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This Week at
St. Paul's Lutheran Church-Lionville
April 13, 2025
"Grow in Faith, Serve with Love, Invite into Fellowship"
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Palm/Passion Sunday
Sunday, April 13
8:00 am Traditional Service
9:15 am Faith Formation (for all ages)
10:30 am Contemporary Service
Attend in person or worship online
Everyone is welcome!
Second Sunday of Every Month:
4:00 pm - Rejoicing Spirits Service
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Our Prayer List.
We pray for Lois, Loretta, Christine, Larry, Eamon, Arthur, Hunter, Mike, Kim, Sue, Samantha, Gene, Dave, Nick, Ron, Elaina, Adam, Anne, Samantha D., Patty, Deb, Helene M., Samantha, Michael, Steven, Rick, Lucy, Janet K., Amy C., Ruth, Sid, Sandy L., Pat, Marlene, Garnet, Chip, and Jean. We lift up Daniel, Zach, Alistar, and Chris in the military. We pray for peace in Ukraine and the Middle East. We pray for those we now name aloud or lift up quietly in our hearts.
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Holy Week Services
We hope you can attend Holy Week worship services at St. Paul's and experience the full depth of God's love and power for your life! We will be offering the following services:
- Palm/Passion Sunday, April 13: 8:00 am and 10:30 am
- Wednesday Service, April 16, 7:00 pm: Continue watching the movie of the Gospel of Matthew
- Maundy Thursday, April 17, 6:00 pm: Seder meal celebration
- Good Friday, April 18, 7:00 pm: Tenebrae service of light and darkness
- Easter Sunday, April 20: 8:00 am and 10:30 am
More details about service are available on our website. We look forward to seeing you during Holy Week and on Easter!
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St. Matthew's Annual Easter Egg Hunt
St. Matthew's annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held Saturday, April 19 beginning at 10:00 am at St. Matthew's. All kids from toddlers through 5th grade are welcome to come participate in the egg hunt and other Easter-related activities. If you know you are coming, sign up here to help us with planning the event: April 19th St. Matthew's Egg Hunt.
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Holy Week Postcards
We have Holy Week postcards available for you to share with friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and acquaintances. It's amazing how a simple invite to church through a postcard can change someone's life. Feel free to grab a few and bless someone through our Holy Week and Easter services!
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Easter Breakfast
Let us take the fuss out of Easter Breakfast! Social Ministry will be serving up breakfast from 9:00 - 10:15 am on Easter Sunday, April 20. Come enjoy Brian Lloyd's famous homemade quiche along with French toast sticks, hash brown patties, sausage, fruit, and more. A freewill donation is requested and will be used to fund the lunches for the Living Love Lunch program and the Honey Brook Thanksgiving Food Drive. Come enjoy a delicious breakfast while helping others in our broader community. We understand plans can be somewhat fluid but please help give us an idea of how much food to make by signing up online. If you are able to help with the breakfast, sign up here.
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Chat and Chews Book Club
The Chat and Chews Sunday School Book Club will now meet on the THIRD Sunday of each month, after the late service in the Lounge next to the Hospitality Room. Our next meeting will actually be on the FOURTH SUNDAY on Sunday, April 27 due to Easter.
We will be reading "Ordinary Grace" by William Kent Kruegar. You do not have to finish the book or even read it to join us in a lively and faithful discussion. Please contact Gwen Werner or call the church office for more information. Happy Reading!
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Maundy Thursday Seder Meal
Our Service on Maundy Thursday, April 17 at 6:00 pm will be an interactive Seder Meal in Fellowship Hall which will serve as a Christian adaption of the Jewish Passover Seder. This will connect last year's Last Supper which we enacted on Maundy Thursday with the events of Jesus' crucifixion. We can use a few extra hands to help prepare the food on Maundy Thursday at noon. And, help at the service with food distribution and clean-up is always appreciated. Please sign-up online to help if you're able.
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Twin Valley Coffee Youth Fundraiser Now Open!
Our St. Paul's/St. Matthew's Youth Ministry has partnered with Twin Valley Coffee to raise funds. Our fundraiser will be completely contact-less. Twin Valley Coffee has created a unique online store for our team. Simply share the site with friends and family members near or far. Make sure to tell them that Twin Valley Coffee will roast and ship each order as soon as it is placed. The profit from every bag of coffee purchased and merchandise from our online store will add to our fundraising total. We will make $2.50 profit for every 12 oz. bag, $10 profit for every 5 lb. bag of coffee, and $3.50 profit for every “5 Small Cold Brews” card and “5 Large Cold Brews” card sold. We will make $1.00 on every “1 Small Cold Brew” and “1 Large Cold Brew” card sold. We will also make $5 profit for each apparel item and $3 profit for each drinkware item sold. Our fundraiser will run from April 11 to May 2.
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No Sunday School Easter Sunday
Please note that there will be no Sunday School on Easter Sunday, April 20.
No Crafters This Week
Please note that the crafters will not meet on Wednesday, April 16. They will resume meeting at 10 am on Wednesday, April 23.
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Church Office Closed Easter Monday
The church office will be closed on Monday, April 21 in observance of Easter Monday and to allow our staff time to celebrate Easter with their families. Regular hours (9:00 am - 4:30 pm Mondays - Thursdays) will resume on Tuesday, April 22.
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Holy Hilarity Sunday
This year we continue our “every other year” pattern of Holy Hilarity the Sunday after Easter. In the Greek early church there was a tradition of having a service of joy and celebration after Easter. The custom was rooted in the musings of early church theologians (like Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, and John Chrysostom) that God played a practical joke on the devil by raising Jesus from the dead. "Risus paschalis,” the Easter laugh the early theologians called it. (It’s also called Holy Humor or Bright Sunday in some traditions.) Like many things in the history of the church, this idea has made a resurgence in more recent years. Two years back we had a joyous celebration of Holy Hilarity and we hope you can attend and celebrate some fun and light-heartedness as God’s power has defeated all darkness and gloom!
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Parsonage Grant Research
We're currently forming a small team to do research to see if our historic parsonage is eligible for any grants. If you've looked into this in the past, have experience in grant writing or would like to be part of this team, please contact Jenn Pindle-Lloyd or Bryon Wornson.
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Help With High School Senior Dinner
We need help with the May 2 High School Senior Dinner. We're looking for people to take leadership roles in decoration planning and setup, as well as food planning and preparation. We also need folks to help with setup and cleanup for the event. Please sign up here to help: May 2nd Senior Dinner Help.
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Penny Wars Youth Fundraiser Update
Penny Wars will be EXTENDED through Sunday, April 27, with the losing pastor's performance to take place on May 4! As of Thursday, April 10, St. Matthew's has 14,596 points, and St. Paul's has 17,395! Total dollars raised so far are $395.61. If we raise a combined $1,000 or more between the two congregations, our Youth Director Craig Miller will ALSO be involved in the event! What are penny wars? For more detailed info about this friendly youth fundraiser competition with St. Matthew's Chester Springs, see the display in the Narthex.
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Exton/Lionville Ministerium Music Fest
Please join with the folks of our area as we celebrate the incredible musical gifts of our churches on Sunday, May 4 at 7:00 pm at St. Paul's Lutheran Church at 104 S. Village Avenue, Exton. (Online at YouTube.com/StPaulsLionville) The evening will feature a variety of music from our various local congregations followed by a time of fellowship with others!
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College Grads
Share your college graduate’s name, picture, college, degree, area of study, and future plans for a spotlight feature in the May newsletter! Please send photo and details to Maureen@StPaulsLionville.org
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Pop Up Thrift Store News!
Our pop up thrift store continues to be a huge success! Our April sale made over $2700, which will go towards local charities and repairs to the parsonage. Thank you to everyone who has supported the thrift store through donating items, helping to organize and price donations, working and promoting the sale, and shopping! Our next sale will be Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18 from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Due to our fantastic sales, we are in need donations, donations, donations! Home decor is our biggest seller, but we would love all items with the exception of outdated electronics and baby equipment that could have recalls. Donations may be left in the air locks between the entrance doors.
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Easter Family Pictures
On Easter Sunday, after each of the services, our wonderful photography team will be taking family portraits. Room 102 (across from the downstairs restrooms) will be available for you to stop by in your Easter best and get a free photo of you and your family!
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ASP Donations
Donation envelopes for our Appalachia Service Project trip are now hanging on the bulletin board in the Narthex, near the office and back parking lot exit. Donation amounts range from $10 to $200, and will cover things such as duct tape, drill bits, a tank of gas for the van, and a sponsorship of one of our youth participants. Just grab an envelope, fill out the card inside, and return it with your donation to the offering plate or church office.
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Younger Families "Family Faith Friends" Gathering
Younger families, come to our "Family Faith Friends" end-of-school-year gathering on Sunday, June 8 from noon to 3:00 pm at Warwick County Park! Families with kids in preschool through fifth grade are invited to join us for a barbecue and relaxed afternoon of food and fun at one of the park's pavilions. (Older and younger siblings are welcome, too.) Get to know other families at St. Paul's and St. Matthew's as we mark the completion of another school year and the start of summer! Families are asked to bring a side dish, snack, or dessert to share with the group; burgers, hot dogs, and beverages will be provided. RSVP here to be part of the fun: June 8th Family Faith Friends Gathering. For questions, contact Craig Miller at craigyouthmin@gmail.com.
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A Night with Chris Herren
On Tuesday, April 22, the CCIU, in partnership with Immaculata University, kicks off Mental Health Awareness Month with an unforgettable presentation by former NBA player Chris Herren. In this powerful evening, Chris shares his raw, inspiring journey from addiction to recovery. The event will take place at Alumnae Hall at Immaculata University (1145 W King Road, Immaculata, PA 19345. Click here to reserve your spot.
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Adult Leaders Needed for ASP
We need a few more adult leaders for our Appalachia Service Project work week this summer. We have enough youth signed up that we will be taking FOUR work crews on our July 12 -19 trip, but we still need two female and one male adult leaders to round out our group. If you can help or want more info, please contact Craig Miller at craigyouthmin@gmail.com as soon as possible!
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Youth Ministry News
For the most up-to-date event information and signup links,
go online to the Youth Ministry web page at StPaulsLionville.org/youth.
HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS - SAVE THE DATE! We will be having a special celebration and dinner for our 2025 high school graduates on Friday, May 2 from 6:30 to 9:00 pm at St. Matthew's. Further information is coming, but hold the spot on your calendar now!
CALLING ALL YOUTH - HELP NEEDED WITH OUR EASTER EGG HUNTS! We need 6th through 12th graders who can help hide eggs and run events for both congregations' Easter family events. Helpers are needed on Saturday, April 12 from 3:00 to 7:30 pm at St. Paul's, and on Saturday, April 19 from 8:30 to 11:00 am at St. Matthew's. Here are the signup links to help: April 12th St. Paul's Easter Event Help, and April 19th St. Matthew's Egg Hunt Help. Sign up for one, or sign up for both - the more help we get, the better the events will be for our younger kids!
CAR WASH HELP NEEDED - YOUTH AND PARENTS! On Sunday morning, April 27, youth in sixth through twelfth grade are encouraged to help us with our car wash fundraiser at St. Matthew's. We need plenty of help with washing (youth), as well as shuttling cars around (adults). The event will run from 8:00 am setup through 11:00 am cleanup. Sign up here to have some good, clean fun and raise money for our youth ministry: April 27th St. Matt's Car Wash.
APRIL 27TH YOUTH LASER TAG AND MINI GOLF AFTERNOON! After your busy morning helping with our car wash fundraiser (hint hint), spend a couple of hours unwinding with laser tag and mini golf at Grand Slam in Malvern. Meet at St. Matthew's at noon for pizza, then carpool to Grand Slam for an afternoon of fun, returning to St. Matthew's around 3:30 pm. Family cost is $20 for one participant, or $35 for two or more participants from the same household. Sign up here to save your spot: April 27th Laser Tag & Mini Golf.
OUR NEXT APPALACHIA SERVICE PROJECT PREP SESSION will be held on Sunday, May 4 from 4:00 until 5:30 pm at St. Paul's. Find out work crew assignments and where we will be serving in Central Appalachia this summer!
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Old Beach and Bath Towels Needed
If you have any old beach or bath towels, please consider donating them for the Boy Scouts to use to dry cars during their fundraising car washes for Eagle Scout projects. Towels may be given to Scott Heath on Sunday mornings or left in the storage room near the exterior stairs to the Fellowship Hall.
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Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Training
QPR teaches the everyday person how to recognize and respond to someone thinking about suicide. Just like the Heimlich or CPR, this is a skill which we hope to never use, but are prepared in an emergency. The training will be offered on Wednesday, May 28 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm in partnership with Chester County Hospital. Click here to register.
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Pave the Way Parking Lot Update
To learn more about this project and be part of God leading us forward, check out StPaulsLionville.org/parkinglot.
Project Finances as of 03/25/25:
Pledges: $60,720
Funds Received: $39,040
The drawing to the left shows our parking lot with a little over 100 spots.
- Each red car represents $1,000 in pledges.
- Each green car represents $1,000 in received funds.
- As the parking lot fills up with cars, we get closer to our goal of $100,000.
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