|
This Week at
St. Paul's Lutheran Church-Lionville
December 7, 2025
"Grow in Faith, Serve with Love, Invite into Fellowship"
| | | |
Second Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 7
8:00 am Traditional Service
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
| |  | |
Our Prayer List.
We pray for Linda, George, Ben, Belinda, Fran, Keith, Deb, Mary, Diana, Corky, William, Nancy Jane, Melissa, Jerry, Diana, Janet, Donna, Lois, Eamon, Arthur, Mike, Kim, Sue, Samantha M., Gene, Elaina, Adam, Anne, Samantha S., Helene M., Samantha, Steven, Rick, Lucy, Janet K., Amy C., Ruth, Sid, Sandy L., Pat, Marlene, Garnet, Chip, and Jean. We lift up Bianka, Liam, Daniel, Zach, and Alistair in the military. We pray for peace in Sudan, Ukraine, and the Middle East. We pray for those we now name aloud or lift up quietly in our hearts.
| | |
Christmas Eve Service Schedule
We will offer three services on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24:
- 4:00 pm - Children's Service
- 7:30 pm - Contemporary Service
- 10:00 pm - Traditional Service
Please note that there will only be one combined service at 9:30 am on Sunday, December 28.
| | |
Poinsettias for Sale
We will be getting red poinsettias in 6” pots that will decorate our altar on Christmas Eve. If you would like to purchase one in honor or memory of someone, please submit this form. Cost is $10 and we will put your message in our bulletin on Christmas Eve. Please make checks payable to “St. Paul’s Lutheran” and note on the memo line that it’s for poinsettias. You can take the poinsettias home after all the Christmas Eve services. Email Maureen with questions.
| | | |
Christmas Card Help Needed
The In Touch Ministry is sponsoring the mailing of the St. Paul's Christmas Greeting Card and we need help signing cards, stuffing and labeling envelopes. Join the fun in-between services on Sunday, December 7, 9:15 am, in the upstairs fellowship hall. All are invited to help out and a light breakfast will be served. Thank you!
| | |
Twin Valley Coffee Youth Fundraiser Now Open!
Coffee goodies make great stocking stuffers and hostess gifts, and we have the perfect way for you to purchase them! 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 (also accessible by scanning the QR code to the right). 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. Our fundraiser will run from November 28 to December 12.
| | |
Sunday School Christmas Pageant
On Sunday, December 21 at the 10:30 am service, our children will share a wonderful presentation to get us ready for the coming joy of Christmas. We are sure their portrayal of the story of Christmas will delight everyone! Even if you normally attend the early service, you might want to come back and enjoy the children sharing their faith and talents with the congregation!
| | | |
Pop-Up Thrift Store
Our next pop up thrift store will be on Saturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7 from 8:00 am - 2:00 pm in the parsonage. Donations, especially of home decor items, are welcome and may be left in the airlock between the two sets of double doors at the front of the church.
| | |
Inviting for Christmas!
As mentioned in the Pastor's page of the December newsletter, the simple act of inviting someone to join us for services and making them feel welcome can be a big help in letting them learn more about St. Paul's. We would like to encourage our members to invite others to join us for our Christmas Eve services, and there are two simple ways to do this. As in past years, 18x24" lawn signs announcing our service times are available in the narthex, and we would love you to place one in your yard if you live on a high-traffic street. The second method anyone can use. It's a simple Christmas themed postcard listing our Christmas Eve services. Please give them out to friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, and anyone you think might be interested. Every year there are people who visit St. Paul's for the first time at Christmas and this becomes their new church home. What a joy that your simple invite could bless their faith journey!
| | |
Freddy's Youth Fundraiser
Looking to skip cooking dinner in December? Please come support the St. Matthew’s Youth Group on Wednesday, December 10 from 4:00 - 8:00 pm and order dinner at Freddy’s (221 Eagleview Blvd., Exton). A portion of the proceeds will benefit the St. Matthew's/St. Paul's Youth Ministry. Please just let them know you are there for the St. Matthew’s Fundraiser. We look forward to seeing you and thank you for your support.
| | | |
Anxious Generation Book Club
OUR NEXT "THE ANXIOUS GENERATION" BOOK STUDY will be on Sunday, December 14 from 3:00 to 4:30 pm at St. Matthew's. Parents with children in preschool through fifth grade are welcome to join us as we talk about issues around children and social media. Even if you haven't been able to attend until now, you are still invited to participate. This month's conversation will focus on the third section of the book, The Great Rewiring: The Rise of the Phone-Based Childhood.
| | |
Youth Ministry "Alumni" Open House
WE WILL HAVE A SPECIAL YOUTH MINISTRY 'ALUMNI' OPEN HOUSE on Sunday, January 4 from 6:00 to 8:00pm at St. Paul's! College students home on break and other young adults from St. Matthew's and St. Paul's are invited to come for an informal opportunity to reconnect and catch up with your faith friends from high school, and to put your mark on our new youth room. Food and drinks will be provided Please RSVP here if you would like to attend: January 4th Alumni Open House.
| | |
Toys for Tots Drive
Our annual Toys for Tots collection is underway! Toys for Tots estimates that it will give 20,000 children in Chester and Montgomery Counties toys this holiday season. Toys for Tots is seeking new, unwrapped toys for children up to age 18. The age group most in need of gifts is older children and teens. This year, we will be putting tags on our Angel Tree for Toys for Tots, so please take a tag or two! All donations are due to St. Paul's no later than Sunday, December 7.
Thank you in advance for your continued support of this charity drive!
| | |
Christmas Carols at Rejoicing Spirits
Our next Rejoicing Spirits service will be a special Christmas service on Sunday, December 14 at 4:00 pm. This is an informal, inclusive and adapted service open to all in the community, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, regardless of faith background. The service includes joyous music, singing and brief, meaningful, pastor-led sermons. We invite everyone to join us for Christmas carols at the beginning of this service.
| | | |
Adult Leaders Needed for ASP
WE STILL NEED SEVERAL MALE AND FEMALE ADULT LEADERS FOR NEXT SUMMER'S APPALACHIA SERVICE PROJECT WORK WEEK! As we get ready for our July 11-18, 2026 work week in Central Appalachia, we need to get our adult leaders in place in order to determine how many youth we can accommodate. We need a MINIMUM of four male and four female leaders to take all of the youth who are likely to participate this year. If you are interested in helping, please contact Craig Miller at craigyouthmin@gmail.com, or 484-320-0785, as soon as possible.
| | |
Chat and Chews Book Club
The Chat and Chews Sunday School Book Club meets on the THIRD Sunday of each month, after the late service in the Lounge next to the Hospitality Room. Our next meeting will be on Sunday, December 21, and we will discuss 2 books: "Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop, by Jenny Colgan, and we will continue "Prayer--Does it Make a Difference" (Part 2), by Philip Yancey. 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 at ggwerner@verizon.net or call the church office for more information. Happy Reading!
| | |
Growing in Giving Estimate of Giving
Each year in our stewardship emphasis we encourage every family to fill out an estimate of giving card. This can be dropped in the offering plate at worship, but you are also welcome to do so at StPaulsLionville.org/estimate. Thank you so much!
| | | |
Living Love Lunches
Our next Living Love Lunches lunch packing event will be on Tuesday, December 9 at 6:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. Each month, St. Paul's Living Love Lunches program packs 50 lunches to help feed the homeless people of Chester. Please join us!
| | |
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.
OUR ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL TRIP TO ELMWOOD PARK ZOO WITH STUDENTS FROM GEMMA SERVICES is coming up on Sunday, December 7! All ninth through twelfth graders are invited to help make the Christmas season a bit brighter for some elementary-aged kids who are in challenging family situations by taking them through Elmwood's "Wild Lights" holiday display. We'll meet at St. Matthew's at 4:15 pm to carpool to Elmwood Park Zoo and meet the Gemma Services group at 5:00 pm, returning to St. Matthew's around 8:30 pm. The cost will be $10 per person; if you wish to chip in additional money to help cover admission for our guests, you are welcome to do that as well. Sign up here to take part: Dec. 7th Trip to Elmwood Park Zoo.
THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MANIA! CHRISTMAS PARTY will be on Saturday, December 20 from 4:00 to 5:30 pm at Pastor Stuart's house. Come have a fun, festive afternoon with plenty of food, games, and our traditional gift exchange! Be sure to bring an inexpensive ($5 or less), WRAPPED gag gift. All 6th through 8th graders are invited, including friends. Sign up here to join the merriment: Dec. 20th Middle School MANIA! Christmas Party.
OUR HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH CHRISTMAS PARTY will be on Sunday, December 21 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Pastor Stuart's house. Spend an evening with friends having fun, playing games, and of course taking part in our annual gift exchange! (Bring an inexpensive, WRAPPED gag gift for the exchange.) All 9th through 12th graders are invited, including friends. Sign up here: Dec. 21st High School Christmas Party.
COLLEGE PANEL FOR HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH AND PARENTS - On Sunday, January 4, from 4:00 to 5:30 pm, we will provide another opportunity for older high school youth to sit with current college students and learn from their experiences. This year, we will also offer a chance for high school parents to talk to college parents to get their advice on how to navigate the process of preparing for college with their student. Sign up here to participate: January 4th College Information Panel.
THE WINTER-SPRING YOUTH EVENT SCHEDULE is now posted and available on the church website's youth page; be sure to check it out and block out dates for upcoming activities!
| |
SCAN QR CODE TO SIGN UP FOR YOUTH EVENTS
| | |
Year End Giving
Please remember your year end giving as we come into the final quarter of 2025. If you are able to complete your estimate of giving or even be a little extra generous, this will help us end the year with a balanced budget! Thanks so much for all you give to empower the ministry that takes place at St. Paul's!
| | | |
Coffee Fellowship Help
The holidays will be here before we know it,. and it's a great time to share some tasty treats and fellowship! Coffee fellowship sign ups through December are now available. You can sign up in the narthex or online.
| | |
Quiet Christmas Offerings
The Exton-Lionville Ministerium is offering three Christmas events to bring the hope of Christmas to all people, especially this in the midst of grief.
-
A Blue Christmas Worship Service will be held on Wednesday, December 10 at 7:00 pm at Covenant Presbyterian Church (400 Lancaster Avenue, Malvern). This service will be a quiet time of music, scripture, prayer, and silence.
-
A Quiet Christmas Worship will be held on Sunday, December 21 at 3:00 pm at Grove United Methodist Church (490 Boot Road, West Chester). This event will be a peaceful time to bring all you carry with you to God.
-
A Candlelit Musical Solstice Celebration will be held on Sunday, December 21 at 7:00 pm at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church (2440 Conestoga Road, Chester Springs). This celebration will feature contemplative music with the band Hinton Bower Jones.
| | |
December 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 12/02/25:
Pledges: $101,425
Given: $94,295
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.
| | | | |
