Dear Friends,

I often think that it’s the big things that make me happy at St. Peter’s, like The Rev. Dr. Clarke French accepting our call to be Interim Rector or finishing the Pew Grant application. But I think it’s the little things, especially the little unexpected things that bring me joy like:

            Opening the doors to the sanctuary and seeing the morning sunshine on the pews.

            Saying the Rite 1 prayers.

            Dusting the old baptismal font.

            Taking a minute to remember the long deceased vestry person honored by a plaque.

            Realizing that I wrote about “Come Labor On” the same week that it was a hymn.

            Arriving to set up at Italian night and finding Linda Holden already there.

            Listening to the soaring sounds of the violinist and pianist playing in the Barn.

            Sharing a laugh with Rachel Martin Swartz.

            Seeing the hordes of people arrive for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

            Hearing the voices of other choir members in the congregation.

            Watching the children go up for the Backpack blessing.

I know you have moments like these too. We spend a lot of time talking about what needs to be fixed (the livestream comes to mind), but it’s the unexpected small moments of peace and gratitude that bring us joy.

Livestream link for 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning service.

Leaflet for Sunday services:

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite I– historic church

10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II – historic church*

Hymns

Peace,  

Becky Dempsey

Rector’s Warden 



Our last Sunday, August 31, on the summer schedule continues with two services at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. in the historic church.

On the first Sunday of the month, September 7, there is one combined service at 10:00 a.m.

It will be in the bank barn.

All are welcome.

This is the last Sunday of our summer schedule. Next week is the first Sunday in September. We gather together for one service at 10:00 a.m. in the bank barn and begin our program year. There will be Sunday School in the lower level of the barn. The following week, September 14, Adult Formation resumes and we return to our three-service schedule: 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist 1 in the historic church; 9 a.m. Holy Eucharist - Enriching our Worship with Sunday School, and Adult Formation in the bank barn; and Holy Eucharist II at 11:15 a.m. in the historic church. All are welcome.

Next week nursery will return to the barn, lower level in the room across from the elevator.

For families of children in grades K-6, we are getting the program year started with pizza and ice cream on Wednesday, September 3rd, 6 p.m. Bank Barn, Lower Level.  Sign up here! 

To register your children for Sunday School, click this link.

If you are not on the email list, and you would like to be, again, please email Seretha Curry at slcurry@stpetersgv.org.

The Rev. Dr. Clarke French will begin his ministry with us on September 15, 2025. Please make plans to welcome him at the Fall Fest Welcome event at St. Peter’s on Wednesday, September 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Bio:

The Reverend Dr. Clarke French, a native of Toronto, has been a priest for over 25 years. From 2011-2023, he was rector of Church of the Holy Family in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Clarke is married to the Right Reverend Sally French, the 13th and current Bishop of New Jersey. Together they live in the tiny borough of Pennington, NJ and are the parents of two teenage children, two goofy dogs, and a cat.

When The Rev. Dr. Clarke French arrives, he will want to get to know our names. That will be a lot easier for him if we all make a concentrated effort to wear our name tags. If you haven’t worn yours in a while, check to make sure it’s where you left it at the Historic Church in the hall, or the Bank Barn in the coat closet. If you requested a name tag at a newcomer event, you will find it in one of these buildings. If you can’t find it or have never had one, contact Mary Ann Tatum at maryanntatum5@gmail.com and she will make you one. Thanks!

Our 2025-26 season of Popcorn Theology will kick off on Monday, September 8, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. For those not familiar with this program, participants watch a series of films and meet by Zoom on the second Monday of each month to discuss the artistic, moral, and theological aspects of that month’s selection. Every film selected is widely available on DVD (check your local library) and/or numerous streaming services such as Netflix.

Our Fall series, designed by Roy and Shannon Almquist, is called “A Place at the Table: Faith, Food, and Family.”  Our first film, Chocolat (2000), starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp, bristles with Biblical themes of love, judgment, and compassion. The seductive, slightly magical Vianne (Binoche) appears in a small village in the south of France, setting up a picturesque chocolaterie that becomes a home for the wayward and needy. The film deals with the challenge of the outsider coping with a closed, narrow-minded community and overcoming estrangement with love.



The Zoom link for discussion will come via a special Keynotes on the day before each meeting. To learn more about this program, please contact either Susan Davis (sndavis05@gmail.com) or Steve Ockenden (steveock@verizon.net).

All are welcome to join us in the bank barn from 10:20-11:15 a.m. on three-service Sundays to learn, question, and explore. If you have any questions or comments about adult formation programming, please contact Melissa Shaner (myshaner@verizon.net).

September 14 – Transition Update. Vestry members and members of the transition team committees will update the parish on the progress of our process in calling a new rector, and will prepare us to welcome interim rector Dr. Clarke French on the 15th.

September 21 – “Sun Day.” Sun Day is a day of national celebration for solar energy. The Green Stewards hope to inform people about the lowest cost form of energy and answer questions you might have about it. Pennsylvania needs more solar on its grid. Come and find out why your electricity bills are going up and all the things you can do to help. Sun Day.

September 28 – “Christian Witness in the Age of Trump, with Former Presiding Bishop Michael Curry,” parts 1 and 2. Per the ChurchNext website, “This four-part course led by former Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry explores the deep and often misunderstood relationship between Christian faith and political engagement. Rooted in scripture and tradition, the sessions highlight how both the Old and New Testaments speak powerfully to issues of justice, liberation, and compassion. Bishop Curry insists that the biblical message, especially as interpreted through the life of Jesus, calls believers to embody gospel values in the public sphere—not as partisan actors, but as moral witnesses. Through historical examples like the Exodus story and the anti-apartheid movement, the course challenges Christians to reflect on how faith demands action in response to oppression.

The course also emphasizes the preacher’s responsibility to let scripture speak authentically rather than be manipulated for ideological ends. Through communal dialogue, storytelling, and concrete case studies—such as community zoning efforts and Moral Mondays—participants are invited to reimagine Christian witness as holistic and grounded in love, justice, and compassion. Figures from the communion of saints, like Desmond Tutu and Fannie Lou Hamer, are presented as models of what it means to live out this calling. Ultimately, the course urges Christians to engage their communities through a lens of joyful liberty, active service, and courageous faith.”

Our Sunday School is growing and we need Sunday School Teachers to help support our children! We need teachers, assistants, substitutes, event support--anything you'd like to help with and could use your assistance! Sunday school occurs during the Family Eucharist at 9 am, or 10 am on the first Sunday of the month. Please see the range of available positions here.

On Tuesday, September 23rd, St Peters Church will be hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive in the lower level of the Barn from 1pm- 6pm. You may register at st.petersblooddrive.com or by scanning the QR code. Follow the Red Cross prompts to sign in for a time to donate. Let’s start our season of giving (which is at all times!!) by making this a banner donation event.

Fall Fest is an elegant "beverage and hand-held bites" event for adults and a fun "games and supper night" for children as we say goodbye to summer and kick off the program year. It is a great way to meet people or reconnect if you have not been around for a while, and also an opportunity to invite a friend to St. Peter's. We will welcome our interim rector, The Rev. Dr. Clarke French, who begins his time with us on the 15th. This year, Fall Fest will be held in and outside the lower level of the Bank Barn. The new kitchen will be available to prep your items -- contact Michael Smith or Liz Andersen if you wish to do this so that appropriate procedures can be followed.

Beverages and children's food will be provided. Please bring an appetizer for 8. To assist us with planning, RSVP by using the sheet in the common area or use this link. Thank you!

Working with an outside consultant we have recently completed a major update to our website. Take a look at some of the new and improved features:

• Clear service times on homepage for regular and summer services
• Ability to read/access the Thursday Keynotes from the home page
• New section under "About Us" - Our Stories - testimonials from eight parishioners about what they love about St. Peter's
• New section under "About Us" - Our History - a timeline view with photos listing key events in St. Peter's history
• Visitors section with key information including a campus map
• Enhanced events calendar showing list view, monthly view, or daily view

If you have questions or comments, contact Sarah Tellefsen or Jan Himmelreich of the Communications Commission.

A warm welcome to visitors and to each other is one of the things that makes St. Peter's so special. The Newcomers' Commission is charged with trying to be sure everyone knows this is a place of love and care. The Commission's next meeting will follow the single, 10:00 a.m. service Sunday, 5 October, after a little time to grab a beverage and goodie. All ushers and greeters, who usually are the first people a visitor meets, and anyone interested in the work of the Commission, are enthusiastically urged to come share their thoughts and suggestions. We hope to see you there. Questions, contact Sandy Mannix.

Summer Preaching Rota—St. Peter’s Church in the Great Valley 

Aug. 31 - The Rev. Roy Almquist

Sept. 7 - The Rev. Paul Reid

Sept. 14 - The Rev. Paul Reid

Sunday, September 21 at 10:30 a.m. Join this youth and family event,

"Exploring Wonders in Nature"   

led by local conservation biologist and artist, Jolie Chylac.

More details to follow.

Shopping Cart food ministry - Thank you for your continuous support of the shopping cart ministry! You provide direct support to our friends at CYWA in Coatesville. Any questions call the office (610-644-2261). THANK YOU!!!

Liv Rothfuss Photography will be on the St. Peter's grounds on Saturday October 18th for Fall mini sessions. Liv will be offering these sessions to her current customers and the public starting in August, but she is giving St. Peter's families early access. Don't wait-- Fall minis fill up fast!  25% of each session fee will be donated back to St. Peter's Preschool. Please follow this link Fall Mini Sessions | Liv Rothfuss Photo for more information and to sign up.

Wednesday Morning Prayer and Bible Study

Wednesday Morning Prayer and Bible Study takes place at 10:00 a.m. by Zoom. Information on how to access is sent each week to the usual participants. If you wish to participate this week for the first time, please contact Rachel (parishadministrator@stpetersgv.org or 610-644-2261) for the necessary details. 

_____________________________________________________________________________

Praying our Prayer List 

The St. Peter's Prayer Group meets via Zoom every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. For more information, please contact Mary Ann Tatum at maryanntatum5@gmail.com.

 _______________________________________________________________________________

Gathering of Men

Please join Rod Platt every Friday at 8:00 a.m. First Friday of the month, they gather in the parish hall in the historic church, other Fridays via Zoom. All men in the parish are invited to this morning gathering. If you would like to join this group, please contact Rod at plattile@aol.com or 610-291-0937 to receive the zoom link.

 _____________________________________________________________________________

Driving on Campus  

Please drive slowly when on the St. Peter's campus. The walkway between our campus and the Atwater community means that people on the path are crossing St. Peter's Road near the final turn, so keep a lookout for pedestrians. Thank you!