Come worship with us at 9:30 on Rally Sunday, September 12. We are blessed by our volunteer Christian educators and their commitment to the God Squad program. We will recognize them during the service. Join us in person, watch our livestream Sunday morning on our YouTube channel, or view the service on the YouTube channel on Monday.
Pastor Ioan will be delivering the message based on Isaiah 50:4-9a. The sermon theme is The Spirituality of Study. For your devotions:
The same Word from God may at times encourage & comfort, or at other times convict. God’s love comes to us in both forms: loving encouragement & loving confrontation. Don’t resist the love. We as a church need to discern our way forward. It is not just about having more butts in pews, more giving units on the rolls, more children on our property on Wednesdays, it is about feeling the loving presence of God in our lives. The best way I know to do that is to stop trying to push for what we want and come together around Scripture as friends and try to hear what God is saying to us as individuals and to us as a church. That’s how God’s will is best discerned: people being vulnerable as they read the bible together. And vulnerable means letting God’s Word impact you, and not resisting the conviction nor the life-giving direction you hear.
Worship Helpers: Greeters/Ushers: Cheryl Bales and Liz Hansen; Reader: Ted Leonard; Sound: Debi Martens; Videographer: Debi Martens; Musician: Georgine Bellamy; Singer: Beth Sunds; Counter: Dean Bartelt and Wayne Martens; Communion Bread: Ruthanne Korte; Communion Server: Nicole and Jason Darling
Sunday Bible Study: Bible Study meets at 10:30 a.m. following morning worship in the frontmost classroom near the church office. During the class, we invite questions, comments, and connections, as we expand upon the readings from the worship service.
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.
Wednesday God Squad & Confirmation: Our weekly Wednesday evening children and youth education programs resume on September 15th. God Squad (4 yrs. to 6th grade) begins at 5:40 p.m. with a meal. Confirmation (7th & 8th grades) starts at 6 p.m. Please sign-up for God Squad through our website home page. Confirmation families please email this form to Pastor Ioan to let us know you child with be attending.
Sunday Evening Bible Study: Meet new people and reconnect with your fellow Christians as we resume our adult faith formation evening program on Sunday, September 19. You are invited to a four-week conversation centered on the Book of Romans and how it relates to our lives today. There are no books to buy; just bring your Bible. We will begin at 5:30 p.m. with snacks, fellowship & prayer, and enter our study time at 6 p.m. If our group is small, we will meet in a classroom. If it is large we will meet in the Fellowship Hall. Please contact Brenda Hollingsworth with your questions and to indicate your interest. (515-462-4092, 515-4468-8129, hollingsworthb51@gmail.com). We welcome everyone to this opportunity to deepen our faithful lives and connect with one another.
God’s Work. Our Hands. Our Feet. Sunday, September 26, 2021: St. Paul will participate in the ELCA God’s Work Our Hands day of service on September 26, 2021. We have tentatively identified projects within the community to show our neighborly love. These projects involve general cleanup of grounds and residential buildings, as well as private residences. They involve things like weeding, trash pickup, trimming, and minor repairs. Watch for more specific sign-up information next week.
The day will start with a special worship service and blessing at 9:30. We will then go out into the community to provide service between 10:30 and 12:00-12:30. Lunch will be served from 12:00-1:00. If needed, projects can be completed after lunch. You may also choose to participate in the CROP Walk, which will follow at 2:00, thus God’s Work Our Feet.
You may still sign up for a T-shirt at this link. Please address questions to Ann Bartelt at annbartelt0204@gmail.com or 515-418-3565.CROP Walk. St. Paul will be participating in the annual CROP Walk with other Winterset churches at 2:00, Sunday, September 26. Sponsored by Church World Service, this program began in 1946 and is known as the “granddaddy of all charity walks.” Sponsorships, pledges, and donations will be accepted Sundays September 12 and 19. Checks are payable to CWS CROP Walk. Donations, of which 25% stay in our community, may also be left in the Chapel during the week. See Dick Anderson (515-371-7083) with any questions.
Gift Bags Needed for God’s Work. Our Hands. Our Feet. The quilters have volunteered to give quilts to shut-ins as a sign of our Christian love. Please donate any large or medium-sized gift bags that would hold a quilt. Bring them to the church by Wednesday, September 22.
Operation Christmas Child Project Leader Needed. Do you want to make a difference?? We’re looking for a Project Leader for the Operation Christmas Child initiative at St. Paul. If you’re not familiar with this initiative, it involves communicating with and collecting shoeboxes from congregation members that have been filled with toys, hygiene items and school supplies for children around the world. Collection week is November 15-22nd, so it would be helpful to start the process in October. If you’re interested in chairing this important event, please let Jacque Mohs 515-468-1899 know.
Choir: St. Paul Choir has resumed. Please join us Wednesdays at 7:10 pm. We are excited to see current members and enthusiastically welcome any new members as we sing praises to the Lord!Upcoming Worship Helpers Sunday, September 19, 9:30 am. Greeters/Ushers: Dale Wulf and Kendrick Blanchard; Reader: Ann Bartelt; Sound: needed; Videographer: needed; Musician: Clarice Blanchard; Singer: Sue Hansen; Counters: Kim Patience and Lisa Vossekuil; Communion Bread: needed; Communion Servers: Rainy Gibbens and Marriah Allen
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.
3 Easy ways to sign up:
- Use SignUp Genius! It’s easy to access at this link and will even send you a reminder of your commitment.
- Volunteer Kiosk: We have clipboards on the kiosks in the entryway for you to sign.
- 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 SignUp Genius to indicate when you will 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 SignUp Genius is updated.
Free Sunshine! If you would like to help mow the church lawn this season, and get your dose of Vitamin D, please use SignUp Genius to sign up.
Part-Time Office Manager St. Paul Lutheran Church is seeking qualified candidates for the Office Manager position of 20 hours. Click here for Job Description. Apply with a brief one page (approximately 200 words) letter of interest to Pastor Ioan for consideration. Applications will be collected and reviewed until the position is filled.