When there are five Sundays in a month, we use the fifth Sunday as an opportunity to bring together all of our worshipers at one time and will hold a single Sunday service at 10:30 AM. (There will be no 9:00 AM worship service offered on these days.)

While the usual 9:00 and 10:30 worship formats differ somewhat and each is valuable, it is also valuable to gather all our members and friends together as one community, singing and praying together. 

Fifth Sunday, One Community embraces worshipers of all ages. There is no Sunday School programming this day, and families will be together in the Sanctuary. This is a time for all to remember and live into the vows we make at baptism to help our young people grow in faith and become familiar with the rhythms of worship.

"Fifth Sunday, One Community" dates for 2024-2025 are:

September 29, 2024

December 29, 2024

March 30, 2025

June 29, 2025

In order that all people in worship are welcome to partake of communion as one body sharing one loaf, all St. Paul’s communion bread is now gluten-free.

A Message from Rev. Dr. Patricia Allen

February 9, 2023

Communion is one of two sacraments recognized in The United Methodist Church. 

It is considered a means of grace: 

A way in which God works, through reminding us of our connection to Christ and each other. 

A way in which Christ offers forgiveness and hope. 

A way in which we are invited to be part of God’s Kingdom's wholeness. 

It is all these things, and so much more than a piece of bread and the taste of grape juice.

We sometimes forget the sacredness, instead focusing on the ritualistic opportunity. We know what we like, and are quite certain of what we don’t.

However, the communion table is one of the places where the playing field for all of us is leveled. All of the distinguishing factors that tend to give us oneupsmanship are stripped away. We all come to the sacred table in all of our imperfectness, looking to find a space to belong.

At St. Paul's, we honor the open table that stretches beyond our individual comfort zones. ALL are welcome. Providing one gluten free loaf from which all will partake and offering one cup is just one of the ways we keep this sacred table open.

Our previous "St. Paul's bread" recipe is still available for you to bake at home, but it and many other bread recipes doesn't necessarily adapt to gluten-free flour easily. As we continue to perfect our bread offerings, don’t get so hung up on the taste of bread that you miss the opportunity to taste and see the goodness of the Lord the bread represents.

~Pastor Pat

You can download the original "St. Paul's Communion Bread" recipe by clicking HERE.

Masks are optional in almost all St. Paul's spaces.

As of October 2022, masks are optional for: 

• In-person worship including regular Sunday services, funerals/memorials, or special worship events.
• Meetings with staff.
• Small group meetings.
• Music ensembles.
• Community or private groups holding events in St. Paul's spaces.
• Staff & volunteers working in the Nursery.

We expect all members of the St. Paul's community to show care for one another by:

• Treating others with respect, whether mask-wearing or non-mask-wearing.
• Wearing a mask if you have been recently exposed to a covid-positive "close contact," in case you may be carrying the virus.
• Staying home if you feel sick.
• Staying home if you test positive for covid or are exposed to covid, using current CDC guidelines.

Some other FAQ's:

• St. Paul's will continue to make hand sanitizer and disposable face masks available in the Narthex for any who wish to use them.
• There are no covid-related seating capacity rules or social distancing restrictions in the Sanctuary.
• Public or large-scale meal events and indoor receptions or repasts are allowed, but are scheduled based on building use needs and staff availability.
• Small groups may ask participants to wear masks for specific activities. We do wish to honor the requests of immune-compromised or vaccine-ineligible individuals when doing so is feasible. Please see your group leader if you have specific concerns.

Thank you for showing care for one another throughout the pandemic, and through each phase of re-opening. We know that wearing masks reduces covid transmission, and that vaccinations reduce the likelihood of serious illness. We also know that gathering together at any time carries risks of spreading a variety of infectious diseases. Only you can decide what is right for yourself or your family based on your health conditions and comfort levels.