From Memorial Day to Labor Day, we feature a Summer Sunday School for kids under 10. Can you spare just one hour this summer to lead a class? Click here to go to the sign up sheet.

Sunday School details, now through September 1, 2019:

• Children ages 2-10 go directly to their classrooms (Rooms 200 & 203) at 10:30 a.m. Older children and youth, except for those volunteering as Sunday School Helpers, will be in worship in the Sanctuary. 

• Nursery care is available for younger children during each worship service.

Beginning Sunday, September 8, Sunday School for middle and senior high youth will be held after the 10:30 worship service, beginning at 11:45 in Room 113. This will provide the opportunity for youth to attend worship regularly, to reflect on that morning’s sermon, and to dive deep into Bible study. A light bag-lunch meal will be provided. Sunday School Classes for those age 2 through grade 5, however, will continue to be held during the 10:30 worship hour starting September 8 and nursery care for infants and toddlers is available during both services all year. 

Please visit our CHILDREN's page  http://stpaulsk.org/community/children for more details and other useful information!

Our Justice & Compassion team will be partnering with Interfaith Works again this year to get backpacks and new school supplies to needy children in time for the start of school. Volunteers will “build” the backpacks in Heavener Hall after the 10:30 a.m. worship service on Sunday, August 18. Please see our Justice & Compassion page for the list of "most needed" supplies.

Save the date! Pastor Kate will be holding a special Lunch with the Pastor on August 18 especially for 2x4s - those in the roughly 20s-to-40s age range - and families. Lunch will start at 12:30 pm (or immediately following Backpack Build). This is a time to hear more about where St. Paul's is in the Way Forward process and to ask questions. Childcare will be available so young ones can play while adults dig into this issue. Look for more details coming soon!

Save the date! All children and youth, with their parents and families, are invited to a Kick-Off Dinner co-hosted by Director of Music Tom Pedersen, Youth Pastor Micah Smartt, and Director of Christian Education Meg Baker on Saturday, September 7 at 5:30 PM in Heavener Hall. Come for food, fun, fellowship, and a chance to learn more about activities for students, from Kindergarteners in Children’s Choir to Senior High in St. Paul’s Youth and everything in between. Be sure to RSVP to the church office (stpaulsunited@stpaulsk.org, 301-933-7933) by Tuesday September 3 so we can ensure everyone has something good to eat!

Our popular Community Pancake Breakfast took a summer break but we're back! All are welcome on Saturday, September 7. Serving hours are 8:00-10:30 a.m. in Heavener Hall, and we offer pancakes, eggs, sausage, ham, fruit, and other dishes. The specialty pancake for September will be gingerbread. Instead of a fixed price, we request a goodwill donation. All proceeds are donated to charities that work to aid those throughout our region and the world. Read more at our Pancake Breakfast 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 September 7. 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.

Interested in becoming an acolyte or a crucifer? There will be a training session on Sunday, September 8, immediately following the 10:30 a.m. worship service. Crucifers are youth in grades 9-12 who serve by carrying the processional cross during worship. Acolytes are youth in grades 6-12 who carry the light during the procession and assist with the offering during worship. Questions? Please email Laura Simpson at LPSimpson44@gmail.com.

Want to get to meet and get to know better others who are sitting with you at St. Paul’s UMC services? How about at dinner? Here’s your chance: Sunday, September 8, 5:00 p.m.. The Food With Friends dinner sharing group kicks off the 2019-2020 season with a large group dinner at the Hitchcock’s home. This event is open to all. If you’re interested in joining the rotation give Beth Hitchcock a call (301-871-5055) or email her at jhitch7@verizon.net and she will get back to you with more information. We’d be happy for you to join us.

The Hunger Ministry's regular monthly Communion Collect will move forward a week in September due to the Labor Day holiday! Food sorting will take place on  Sunday, September 8 and Distribution Night will be Monday, September 9. This is a change from the usual "first Sunday/first Monday" routine. Nonperishable food items are still 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!

Still Wednesday for 2019-2020 will begin weekly meetings on Wednesday September 11 and will meet each week, 7:00-8:00 pm in the Sanctuary or Octagon, for an hour of calming worship and prayer. Questions? Contact Kenzie Raulin at 301-237-1520 or kenzier@rcn.com. For more information, visit the Still Wednesday page.

St. Paul’s Youth (SPY) is open to all friends of St. Paul’s in grades 6-12. If a young person in your household will be in 6th grade or higher this fall, contact Youth Pastor Mr. Micah Smartt (msmartt@stpaulsk.org, 301-933-7933 ext. 111) to be added to the SPY contact list to receive invitations to events, the latest news, and other announcements. Regular SPY meetings will be on Sunday evenings again this year. Save the dates now for our overnight Youth retreats this fall! Senior High will be at Camp Manidokan on October 4-6; Middle High will be on retreat at Manidokan November 1-3. Visit stpaulsk.org/community/youth for sign-up forms and other info! Go to our Youth page for dates and more information about activities, retreats, and trips. 

There is still time to get ready for St. Paul’s Fall Craft Fair! All crafters are invited to donate craft items, which will be accepted in October. All types of crafts are gratefully accepted. Past sales have included needle work, quilted or knit items, woodworking, photos, greeting cards, paintings, pottery, decorations, jewelry, preserves, etc. The annual St. Paul’s craft fair is open to the public and will be held on Saturday November 2 during the Pancake Breakfast, and in the Narthex on the following Sundays. All the proceeds from Craft Fair sales are donated to worthy causes that help those in need. If you have any questions or would like to suggest a charity to receive funds, you can contact Mary Revenis (mrevenis@cnmc.org, telephone 301-951-8470), Helen Quave (hquave@yahoo.com), or Karen Codner (kdc811@gmail.com).

It takes a big heart to help shape little minds. We are still seeking a few volunteers who are willing to lead one of our preschool or elementary Sunday School classes two times a month throughout the 2019-2020 school year. If you’ve never done this before, that’s okay – training, materials, snacks, and support will all be provided. Raising children of faith takes a village, so please prayerfully consider becoming a member of the teaching community at St. Paul’s. If you can’t teach on a regular basis but would be able to substitute on occasion, you are most welcome to join us! Contact Meg Baker at mbaker@stpaulsk.org, 301-933-7933 ext. 104 for more information.

Spread the love of St. Paul's by delivering flowers to those who are in need of a little extra cheer. A NEW 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.

Please visit stpaulsk.org/community/the-way-forward for the most recent news, downloadable documents, and other resources available to help members and friends learn about what happened at the global United Methodist Church's special general conference held in February and new rules restricting LGBTQ+ participation. 

St. Paul’s recently held discernment sessions attended by about 180 church members and friends with a broad range of views and ideas. The purpose of these meetings was to discuss the future of St. Paul’s. Following this period of discernment, St. Paul’s Church Council published a letter explaining our early steps toward our own Way Forward. Copies of this letter are available in the church office. 

There are now parallel efforts underway led by a steering committee and lay leaders at St. Paul’s. These groups will spend the next few months exploring the process and laying out the steps for becoming part of the Reconciling Ministries Network of UM churches that affirm LGBTQ+ persons, engaging with other local UM churches to see how they are addressing the issues posed by the Traditional Plan, and monitoring regional and national developments as other possible organizational frameworks and alternative plans arise. 

If you have other questions, you may also contact Associate Pastor Rev. Kate Mackereth Fulton, Lay Leader Marge Higgins, Church Council Chair John Seabreeze, or Senior Pastor Rev. Adam B. Snell.

All are welcome to gather in the Octagon for refreshments and conversation after worship. The goodies we enjoy each week are provided by friends who sign up to bake or buy treats (nut-free please). 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 briefly to clean up when coffee hour is finished. Helping to set up and serve coffee is a great way to feel like a part of our church community. If you have questions or would like to learn more, please contact Dupeh Ochieng at dupehpalmer@gmail.com or call 240-418-1379. We can also help pair novice hosts with experienced hosts to help you learn the ropes. Sign up sheets are available in the Octagon during Sunday fellowship time, and in the Octagon kitchen during the week.

Saying hello to old friends and assisting new visitors is a vital part of making St. Paul’s warm and welcoming for all.  Each Sunday, our greeters and those who serve at our Visitors’ Center desk do this good work.  It’s time to refresh our pool of volunteers!  Without your help, the Visitors’ Center would sit vacant and the Narthex would be less inviting.  Laura Tribble coordinates the Visitors’ Center (laura_tribble@hotmail.com) and Debbie Zechar (dszechar@mac.com) manages the schedule of greeters.  Every Sunday counts, so please contact Laura or Debbie if you might be able to help share the warmth of St. Paul’s.   

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 throughout the summer! 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).

Many of our regularly scheduled groups and activities take a break or reduce meeting hours over the summer months. Lectionary Bible Study and Prayer Lift, usually held on Tuesdays, have finished meeting for the 2018-2019 programming year but will return in the fall! St. Paul’s Youth, Choir, Sunday Faithflix, and Tuesday Taste & Sing programs are also now on summer break. Please contact the leaders of specific groups if you are unsure about the meeting schedule.

If our Heritage Sunday celebration in April sparked your interest, you can purchase a copy of The Spirit of Methodism in Kensington, 1885-2007 for $10.00. Contact the church office or Jack Lipscomb of the St. Paul's History Committee. The St. Paul's history book is an award-winning trove of information about our church from its founding to recent years, 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 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 2019-2020, 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.