The Abundant Life – January 16, 2025

An Exciting Note from the Parish Hall Refresh Taskforce!

As we dreamed in the Patio Parties this past Fall, we are only weeks away from starting the exciting Parish Hall Refresh Project. The Refresh Project undertakes modernization and transformation of the Parish Hall in a dozen project areas, specifically designed to create 3 education rooms (the current 12 Step room and 2 old Sunday School rooms), a large video conferencing room (the old choir room/social justice storage room), and improved classroom/meeting space in the Parlor.  All of this is to support St. Paul’s mission and ministry in spiritual formation and education and service to the community. Enhanced accessibility is a primary goal, together with effectively equipping the space for year-round use. To find out more about the details of this project (a detailed scope of work, budget, funding, etc.), you are invited to join us at our Parish’s 86^th Annual Meeting in the church parking lot on Sunday, January 26^th following the unified 9:30AM service. Patio Party feedback was critical in making sure the scope of work matched the desires of the parish for what will be a significant improvement to our Parish Hall. Prayer, discernment, and a lot of hard work behind the scenes have brought us to this incredible milestone in our parish’s history.

In the meantime, rest assured that the Parish Hall Taskforce and the Church Staff have been in constant communication with community partners and the ministries of the parish to ensure a smooth transition as we prepare to close the Parish Hall for the next few months. We will all need to have loose knees, as Rev. Dan said in his first sermon of 2025, as we adjust to sharing limited space during our busy in-season. Once construction has begun, the Parish Hall will be off-limits to all parishioners to make sure everyone is safe and that the project is completed in a timely fashion. The Church building, Music Cottage, and Church Office will remain open during normal operating hours during this time.

Our lips are sealed until the Annual Meeting, but please come prepared with your questions at the meeting and please reach out afterwards if you would like to learn more about this exciting project!

Yours in Service,

The Parish Hall Refresh Taskforce of the Vestry

Alex Christensen – Senior Warden
John Raposa – Junior Warden
Brooke Wolford – Finance Committee
Nick Falconio – Campus Care Committee

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Commemoration Service
Sunday, January 19 – 2PM at St. Margaret’s

Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence

Join us for an inspiring afternoon as we reflect on Dr. King’s message and celebrate his profound impact on civil rights.

A Time for Action: Supporting our Neighbors in Los Angeles

A Note from Bishop Susan Brown Snook

“My heart is heavy with the news of the devastating fires sweeping across Los Angeles. The destruction is unimaginable, and my prayers are with every person affected. As a bishop, but also as a neighbor, I feel a deep sense of responsibility to respond with action. It is these moments that remind me of the fragility of our world but also the strength found in our community–acting on God’s love for one another.

I’ve been moved by the stories I’ve heard from the Diocese of Los Angeles. Their churches have opened their doors to evacuees, offering safe havens for those who have been forced to leave everything behind. Pastoral care teams are walking alongside families who are grieving the loss of homes and livelihoods. Diocesan leaders are working hand in hand with Episcopal Relief & Development to bring essential resources to where they are needed most. This is the church in action—a tangible expression of God’s love in the midst of heartbreak.

If you feel called to help, I urge you to visit the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles’s Fire Response and Resources page. There, you can learn more about their efforts, volunteer opportunities, and ways to support their work financially. Donations to Episcopal Relief & Development are particularly impactful…”

To read more, click here: https://edsd.org/news/a-time-for-action-supporting-our-neighbors-in-los-angeles/ 

St. Paul Clergy & Staff Offer Epiphany Blessings to Buildings on Campus

Last week our clergy and staff went from building to building to bless and offer thanks with intention in prayer for each building on St. Paul’s campus. “May Christ bless this church/office!” Celebrated on the Feast of the Epiphany, there is a time-honored tradition of using blessed chalk to write above the home’s entrance, asking for God‘s blessing on the dwelling and those who live in it, and even those who visit. It is an invitation for Jesus to be a daily guest in our lives and our home. This past Sunday we blessed chalk and invited you all to offer a blessing on your homes. Keep sending in your pictures (revjessie@stpaulsps.org) and we look forward to seeing homes blessed all throughout the valley for 2025. Have you blessed your house yet?

Baking for Community Event

Special thanks to Pete Smith and his wonderful ability to gather a group of St. Paul’s folks around baking and eating and sharing in community together this past Saturday. One attendee said: “We had a great day on Saturday baking and fellowship. We had great conversations over lunch!” Food = Love.

Daughters of the King Invite you to a Discernment Process

The Daughters of the King invite all women to join the meeting on January 28 at 1:30PM to meet the current Daughters and find out a bit more about whether becoming a Daughter is something for you. To learn more about this order, click here: https://www.doknational.org. To find out more about St. Paul’s Chapter of the DOK, contact Patty Kiker at patty.kiker@gmail.com

Notice of St. Paul’s Annual Parish Meeting

WHAT: The 86^th Annual Meeting of the Church of St. Paul in the Desert.

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, immediately after the single 9:30AM service.

WHERE: The Church parking lot if weather permits, or other location on the Church campus announced by the Co-Rectors that day.

WHY: Elect members of the Vestry and representatives to the Diocesan Convention; Approve last year’s Annual Meeting Minutes; Impact Reports on the State of the Parish; 2025 Budget adopted by the Vestry; Announcement of the Senior Warden for 2025.

ELECTION OF VESTRY & DELEGATES/ALTERNATES

WHO IS BEING ELECTED:

4 members of the Vestry, the Parish’s governing body, each for a 3-year term until the 2028 Annual Meeting, and 4 Delegates and 2 Alternates to the 2025 Diocesan Convention.

CAN I VOTE?

Yes, if you…

• Are at least 16 years old
• Regularly attend worship services at St. Paul’s
• Are a contributor of record as of Jan. 1, 2025 — meaning that you financially contributed to the Parish in 2024 and will receive a Giving Statement for 2024 and/or made your 2025 Stewardship Pledge that was received in the office by Jan. 1, 2025, and
• Have been registered with the Parish for at least 60 days prior to the Annual Meeting – wear your name badge to show that you’ve registered with the Parish!

WHO IS NOMINATED FOR VESTRY?

• Last autumn, all members of the Parish were invited to submit their names if they wished to be considered for election to the Vestry.
• The Vestry Nominating Committee, composed of the Senior Warden, co-chair of the Strategic Plan Implementation Team, and two former Vestry members, vetted these potential candidates.
• Candidates must be at least 18 years old and eligible to vote at the Annual Meeting. Desired qualifications include being a person of prayer, known and respected within the Parish, with a positive and trustworthy demeanor, and the possession of unique skills.
• The Nominating Committee submitted a slate of four persons to the Vestry which were approved for recommendation to the Parish for election at the Annual meeting.
• The recommended slate of Vestry candidates is (bios forthcoming this Sunday and in next week’s Abundant Life):
  • George Holliday
  • Steve Klinkerman
  • Pete Smith
  • Marian Stinson+

WHO IS NOMINATED FOR DIOCESAN DELEGATES/ALTERNATES?

• We are seeking 6 members willing to represent the Parish at the annual Diocesan convention – 4 Delegates and 2 Alternates.
• This is a great way to learn more about the diocese and St. Paul’s place in the wider church.
• You must be at least 18 years old and eligible to vote at the Annual Meeting.
• Interested? Contact Rev. Jessie ASAP at revjessie@stpaulsps.org.

HOW DO WE VOTE?

• Instructions will be given at the Annual Meeting.
• You will be provided paper ballots. You may vote for the entire slate or for the individual candidates.
• Proxy and absentee ballots are not permitted.
• Voting is supervised by 3 Inspectors of Election appointed by the Vestry.
• The newly elected members of the Vestry and Diocesan Delegates and Alternates will be announced before the end of the Annual Meeting.

VESTRY APPROVED RECOMMENDED SLATE OF VESTRY CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION AT THE 86^TH ANNUAL MEETING

STEVE KLINKERMAN

Steve’s formal education concluded with an M.B.A (finance emphasis) from the University of Colorado. After graduation, he worked in underwriting and IT for the Great West Life Insurance company in Denver. There he met his spouse Michael, and in 1995 they relocated to Steve’s home in Memphis, where they were active members of First Congregational UCC. He worked for a few years in IT for the Church Health Center of Memphis, and later for FedEx. In 2006, they relocated to Modesto, and Steve worked as IT manager for a non-profit, and for the past 13 years as an IT project manager for Foster Farms.

Steve has served in many roles at churches in Memphis and Modesto. In Memphis he served on the Finance Committee, working to implement the purchase of a new church building. He also served as a member and chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committees, helping coordinate the effort to renovate the new buildings. In Modesto, he was on the Finance Committee and chaired the Buildings and Grounds Committee for several years, coordinating a major renovation of the church worship space and fellowship hall. Steve also planned, built and supported the IT infrastructure at both churches.

GEORGE HOLLIDAY

George has been a member of St. Paul for almost 20 years. He is a CPA with over 16 years of experience in the accounting and nonprofit industry. He has been a member of the altar guild, has served as an altar minister and usher, and is a proud member of the choir. George is the current Treasurer, leading the Finance Committee, and is a member of the Legacy Society. He has previously served as Treasurer for St. Paul and served three previous terms on the Vestry.

MARIAN STINSON+

As a retired Episcopal Priest, Marian+ worked in a variety of settings for over 33 years, specializing in serving parishes in distress. Prior to ordination, she was a Clinical Social Worker, working primarily with people dealing with life threatening illnesses. She moved to the desert three years ago with her husband Bill, and they found St. Paul’s almost immediately. The rest is history, as they say! They love this community and have found opportunities for involvement in such activities as spiritual formation and community building.

Part of what Marian+ loves about St. Paul’s is not only its commitment to making a difference in people’s lives, but its playfulness and love that permeate the place. She believes our society needs a strong, healthy church like St. Paul’s to be a spiritual oasis in this fractured world. She has served on the Vestry for the past year (filling in for the remainder of a vacant term) because she wanted to contribute to this work. As a member of the HR Committee, she was able to use her skills and experience to assist in the hiring of staff, etc. that will add to the strength and efficiency of the parish. She would like to continue to contribute her voice to the ongoing ministry of St. Paul’s as we grow in numbers and faith.

Confirmation Class Begins in February

Sundays between services—The Revs/Additional Clergy
Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23, March 2, 9, 16, 23
Culminating with the Bishop’s Visit on Sunday, March 30^th

Are you worshiping with our community and are ready to take a further step into becoming an Episcopalian and/or deepening your faith in our tradition? This class will lead you through your own spiritual life story as well as through the history, theology, and worship of the Episcopal Church. It is an opportunity for you to grow spiritually in and through the community of faith at St. Paul’s.

• Have you been Baptized but never Confirmed? Then you are a candidate for the Confirmation which will be administered by the Bishop.
• Are you Confirmed in another denomination and want to become a member of the Episcopal Church? Then you are a candidate for Reception, whereby you will be received into the Episcopal Church by the Bishop.
• Are you already an Episcopalian and have been inactive and want to reconnect? Then you are a candidate for Reaffirmation, whereby you publicly reaffirm your intention in the faith and are blessed by the Bishop.

CLICK TO REGISTER ONLINE

Women’s Group (Sisters in Spirit—SIS) Upcoming Gatherings

All women are invited to join two Sisters in Spirit (SIS) Events in the Month of February:

• A potluck at the home of Marian Stinson+ on Monday, February 3 from 1-3PM.

A Letter from the Co-Rectors about
The Well in the Desert

Dear Beloved,

In 1996, one of our parishioners, Dr. Wayne R. McKinney, began The Well in the Desert as a ministry of the Church of St. Paul in the Desert, believing the most vulnerable in our community deserved to be fed. He continued this work alongside other parishioners and it affectionately became known as “The Well”. As it grew, The Well in the Desert, became its own 501c3 non-profit organization, managed and led by Arlene Rosenthal. The Well continued all these years to cook meals for over 200 people out of St. Paul’s “little kitchen that could” five days a week! The Well then transported those meals four of the five days to other church locations throughout the city—The United Methodist Church, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Our Lady of Solitude—and served the meals on Wednesdays at St. Paul’s. Many of our parishioners helped in those early days, almost 30 years ago.

Click here to read the rest of the letter >>

St. Paul’s Mercy Ministries and a U-Haul Truck Head to Aid in the Pasadena Fires

With the upcoming Parish Hall refresh (see next week’s Abundant Life for more exciting details on this much needed project on our campus), the Mercy Ministries has worked hard to move all the clothing, toiletries, shoes, and socks out of the building to locations where it is most needed. First, Mercy Ministries donated a carload of toiletries and clothing to the United Methodist Church. They were appreciative of this great addition to support their ministry.

Second, ALL remaining toiletries, ALL clothing, ALL shoes, and 7500 pairs of Bombas socks were loaded into a 15-foot U-haul truck this Wednesday. The truck was FULL!! Lena and Tony drove the truck to deliver its contents to All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Pasadena for the victims of the fires in Los Angeles County. Thank you, Tony and Lena!

The stockroom is completely empty (and ready for refreshing) due to the hard work of Ann, Richard, Brooke, Summer, Lou, John, Mike, Megan, Roberto, and Terrence. With the incredible work of this outstanding team, we were able to pack up and move all clothing, toiletries, shoes, and socks out of the stockroom and into the truck in about an hour and a half! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR VOLUNTEER SERVICE!

NOTE: We are NOT accepting donations at this time while the Parish Hall is undergoing a much-needed time of repair, maintenance, and refreshing. Please pray for our city and fellow churches and for St. Paul’s as we discern how to best serve and care for the most vulnerable in our city. Please pray for those in the Los Angeles County fires.

Border Compassion Update

Thank you for praying for the Holy Family who was on the Christmas Day bulletin cover. We met them on the Border trip back in April and again during the Las Posadas trip in December. After almost a year of waiting in the migrant shelter, Mario, Paty, & Yaliz have made it legally and safely across the border to family in North Carolina. Sister Suzanne Jabro, the director of Border Compassion, who sponsors these trips said, “I believe your community prayers carried our family across the border! A Posada Story for us all to witness. Thank you, St Paul’s Community, for living faith for us all to see. I look forward to accompanying your community on April 5^th.”

Flags at Half-Staff In Honor of President Jimmy Carter

Our flags will be flying at half-staff in honor of President Jimmy Carter over the next few days. President Carter’s state funeral takes place at the Washington National Cathedral, part of the Episcopal Church, on January 9^th. We give thanks for his life of service to our country, to the world, and to those most in need.