The last day to sign up for Fall Study classes is Sunday, September 10. We have a number of short-term study offerings. You can read about each class and sign up online (http://stpaulsk.org/community/study-classes-2017) or on Sunday at the table in the Narthex. Courses this year are: The Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain, Methodism in the Modern World, Comics and Christianity, Be Right (Romans), plus the one-year Disciple I program. Classes start at 7:00 p.m. on Mondays or Tuesdays, beginning September 11 and September 12. The cost per person is $12 for short-term studies ($40 for Disciple I) – make checks payable to “St. Paul’s UMC” with “Fall Study” on the memo line.

Join seasoned facilitator and author Milagros Phillips as we discuss the history of race. Whether you're new to this kind of conversation or an experienced explorer, come discuss how our current landscape shapes our spiritual journeys and calls us forward as a people of faith. Saturday, September 16, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon in Heavener Hall. Cost is $50 per person and includes lunch. Scholarships and reduced rates are available - contact Rev. Claire Matheny (cmatheny@stpaulsk.org). Registration closes September 12! Go to the Beloved Community page for the latest information.

Please stop by the Photo Booth in the Narthex any Sunday in September to have your portrait snapped for the new, forthcoming edition of our St. Paul’s Directory for church members and friends. The last directory was issued in 2015, so it’s time for some revisions. If your address, phone number, or email changed recently please send updates to Erin Steele, Office Administrator, (stpaulsunited@stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933) to make sure your contact information is correct.

Come be a SPY (St. Paul's Youth)! Our youth fellowship groups meet for fun, fellowship, and Bible Study in the Youth Lounge and Multi-Purpose Room at St. Paul's each week, unless an alternative activity or trip has been planned. Middle High gathers at 7:00 p.m. each Friday. Senior High meets each Sunday at 6:30 p.m. For more information, contact Micah Smartt, msmartt@stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933 ext. 111.

If you would like to raise your voice and help lead our 10:30 AM worship through music, please come for regular rehearsals on Thursdays, 7:30-9:00 PM in Room 211 and plan to meet on Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM for brush-up and warm-up time. Experienced singers and new singers alike are welcome. Contact Tom Pedersen, Director of Music, at tpedersen@stpaulsk.org if you have any questions and visit the MUSIC page for more information. 

Our regular Sunday School series begins September 10 for students age 2 through grade 12 during the 10:30 AM worship hour. Students may report directly to their classrooms at 10:30 AM on September 10. September 17 is Christian Education Sunday and all students should report to the Sanctuary at 10:30 AM. On following Sundays, Sunday School children grade 5 and younger will either begin in the Chapel for a short worship experience or in the Sanctuary for a special Young People’s Message before transitioning to their classrooms with their teachers. Youth grade 6 and older will continue to report directly to their classrooms unless it is a Youth Sunday, when youth attend and participate in the regular worship service in the Sanctuary. For more details, please pick up a Sunday School letter at the Visitors Center desk. There is still a need for a few teachers in lower elementary and high school classes. Teachers work in teams so each person typically leads class twice a month using provided materials, lesson plans, and snacks. Contact Meg Baker, Director of Christian Education, at mbaker@stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933 ext. 104 for more information or to volunteer!

Youth and Families: Do you babysit? Are you a family in need of a sitter list or want to swap kid minding with other families? We are looking to help connect potential sitters and families. Please connect with us by filling out this interest form. 

Welcome back to all the Circle ladies. The Jochebed Circle, coordinated by Robin Mayhew, will hold their first meeting on Thursday, September 28 in the Library starting at 7:00 PM. The Martha Circle and the Lydia Circle ladies will meet again on the first Wednesday in October.

We are all about feeding people! Each month, we serve over 100 families in the 20895 ZIP code who face hunger. Usually this occurs on the first Sunday & first Monday of the month, but due to the Labor Day holiday, we will sort donations on Sunday, September 10 after the 10:30 am worship service, and families will receive food during distribution night on Monday, September 11. Please donate non-perishable food items in the bins in the Narthex any time. All donations are welcome, from fully packed bags to single boxes of cereal. Shopping lists are available. For more information about volunteering, contact Dawn Ely dawn.c.ely@gmail.com . Read more at our Hunger Ministry page!

Our Tuesday Daytime groups took a break this summer, but we're getting back together for weekly meets starting September 12! Our Prayer Lift is a small group that meets 10:00-10:45 a.m. each Tuesday in the Chapel to pray and raise up the joys and concerns shared by our members and friends. Come drop in for the Lectionary Bible Study small group meeting at 10:45-11:30 a.m. each Tuesday in the Parlor, led by one of St. Paul's pastors. No advanced preparation is necessary. 

If you’re interested in the history of the hereafter, this lecture is for you. Although Heaven is often mentioned in both modern Judaism and modern Christianity, Hell is quite different in that Christianity frequently focuses on it while Judaism does not. The root cause is ancient – the dramatic differences between the Hebrew Bible (Tanach) and the New Testament. All are welcome at the community lecture “Sacred Writings on the Hereafter: An Early History of Hell and Heaven,” presented by Dr. Christopher Rollston in the Bender Auditorium of the Greater Washington JCC (6125 Montrose Road, Rockville MD) on Tuesday, September 12 at 8:00 PM. General admission is $10, college students $5, high school students free. Visit jccgw.org/baf for more information about the Biblical Archaeology Forum.

The St. Paul’s Joyful Ringers! are gearing up for Fall 2017 and we’re looking for a few new members to join the fun of bell ringing. We’re especially interested in expanding our bass section for an even fuller, richer sound, though we welcome individuals for other positions, too. Whether a musical novice or musically experienced, we can work with you, including offering some private sessions on reading music and/or bell techniques. Anyone age 16 and above interested in ringing should contact the church office or Linda Ferrara directly. Our first rehearsal is Wednesday, September 13 at 6:30 p.m. in Room 109.

Food with Friends is a dinner series and fellowship opportunity to meet for a meal in participants’ homes. Food with Friends is open to all who wish to join! To begin the 2017-2018 season, there will be a large group pot-luck gathering with a “Mediterranean Theme” on Sunday, September 17 at 5:00 PM at Bob & Karen Nordstrom’s home in Sandy Spring MD. Directions and other information will be provided to those interested in attending. Please RSVP to Beth Hitchcock (301-871-5055) or Edie Kirk (301-260-1157), letting them know how many are coming and what you will bring for the meal. Dishes to share are vegetables, starches, salads, or desserts. The main course will be provided. You may also contact Beth or Edie regarding planning and scheduling for the upcoming season.

Youth Choir for singers in grades 6-12 will have our first rehearsal on September 24 at 11:30 AM and plan to sing in worship for Youth Sunday on October 8. Even if you haven’t been in choir before, we welcome you to come try our supportive, worshipful youth choir experience. Contact Tom Pedersen, Director of Music, at tpedersen@stpaulsk.org with questions.

Thinking about becoming a member or just want to learn more about life at St. Paul’s? Pie with the Pastors is offered the first weekend of each month. To attend the next Pie with the Pastors, please contact the church office before 3:00 pm on Thursday, October 5 to RSVP, then join Rev. Adam Snell and others on Saturday, October 7 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.

The next Pancake Breakfast of the 2017-18 pancake breakfast “season” will be on Saturday, October 7, 8:00-10:30 am in Heavener Hall. This will be the 47th year the St. Paul’s United Methodist Men have served pancakes for our wider community. Our breakfast includes regular pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, grits, fruit, and beverages, plus a special seasonal pancake that changes each month. Instead of charging a fixed price, families are asked to make a generous goodwill donation. (As a guide, the suggested amount is $8 for adults and $2 for children under 12, or $20 for a family of 4.) All proceeds from this breakfast will be given to regional or national charitable organizations and to help feed those in need in the Kensington area. You can read more about our Pancake Breakfasts by clicking HERE.

The 2017 Church Conference will be held at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, October 10. At the direction of the bishop all churches will hold Church Conferences this year, meaning that all full members of St. Paul’s in attendance will have voice and vote. We will join with other congregations for this event and Bethesda UMC will host (8300 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda MD 20814). Note that this is not the Church Conference required for final approval of the building renovation plans; that Church Conference will be scheduled for a later date.