UMC Special Sundays: UMCOR

Click the button to make a secure donation to UMCOR Special Sunday

UMCOR Special Sunday


This year, UMC congregations are celebrating UMCOR Special Sunday on March 30, 2024.


UMCOR (The United Methodist Committee on Relief) provides humanitarian relief when war, conflict, or natural disaster disrupts life to such an extent that communities cannot recover on their own. UMCOR makes long-term commitments to local partners working on recovery and reconstruction far beyond the initial crisis response. 


When individuals and churches donate to UMCOR relief efforts, 100% of donations go toward aid. How, then, does UMCOR manage to stay strong behind the scenes and execute essential administrative tasks? 


UMCOR’s day-to-day operations, including managing logistics and training emergency responders, is covered by the UMCOR Special Sunday offerings. Because we join our church’s offerings with those of United Methodist congregations around the world, UMCOR remains strong in its day-to-day operations. When the need is great, UMCOR can respond quickly and efficiently with signs of extravagant grace and expert assistance. 


Since 1940, when UMCOR’s forerunner was established to meet the needs of those suffering at the onset of World War II, UMCOR has continued to respond to those in desperate need. Today UMCOR is organized into areas focused on U.S and international disaster response and recovery, sustainable development, and human migration. UMCOR works in the United States and more than 80 countries worldwide.


Please use the link above to make a secure online donation to support UMCOR: Special Sunday. You may also use Special Sunday offering envelopes found in the worship bulletin for March 30, or mail offerings to St. Paul's UMC, 10401 Armory Ave., Kensington MD 20895. Please make checks payable to St. Paul's UMC and note "Special Sunday: UMCOR" in the memo line.


Please note: You may give to UMCOR relief work and disaster response efforts at any time by using the Miscellaneous Giving option and putting "UMCOR Greatest Need" in the memo line. Please do not use Special Sunday offering envelopes for this purpose.

SPY Spaghetti Lunch

Support the St. Paul's Youth - and have one less set of dishes to wash! - by coming to the Spaghetti Lunch fundraiser. All funds raised support SPY activities.


Spaghetti Lunch

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Serving hours 11:45 AM - 1:45 PM

Fellowship Hall at St. Paul's UMC

Tickets are $10 per person

The menu includes spaghetti with marinara sauce, meatballs, garlic bread, salad, and cookies/brownies for dessert, with ice water, coffee, and cocoa beverages.


Click the button to get your tickets online using a credit card.

Spaghetti Lunch tickets


We strongly encourage purchasing tickets in advance! 

Walk-ups will be welcomed as we have space and supplies available.

Pancakes and Kids' Crafts

Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024


The monthly all-you-care-to-eat Community Pancake Breakfast sponsored by the UMM will be serving breakfast dishes in the Fellowship Hall, 8:00-10:30 AM. Please make a donation at the door; suggested $20 per family of four. 


Kids (and their responsible adults) are invited to visit the craft stations in Fellowship Hall and make Advent & Christmas crafts, 9:00-10:30 AM. Free, but donations are welcome! 


For more info or to volunteer for craft time, contact Meg Baker (mbaker@stpaulsk.org, 301-933-7933 ext. 104).

GIve Thanks by GIving to Our Community

Each year we invite St. Paul's members and friends to help make the Thanksgiving holiday feast an attainable reality for those in our area with food insecurity, limited income, or other economic challenges. This year, we are committed to providing Thanksgiving food support to families in our area referred by DHHS, as well as approximately 130 households we serve through our Hunger Ministry each month.


Each family will receive a $50 grocery card to help them create a Thanksgiving meal. Providing a grocery store card enables recipients to buy the food that best suits their family traditions and allows them to manage dietary restrictions or sensitivities. It also frees our volunteers from having to handle or deliver perishable items like turkeys or pies.


The Thanksgiving project makes a difference in our neighbors' lives. In 2023, we received this thank you note from one of the families:


"You could not have known this, but my daughter lost her job last month. We ran out of groceries. Then like a miracle from God, your card arrived. Because of your kindness we were able to put a Thanksgiving meal on the table. Thank you and may God bless you."


Please consider making a donation in any amount to provide funds for this project. Your generous donations help ensure that all families in our community create cherished memories during the holiday.


To donate by credit card or checking account, click the button to go to our secure online payment processing partner.

Thanksgiving - Holiday Giving


If you prefer to donate by check, please make it payable to St. Paul's UMC with "Thanksgiving" in the memo line. Cash donations may be placed in an envelope clearly marked "Thanksgiving."


We are grateful for those who have already donated generously and who have volunteered to make this project possible. For questions, please contact Grace Graham, Ministry Table leader for Justice & Compassion at justice@stpaulsk.org, or Erin Steele in the church office at stpaulsunited@stpaulsk.org.

UMC Special Sunday:

Human Relations Day

The United Methodist Church celebrates Human Relations Day on the Sunday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to further the development of better human relations by involving congregations in community and youth outreach.


Established in 1972, the the offering was designated to support ministries of social justice and outreach to at-risk youth. Specific ministries include the Community Developers Program, United Methodist Voluntary Services Program (including Volunteers In Mission), and the Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program. 


As a designated Special Sunday, offerings from United Methodist communities across the globe are made in connection. Half the money raised for a UMC Special Sunday stay in the local conference and fund local UMC initatives, and half are handled by the General Board of Global Ministry and the General Board of Church and Society to support church initiatives far and wide. 


Please donate to the Special Sunday offering for Human Relations using the envelope in the Sunday worship bulletin on January 19, by check made out to St. Paul's with "Special Sunday - Human Relations" in the memo line, or securely by credit card online by clicking the button here.

Human Relations Sunday Special Offering


Youth Forms

For your convenience, we've moved sign-ups, registrations, applications, & payments online! Below you will find registration or sign up forms, information for events which require payments, surveys, and permission slips for events.


There are no current events requiring registration.

Inclement Weather Alert

St. Paul's is closed

Wednesday, February 12, 2025


We plan to be open for our regularly schedules hours (10:00 AM-3:00 PM) on Thursday, Feb. 13.


We follow the Montgomery County Public Schools students' schedule for weather-related delays and closures during the week.  Click this link for the current Montgomery County schools homepage with announcements:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/

WHat happened at the

UMC General Conference 2019?

The Special General Conference of the global United Methodist Church met February 23-26, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri to review language about human sexuality and issues of LGBTQ+ inclusion in our governing Book of Discipline.


1) The Traditional Plan, as amended, was adopted by a vote of 438 to 384. This language affirms existing church policies on homosexuality and strengthens enforcement. As it stands right now – and as it has been officially in the UMC since 1972 – 'self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve' in the church (2016 Book of Discipline, ¶304.3). In addition, the church prohibits its clergy from conducting same gender weddings (¶2702.b). (http://www.bwcumc.org/news-and-views/umc-seeks-a-way-forward/)  Delegates further referred the Traditional Plan to the Judicial Council for determination if it is constitutional. The Judicial Council addressed the request at its next scheduled meeting April 23-25 in Evanston, Illinois, and found the majority of the new language to be legally sound and enforceable.


2) The One Church Plan, which was endorsed by the Council of Bishops, including Baltimore-Washington Conference Bishop LaTrelle Easterling, was not adopted at the Special General Conference. The One Church Plan would have removed restrictive language limiting LGBTQ+ participation, while also protecting those who disagree by not requiring any annual conference, bishop, congregation, or pastor to act contrary to their convictions.


3) On Saturday, March 2, 2019, Bishop LaTrelle Easterling led the people of the Baltimore-Washington Conference in a time of information sharing through a live-streamed video feed, viewable at numerous church locations throughout the conference and online platforms. Leaders from St. Paul's met at Hughes UMC (Georgia Avenue, Wheaton) to watch and listen.


4) On February 27, 2019, the pastors of St. Paul's released a letter recognizing the challenges and questions that the General Conference rules pose for members and friends of St. Paul's. A copy of the letter is available to download in *pdf format.



As the church works to understand what this means for St. Paul's and tries to articulate how this Conference decision will affect our church family, our bishop has invited us to reflect on the words the Apostle Paul wrote: "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."  ~Romans 8:38-39

More About...

The Price tag of Disaffiliation

Excerpts from "Exiting Congregations Face Hefty Price Tag "

by Heather Hahn, UM News Service

June 13, 2019

Photo at right: Rev. Derek McAleer, South Georgia Conference Treasurer

For the full article, click here.


For the first time in its history, the UMC denomination has set procedures for U.S. congregations to withdraw from the denomination and take their buildings with them. Before a departure, those congregations could be on the hook for more than a million dollars. Annual conferences — church regional bodies — have the final word on what their churches owe. As U.S. annual conferences meet this year, some already are reckoning with how to calculate those costs.


For an exiting church, the biggest cost will likely come from what their conference determines is a fair share of unfunded clergy pension liability — that is, what conferences will owe retirees. A church’s pension contribution not only supports the church’s current pastor but those who previously served the congregation. Conferences are pension plan sponsors and legally responsible for paying benefits.


Exiting churches also must pay for transferring the building title or other legal work. They additionally must pay two years of apportionments — the amount conferences apportion to their churches to support regional, national and international ministries. Still, pensions are where the dollars can add up. Generally speaking, the larger a church and more pastors on staff, the larger its pension obligations are likely to be.


The South Georgia Conference acknowledged this challenge at its June 2-5 meeting when its members approved its own pension and disaffiliation policies meant to augment what General Conference passed. The Rev. Derek McAleer, the conference’s treasurer and benefits officer, told those gathered that the conference has to make sure it can pay the promises it has already made. “The amount of money is so huge that everybody has to stop and take a deep breath,” he said. “We’re talking about 586 churches and $30 million bucks. There is no way to divide $30 million into 586 and get a small number.” 

Previous Events:

Reconciling Ministries Network Info Session

and SAmoan Circle Panel

The Reconciling Team from St. Paul's held an information session in the Fellowship Hall on September 22, 2019  to describe what the Reconciling Ministries Network is, what is involved in becoming a member church within the network, and why the Reconciling Team recommends this as a step on St. Paul's Way Forward. 


A Samoan Circle, a panel where people with different perspectives can share their views on controversial topics, was held on September 29, 2019.


A Special Church Conference convened on Sunday, October 13, 2019 to hold a vote on whether or not to begin the process that leads congregations towards joining the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN). District Superintendent Rev. Gerry Green presided and all full members in attendance voted by ballot. 


The vote was 205 to 22 in favor of formally exploring possible membership in the Reconciling network. 


Please scroll down to the "Summary & FAQs" section to find a summary of our steps on our Way Forward and for the *pdf file with "Reconciling FAQs," clarifying many of the questions that came up in these sessions. If you have additional questions, please contact Rev. Kate Mackereth Fulton.

LOADING PLAYER…

Supporting the

Love Your Neighbor Coalition

In March 2024, St. Paul's SAM leadership body voted to donate $500 to the Love Your Neighbor Coalition. 


The Love Your Neighbor Coalition (LYNC) is a consortium of fifteen justice-related organizations encompassing LGBTQ inclusion, racial justice, environmental justice and more. Grounded in values of Wesleyan theology: grace, dignity, relationships, justice, and solidarity You can learn more about LYNC and its coalition members at https://www.lyncoalition.org/about.


LYNC is currently seeking funds for their work at General Conference in May 2024 in Charlotte NC. At the General Conference they will be working to provide connection for international delegates, provide a witness for justice-related legislative items, and support inclusion and organizational changes to the church that reduce colonialism and racism. LYNC has worked for years to build bridges with international delegates to the conference and will do that again this year with special events and extra translation services. Meeting space, communication tools, translation, and events are all part of the budget.


If you would also like to contribute to this organization, you can donate to St. Paul's and put "LYNC" in the memo line. 

SPY Movie Trip!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

RSVP by 12:00 noon on Nov. 8

Movie night Sunday, Nov. 10, 7:10 PM

St. Paul's Youth are meeting off-site on November 10, 2024 to see the new film The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at the movie theatre! The show starts at 7:10 PM at Regal Majestic (900 Ellsworth Dr, Silver Spring). The run-time is approx. 1 hour 39 minutes, and we should be done by 9:00 PM

Students in grades 6-12 who RSVP by 12:00 noon on Friday, November 8 will have tickets ready for them, with the student ticket cost covered by St. Paul's. 

There's an option to gather early at Chipotle (907 Ellsworth Drive) to grab dinner at 6:10 PM; youth should plan to pay for their own food or drinks, including dinner and any snacks or beverages at the theatre.

To RSVP use this form:

https://forms.gle/oGuWLFr5nJYBoFMR7


News from The United Methodist Church:

General Conference postponed to 2022

"The United Methodist Church’s top legislative assembly — postponed from May 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic — faces multiple proposals to resolve longtime debate around LGBTQ inclusion by splitting the denomination along theological lines. Planning the assembly comes with multiple moving parts that must align. These include securing visas, hotel space, transportation, interpreters and a large-enough venue for a gathering set to draw 862 delegates and 66 bishops from four continents as well as potentially thousands of others. General Conference, the only body authorized to speak for the church, typically meets in late April or early May." (Heather Hahn, UM News Service, 26 May 2020)


Excerpts from "General Conference Postponed until 2022" 

February 25, 2021

Press Release from UM Communications (Contact: Diane Degnan)

https://www.resourceumc.org/en/content/General-Conference-Postponed-to-2022


Meeting on February 20, the Commission on the General Conference made a decision to further postpone the 2020 General Conference until August 29 – September 6, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minn. as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the safety of mass gatherings and travel. [...]


In making the decision, the Commission determined that it was not feasible to safely hold an in-person meeting involving all delegates as currently scheduled for August 29 - September 7, 2021 due to a number of barriers:

  • The number of COVID cases [...].
  • Vaccine is not expected to be widely available this year in many countries, and new variants of the virus which may be resistant to vaccines are emerging globally.
  • International travelers to the U.S. must show proof of negative COVID-19 test results no more than three days prior to travel, but in many places, testing is not readily available or provided free of charge.
  • Visa services remain limited in some areas.
  • There also remains the possibility that a temporary six-month visa bond program which requires bonds of $5,000 - $15,000 per person for residents of some countries could cost up to $2.5 million in bonds for affected delegates if the program should be extended beyond June.


The Technology Study Team analyzed a variety of options, including an entirely electronic General Conference with participation from individual locations; an entirely electronic General Conference with delegates gathering at regional satellite hubs; and two sessions, with the first part being electronic and the second part in-person when it is safe to convene. None of these options were determined by the study team to be viable....  Their report recommended utilizing mail ballots for making a limited number of “Emergency Interim Actions.”


Some of the concerns mentioned in the report regarding having a virtual session [which must include all delegates globally] include:

  • Lack of infrastructure in some areas, including Internet access, Internet speed, and electricity
  • Lack of technology for equitable Holy Conferencing
  • Complexity of the legislative committee process
  • Concerns about accurate credentialing and verification of identity
  • Difficulties in seating reserve delegates properly
  • Security of voting
  • Safety concerns about regional satellite gatherings


“The Commission shared the study team’s findings and recommendations with the officers of the Council of Bishops in a collaborative effort...,” said commission chair Kim Simpson. ... Simpson said that the Commission regrets the fact that these dates once again conflict with the start of the academic year in the U.S. which a group of young adults had asked the Commission to avoid, but there were no other dates available.


Older articles of interest:

https://www.umnews.org/en/news/gc2020-venue-cancels-events-into-may

www.umnews.org/en/news/new-generalconference-dates-announced


Image below: The Minneapolis Convention Center, exterior, photo by Dan Anderson.

Special Sunday:

UM STUDENT SUNDAY

Student Sunday will be celebrated November 24, 2024.


Click the button to make a donation online.


UM Student Sunday


Donations in the offering plate on Sundays or by mail are also welcome. Please make checks payable to St. Paul's UMC with "Special Sunday: Students" on the memo line, and mail to St. Paul's UMC, Attn: Treasurer, 10401 Armory Ave., Kensington MD 20895


As one of the designated “Special Sundays” in The United Methodist Church, Student Sunday is set aside as a time to recognize the challenges and triumphs of students in college, and the way the global United Methodist Church can help make attending college a financial reality. 


The funds received from this offering go into the United Methodist Student Loan Fund administered by the UMC General Board of Higher Education and Ministry; 100% of the dollars given on Student Sunday go to fund grants, scholarships, and loans for United Methodist students to attend the college of their choice. There are over 70 scholarships available annually, and the number of students served can increase with generous giving. 


Did you know, United Methodist Student Day was the original Special Sunday? The fund was first established in 1872! 

BIblical Storytelling Workshop

Saturday, November 23, 2024

10:00 AM - 12:00 noon

Octagon


Free with a suggested love offering.

Click the button for the registration form

REGISTER


Learning the sacred stories of Scripture by heart is a powerful spiritual practice. This workshop is for everyone who wishes to learn, to tell, and to connect with God through the spiritual discipline of telling the sacred stories of Scripture. Whether you work with children and youth or dream of bringing Scripture to life in your personal devotion, your spiritual life will be enriched by this art. Those interested in actively trying new skills and those interested in observing are equally welcome.


This two-hour interactive introduction to biblical storytelling will be facilitated by Debbie Weir, with Dr. Meg Baker assisting. Debbie holds a Master Storytelling certificate from the Network of Biblical Storytellers International's Academy of Biblical Storytelling and a Master of Theological Studies degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC.


There is no charge for this workshop, but please register in advance! Attendees are encouraged to contribute toward a love offering for our master biblical storyteller. Light refreshments will be offered.


Curious about biblical storytelling? For a taste of the biblical storytelling experience, you can view Tracy Radosevic’s presentation from Genesis at

https://youtu.be/HazYGU7o5tY


Fall 2024 Study Classes

This Fall, we have two study classes meeeting regularly. Please find information and registration links below!

  • Questions Jesus Asked

    Questions Jesus Asked: A Six-Week Study in the Gospels

    Text by Magrey deVega

    Co-led by Pastors Sheridan and Joey


    Tuesdays, Sept 24 – Oct 29, 2024

    6:30-7:30 PM

    Room 109

    $15 includes text

    Register by September 15


    Jesus was fond of asking questions, many of which cut right to the heart of what it means to be human. Why are you terrified? What do you live for? Who do you say that I am? Author Magrey deVega explores six of the most provocative questions Jesus posed to others and guides us in answering them for ourselves. Asking these questions takes courage. Not only do they reveal what Jesus really cares about, they open a window into our hearts. When we dare to raise them, these questions bring us a fuller appreciation for the wisdom, power, and presence of God in our lives. 


    Register by September 15. To register and pay online by credit card, click the button here:

    Questions Jesus Asked Registration


    To pay by cash or check, please use the paper sign-up sheet located in the church office. For more information, please contact Dr. Meg Baker at mbaker@stpaulsk.org.

  • The Gift Of Empathy

    The Gift of Empathy

    Text by Joel Bretscher and Kenneth Haugk

    Co-led by Meg Baker, Virginia Bickford, Martha Lipscomb, and Marie Muller


    Sundays, Sept 22, Oct 27, and Nov 24

    12:00 noon – 1:30 PM in Room 109

    $20 includes text and a light lunch during each session

    Registration extended to September 15!


    Empathy is something we all need—and it’s something we all can give. The Gift of Empathy: Helping Others Feel Valued, Cared for, and Understood, a three-session book study, lays out principles and practices that empower people to better understand, connect with, and care for family, friends, coworkers, and others. This study presents a fresh approach to a familiar concept, providing practical insights and real-life examples that equip readers to relate in empathetic ways that make a difference in the lives of all those they encounter. While the class is being offered through St. Paul’s Stephen Ministry, all are welcome to participate. 


    Register by September 8. To register and pay online by credit card, click the button:

    The Gift of Empathy Registration


    To pay by cash or check, please use the paper sign-up sheet located in the church office. For more information, please contact Dr. Meg Baker at mbaker@stpaulsk.org. 

Special Holiday Giving

St. Paul's has three separate ways to warm hearts even during the cold weather months. These special giving opportunities directly benefit local families who are less fortunate, or support organizations actively working on safety-net programs, social justice, or care for God's creation. You can read more on the Holiday Giving page!


These are special giving opportunities beyond the general support of the church. If you would like to make a general offering or pledge support for St. Paul's ministries, worship, and initiatives, please find that information on our Giving page, or contact the church office.

  • Christmas Offering

    The annual Christmas Offering is usually received during Christmas Eve worship and looks beyond our walls to bring help and hope to those less fortunate. At their December meeting, the Church Council determined 100% the offering will be split evenly between UMCOR and St. Paul's Hunger Ministry. 


    The Pastor's Christmas Offering Letter, an invitation to give to this special offering, is available by clicking the link below or by mail upon request.

    Christmas Offering Letter


    Special offering envelopes will be available in the Christmas Eve worship bulletin. Offerings by check may be made out to St. Paul's UMC with "Christmas Special Offering" in the memo. To make a Christmas Special Offering by credit card, 

    please click here to go to the Giving page.

  • Scattered For Service

    Scattered for Service is our seasonal "alternative gift" program. Select from our 20 hand-picked charities and choose the one(s) you wish to support, and receive personalized acknowledgement cards knowing 100% of your contribution will go to the organization of your choice. 


    The Scattered for Service catalog is now available! You can view the detailed list of charities and order online using a credit card. Click here to visit the Scattered for Service page at https://stpaulsk.org/service/scattered-for-service


    For those preferring to use cash or check, a paper version of the order form and catalog can be found in the December issue of The Epistle newsletter, available in the Narthex or church office, and downloadable online by clicking HERE: The December Epistle.

  • Holiday Giving

    The holidays bring special opportunities to support those in our area with limited means. In addition to serving our Hunger Ministry families, St. Paul’s is proud to be a community partner of the Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Services "Holiday Giving Project" serving our ZIP code. We have two Holiday Giving programs:

    Thanksgiving Feast: This year, St. Paul's Holiday Giving coordinators provided a special one-time Thanksgiving grocery store card valued at $50 for families on our Hunger Ministry list plus referrals through our partners at the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. Providing grocery support this way allows our recipients to create the feast that best fits their family - and their food allergies or diet restrictions. We welcome contributions year-round to offset the cost of this program - you can donate online using the Miscellaneous option at our Giving page and put "Thanksgiving" for the designated cause.

    The Christmas Giving Tree: For the Christmas holiday in 2023, St. Paul's will be providing $25 Target gift cards to families in need so they can purchase gifts for their children. This year we will be providing for families on our Hunger Ministry list plus those referred to us by partners at Montgomery County through the Department of Health & Human Services. Providing Target gift cards gives the recipient families maximum flexibility to select and purchase meaningful, age-appropriate presents, and makes the best use of our volunteers' time and church resources. Thank you for your financial contribution towards the cost of these Target cards.

    There are three ways you can participate:
    • Donate a $25 Target gift card. Deliver it to the church office by December 10.
    • Donate wrapping paper, rolls of tape, and bows by December 10. We will make these wrapping items available to gift card recipients, so they may wrap gifts as they choose.
    • Make a financial contribution in any amount for us to purchase Target gift cards. Donate by credit card online (use the button below!) or by cash or check made out to St. Paul's with "Giving Tree" in the memo. Donations are appreciated by December 10 but are gratefully received throughout the entire Christmas season.

UMCOR - Hurricane Relief

Hurricane Helene is the latest hurricane in the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season to cause devastation and loss of life in the United States, with major effects felt from Florida through western North Carolina.


Donations made using this button will go to The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) - United States Disaster Response & Recovery fund (Advance #901670). Through local partners on the ground and its own trained early responders, UMCOR can move quickly to provide urgently needed aid, and can remain in a community for rebuilding work that goes well beyond the initial response. Because the UMC covers UMCOR's administrative costs, 100% of your relief donations go to relief efforts!


Click the button to donate by credit card through our secure payment processing partners.


UMCOR- US Hurricane Relief


To donate by check, please make checks payable to St. Paul's UMC with "UMCOR - hurricane" on the memo line. Please mail contributions to St. Paul's UMC, 10401 Armory Avenue, Kensington MD 20895 or leave checks in the offering plate on Sunday.


To donate to global relief efforts, please scroll down for the UMCOR "Area of Greatest Need" option.

UMM Special Sunday:

World Communion Sunday

Celebrated on October 6, 2024


World Communion Sunday is one of the Special Offerings designated by the global United Methodist Church. This connectional giving supports work throughout the UMC by allowing offerings from our church to combine with offerings from United Methodist congregations from around the globe. 


On World Communion Sunday your giving helps to support the division of chaplains and ministries, and the scholarship funds for international minority groups pursuing graduate-level education as part of their ministry call to serve God's world, all while celebrating the great thanksgiving and gift of communion.


Click the button below to go to our secure donation site, or send your donation by mail to St. Paul's UMC, Attn: Treasurer, 10401 Armory Ave., Kensington MD 20895. Checks should be made payable to St. Paul's UMC with "World Communion Sunday" in the memo line.


World Communion Sunday Offering



Grants and scholarships funded by World Communion Sunday make a difference around the world! Here are just a few stories the UMC shares about recipients whose faith and educational journeys were made possible through World Communion Sunday funding.


David Rangel, who grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Monterrey, Mexico, studied engineering but changed paths to attend seminary. With a World Communion scholarship, he went on to earn graduate degrees from Southern Methodist University (Perkins School of Theology). He developed targeted programs for Hispanic Latino ministry and founded the Spanish Language Leadership Institute.

https://www.umc.org/en/content/world-communion-sunday-scholarship-supports-ministry-legacy-wcs


Sarah Bless Sanchez-Maddela, whose scholarship is helping her to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology, grew up in the United Methodist Church in the Philippines. “I have seen the lack of mental health professionals in our province. ... When I was a youth leader, I saw the need for mental health ministry for young people because a lot of them are struggling with depression, anxiety, and trauma. I believe this is why God called me to this profession.”

https://www.umc.org/en/content/extending-the-table-on-world-communion-sunday-wcs


Ayra Indrias Patras, in Lahore, Pakistan, completed a Master's degree in International relations, then worked with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the area of women and minority rights. With a World Communion scholarship, she pursued her Ph.D. in Gender Studies to further her work advocating for women's rights.

https://www.umc.org/en/content/world-communion-sunday-scholarship-helps-student-pursue-phd-in-gender-stud-wcs


Obinneh T. Emeh grew up in the Methodist church in Nigeria and moved to the US to live with his aunt as a teenager. He was immediately embraced by her church, Grace United Methodist Church (Arlington, Texas). Emeh received an Ethnic Minority Scholarship, made possible through the World Communion Sunday offering. In 2017, he was majoring in engineering at Lamar University (Beaumont TX) and serving as a mentor for elementary and middle school students as part of the National Society of Black Engineers.

https://www.umc.org/en/content/engineering-a-better-future-wcs


Carileigh Jones is the granddaughter of a minister hailing from her hometown of Salisbury, Maryland. In 2016, her World Communion scholarship helped her attend Hampton University and train for law school. Her career goal is first, to become a victim's advocate, and second, to practice family law. She explained, "A huge part of the United Methodist [philosophy] includes giving back to the community... [and] helping people who may be less fortunate." 

https://www.umc.org/en/content/future-lawyer-relies-on-faith-wcs

BackPack Build

August 4-11, 2024


Our Justice & Compassion team partners with Interfaith Works each year to get new school supplies to disadvantaged children for the start of school. 


Thank you for donating NEW school supplies to serve families would would otherwise struggle to source these items themselves.


For 2024, requested items are:

  • Backpacks (17" to 19")
  • Comp or spiral notebook
  • 1-inch three ring binder
  • Lined filler paper for binders
  • 2-pocket folders
  • Pens (Blue or Black ink)
  • Colored pencils
  • Pencil pouches or boxes
  • Pencils
  • Scissors
  • Markers
  • Erasers
  • Ruler
  • Index cards
  • Highlighters
  • Glue Sticks
  • Crayons (24-color box)

Click HERE to download the list in *pdf format.


Place donations in the bins in the Narthex between Sunday, August 4 and Sunday, August 11, 2024. 


Financial donations are also welcome and will be used to order additional supplies. Click here to go to the Miscellaneous Donations section of the Giving page; type "Backpacks" in the field for "Designated Fund or Cause." To donate by check, make checks payable to St. Paul's UMC with "Backpacks" in the memo line.


Since 2017, St. Paul's generous members and friends have supported the Interfaith Works school supply drive annually. Each year, we've made an effort to donated backpacks and school supplies for at least 100 students, to help Interfaith Works meet their county-wide goal of serving 2,500 disadvantaged students.


If you have questions, please contact Erin Steele in the church office (stpaulsunited@stpaulsk.org) or Backpack Build coordinator Angela Harvey directly.

Bluegrass Sunday

Sunday, June 9, 2024

10:30 AM


Enjoy old-timey music with a bluegrass flavor as guest musicians join the Sanctuary Choir for worship, led by our Director of Music, Tom Pedersen. 


The Sanctuary Choir’s last Sunday of the season will be June 9, then they go on summer break. Some choir members may offer special music during the summer, and the whole Sanctuary Choir will return following Labor Day!

Educational Award for 2024

At St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, we have a tradition of Educational Awards for graduating high school seniors who plan to attend college, university, or some other type of post-secondary education. 


As we have for the past 35 years, we are inviting graduating seniors to apply. The application deadline is Sunday, May 5, 2024. Only those who apply can be considered!


Click the button to go to the application.

Ed Award Application


These modest awards are a visible sign of the St. Paul’s community wishing our graduating seniors well and showing our support as they continue forward in their educational journey - a journey that we hope energizes, excites, and engages them in our world. We know the next step may come with lots of unknowns, but one thing we are sure of is God’s love for our graduating seniors and we are grateful for an opportunity to support them in this way.


An Educational Award Committee will use the following criteria in determining award recipients and amounts:

  • Academics – a minimum 2.5 grade point average is required.
  • Graduation from high school and what’s next.
  • The content of written statement of greatest personal accomplishment in high school.
  • Relationship with St. Paul's United Methodist Church.


Recipients of the Educational Award will be notified in early to mid May. 


Awards will be presented during the May 19, 2024 worship service at 10:30 AM, as part of Senior Recognition Sunday. 


Please contact Anne Dean directly or Meg Baker at mbaker@stpaulsk.org with questions.

Baltimore-WAshington Conference

of the UMC

Peace & Justice in ACtion

The BWC has a number of ways individual United Methodists can be a force for positive change in our society, government, and community. United Methodists are encouraged to work in partnership, actively lobbying local, state and national legislators, especially on such issues as homelessness, health care, immigration, violence prevention, worker justice, human trafficking, and the death penalty. The United Methodist Church's stance on these issues is found in the official Book of Resolutions and the church’s Social Principles. Learn more at https://bwcaction.org/


Upcoming activities sponsored by the Baltimore-Washington Conference:


The BWC’s Peace with Justice committee has scheduled four Voter Registration Training webinars to help in getting as many people as possible to vote. The training is open to everyone. Register in advance for these webinars:

Special Sunday: Peace with Justice

"Speak out... for the rights of all who are vulnerable. Speak out in order to judge with righteousness and to defend the needy and the poor." (Proverbs 31:8-9)


One of our denomination’s six Special Sundays, Peace with Justice Sunday calls the church to strengthen its capacity to advocate publicly and care for underserved communities throughout the world. Through connectional giving, contributions from St. Paul's join with contributions from United Methodist churches worldwide. Peace with Justice funds are administered by the General Board of Church and Society with half of all gifts staying with local ministries in each conference and half supporting the work of Church and Society globally. 


This year, Peace with Justice Sunday will be recognized on May 26, 2024.

Click the button to donate by credit card to this Special Sunday offering through our secure donations page. Special offering donations are processed by our partners at Clover Give / Ministry Works.


Peace with Justice Offering


We also gratefully receive donations by cash or check. Please make checks payable to St. Paul's UMC with "Peace/Justice Special" on the memo line, and mail to St. Paul's UMC, Attn: Treasurer, 10401 Armory Ave., Kensington MD 20895, or place your donations in the Sunday offering plates.


When you donate to Peace with Justice offering, you're supporting efforts like these programs that received funding during the last few years:

  • The youth group at Calhoun First UMC in Calhoun, GA started the Book Blessings program with a PWJ grant in 2019. Calhoun has a high poverty rate and a high rate of non-native English speakers. Increased literacy is a key to helping kids overcome the effects of poverty, so the Calhoun UMC Book Blessings program purchases and distributes books to families through after-school programs, specifically targeting those facing homelessness or who receive free tutoring within the school system. (https://www.umc.org/en/content/pwjs-grants-make-a-difference-in-the-north-georgia-conference-pwjs)
  • Helping Our Neighbors (HON) is a community engagement ministry of First United Methodist Church in Kalamazoo, MI. Moved by regular contact with persons living in homelessness or insecure housing, HON volunteers started asking, “What do you need?” Many of those they have come to know said, “We need a reliable way to communicate with persons and places that are essential for our safety and welfare.” Through a 2022 PWJ grant, HON began offering cell phones. Recipients have used them to find employment, call 911 in emergencies, and make routine appointments. (https://www.umc.org/en/content/helping-our-neighbors-in-kalamazoo-pwjs)
  • The United Methodist Men organization in the Northeast District, East Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference, took on Environmental Justice and systemic poverty at the same time. With a PWJ grant in 2019, they divided a portion of the conference property into 10 modules, each with a focus on sustainable agriculture: tree orchards; range chicken production; duck, goat, hog and quail raising; inland fish ponds; mushroom culture and management; and organic vegetable farming. The goal is to teach sustainable agricultural practices AND create a dedicated source of organic, healthy foods for the surrounding community. (https://www.umc.org/en/content/united-methodist-men-in-philippines-focus-on-environmental-justice-pwjs)
  • The Summer Arts Camp of United Methodist Church of the Redeemer, in Temple Hills, MD, received a grant from the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference in 2021 to design a program in partnership with a local youth center to help children unleash their creative abilities and artistic expressions through drama, music, dance, visual arts and photography. According to Rev. Michael Parker, "We are carving out safe space for children who live in extremely at-risk communities to have positive, safe, community building activities and receive nutritious meals throughout the summer, which is the peak time for juvenile-related offenses. Our children are able to not just build bridges but be bridges of hope and change in our community."
  • In Indianapolis IN, a grant through the annual conference supports Matthew’s Voices hosted at Roberts Parks UMC. This choir offers access to and addresses the need for the arts in populations in the city that often go untouched, unloved, and underserved. 
  • The “Letting Girls Be Girls” program provides health education programming and services for young girls in the Rotifunk community of Sierra Leone.

Easter Special Offering 2024

God has blessed the ministries of this church and has allowed us a vision that looks far beyond our own Sanctuary to see people and places in need. Each year, we dedicate 100% of our Easter Special Offering to serve those outside the walls of St. Paul's.


Click the button to donate by credit card.

EASTER SPECIAL OFFERING


St. Paul's leaders serving in the Simplified Accountability Model determine which organizations benefit from the Easter Special Offering donations. For 2024, the Easter Special Offering will be divided evenly between the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and the Hunger Ministry at St. Paul's. UMCOR provides emergency relief and commits to long-term rebuilding whenever war or natural disaster damages a community in the US or worldwide. The Hunger Ministry provides any household facing food insecurity in the 20895 ZIP code with shelf-stable groceries and a grocery store card for purchasing perishables and dignified access to hygiene products.


Donations by cash or check may be sent to St. Paul's by mail (St. Paul's UMC, Attn: T. Furman, 10401 Armory Avenue, Kensington MD 20895) or drop-off any time using the office door mail slot. Checks should be made payable to "St. Paul’s UMC" with the words “Easter Offering” on the memo line. Special offering envelopes will be available in the worship bulletins for Easter Sunday.


Please note, all other offerings or donations, such as those toward regular giving or pledges, should be made using an envelope other than the Easter Offering envelope. Thank you!

Lenten Study

The Third Day: Living the Resurrection

Register by February 11

Classes meet Tuesdays February 20-March 26

7:00-8:15 PM in person at St. Paul's

Led by Mike McCurry


In this short term study, Bishop Tom Berlin uses his gifts of storytelling and understanding the Scriptures to connect participants to the experiences of those around Jesus in his final days, focusing on new life and redemption rather than loss. Join Peter, Mary Magdalene, and Thomas as they feel the despair of losing Jesus and the surprise and joy that awaits them in the resurrection. This study traces events around these characters, along with Paul and the disciples at Emmaus, and how the resurrection transforms their lives.


Classes meet in-person at St. Paul’s on Tuesdays, February 20 - March 26, 7:00-8:15 PM. The cost is $15 per person and includes the book. Enrollment is limited. If you have questions or need help registering, contact Dr. Meg Baker (mbaker@stpaulsk.org, 301-933-7933 ext. 104).


Click the button to register and pay online. To pay by cash or check, use the sign-up form in the church office or narthex, or see Dr. Meg Baker.


The Third Day Class Registration

Lenten Community Book Study:
The Cross and the Lynching Tree

Wednesdays, February 21 - March 20, 2024

7:00-8:15 PM by Zoom


Pastor Pat will lead a book study exploring Dr. James Cone's award-winning book The Cross and The Lynching Tree. Cone expounds on the significance of the crucifixion through the lens of lynchings suffered by African Americans. (Content warning: This book contains graphic descriptions of lynching deaths.) 


Dr. James Cone is the Bill and Judith Moyers Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology at Union Theological Seminary, was awarded the prestigious Grawemeyer Award in Religion for this revolutionary book. 


This is not a Bible study, but a communal book study, where all are invited to engage through discussion of what we have read, from a variety of perspectives and lenses. Pastor Pat has also invited participants from other area congregations to further enrich our discussions.


For those who would like to be present for the discussion but are not able to read the book, you are also welcome. Please contact Pastor Pat (pallen@stpaulsk.org) for the Zoom link.


Click the button to go to the registration form!

REGISTER


Once you register, you will be sent the ZOOM link.


Participants are asked to purchase their own copy of the book The Cross and The Lynching Tree by James Cone. (Available from Barnes & Noble and Amazon, or special order through local minority-owned booksellers at Loyalty Bookstore  at https://www.loyaltybookstores.com/book/9781626980051)


Stations of the Cross Sponsors

Response requested by February 18


For 2024, individuals, families, classes, and groups are all invited to sponsor a station for the Stations of the Cross experience during Holy Week. During the Holy Week days between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday (March 25-29, 2024), sponsors assemble and maintain a display based on a provided theme. Your RSVP will determine whether we have enough volunteers to host a Stations experience this year. To learn more or to sponsor a station, contact Dr. Meg Baker (mbaker@stpaulsk.org) by Feb. 18.

Christian Education Sunday

St. Paul’s will kick off our educational programming season for all ages on September 10, 2023, with Christian Education Sunday. We will present third graders with Bibles, all children will be invited forward for a Children’s Message, and teachers and leaders will be consecrated. Please contact Meg Baker if you have questions: mbaker@stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933 ext 104.


Holiday GIving: Christmas

Donate financial support for the Holiday Giving project. For 2023, St. Paul's will be providing $25 Target gift cards to families in need so they can purchase gifts for their children. This year we will be providing for families on our Hunger Ministry list plus those referred to us by partners at Montgomery County through the Department of Health & Human Services. Use the button to make a one-time donation to the Christmas Holiday Giving effort.



Holiday Giving Donations



For more information, click here to visit the Holiday Giving page.


Year-End GIving Deadlines

Offerings dated December 31, 2023 or earlier, and received by January 2 in the offering plate during worship, in the church office by mail or drop-off, or through online/bank transactions posted by January 2, may be counted toward 2023 giving goals.


These donations will appear on Year-End Giving Statements. Year-end statements will be mailed at the end of January once we've closed the books on 2023.

CHristmas SPecial Offering

It is our practice here at St. Paul’s to hold a special offering on Christmas Eve that will specifically go outside the walls of this congregation and into the needs of the community. This year, the church leadership has determined that 100% of the Christmas offering will be divided equally among two worthy causes: 

  • The Hunger Ministry of St. Paul’s, which serves anyone in our ZIP code who may be in need of food.
  • The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), to directly assist relief efforts in disaster zones around the world.


To contribute to the Christmas Offering by credit card, please click the Christmas Offering button to go to our secure credit card processing site managed by CloverGive/MinistryWorks. 


Christmas Offering 2023


To donate by cash or check, please use the Christmas envelope available in the Christmas Eve worship bulletin, or note “Christmas Offering” in the memo line of your check and place it in the offering plate or mail it to St. Paul’s UMC. 


All other donations, including general offerings or pledges, should be made using a different contribution option online or in an envelope other than the Christmas Offering envelope. 

Read Through the Bible:

A 2-Year Plan

An Invitation from Pastor Pat:


On January 1, 2022 we began a two year pilgrimage to read the Bible in its entirety. Along the way life has provided interruptions that may have caused us to fall behind or abandon the journey altogether. If you added all of the catch up days together - you may feel there is absolutely no way to get back on track. Beloved, exhale. This reading is intended to be a journey of discovery. So exhale, it’s a new opportunity to start fresh. 

~ Pastor Pat


Our pastors are offering the entire congregation the opportunity to read through the Bible together over the next two years, using a plan developed by Dr. Steven Witmer of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. If you read each day, you will cover the Bible from beginning to end. But if that sounds like too much of a commitment, don't worry - you can jump in any time. 


Click the button for the *pdf chart showing the daily reading schedule for this month. This schedule is also available in the Epistle newsletter.


READING SCHEDULE


Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you journey with us:

  • Do your best to read each section fully, but keep a journal where you write down a “best thought” from each day’s scriptures. This will help you remember what you’ve read and will be a great aid for discussion.
  • Pray as you go! Instead of waiting until the end of the study time, just say a quick prayer right away as you feel moved, and keep reading. Listen for the nudging of the Holy Spirit as you read God’s word!
  • The readings are different lengths; some longer, some shorter. Plan to spend the same amount of time every day with your reading. If it’s a short one, take the time to meditate on phrases that strike you, or read again in a different translation than you usually use.
  • As you read, ask yourself: “How do I live out the heart of this Scripture?” For instance, James 1:22 tells us to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only.” You might consider, How is God calling you to live differently as a result of what you’ve read?

Weekend Retreat

September 15-17, 2023

Dayspring Silent Retreat Center


Update 8/10/2023: There is now a waitlist for this retreat.


https://dayspringretreat.org/event/stillness-simplicity-and-silence-a-weekend-retreat/


Theme: Stillness, Simplicity and Silence


“Good speech is silver, but silence is pure gold.” 

~ St. Ephraim, fourth century monk


Shed the layers of our noisy, distracting, and too loud world. Return to the rhythms of the natural, find the stillness beneath the distractions, and immerse yourself in the divine wisdom of the land. 


Leader: Kenzie Raulin, St. Paul's member, local artist, designer and retreat leader. Learn more about Kenzie at KRDesign.net


You must be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus in order to attend weekend retreats at Dayspring.


The cost for this weekend retreat is $275 and must be paid to Dayspring. A $125 deposit is required to register. (For a confidential discussion about financial aid, contact Pastor Pat or Pastor Joey.) The cost includes lodging and vegetarian meals. Register and find details using this event link: https://dayspringretreat.org/event/stillness-simplicity-and-silence-a-weekend-retreat/

Holiday Giving 2020:

Rethinking the GIving Tree

To donate to the Holiday Giving Project, CLICK HERE.


Donations Welcome!


Although we will deeply miss the annual Cookies & Carols party and stacks of donated gifts under the tree, our Hunger Ministry coordinators have developed a plan that gives families maximum flexibility to select meaningful presents and prevents the possibility of covid-19 spreading among families and children who are only just eligible to begin receiving the vaccines. (The photo below is from our party in 2019!)


This year, we have a different way to share our blessings with the households of our Hunger Ministry families and referrals from Montgomery County's Holiday Giving Project (https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/HHS/PACS/Holiday-Giving.html). 


We are grateful for monetary donations that help us purchase Target and grocery gift cards. 


If you’d like to contribute to this work, financial contributions are welcomed any time online by Clicking HERE or by check (made out to St. Paul's UMC, designate "Holiday Giving" in the memo line) mailed to: Holiday Giving, St. Paul’s UMC, 10401 Armory Avenue, Kensington MD 20895.


We are thankful for the many personalized messages and hand-crafted Christmas cards that members and friends are providing to carry our well-wishes and gift cards to our neighbors in need.


Your generosity makes for warm hearts even during cold times. Thank you! 

Holiday Giving Thanks!

Romans 12:13 tells us “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” 


In 2020, although we could not invite our Hunger Ministry families into the building to extend holiday cheer, St. Paul’s rose to the occasion by sending Christmas to their homes. Your generosity made it possible to serve 153 households and 296 children, a combination of the families we serve each month and the county referrals through the Holiday Giving Project.  That is a multitude of gift cards!  


For 2021, instead of hosting a holiday party and traditional Giving Tree gifts for our Hunger Ministry families and county referrals, the Hunger Ministry will be distributing department store gift cards for families to purchase gifts for their children. 


If you would like to contribute toward these Christmas gift cards, visit our secure donation site by clicking here. Checks may be made payable to St. Paul’s UMC with “holiday giving” in the memo line, and mailed or dropped off in the church office.

 

 “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God."  (2 Corinthians 9:11)

After the Sermon: Reflection Questions on SUnday Scripture

Ready to think more deeply about Sunday’s Scripture reading?  Reflection questions posed by long-time Bible study teacher Jim Holland will be posted here and linked in the Weekly News email. 


On break August 6, 2023.


Scripture for July 30, 2023

Romans 8:26-39

The author of the letter to the Romans expresses faith in the love of God for his people.


Questions to Ponder:

  1. Verse 28 tells us "that in all things God works for the good of those who love him" Are there times when you have experienced something that doesn't seem "good"? Do you think that there are times when suffering might result in our ultimate good?
  2. Verses 35 to 39 tell us that "nothing can separate us from the love of Christ." Have you ever felt separated from God? What has caused this? How can we restructure our thinking to remove these barriers?


You are invited to share your thoughts with Jim directly - please find his email address in the Weekly News message or contact the church office (stpaulsunited@stpaulsk.org).

Summer Time!

Many of our groups take a summer break and plan to return to regularly scheduled activities during the fall.


Currently on break and returning in September:

Pancake Breakfast

Taste & Sing

Still Wednesday

Yarn Ministry

Tuesdays Together

Sanctuary Choir

Joyful Ringers Bell Ensemble

St. Paul's Youth

Daily Breath


Scroll down for the current activities, and check back for more fresh opportunities coming our way this Fall.

Safe Sanctuaries

All persons working with children and youth at St. Paul’s participate in UMC-standard Safe Sanctuaries Training each year. 


Regular training sessions are held each year in the late Spring and early Fall. For more information, contact Meg Baker, mbaker [at] stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933 ext. 104.


Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes [a] child . . . welcomes me” (Matthew 18:5). Our church participates in the Safe Sanctuaries program to help ensure all young people in our care have a safe experience and build relationships free of abuse of any kind. Adults and teens who work with children must complete an annual questionnaire and provide information necessary to perform a criminal background check. Additionally, they attend an annual orientation designed to familiarize them with the possible indicators of child abuse and neglect, ways to report concerns, appropriate interactions with children, permissible methods of discipline, standards regarding safety of children and youth, and other applicable procedures.

iNVITATION TO jOHN

The Short Term Disciple Bible Study on the Gospel of John entitled " Invitation to John" will be offered this fall, led by Pastor Pat.


Tentative class meeting dates would be Sept. 17 - Nov. 5, immediately following the 10:30 AM worship service.


We need a minimum of six participants to make the class viable. 


Deadline to express interest in August 1, 2023.


Please click the button to fill out the Interest Form.

Interest Form: Disciple Study on the Gospel of John


For questions, contact Rev. Dr. Patricia Allen (pallen@stpaulsk.org).

Compassion Camp

Compassion Camp: Be Loved, Be Kind, Be You is primarily an at-home experience, although a number of optional online sessions will be available throughout the week. Through Bible stories, crafts, music, and movement, your family will explore ways we can practice compassion. The Family Camp Guide is extensive, allowing families to take this journey on their own schedule and at their own pace. A variety of pre-recorded camp session videos will be available for viewing at any time. Click below to be taken to our video page!


Campers will also have opportunities to gather by age group, giving kids time to go deeper in the camp experience and engage with each other in community!


For more information, please contact Meg Baker at mbaker@stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933 ext. 104. 

Biblical Archaeology Forum

This community group’s monthly lectures bring together leading Bible scholars, historians, and archaeologists to broaden our understanding of the Biblical world. Most lectures are held at the Bender JCC (6125 Montrose Road, Rockville MD) St. Paul's is a regular sponsor of this program.


Full Biblical Archaeology Forum Schedule for 2019-2020

  • Wednesday, September 18, 2019: Ancient Roman Baths: Centers for Political Propaganda (Maryl Gensheimer, University of Maryland)
  • Wednesday, October 23, 2019: Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Kristen Romey, National Geographic Society)
  • Tuesday, November 19, 2019: The Late Bronze Age Palaces of Hazor (Shlomit Bechar, Hebrew University and Co-Director of Excavations at Hazor)
  • Wednesday, December 11, 2019: The Roman Forum: Monument, Memory and Cultural Identity (Christopher Gregg, George Mason University)
  • Sunday, February 23, 2020 at B’nai Israel: From Sectarianism to Consensus: The Rise of Rabbinic Judaism (Lawrence Schiffman, New York University)
  • Wednesday, March 25, 2020: The Battle of Kadesh: Egyptians v Hittites (Betsy Bryan, Johns Hopkins University)

  • POSTPONED due to COVID-19
  • Wednesday, April 22, 2020: Archaeology in Israel: Where the Past Meets the Present (Eric Meyers and Carol Meyers, Duke University)
  • Wednesday, May 27, 2020: Digging Up Armageddon: The Search for the Lost City of Solomon (Eric Cline, George Washington University)


Visit jccgw.org/baf or for more information, call 301-881-0100 or email BAF.JCCGW@gmail.com.


Reservations are not required. Normal admission fees are: 

free – high school students

$5 – Residents of CES Life Communities, college students

$8 – BASONOVA & Bender JCC members

$10 – the general public

Pay at the door – cash or check only.


Wilderness Trail

Registration info for Wilderness Trail 2023 is here!


Registration deadline is July 17.


Wilderness Trail is a backpacking ministry set along the Appalachian Trail in southern Virginia with the aim of participants getting to better know themselves, each other, and God as we hike and camp over 4 days on the trail and two-ish days of activities at "the Property."


Below is information for Wilderness Trail 2023. Click on each tab for information, PDF files, or the Registration link.

  • 2023 Dates: July 26-31
  • Participants: 12 youth spots, 2 adult chaperone spots. Anyone currently in 6th - 12th grade - though others may be added depending on registrations in the Spring (Contact Micah for more Information)
  • Cost: $305 per participant. We ask for a $75 deposit for the trip. Scholarships/Camperships are available. Please contact Micah to discuss options privately.

FAITHFLIX

FaithFlix will return to our previous format, meeting in the Parlor on Sundays at 11:45, when we are able to return following the COVID-19 pandemic. In the meantime, please consider joining one of the adult studies listed above - many use a video component in a similar way! Participants view a short faith-provoking film, followed by guided discussion led by a member of our team of education leaders. No prep, no stress, no registration – just come as you are able!

Special Organ Music during Holy Week 2022

A message from Organist Marvin Mills


  César Franck Bicentennial

  December 10, 1822 – November 8, 1890


Pianist, organist, composer, teacher and improviser César Franck was born in Liege, modern day Belgium, though his legacy is thoroughly French as he helped to revitalize his adopted country's chamber music and organ repertoire through a small but highly regarded corpus of compositions. Soaring/poignant melodies, complex counterpoint and rich harmonic vocabulary deftly modulating to remote keys are characteristic, taking the listener on an intense journey, exemplary of the late Romantic period. 


Most of Franck’s greatest works come after 1858, coinciding with his third, and last, church position. Within a year of taking up the post at Sainte-Clotilde a magnificent organ was installed, built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. This instrument proved to be inspirational to Franck with its broad foundation tone, piquant flutes and penetrating reed stops; its up to date registration assists facilitating rapid and smooth crescendos and diminuendos akin to the Romantic orchestra; and responsive mechanically assisted key action; all innovations of Cavaillé-Coll. Franck made great use of these aesthetic improvements to the instrument through his improvisations at Sainte-Clotilde and his organ works, helping to set the course for the French Romantic School of organ music and playing to the current day.


The success of the renovation of the St. Paul's organ in 2010-11 will afford an effective presentation of a representative trinity of Franck's organ music during Holy Week:


Pièce Héroïque (1878) – Palm Sunday postlude

Prière (1859) – Good Friday Stations of the Cross with images provided by Grace Graham

Final (1859) – Easter Sunday postlude


Click HERE to go to the Worship at Home page, where you can find the recordings of Sunday and Holy Week services, complete with music.

Hope in the Shadows: Maundy Thursday Worship Music

Hope in the Shadows: A Contemporary Tenebrae Service

by Joel Raney and Lloyd Larson

Thursday, April 6, 2023

7:30 PM in the Sanctuary


Join Music Director N. Thomas Pedersen, our Sanctuary Choir, and Chamber Players for our Maundy Thursday worship service with music. This moving and hopeful service, which we last offered in 2017, will certainly bless your Holy Week experience.


Rev. Dr. Patricia Allen and Rev. Joey Heath Mason will lead this beautiful service with Communion, congregational singing, soloists, and spoken word that retraces Christ's final days: his journey to the cross, sacrifice, and the hope in the shadows to which we cling. 


Well-known hymns such as Beneath the Cross of Jesus, The Power of the Cross, and When I Survey the Wondrous Cross are woven together with contemporary hymns in various styles. The Shadow of Betrayal, The Shadow of Agony, The Shadow of Temptation, The Shadow of Injustice, The Shadow of Humiliation, The Shadow of Death, The Shadow of the Cross... these contrast the selfish exploits of humanity with the divine nature of a loving God.


We are excited to have former Music Associate James Woods back to join the Chamber Players, featuring James Miller on flute, Francine Amos Hardy on oboe, Roger Garza on clarinet, Connor Jensen on horn, and Emma Johnson on cello.


Mark your calendars and invite your friends to share in this meaningful service. Join us on Maundy Thursday as we leave behind the triumph of Palm Sunday and begin the Easter Triduum, the period of three days beginning with the evening of Maundy Thursday, encompassing Good Friday, and finally carrying us to the Resurrection of our Lord on Easter Sunday

Musical Theatre Camp 2022

Come see "Elijah! God's Faithful Prophet" on the last day of camp, Friday July 15 at 2:30pm in the Warner Presbyterian sanctuary (10123 Connecticut Ave, Kensington MD) - friends and family are welcome. 


Sunday performance is during Warner's 11:00AM worship service on July 17. 


St. Paul's families and children from many nearby congregations will be involved.


Performances:

Friday, July 15  - 2:30 PM

Sunday, July 17 - 11:00 AM


Stewardship and Giving Update

Before the end of July, our members and friends should have received a letter updating you on our church finances. You can also read the letter by clicking the button and opening the *pdf version provided here.


Pastor Pat's Stewardship Update Letter


Summer Update

July 20, 2022

Pastor Pat has provided this 7-minute video to share news and updates with our whole community.




Scroll down or CLICK HERE to jump to the *pdf version of the Stewardship & Giving Update letter, sent by mail to our members and friends.


DOnations for Asylee Women's Enterprise center

The Justice and Compassion group welcomes your donation of personal hygiene items, toiletries, and diapers for the Asylee Women Enterprise (AWE). AWE is a 501(c)3 that provides wrap-around services and support to asylum seekers as they navigate the immigration legal process, begin to heal from past trauma, and rebuild their lives in the Baltimore-area. While AWE endeavors to help all who seek assistance, priority is given to women and children. 


Bring your items to the Narthex during Nov 6, 13 and 20 or during church hours. 


For more information about AWE, see www.asyleewomen.org. 


Donation Items:

  • · Deodorant
  • · Toothbrushes
  • · Toothpaste
  • · Shampoo/Condition
  • · Body wash
  • · Hairbrushes
  • · Diapers, pullups
  • · Baby wipes
  • · Maxi pads (multiple sizes)


If you have questions, email justice@stpaulsk.org.

How can I get one of those folding chairs??

During covid-times, we've all been doing things outdoors - including worship!! - where we need to bring along our own chairs. 


So as a special THANK YOU, we've ordered these cool St. Paul's folding chairs and will be giving one to each household that pledges! 


To get your chair:


A) Meet Mr. Micah Smartt, Minister of Youth & Design, after worship on Sundays. He will receive your pledge and get your chair for you. Contact msmartt@stpaulsk.org to confirm his availability. This is a good option if you want to fill out a paper form at the church and hand it in on Sunday.


B) Contact Erin Steele, Director of Communications & Administration to arrange chair pick-up on a weekday. (Please note - weekday access to the building is limited during construction.) This is a good option if you want to mail your pledge form to the office. Give us a week for the post office to do its thing and get your letter to us! 


C) Pledge online (see the section above!). Give us three business days to add you to the list for a chair, then you can contact Micah Smartt about getting a chair on Sunday or contact Erin Steele for weekday pick-up options. 

Umcor Donations - Ukraine

You can donate through St. Paul's UMC to support UMCOR and respond to disasters and crises, at home and abroad. To donate to International Disaster Response & Recovery funds directed toward the crisis in Ukraine, click the button to go to our secure donations page.

UMCOR Donations


100% of your donations to The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) goes to UMCOR. Through your support, UMCOR's local partners on the ground and its own trained early responders can move quickly to provide aid, and can remain in a community for rebuilding work that goes well beyond the initial response.


If you prefer to donate by check, please make it payable to St. Paul's UMC with "UMCOR - Ukraine" on the memo line, and place it in the offering plate on Sunday or mail it to St. Paul's UMC, Attn: Treasurer, 10401 Armory Ave., Kensington MD 20895. 

Children's Programming this Summer

All Sundays in August PLUS September 4 & 11: Children are invited to be in worship with their loved ones and experience the rhythm of the worship service. We encourage all those who worship to live into the vows we share at baptism when we promise to embrace young ones as part of the family of God and help them to learn to walk in the ways of faith. There will be no Sunday School or separate children’s programming during the 10:30 worship hour until September 18 when Sunday School for the 2022-2023 programming year begins. Nursery care is available at both the 9:00 and 10:30 worship services for those preschool age and younger. “Busy Bags” with quiet activities for kids are available at the Welcome Desk. 


Questions? Contact Dr. Meg Baker at mbaker@stpaulsk.org. 



Hope to see you there!

Readiness 360

In February you may have participated in an electronic assessment opportunity made available by the Baltimore-Washington Conference called the Readiness 360 survey. We've received the summary of those responses (with your identities shielded) and just want you to know we appreciate your participation. Stay tuned for more information about the results and what they mean to and for us as a congregation.

Pastor Pat

Bishop's Statement on Local Tragedies

January 27, 2022

A Message from Bishop LaTrelle Easterling


Beloved:


I greet your in the name of a suffering and transcendent Savior:


On Monday, three Baltimore firefighters died in the line of duty. On Tuesday, Hyattsville Mayor Kevin Ward died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. These tragedies stir our hearts as we grieve people we might not have known, but who have lived as servant leaders among us.

 

The fallen firefighters, Lt. Paul Butrim, Kelsey Sadler, and Kenny Lacayo, and injured firefighter John McMaster, were trapped in an abandoned rowhouse when it collapsed on them. Their sacrifice reminds us of the courage and sacrificial service lived out every day by our public servants.

 

As one who worked with those in fire service earlier in my career, I know the depth of their commitment, the strong bonds they form, and the devastation they feel when a fellow responder succumbs to their injuries. We hold the families, their colleagues, and our community in prayer.

 

We also pray for the husband and two children of Mayor Kevin Ward and the town of Hyattsville. Ward was a rare public servant who gave his heart and soul to be an advocate for the poor and marginalized in Hyattsville. He was a friend to the congregation of First UMC and assisted them in their mission and ministry.

 

We lift up these losses, also aware that throughout this region, many other families and communities are experiencing heartbreak and grief. In times like this, we lament, we weep, and we turn to one another in our pain and in our hope of God’s promise of resurrection.

 

Let us keep praying for one another. Let us embrace the legacy of these public servants we lost this week, and let us go forth as servants of a risen savior – disciples who acknowledge the darkness while claiming God’s light. May we know comfort and grace.

 

Blessings and Peace,


Bishop LaTrelle Easterling

Baltimore-Washington Conference

The United Methodist Church


The letter is also available by clicking HERE.


When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:17-18

A Message from the SPRC

A Message from the St. Paul's Staff-Parish Relations Committee


Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 22

A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?


March 6, 2022


Dear Friends,


I write to you today as vice chair of the SPRC (Staff Parish Relations Committee) and invite you to join us in celebrating Pastor Kate’s new appointment. As Pastor Pat shares in her video, this is how United Methodist Pastors live out their calling. The SPRC has faith in the United Methodist appointment process, which has been working for several hundreds years, to ensure that as one pastor leaves, a new and very capable pastor will begin and the ministry of the church will continue without being put on hold. Rest assured that we will make space between now and June 12 for time to celebrate our four years of shared ministry, grieve our parting, and bless one another as we say good-bye to Kate as our associate pastor and discover what God has in store for St. Paul's.


If you are unfamiliar with the United Methodist appointment process, here is what the next four months will hold. First, SPRC already met with our District Superintendent, the Rev. Gerry Green, to develop a “profile” of our congregation, the community, and the pastoral leadership needs of our congregation. Second, Rev. Green will take that Profile to the Bishop and Cabinet (all of the District Superintendents) to thoroughly discuss the needs of our congregation and consider all of the available clergy in our Conference to select the person who best matches our Profile. After prayer and consultation with the Cabinet, Bishop Easterling will select a pastor for this appointment. Third, the selected pastor will interview with Pastor Pat and then meet with SPRC in order to discuss the ministry needs of our congregation, the ministry gifts and experience of the pastor, and the basis of this “match”. Fourth, the new pastoral appointment will be announced by SPRC in a Sunday service. Our new Associate Pastor will be on staff beginning July 1, 2022.


I hope you’ll join me and the SPRC committee in prayers for Pastor Kate, Bishop Easterling and the Baltimore Washington Cabinet, our St. Paul’s family, our new associate pastor to come, and the St. Paul’s staff in the transition.


If you have any questions about the appointment process or this pastoral transition, please connect with members of the SPRC:

Rachel Stalcup, chair

Jenny Lipford, vice chair

Alison Clark

Marge Higgins

Mike McCurry

Beth Pierce



Sincerely,

Jenny Lipford, on behalf of the SPRC

Renovation Update: 

Preparing to break ground

Updates for January 10, 2022:


Renovation Preparation: As we continue the process of contract negotiations, we want to begin to share the potential changes that will impact accessibility during the renovation. 

  • The renovation will impact entry from the parking lot, as well as restroom and administrative wing access. Please keep this in mind when you need to enter the building. 
  • If entrances/exits are designated please use them; we will not be able to provide other means of access. 
  • The administrative wing will be impacted as will access to staff. Some staff are being relocated and will not have access to regular office space. We strongly suggest that before coming to St. Paul's, you contact the staff person you wish to meet to ensure they have the ability for an in-person meeting in the building.
  • Construction means dust. If you are a person who experiences respiratory difficulties, asthma, or has allergies, keep this in mind.
  • During construction, we will not have the ability to hold things in the administrative area for pick up.
  • Dropping by to see the progress cannot be accommodated. 
  • As we enter this process there most likely will be other adjustments that cannot be foreseen at this time. 


We pray that you extend grace and patience as we navigate the completion of this phase of a long awaited project. 

~Pastor Pat



 Updates for December 2021:


Montgomery County has approved our renovation plans and we are now in the process of finalizing the contractor's contract. More information will be forthcoming once the contract and timeline have been finalized. Renovation work will mainly impact the Narthex, office hallways, parking lot, and nearby entrances. Here is an overview of the expected scope of this project:

  • Improved access into our church building and use of existing space
  • ADA ramps that allow all people to enter our church through the front door from our parking lot or from Armory Ave.
  • Re-grading our parking lot for new ADA accessible parking spaces and improved water run-off management
  • ADA ramps from our parking lot that allow people to enter the building by the music office
  • Additional outside lighting along entry paths
  • Build larger, ADA compliant accessible bathrooms near the Library.
  • Expand the Octagon kitchenette; remove the small bathrooms by the Octagon
  • Open up the Narthex by removing a portion of the coat area (while keeping a smaller coat closet)
  • Does not extend into or enclose the courtyards
  • Asbestos abatement in the areas of work
  • The total cost of this revised project scope to include allowances for unforeseen complications is $1.2 million dollars -- which we already have on hand.
  • This revised project would allow for a phase-in of the remainder of the much larger, much more costly original plan at sometime in the future, while not doing any work that would need to be “undone” later.


Questions? Please write to renovation@stpaulsk.org.

SUBMIT A QUESTION!

Please click HERE to go to our secure form to submit a question!


Note: DO NOT use this form to submit questions DURING the church conference vote meeting on Sept. 29. Use the chat function during your Zoom meeting.


Leaders from the Building Committee and Capital Campaign will use your input to create a Frequently Asked Questions handout regarding the status of the building renovation project. Your question (anonymously, without individual names attached) may appear in whole or in part in the forthcoming FAQ handout. 

REGISTER FOR Sunday Morning Nursery CARE

To ensure a safe child-to-caregiver ratio, all those wishing to use the nursery during in-person worship times are asked to pre-register by noon on the Saturday before worship. Walk-ins will be accepted as our numbers allow. 


The nursery is intended for children age 2 and under. Please read more about our Sunday School programming for children age 2 through Grade 5 in the sections below.


Sunday Nursery Care

Children Age 2 and Younger

10:30 AM worship

Click the button to register:

Register for Childcare


To register children age 2 and younger for Nursery Care at the 9:00 AM worship service, email Meg Baker (mbaker@stpaulsk.org)

Easter Special Offering

St. Paul's has a tradition of generosity and giving that sends our special offerings beyond our walls to aid people in need. As in years past, 100% of the Easter special offering collected by St. Paul's will go to help and serve others. 


This year, the Church Council has designated two beneficiaries: the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and their work providing aid to communities in Ukraine, and the St. Paul's Hunger Ministry, providing food and resources for 100+ families across the 20895 ZIP code every month.


Click the button to donate online securely by credit card.

EASTER OFFERING


Please give as you are able to the Easter Special Offering. To donate by check, make checks payable to St. Paul's with "Easter Offering" on the memo line, and mail it to the church office or place it in the offering plate any Sunday in April. All other donations, including pledges, tithes, and offerings, should be made using other options - please visit the Giving page to learn more. 

Star Words

One of our cherished Epiphany traditions at St. Paul's is the distribution of "Star Words". Unfortunately, this year we are unable to distribute star words in person due to the ongoing pandemic. However, you can still receive one!


Option 1: Click the button below to go to wordoftheyear.me. The word generator will generate your star word for 2022.

Star Word


Option 2: Contact Erin in the church office at stpaulsunited@stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933 and we will be happy to randomly select and mail you a silver star with your Star Word on it



WHAT IS A STAR WORD?

On Epiphany Sunday, we celebrate the arrival of the Magi, who followed a star to the Christ Child in order to worship him and know him better. Just as the magi have their star, each of you will receive a “star” with a word on it to help guide your walk with God in the coming year. We hope your star will be a daily reminder of God’s desire for deeper relationship with you, and the ways in which your walk with God can and should manifest in the ways we walk with others.


HOW DO I USE MY STAR WORD?

Here are a few suggestions for using your Star Word throughout the year to guide you in study, prayer and action:

  • Place your star somewhere you will see it every day, such as your bathroom mirror, refrigerator door or in the place where you pray and study daily.
  • Study your word and write down its different definitions as a starting place for your discernment. Look up places in the Bible where your word appears and study these throughout the year.
  • Take time to reflect and journal on a regular basis about how God is speaking to you through your Star Word. How has meditating on your Star Word changed how you think, behave, and interact with others?

Announcing the Death of Pastor Pat's Father, Alvin Vincent

January 4, 2022


Hello St. Paul’s family –


It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the death of Pastor Pat’s father, Alvin Vincent, who passed peacefully this morning surrounded by his family. We are grateful that Pat was able to share in her father’s final moments.


Pastor Pat will be taking several days of bereavement leave to care for herself and her family in the wake of this loss. Condolence cards are welcome and may be sent in care of the church, or to Pastor Pat’s home address as printed in the directory. Please refrain from calling or texting Pastor Pat until she is back in the office.


The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in Mr. Vincent’s memory. The full obituary is available by clicking here.


During this time, we request that all church business be directed to Pastor Kate and another member of the staff. Please see the Meet the Staff page for contact information.


If you have questions or concerns, you are invited to be in contact with Rachel Stalcup directly; please contact the church office if you need personal email or phone information.


Sincerely,

Rachel Stalcup

SPRC Chair

Welcoming Guest Preacher Rev. Donald Marbury

Reverend Donald L. Marbury is an ordained African Methodist Episcopal Church elder and currently serves as the senior pastor of Ebenezer AME Church in Hagerstown, MD. He had been for 11 years the senior pastor of Ebenezer AME Church in Brunswick, Maryland, and from 2000 to 2005 he was the senior pastor of St. John AME Church in Benedict, Maryland.


Marbury retired as an adjunct professor of reading, writing, and English at Montgomery College, Germantown in 2018 after 18 years, and he was also an adjunct professor, from 2001 until 2010, in the Radio, Television, Film and Video Department of the Howard University School of Communications, where he taught numerous, different courses in broadcasting.


Marbury left a 27-year career in public broadcasting in 1997 to pursue his ministerial studies. He retired from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the parent company of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) as its Vice President of Domestic and International Programs. In that capacity, Marbury was responsible for the distribution and awarding of nearly $65 million a year in production funds to independent and station producers to create programs for the national PBS schedule.


His programming decisions brought scores of Emmys and Oscars to public television and gave starts to many then-fledgling producers who are now icons of the industry. In 1995, in a profile of his career, Broadcasting Magazine called him "one of the most powerful African-American men in television in America". A two-page profile of his decision to leave public broadcasting to enter the ministry, published in the "Style" section of the Washington Post in 1997, credited him with "setting the program direction of US Public Television over the last decade".


A 1971 honors graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a BA degree in English, Marbury also is a cum laude graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary, having earned a master's degree in Divinity. He is a well known performance art poet whose work has been published and featured in

many television and radio broadcasts, and who has performed his work throughout the nation and internationally. His poetic autobiography, My People, My People, My God was published by Kharis Publishing House in October of 2018 and was the 2019 third-place competition winner of the coveted Fischer Prize for Poetry and the fourth honorable mention in the prestigious 2020 Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction and Essay Contest. Selections from his book were chosen for inclusion in the 2020 anthology, Maryland Bards, which is comprised of the work of Maryland's most accomplished poets.


ASh WEdnesday

March 2, 2022

Join us for a special worship service at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, March 2 in-person in the Sanctuary. This service launches us into the Lenten season and starts the journey that will bring us to Easter.

Shepherds Needed for Young Audiences

Sunday School will not be held on Musical Theatre Camp Sunday so that all may enjoy the musical. Children will be invited forward to watch up close! We need a few volunteers to help chaperone the little ones. If you are able to serve in this role, please add your name to the sheet found at https://tinyurl.com/y68848pm or contact Meg Baker at mbaker@stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933 ext. 104. 

Advent of Action

Collection program

The Justice and Compassion Ministry Team invites you to make this Advent season one of action - learning about various challenges our community is facing and taking action to help solve them as the hands and feet of Christ. In J&C's Advent of Action program, each of the four weeks of Advent focuses on a specific area of community need and an organization working to overcome it. Each highlighted organization accepts in-kind and financial donations and offers opportunities to volunteer. Please give generously and joyfully this Christmas season. 


Click the button to download the Advent of Action booklet with details for each project.

Advent of Action


J&C will collect donated items in the narthex through January 9, 2022.


November 28, 2021: Today begins the first week of J&C's Advent of Action program. According to Manna Food Center, 1 out of 12 Montgomery County residents will experience food insecurity. A third of the county’s elementary school children qualify for free and reduced meals. A fifth of the county’s seniors live below the self-sufficiency standard. St. Paul's Hunger Ministry is the County partner providing food relief to nearly 150 residents in the 20895 ZIP code. To support this important program, please donate to the Hunger Ministry through St. Paul's website or you may donate non-perishable food items in the narthex.


December 5, 2021: This day begins the second week of J&C's Advent of Action program. When vulnerable people around the world flee violence or disaster, they often have little more than the clothes they wear. Keeping clean and groomed is an important step in restoring dignity and maintaining health. St. Paul’s J&C team supports efforts by the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) to provide hygiene kits to the most vulnerable during times of crisis. To support this important program, please designate your financial gift to "J&C hygiene kit ministry" through St. Paul's website or you may donate hygiene kit items in the narthex.


December 12, 2021: This day begins the third week of J&C's Advent of Action program. The U.S. has less than five percent of the world’s population, yet more than 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. Nearly one percent of American adults are incarcerated; the highest rate in the world. Many prisoners have little access to books or educational material. Each year, DC Books to Prisons, formerly a program of Foundry UMC in Washington, DC, sends more than 7,000 book packages to prisoners in over 600 prisons in the United States in 34 states. To support DC Books to Prisons, please consider donating English or Spanish paperback books in good condition in the narthex. J&C will collect donated items in the narthex through January 9, 2022. Please refer to the Advent for Action guide for a list of requested titles and other ways to serve as the hands and feet of Christ.


December 19, 2021: This day begins the fourth week of J&C's Advent of Action program. On any given day, 670 Montgomery County residents experience homelessness, including 60 families, 113 children, and 487 single adults. Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH) advocates to change systems that perpetuate homelessness, operates an emergency shelter, provides rental subsidies and supportive services, and works with Coalition Homes, an affordable housing developer. To support MCCH, please consider donating household goods in the narthex through January 9, 2022. Please refer to the Advent for Action guide for a list of requested items and other ways to serve as the hands and feet of Christ.

Stations of the Cross

Holy Week 2021



Monday March 29 - Friday April 2 • 11:00 am-1:00 pm & 5:00-7:00 pm

(Saturday times canceled)

Octagon Room at St. Paul's


St. Paul’s will be hosting a self-guided Stations of the Cross event throughout Holy Week. This program honors the ancient story of Jesus’ death while recognizing the ways this narrative repeats itself again & again throughout the past and present. It provides multisensory ways to engage, confess, and lament. 


For this in-person experience in the Octagon Room at St. Paul's, participants will physically travel from one station to another. Each station will highlight a particular Scripture passage and provide instructions on how to reflect upon that station’s theme. Social distancing and masking will be observed, with access into and out of the Octagon controlled. 


Church Groups are encouraged to sponsor one of the ten stations. This involves setting up on Sunday, March 28, replenishing supplies as needed, and disassembling the station on Friday, April 2. Groups who choose to adopt a station will be provided materials from our Lenten series, Again & Again, which offers guides for station assembly while allowing the group to incorporate its own ideas as well. 


Volunteers are also needed to help greet participants and ensure safety protocols are observed during the event. To volunteer, contact Meg Baker at mbaker@stpaulsk.org or 240-723-6642.

Again & Again: 

Prayers of the community

This Lent, we invite you to come to God in prayer again & again, weaving your prayers in with those of our larger community. Woven together, our prayers fill the shape of an ampersand, &, an ancient symbol that, used here, represents God’s holy “and.”


When we feel helpless and hopeless, God’s holy “and” encourages us to lift our weary eyes to search for more. In a culture overrun by extremes, either/or thinking, and polarizing politics, this holy "and" reminds us that we are always more, and that there is always more. We are broken & beautiful. Joy & grief can coexist. Historical systemic oppression persists & God is guiding us closer to liberation and wholeness. This Lent, let us practice the power of "and"— especially when "again?!" feels like our never-ending cry of lament.


Add YOUR Prayers

Visit the "&" screen set up on the front steps of St. Paul's as often as you wish. Take a strip of black plastic then use the silver Sharpie marker provided to write your prayer. Weave the black strip into the screen inside the ampersand shape, adding it to the prayers of the community. (On Easter Sunday, the spaces surrounding the "&" will be filled with flowers.)


Again & again, God hears each prayer. 


Here are some types of prayers you might find useful:

  • Prayers of Supplication: earnest petitions for healing, peace, wholeness, or hope.
  • Prayers of Thanksgiving: expressions of gratitude and joy and blessings.
  • Prayers of Lament: bringing grief, weariness, and despair to God, openly and honestly.
  • Prayer of Confession: naming our part in brokenness and sin.
  • Prayer of Intercession: expressing the needs of others.
  • Prayer of Adoration: displays of deep reverence for all that is holy.

Re-Entering Well Update

A message from Pastor Pat:


I know that moving fully back into the building and operations is not as simple as following a county recommendation. Not everyone is vaccinated; not everyone is certain they want to be vaccinated. Not everyone is comfortable returning with protocols and even less so without protocols.


Please be patient. It is our sincerest hope that we all are able to come together and, beloved, we will get there. 


Updates about the Re-Entering Well process, including current and upcoming plans for worship safety protocols and guidance on submitting plans for other in-person activities, can be found at the Connection During Covid-19 web page.

Christmas Offering for 2021

As in years past, 100% of the annual Christmas Special Offering collected by St. Paul's will go to help and serve others. For 2021, half of the Christmas Offering will go to UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, designated for emergency response in "areas of greatest need." The other half of the Christmas offering will go to support the Hunger Ministry programs providing food to anyone in need in the 20895 ZIP code area.


Click here to donate by credit card using our secure service:

CHRISTMAS OFFERING



To donate by check, make checks payable to St. Paul's with "Christmas Special Offering" on the memo line, and mail to St. Paul's UMC, Attn: Michelle Gregonis, 10401 Armory Ave., Kensington MD 205895.

New ADult Study:

The Wired Word

Monday Night Study Group

led by Mike McCurry

Meeting Mondays by Zoom

7:00-8:30 PM



Sign Up Here


St. Paul’s will offer a new adult Monday night discussion group facilitated by Mike McCurry. Discussion will be guided by The Wired Word which provides fresh materials each week that connect current events with matters of faith, linking the latest headlines to relevant Scripture passages. 


Each week participants will receive short, timely articles to review (although this is not required) in order to formulate their thoughts ahead of the Monday night meeting. All views and perspectives are welcome for a non-confrontational discussion. 


To participate, click the Sign Up Here button above. In order to receive the articles in advance, please sign up by the Friday before the Monday session. You will only need to sign up once to participate on a regular basis, and rolling sign-ups are also welcome. 


To check out a session without signing up or receiving the articles, find the Zoom log-in information in the Sunday worship bulletin, available for download on our Worship At Home page.


About Your Leader: Mike McCurry has been an active member at St Paul’s for over 30 years. He has served as Lay Leader, a delegate to our UMC Annual Conference and worldwide General Conference, and as a professor and administrator at our local Wesley Theological Seminary. He served in the U.S. Senate and various campaigns during his career and was Press Secretary to President Bill Clinton.


About the Wired Word: The mission of The Wired Word is to supply churches with solid scriptural material to help facilitate group discussions about important matters of faith raised by the news of the week. The material is interdenominational and stands in the mainstream of the Christian faith. The Wired Word’s editorial board helps to choose the topic each week and is careful to present the material without overlaying it with the position of any specific denomination. (www.thewiredword.com) 

Christmas Pageant

As we work through the second holiday season of covid, we acknowledge the challenges faced by families with young children under 5 who are not yet eligible for a vaccine, and older children who may not yet be fully vaccinated before Christmas.


Even Covid-19 cannot possibly stifle the joyful celebration of the birth of Christ! Instead of a traditional, rehearsed pageant or a Zoom-style recorded pageant, our pastors will guide children through a Pop-Up Pageant during the family-friendly worship service on Christmas Eve, December 24. All you have to do is show up, and those willing to join in the fun will be given "roles" and shepherded through the "performance" during the worship service.


For more information, contact Rev. Kate Mackereth Fulton at kfulton@stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933 ext. 103. 


Photo below: St. Paul's pageant 2017.

Worship

Advent & CHristmas

November 28 - the First Sunday in Advent. Worship in person in the Sanctuary at 9:00 or 10:30, or view the livestream of the 10:30 worship service.


December 5 - the Second Sunday in Advent. This is Children's Sunday, when families begin in the Sanctuary together for worship; children will be escorted to their classrooms for Sunday School following the children's message.


December 12 - the Third Sunday in Advent. 


December 19 - the Fourth Sunday in Advent. This is Music Sunday. Our ensemble this year may be smaller than some years pre-covid but the beautiful music from our Sanctuary Choir, organ, handbells ensemble, and guest instrumentalists will enliven worship at 10:30.


December 21 - Longest Night Service, 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary. On the longest night, we acknowledge that holidays can be hard for those who are grieving or depressed, but the love of God remains steadfast.


December 24 - Christmas Eve, 5:00 p.m. This family-friendly service will include a Pop-Up Pageant - all those present will be invited to participate as they wish.


December 24 - Christmas Eve, 9:30 PM Organ Prelude. Come early for this musical offering featuring our acclaimed organist, Marvin Mills, with selections ranging from classical to contemporary. Worship beings at 10:00 PM. This service features traditional music, a message from the pastors, and candlelight.


December 26 - First Sunday in Christmastide is traditionally an opportunity to sing more old favorite Christmas carols and listen to new perspectives on the birth of Jesus. We will have one service at 10:30 AM this day.


The livestream worship services and worship bulletin are available each week at our Worship-at-Home page (click here). Please note that plans may change based on covid-19, weather conditions, and clergy, staff, and volunteer availability. Thank you for your understanding!

Christmas Card Challenge

This year, St. Paul’s community and the Justice & Compassion committee are preparing Christmas greeting cards and notes for the 140+ Kensington area families in need this year. 


Please donate Christmas Cards, with personalized notes, by November 21.


Because of the pandemic, and the fact that children have only just become eligible for vaccination, we will not physically distribute Christmas gifts. Instead, our Hunger Ministry team and the people of St. Paul’s will be providing them with department store gift cards so they may purchase gifts for their children. If you would like to donate toward gift cards, please go here.


To add a personal touch, congregants are invited to participate in the Christmas Card Challenge by providing cards or notes to accompany the gift cards. 


Blank cards are available in the church office; write a short note wishing holiday cheer, and place personalized cards in the box on the pick-up shelf in the main church office. Handmade cards and store-bought cards can be brought from home, too. Please leave the envelopes open, so our volunteers can stuff them with grocery cards and gift cards!


Questions? Please email hunger@stpaulsk.org for more information.

Reconciling Sunday Special Offering

This special offering honors the work of Reconciling congregations to embrace and affirm all children of God. In the St. Paul’s tradition, 100% of the special Reconciling Sunday offering will be sent outside the walls of the church and into the community. The two designated beneficiaries will be the MoCo Pride Center, whose advocacy and outreach activities work to build support for a stronger and more diverse LGBTQ+ community in Montgomery County, and Casa Ruby, which provides social services, housing, and assistance to the transgender community in the Washington DC area. Casa Ruby started nearly 30 years ago and is led and run by transgender women.


To donate, click the button to go to our secure credit card processing partners and make your donation online.


Donate Here


Checks may be made payable to St. Paul's UMC with "Reconciling offering" on the memo line, and may be placed in the offering plates on Sunday or mailed to the office at 10401 Armory Avenue, Kensington MD 20895.


Food Drive: THank you!

While St. Paul's Hunger Ministry in-person distribution has been temporarily suspended, we are re-routing food donations to our partner, Bethesda Help. Bethesda Help continues to serve families in the 20895 ZIP code. Rest assured that the food items that were in our pantry have gone to feed hungry members of our community!


We are so pleased to be able to partner with co-sponsors Bethesda Help, the Nighthawks band, and the Town of Kensington - and YOU! Because of your generosity, the Food Drive held at Kensington Town Hall last year on Sunday, May 17, 2020 resulted in sufficient donations to restock the Bethesda Help pantry, plus financial support through $580 in checks, $22 in cash, and 5 Safeway gift cards. 

Spring 2021

Sunday School

Lessons are available for all children grade 5 and younger. Each week, we upload our newest Sunday School lessons to our very special Sunday School page! The last day for Virtual Sunday School will be May 30, 2021.


Just CLICK HERE to go to our Sunday School Video Page!


Sunday School handouts and other materials are sent by email each week. Please contact Dr. Meg Baker (mbaker@stpaulsk.org) if you aren't receiving these emails and would like to be added to the list!

Christian Faith 101

Christian Faith 101 will be offered again this fall on Tuesday mornings, beginning September 7, 2021. This popular adult study explores the religious, historical, geographical, political, and cultural context for the birth and evolution of the major components of Christian faith, doctrine, scripture, and practice. This course is led by instructors Brian & Therese Walden.


Please click HERE for the flyer with the full class description.


Enrollment is limited. Details for in-person class meetings will be determined in consultation with the Re-Entering Well committee, and will be shared with all who register.


To sign up or request additional information, please click the button and use the inquiry form.

Christian Faith 101 Inquiry Form


You may also phone Meg Baker at 301-933-7933 ext 103.

Previous Events & long-Term activities

Here's a look at some SPY activities that take place in non-covid-times.

  • Weekly SPY Meetings

    Our regularly-scheduled SPY groups will NOT meet for now.  When we can arrange physically-distanced activities that are fun and can be done safely with masks on, we will add them to our line-up!


    Under normal circumstances, all friends are welcome at our weekly meetings, regularly held on Sunday afternoons: 

    • Middle High SPY at 4:30 pm
    • followed by Youth Choir/Pick-up/Drop-off Break 6:00-6:45pm, 
    • then Senior High SPY 6:45-8:30pm.

    Details about the 2020-2021 year and schedule changes will be shared in newsletters, bulletins, right here, and in emails. (Sign up to get our emails!)


    Want updates? Have questions? Problems? Compliments? Contact Mr. Micah Smartt - email him at msmartt@stpaulsk.org.


  • Schedule Change!

    To minimize risk and keep friends healthy during the corona virus outbreak, St. Paul's is temporarily suspending, revamping, or rescheduling all activities, including our traditional St. Paul's Youth gatherings. Please contact Micah if you have questions!

  • Acolyte & Crucifer Team

    When we worship in-person, our youth carry the light of Christ into worship or carry the cross at the opening and closing of the service.  Laura Simpson coordinates the Acolyte & Crucifer crew. In a normal year, we offer training each Spring to welcome new acolytes and crucifers, and we will reboot this ministry as soon as it is safe to worship in the Sanctuary. Questions? Please email Laura Simpson: LPSimpson44 [at] gmail. com.

  • REtreats: 

    SAve the adventures for another day!

    West River, and all other BWC camping & retreat sites, closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Our scheduled Spring Retreats had to be canceled and families should have received a refund or had a chance to redirect their payments to support other church ministries. 


    Canceling and shuttering retreat sites are smart, safe things to do while we try to isolate and avoid transmitting the virus. But we also know how much our Youth look forward to retreat, and we're sorry to be missing our annual spring getaway!  West River & Manidokan aren't projected to re-open for some time. We will look at our options for safe gatherings and events later.


    Under normal circumstances, we spend retreat weekend with games, meals, devotionals, and tons of outdoor fun designed to boost faith and friendship. Micah had planned a great set of Spring Retreats sharing a common theme! "Into the Wilderness" was inspired by the numerous times that faithful people in our biblical stories venture into the wilderness, with different retreat experiences in store for each group. Micah will shelve these plans - for now! 

  • sT. pAUL'S Youth CHoir

    CANCELED (for now)


    Rehearsals most Sundays, MPR, 6:00-6:45 pm


    When things are "normal," all youth are welcome at Youth Choir Rehearsals, usually held between Middle High SPY & Senior High SPY during the school year. You don't have to participate in SPY to be in choir, or vice versa (but lots of folks do, and we're always happy to see your faces!). Youth Choir is led by James Woods and Tom Pedersen. Read more about choir and other musical stuff on the MUSIC page.

  • St. Paul's Camperships

    Did you know... 

    We do a lot of great things here at St. Paul's Youth, and many are free or fairly inexpensive. However, we do have some events and trips that can cost quite a bit. 


    We never want a youth to be left out because of money. St. Paul's has a scholarship/campership fund available to help individuals and families cover part or all of the costs associated with youth fellowship, retreat, camp, or service activities. These events we attend can be life changing experiences and we don't want anyone to miss out! Don't let an activity's price tag hold you back. 


    Contact Micah Smartt (msmartt [at] stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933 ext. 111) to discuss scholarship/campership needs confidentially, one-on-one.

  • Previous SPY events

    • Celebration Days - 2019 end-of-year youth celebrations included a Middle High trip to SkyZone Trampoline Park and a Senior High Color Wars battle and cookout on the grounds of St. Paul's. In previous years we've also arranged longer trips to Six Flags and Ocean City MD.
    • Wilderness Trail - youth and adult hikers of all ages spent a week of unplugged hiking on sections of the Appalachian Trail while considering faith, community, and the natural world God created.
    • Borderlands: A Southwest Cultural Immersion Experience - high school youth visited El Paso TX to see the natural wonders of the Rio Grand, Carlsbad Caverns, and White Sands, and to take a deep dive into how we as Christians can respond to issues of particular urgency in desert southwest including conservation, firearms, and immigration.
    • Group Work Camp - St. Paul's met with other youth groups to build, paint, dig, and manage home improvement and community projects in areas of great need including the Lakota Sioux reservation (2017) in South Dakota and low income neighborhoods in Virginia Beach (2018).
    • Christmas Party - Each December, we get together for Christmas fun. Dress in holiday gear and bring an ornament ($5 value) to exchange.
    • Trunk or Treat - Youth had a big hand in the success of this kid-and-family focused night around Halloween in the St. Paul's parking lot in 2019.

SUmmer Sunday School

Sundays June 6 - July 25


Summer Sunday School for rising 3rd Graders and younger will begin June 6 in the Fellowship Hall and continue through July 25. 


Children will begin in the Sanctuary with their families for the 10:30AM worship service, when they will enjoy a Children's Message from their seats, then our childcare workers or staff will escort them to Fellowship Hall for Summer Sunday School. 


Parents should come directly to the Fellowship Hall to pick up their children at the end of the worship service. 


There will be no Summer Sunday School classes in the month of August.


Registration for Summer Sunday School is required; please complete your registration online by clicking the button: 

Summer Sunday School

Easter Special Offering 2021

Click HERE to use our secure online donation form for the Easter Special Offering.


As is our tradition, the special Easter offering this year will go entirely to serve those outside the walls of St. Paul's. Half the donations will go to our Hunger Ministry, feeding all our neighbors in need in the 20895 ZIP code area, and half will go to the Adrienne Terry Housing Fund, an initiative of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the UMC to move people experiencing homelessness into stable housing.


Please click the link above to go to our secure online donation form. 


You may also choose to mail a donation to St. Paul's UMC, Attn: Michelle Gregonis, 10401 Armory Ave., Kensington MD 20895. 


If you plan to attend Easter worship, you may drop your offering in a designated locations; ushers will be able to assist you.


Please make checks out to St. Paul's UMC with "Easter Offering" on the memo line. You may also return donations in the Easter Offering Envelope included in the Lenten Packets.  


(To donate to the general fund, other causes, or toward your pledged regular giving, please use an envelope other than the special Easter envelope.)


If you have questions, contact Mrs. Michelle Gregonis, Treasurer, at mgregonis@stpaulsk.org or 301-933-7933 ext. 110. 


We are thankful every year for the generosity of St. Paul's members and friends, and the way their special offerings touch those in need.

Collecting Hygiene Kits for UMCOR

Let’s join together and support the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) in a hands-on way this Spring!


We’re collecting hygiene kits, which provide necessities to people who have been forced to leave their homes because of natural disaster or human conflict. The kits that we provide will be used where they are needed. One example of a recent UMCOR focus was the emergency response following winter storms in Texas. The kits are also used as learning tools in classes on topics like personal hygiene.


Many of you will remember having made hygiene kits to support UMCOR in the past. The instructions may have changed just a little, so please read more below. 


We’ll collect these kits at St. Paul’s as we return to in-person worship! Kits can be dropped off in the Narthex beginning Sunday, April 11 through Sunday, May 2. 


Once collected, we’ll bless the kits during worship and send them off to the UMCOR warehouse in Louisiana to be put to good use. St. Paul's United Methodist Men are supporting these efforts by covering our mailing costs, as well as providing the $2 per kit required so that UMCOR can purchase toothpaste for each one.


To learn more about UMCOR’s work and to watch a video with instructions for putting hygiene kits together, go to https://umcmission.org/umcor-hygiene-kit/. 


Please consider assembling some kits and bringing them to St. Paul’s to be forwarded to folks who need them. And, as you pull together items and make up a kit, be in prayer for the recipients, that our help will be a blessing to them following an emergency.



Hygiene Kit Instructions

Value: approx. $12.00 per kit


MATERIALS

One hand towel (15 x 25 to 17 x 27 inches)

     NO kitchen, cleaning, or microfiber towels

One washcloth

     NO kitchen, cleaning, or microfiber towels

One comb

     Must be sturdy with at least 6 inches of teeth

     No pocket combs or picks

     Rattail and combs without handles are acceptable but must have at least 6 inches of teeth

One toenail or fingernail clipper

     No emery boards or metal nail files

Bath-size soap - 3 oz. bar or larger

     No Ivory or Jergen’s soap (due to moisture content)

     Do not remove from packaging

One adult toothbrush

     Do not remove from packaging

     Personal advertising not acceptable

10 adhesive bandages (¾ by 3 inches)

     Common household "Band-Aid" bandages acceptable

One 1-gallon size re-sealable zip-top bag



ASSEMBLY

  • Lay hand towel flat on a table.
  • Lay the washcloth in the center of the hand towel.
  • Place all remaining items on top of the washcloth (except the plastic bag).
  • Fold the sides of the hand towel to cover the items.
  • Grasp the bundle tightly and roll over the remainder of the towel.
  • Place the tightly rolled bundle in the plastic bag, remove air, and seal.



IMPORTANT NOTES

  • All items must be NEW.
  • Contents of kits or the containers of kits should NOT be imprinted with cartoon characters, advertisements, religious, patriotic, military, or camouflage symbols.
  • Do not wash any of the items as they will no longer be considered new.
  • Do not include any personal notes, money, or additional materials in the kits.

Short-Term Adult Study

Our popular seasonal "Supper and Study" program will be unable to meet in person for meals and discussions together for the immediate future. However, St. Paul's pastors and staff are leading short-term studies online, so we can still engage with opportunities for focused learning and discussion. 


If you have never "zoomed" before, have no fear. Zoom allows for participation from your computer, by cell phone, or even by calling in from your home phone. Please contact the class leader or Dr. Meg Baker for assistance.

  • Again & Again

    The sign up window for this class has closed. Please scroll down to consider our other Lenten Study.


    7:30-8:30 pm

    Tuesdays

    February 23, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

    via Zoom


    The Again & Again Lenten study, led by Rev. Kate Mackereth Fulton, aligns with our Again & Again sermon series and the Lenten devotionals being distributed to congregants. In this season of Lent, we’re reminded that, again and again, suffering and brokenness find us. We doubt again, we lament again, we mess up again. And yet, in the midst of the chaos, God breaks the cycle and offers us a new way forward. Join us as we explore the Scripture, art, reflections, and poetry that will shape us into more faithful disciples, trusting that God will meet us, time and again, along the way. Please contact Meg Baker at mbaker@stpaulsk.org if you have questions.


  • Living Well Through Lent: Listening with all your Heart, soul, Strength, and Mind

    4:00-5:00 pm

    Wednesdays

    February 24, March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

    via Zoom


    Living Well Through Lent 2021: Listening with All Your Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind is a new offering from Living Compass (https://www.livingcompass.org/) to help participants navigate the Lenten journey together. 


    The study, led by Dr. Meg Baker, includes the voices and deep reflections of ten guest writers representing diverse backgrounds. The Baltimore-Washington Conference of the UMC has encouraged its churches to engage in this opportunity to foment spiritual renewal throughout the holy season of Lent. 


    Participants may attend as many or as few sessions as they wish. Sign-up is ongoing. To receive class materials and the Zoom link, please use the sign-up form here: https://forms.gle/dwp8kS98Uoe8rZvbA or contact Meg Baker at mbaker@stpaulsk.org. 

Flat St. Paul's

In summers past, congregants have taken Flat John Wesley and Flat Paul hand fans on their travels, taking pictures of themselves with their flat fans as a way to stay in touch with the faith community in Kensington. These flat celebrities made appearances in well over 200 locations throughout the world. This year, of course, most people are staying home and curtailing their adventures.


Introducing… Flat St. Paul’s! We hope Flat St. Paul's will help keep us connected even when we can't visit our church in person. Click HERE to download Flat St. Paul's as a *pdf. Printer broken? Don't worry! Meg can also provide Flat St. Paul's upon request!


You can color it in if you’d like, then take some pictures of yourself with your Flat St. Paul’s. Send them by text or email to Director of Christian Education Meg Baker at mbaker@stpaulsk.org or 240-723-6642. 


This pandemic may keep us from attending church, but it sure can’t keep us from being church. We would love to hear your stories of "being church" during this season of crisis, whether by reaching out to others, sewing masks, spending extra time in prayer, volunteering with food banks, supporting front-line workers, or just observing safety guidelines. Even the simplest gestures can make a big difference in our hurting world.

BWARM Welcomes St. Paul's

St. Paul's UMC will be recognized at the next Baltimore Washington Area Reconciling Ministry (BWARM) Meeting on February 13, 2021. There will be a panel discussion featuring 3-4 new Reconciling congregations from the BWC. The panel will be led by our friend Mittie Quinn from Dumbarton UMC.


To attend, please pre-register for the Zoom seminar. Click here to go to the link:

tinyurl.com/4rv5wtv6




Holiday Giving

For 2020, St. Paul's made the holidays brighter for families in our area with fewer resources, including those in our Hunger Ministry and those referred to us by partners at Montgomery County through the Department of Health & Human Services. Due to the Covid-19 rates, we sent department-store gift cards (such as Target) and grocery gift cards by mail. Although we deeply missed the annual Cookies & Carols party and stacks of donated gifts under the tree, this plan gave the recipients maximum flexibility to select meaningful presents and prevented any possible spread of Covid-19 among our families and volunteers. Donations directed to the Holiday Giving project are accepted year-round.


Click HERE to go to our secure form to donate to this special Holiday Giving project

Christmas Offering 2020

Despite the changes 2020 has brought us, we continue the long-held tradition of receiving a special Christmas Offering and, as in years past, 100% of the special offering collected at Christmas will be sent beyond the walls of St. Paul's to bring help and hope to those in need. This year's offering will be divided between the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), which aids those facing disasters or crises worldwide, and the Hunger Ministry that feeds all hungry people right in the 20895 ZIP code.


In a normal year, envelopes would be provided in the Christmas Eve worship bulletins. Since we are not gathering in person due to Covid-19, please use our secure online donation system. 


Please click HERE for our secure donation form.


We also gratefully receive checks in the mail - please make your check out to St. Paul's UMC and note "Christmas Offering" on the memo line, and mail to St. Paul's UMC, 10401 Armory Avenue, Kensington MD 20895.


The annual Christmas Offering Letter is available to read by clicking HERE.

End of Year Offerings

As 2020 draws to a close, we want to thank those who have been able to give faithfully and whose contributions have sustained St. Paul's work and ministry during difficult times. To ensure that your contributions intended for 2020 are received and processed by December 31, consider the following options:

  • Use our online giving portal at the top of this page to donate by credit or debit card, checking, or saving account before December 31.
  • Mail your check to St. Paul’s UMC at 10401 Armory Ave., Kensington MD 20895 in time for the post office to deliver it by December 30.
  • Drop off your gift at the office using the mail slot in the office door on Mitchell Street, so that we may receive it no later than 12:00 noon on December 31.
  • Use your bank’s bill pay system within their time-frame for a December 31 delivery.
  • Transfer appreciated stock directly to St. Paul’s to avoid paying capital gains. Please contact Michelle Gregonis for St. Paul’s brokerage account.

If you have questions about your contributions, contact Michelle Gregonis, Treasurer, at mgregonis@stpaulsk.org.

Hymns During the Holidays

One of the great joys of the Advent and Christmas season is the opportunity to sing and hear our favorite hymns and carols in this special time of year. At St. Paul’s, we have so many hymns and so little time to squeeze them all in. So that you don’t miss your favorite, here is our schedule of hymns for December worship services:


December 1 (First Sunday of Advent)

9:00 AM

   We Are Called (#2172)

9:00 & 10:30 AM

   We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations (#569)

   Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus (#196)


December 8 (Second Sunday of Advent)

9:00 AM & 10:30 AM

   O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (#211)

   People, Look East (#202)

   Blessed Be the God of Israel (#209)

December 15 (Music Sunday)

9:00 AM

   Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates (#213)

   What Child Is This (#219)

   He Is Born (#228) 

10:30 AM (Sanctuary)

   Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates (#213)

   Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming (#216)

   Angels We Have Heard on High (#238)

   Hark! the Herald Angels Sing (#240)


December 22 (Christmas Pageant Sunday)

9:00 AM (Octagon)

   Sing We Now of Christmas (#237)

   Once In Royal David's City (#250)

   Away in a Manger (#217)

10:30 AM (Sanctuary)

   Sing We Now of Christmas (#237)

   In the Bleak Midwinter (#221)

   Away in a Manger (#217)


December 24 (Christmas Eve)

5:00 PM - Family Service

   O Come, All Ye Faithful (#234)

   There’s a Song in the Air (#249)

   It Came upon the Midnight Clear (#218)

   Silent Night, Holy Night (#239)

10:00 PM - Candlelight Service

   Angels from the Realms of Glory (#220)

   The First Noel (#245)

   O Little Town of Bethlehem (#230)

   Silent Night, Holy Night (#239)


December 29 - First Sunday in Christmastide

9:00 AM & 10:30 AM

   Joy to the World (#246)

   Good Christian Friends, Rejoice (#224)

   Go, Tell It on the Mountain (#251)

Worship Survey

"Covid-19 has changed everything." While we are continually adapting, the pastors would like to learn more about how YOU are engaging with worship at St. Paul's as we consider what's working, what needs to change, and where we go next. 


The BEST way to do this is using our new online survey! It should take 5-10 minutes to complete. The survey is open October 1-15. All members and friends of St. Paul's are invited to share their thoughts and experiences.


Click HERE to take the St. Paul's Worship Survey. 


If you prefer to offer your input by mail, please look for the questionnaire in the October edition of the Epistle, mark your responses, and send it to the office so we receive it no later than October 15.

Come to the TaBle of Grace:

A Way Forward Series For St. Paul's UMC

Following the outcome of the Special Church Conference on October 13, 2019 and at the direction of the Church Council, the Reconciling Steering Committee developed a six-month plan for exploring ways to make St. Paul’s more inclusive, including possibly joining Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN).


From December 2019 through April 2020, all were invited to “Come to the Table of Grace.” This series of events was designed to solicit, explore, and reflect all viewpoints to invite a deeper understanding of the Bible and a clearer understanding of our community.


At the end of this process the Steering Committee will recommend a date for a final vote on membership in RMN.


• Reconciling Panel – Members of the Reconciling Steering Committee held an open meeting on Thursday, January 23 at 7:00 PM where representatives from area congregations that have joined the Reconciling Ministries Network discussed their experiences.


• Faithful & Inclusive – This six-unit video study was led by Pastor Pat Allen beginning on February 2. The study, authored by Rev. Rob Fuquay, examines biblical texts regarding homosexuality using a United Methodist understanding of Scripture that honors Scriptural authority, tradition, reason, and experience, known commonly as the “Wesleyan quadrilateral.”


• Refuge - This retreat at West River offered an inclusive faith-building weekend for LGBTQ+ youth. St. Paul's Reconciling Team helped plan and sponsor the event.


• The Better Humans Book Club – The Reconciling Steering Committee and Justice & Compassion Team are co-hosting this book club which is open to everyone. Books have been chosen to challenge, illuminate, and encourage readers to explore issues of race, gender, and public policy. 


• Lenten Devotional - The booklet "Come to the Table of Grace" features prayers and reflections written by members and friends of St. Paul's as they consider what it means, in the spirit of Christ, to welcome the outsider.

"Re-Entering Well"

A Message from Pastor Pat

The work of preparing to re-enter our space and life as a congregation cannot be completed by one person. Therefore we have created the Re-Entering Well Team of St. Paul’s Kensington to guide us in that work. The team members are Phil Rush, Steve Lillie, Laura Tribble, Nathan Bazawada, Dr. Hal Frazier, Marge Higgins, Tracey Furman, Erin Steele, Rev. Kate Mackereth Fulton, and Rev. Dr. Pat Allen. 


The work of this team will be to create the path and timeline in accordance with guidance from our episcopal leader Bishop Easterling and government officials, and input from the ministries of the church, that we might re-enter St. Paul’s Kensington well. 


Re-entering well is not synonymous with re-entering quickly, as we are committed to entering in a way that minimizes risk and preserves safety for all. 

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A celebration of the life of Susan Rudolph

Memorial Service available below


St. Paul's mourns the death of Susan Rudolph who died on May 12, 2020 from complications due to advanced Alzheimer's, cancer, pneumonia, and COPD, according to the attending physician at Foxchase Rehab and Nursing Care where she lived. Susan was born in Iowa and worked as a paralegal in DC until she retired. For years, she was the face that greeted anyone entering "Antiques & Uniques" on Howard Avenue in Kensington MD. Susan was a members of the Joyful Ringers! bell ensemble at St. Paul's and loved classic movies, novels, chocolate, dogs, Coca-cola, and reading the Washington Post. Susan had no next-of-kin. Condolences may be directed to Meg Baker or Robin Baum, who became Susan's co-guardians when Alzheimer's made it impossible for Susan to manage on her own.

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Come to the Table of Grace:

A "way forward" series of events

Following the outcome of the Special Church Conference on October 13, 2019 and at the direction of the Church Council, the Reconciling Steering Committee developed a six-month plan for exploring ways to make St. Paul’s more inclusive, including possibly joining Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN). 


From December 2019 through April 2020, all were invited to “Come to the Table of Grace.” Among other engagements, we held the Better Humans Book Club and a roundtable of pastors and lay leaders from other churches in our conference. This series of events was designed to solicit, explore, and reflect all viewpoints to invite a deeper understanding of the Bible and a clearer understanding of our community.


At the end of this process the Steering Committee will recommend a date for a final vote on membership in RMN, tentatively set for April 2020.

More About... 

processing groups, aka Small Groups for Discernment

Discernment, in the Christian context, is the process of determining God’s desire in a situation or for one’s life, or of identifying the true nature of a thing. 


Processing Groups (aka Small Groups for Discernment) were designed to serve as the official way to participate in the discussion about what the future of St. Paul’s UMC should look like in the wake of the 2019 General Conference. The Summary & FAQ document available in the sections above provides useful context on these issues. Processing Groups for Discernment included members and friends of the church and were loosely organized geographically. Groups had the option to meet in homes or at St. Paul’s, on dates and times that group members found agreeable. Each Group was led by a trained facilitator who guided the discussion.


After groups met, facilitators reported back to a Steering Committee about areas of disagreement, areas of consensus, and what next steps might be useful, without sharing confidential or personal details. The Church Council, made of St. Paul’s clergy and lay leaders, used the Processing Groups' feedback as they examined what options are “on the table” and what impact each might have on the church’s leadership, finances, and future, and when or whether to call for a church-wide meeting or a special Church Conference for congregation-wide vote.

St. Paul's Info Session


Following the vote at the global General Conference of The United Methodist Church to adopt a "Traditional" plan regarding church policies on sexuality, St. Paul’s held an information session to update our congregation regarding these events on Sunday, March 3, 2019. Rev. Adam Snell, Rev. Kate Mackereth Fulton, church council chair John Seabreeze, and lay leader Marge Higgins answered questions about what happened and what this could mean for the St. Paul's community. This St. Paul's "debrief" session was recorded and is available for viewing below. For more up to date information, please see the document "Discerning a Way Forward," available by clicking the link in sections above or by picking up a copy in the office or Narthex.

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SUmmer Sunday School

What it is: In the summer, we offer two Summer Sunday School classes during the 10:30 a.m. worship hour: one class for children ages 2-5, and the other for students ages 6-10. Older children and youth will be in worship in the Sanctuary. (Nursery care for children age 2 and under is available during each worship service year-round.)


When we meet: Summer Sunday School for 2019 runs from May 26 through September 1. 


Can you spare an hour? We are looking for adults who can volunteer their time for one or more Sundays to lead Summer Sunday School. At least two adult volunteers are needed each week. All materials – curriculum, suggested activities, and snacks – will be provided. Youth helpers are also welcome and encouraged to participate. Please consider serving our church community in this way! Thank you!

Flat John Wesley                                                       

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, was a preacher on the go, traveling and preaching outdoors throughout Great Britain and abroad. He was convinced that it was important for him personally to spread the gospel through relationships and continue to grow closer to God in those relationships. In fact, John Wesley rode far enough on horseback to circle the earth 10 times! Methodism grew from four to 132,000 members in Wesley’s lifetime, and there are more than 30 million worldwide today. 


John Wesley traveled with many families during the summer of 2019! Photos of Flat John Wesley at the beach, enjoying lunch, traveling overseas, and visiting family can be found on the Education bulletin board in the hallway near the office. Email questions, comments, or photos to Meg Baker at mbaker [at] stpaulsk.org. 


Happy trails to you!

A Message from Pastor Pat


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UMC Judicial Council rules "Traditional Plan" may proceed

In brief: At the close of their meeting April 23-26, the UMC Judicial Council has ruled that about 60% of the total legislation passed in February is constitutional. The parts of the Traditional Plan legislation that are valid will go into effect in January 2020. This includes new minimum penalties for clergy conducting same-sex weddings and a specific ban on ordaining self-avowed homosexuals to the clergy or as bishops. The streamlined "church exit plan" for those congregations wishing to explore disaffiliation has also been ruled constitutional.


https://www.umnews.org/en/news/court-oks-part-of-traditional-plan-exit-plan


Photo: Members of the 2016-2020 Judicial Council. (From left) Front row: Deanell Reece Tacha, N. Oswald Tweh Sr., the Rev. Luan-Vu Tran. Back row: Lydia Romão Gulele, Ruben T. Reyes, the Rev. Øyvind Helliesen, the Rev. Dennis Blackwell, and the Rev. J. Kabamba Kiboko. (Not pictured, Beth Capen) Photo by Kathleen Barry, United Methodist Communications.

What was The Commission

on a Way Forward?

In response to discussions at the 2016 United Methodist General Conference, the Council of Bishops created The Commission on a Way Forward. This body of clergy and laity from across the denomination and across the world was charged with discerning a path forward for our denomination concerning human sexuality, same-gender unions, and inclusion of our LGBTQIA+ brother and sisters. The Commission was tasked with making a complete examination of every paragraph of the United Methodist Book of Discipline concerning human sexuality and to develop possible revisions. The Commission's goal was to explore options that could help to maintain and strengthen the unity of the church.


The Commission on a Way Forward presented their final report and possible plans to the Council of Bishops at their meeting in Chicago, the first week of May 2018. The Bishops voted to recommend the "One Church Plan" for deliberation at the global UMC Special General Conference in February 2019.


  • The One Church Plan (recommended by the Council of Bishops) removed restrictive language from the Book of Discipline while protecting any annual conference, bishop, congregation, or pastor so they would not be asked to act contrary to their convictions.
  • The Connectional Conference Plan (not recommended by the Council) proposed three values-based conferences in place of the current geographic conferences, with working titles of Progressive, Contextual, and Traditional Conferences based on theology and perspective on LGBTQ+ ministry. 
  • The Traditional Church Plan (also not recommended by the Council) strengthened the language in the current Book of Discipline concerning human sexuality and streamlined the process for handling violations of the Book of Discipline.

 

According to the United Methodist News Service, the recommended One-Church proposal aimed to "align with centrist models which would see the removal of restrictive language from the Book of Discipline, letting conferences decide how inclusive to be while protecting clergy who could not, as a matter of conscience, perform a same-sex union or support ordination of openly gay clergy.”


For the full statement on the Way Forward from the Bishop of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, please read more here: http://www.bwcumc.org/news-and-views/bishop-easterlings-statement-on-a-way-forward/

Thanksgiving

Our "regular" hunger ministry volunteers and donors join forces with our St. Paul's Youth to provide those in need in the 20895 ZIP code with a hearty Thanksgiving meal. This program is only possible through your generosity. 


There are three ways you can help:


1) Donate individual Thanksgiving food such as corn, green beans, sweet potatoes/yams, other vegetables, stuffing, potatoes, rice, cranberry sauce, gravy, fruit, dessert item, juice (no refrigerated items, please!). If you are providing baked goods or pantry-stable produce, please be sure it has a "use by" date of November 30 or later.


2) Make a monetary contribution which we will use for supplies and/or provide $25 Safeway and Giant gift cards, which will allow families to purchase things like turkeys, dairy, and frozen foods. Donations may be placed in the large envelope in the church office. 


3) “Adopt” a family, providing "all the fixings" for a savory Thanksgiving feast. There is an adopt-a-family sign-up sheet in the church office - contact the church office by 3:00 pm on Friday, Nov. 22 to be added to the adopt-a-family list.


Please bring all donations to St. Paul's no later than Sunday morning, November 24; we will be distributing Thanksgiving food baskets to our Kensington neighbors that evening. 


Distribution will take place 7:30-8:30 pm in Heavener Hall. 


Middle High and Senior High Youth will help with sorting, set-up, and preparation during their normal youth fellowship times. For more information about volunteering, please contact or Jean Langbein.  

Cookies & Carols Party

St. Paul’s will be hosting our Eighth Annual Cookies and Carols party for Hunger Ministry families on Sunday, December 15, 2:00- 4:00 p.m. in Heavener Hall. 


Please join us in celebrating the season with our neighbors that day! There are many volunteer opportunities such as baking cookies or cupcakes, moving Giving Tree gifts to parents' cars, serving snacks, and helping with children’s crafts. Please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090c48afac29a6fd0-cookies1


For more information, please contact Kim Longsworth or the church office. 

GIving Tree

As in years past, we will again be providing gifts for our neighbors in need this Christmas. We will serve our regular Hunger Ministry families in the 20895 ZIP code area, plus local referrals from Montgomery County's DHHS.


The Giving Tree is in the Narthex. We hope you will stop by to select a tag showing the age and gender of a child, and then provide an appropriate Christmas gift. There is also a log to make a note of your selection (so we can check things off in the end, which helps us in case tags fall off or the numbers don't quite add up). 


All gifts must be delivered to St. Paul’s no later than Sunday morning, December 8, and should be placed on the tables near the tree. Please wrap the gift and securely attach the tag to the outside of the present.


We will also be giving a $25 gift card to our adult-only families. If you prefer not to shop for a child's gift but would like to contribute, $25 department-store gift cards (such as Target, JCPenney, or Kohl's) are welcome. Gift cards or financial donations may be placed in the large envelope in the church office.


If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Jean Langbein or Kim Longsworth, or the church office.

Children's Advent Craft Workshop

This annual workshop for children will be held Saturday, December 7, 9:30-11:30 a.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room. 


Children (and their adult and youth friends) will have the opportunity to make a variety of Advent and Christmas-related crafts.  This is free of charge, but donations are welcome. 


For more information or to volunteer, please contact Meg Baker (mbaker@stpaulsk.org, 301 933-7933 ext. 104).


(If you want, make plans to also enjoy pancakes and other dishes at the monthly Pancake Breakfast upstairs! Serving hours 8:00-10:30am.)

Hidden Pages


Make a donation

https://app.clovergive.com/f/f2.asp?formid=64e4391b-be56-4caa-a53e-bf6cf1bceb61


Use this link above to reach the Clover Give page that allows us to process one-time donations meant for Special Funds. Example: someone wants to use a credit card to pay the room use fee for a funeral service, but the card reader is unavailable...


THIS page is hidden from the navigation menu, so you can't click to it through our published website. But you CAN access it by entering stpaulsk.org/community/hidden-pages into the navigation bar on your browser.



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