Renovated and Reemerging

With the disruption of the renovation behind us, the bustle in the Education Building has resumed. The halls are full of artwork and laughter again with Preschool Director Brooke Bowersox and Assistant Director Laura Gorman leading their dedicated staff of 14 teachers Monday through Friday. You will often see a busy parking lot from as early as 9 am until well past 1 pm as parents enjoy the fellowship of special events as well as spontaneous play time after school.

Moving the Nursery/Kids’ Club back to the Education Building was a wonderful plan and has allowed Director Laura Gorman to reconstruct a welcoming place for children of all ages. Newly secured entry ways provide parents with reassurances that children are in good hands while they have time to connect with clergy and parishioners during programs and Sunday services.

Children’s Ministries is expanding with Coordinator Regan Dunlap assisting Mother Alice in organizing and planning activities year-round. It was great to see their volunteers preparing snacks in our expanded kitchen and using the new entry steps as a creative “stage” for a Vacation Bible School production. In the words of this year’s VBS participants: “It was such a fun environment to learn about God and Jesus,” and “I think VBS is an important part of my St. Paul’s memories.”

St. Paul’s is mindful that we can support the wider community beyond those who attend our Sunday services. Using all of our spaces, including the Curry Center, to support professional counselors, small group retreats and community programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Blood Drives, expands the stewardship of our property, making good use of the natural beauty that surrounds us.

Hidden Talents

At the core of operations for St. Paul’s are two people who truly work under the radar, keeping the lights on, answering calls and paying the bills. We are so fortunate to have Financial Assistant Brandy Satterfield and Office Manager Melanie Fairbrother handling all of the details that go into managing a church with a budget of more than $1 million. Brandy’s experience as a CPA ensures that we are compliant with standards and prudent in accounting practices; her love of St. Paul’s makes her go the extra mile for parishioners, helping them manage their generous offerings and guiding ministry leaders in nonprofit budgeting practices.

Melanie has often said she is going to write a book about all that goes on in the life of a church office manager. Managing calendars, coordinating mailings, publishing bulletins, keeping church records up to date and even handling plumbing mishaps are fairly common tasks; handling crisis calls, connecting clergy with those in need and supporting families through tragedies is where Melanie is at her best. With 22 years of experience in the office, Melanie guards our treasures with her heart and makes sure we have all we need to go forth and do the work that God has given us to do.

Music Minister Rusty McKinney is a familiar face in our worship services as he leads our many choirs, but many people do not realize what goes into his work when he is not in front with the baton. Talented in composing and arranging music, Rusty is also skilled in the sound engineering that brought our online liturgies to life with our virtual choir. Listen as he describes what went into providing those beautiful hymns that enriched our liturgies for the two years the choir could not perform in person:

Gathering, Forming, Inspiring

It is no secret that we benefit from an extraordinary level of talent in the clergy team at St. Paul’s. Our Deacon the Rev. Candy Snively has been a constant, reading the Gospel on Sundays and encouraging us to follow her into the world in peace, a task she undertakes joyfully as she supports our Pastoral Team with visits to those in need.

Associate Rector for Children’s and Youth Formation the Rev. Alice Graham Grant has been a welcoming presence to families as they venture back into programs at St. Paul’s, helping our young people redesign our celebrations while making meaning of what is going on in the world.

Associate Rector the Rev. Javier Almendarez-Bautista continues to model how to engage with our neighbors in public life, awakening us to the call to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God. As he encourages us to lean into difficult questions and situations, we emerge with an understanding of how deeply God loves all of us.

With 23 years leading us as Rector, the Rev. George Adamik has seen us through incredible times of challenge and transition. George continues to show us that adapting and growing have always been in our DNA at St. Paul’s, if we just gather together and imagine the possibilities ahead of us.