Good Friday & Easter Worship |
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Scripture Lesson: Mark 16:1-8
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Registration is required for in-person services. Click here to sign up! Please join us for the following:
Good Friday, April 2
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3:00PM Call-In Devotional: 412-485-0213
Easter Saturday, April 3
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7:30PM Call-In Devotional: 412-485-0213
Easter Sunday, April 4
- 6:30AM Sunrise Service at Mt. Royal Cemetery (registration not required)
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This outdoor service will take place, rain or shine! Follow the directional signs.
- Masks and social distancing are required. Coffee/refreshments will not be available as an added measure of safety.
- 8:30AM Sanctuary Worship (also livestreamed*)
- Music will begin at 8:15AM
- 9:30AM Fellowship Hall Worship
- Featuring music of Lifeboat Praise Band
- 10:30AM Sanctuary Worship (full)
- Music will begin at 10:15AM
- 11:45AM Parking Lot Service
- This service will be held in our upper parking lot. It will be broadcast over 106.1 FM, or weather permitting, bring your chairs to sit outside.
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Easter Flowers and Communion Elements |
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If you are tuning in from home this Easter, you are welcome to come pick up consecrated, prepackaged communion elements between 1:00-2:30PM this Sunday. You may also pick up your Easter flowers during this time. |
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Most people in the Nyadire region of Zimbabwe have never been to an eye doctor. Poor eyesight affects their ability to learn, work, and simply enjoy life. Check this week's Lenten Calendar to learn how the Faith Geer Memorial Eyeglasses Program is making a difference!
In 2015, Faith Geer wrote, "Our newest project was distributing used eyewear. We took over 2000 pairs of distance and reading glasses to give to folks. We were taught how to measure their vision, took the numbers, and matched them to used glasses. It's truly the Holy Spirit working overtime as we matched glasses to eyes that can now see! What an honor it was to be a part of this miracle! Donations are still needed... please consider donating used eye glasses to give to Vision Mission to distribute. Open my eyes that I may see, visions of truth you have for me..."
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Congratulations, Team Sawyer! |
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Team Sawyer has expressed an enormous, heartfelt "Thank you" for all of your love, support and prayers during Landen, Avery & Ellis' Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Students of the Year campaign. The boys had an amazing campaign, we are so grateful and feel truly blessed. Team Sawyer won, raising over $100,000 for LLS' groundbreaking research and earning two grants in Sawyer's name and memory! The research grants will be designated in pediatric AML and CAR-T Cell. They also set the new record for most ever raised by a Pittsburgh's Students of the Year team, crushing the old record by nearly $19,000. |
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Father Paul Abernathy, founder of the Neighborhood Resilience Project (NRP) will be speaking at the Working for Justice Ministry this Thursday, April 8 at 7:00PM. This is a local, very unique program helping communities near us that are in need. One attribute of their exceptional focus is Trauma-Informed Community Development. Please join us, learn about the NRP, and maybe find an opportunity to grow as a disciple.
Working for Justice Meeting - Thursday, April 8 at 7:00PM
Meeting ID: 858 5089 0865
Passcode: 594015
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Wholeness & Healing Service (Next Week) |
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Our Wholeness & Healing Service on Sunday, April 11 at 7:00PM will take place in the Sanctuary! Please register if you would like to attend. We will also still offer the service on Zoom, and a link will be provided next week if you would like to attend from home.
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UMW is sponsoring a Zoom Game Night on Monday, April 12 from 7:00-9:30PM. All women are welcome to attend! We hope to see you!
Please join in for a fun time with others playing games, meeting new people, and catching up with friends. Bring along your favorite snack and beverage to make it feel like a real party. Print this BINGO card and fill it in with your own numbers (B 1-15, I 16-30, N 31-45, G 46-60, O 61-75). We will reuse the cards for each game, so use pennies, buttons, or anything small as your markers.
We will start the evening off with an ice breaker question: If you could go anyplace, where would you like to go?
UMW Game Night - Monday, April 12 at 7:00PM
Meeting ID: 862 7334 6339
Passcode: UMW41221
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Volunteers Needed - Migrant Children in Pittsburgh Area |
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A provider in the Pittsburgh Area, Holy Family Institute, has had a unique volunteer opportunity arise. As of March 29, Holy Family Institute expects to receive 80 migrant children, ages 3-12, as part of the response to the crisis at the border. The Federal Government is working directly with Holy Family Institute to make the accommodations.
The children will stay at the new Holy Family Institute (HFI) location in Coraopolis (Our Lady of Sacred Heart School campus). Children will be at HFI until they are connected to their sponsors (approx.: 10-15 days)
Sr. Linda Yankoski (President/CEO) and Lynn Guerra (Director of Volunteer Services) of Holy Family Institute are looking for volunteers to support the children in the following ways:
Volunteers are needed for all 3 shifts (6:30AM-2:30PM, 2:30PM-10:30PM, 10:30PM-6:30AM), and are also needed to help supervise children ages 3-12, assist with cleaning and disinfecting play areas, serve meals, and do laundry.
- All volunteers need to have current clearances
- Bilingual volunteers are greatly appreciated!
- Volunteers who have childcare and disaster/trauma experience may be beneficial (Brethren Disaster Service’s Children’s Disaster Service-trained volunteers may like this opportunity)
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If you would like to sign up to gift altar flowers to beautify our chancel, please do so by the Tuesday before the Sunday of your choice. Sign up by clicking here! Acknowledgements can be included in our Worship Guide, so be sure to add a comment. Contact the church office with questions.
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Happy Easter from Pastor Jeff |
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There is still time to sign up for Easter weekend services! While the 10:30AM service in the Sanctuary is full (limited to 60), there is still room at the Saturday service at 6:00PM, at the 8:30AM service in the Sanctuary, and at the 9:30AM service in Fellowship Hall. Of course the Sunrise Service at Mt. Royal Cemetery at 6:30AM has no limit, as it is out of doors, and we are not requiring registration. And the 11:45AM service in the parking lot is likewise unlimited, although registration is required. Holy Communion will be offered at all services on Saturday and Sunday except the Sunrise Service.
If you haven’t viewed the wonderful Maundy Thursday video produced by the Children’s Ministry of St. Paul’s, please take time to do so! And regarding livestreaming of services for the Easter weekend, we will attempt to livestream the Sunrise Service on our Facebook page, only. The 8:30AM service will be livestreamed from the Sanctuary on Facebook, YouTube, and our website.
I know that some of you have expressed regret that we were not able to expand our numbers for indoor services for Easter like we had planned, but the local COVID warning signs were just too strong. The University of Pittsburgh was imposing a lockdown because of one of the new variants of COVID being too widespread on campus, and this variant has been spreading throughout the county, as well. We urge all of you to pursue an opportunity to be vaccinated, as the field is widened in the next couple of weeks. The sooner we get everyone vaccinated, the quicker we will reach levels of immunity that could see us returning to normal. It is important to note that this will be a long, and frustratingly slow “return” to normal, not at all like just throwing a switch and saying all is better now. Let us work for normal, pray for patience, and continue to protect one another with care.
With all we have been through since before LAST Easter, it’s hard to believe that Easter is almost here. We experience the Holy Week journey best when we don’t skip over Good Friday, and the waiting. Hopefully, it won’t be too late to join us for the evening Good Friday service at 7:30PM, as you read this, but if so, I encourage you to find a quiet place to get off by yourself and use your imagination to “think through” the plight of Jesus, through his trial before Pilate, his beating and humiliation at the hand of the Roman guard, and his painful experience of the cross. And make sure you take time to wait. Don’t “jump” too quickly to Easter, lest the suffering, pain, and sacrifice of the Christ be diminished in our hearts.
However, if there was ever a year when we all needed a “resurrection,” this is the year. May the joy of Easter be a cathartic balm for all of us this year, and may God’s saving, healing, and comforting grace be doled out abundantly to all by God’s loving hand. Grace and peace, Beloved! Shalom. AND Happy Easter!
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Effective 3/31/21, COVID vaccines are available to any person in the 1A group including law enforcement, firefighters, grocery store workers, and food/agriculture workers. On April 5, PA will move to Phase 1B for vaccinations. On April 12, Phase 1C will arrive. On April 19, Phase 2 arrives. Click here to learn about each phase, and click here for updates about how you can register for your vaccine.
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Join Us for Pastor Jeff's Final Bible Study Series |
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Pastor Jeff will pick up the Wednesday 9:00AM and 7:30PM Bible Study next Wednesday, and will offer six weeks of study on some of the major themes (as he sees it) from the pages of scripture. Since four of the five weeks are looking at passages in the Hebrew Bible, expect that Pastor Jeff will entice Pastor Chad to join us when he can, too, as the Hebrew Bible—what we call the “Old Testament”—is in his wheelhouse! Here are the scriptures we will be looking at over the next six weeks:
Wednesday, April 7 – Genesis, chapters 1-3 – the Creation Story
Wednesday, April 14 – Exodus, chapters 19-20, and 25:1-22 – the Law Begins
Wednesday, April 21 – I Samuel 17 – the Story of David and Goliath
Wednesday, April 28 – Job, chapters 38-42 – the Climax of the Story of Job
Wednesday, May 5 – II Corinthians 4 – the Story of the Treasure in Clay Jars
Wednesday, May 12 – Revelation, chapters 1-3 – the Letters to the Churches
As mentioned earlier, this weekly study is offered at both 9:00AM and 7:30PM on Wednesday, and it will be via the Zoom platform. Please use the following links:
9:00AM
7:30PM
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Pastor Karen's Bible Study |
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The warmer weather brings thoughts of spring cleaning, decluttering and, YES, St. Paul's Yard Sale. 2020 was an unfortunate year and we all missed our annual sale. 2021 will be a little different; here are the plans:
- PLANT AND GARDEN TENT SALE -- Saturday, June 5th (with set up on Friday, June 4th). We will be accepting house plants, flower pots, nursery pots, seedlings, annuals, perennials, seeds and garden flags and decor. Tents and tables will be spread throughout the lawn to provide for social distancing and masks will be required. As in the past, we will "bring a pot, take a pot". Drop off your pots between the sheds on the far side of the parking lot and take one as needed. It's time to start your seeds and dig out your perennials to donate.
- YARD SALE -- The annual sale will be moved to Friday, August 13th, and Saturday, August 14th, with the option of cancelling if need be. Collections will run from Saturday, August 7th through Thursday, August 12th. Truck pickups will be Saturday, August 7th only. Due to COVID concerns, we will not be collecting adult clothing, linens, stuffed animals and books. Children's clothing will be accepted and must be laundered before donating.
More detailed information will follow shortly. The Yard Sale Team is looking forward to seeing all of you again.
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Children & Youth Ministries |
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Children's Ministry Update |
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Check out new opportunities to be in ministry!
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