January 15, 2026 l ISSUE 3

Sunday Morning

Adult Formation

Conversations

Join us every Sunday

from 9:30 - 10:15 a.m.

in the Parish Hall

as we listen to God's Holy Word

and discuss how it impacts our personal lives.

9:30a.m. in the Parish Hall

This Sunday's conversation

will focus on the

Letter From Birmingham Jail,

written by

the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

on April 16, 1963.

Sunday service

at 10:30 a.m.

UPCOMING SCRIPTURE READINGS

SUNDAY LEADERS

A Note From Fr. Jeff

"After a 1996 firearm massacre in Australia that killed 35 people, Australia enacted legislation banning semiautomatic shotguns and rifles. In the 10 years following the legislation, there was not a single mass shooting in Australia! Why does similar action not occur in the United States?"

"The statistics on gun violence are sobering. In the United States each year, roughly 43,000 people die by firearms. That's more than 120 deaths per day! Of those deaths, 54 percent are suicides, 43 percent are homicides, and the remaining 3 percent are due to unintentional shootings, "legal interventions" (police shootings, and undetermined causes."

"For gun homicides, 85 percent of the victims are male. In 2020, for the first time in US history, guns surpassed automobile accidents as the leading cause of death for children under 18. Every year in the United States, 4,000 children and teens die by guns, more than 10 deaths per day. "

I hope that these quoted statistics have caught your attention. If so, why not consider learning more and participating in the upcoming book study on "The Psychology of Gun Violence: How Smart Choices Can Save Lives", recently published in 2025 by local author, and fellow Episcopalian and our diocesan missioner for education on the Gun Violence Prevention Mission Team, Janet Shibley Hyde, PhD. This Zoom event will take place from 7:00-8:00p.m. on four consecutive Mondays - January 19 and 26, and February 2 and 9.  This Zoom link will take you to the Zoom sign-in for all four sessions. If you have further questions - email gunsafety@diocesemo.org.

Psychology is essential to understanding motivation. What motivates people to buy guns? To carry them? To use them? As concerned citizens and as faithful Episcopalians who want to engage their baptismal promises of "striving for justice and peace among all people, and respecting the dignity of every human being," then this book study and conversation is for you. Purchase a copy of the book through Amazon right away and join a number of us from St. Paul's on Monday evening. I hope to see you on screen!

Please plan on joining in our Sunday Morning Adult Formation Conversation this coming Sunday, January 18th at 9:30a.m. as we discuss the April 16, 1963 Letter From Birmingham Jail, written by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during his incarceration in the Birmingham jail. Have we made any lasting racial reconciliation and progress in the past sixty-plus years when King penned this letter?

-- What's Happening at St. Paul's --

You are warmly invited to gather for Choral Evensong in thanksgiving for the life, work, and witness of The Rt. Rev. Hays Rockwell, IX Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri, at 5 p.m., Jan. 25, at Christ Church Cathedral.



This service offers a sacred space to remember and give thanks for Bishop Rockwell’s faithful leadership, pastoral presence, and enduring impact on the life of this diocese.

Through prayer, scripture, and the beauty of choral music, we will commend his life to God and reflect on the legacy of faith he leaves behind.

Clergy are invited to vest in cassock, surplice, and tippet. A light reception will follow the service, offering time for fellowship and shared remembrance. If you would like to contribute a finger food item to the reception, please email the Dean.



All are welcome to attend as we gather in gratitude, prayer, and hope, trusting in God’s promise of resurrection and life everlasting.