The Jochebed Circle, coordinated by Robin Mayhew, will hold their first meeting of 2017-2018 tonight, September 28 in the Library starting at 7:00 PM. The Martha Circle and the Lydia Circle ladies will meet again on the first Wednesday in October.

For Sunday,  October 1, all children will begin the 10:30 a.m. worship time in the Sanctuary with their families. Students age 2 through grade 5 will be dismissed to their Sunday School classrooms following the Young People's Message. Youth grade 6 and above will remain in worship this week.  Next week, October 8, youth grade 6 and above will again be in worship and the Youth Choir will sing; children grade 5 and younger will have Opening Chapel at 10:30 a.m. in the DuVall Chapel before transitioning to their Sunday School classrooms with their teachers. For more details, please pick up a copy of the Sunday School letter at the Visitors' Center desk or contact Meg Baker, [email protected] or 301-933-7933 ext. 104.

Please note that our Adult Sunday School class will be taking a short break. There will be no class  October 1 or  October 8. Join us when we return on Sunday, October 15 for our Bible Study format class in the Parlor at 9:30 a.m.

Our next collection day is this Sunday! We collect and sort food on the first Sunday of the month, which coincides with Communion Sundays at St. Paul's. We serve 110+ families in the 20895 ZIP code who face hunger, providing hungry neighbors over 2,450 food items per month, and we need your help to do it! Please donate non-perishable food items in the bins in the Narthex any time. Shopping lists are available. All donations are welcome from fully packed bags to single boxes of cereal. You can also donate grocery store gift cards ($10 value, please) or make a check out to St. Paul's UMC with "Hunger Ministry" on the memo line. We will sort food this Sunday,  October 1, with distribution to families in need on Monday, October 2. We are all about feeding people! For more information about volunteering, contact Dawn Ely at  [email protected] .

Youth Choir for singers in grades 6-12 will rehearse Sunday, October 1 at 11:30 a.m.in Room 211.  Our Youth Choir will sing in worship for Youth Sunday on October 8.  Even if you haven't been in choir before, we welcome you to come try our supportive, worshipful choir! Contact Tom Pedersen, Director of Music, at  [email protected] with questions.

The United Methodist Men are having their next meeting on Wednesday, October 4 in Heavener Hall starting at 6:30 p.m. The fare will be pizza and subs from Continental, salad, fruit, and dessert by Jenny Cakes. The price for dinner is $6, payable at the door. A sign-up sheet is in the church office. After the supper and a very short business meeting, John Walker's son-in-law Peter Gorog will discuss his experiences growing up during the Holocaust and subsequently under Communism before immigrating to the U.S. (Women are welcome to join us starting at 7:30 p.m. for the presentation.) These informal events are great opportunities to meet and fellowship with other men and to learn about things that the UMM is supporting in the church and beyond.

Looking for a pause in the midst of busy motion? Bring your desire for stillness and God's loving and eternal presence in this weekly offering of candlelight reflection, silence, and prayer. We meet in the St. Paul's Sanctuary, 7:00-8:00 p.m. on October 4, and every Wednesday night this Fall. All are welcome.

The next Community Pancake Breakfast, hosted by the UMM, will be on Saturday, October 7, 8:00-10:30 a.m. All are welcome. As a special treat, buckwheat pancakes will be served in addition to the regular pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, fruit, and beverages. The proceeds from this breakfast will be given to the Society of St. Andrew's Potato Project, an agricultural gleaning program in southwestern Virginia, and to help feed those in need in the Kensington area.

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

The Friendship Club will hold its first fall meeting of 2017 on October 10 starting at 11:30 a.m. in Heavener Hall. Following our regular pot-luck luncheon, please help us get off to a good start with a warm welcome to our entertainer, Jesse Palidofsky, a very talented singer and guitar player. Jesse has been with us several times previously and always brings an interesting program. All seniors are cordially invited. If you have never been to one of our Friendship Club meetings, this would be a perfect time to attend. Please join in the fun, food, and fellowship. For additional information, call Erma McWilliams, 301-774-2742 or Ann Brall, 301-588-4608.

Men ages 20s-40s, please plan to join other 2x4s men to help at A Wider Circle on Sunday, October 15 immediately following the 10:30 a.m. worship service. Join us for a couple of hours of service, camaraderie, and a free workout! We'll stop first for a quick lunch on the way to A Wider Circle. Please email Jim King at [email protected] if you are interested in attending. Participants are required to wear closed-toe shoes and encouraged to wear their work clothes to church prior to the event.

Folks in their 20s-40s are invited to start reading now for the 2x4s Book Club meeting on October 19, 7:30-9:00 p.m. at the Matheny-Noyce home. We'll discuss Love Wins: The Lovers and Lawyers Who Fought the Landmark Case for Marriage Equality by Debbie Cenziper and Jim Obergefell. Contact Rev. Claire Matheny for more information ( [email protected]).

The Fall Yard Sale will be held October 19-21. If you would like to drop off donations, we will be receiving items on Thursday, October 19, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. We especially appreciate jewelry, trinkets, china, clothes, gently used toys, small appliances, small furniture items, and books. Please note: we cannot accept used car seats, mattresses, sofas or similar upholstered furniture, computer equipment, non-flat-screen TVs, encyclopedias, magazines, or text books. Sales take place on October 20 (8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) and October 21 (8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.). It takes lots of helpers to make this event a success. If you can volunteer for a slot, please add your name to the sign-up sheet in the church office.

The Apple Sale starts at 12:00 noon on October 19 and we will stay open late that day to coincide with Kensington's Food Truck Night on Armory Avenue.  Apples will be on sale on October 20 (9:00a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) and October 21 (9:00a.m. - 5:00 p.m.), or until supplies run out. Please volunteer to help by signing up on the bulletin board in the church office.

St. Paul's will be offering a Lunch 'n Learn study for middle school and older elementary children entitled "Learning to Use My Bible," on Sunday, October 22, 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. in Room 109. Third graders are especially encouraged to attend - it will help them understand how to read the Bibles they received last month! While the class is primarily designed for students in grades 3-5, all ages are welcome, including parents and siblings. A light lunch will be provided and nursery care will be available upon request. To RSVP, please contact Meg Baker at 301-933-7933 ext. 104, or [email protected].

Senior High SPY (St. Paul's Youth) Retreat will take place at Camp Manidokan in the mountains near historic Harper's Ferry WV,  November 10 - 12. To reserve your spot, contact Mr. Micah Smartt by Friday, November 3. The cost is $85; scholarships are available. This season the retreat theme is "Spy" (after our recent name change). We will be exploring a number of Biblical stories about tricksters, sneaks, and spies engaged in espionage, political intrigue, and even assassination.  For more information, check out the "SPY Briefing" newsletter (available online at http://stpaulsk.org/community/youth)  or contact Micah Smartt ( [email protected] or 301-933-7933 ext. 111). We also love to see our SPYs at regular meetings at St. Paul's each Friday (Middle High) and Sunday (Senior High).

The St. Paul's Fall Craft Fair will be held the first two weekends in November. We very much appreciate donations of your homemade items for sale. We will gratefully accept all types of crafts - photos, artwork, glass work, jewelry, pottery, sewing, knitting, etc. All donated crafts should be delivered to the church by Friday, November 3. We will set up that afternoon, and the sale will begin Saturday, November 4 outside Heavener Hall during the Pancake Breakfast. The sale will continue on Sunday morning, November 5 in the Narthex, and will extend to Sunday, November 12 if supplies last. All proceeds will go to charity. Please contact Mary Revenis ([email protected]) if you have questions.

A dedicated team, including St. Paul's member Pat Marks, will be on a Kairos Prison Ministry weekend November 2-5. The team asks that we cover the prisoners and the team with prayer throughout the weekend. A link is available to sign-up for a prayer time slot: http://www.kairosinsidemciw.org/prayer-vigil.html

St. Paul's is looking to form a Single Parent Group in 2018! The group will be a care and support group welcoming all single parents. Whether you are divorced, widowed, never married, or a single grandparent raising grandchildren, you are welcome! If you know of anyone who may be interested, please help spread the word. Membership is open to all single parents. If you are interested or know of anyone interested, please connect with us by filling out the interest form: https://goo.gl/forms/NLcpVCx31ZaSfDm72

Would you like to read Scripture or help serve Communion at the 9:00 AM Worship Service? We are looking for Liturgists and Communion Stewards to assist in the first worship service on Sunday mornings. To sign up online, please follow this web url: goo.gl/Xz5T79. Contact Rev. Claire Matheny ( [email protected]) if you have questions.

Do you babysit? Are you a family in need of a babysitter list or want to swap kid-minding with other St. Paul's families? We are looking to help connect potential sitters and families. Please connect with us by filling out the interest form. Follow this link: goo.gl/3vUdqo or go the St. Paul's Babysitting Co-op section under Calendar & Events http://stpaulsk.org/community/calendar-events

We continue to accept special donations to aid those suffering from the devastation caused by recent hurricanes. Your monetary gifts provide important support for the relief efforts of The United Methodist Church conferences already working in the affected areas. Please make all checks payable to St. Paul's UMC and write "hurricane relief" on the memo line, or clearly mark "hurricane relief" on envelopes with cash donations.

Upcoming surgery? Have a joy or concern? In need of prayer support? Submit a prayer request online, day or night. You have the option to share your request with the Prayer Lift team or only share directly with the pastors. Visit our new online prayer request form linked on our website at http://stpaulsk.org/community/prayer-requests.