| Come worship with us at 9:30. Join us in person or or watch our livestream Sunday morning on our YouTube channel , or view the service on the YouTube channel on Monday. Pastor Rachel Mithelman will be preaching on John 10:22-30, and here is a devotion from God Pause: Who stopped to count the fish, I wonder? Judas was no longer around. He who had been the keeper of the purse, concerned about the cost of the fragrant nard, and negotiated the price of betrayal, had a real head for figures, but it was not him. You can go down a veritable “rabbit-hole” in speculation if you search the internet as to the significance of the number of 153 fish. I counted at least fifteen speculations, from Pythagorean math equations, to numerology and creative apocalyptic literature references. Worship Helpers. Greeters/Ushers: Shirley Tallman and Marilyn Hansen; Reader: Pat Nelson; Sound, Screen, & Streaming: Lisa Vossekuil; Videographer NEEDED ; Musician: Clarice Blanchard; Singer: Clarice Blanchard; Counters: Wayne Martens and Lisa Vossekuil; Communion Bread: Barb Kellogg; Communion Servers: Dean and Ann Bartelt St. Paul Listening Sessions. St. Paul has entered into a process with the SE Iowa Synod to review the effective functioning of our congregation. It is the desire of Bishop Amy Current to hear from anyone and everyone who has a celebration, a concern, or a conflict to share privately with a member of the Listening Team. The five-member team will be at St. Paul, Monday, May 9, between 4:00 and 9:00 pm. You will meet individually with one member of the team for 15 minutes to share your thoughts. Please read the attached letter which further explains the process. The letter also indicates alternatives to Monday, May 9, if you are not available. Everyone is encouraged to participate. Please use Sign-Up Genius (click on the link) to indicate when you will share your thoughts. Alternatively, you may call Ann Bartelt at 515-418-3565 to sign up. We appreciate your signing up by noon on Monday, May 9. Thank you for your love, care, and concern for St. Paul. Pastor Ioan will be out of the office April 28-May 19. Thank you to St. Paul for the generous two weeks of parental leave in addition to one week of vacation. For pastoral emergencies through May 19, call the office (515-462-4270) or Winterset’s local United Methodist minister, Rev. Mark Morehouse (660-373-0950). Thank you to Rev. Tony Nester, Rev. Rachel Mithelman, & Rev. Cal Oraw who will be leading worship while Pastor Ioan is away. Pastor Ioan will still be available to lead Confirmation classes on May 4, 11, & 18. Mark your Calendars. The Confirmation ceremony for our six confirmands will be held Sunday, May 22. These young people will affirm their Christian beliefs and be admitted as a full member of St. Paul. Also at this service, we will bless seven Winterset high school graduates who were confirmed at St. Paul. Sunday Bible Study: Adult Faith Formation will meet at 10:45 following morning worship. For the next six weeks (April 24-May 29), we will focus on the Parables of Jesus as expressed in the Gospels. Everyone is welcome in our study of Jesus’ teachings, digging deeper into our faith through questions, comments, and connections. Larger Bulletins & Kids Bags: The ushers will have large print bulletins available. St. Paul has kids’ bags to engage your child during church. They are hanging on hooks by the entry doors or see the ushers. COVID Reminder: Masks are encouraged for all services and ministries at St. Paul. Please come, worship, and be fed! If you want to wear a mask to keep some distance between yourself and others at any service or ministry, for any reason, please do so with St. Paul’s full blessing. |
Adult Faith Formation. The Adult Faith Bible Study will meet during Sunday School hour April 24-May 29. Social activities will be scheduled once a month in June, July, and August; everyone is welcome! Sunday evening sessions will begin in September.
Wednesday God Squad & Confirmation: Our weekly Wednesday evening children & youth education programs are still in session. Our last gathering will be May 18, 2022. Tentatively*, it will start again in the Fall. Children are welcome to join any time throughout the year. Please sign-up for God Squad & Confirmation through SignUp Genius. Meal Sponsors are as follows: 05-04 Chuck & Bonnie Fenimore; 05-11 Rich & Genelle Thompson; 05-18 RoxAnn & Jim Rhoads & Liz Hansen . THANK YOU ALL!!
Volunteers, including ALL Teachers, please remember to sign up through SignUp Genius as soon as you can. Thank you!
Please contact Rainy Gibbens (rainygibbens@hotmail.com, 515-462-2122 or 515-229-1119) if you would like to participate. You may also volunteer on SignUpGenius. We are thankful for all the volunteers, kitchen/food, child care, teachers, and activity leaders.
Wednesday Gift for Parents & Guardians. Come inside to see all the good things happening at God Squad & Confirmation. You are welcome to join us for the meal, activities, & classes/lessons. Be the first Parent or Guardian to introduce yourself to the Coordinator, Rainy Gibbens, & you will receive two tickets to the Iowa Theater & a gift certificate for the concession stand. This is a weekly gift that can be received once, per family, as a blessing for all you do in God’s name for your children. The recipient for 04-27-22 was Nicole, Curtis & Grace (Confirmand) Anderson,
Vacation Bible School Day Camp: Save the date for July 5th – 8th (Tuesday – Friday). For children ENTERING First Through Sixth Grade for the 2022-2023 School Year. Registration available NOW on the St Paul Lutheran Church Website,
https://www.stpaullutheranchurch.net.
Children & Youth Volunteers Needed: *Many of our youth have been attending another church location for Youth Programs (Sunday School, VBS, GOD Squad, Confirmation, etc.). In order for our youth programs to be a success, our St Paul Lutheran Church Community need volunteers. We are asking for adults, parents/guardians, grandparents, etc., to PLEASE HELP. We need teachers, kitchen helpers, greeters, nursery care givers, general helpers in all areas. We want to bring the children AND their parents/guardians back INTO the church. Your participation is two-fold. You are essential for; (1) the spiritual development of our children and their future, (2) regaining a thriving and healthy church community. The St Paul members continue with their financial support, which is greatly appreciated and needed. We also need volunteers to actively participate, to engage our youth in their spiritual journey. Please consider volunteering to make a difference for our children and church. Thank you!
Have you registered for Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp? Please check out their week long Youth Camp, Ranch Camp & Adventure Camp. There may be some spots left. Through the generosity of the St. Paul Trust Fund we are offering a $300 campership per child for St. Paul families attending a week long camp at Riverside. The St. Paul Trust Fund wants our kids to long forward to a joyful Summer. At the end of the registration process when you get to the “Make A Payment” section, you will be asked if you have a discount or coupon code to use. Enter “22SPW” and the $300 will be automatically applied in addition to the deposit families will also need to provide. If the deposit or remaining camp costs would still prevent your child from going to camp, please talk to the camp or Pastor Ioan and we will work something out so finances are the preventing factor.
Trust Fund Pledges to Play for All Inclusive Playground. St Paul Trust Fund has made a $5000 pledge to the Play for All Inclusive Playground to be built at Winterset City Park. This is a one-million dollar community investment co-sponsored by the Winterset Parks and Recreation department and Winterset Rotary.
Matura Food Pantry: Our offering to the Matura Food Pantry is blessed the first Sunday of each month. Help us fill the shopping cart will non-perishable food, diapers, and even pet food. Checks made out to Matura Madison County or cash are also accepted.
Tornado Response: Thank you to our St. Paul community for the giving of time and money in the immediate aftermath of the tornado. For long-term relief in the community, we recommend donating online through Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines or directly by check to:
Greater Madison County Community Foundation
1217 N. 6th Ave. Suite 3
Winterset, IA 50273
Memo line: Madison Co Disaster Relief
Click Here to Donate
St. Paul’s Trust Fund The Trust Fund committee, elected by the congregation, supports mission projects ranging from national and international disaster relief, congregants’ mission trips, and camping scholarships for youth and children. Please contact Chair Dick Anderson with any questions or suggestions for mission support at REAND0508@aol.com
Furniture Ministry. St. Paul collects and gives home goods, furniture, and appliances to those in need. Contact Lisa Vossekuil (920-979-0304; levossekuil@gmail.com) about any donations. Monetary gifts are also appreciated for our storage units.
Pool of Siloam. Pool of Siloam is St. Paul’s local benevolence program that provides monetary support for those in need of such things as gas money or car repair, rent or mortgage assistance, and utility bills. In partnership with local agencies (CRISP, Matura, and Crisis Intervention), we annually serve over 100 individuals, including children. All giving to the Pool of Siloam is matched by an anonymous donor. Offerings to this program can be indicated on your giving envelope or online giving form.
LifeServe Blood Drive. St. Paul hosts the community LifeServe Blood Drive every fourth Tuesday of the month. We are known for our home-baked goods and appreciate your donations of cookies and bars. Please bring them to the church by noon the day of the drive. May 24, 2022 is the next scheduled blood drive.
Lion’s Bags to Benches. Winterset Lions are collecting and recycling plastic bags to earn benches to donate to the community. The goal is to collect in a six-month period 500 pounds of plastic film and bags. With that, the Lions will receive one bench to donate to the community Look for recycle bins at Ben Franklin Covered Bridge Realty, the Methodist Church, Sports Page, with more to come.
| Member Information Update. To coincide with our new picture directory, it’s time to update our congregation’s directory with current and accurate information for you and your family. Please take a few minutes to complete the online form or pick up a paper copy at the usher table and turn it in to the office. Free Sunshine! If you would like to help mow the church lawn this season, and get your dose of Vitamin D, please use Sign Up Genius to sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/ Thank you! Got Time? Got Talent? We Want You! We have a variety of opportunities available where you can showcase an existing talent or pursue an interest you have. Do you have finance or organizational skills, like to show your concern for others, can teach others, or know your way around building maintenance? All of these skills can be put to use on various St. Paul committees that need our time and talent. So, if you want to give back to our church, give Jacque a call at 515-468-1899, and she’ll help find a way you can make a difference! Prayer Chain. St. Paul has a group dedicated to the power of prayer, with faith and action following the words of 1 John 5:14, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” If you have a prayer request for the Prayer Chain, please share it with Twila Seibert (515-462-1505) or Jim Nelson (jnelson91@q.com) or the church office. Thank you, Twila, for organizing our calling tree and Jim for giving notice of prayer needs by email. If you feel called to intentionally pray for others, please contact Twila Seibert or Jim Nelson to be added to the praying group. Upcoming Worship Helpers Sunday, May 8, 9:30 am: Greeters/Ushers: Troy & Donna Schroeder; Reader: RoxAnn Rhoads; Sound, Screen, & Streaming: Wayne Martens; Videographer Lisa Vossekuil ; Musician: Georgine Bellamy; Singer: Sue Hansen; Counters: Dean Bartelt and Lisa Vossekuil; Communion Bread: Genelle Thompson; Communion Servers: Jason and Nicole Darling Choir: Please join St. Paul Choir rehearsals Wednesdays evenings at 7:10 pm. We sing about twice a month. We are excited to see current members and enthusiastically welcome any new members as we sing praises to the Lord! Worship Service Helpers/Volunteers Needed! If you are able and willing, we need your help in returning our 9:30 service to “normalcy.” It’s important that all of the positions be filled. Worship team members Debi Martens and Pat Nelson are available for any “training” you may want. 3 Easy ways to sign up: 1. Use SignUpGenius! It’s easy to access at this link and will even send you a reminder of your commitment. 2. Volunteer Kiosk: We have clipboards on the kiosks in the entryway for you to sign. 3. Call the Church office at 515-462-4270. Ongoing Transportation Ministry: St. Paul’s transportation ministry helps families who have are in need of transportation to appointments. Our current recipients are Ronnie and Shirley Addy who need transportation to Ronnie’s kidney dialysis three days a week in south Des Moines at Fresenius Kidney Care, 6651 SW 9th Street. His appointments begin at 10:30 a.m. and end at approximately 2:30 p.m. He needs to be picked up no later than 9:40 at North Ward, 415 N. 2nd Street, Winterset, at the south door of the east building. Ronnie is unable to get into a high vehicle. Please contact Shirley with any questions 515-468-0121. Ronnie’s cell is 515-468-1982. Please use SignUpGenius to indicate when you are willing to drive Ronnie. Note you may sign up to take him, return him, or do both. Please include your cell phone number in the comments. This is a long-term ministry, so check back often as SignUpGenius is updated. |
Church office phone: 515-462-4270
Church office email: Office@stpaullutheranchurch.net
Pastor Ioan Ittu email: Pastorioan@stpaullutheranchurch.net
Pastoral Emergencies: 515-419-5224