Maundy Thursday, April 2
Institution of the Lord's Supper and Stripping of the Altars
6:30 PM

Good Friday, April 3
The Solemn Liturgy and Singing of the Passion
12:00 PM

Holy Saturday, April 4
Proper Liturgy of the Day at 9:00 AM
Rosary at 9:30 AM
The Great Vigil and First Eucharist of Easter
8:30 PM

Easter Day, April 5
Solemn Choral Eucharist of the Resurrection
8:00 AM and 10:30 AM

RESTART COVENANT
Progress Report from the Implementation Team
 
The Implementation Team was created to manage the implementation of a strategy for the growth of St. Paul’s that came from the Ministry Architects assessment in March 2014. The work with Ministry Architects comes from the Vestry decision to enter into a covenant with the Diocese, know as the Restart Covenant, for the purpose of revitalizing and stabilizing ministries to better position ourselves for growth and to respond to the needs of a community that is changing around us.
 
Thanks to many ministry leaders and other volunteers who stepped forward when called, the Implementation Team was able to address most of the pressure points and tasks designated for June through December, including:

• Facilities Update and Development - The upstairs storage room was transformed into a new Music Suite; the nursery was moved into the former choir room, providing much more space for our youngest, and the former nursery became, once again, a Vesting Sacristy. Also, a Children’s Corner was created in the Parish Hall, giving children a dedicated space to play during Coffee Hour or other appropriate times.

• Christian Education Opportunities - A second Sunday morning formation option is now offered most Sundays for adults; Godly Play is offered for two age levels and is now held during the formation hour; a Children’s Chapel during the 10:30 am Mass is now offered for children four and over.

• Community Outreach opportunities - The “Muddy Cassock” ministry opportunities continue with a pet blessing at the Pearl in October and plans for blessing marathon runners; Government Hill’s National Night Out was held at our Pavilion in October and promoted within the parish; a team will be formed to continue exploring these opportunities.

• Own Identify More Fully - A team has been formed to explore additional worship opportunities.

• Volunteer Appreciation Dinner - A catered dinner to thank the many volunteers who minister at St. Paul’s was held in August;

• Leadership Launch - The first Leadership Launch was held in August to explore the idea of creating and stabilizing our administrative infrastructure with volunteer job descriptions and processes for training;

• A Fall Kick-Off for programs was held in September;

• Job descriptions for some ministry positions as well as policies addressing the nursery and Safeguarding God’s Children have been drafted;

• Work has begun on a new website for St. Paul’s

• A Visioning Retreat was held which involved nearly thirty leaders in the church who drafted a mission statement and statement of values and identified three and five year goals.

The work of the Implementation Team continues through December 2015. The focus in the coming few months is on evaluating communication methods used in the church, finishing the work begun with volunteer job descriptions and ministry training opportunities to include in a Church Manual, completing work on policies (especially related to Safeguarding God’s Children), and continuing to identify and recruit volunteers and provide volunteers the tools necessary to be successful in their ministries.
 
The team will also continue to work with the Vestry on physical renovations that support our ministries. The Ministry Architects timeline mentions renovating the Parish Hall and Parlor area for more meeting space and better function for current needs (including a permanent Children’s Corner in the Parish Hall), landscaping the grounds and columbarium to enhance the beauty of the property and provide meditative space, renovating the office area of the church to create better function for employees and more meeting spaces, and working with the school for a building addition. The Vestry will also draw from the “Master Plan”  for development created several years ago and which provides greater detail for some of these projects.
 
Susan Keyes and Michele McCall (co-chairs), Rick Mashburn, Beverly Wong, and Fr. Brad Landry serve on the Implementation Team. Alicia Daniels and her prayer team continue to pray for the work of the team and for the many volunteers who help our dreams for the parish become reality.

CHILDREN'S MINISTRIES AT ST. PAUL'S
The Godly Play calendar for the spring includes another Sunday “off.” There will be no Godly Play on April 5 (Easter Sunday).
 
The last Godly Play session for the semester is May 17. The last several sessions will focus on Eucharist. More details to come!
 
Please be aware that our Godly Play program is separate from both the nursery and Children’s Chapel programs. Both nursery and Children’s Chapel will be available at the usual times on those dates that Godly Play is not in session. If you have any questions about our children’s ministries, please contact Dorothy Darius at dorothy.darius@gmail.com.

FINANCIAL UPDATE
February 2015
 
In February, operational expenses totaled $35.4K while income received in February totaled $28K resulting in a monthly operating deficit of $7.4K.

Our year to date results: Income $56.5K, Expenses $76.3K with a total deficit of $19.8K.

We will continue our efforts to monitor expenses throughout the year to minimize and manage the deficit in our operational budget. For questions or additional information, please contact the treasurer's office at treasurer@stpauls-satx.org 

Bev Wong
Treasurer
  

ADULT FORUMS
Sundays in the Parish Hall
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM




April 5
No Adult Forum

April 12
David White and Father Brad will give a presentation on the church calendar and specifically how we arrived at the date of Easter.

April 19 - May 31
The Gospel of John, Insights and Exercises
During these seven weeks we will look at the gospel of John in an effort to answer together the following and other questions. Please bring your own Bibles and questions. Our efforts will be facilitated by Phyllis Kraft who will suggest various approaches. By struggling together we can learn more.  
 
How can/do we look at the gospel?  What is my approach?
Was the gospel developed by a community of people?  by someone named John?
How do the gospel's themes bear on our contemporary living? a psychological approach.
How does the author endeavor to show us the "mind of Christ"?  John as a discursive document.
What is the "mysticism" of the gospel and how does it affect my own spirituality?
What is the value for us today of "signs and wonders", i.e., miracles?
 

MUSIC AT ST. PAUL'S
Fundraising has begun for 2015! Support your parish music program by donating to the St. Paul's Music Fund. The program relies solely on your monetary support to continue. Donor cards have been mailed to parishioners and friends of the guild. Click below to print a card and donate today.

For more information about that music program and the work of the Soli Deo Gloria Guild, contact John Hare, Organist/Choirmaster at johnhare@stpauls-satx.org.

News from the Headmistress
Sharing the message of Easter with Children.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Through the period of Lent and especially as we approach the Holy Week many Christians are thinking about and reflecting on the sacrifice of Jesus. However, when we are thinking about it with small children, it’s hard to know what to say so they can appreciate it and yet not be disturbed or scared!

As I've worked with this material over the years and with children of different ages, I've come to appreciate it so much. In a very gentle way, without becoming overly emotional, this material takes children to the heart of our faith - through the Last Supper and Jesus’ death to the joy and hope that is the resurrection. Proclaiming the Christian message to children does not mean stressing Christ’s suffering and death, but rather that by passing through suffering and death, Christ came to the resurrection  Christ is risen.Over fifty years ago, Sofia Cavalletti a Hebrew and Scripture scholar and Gianna Gobbi her Montessori collaborator, came up with a brilliant idea that allows the children to think about the story. The city of Jerusalem Map is one of the works in our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Atrium.

This is an amazing work that allows us to walk along side Jesus through his last days, his death and his resurrection. Children come to understand that Jerusalem was a real city, and become familiar with its features. They also begin to appreciate that Jesus spent some of the most important moments of his life in Jerusalem.

As I've worked with this material over the years and with children of different ages, I've come to appreciate it so much. In a very gentle way, without becoming overly emotional, this material takes children to the heart of our faith-- through the Last Supper and Jesus’ death to the joy and hope that is the resurrection. Proclaiming the Christian message to children does not mean stressing Christ’s suffering and death, but rather that by passing through suffering and death, Christ came to the resurrection, Christ is risen.

We can show children the cross and the tomb, but we always remove the cross and replace it with a candle. The candle is lit as we sing “The light of Christ has  come into the world, The light of Christ has  come into the world”.

Jennifer Davey
Head of School

FINAL REPORT
ITALIAN FEAST 2015
FEBRUARY 28

The bottom line for the Italian Feast fundraiser equals $9,105.00. This includes all ticket sales, 
auctioned items, and donations made toward garden storage bins, gardening tools, wheel barrows, plants, tricycles, etc. 

A large number of people from the parish and school contributed food, wine, music, decorations and time preparing for the event. More parents of St. Paul’s Episcopal Montessori School participated in preparing this event than ever before. More children attended than ever before. We know that every plate in the parish kitchen was used and David Gutierrez had to run the dishwasher before we could continue serving.  At least 180 plates of Lasange were served!   Every auction item was sold.

The administrators, faculty, and children of St. Paul’s Episcopal Montessori School thank you all.
The rector, priests and parishioners of St. Paul’s Episcopal thank  everybody who came, brought guests, or contributed time, money or merchandise for the event.  No school funds were used for the event.
 
Joan Carabin

Note the Date: April 9
Note the earlier time: Begins at 6:00 p.m.
Note the lower price per ticket: Adults $10; Children $5

Tickets available at the website: www.GraysonStreetJazz.com, the school office, and the church office.

MILITARY MATTERS
Get ready, get set, go…..to the Harlequin Dinner Theater, that is. And sponsor a soldier to go with you. Military Matters workgroup is putting together a St. Paul’s evening at the Harlequin on Fort Sam on March 19.

The name of the show is “Deep In the Heart of Texas.” Dinner starts at 6:15 and the show at 8:00 pm. Tickets cost $32 for military (active and retired) and $35 for civilians. If someone would like to sponsor a soldier or couple but cannot attend the event, that is allowed. The purpose of this event is to get to know some soldiers and let them get to know us in an enjoyable setting.

Start planning now to take a service member and spouse as your guests. We are asking St. Paul members to sit with their military personnel and get to know them. Deadline for reservations is March 1.

Since St. Paul does not know any deployed personnel right now, we are working through Soldier’s Angels to adopt some deployed soldiers. These are soldiers who have requested to be adopted. We will be obligated to send a care package every month and to write more frequently during their deployment. Lists of desired supplies will be published soon. As always, thank you for your excellent support.

If you would like more information on either of these projects, please ask.

Mother Karen

Education for Ministry is a Theological Education Course by Extension from the University of the South (Sewanee). The four year course is taken one year at a time (some participants have taken several years and participated in more than one group to complete their course work). It requires a commitment of time and money by the diocese, parish, mentor and especially the participants. Currently the cost is $350 per year for the participant. The group must be a minimum of six persons but is limited to 12 plus the mentor.

The course is open to anyone who would like to participate. Church membership is not required and those from other denominations and faith traditions are welcome. Since EfM is from an Episcopal seminary the course materials do have a strong Anglican slant but all are encouraged to further study and the group seminar style encourages the participants to share and discuss all points of view. Click here for more information about EfM.            

My experience of EfM was one of learning to be open and reflective of my beliefs and understanding of the church. I was part of a group which was mentored by Jennifer Wickham and I learned and grew under her mentorship. My group was a safe place to talk about beliefs, doubts, ideas of all kinds. It was a place where I learned to say “I believe……” and understand where that belief comes from. It was a place where I could disagree with someone, sometimes strongly, and know that I was respected and kept respect for others.

We are considering starting a group at St Paul’s and need your feedback to know if we can create a viable group. EfM is not for everybody, but if it seems interesting or you feel drawn to learn more about it, please contact Liz Evans ewbevans@prodigy.net or 210-355-5774 or Fr Brad (rector@stpauls-satx.org or 210-226-0345).

CALLING ALL PARISH FICTION FANS!
St. Paul’s Book Club is collecting suggestions for the books we will read in 2015-2016 (September through May).  We are seeking novels that present some moral and/or ethical dimension(s) which could spark lively discussion:  engaging, well-written fiction that is available through the San Antonio Public Library.  Please forward your suggestions to Rilda Baker (drrildabaker@gmail.com) or talk with “reader folk” in the parish who have gathered to talk about what we have read. 
 
Our last two selections for 2014-2015 and meeting dates are:
St. Paul’s Book Club
Tuesday, April 14
Parish Library, 7:00-8:15 p.m.

         

(Available through the Public Library)
This is the story of Father Damien Modeste, priest to his beloved people, the Ojibwe. Modeste, nearing the end of his life, dreads the discovery of his physical identity -- for he is a woman who has lived as a man.

One reader comments: “Although I have long been a Louise Erdrich fan,
I have to say that this book stands alone as one of the most beautifully written novels I have read in a long time. From a bear baptism to an ugly Virgin Mary to a death by flatulence, this book is alternately funny and poignant.”

St. Paul’s Book Club
Tuesday, May 12
Parish Library, 7:00-8:15 p.m.

(Available through the Public Library)
A spare and haunting, wise and beautiful novel about the endurance of the human spirit and the subtle ways individuals reclaim their humanity in a city ravaged by war.  In a city under siege, four people whose lives have been upended are ultimately reminded of what it is to be human.  One reader comments:  “Steven Galloway's spare novel The Cellist of Sarajevo will be haunting me for a long time. I honestly couldn't tell you when a work of fiction made me stop and think so hard about the world we live in.”