51 Mountain Way
Morris Plains, NJ 07950-0104
Telephone: (973) 285-0884
E-Mail: parishadmin@stpaulsmp.org
Ministries
On March 20, 2011, the Vestry completed its reorganization work. The old, familiar commission system was abandoned in favor of a new way to organize and do ministry. Below are the new ministry groupings – Ministries Council, Formation, Outreach & Communications, and Stewardship. The Rector oversees Formation, while members of the Vestry take responsibility for Ministries Council, Outreach & Communications and Stewardship.
Ministries Council
Gathered by the Wardens, this group will meet quarterly to coordinate the plans of all ministries at St. Paul’s. The heads of all groups, committees, guilds, Vestry members and others who are interested in exploring a new ministry in a “hands-on” manner are invited to attend these gatherings.
Formation
Following are the areas covered under Formation:
Worship
- Acolytes
- Altar Guild
- Choir and Music Program
- Lectors
- Eucharistic Ministers
- Ushers
Adult Education
- Bible Study
Youth Group
Confirmation Preparation
Church School
Eucharistic Visitors
Prayer Shawl Ministry
St. Paul’s Book Club
Outreach & Communications
Following are the areas covered under Outreach & Communications:
|
Outreach
|
Communications
|
|
|
|
|
Newcomer Incorporation
|
Parish Website
|
|
Interfaith Food Pantry
|
Communications & Publicity
|
|
Homeless Solutions Dinners
|
The Epistle
|
|
Seasonal Giving Projects
|
Parish Directory
|
|
Community Groups at St. Paul’s
|
|
|
Cub Scout Pack #233
|
|
|
|
|
Stewardship
Following are the areas covered under Stewardship:
Buildings & Grounds
Memorial Garden
Finance Committee
Annual Stewardship Campaign
Fundraising
Audit Committee
Sunday Counters
FORMATION
Worship
Acolytes
Acolytes assist the parish clergy at worship, and in doing so help to lead the whole worshipping community in prayer. The Acolyte program at St. Paul’s is open to anyone between the ages of 8 and 18 who has a desire to be an important part of the service. The Acolytes are divided between servers and torch bearers and participate in the service one or two times a month. The servers carry the cross and assist the priest at the altar with the bread and wine. The torch bearers also assist with the distribution of the offering plates. The Acolytes have a longstanding historic position in the Anglican and Episcopal Churches. That tradition continues at St Paul’s.
For more information, please contact acolytemaster@stpaulsmp.org.
Altar Flowers
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.
Altar Guild
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.
For more information, please contact altarguild@stpaulsmp.org.
Choir and Music Program
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 uninterrupted 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 9:30 to 9:45, prior to the 10:00 service.
For more information, please contact choirdirector@stpaulsmp.org.
Lectors
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.
For more information, please contact lector@stpaulsmp.org.
Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEM)
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.
For more information, please contact lem@stpaulsmp.org.
Ushers
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.
Adult Education
Details to follow
Youth Group
Details to follow
Confirmation Preparation
Confirmation takes place in late spring, commonly in May. Details on confirmation preparation can be found on the Youth page and on the calendar in the months prior to confirmation.
Church School
Church School at St. Paul's takes place during the 10 am worship service. Children meet in their classrooms and join the service for communion. The classes are grouped by grade: preK- K, 1st and 2nd grades, 3rd - 5th grades, 6th - 8th grades.
The curriculum in the youngest class follows a Godly Play format, while the other classes use Living the Good News, which follows the lectionary readings. This curriculum is supplemented with crafts, games and other teachings about the church year, traditions and ethics.
We have a 5-week rotation of teachers and encourage team teaching, especially in the lower classes. The Church School schedule generally follows the school year, starting in mid-September and ending the Sunday before Memorial Day weekend.
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. This Fall we will institute a program encouraging parents and interested adults to join us for at least one visit per school year. More information will be posted closer to the Fall.
For more information, please contact churchschoolcoordinator@stpaulsmp.org.
Eucharistic Visitors (LEV)
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.
For more information, please contact lev@stpaulsmp.org.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
The Prayer Shawl Ministry, started in 1997, has become known worldwide. Shawls knit and crocheted with care and love and given to those in need represent God's love. Shawls can be very simple or more complex; there is no need to be an expert fiber handler - just the desire to spread God's love. If you don’t know how to knit or crochet, we’ll teach you.
For more information, please contact prayershawl@stpaulsmp.org.
St. Paul’s Book Club
The St. Paul's Book Club meets monthly on a Tuesday night, except during the summer months of June, July and August. The meetings take place at 7:30 p.m. in either the Lounge or the Adult Education Room on the lower level. The Book Club is open to all for camaraderie and fellowship, even if you haven't finished the "book of the month".
For more information, please contact bookclub@stpaulsmp.org.
St. Paul's Bridge Group
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. All persons who would like to play are welcome.
For more information, please contact bridgegroup@stpaulsmp.org.
OUTREACH & COMMUNICATIONS
Outreach
St. Paul's continues its tradition of outreach in many forms.
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 six dates to make a meal for those staying at Homeless Solutions (usually around 50 people).
In addition, we try to help where needed, often with seasonal giving projects such as "adopting" a family for Christmas; collecting coats to be given away to those in need; delivering care packages to the Market Street Mission; and delivering care packages to prisoners. Each year, parishioners join in with our neighbors and march in the Morris Plains Memorial Day Parade.
A Eucharistic Visitor from St. Paul's visits residents of Warren Haven Nursing Home 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.
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, please contact outreach@stpaulsmp.org.
Newcomer Incorporation
Details to follow
Community Groups at St. Paul’s
Ministry at St. Paul’s continues virtually around the clock, seven days a week. The parish provides meeting space for a number of community groups:
-
Five 12-Step groups make use of St. Paul’s on weekdays for their meetings.
-
The American Society for Quality (ASQ), a nonprofit professional organization that provides training opportunities for professionals working in the field of quality control, has continued to use classroom space.
-
In the recent past, the Morris Plains Recreation program used space for its programs.
-
The New York City Church of Christ continues to use our building for men's and women's study groups, youth activities and occasional Sunday worship.
-
A small aerobics class gathers in the Undercroft twice a week.
-
Organizations such as the Morris Area Girl Scouts use church facilities for district-wide workshops and training sessions on Saturdays.
-
A fairly new group using space at St. Paul's for regular meetings is the Five Corners Cornhole Association of Morris Plains.
-
Our ongoing relationship with Homeless Solutions brought the organization back to St. Paul's for their annual walk-a-thon fundraiser.
St. Paul's has sponsored Pack #233 for over thirty years. 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 adults and scouts to St. Paul's each month.
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.
Communications
Communications & Publicity
The Communications & Publicity Committee is responsible for the maintenance of the website (www.stpaulsmp.org), the parish newsletter Epistle and church signage.
For more information, please contact communications@stpaulsmp.org.
The Epistle
The Epistle is the newsletter of St. Paul’s.
STEWARDSHIP
Buildings & Grounds
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 England. In any case, it has a warmly inviting storybook character about it, set far back as it is from the street, behind the spreading branches of a huge old beech tree. This unique and lovely architecture is frequently what first draws newcomers to St. Paul’s.
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. Parishioners make use of our facilities throughout the year for birthday parties, baby showers and other family celebrations.
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.
Memorial Garden
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 of cremains. The following guidelines are currently in use:
- Only parishioners and their families will be interred in the Memorial Garden. Other requests for burial may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Rector.
- Since we have limited space and many people who plan to be interred in the Memorial Garden, burials of cremains will be directly into the earth (no containers or urns will be permitted) and all spaces will be reused after 5 years.
- A one-time fee is charged for the burial of cremains. This includes costs associated with the opening of the grave, purchase and engraving of the memorial plaque, and will provide funds for the ongoing care of the garden's plantings.
- Buildings & Grounds will be responsible for maintenance of the Memorial Garden.
Finance Committee
Details to follow
Sunday Counters
Details to follow
Annual Stewardship Campaign
Details to follow
Fundraising
Details to follow
Audit Committee
Details to follow