On Sunday, July 1, we welcomed our newest associate pastor, Rev. Kate Mackereth Fulton. Pastor Kate previously served as Chaplain at Saint Elizabeth's Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. She and her husband Andrew reside in Annandale, VA with their two cats and a basset hound. Welcome Pastor Kate! Read more in our Meet the Staff section.

There is no Summer Sunday School on July 15, so that all children can be in worship to enjoy the Musical Theatre Camp’s presentation of “It’s Cool in the Furnace.” Children ages 2-10 are encouraged to come to our Summer Sunday School when it resumes on July 22 starting at 10:30 a.m. in Rooms 200 & 203. We are enjoying a brand new summer curriculum from Children’s Illustrated Ministries with lots of coloring and fun activities. Children will engage with biblical stories in both the Old and New Testaments to discover ways we join God at work in the world. Older children and youth will be in worship in the Sanctuary.

For more information about upcoming Sunday School dates-to-know and our Summer Sunday School program, please visit:  http://stpaulsk.org/community/children

SPYs and Parents! We want your feedback as we launch exciting new programs and make schedule changes this fall! Fill out the survey in the "Forms" section of the Youth page to submit your input by July 15. Be sure to pick up a copy of the SPY Briefing Newsletter for June-July featuring a special photo montage with some of our activities from 2017-2018! It's also available for download on our Youth page. Even though we take a break from regularly scheduled weekly meetings during the summer, we still have some activities planned. For details, please contact Micah Smartt at msmartt@stpaulsk.org.

St. Paul's will once again partner with Interfaith Works to provide backpacks and school supplies for needy children before the 2018-2019 school year starts. We will be collecting donations from July 22 through August 8. For a list of supplies we most need, please read more at our Justice & Compassion page!

"People plan their path, but the Lord secures their steps." ~Proverbs 16:9.

With the summer months come visits with family, sight-seeing adventures, vacations, and trips across town and across the planet. Wherever you go, bring St. Paul with you! Pick up your own Flat Paul in the Narthex, or get a Flat Paul Family Bucket.  You can read more about Flat Paul at our Children's Page, then send us YOUR pictures with Flat Paul!

Christian Faith 101, an adult study class, will be offered this fall. The course explores the religious, historical, and political context that shaped major components of Christian faith, doctrine, and practice as it developed over centuries and into today. If you are interested in this class, contact Brian or Therese Walden to sign up by July 31 (bewalden@verizon, net, 301-509-8129; tcwalden@verizon.net, 301-509-8128). The course consists of 14 three-hour sessions, held each Tuesday morning beginning September 4. The class size is limited to 12 participants. A flyer with more details about the class is available in the church office.

Thinking about becoming a member or just want to learn more about life at St. Paul’s? Pie with the Pastors is usually offered the first weekend of each month. Our next chance for pie and conversation on Saturday, August 4. Please RSVP by contacting the church office (stpaulsunited@stpaulsk.org, 301-933-7933) no later than Thursday, August 2. Plan to join Rev. Adam Snell and others at 10:00 a.m. in Room 109 for homemade pie and relaxing conversation about the Christian faith and this church we call home. Childcare is available upon request.

St. Paul’s is fortunate to have a team of Stephen Ministers, offering care and support for those facing life’s challenges. If God is calling you to serve in this way, it is time to echo Samuel and say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” We would like to send two or three new people to Stephen Ministry training sessions this fall and need responses from those who are interested by August 5. Please visit our Stephen Ministers page to learn more!

The next Communion Collect will be on August 5, but we welcome donations any time! You can place non-perishable grocery items in the bins in the Narthex, pre-pack full bags using a shopping list provided, or donate Safeway or Giant grocery store gift cards ($10 value each, please) in the office. Volunteers will be needed after each worship service on August 5 to help sort and bag contributions. We also invite volunteers for distribution night on Monday, August 6 starting at about 6:45 p.m. in Heavener Hall, when we get ready for the families to arrive later that night. We are also in need of drivers! Please contact coordinators Kim Longsworth (kimberlylongsworth@gmail.com, 301-580-8832) or Jean Langbein (jeanlangbein@gmail.com, 301-622-0737) if you can volunteer as a driver, even occasionally, to help deliver groceries to those in our ZIP code who are shut-in, disabled, or otherwise unable to make it to the church. We serve 115+ families in the 20895 ZIP code who face hunger, providing hungry neighbors over 2,450 food items per month, and we can only do it thanks to your efforts! For more information on our Hunger Ministry, please visit http://stpaulsk.org/service/hunger-ministry. 

Morality, mystery, and masterpieces will be our topics this month! Join the 2x4s Book Club, for adults in the 20s to 40s age range, on Monday, August 13 as we reconvene to discuss The Art Forger by B. A. Shapiro. We will meet at the home of Jim & Rachel King, 7:30-9:00 p.m. For the address, directions, or any questions, contact Rachel at reking30@gmail.com. 

We are looking for a few people to join our list of volunteers who cover the church office desk during worship times on Sundays. These friendly people help answer questions, offer directions, and greet those who pass through the office area. Volunteers usually serve one Sunday a month. If your talents lead you to consider the Sunday Office Volunteer rotation, please contact Rev. Adam Snell directly to discuss this opportunity (absnell@stpaulsk.org, 301-933-7933 ext. 101).

The quieter days of summer may provide the opportunity to spend more time on your craft hobbies. If so, please consider creating some crafts now to be donated to the next St. Paul's Fall Craft Fair. All types of crafts are gratefully accepted. Past sales have included needle work, quilted and knit items, photos, greeting cards, paintings, pottery, jewelry, preserves, and books. All the proceeds from the Craft Fair sales are donated to worthy causes that help those in need.

What do Jimmy Carter, Stephen Colbert, Anne Lamott, and John Grisham have in common? The answer may surprise you: they are all Sunday School teachers! Join their ranks by taking one hour to teach Summer Sunday School. Sign-up online now at http://stpaulsk.org/community/children or in the church office! Summer Sunday School continues each week through September 2. We need at least two adult volunteers to lead classes during the 10:30 a.m. worship hour: one for children ages 2-5, and one for ages 6-10. All materials - curriculum, suggested activities, and snacks - will be provided. Youth helpers are also welcome and encouraged to participate! Please contact Meg Baker (mbaker@stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933 ext 104) if you have any questions.

The Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church offers a number of exciting church camps during the summer months. Flyers are available in the church office with dates for activities at Camp Manidokan in the mountains near Harper's Ferry WV, and West River Center on the banks of the Chesapeake tributary West River. Go to funfriendsfaith.com to learn more about the many camps for all different ages and interests! Concerns about cost shouldn't keep you from participating, since St. Paul's offers campership scholarships to help cover part or all of the fees associated with camp opportunities. Contact Micah Smartt (msmartt@stpaulsk.org, 301-933-7933 ext. 111) to discuss camperships one-on-one.

We will be very still in July and August! Still Wednesday will not meet at the church during these summer months, but we plan to return in September and invite all to join us then for a time of stillness, reflection, prayer, and quiet in a world that can be all too noisy. Go to our Still Wednesday page to learn more.

We are blessed to have time after worship for fellowship with coffee and baked treats. Thank you to all the talented bakers who share your gifts with the church community! There are some Sunday slots available for the coming months. Bakers are asked to provide about 8 dozen cookies or similar goodies (nut free, please). Sign up on the clipboard found in the Octagon on Sunday mornings or in the Octagon Kitchen during the week. Please contact the church office if you have questions.

The Choirs at St. Paul's are on summer break! Thanks to all those who shared their talents in worship and song all year. 

The Sanctuary Choir will return to regular rehearsals starting on Thursday, September 6, 2018.

The Youth Choir is on break and looking for ways to revamp our program for the Fall. Your feedback is welcome! Youth who are interested in participating, or parents interested in helping coordinate, should contact director of music, Tom Pedersen: tpedersen@stpaulsk.org. 

Children grade 5 and younger will learn their music during Opening Chapel again this fall, in collaboration with our Sunday School program.

We are welcoming new Liturgists (to read the scripture) and Communion Stewards (to help serve communion) who would like to assist in the first worship service, 9:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings. There are dates available in July and August. To sign up online, simply add your name and email address to the sign-up sheet found here: goo.gl/Xz5T79. If you have questions, please contact the church office.

If our Heritage Sunday celebration in April sparked your interest, you can find the book The Spirit of Methodism in Kensington on sale in the church office during the week. The St. Paul's history book is an award-winning trove of information about St. Paul's and is full of historical photos and interesting stories, recounting everything from musical performances at the White House to cream pies being thrown at a former pastor. The cost is $10. 

Please remember that the ever-popular UMM-sponsored Community Pancake Breakfast will be on a break in August. Pancake Breakfast will be back soon, offering delicious breakfasts that support good causes, September through June.

The weekly Tuesday gatherings of the Prayer Lift group and the drop-in Bible Study class are taking a break during the summer months. We will reconvene in September. To receive the collected prayer requests by email, contact the church office at stpaulsunited@stpaulsk.org.

Faithflix, our Sunday afternoon series of film viewings and faith-filled discussions will be taking a break during the summer months but will resume in September. We hope you will join us then!