LOVE God and all others unconditionally
SEEK answers to our questions
SERVE God by serving others
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MESSAGE FROM PASTOR SANDRA
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This Sunday I invite you to spend more time than you usually do at the church! You have some pretty exceptional opportunities to worship together, learn together, and share some authentic St. Paul’s hospitality with our neighborhood!
In worship, we will continue our stewardship series, Splash Zone, where we are wading through (see what I did there?) the baptismal promises we make in the UMC and how those promises can shape our relationship to money. The first week we looked at what changes in the ways we earn, save, spend, and give our money because of our relationship with Christ. Last week we considered the promise to resist evil and how that looks like freedom and justice and finds its expression in generosity.
This week we’ll look at the third promise: We confess Jesus Christ as our Savior, put our whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as our Lord, in union with the church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races! It’s a statement about trust. About our trust in God and the grace of Christ to lead the church into a future that is expansive and inclusive. How do we show this trust? I believe that giving is one way. But we can talk more about that on Sunday.
In addition to worship, you’ll want to be sure to attend one of the sessions of Adult Education (either 9:30 or 11:00 am) and hear from our special guest, Rabbi Moti Rieber, executive director of KIFA, Kansas Interfaith Action. He will speak on the interfaith justice advocacy of KIFA, as well as the overall political climate in Kansas and in the country. Rabbi Rieber has been a life-long activist on peace, social justice, and environmental issues. Always inspiring and always informative, I know you do not want to miss this special opportunity to hear from him. And offer him a warm St. Paul’s welcome!
Speaking of welcome, I understand that later that afternoon we have the possibility of welcoming hundreds of our neighbors to our Trunk or Treat! Yes, you heard me correctly. Hundreds! Our Facebook event is exploding and last I heard approximately 750 folks had indicated an interest or confirmed that they would be in our parking lot to enjoy the festivities our Director of Family Ministries, Jamie Turk, has cooked up for us! Pumpkin painting, fresh popcorn, a live DJ…and the Amazing Mar-Mar doing card tricks from his trunk! (Ok, it’s an SUV and his real name is Mark Cox. But he is pretty amazing!) No wonder so many want to be there!
If you haven’t volunteered to be a trunk for this awesome event, don’t wait! Use this link so Jamie Turk can save you a spot in the parking lot for your trunk…and your hospitality! What a great opportunity to share our special brand of welcome and hospitality! What a great way to commit to sharing St. Paul’s with our neighbors!
So rest up this week. It’s going to be a great weekend!
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Sacred Resistance: Interfaith Justice Advocacy in Kansas
This Sunday, October 20, 9:30 & 11:00 am
Bridge Classroom
Presented by Rabbi Moti Rieber, Executive Director of Kansas Interfaith Action
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Check out the video below to see what #GiveHope is all about! Get involved by bringing canned corn to church through November 20 and/or signing up to volunteer. More info available on our website.
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Jamie Turk talks about our Thanksgiving Outreach collab! #GiveHope
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Save the Date(s)!
NOV 10, 4 - 7 p.m.
Ten Thousand Villages Holiday Sale & Party at Ten Thousand Villages Overland Park. 15% of the proceeds benefit St. Paul's.
NOV 15, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Chili Challenge & Kids' Cookie Contest. See the tear-off in this Sunday's bulletin.
NOV 17, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Blood Drive in the Student Center at St. Paul's
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Preparing an estate plan is good Christian stewardship – saying thanks to God, expressing your love and concern for family and showing charity toward others.
-- A reminder from your Legacy Fund Program Committee
Learn more >
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Welcome our special guests in a panel discussion, Women in World Religions, at St. Paul's on October 27 at 2 p.m. Our MC will be Andrea Murdock!
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CONNECTING THROUGH CONNEXIONS
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Celebrating New Members
from Ronelle Neperud
There was reason to celebrate at the 9:30 service on Sunday, Oct. 13! We welcomed seven adults and three children into our faith family!
Brett and Deena Byers have been active members in the past and have returned and renewed their membership covenant.
Jeanie Gonzales loves children and is living out her passion by serving with the Kids' Connection ministry.
Matt and Jen Boles also serve as Kids' Connection Teachers, which they were doing prior to joining. Pictured with them are their two daughters, Kay and Clara.
Dan Parker and Jon Payne say their son, Christian, loves Kids' Connection and the friends he has made at St. Paul’s. Dan might look familiar to you since he serves on St. Paul’s staff as our Worship Media Coordinator.
Keep an eye out for our new members and welcome them to the St. Paul’s family! There are many newcomers that you might not have met yet, so if you see someone you don't know, you can start by saying, “I don’t think we've met yet, my name is...." It’s okay if they've been around for a long time! Connecting with them will be a blessing.
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Presence Worship: Small group worship offsite Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm at CommuniTea in downtown Overland Park. Contact Pastor Mike Marcus, mike@stpaulslenexa.org, for more information.
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FAITH FORMATION & FELLOWSHIP
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A nursery for infants and toddlers, staffed by certified caregivers, is available downstairs all morning on Sundays. Parents, please bring your cell phones to nursery check-in; we will text you if your child needs you.
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Adult Faith Formation
Sunday, October 20, 9:30 & 11:00, lower level classrooms
Sacred Resistance: Interfaith Justice Advocacy in Kansas
Presented by Rabbi Moti Rieber, Executive Director of Kansas Interfaith Action. In this 30 minute presentation, Rabbi Moti Rieber, executive director of KIFA, will speak on the interfaith justice advocacy of KIFA, as well as the overall political climate in Kansas and in the country.
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Youth: Middle School/High School
Sundays @ 11a.m., Student Center, Lower Level
G.I.F.T. Growing in Faith Together: Engaging our Faith with Current Events
Saturday, October 19, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Sunflower House Pumpkin Palooza Service Day: service project opportunity to help run kid games for Sunflower House.
Sunday, October 20
12:15 - 1:30 Youth Council Meeting
4 - 6 p.m. Trunk or Treat church-wide event
November 15-17
Fall Retreat. Enjoy a fun and meaningful weekend at Wilderness Retreat Center! Find registration forms at the Connections Center.
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Children PreK - Grade 6
Dive into Bible stories and explore faith with fun and age-appropriate activities!
Sundays @ 9:30 a.m.
PreK-K, 1st-3rd grade, and 4th-6th grade kids meet in small groups, then come together for a portion of the hour to participate in a large group session called Kids’ Church. Activities include Bible lessons, games, crafts, songs, and more! Visit the website to learn more.
KIDS456 (4th-6th Grade Group)
1st & 3rd Sundays, 6-7p.m. in the Tween Classroom, lower level
KIDS456 meets this Sunday, 10/20, at 6 p.m. immediately following Trunk or Treat. Bring $5 for pizza. Tell your kids we might put them to work before they can eat - clean up crew! :) Sunday Fun Day!
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God is with us every day of the week! From small group studies and service opportunities to band practice and yoga, there is always something going on. Check out the calendar.
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Are you or a loved one participating in a community activity you'd like your St. Paul's family to know about? Tell us about it!
Note: Submissions are subject to review and approval prior to publication.
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Service Opportunity for Refugee Support
The Reception and Placement team at Catholic Charities is in need of volunteers with flexible schedules to help assist in the office, primarily on weekday mornings. One day a week or just a few hours is a big help.
To find out more, contact Léocadia Tchouaffé
Refugee Development and Community Engagement Coordinator
Refugee and Immigration Services
Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas
913.906.8934
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Medical Missions with Cindy Moore
Since doing my first trip to Haiti with the Kansas East Conference of UMC in 1991, my heart has been stretched to various parts of the world. I believe I'm up to about 25 or so trips now. The impact that each of these teams has made on me continues to amaze me and makes me want to share these experiences with others. I've seen what service can do, both for the traveler and for the people that are served by the team. I'm often asked, "Where is your favorite place to go?" My response is, "All of them!!" I've learned that people are basically the same all over the world, just living in different circumstances. My goal is to serve God and His people, wherever that may be.
I am currently recruiting team members for medical mission teams through Mercy and Truth for 2020. Check out the dates and locations below, and contact me at clmfnp@aol.com if you have questions.
- Feb. 22-29: Titanyen, Haiti. Register by Nov. 1.
- March 28-April 4: Roca Blanca, Oaxaca, Mexico. Register by Dec. 1.
- April 19-25: Bogota, Colombia - Vision Care Team (no medical experience needed for this team). Register by Dec. 15.
- May 27-June 4: Ndengera, Rwanda
- July 28-Aug. 12: Bangula, Malawi
- Sept. 13-20: Bogota, Colombia
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Veronica's Voice Fundraiser
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Butterfly Boutique
On October 25-26, 10am-5pm, Veronica's Voice will hold their Butterfly Boutique fundraiser at Indian Heights UMC. Support their mission by purchasing gently used clothing, shoes, and accessories, many of which are designer labels. All proceeds benefit Veronica's Voice.
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Learn more about our friends from the Dialogue Institute along with delicious food, live Sufi music, and visual arts at the Turkic Food and Art Festival, October 19, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
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