Introducing Stacy Hennessy

Parishioner Stacy Hennessy will serve as St. Paul's Interim Children, Youth, & Family (CYF) Program Coordinator. She will be the central point of contact between our Family & Youth Ministry Team Leaders and St. Paul’s staff, coordinating logistics for all family ministry programs and events — from space reservations and resource needs to ensuring information is shared for newsletters, bulletins, and promotions. Stacy will also assist team leaders with basic administrative support, help communicate schedules and updates to families, onboard new volunteers in partnership with staff and Safe Church processes, and help track volunteer coverage to support consistent, well-staffed classrooms. We’re grateful for Stacy’s willingness to step into this role and support our youth, families, volunteers, and staff during this important season of ministry. Please click here to email Stacy.

Search Committee Update

It may feel like it’s been a very, very long time since Children, Youth, and Family ministries enjoyed its own dedicated staff person. We miss Laurie! Since August 2025, a Search Committee has been diligently searching for our next great spiritual leader for children and youth. Search Committee members include: Devon Anderson, Rick Bernhardt, Bill Cummings, Leah Ehlhardt, Jared Harmon, Jessica Harmon, Katie Kelsey, Brandon Lowe, Julia Ramsey-Tharpe, and Ryan Wilhite. We have come VERY close with two different candidates. One did not feel comfortable relocating their family to Indiana without knowing with whom they would be working (settled rector), and the other accepted another position. We are undeterred. Having Stacy Hennessy on hand to keep the proverbial trains running on time will help greatly as we continue looking. The Search Committee is determined to find the right candidate for St. Paul’s and is willing to take whatever time it takes to do that.

Family & Intergenerational Ministry

Make Your Ice Skating Dreams Come True!

Tuesday, February 3, 6–7 p.m., Holliday Park Ice Rink

St. Paul's Connections and Intergenerational teams are hosting an ice skating hour at the Holliday Park Ice Rink. Pricing is $5/person (ages 4 and under are free). Skates and skate aids are included in the price and a concession stand will be available for those who wish to purchase snacks! Tickets are limited. Please click here to email Leah Ehlhardt with questions. Click below to reserve and purchase your tickets now:

Purchase Tickets

Stations of the Cross

During Lent, the Intergenerational Team will be leading a "Stations of the Cross" or the “Way of the Cross” project at St. Paul’s. The devotion is an adaptation to local usage of a custom widely-observed by pilgrims to Jerusalem: the offering of prayer at a series of places in that city, traditionally associated with Jesus’ passion and death. The number of stations, which at first varied widely, finally became fixed at 14. Of these, eight are based directly on events recorded in the Gospels and the remaining six are based on inferences from the Gospel account or legend.

At St. Paul’s, we will adapt this service so that each station is created by an individual, group, or family from the parish. There will be a 20x24" stretched white canvas for each station. It will be up to the “artist(s)” to interpret the station and craft a creation on their canvas in response. Sign-ups to create a station will be available during the last week of Epiphany, February 8-15, and blank canvases will be available for pick-up starting on Shrove Tuesday, February 17. Station creation happens over the course of Lent, and the finished stations are due at St. Paul’s by Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026.

The Stations of the Cross service will be Tuesday, March 31 at which time we’ll gather to pray and walk the stations together as a congregation. This service is inclusive and welcoming of people of all ages.

Children's Ministry News

Safe Church Training

At a recent meeting with adult leaders for our Godly Play, Children’s Chapel, Youth Group, and nursery programs, a need was identified for parents of Godly Play children to be Safe Church trained. Why? To provide the most nurturing, safest environment for our children, there must always be at least two adults in a Godly Play classroom: the storyteller and a back-up adult. We have very gifted storytellers who are highly engaged and committed to their ministry. Sunday after Sunday, they show up prepared and ready to engage our youngest parishioners in the wonders of our biblical stories. On some Sundays a scheduled back-up adult is not able to be there, and the storytellers need parents to serve in that role. Parents must be Safe Church trained. We will soon be extending a personal invitation to every Godly Play parent who is not trained in Safe Church to either attend an in-person, upcoming Safe Church training at St. Paul’s (details to come) or complete the training online. If you are a Godly Play parent who needs Safe Church training, please click here to email Tana Hunnicutt.

Youth News

Confirmation

Bishop Jennifer will be making her official visit to St. Paul’s on October 11, 2026, and she will be performing confirmations on that date. The Diocese of Indianapolis prefers to confirm people around age 16. There are two ways to prepare for confirmation (potential confirmands choose one):

1. Attend the diocesan Confirmation Retreat March 13-15, 2026 (for high school students wanting to prepare for confirmation). Click here to register for the retreat on the diocesan website. Space is limited.
2. Attend a class at St. Paul’s which will utilize the diocesan Confirmation curriculum. We will offer a class this spring if we have five or more interested youth.

If your high schooler wants to participate in either of these options, please click here to email Stacy Hennessy at your earliest convenience.

2026 Diocesan Youth Mission Trip

All current 6th–12th graders are invited on the Diocesan Youth Mission Trip to Detroit, MI, July 5–10, 2026 — a week of hands-on service, prayer, and soaking up Detroit’s rich culture. Attendees will stay at Christ Church Cranbrook and serve the surrounding community. Click below for more information and to register. Please click here to email Diocesan Youth Minister Heather Campbell with questions.

MISSION TRIP REGISTRATION

African American History Program

St. Paul’s is supporting the African American History Challenge Program this year through a grant, and a new cohort of middle and high school students is already underway. A few spots are still available for 6th-12th grade students who would like to participate and grow in leadership, confidence, and historical understanding through March 21. If you know a student at St. Paul’s — or beyond — who may be interested, we encourage you to click below for more information and help spread the word.

Details

Youth Group Plans

On Sunday, January 25, there will be no Youth Group meeting so that all can join in the celebration for the Rev. Beth Scriven's last Sunday at St. Paul's (10:15-11 a.m. in the Parish Hall).

Youth Group adult leadership - with the support of Interim Rector Devon Anderson - is interested in looking for ways to improve the future content and delivery of the Youth Group program. Please click below to read more: