The Weekly POINT

A New Day

Reflection by the Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Jung-Chul Lee, Priest-in-Charge

The program year begins this Sunday, September 13th. Over the past six months, we’ve experimented with our Sunday morning schedule and asked for your feedback about how we might make things better. Through town halls, listening sessions, focus groups, leadership conversations, and a congregational survey, we’re now ready to put what we’ve learned into practice.

I hope just about everyone will see some of your suggestions reflected in these changes. I also suspect none of us will be happy with every decision—even if, I hope, we’re mostly happy, or at least happier overall. Our goal is to keep improving, and I ask for your patience as we continue to learn and adjust.

At the end of the day, I think we’ve landed in a really good place. And there is always more listening and learning to do. I’m grateful for your feedback and excited to keep hearing from you about how we can better serve our community.

Here’s where all that listening and learning has led us.

Coffee hour between services is being extended; Adult Christian Education is moving to 9:45 a.m. We’ve heard how important it is to have relaxed, uninterrupted time for connection and conversation on Sunday mornings. That makes it important to me, too. We’ve also heard from coffee hour hosts who put time and care into preparing for us, only to see many people head directly to class.

Moving Christian Education to 9:45 gives everyone more time to enjoy coffee hour—and perhaps encourages some who usually linger over coffee to join a class as well. I hope to see many new faces in class on Sunday.

Church School for children and youth is also moving to 9:45 a.m. Most of our Church School teachers and parents asked us to make this change. Having Church School at the same time as Adult Christian Education allows parents to attend class, while teachers and parents felt students would be more focused when they haven’t just come from worship. The in between time also helps with the schedule—equidistant to both services for families and teachers who attend either, and lets everyone get home a little earlier.


New Praise & Worship Set at 10:30 a.m. The one big change to the morning is that the 10:30 a.m. service will begin with informal praise and worship music. We’re thinking of this as a “soft start”—a relaxed transition for those coming from Adult Christian Education or Church School, and a chance for the Worship Team to teach new music so that everyone can participate fully in singing during the liturgy.


The Worship Team will lead us in a few contemporary songs, which will be provided on a song sheet. The singing will take place at the front of the church. The congregation should feel free to arrive anytime between 10:30 and 10:45. When you arrive, you’re welcome to join in the singing, or to spend some time in fellowship in the Nave until the liturgy begins at 10:45 a.m.

Updates to the 10:30 service. The updates to our Sunday morning schedule are most noticeable at the 10:30 a.m. service. They grew out of a season of conversation—with our Worship & Liturgy Development Task Force, our music team, various leadership teams, and the congregation through our feedback survey. Below, you'll find a list of (1) what we're carrying forward from our spring experiment, and (2) what we’re adjusting based on what we learned.

What We’re Keeping

1. Children in Worship. By far, the most popular part of the experiment was having children and youth involved as both leaders and participants. This also supports our Youth & Family Ministry Assessment’s call to “unlock keychain leadership” and “prioritize youth everywhere.”

2. Pacing & Flow. The second most popular element was a shorter, more focused and fluid service. Though we’re restoring some elements based on your feedback, so our goal will now be to finish within 1 hour and 15 minutes.

3. Prayer Requests. The next most popular element was simplified Prayers of the People, with requests offered by members of the congregation, have deepened our connection with one another. We’ll happily continue them.

4. Location of Preaching. Perhaps the most surprising response from the survey was how much people liked having me preach from the transept. I have mixed feelings about it myself, but the feedback was clear enough that I’m willing to keep giving it a try.

5. The Question of the Day. The final new element we’re keeping is the “Question of the Day,” a simple way to begin our service by connecting us to one another. Based on some helpful feedback, we’re also going to adjust the questions so that they serve as a better introduction to the themes we’ll encounter in the readings and sermon.

What We’re Adjusting

1. Moving Away from the Kenyan Liturgical Elements. In the spring, we borrowed the Gloria and Blessing from the Anglican Church in Kenya. Though deeply Anglican, some found the style unfamiliar. In response, we’re shifting to a traditional Gloria and Blessing.

2. Adopting a Traditional Anglican Reading Structure. We received mixed feedback about the number of readings during the service. When faced with ambiguity, my tendency is to default to tradition. So, we’re adopting the classic Anglican reading structure: one lesson (either OT or NT), one Psalm, and the Gospel. To be clear, this differs from the structure at the 8:00 o'cock service—two lessons (both OT and NT), one Psalm, and the Gospel—which did not come into standard use until 1979.

3. No screens in worship…for now (but more conversation to come). By far, the most controversial element of the experiment was the use of screens. Some people found them deeply edifying and helpful—as a learning tool and as a way of engaging different parts of their hearts and minds. Others found them distracting or felt they changed the character of worship in ways they didn’t appreciate.

The feedback was strong—and strongly divided. I think that tells us we need to do two things: (i) Step back. We’re clearly not there yet. (ii) Keep talking. When opinions are this divided, none of us is seeing the whole picture. We need to hear from one another and keep discerning together how to get this right.

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I’m grateful for the care, thoughtfulness, and openness you’ve brought to this whole process. We’ve listened, we’ve experimented, we’ve learned, and we’ve made some changes. Now it’s time to give them a try. I’m excited about this next chapter in our life together, and I hope you are, too. So let’s come together, try these things on, see what happens, and keep learning from one another.

The program year is here. Let’s get started!

Nate+

The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 13th, 2026

On Sunday, September 13th, we’ll celebrate Bring-a-Friend-to-Church Sunday—a special opportunity to share the gift of our church community with someone you know. Think of a friend, neighbor, coworker, or family member who might be looking for hope, connection, or simply a place to belong, and invite them to come sit with you.

8:00 a.m. TRADITIONAL SERVICE in the Nave

Service begins at 7:55 a.m. with the Prelude.

Celebrant: The Rev. Nathaniel Jung-Chul Lee, Ph.D.

Download the Traditional Service bulletin.

9:15 a.m. Coffee Hour in Crocker Hall

9:45 a.m. PiC Listening Session in Crocker Hall

Join us for the third PiC Listening Session of the year. These gatherings are part of our ongoing commitment to fostering a culture of safety, connection, and shared purpose within the parish.

10:30 a.m. CONTEMPORARY SERVICE in the Nave

Service begins with a time of informal praise and worship; Liturgy begins at 10:45 a.m.

Celebrant: The Rev. Nathaniel Jung-Chul Lee, Ph.D.

Download the Contemporary Service bulletin.

12:00 p.m. Mission Committee Luncheon in the Guild Room

QUICK LINKS

READ THIS SUNDAY’S SCRIPTURE:

The First Lesson The Psalm The Epistle The Gospel

MAKE YOUR WEEKLY OFFERING ➤ Visit StPaulsTithe.ly

REQUEST A PASTORAL VISIT ➤ Email St. Paul’s Pastoral Care

SUBMIT A PRAYER REQUEST ➤ Email St. Paul’s Prayer Chain

Your prayers are requested for members and friends of the parish who are sick, sorrowful, or in any kind of trouble:

     Allie, Elizabeth, Greg, Jack, Jim, Jimmy, Larry, Linda, Liz, Lois, Margaret, Markus, Rose, Sherrill, Sheryl, Walter    

To add a name to the prayer list email Ops Director Mary Perry.

As summer came to a close, this past week at St. Paul’s gave us several special opportunities to celebrate the gift of our parish community. Our Great Summer Send-Off continued with a wonderful evening for our 70+ crowd, graciously hosted by Geoff Dent in a beautiful setting. We also said a final goodbye to summer with our parish-wide outdoor service and picnic, gathering as one church around our outdoor altar and then sharing a meal together. In these moments of worship, fellowship, and celebration, we were reminded once again of the joy of being a church that gathers across generations and shares life together..

LAST SUNDAY'S WORSHIP

RECORDINGS FROM LAST WEEK

"ONE NIGHT AT THE LAKE"

Young Adults Fall Kickoff

Friday, September 18th at 5:30 p.m.

Join fellow parishioners in their 30s and 40s for a special evening out at Candlewood East Marina, set against the beautiful backdrop of Candlewood Lake. Enjoy good food, great conversation, plenty of laughter, and the chance to relax and connect with one another in a truly beautiful outdoor setting.

Whether you're new to the parish or have been here for years, this is a wonderful opportunity to step outside the usual Sunday routine, meet new people, reconnect with old friends, and simply enjoy a memorable summer evening together. With the lake, the marina, and a great group of people, it's shaping up to be an unforgettable night—and one you won't want to miss!

RSVP to Haley Perry (haleyg.koch@gmail.com) or Emily Perry (e.perry.a@gmail.com).

For our a full calendar of events click here to visit our website

SAVE THE DATE

Sunday, Oct 25th ➤ "Trunk-or-Treat"

Sunday, Nov 1st ➤ All Saints Day 
Sunday, Nov 1st ➤ Priest-In-Charge Listening Session #4 

Sunday, Nov 8th ➤ Advent Adult Education Series on The Walk begins

Sunday, Nov 15th ➤ Youth & Parish Service Day at CVH Animal Sanctuary

Sunday, Nov 22nd ➤ Celebration in Honor of the Feast Day of C.S. Lewis

Sunday, Nov 29th ➤ First Sunday of Advent

Chronic Pain Group Marks First Anniversary

As our Chronic Pain Group marked its first anniversary last week, I am filled with gratitude to God for guiding us through this first year. While I initially thought we might follow the framework of previous groups, God led us in a different direction—one centered on Scripture, prayer, and shared faith.

Although our members experience different kinds and degrees of pain, our gatherings have become a place of mutual encouragement and spiritual support. We do not focus only on physical pain, but also on the ways pain affects our daily lives and our faith. Participants have shared how meaningful it is to leave a conversation about chronic pain feeling encouraged and uplifted.

Each month, we look forward to coming together to share our journeys, explore relevant Scripture, and pray for one another—as well as for those who may be feeling isolated or overwhelmed and are considering joining us.

If you or someone you know might benefit from this faith-based support group, please reach out to Rebecca at chronicpain@saintpaulsbrookfield.com.

BIRTHDAYS



September 14 ➤ Bruce Simon

September 14 ➤ Amy Boyce

September 15  ➤ Aster Kronberg

September 17 ➤ Bob Cutting

September 17 ➤ Luke Newbury

MISSION UPDATES

35 Years of Music, Faith, and Community

Thirty-five years ago, the Community Coffeehouse began as an experiment—a monthly hometown concert featuring the local Christian band, Outpouring. Since then, it has grown into a welcoming home for touring Christian singer-songwriters, including Charlie Hall, Jason Gray, Andrew Peterson, Bebo Norman, Unspoken, and many others.

Our small, intimate setting creates something special: a personal, conversational experience between artist and audience. Through the years, people have come to know Christ—or to know Him more deeply—through the music and stories shared here. Just as importantly, the Coffeehouse has remained a steady presence in the community where people can gather, worship, and enjoy music together.

For the past 20 years, St. Paul’s has generously provided the equivalent of sponsoring one concert each year. Our parish family has also supported this ministry through prayer, encouragement, and faithful attendance.

We are deeply grateful. If you have never experienced the Community Coffeehouse, ask a fellow parishioner who has—and please consider joining us.

Thank you, St. Paul’s, for helping this ministry continue. For more info, go to www.communitycoffeehouse.org

Mission Budget Requests

The Mission Committee serves the entire parish as a focal point for our mission work and prepares an annual budget for Vestry approval. The items in this budget come from you, our parishioners! This is your opportunity to strengthen the ministries and Christian organizations you care about with the prayer, talents, and financial support of the whole parish.

If your Christian organization or ministry is seeking support from St. Paul’s, please save ("right click" and select "save" to save) and print the full request form shown in the image here. Sponsored organizations are also asked to submit an article to The Weekly Point—an opportunity to put a face and story to the ministry we, as a parish, are supporting.

We invite your active participation in this process and in the work of the Mission Committee. The committee meets on the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Guild Room.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Looking to get involved? There's a place for you to serve, connect, and make a difference at St. Paul's. Here are a few ministries currently looking for volunteers:


• ALTAR GUILD: Prepares the altar and worship space for services. 
 Contact: Mary Beth Durkin (durkin.mb@gmail.com)

• COFFEE HOUR: Hosts fellowship and refreshments after worship. 
 Contact: Beth Beck (bkolwicz@yahoo.com)

• GARDEN MINISTRY: Cares for and beautifies the church grounds year-round. 
 Contact: Mary Beth Durkin (durkin.mb@gmail.com)

• LAY SERVERS: Serve as acolytes, readers, greeters, and intercessors during worship.
 Contact: David Szen (dszen@yahoo.com)

• MUSIC MINISTRY: Leads worship through music and song. 
 Contact: Kirsten Peterson (kirpeterson@comcast.net)

• PRAYER: Offers prayer support through services and the prayer chain. 
 Contact: JoAnn Hornak (jomac79@att.net)

• SEXTON COMMITTEE: Helps maintain and care for the church building and grounds.
 Contact: Jeff Chowanec (chowanec57@gmail.com)