VBS is this week! | July 29 – August 1
We will be holding VBS this week! Please consider donating time or $$ if you are able. Contact Courtney if you’d like to donate time. Leave a check in the Office mailbox if you’d like to help with $$. Thanks for your help!!
Thank you, RAGBRAI Leaders and Volunteers!
This last Monday (7/22/19) was a day to remember in St. Paul history! As you can see from our sign-in poster, we received many guests for RAGBRAI, mostly from Iowa, also from distant states such as Texas and Florida. We even had some from other countries, including Russia!
It was a busy day of hospitality and welcome, and, aside from a few glitches (i.e. a plumbing crisis), everything went smoothly. I would like to thank Kitchen Leaders Coleen Johnson and Pat Welaufer, Volunteer Coordinator Lisa Vossekuil, and all the many, many helpers who gave of their time to prepare and serve food, set up tables and chairs, serve guests, run the dessert counter, take down the event, and serve as overnight hosts for guests.
Altogether we served over 250 hungry cyclists with our Pasta Bar and Dessert Extravaganza, filled two huge grassy areas with tents, hosted 11 cyclists from Lutheran Men in Mission, and housed the AMMPARO Team, consisting of 2 ELCA Bishops, who were riding to raise awareness for refugees (you can donate to their cause at https://www.elca.org/AMMPARO). It was quite a challenging event for us!
I hope everyone is recovering from a very full day of meeting new friends and providing for their needs. I have to say, I have never witnessed anything like it, and I am so impressed with everyone at St. Paul for coming together and showing our very best welcome. Thank you, St. Paul folks, and give yourself a pat on the back!
Pastor’s Celebration and Best Wishes | August 11
Please join us Sunday, August 11, at 10:15 after church for a celebration honoring Pastor Joel and his family for his 10 years of ministry at St. Paul. We’ll enjoy fellowship with a brunch, song, and stories as we express both our appreciation for Pastor Joel’s time with us and our best wishes as he answers his call to Redeemer Lutheran in Bettendorf, IA.
Office Hours | Now-August 1
Due to RAGBRAI and Vacation Bible School festivities, office hours will be changed. The office will be open Tuesday-Thursday from noon to 3 pm. Regular office hours will continue on August 4th.
Pastor Joel at ELCA Churchwide Assembly, 8/5-10
It’s a church geek’s dream come true! Starting on Monday, August 5 through Saturday, August 10, I will be in Milwaukee for the triennial ELCA Churchwide Assembly. This assembly’s main tasks include: electing a Presiding Bishop, Churchwide Secretary, and Portico Members (including our own Leon Schwartz); and voting on constitutional changes and a new social statement entitled on Faith, Sexism, and Justice. We will be busy making decisions which will shape the future of the ELCA and St. Paul Lutheran. Please keep the Assembly in your prayers as they prepare to meet next month.
Announcements!
If you want to put an announcement in the bulletin, please email Maddie and Meisha at StPaulLutheranChurch@hotmail.com or call them at (515) 462-4270 during office hours by Wednesday at noon.
Summer Service Schedule
Starting June 1 we will have one service at 9:00 am this summer. Our two-service schedule will resume on Rally Day, September 8.
Automatic Giving
Summer is such a busy time for everyone. Take away the worries of remembering your pledge by signing up for automatic giving to the church. It’s very easy to do! Simply access this link.