For Sunday, January 17th, 2021
St. Paul in the Desert Parish Meeting
In-person, socially distanced, outdoors, all-Parish meeting
January 31, 2021 at 11:00am
In the parking lot at St. Paul in the Desert, 125 W. El Alameda
This meeting will also be available via ZOOM. To be included in the ZOOM meeting, send your invitation request, by January 30th to: nancyjantonius@gmail.com.
This is your chance to meet the new Vestry members, hear from our interim Rector, Senior Warden, Junior Warden and Treasurer, get an update on the search for a new full-time Rector, and catch-up with all that’s happening at St. Paul during the Pandemic shut-down. This is an opportunity to see friends, either socially distanced or virtually and learn what’s new with the church’s ministries and your fellow parishioners.
For in-person attendance please RSVP by January 28th to: registrar@stpaulsps.org
A Note from our Stewardship Ministry
New Year’s Blessings!
The Stewardship Committee and the Vestry are very appreciative of the response to date to our request for your pledges of estimated giving for 2021. As you may remember, our goal is 200 individual pledges with a total giving amount of $400,000. We are in our final stretch of reaching that goal. As of this week, we have received 144 pledges totaling $325,265; we will continue to update and report these numbers as new pledges arrive.
It is not too late to join those who have submitted their pledges of estimated giving. You can do so by returning the pledge card previously sent to you or by submitting your pledge online. You can even pledge by phone by calling the church office (760.320.7488, ext. 222). Thank you all once again for your financial support to keep our ministries, worship and other services going.
Wishing you all a New Year filled with joy, love and peace.
The Stewardship Committee
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, St. Paul in the Desert will NOT be able to host the Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Celebration, as we have for so many years.
However, the Palm Springs MLK Committee is planning a virtual celebration, scheduled for 2:00 PM, Sunday, January 17.
Christmas Flower Donations
A heartfelt Thank You! goes out to all who donated so generously to our Christmas Flower Fund and to those who volunteered to decorate the church. Even though we couldn’t enjoy the beautiful display in person, the festive flowers brightened our holiday service broadcasts for all who tuned in.
January 15, 2021
Dear Parishioners,
We are pleased to announce the posting of our Parish Profile under the new Rector Search button available at the top of the navigation bar. This new section includes the Profile document, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), the archive of our Transition Updates and instructions to apply for the position.
If you would like to recommend someone for the position, you can forward the name, with their permission, to the Transition Committee Convener at transition@stpaulsps.org. Or ask that individual to apply for the position by going to the Rector Search section of our church website to get instructions on how to submit their cover letter, resume and Office of Transition Ministry profile. Rev. Canon Gwynn Lynch, Canon to the Ordinary, is accepting applications until February 26, 2021 on our behalf at glynch@edsd.org.
We have also posted this announcement on the Episcopal Church Office of Transition Ministry Database and with the Episcopal News Service. We encourage you to reach out to others to spread the word and to provide this information to them.
We thank you for your continued prayers and support,
Clinton L. Carbon
Convener, Transition Committee
Pray for our Parish in Transition: Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a rector for this parish, that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (BCP p. 818)
Book Club is Zooming!
The next Book Club meeting will be held Tuesday, February 2, 2021, at 1:00 PM via Zoom. Meeting access information will follow later.
For February, Book Club has selected The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. In The Vanishing Half, the lives of twin sisters who run away from a Southern Black family at age 16 diverge, as one returns and the other takes on a different racial identity – but their fates intertwine. This month Book Club celebrates its fourth anniversary.
New members are always welcome at Book Club meetings. For more information contact Alan Zimmerman at alanzimmerman@icloud.com.
Help Wanted: Live Stream Production/Technical Director
We are seeking a part-time Live Stream Production Director to work approximately 3½ hours on Sundays broadcasting our worship services. Qualified candidates must be tech savvy, proficient in OBS Studio, and able to handle a simple three camera set-up (two stationary and one on remote control).
Candidates are NOT required to be Episcopalian – or even religious – but be willing to learn the format of our services. Compensation is commensurate with experience. Additional opportunities exist in live streaming weddings, funerals and other events.
If you know of anyone who might be qualified and interested, please ask them to contact Steve Moore at pscars4u@aol.com
Celebrating 3 Kings Day – Los Tres Reyes – Los Tres Magos
In Spain and Latin America, children get gifts after Christmas on January 6, the Feast of Epiphany. Parades are held on January 5 with costumed Kings throwing out candy from floats. This tradition started from a dictate by the King of Spain in 1885.
Today, children write a letter to the Kings – Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar – asking for a toy, and put out a pair of shoes for the Kings to fill with candy on their overnight mysterious visit. A round cake called a rostro is served with a baby Jesus doll and some candied fruit baked inside.
The Latino ministry suggests you google Los Tres Reyes for more information on this faithful celebration. The next Latino Ministry Committee meeting is January 25, at 6:30 PM, via Zoom. Contact chair Bonnie Stroock – bcstroock@aol.com – to join the meeting.
Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano en 2021!
Weekly Bible Sharing
With the Rev. Canon Eric H. F. Law
Thursday, January 21st
12:00 p.m.
Join via Zoom: Click here to join meeting.
Or, join by phone: (669) 900-6833
Meeting ID: 841 2829 0982
Prayers of the Church
For the Anglican Communion, and for the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby; pray for The Anglican Church of Australia, Archbishop Geoffrey Smith, Archbishop of Adelaide, Primate.
For the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina, The Rt. Rev. Henry N. Parsley, Jr., Visiting Bishop.
For the Diocese of San Diego, The Rt. Rev. Susan Brown Snook, Bishop; pray for our Ecumenical partnerships during the Week of Christian Unity.
For our Parish in Transition: Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a rector for this parish, that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (BCP p. 818)
For those commended to our prayers: Neal Leiffer, Debbie Williams, Vincent Thomas, Marie Berkner, Brenda Relerford, Brian Nealy; pray for all those affected by COVID-19 – heal those who are suffering, comfort those who grieve, and strengthen those who are caring for others, and pray for all those for whom no prayers have been said.
For those who have died: Dorothy Lee, Areise Vaughan, Tony Spears, Helen Pellum, Eddie Arugay, Sandi Alejandro Sprankle, Henry Long, Sue Sollock, Ronda Wade, Dr. La Vera Small, Alton Prior.
For those with birthdays: January 17: John Raposa; January 18: David Bagg; January 19: Jerry Di Noto; January 20: Ivonne Anderson; January 22: Clinton Carbon; January 23: Andy Johnson.
Pray in Thanksgiving . . . For The Reverend Canon Victoria T. Hatch: Ordained as the first woman priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, January 15, 1977.
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Send us your Prayer Requests via email — You may request prayers, “For those commended to our prayers” or “For those who have died,” by sending requests to announcements@stpaulsps.org
For this Sunday’s Lectionary readings Click Here. From the calendar, select January 17th.
Daughters of the King Prayer List Requests
St. Paul’s Order of the Daughters of the King chapter maintains a confidential prayer list, praying daily for our families, friends, congregation, and the world. If you would like to ask the Daughters to pray for you or someone else, email your requests to dokstpaulsps@gmail.com. Confidentiality of this list means that names on our list are not shared beyond our chapter members and Chaplain.
Questions? Contact Patty Kiker, 214.497.3034
Looking for a home?
St Paul in the Desert has been endowed with a gift of residential real estate located in Sun City, Palm Desert.
One of our longtime parishioners has bequeathed a beautiful home to the church. The proceeds from the sale of the property are to be shared by St. Paul and two other parishes that were dear to the heart of the donor. The residence is currently on the market and is move-in ready. If you know of someone who is looking for a home in a quiet community, we ask you to share this information.
View more about this homeFraud Email Alert
A recurring threat to churches is email-based impersonation scams targeting key personnel. The scheme involves cybercriminals mimicking clergy or other staff through the use of phishing emails. Criminals typically pose as personnel in positions of authority and ask victims to perform money transfers, pay invoices, or to send the attacker sensitive data. Scammers will often manipulate the “from” email address and name so that it appears to be coming from someone you know.
Churches and dioceses across The Episcopal Church and across other denominations have been a target of these email impersonation attacks. Scammers use a free email account (such as Gmail) and register it with an impersonated name. They then send an email to an unsuspecting recipient asking for immediate help in order to get a task done (such as purchasing a gift card or wiring money). Attention to detail can be a lot of help in combating cases of impersonation. Users should check sender details carefully. Any suspicious email message should be investigated before replying. Also, proper attention should be given to the message content, including attachments and URLs.
While there is no way to stop these scams, you can minimize risk by taking these steps:
- Check the return email address. If the address doesn’t match the name of the sender, be wary.
- Never open attachments from unknown sources.
- Be wary of generically addressed emails like “Dear Friend” or Dear Customer.”
- If there are links in the email, hover over them without clicking on them. This will show where the link will actually take you.
- Be wary of email with grammatical or spelling errors in the text.
- Check the address at the bottom of the email. If it says ”Pastor Jim” and Jim never goes by “Pastor,” it’s fake.
Finally, if after all these steps it looks safe and the sender is asking for money or access to secure data, call the person directly to get verification.
Your best defense for this is to simply delete the email; do not click on any links or reply to the sender.
Episcopal News Service
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Report clergy misconduct
As part of our ongoing commitment to creating a safe haven for everyone, our diocese trains people in the prevention of misconduct and encourages all to report misconduct. All reported incidences are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly and confidentially. If you believe you have experienced misconduct of any kind, please contact John Seitman, 858-793-4555 or Equilla Luke, 760-583-0485.
Compassionate Care Task Force
Our diocesan task force on compassionate care for victims of clergy sexual misconduct seeks to connect with those who have experienced misconduct. If you have reported clergy sexual misconduct and have information about the reporting or post-reporting experience that could be helpful to their work, please refer to the task force members, all of whom are listed on the diocesan website: Task-Force. Information on how to report misconduct is available here.
Church Office Hours
Due to the COVID-19 health crisis, the Parish Office is closed to the public until further notice.
Office phone: 760.320.7488
If you call, please leave a message. In case of emergencies, a priest will return your call.
Bullying Behavior Not Welcome Here
At St. Paul in the Desert we welcome all worshipers to a place that is free of violence and bullying.
Physical, verbal or emotional violence against others or against oneself is not acceptable because of our understanding of what it means to follow Jesus. Please let Jesus’ command to love your neighbor as yourself be your guide.
“It Gets Better” is a series of video messages to encourage Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgender youth and let them know that they are loved as they are.
“A Blessing for Those Who Are Bullied” was written by the Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, a Bishop of the Episcopal Church.
It is not enough to say “NO” to bullies. It is important to stand up for people and to provide resources for those who have been the targets.
