recognition of membership, each child receives a card and small gift. Members "graduate" at age 4, and are given a card, gift and graduation certificate to remind them they were once a Guild child. Pastoral Care Commission The Pastoral Care Commission has been formed to reach out to support parishioners in times of need. Lay Eucharistic Visitors are available for pastoral visitation to the sick and homebound. Members of this Commission also provide meals to parishioners in times of illness. The St. Paul's Book Club meets monthly, usually on the third Tuesday, except during the summer months of June, July and August. The meetings take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Lounge, where the current book is discussed and new ones selected. The Book Club is open to all for camaraderie and fellowship, even if you haven't finished the "book of the month". If you would like more information, you can send a note via our online contact form (please put BOOK CLUB in the subject line). The Bridge Group meets on the second Monday of every month in the Lounge from 12:30 until 4:00 p.m. They are a relaxed group - no pressure. There are players at all levels. Players provide their own snacks and beverages and each player donates something toward the heating of the Lounge. All persons who would like to play are welcome. If you are interested, send a note via our online contact form (please put BRIDGE GROUP in the subject line). St. Paul's Prayer Group
A Eucharistic Visitor from St. Paul's visits residents of Warren Haven to offer communion to those who are baptized and wish to receive the sacrament, offer prayers to those in distress, and work closely with their chaplain.
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