A service celebrating the life and faith of Naomi Ruth Brown will be held at Collins Funeral Home (500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring MD) on Thursday, February 14 at 1:00 p.m.  A time of visitation with the family is scheduled immediately before the service, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions in her memory be made to the American Heart Association online or by mail using this form.

There are many resources available to help our members and friends learn about United Methodist Church's special general conference to address issues of human sexuality, rules governing LGBTQ+ inclusion, and the work of The Commission on a Way Forward. Please visit our webpage on The Way Forward to learn more.

Come home to the place where you are loved, known and aware that you truly belong – in the gentle arms of God’s Divine Presence. Sit by the fire, sip a cup of tea, dabble with art supplies, walk in nature, listen to your heart, be at peace.... The Homecoming retreat is at Dayspring Silent Retreat Center, February 15-17. Silence begins Friday evening after dinner and continues through Sunday morning. It is important to be able to attend the entire weekend. Dayspring fee is $225. Applications can be found at: www.dayspringretreat.org/apply Led by Sallie Chatfield; for more information contact: sallie.chatfield@gmail.com or 240-355-5389.

All students age 2 through grade 12 are invited to attend Sunday School during the 10:30 am worship hour most Sundays throughout the school year, although youth attend Worship in the Sanctuary on the first Sunday of each month. 

Sunday, February 17, all students age 2 through grade 12 have Sunday School & Opening Chapel programming starting at 10:30 a.m.

Please visit our CHILDREN's page  http://stpaulsk.org/community/children for more detailed information!

Jump in anytime to take on this 21-day challenge. A DVD-based study session will be held in the Parlor on February 17, 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. You can also choose to take on this “challenge” on your own – class participation is not required. The Wesley Challenge is structured as a daily devotional, with each day’s reflection focused on one of 21 questions that John Wesley encouraged the first Methodists to ask one another about their faith journeys. Booklets are available in the church office. For more information, please contact Meg Baker at mbaker@stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933 ext. 104.

Readers in the 20s-to-40s age range: start reading now for our next Book Club meeting. The book selection for discussion on Monday, February 18 is The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King. Contact Rachel King at reking30@gmail.com for more details!

This monthly time to enjoy music, prayer, and lunch opens with an opportunity to share a few of our favorite hymns, then moves into a short program focusing on a composer or lyricist. Come on Tuesday, February 19 when Rev. Kate Mackereth Fulton and Meg Baker will be leading us in the Octagon at 12:00 noon. (No musical experience needed!) Stay for a tasty lunch provided by Ginny Hagberg. There is no registration and no cost to attend, although donations for lunch are welcome.

Instead of the usual Wednesday evening supper and meeting, the United Methodist Men are having a men’s breakfast on Saturday, February 23 in Heavener Hall at 8:00 AM. It will feature some fine food, fellowship and prayer opportunities and will end by 9:30 AM. We’re hoping this Saturday time will catch attendees who haven’t been able to make it to recent evening suppers. A sign-up sheet is in the church office; there is no cost. This will be a great opportunity to meet other men and to learn about things that the UMM is supporting in the church and beyond.

On Sunday, February 24 at 11:45 a.m., organist Marvin Mills will give a demonstration of the St. Paul’s Pipe Organ. This is an opportunity to become better acquainted with the capabilities of our wonderful instrument, which was renovated in 2010-11. The presentation will feature excerpts from Moussorgsky’s colorful Pictures at an Exhibition and time for Q & A.

Hunger doesn't take a break after the holiday season. The Hunger Ministry's regular monthly Communion Collect will be on Sunday, March 3 with volunteers needed for food sorting after worship. Distribution night is Monday, March 4. Nonperishable food items are welcome in the bins in the Narthex at any time! Grocery store gift cards and monetary donations are also welcome. Donations receipts are available in the church office. Thank you for helping provide food for hungry families throughout the 20895 ZIP code area. Please read more at our Hunger Ministry page!

Pancake breakfasts are held on the first Saturday of the month, now through June. Serving hours are 8:00-10:30 a.m. and we offer pancakes, eggs, sausage, ham, fruit, and other dishes. All proceeds are donated to charities that work to aid those throughout our region and the world. Read more at our Pancake Breakfast page!

There are dates available to sponsor Sanctuary flowers in 2019. Upcoming openings include March 10, 17 & 21. Please sign up on the flower chart in the main office. You may dedicate them in honor or memory of loved ones. The total cost is $65. Following worship, you may take flowers home with you or have them delivered to members and friends who might need a little extra cheer.

Join us in the Sanctuary or Octagon at 7:00 p.m. each Wednesdays. Bring your desire for stillness and God’s loving and eternal presence to this weekly offering of reflection, silence, and prayer. Each week will have a different focus or form of moving closer to the divine. For more information, visit the Still Wednesday page.

Thinking about becoming a member or just want to learn more about life at St. Paul’s? Our next Pie with the Pastors is scheduled for April. Please RSVP by contacting the church office (stpaulsunited@stpaulsk.org, 301-933-7933) no later than the Thursday before. Plan to join the pastors 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.

All are welcome to gather in the Octagon for refreshments and conversation after worship. Helping to set up and serve coffee is a great way to feel like a part of our church community. Every Sunday, we need at least two adult volunteers to serve as hosts after the 10:30 a.m. service. The set-up host arrives about an hour before worship to plug in the coffee urn and set out cups, sugar, cream, snacks, etc., and stays after to clean up when coffee hour is finished. If you have questions or would like to learn more, please contact Dupeh Ochieng at dupehpalmer@gmail.com or call 240-418-1379. Sign up sheets are available in the Octagon during Sunday fellowship time, and in the Octagon kitchen during the week.

We are welcoming new Lay Readers (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 Februaryand March. 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 or Rev. Kate Mackereth Fulton (kfulton@stpaulsk.org).

Each year the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the UMC offers a variety of scholarships for college-bound students. Applications will be accepted from January 3 through March 7. Please go to our Youth page to find more information and links to the BWC website.

Through your generosity, St. Paul’s made the holidays brighter for 150 local families this year! Together, members and friends of this congregation provided gifts for children through the Giving Tree project and shared sweet treats, crafts, and good cheer at the Cookies and Carols party. Thank you, once again, for showing how much we can do when the Spirit moves among us this Christmas season.

The Biblical Archaeology Forum, usually hosted at the Bender JCC in Rockville MD, offers a monthly presentation that brings together historians, archaeologists, and biblical scholars to look at intriguing questions and broaden our understanding of the biblical world. 

Go to our Adult Education Page to lean more about upcoming lectures, to find the full schedule for 2018-2019, and to access links to other Biblical Archaeology Forum resources.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief is at work in the U.S. assisting those affected by natural disasters, from hurricanes on the east coast to devastating fires out west. You can help support the work of UMCOR’s early response teams, disaster coordinators, and local churches. Checks should be made payable to St. Paul’s UMC with “UMCOR” on the memo line. To read more about UMCOR, visit https://tinyurl.com/ycgfn3kz for Current Disaster Response news.

Both Middle High and Senior High youth groups are meeting on Sundays this year, unless we have another event planned. Normally, Middle High will meet 4:30-6:00 p.m., then there’s a half hour grace period for pick-ups and drop-offs before the Senior High meeting time, 6:30-8:30 p.m. There's also a new Thursday Night Youth Bible Study, and lots of seasonal events.  Go to our Youth page for dates and more information about activities, Fall Retreats, and trips. 

Prayer Lift gathers each Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. in the DuVall Chapel to lift up the prayer requests of the St. Paul's community. Bible Study sessions are held each week on Tuesday mornings at 10:45 a.m. in the Cleveland Library. All are welcome at this drop-in Bible study led by Rev. Kate Mackereth Fulton - there is no registration or fee, and visitors are welcome.

Spread the love of St. Paul's by delivering flowers to those who are in need of a little extra cheer. A sign-up sheet is available in the church office. Flower Delivery people collect a bunch of flowers from the Sanctuary following the 10:30 a.m. worship service, then use a map and card provided to stop by the home of a church member or friend. It's an easy, family-friendly way to minister to our faith community. Please contact the church office or Ginny Hagberg if you have any questions.

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.