A Message from Pastor Carrie

Over the last three weeks, we have been exploring how Scripture invites us to offer our gratitude to God as members of the St. Paul Lutheran Church community. The metaphor of the tree is just one way to understand how we, as a community, exist because we have a God who has planted us here and called us to put down ROOTS. We trust that God has never left us and has given us what we need to GROW. We also know from Scripture that we are called to REACH beyond our own community to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and care for the lonely. We continue to do this in many ways. Just a few of these were highlighted through video testimonies shared at the beginning of each worship service over the last three weeks.

This week, you should have received a letter along with your Estimate of Giving card to prayerfully consider. The letter provides information about your past and current giving and challenges you to think about how an increase in your 2027 giving could help St. Paul Lutheran continue moving forward in living out the ways we are a TREE in the community of Wyoming. The suggested increase amounts are intended to help us reach our goal of $35,000 in additional annual giving to support our proposed 2027 budget. They have been calculated proportionally based on your previous giving. These amounts are simply suggestions and a starting point for your family to pray and talk about. Maybe you are able to increase your giving by more than suggested, or maybe less. Your giving is about your own gratitude and conversation with God.

This coming Commitment Sunday is about GRATITUDE. It is about how God calls us to see the world as a place of ABUNDANCE. We don't have to look very far into the natural world to see how God continues to provide in abundance. There was a question Dale came across somewhere on the internet that didn't have an answer, and we have been debating it ever since:

Are there more stars in the universe or trees on earth?

I don't know if there is a way to prove this one way or another, but Dale and I have come down on different sides of this debate. This summer, as we were driving to a state forest campground to meet our family for a camping trip, we returned to the debate. As we drove into the forest, we passed a sign along the road, made of the typical brown-painted wood with yellow lettering found on state land. All it read was: "The answer is trees."

Scripture is clear: God is a God of abundance. Maybe not the kind of abundance the world tells us about, such as money, power, and fame. Rather, God's abundance is an abundance of love, hope, forgiveness, joy, and grace.

As we come together on Sunday to make our commitments in response to God's generosity, we will do so as a community gathered at the altar with open hands. Open hands ready to receive God's generosity of love, hope, forgiveness, joy, and grace.

See you in church! (And bring a friend!)

Pastor Carrie

Sunday, November 15, 2026

View Order of Worship

In-person and streamed live on our Church Facebook Page.

We hope to see you there! Bring a friend!

We’re excited to introduce “Pass the Torch,” a new series of workshops designed to give our members an opportunity to share their wisdom, hobbies, skills, and knowledge with the rest of us! We’ll kick off the series This Sunday, November 15, at 10:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall, with Tom Miller leading a helpful conversation about our Church Endowment fund, Estate Planning, and Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) as additional ways to support the ministry and mission of our congregation. This will be an opportunity to learn more about ways to give back to our church, ask questions, and explore how thoughtful financial and estate planning can help support future generations of ministry. While especially helpful for our senior members, everyone is welcome! Come learn, share, and discover how we can pass the torch of faith and generosity to those who follow.

This Sunday, November 15, is Commitment Sunday! As we continue our annual stewardship journey, “Rooted. Growing. Reaching.” Commitment Sunday is our opportunity to respond with gratitude for all that God is doing in and through our congregation. You should have received a stewardship mailing this week that included your 2026 giving update and a 2027 Estimate of Giving Card. Please prayerfully consider your estimate of giving for 2027 and bring your completed card forward with your offering on November 15. As we give thanks for the rootedness of our faith, the growth of our community, and the reach of our ministries, we celebrate the many ways God is working through our congregation.

Next Sunday, November 22, is Celebration Sunday! Join us as we celebrate the generosity of our congregation and give thanks for all that God is doing through us. Following worship, our Stewardship Team and Church Council invite everyone to stay for a Pie Social!

Join us on Wednesday, November 25, at 6:30 p.m. for our annual Thanksgiving Eve Worship service! As we gather in gratitude, we’ll give thanks for God’s many blessings and celebrate the gift of faith, family, and community. Come and prepare your heart for Thanksgiving as we worship together and give thanks to God!

Help us get ready for Christmas! Join us immediately following worship on Sunday, November 29, the First Sunday of Advent. Many hands are needed to help decorate our sanctuary and narthex for the Christmas season.

Tanzania Scholarship Update: Thank You for Your Generosity!

What an incredible expression of generosity! Our congregation received a total of $6,925 in gifts for

student scholarships in our partner congregations of Mtera and Migoli in Tanzania. That is enough to sponsor 15 students for an entire year of education!

As we celebrate Commitment Sunday and bring our stewardship journey, “Rooted. Growing. Reaching.” to this important moment, these scholarships are a reminder that what God is doing here doesn't stay here. Through your generosity, we are reaching beyond our own community, sharing Christ's love, and helping provide opportunities for children to learn and grow. Thank you so much (Asante sana!) for making a difference in the lives of these students and their families.

ROOTED. GROWING. REACHING.

Something Exciting Is Taking Root Among Us!

Our Rooted. Growing. Reaching. five-week stewardship journey is underway.

Find out more by clicking here.

Advent Midweek Soup Suppers & Worship.

Join us Wednesday evenings beginning December 2 as we gather for our Advent Midweek Soup Suppers and worship!

This year’s Advent theme is “Bless This Waiting.”



Advent is a season of waiting, longing, and hope as we prepare to welcome the Christ child into this world. Yet we struggle in the waiting. We know the darkness of disappointment, the ache of uncertainty, and the yearning for God among us. In the midst of our waiting, God meets us with a hope that sustains, a peace that grounds, a joy uplifts and a love that transforms.

You're invited to join us for “Bless This Waiting,” a journey of discovering God’s blessings in the waiting. Together we will anticipate the world-changing good news of Christmas. Each week, we will explore a different blessing: Bless This Hope, Bless This Peace, Bless This Joy, and Bless This Love. These themes will shape our Sunday morning worship and our Wednesday evening “Light of the World” Evening Vesper services. May this holy season of anticipation give us space to trust that even in the waiting, God is at work bringing light, love, and new life into our world.

On these Wednesday evenings we’ll share a meal together at 5:30 p.m., followed by our Light of the World evening vespers service at 6:30 p.m. Come enjoy a warm bowl of soup, meaningful fellowship, and a time of worship as we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ.

There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex to help provide and serve soup one of the evenings.

We look forward to sharing this special Advent journey together!

Supper for all ages and families will be served from 5:45–6:15 p.m., with Joyful Noise children’s choir and Confirmation to follow.

It’s time to get ready for our annual Children’s Christmas Program! All children and youth ages 3 through 6th grade are invited to participate. Rehearsals will be on Wednesdays, November 18, from 6:15 - 7:00 p.m., and Wednesdays, December 2 and 9, from 5:45 - 6:15 p.m. If you are unable to attend all the rehearsals, please reach out to Pastor Carrie. The Program will be Sunday, December 13, at 9:00 a.m.

You are reminded that a Prayer Wall has been created in our Prayer Room as a sacred space to remember loved ones and honor those who have served. This beautiful wall, built by Jamie Hyrkas with faith, love, and prayer, serves as a lasting reminder that we hold one another in prayer.

You are invited to request the name of a deceased loved one to be added to the Prayer Wall. Requested names will be engraved monthly, creating a continuing place of remembrance, faith, and hope within our church. When we lift up our loved ones in prayer, we keep their memory alive.

Thank you for helping us create a wall that reflects the power of prayer and the strength we find when we pray together. Instructions for requesting a name to be added are available on handouts in the Prayer Room or by contacting Melissa in the Church Office.

Fall Quilt Raffle

This year, we have three beautiful quilts available to win.

Raffle proceeds will once again support college scholarships for graduating seniors in our congregation. Sponsored by our St. Paul Lutheran Humble Bees Quilting & Sewing Group.

Our quilting and sewing group, the Humble Bees, meets on the second Monday of each month at 12:30 p.m. at church.

No experience is necessary, this is a wonderful opportunity to learn how to quilt or sew, share your skills, or simply enjoy time together in fellowship. Whether you’re an experienced quilter, a beginner, or just curious, you are invited to join the group. And bring a friend!

Pulmonary Hypertension

High Blood Pressure in the Lungs

Pulmonary hypertension means high blood pressure in the arteries that carry blood from your heart to your lungs. The right side of your heart must work harder to push blood through these vessels. Over time, this extra strain can weaken your heart. Pulmonary hypertension is serious, but treatment can help you feel better and live longer.

Know the signs

Symptoms often start slowly. At first, you may feel short of breath only when you are active. Later, breathing may be hard even while resting. Other signs include unusual tiredness, chest pain or pressure, a racing heartbeat, dizziness, or fainting. Your feet, ankles, legs, or belly may swell.

These symptoms can also come from other health problems. Do not assume you have pulmonary hypertension based on symptoms alone. See a healthcare provider to find out what is causing them.

What causes pulmonary hypertension?

Pulmonary hypertension often develops because of heart or lung disease. Other causes include old blood clots in the lungs and certain inherited conditions. Sometimes the cause is unknown. Pulmonary arterial hypertension is one type of Pulmonary hypertension that involves damage to the lung arteries. Knowing the cause helps your care team choose treatment.

How is it diagnosed?

Your provider will ask about your symptoms and health history. Tests may include blood work, breathing tests, and an ultrasound of your heart, called an echocardiogram. To confirm Pulmonary hypertension, a doctor may guide a thin tube through a vein into the right side of your heart. This test measures pressure in your heart and lung arteries.

Treatment offers hope

Treatment depends on the type and cause of Pulmonary hypertension. The goal is to manage symptoms and help you live longer. Your care team can explain which treatments fit your needs. Ask what type of Pulmonary hypertension you have, what your treatment should do, and which symptoms you should report. Pulmonary hypertension can affect everyday tasks, such as shopping, dressing, or preparing meals. Tell your provider if these tasks become harder or your symptoms

change. Getting a diagnosis and treatment early can help you manage this condition.

We are blessed to have knowledgeable, caring nurses in our congregation. If you have any questions for Joanna or Jamie, contact the main office.

Monthly Financial Stewardship Update

Through September 30, 2026

General Fund Offering Received: $174,521.00

Total Revenue Received: $221,861.00

Total Expenses: $216.208.00

Net Revenue: $5,654.00

Detailed monthly financial reports are located in the

Church Council meeting minute binder in the church library

Please contact our Church Council Treasurer, Chris Timmons with any questions.

Click the purple button to give now using our newly updated and improved electronic giving page, still powered by Vanco. You can set up a one time or recurring gift. Thank you!

Sunday, November 15

Rooted. Growing. Reaching.

Stewardship Journey

Worship, 9:00 a.m.

Pass the Torch - Tom Miller, 10:30 a.m.

Vocal Choir, 6:00 p.m.

Bell Choir, 7:00 p.m.

.

Tuesday, November 17

Adult Bible Study,1:00 p.m.

Church Council Meeting, 5:30 p.m.

Boy Scouts, 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, November 18

The Table, 5:45 p.m.

Confirmation & High School Youth, 6:15 p.m.

Christmas Program Rehearsal, 6:15 p.m.

Sunday, November 22

Rooted. Growing. Reaching.

Stewardship Journey

Sacrament of Holy Baptism

Worship, 9:00 a.m.

Pie Celebration, After Worship

Vocal Choir, 6:00 p.m.

Bell Choir, 7:00 p.m.

LOOKING AHEAD

Thanksgiving Eve Worship - November 25

Advent Begins - November 29

Greening of the Church - November 29