St. Paul's Church Trumpet Blast

St. Paul's Church

January 31, 2014

"Your word, Lord, is eternal;

it stands firm in the heavens.
Your faithfulness continues through all generations;

you established the earth, and it endures.

Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you."

Psalm 119:89-91

Dear St. Paul's,

One of my New Year's resolutions last year was to read through the Bible in a year.

I'm grateful that, by God's grace, this was one resolution that I kept. And at the end of the year, after I read Revelation 22:21 I thought, "Well, what do I do now?" And I decided on 1/1/2014 to start from Genesis 1:1 once again.

When I think about the process of reading through the Bible in a year, it reminds me of taking a long hike in the wilderness. Most hikes are characterized by parts which are painfully challenging, others which are dreadfully boring, and still others which are marked by unmistakable beauty. For me, the Bible is the same, and at the end of the journey I realize, "it's all good." All of the parts of the Bible work together to give me a comprehensive view of God's landscape, and how He is at work in the world.

And when I'm taking a hike, invariably my eye will catch an unusual stone, or a colorful plant that is especially inspiring, and I'll stop to fixate on that one thing so its beauty or unusual nature can soak deeply into my soul. And maybe I'll store that precious thing in my pocket for later. The Word of God is the same. Even as I'm reading through the whole Bible, there's usually one or two verses that I've stored away in my pocket because God is speaking to me especially through them.

So I invite you to grab a walking stick and join me in reading through the Bible this year. I know that it's almost February 1, but you can join the journey at any point along the way. I use the link below which provides the daily readings. And of course, I highly recommend joining the Sunday Morning Bible Study in the cafe (a.k.a. "The Bible in the Bar") led by Bill Proctor, who is a stellar teacher of the Scriptures, and a great gift to all of us at St. Paul's.

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/index.html

Gratefully in Christ,

Pr. Jon

COMMITMENT SUNDAY

February 9th

On that day you will have the opportunity to bring your commitment cards and place them in a basket during the Lord's Supper. (If you have already submitted your card to the office, it will be included.)

Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study

Bill Proctor's Bible study class is studying in the book of Exodus. The class meets in the caf� at 9:00 AM each Sunday. This is an ongoing program and no sign up is necessary. Bring your Bible.

Simple Suppers

As a way to get better acquainted with our St. Paul's neighbors, we have started Simple Suppers" get-togethers.

Groups consisting of 6-9 members meet once a month to share a simple meal and conversation. These do not have to be elaborate affairs. Soup and Sandwiches or Hamburgers on the grill are a great way to entertain.

Whether you are single or a couple, you may still join a group. If you are interested, please email us at [email protected] with your name, address, telephone number and, if you are seasonal, the months you are in Vero.

Join us on Wednesday's for

"A Walk Through the Bible"

study on the Old Testament.

Come for a light supper at 6 PM

& Bible study 6:30 - 8:00 PM.

St. Paul's is looking for a Church Photographer and

a Church Videographer.

These positions are on a volunteer and as needed basis.

You would be needed to photo or video all church events.

Contact the church office if you are interested, thank you.

"We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.

We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance

inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."

(1 Thess. 1:2-3)

The Church Office Staff would like to take this time to thank each and every one of you who contributed to the Christmas Staff Gifts. We are so grateful for your generosity and appreciate the opportunity given us to honor God in all the work that we do. Thank you very much and may God richly bless you in the New Year.

Pastor Jon

Norma Ashburn

Robin Hanson

Marjie Hoder

Christmas Outreach Update

Thank you to everyone who participated in the "Stocking Ministry" last month. The Samaritan Center was overwhelmed by our generosity. A copy of their letter is posted on the bulletin board in the back of the church along with thank you notes from Joe and his daughter, Elizabeth and Crystal and her children, Ethan, Ayden, Emma & Addison. Thank you for making their Christmas very "Merry."

Pastor Jon, Nat & Robin loading goodies

Skimmers

The Skimmers were all so excited to see one another after the Christmas break. We spent the first few weeks of January reconnecting and learning about Epiphany. The month ended with the story of the "Good Samaritan." After reading & discussing the story, and of course playing the "Good Samaritan Game", which included lots of Band-Aids, we ended the evening by being "Good Samaritans." We decorated cakes for the children at the Homeless Family Center. One cake was decorated like winter for the January birthdays, another with hearts for the February birthdays and the March birthday cake had a spring theme. In addition we put together a "Heart Penguin" craft kit for each child.

Morgan, Madison & Elizabeth

Louis & Wally

Gabrielle & Angelina

March 2 Pancake Breakfast

March 5 Ash Wednesday Services 12 & 6 PM

April 13 Palm Sunday

April 17 Maundy Thursday

April 18 Good Friday

April 20 Easter Sunday

April 27 Bishop Ron & Confirmation

Bishop Ron Kuykendall

will be at St. Paul's the weekend of April 26th. If you are interested in being confirmed or received, please contact the church office. We plan to have a healing mission that week. Look for further information in the next newsletter.