Ensure that you are seeing the entire eBlast. If you see a notification at the bottom of the eBlast saying “[ message clipped] view entire message” please click on it to access the entire content.

eBlast

Season after Pentecost

Summer

June 29, 2025

8am spoken Eucharist

10:30am Choral Eucharist

Luke 9: 57, 58

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

Prayer of the Day

Sovereign God, ruler of all hearts, you call us to obey you, and you favor us with true freedom. Keep us faithful to the ways of your Son, that, leaving behind all that hinders us, we may steadfastly follow your paths, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

Our church directory was accidently shared this past week to an unknown source. Please check carefully before you respond to any emails or texts purporting to come from the church office, the pastor, staff, or council member.  If a message looks suspicious, don’t respond to the message; instead, find another way to contact the person to check its veracity. Again, do not respond to a suspicious message - check for misspellings, words used incorrectly, a formality to the message that doesn’t sound true. Block the message and report it as spam.We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Going forward, our church directory will not be shared except through secure channels.  

Unfortunately, we no longer live in a time when the church directory was printed and copies placed in members’ mailboxes and left on tables in the narthex. We will do better to make sure the information you share with us remains safe.

June is Pride Month

Thank you Marla, for the program celebrating Juneteenth!  The speakers were inspiring, and we thank all who attended.

In this time of suspension of diversity programs, and the willful attempt to erase history, Juneteenth celebrates the shared history of all Americans, for none of us are free until all people are free.

from the Pastor...

I’ve shared with you in the past how the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) operates in three expressions of church:

the local parish/congregation,

the synod,

and churchwide.

This summer, in Phoenix, Az, 845 elected members from churches and synods all across the US will meet to conduct the ‘business’ of the church: elect a presiding bishop (Bishop Eaton is retiring), and the secretary of the ELCA. ( Sue Rothmeyer is also retiring), and approve a budget.

As with all calls for clergy to congregations, mission fields, chaplaincy, and elections of clergy to the office of bishop, this is a transition for the church, as all of us: bishops, pastors, deacons, synod council members, parish council members, and the volunteers and members of the many and varied way we are church together, continues to seek and hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.  

Come and see!

Pastor Patt+

**Please note: I will NEVER ask members of the congregation, or contacts for money via email. I will NEVER ask anyone to send me gift cards or email me cash because of a personal emergency, or a pastoral concern. **

See you in September!

This is the last issue of the eBlast for this season. Our weekly newsletter will return September 5.

Please note, as our hardworking staff and volunteers take time away to rest and re-create, that we will not livestream worship for July and August; our weekly meetings and prayer opportunities will also be on hiatus. Please check the church calendar through the link in this eBlast, or on the church website: stpaulchurchnj.org

If you are vacationing this summer and wish to find a local ELCA congregation, check out elca.org/directory/congregations

And please share your bulletins with us when you return - we would love to see where you’ve been!

Faith Formation/ Education

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Is a popular and fun summer outreach program for children 

It is designed to engage children with Bible stories, songs, crafts, and other activities. It provides an opportunity for children to learn about God and build relationships with others. 

St Paul, along with St. James Episcopal, and Morsemere Community, are looking to host a vacation Bible school August 5, 6, 7, starting at 5PM with dinner (provided) and then a fun program of play, crafts, and song.  The activities are geared for children 6-12 years of age. The program will be hosted at St. James. Interested? Please let the office know stpaullutheranchurchnj@gmail.com by Wednesday, July 2.  

The Pray Ground is ready. This is a space at the front of the Sanctuary for children and their parents to play.

Come and see!

We Pray...



for Elizabeth

for an end to the strife in the Middle East

for those attending Churchwide Assembly 

for Yan as he heads to summer camp at Crossroads

for SNAP and all cuts threatened with the proposed federal government budget

We cannot end hunger without God’s help. And so we pray. When we pray, God hears our cries. Which is why we are asking you to pray today.

Members of Congress are currently considering proposals that would cut funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by 20 percent, the largest single reduction of domestic food assistance ever enacted.

SNAP is our country’s most important anti-hunger program. Each month, 42 million Americans depend on SNAP to help them afford groceries – of which 40 percent are children.

Please email your members of Congress and let them know you are praying they protect SNAP.

Individual Confession and Forgiveness, Saturdays by Appointment.

pastorstpaulteaneck@gmail.com

Translator ear buds are available! If you would like to hear worship in your native language, you need to download the app -

AICOOL Market from the APP Store. Ask a greeter for an earbud.

Submissions for the eBlast/

E Newsletter are due by 3 PM Tuesday.

+ + +

Celebrating our 100th Anniversary

St. Paul recalls…

In 1951 an architect had been commissioned; and by the end of 1952, the drawings for St. Paul's new physical building were completed and accepted. In January 1953, the congregation authorized the expenditure of $200,000 for the new building.

You can begin purchasing Gala Tickets NOW!

There are envelopes at church to accommodate a partial or full payment, or contact Sharla in the church office (201) 837 - 3819) or stpaullutheranchurchnj@gmail.com.

Love in Action/

Social Ministry

St. Paul will be preparing for the Walk-In dinner on July 14, starting at 10am, when the collected desserts will be wrapped.  Tuesday, July 15, the meals (sandwiches, fruit, salad, dessert) will be boxed to be taken to the Bergen County Shelter in Hackensack.  St. Paul participates with other churches, synagogues, temples, and other groups, to prepare a meal for the residents of the shelter 365/366 days a week.  Our church prepares meals three times a year and have in the past taken another date when another organization wasn’t available.

If you would like more information, or would like to participate, please check with Sharla at stpaullutheranchurchnj@gmail. com  for more information.

Our next volunteer opportunity will be in October.

Generosity

We started using ZOOM for meetings (and first for worship) in the early days of COVID-19; a way for us to gather in community when we couldn’t gather in person.  

Now, ZOOM has become invaluable to the church as we use it for Morning Prayer, and church meetings

Our subscription to ZOOM is !

$16.99/month - would you like to sponsor a month’s service?

Thank you in advance.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Every month, we celebrate the birthdays that fall within the month. We thank God for YOU and every day that you share in the mission of Jesus Christ - to share the story of love and acceptance offered to all.  

On your birthday Sunday, we encourage you to make a birthday offering to the Church - there are designated envelopes near the front door (narthex) It’s a fun way to remember your special day, and to ‘gift’ the church in remembrance

FLOWER CHART If you would like to contribute flowers for our chancel, please add your name to the list posted across from the kitchen. Thank you!

We thank you for supporting St. Paul with your intentional and loving gifts, which you can make either in person at worship, through Tithley ( link on the church website),

or mail your offering to: St. Paul Lutheran Church 941 Slocum Ave Ridgefield, NJ 07657.

 Thank you for your generosity and being a part of transforming our world!

We are feeding and clothing our neighbors; in the past few months, we have fed over 1,000 people per month.

We can't do this ministry without your generous support!



St Paul Church's only financial source is YOU!

+ + +

The Pantry, under Patricia’s leadership, is committed to bringing food to people who are leery of coming into the building. While we will no longer publicly post information about our feeding programs, we are still feeding people.

Bell Ringers!

If you can count to four, you can ring handbells!

For information, stpaulmusicmiki@gmail.com

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.

Martin Luther

Final Thought

Hast thou not seen?

All that is needful hath been

Granted in what he ordaineth.

Catherine Winkworth



Was this eBlast forwarded to you? You can sign up at….

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/yBtnaXR