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In this issue:Letter From Your Pastors How May We Pray For You? March Epistle
Worship Team Updates Holy Week Sundays at Saint Paul’s Contemporary Service
Give Team Updates Soul Food Update Noisy Offering- March Special Offering for UMCOR Guatemalan Family Update Donation Wishlist for IRC Families Manna on Meridian Updates
Serve Team Updates Church Workday- This Saturday Nehemiah Action- RSVP and Bus Info Office Volunteer Needed Singing Opportunity- Easter Cantata Creation Care- NexTrex Recycling Challenge Creation Care- You Are Invited to Share
Grow Team Updates Community Growth
Children & Family Ministry Updates Youth Ministry Updates Hello from Casey Summer at Saint Paul’s Youth Programming
Congregational Care Updates Easter Lilies New Committee for Senior Ministry Call for Prayer Warriors Congregational Care Meals Need a Ride? Give a Ride?
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WEEKLY NOTESMarch 20, 2025 |
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Greetings Saint Paul's Friends and Family, |
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The signs of Spring are all around us and it reminds of the beauty of creation and the renewal it brings. The sunshine and gentle breezes invite us to pause, to breathe deeply, and to marvel at the goodness of the season. Just as the earth awakens after winter, so too do our hearts find renewed hope and joy in this sacred time.
As we near the end of the season of Lent, we reflect on the grace that transforms us, the humility that binds us, and the mercy that heals us. It’s a time to cherish the abundance of love we receive and to extend it to others with kindness and compassion.
May the beauty of this week’s weather and the spirit of spring inspire us to walk with gentleness, to seek peace in our lives, and to sow seeds of love and hope wherever we go. Let us cherish the small blessings and be a source of comfort and encouragement to those around us, knowing that we are all part of a greater plan of grace and restoration. |
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Your Pastors, Latricia and MaryAnn |
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How May We Pray For You?Do you have a prayer concern that you want to share with the pastors? Please use the button below to share with them. |
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March Epistle Now AvailableIn an effort to be both fiscally and environmentally responsible, the Epistle is now digital. Those who need a paper copy can contact the office to request one. Use the button below to get to our current Epistle as well as previous issues. This will take you to the Resources page on our website; scroll down and you will see links to the current and previous Epistles. |
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Soul Food UpdateThank you for your generous donations to our Soul Food ministry! At this point, no more clothing donations are needed. We will update you if more are needed in the future. |
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Noisy OfferingSunday, March 30th Residing Hope’s first 5th Sunday of 2025 is almost here. Prepare for an exciting noisy change collection as the children race down the aisles to receive your donations. We love getting to watch children helping other children! Thank you for supporting this mission. |
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Special Offering for UMCORSunday, April 6th The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), a unit of Global Ministries, is a humanitarian organization that helps alleviate human suffering, one of the two main goals of Global Ministries. On April 6th, we will be taking up a special offering to help support this vital ministry. |
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Guatemalan Family UpdateThanks to the generous donors who donated funds that allowed the New Horizons class to buy a refurbished washer and dryer for the Guatemalan family. They are ecstatic to be able to wash and dry their clothes in their new home. A couple of queen size beds were also donated so that some of the adults don't have to sleep in twin beds. Their only need right now is a lawn mower, since they are responsible for mowing the lawn at their rental home. If anyone has one to donate, please use the button below to contact Jo Ellen Brown. The family sends their thanks to our church members who have helped them settle in to a good life in Tallahassee. |
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Donation Wishlist for IRC FamiliesIf you wish to support refugee clients being served by the IRC in Tallahassee, you can purchase one of the much needed items off of the Amazon Wishlist (click on the button below to view the list). |
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Manna Donation NeedsManna on Meridian is still in need of regular sized boxes of cereal and cans of soup. You can bring your donations to the office or drop them off in the bins near the stairwell outside of Sanders Hall. |
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Church WorkdaySaturday, March 22nd- 8:00am-2:00pm Come out and help us take care of our church house! Trustees will be organizing this event and there will be a variety of jobs to help with.
Note for those signed up to work in the Sanctuary and Education Building: Please bring a bucket with you |
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Nehemiah Action Meeting- Capital Area Justice MinistryMonday, March 31st- 6:30pm Saint Paul’s has pledged to bring 125 people to the Nehemiah Action meeting this year…so please mark your calendars and make plans to join us for this important community event! Need a ride to the meeting? A bus will be leaving from Saint Paul’s at 5:40pm. Please click the “Bus RSVP” button below to let David know that you want to ride. There are also bus sign up sheets around the church house (in the Narthex, outside of Sanders Hall, and on the Missions bulletin board)
A note from Bryan String, Associate Director of CAJM-
“We are fighting for affordable housing, public safety, and food security—issues that impact thousands of lives in our community. This is not a moment to sit back. This is the time to stand UP. We are CAJM. We are a force. And we WILL show up 1,000 strong. Let’s do this!”
Use the button below to visit the webpage and rsvp for Nehemiah Action. |
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Office Volunteer NeededWe are in need of an office volunteer on Wednesday mornings from 9-1. Volunteers help with answering the phone and other office tasks. This is a fun way to be a part of day to day workings of the church. Please contact Linda in the office if you are willing to help- 850-385-5146 |
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Singing OpportunityIf you like to sing but can't commit to every Sunday, come join the Covenant Chancel Choir in their presentation of their Lenten cantata, "Worthy is the Lamb!". This cantata will be performed on Sunday, April 13th at the 11:00am service. Rehearsals are 6:45-7:15pm on Tuesday evenings. There are books and practice CD's in the choir room. We'd love to have you! |
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Creation Care Needs Your Help- NexTrex Recycling ChallengeWe need your plastic bags! Even if we try to reduce our plastic use, it tends to creep into our homes as bags, overwrap on food items, and bubble wrap around online purchases. Now there is a way to recycle all that plastic and help us win a garden bench at the same time!
Our Creation Care ministry at Saint Paul's UMC has entered the NexTrex Recycling Challenge and we need your plastic to reach our goal of collecting 1,000 pounds for a free garden bench. Click the button below to learn more.
What to bring to our collection boxes:
CLEAN & DRY: Produce bags, store bags, ice bags, Ziploc type bags, cereal liner bags, case overwrap, bread bags, newspaper bags, dry cleaning bags, bubble wrap, plastic mailers, and plastic film like Saran Wrap.
Collection sites are in the hallway outside Sanders near the bathroom, the hallway outside the Parlor near the bathroom, and in the conference room.
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YOU ARE INVITED To Share....In the previous Epistles, the Creation Care team thanked you for doing your part in reducing energy consumption on planet Earth. We would love to hear from you about specific actions you have taken to save energy in your home. We would like to start collecting your tips on this topic and the next four we will explore. If you don't mind sharing your tips, click the button below to send them to Jan Cuddington. |
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Wednesday Night Dinner- MarchThe March dinner sign up is now available. Please make sure to sign up by noon on Mondays each week.
Important note- We submit a headcount to REfire on Monday evenings based on your reservations. We are required to pay for each reservation, even if you don't show up for dinner.
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“Be Our Guest” Dinner FundOur “Be Our Guest” dinner fund is now open. This fund will help cover the cost of first time visitors as we welcome them on Wednesday nights. If you wish to contribute to this fund, you can donate online by using the button below or at the dinner check in table. |
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B-I-N-G-O- The Game Has Begun!Our Lenten Bingo game has begun! You will have lots of chances to mark off spaces on your card during this Lenten season. After Easter, we will have a call to turn them in…make sure to put your name on your card! |
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Church Wide Lenten StudyOur Lenten study has begun and it’s not too late to join. We have 4 study groups available; please check out the sign up link for more details. You can order a book through the sign up or by using the button below. |
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Men’s Study Fellowship- New BookTuesdays at 8:30am This group is now discussing LIVING WITH THE MONKS: What Turning Off My Phone taught Me about Happiness, by Jesse Itzler.
All are invited to meet with us at 8:30 a.m. at Ology Northside
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FSU/TSC Wesley “Heart for the Campus” Dinner- This SaturdaySaturday, March 22nd- 6:00pm FSU/TSC Wesley is hoping to have students, local congregations, and alumni present on the night of March 22nd to share a meal together, and share the exciting things happening at Wesley.Use the button below to RSVP for this event. |
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Girl Scout CookiesGirl Scout Troop 67 will be in the courtyard this Sunday and Sunday, March 30th, selling Girl Scout cookies, and we would love for you to stop by and see us. Our troop started at Saint Paul's in 2012 with 10 little girls, and we are so very thankful for this community! To purchase cookies, we easily accept cash, credit card, Venmo, and Paypal. |
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Join The Village Square for "God Squad: America Fourth? (and other joyous schemes)"April 4th- noon at Temple Israel The Village Square’s God Squad will present "America Fourth? (and other joyous schemes)" on April 4th, noon-1 pm at Temple Israel. In this time of extreme civic disunity, when political platitudes calling for unity end 70% of op-eds, you’ve gotta wonder “united around what, exactly?” What does unity even mean when we disagree about so very much? We wonder if the secret to a healthy America is to put “America Fourth.” What if we can rediscover other higher loves — faith, family, art, travel, whatever floats your boat. And in finding our loves again, maybe we even find each other? We encourage you to come with ideas of what you might put ahead of America in the coming year.
The program will be facilitated by Rabbi Paul Sidlofsky of Temple Israel, who will be joined by God Squad regulars Father Tim Holeda of the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More; Pastor Latricia Scriven of Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church; Pastor Joseph Davis, Jr. of Truth Gatherers Community Church; and Pastor Josh Hall of First Baptist Church.
Tickets to God Squad invite a $10 donation (or you may enter Promo Code AMERICAFOURTH to reveal a complimentary ticket). Advance reservation is encouraged. Lunch is not provided, but you're welcome to bring your own.
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Hello from Leslie!
Hello everyone!
There are so many exciting things happening this week!
First, we will start our new Fourth and Fifth Grader's Sunday School class! This class will be in the foundation and headed up by Mrs. Melanie Quinton. There will definitely be several opportunities to help out in any of our Children's Sunday School classes, if you are interested please let me know!
Secondly, we are accepting registrations for Vacation Bible School participants and volunteers. I'm looking forward to visiting Camp Starlight with our whole Saint Paul's family this June. If you haven't already put your (artificial) Christmas tree up, keep it near the top! We will need a couple of trees to fill in our forest and will return them when camp is over.
Thirdly, we are getting ready for our annual Easter Jubilee on April 19th. There will be Egg hunts, photo ops, and, of course, our wonderful Cake Walk. If you are a baker (or know one, or have a killer secret brownie recipe), the youth and children's ministries would greatly appreciate your talents! Please complete the Cake Walk sign-up form to let us know what your specialty is and allow us to contact you with any further information.
Finally, more information about our summer offerings will be available soon. As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. Extreme Explorers will be June 2nd-6th, and we are working on some fun trips for our rising third through fifth graders.
See you at church!
Leslie Scott Director of Children and Family Ministries leslie@saintpaulsumc.org
PS- We are in need of some helpers in our Children’s SS classes. All you have to do is show up and be a smiling helper (all plans and materials are taken care of by the lead teacher). Use the button below to sign up. |
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VBS Volunteer LunchSunday, March 30th- 12:15- Parlor Anyone who is volunteering with VBS is invited to join us for a lunch and planning time on Sunday, March 30th. We will meet after the 11:00 service down in the parlor. |
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Cake WalkInterested in bringing a cake or cupcakes for our annual Cake Walk at the Easter Jubilee? Use the button below to sign up. |
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Preschool Music GroupJoin Ms Gaye on Wednesday evenings for music fun! Kids ages 3-5 are welcome to come; please contact Gaye Herndon if you have any questions. |
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Family and Me MusicWe meet every Friday at 9:30am and 10:00am in Room 200 of the Education Building. Please contact Stephany Nystrand if you have any questions. |
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Hello From Your Youth Director!
In Sunday School we are learning more about The United Methodist Church, its governance and how it compares to other denominations. The youth have been learning so much about our church during Confirmation and they have been wondering how we differ from other denominations like Catholic and Presbyterian.
We are getting close to the end of Confirmation. We will be delighted for the congregation to join us April 6th for Confirmation Sunday. We appreciate your support of the Youth Program!
Blessings, Casey |
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Youth ProgrammingBelow is the schedule for our regular youth events that will happen throughout the year. Youth Sunday School- Sundays- 9:45-10:45 Study Hall- Wednesdays 3:30-5 Wednesday Night Dinners- 5:15 (make sure to RSVP) Wednesday Night Rooted- 6-7 Youth Choir- Wednesdays- 7-8 Sunday Night Rooted- will resume after Confirmation |
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Easter Lilies- On Sale NowOur annual Easter lily sale has begun. This sale will support our Congregational Care ministry. You can use the button below to fill out the purchase form. Please read the description on the form carefully; you can choose to have your lilies be in honor of someone, in memory of someone, or purchased “just because”. Paper order forms will also be available in adult SS classes and at the Wednesday dinner check in table. The last day to purchase lilies is April 1st. |
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New Committee for Senior MinistrySaint Paul's would like to revitalize a program for Seniors. This program would possibly include Lunch and Learn luncheons, field trips, exercise opportunities, etc. Would anyone be interested in serving on this committee as planning begins? If so, please use the button below to email Pastor Mary Ann. |
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Join Us In Prayer...A reminder that we have online prayer gatherings every Wednesday morning at 8:00am and all are invited to attend these. The meetings are via Zoom, and you can contact Pastor MaryAnn for the link, or click the link at the bottom of the Prayer Email that is sent out weekly.
We are looking for prayer warriors to join us every Wednesday morning at 8:00am via zoom. If meeting in person is something you would like to explore, please use the button below to email Pastor MaryAnn.If you would like to receive the weekly Prayer Email, click the tiny words "update your preferences" at the bottom of this email and then select the prayer email from the list of subscriptions.
You can submit prayer requests by clicking the button below. Prayer requests are always private unless permission has been given to share. |
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Need a Meal?Providing a meal for someone in a time of need is a wonderful way to care for our neighbors. Please let our Congregational Care team know if you are in need of a meal due to an upcoming surgery, illness, or death in the family. |
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Need a ride to church?Do you need a ride to church? Are you able to give someone in need a ride? Please use the button below to let us know. |
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