The Abundant Life – September 25, 2025 – Newsletter Archives

For Sunday September 28, 2025

Our Last Advocacy Article of the Summer
Episcopal Public Policy Advocacy and Awareness Campaign: Summer 2025

Advocacy Awareness Article for St. Michael & All Angels

Let’s End Gun Violence

I grew up in a family that hunted waterfowl and upland birds. It was always a great surprise and joy when Dad woke me up in the very early morning and asked, “Do you want to go hunting?” The answer was to immediately jump out of bed and don my hunting gear.

The day my dad joined me at the Hunter’s Safety Education program so I could earn my own hunting license and take on the privilege and responsibility of carrying a shotgun in the field was one of the proudest days of my life.

Likewise, while serving in the Navy for ten years and with the Marine Corps Infantry for several of them, I had ample opportunity to witness firsthand the destructive capabilities of weapons of war.

Reading the above, one might surmise that I am a strong advocate for Second Amendment protection. Sort of… Much to the chagrin of the NRA, which used to pelt me with requests to join regularly and invite me to fill out their surveys, my answers were not what they were looking for.

In my childhood home, handguns were for killing people, long guns for harvesting animals. Battle weapons and the civilian counterpart (i.e., AK-47, etc.) should be banned from civilian ownership. Ammunition should be regulated, and anyone who wishes to own a firearm must attend education classes, pass a test, be licensed, carry insurance, and prove that they have verifiable locked storage for a firearm in their home.

I invite you to join me in letting our elected representatives know that we demand reasonable gun laws that will end this slaughter!

Episcopal Action Alert to End Gun Violence!

Blessings,
—Mark

(The Rev.) Mark A Spaulding
mark@garageshop.org

Welcome Nancy Leal, New Parish Administrator at St. Paul’s!

I am truly blessed to be joining St. Paul in the Desert as your new Parish Administrator. For over 20 years, I have worked in nonprofit and healthcare organizations, supporting leadership teams and helping create strong, caring environments for both staff and the communities they serve.

My experience has given me a deep appreciation for service, collaboration, and building connections, and I look forward to bringing that same spirit to St. Paul’s. Most of all, I am excited to get to know each of you and to be part of this wonderful parish family.

With gratitude,
Nancy Leal

Welcome Jonathan Faulks, New Director of Communications & Events at St. Paul’s!

Jonathan Faulks is excited to join the parish as the Director of Communications & Events. With a background in nonprofit leadership, event planning, and creative design, Jonathan has dedicated his career to bringing people together through meaningful experiences. Originally from Ohio, he and his partner, Chris, now call Palm Springs home with their beloved (and spoiled) pets. Jonathan and Chris have been together for 8 years and love building a life filled with travel adventures—especially cruising the high seas (loyal to Royal!). Their favorite ship is the Icon of the Seas. In this role, he looks forward to strengthening the parish’s communications, supporting vibrant events, and ensuring that every member feels informed, included, and inspired as the church continues to grow in faith and community.

Save the date—SAFE CHURCH Training In-Person at St. Paul’s on Nov. 18^th!

In-Person Safe Church Training
November 18, 2025
9am-noon
The Church of St. Paul in the Desert, 125 West El Alameda, Palm Springs, CA 92262

“Safe Church Safe Communities” training is required by the Episcopal Church every three years. In our commitment to support as many people as possible in accessing the training, we have begun offering in-person training in addition to the training offered online. This in-person training meets the needs of those who are challenged by technology, or who would benefit from participating in community. Participants will receive training on ethical and theological expectations placed on church workers/volunteers, the impact of misconduct, and the Church’s commitment to creating spaces where individuals and families are secure and valued. Safe Church, Safe Communities training is required for all volunteer and employment positions throughout the diocese. It is the Church’s responsibility to ensure safety, integrity, and trust within its community.

In order to complete all the necessary aspects of the training and receive a certificate, you must attend the full training.

Deacon Class Offered Sundays in September

Deacons are often the forgotten order of clergy. Often viewed as JV priests, the deacon is an ancient order that is so much more! If you have ever wanted to find out more about what a deacon actually is/does or if you are curious about discerning a call to the diaconate, this is the class for you!

Nicene Creed Class Offered Sundays in September/October

Ever struggle with portions of the Nicene Creed? Ever wonder if you can even consider yourself a Christian because of it? If you’ve ever felt that way, you’re not alone! Come join us for an in-depth study of the Nicene Creed and discover how it may or may not fit into your spiritual life in the 21^st Century. Questions & doubts more than welcome!

Brain Buddies

LARK (Localized Anti-Racism Knowledge) Workshop—October 17 & 18, 2025 @ Trinity, Escondido

LARK (Localized Anti-Racism Knowledge) began as a challenge from Bishop Susan Brown Snook. In February 2022 she asked the Racial Justice and Reconciliation Task Force (RJRTF) to develop a localized anti-racism workshop. Since anti-racism trainings are usually designed in other regions of the country, they reflect their populations and histories. Our area has its own history, issues, and stories. LARK focuses on our local history and populations and deals with local issues and stories. Attendees will walk away with a better understanding of the local context in which we minister, and begin to nurture the relationships and resilience necessary for advancing racial reconciliation and justice within our diocese.

The LARK workshop consists of the following major components:

Truth telling of the local history of People of Color by way of an overview of the major racial/ethnic groups in our diocesan region.
Case study ofmulti-faceted local issues by way of videos and discussion.
In-depth analysis and discussion of articles & videos regarding various local ongoing instances of racism.
Commitment to engagement: Personal Plan of Action for each participant, i.e., a commitment to specific follow-up actions and the choosing of a small group team for accountability.
Zoom meeting* to be scheduled approximately 4 weeks after the in-person workshop. The date and time will be announced closer to the workshop date. At this meeting, participants will:
reflect on their learning
report on any post-workshop activity
find the next steps for their continued journey
*Participants who are unable to attend this meeting can be given an alternate way of fulfilling this requirement upon request.

The purpose of this workshop is not simply to transmit information, but to engage participants in a collective process of discovery. The progression of the workshop is scaffolded, with the earlier activities creating a foundation for the later experiences. Full participation from beginning to end is assumed.

Participants must complete all components in order to become a LARK alumnus and fulfill diocesan anti-racism training requirements.

LARK is one part of a lifelong journey for racial reconciliation and racial justice. Whether you are a novice or veteran in the areas of racial justice and reconciliation, this LARK workshop is for you! All are encouraged to attend, and all are welcome.

When: Friday, Oct. 17, 3:30-8:30 PM & Saturday, Oct. 18, 9:30-4:30 PM, with a follow-up Zoom meeting TBD.
Where: Trinity Episcopal Church, 845 Chestnut St, Escondido, CA 92025
Sign Up Deadline: Thursday Oct. 9, or when registration is full. The workshop is open to a maximum of 30 attendees.

October Book Club

The next Book Club meeting will be held on October 7, 2025, at 2:00 PM, in the Music Cottage on the church campus. For October, Book Club has selected Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. Ireland is falling apart, caught in the grip of a government turning towards tyranny. One evening Eilish Stack answers her front door to find officers from Ireland’s newly formed secret police, seeking to interrogate her husband, a trade unionist. Prophet Song presents a terrifying and shocking vision of a country sliding into authoritarianism and a deeply human portrait of a mother’s fight to hold her family together.

New members are always welcome. For more information, please contact Alan Zimmerman at alanzimmerman@icloud.com.

6 Ts Survey

Our survey tracking system shows that many parishioners started to fill out the survey but just didn’t have a chance to complete it (by typing in their name and email address and clicking the “Done” button at the end). If you had to stop mid-way, please try again. If you started the survey from an email link, you might find that you can pick up where you left off; others would just start anew, reminding yourself that it only takes 13-15 minutes to do at one sitting! Thank you so much for your time — it will make a big difference!

As you heard about at the Annual Meeting we have a new tool to help connect parishioners to their passions and needs in the church and the wider community. Under the parish’s Strategic Plan Objectives One and Four, the 6 Ts Task force has developed a survey for all parishioners that we hope can bring us together to do more and for each other. The “Six Ts” refer to parishioners’ talents, testimony, time, temperament, treasure, and ties (relational networks).

It takes only 13-15 minutes (it’s been timed!) and you can do it easily on your computer, smartphone, or tablet (all connected to WiFi).

Here are the simple instructions to complete the survey:

Simply click on the banner at the top of this email and you will be able to fill out the survey.
Almost all the questions just ask you to check the boxes that apply to you, except for those at the end that ask you to fill in your contact information.
When you reach the end of the survey, be sure to click the “Done” button. If you do, you will receive a confirmation email that you have completed the survey.
Do NOT click any button asking you to complete another, different survey. It’s probably a marketing survey from Survey Monkey.
If you run into any issues, there will be a team of folks next to the Welcome Table on Sunday morning at both services to offer assistance.

The 6Ts survey is designed to benefit each parishioner and the church, too. By asking you about your interests, the survey can offer you more opportunities to connect with other like-minded parishioners in spiritual formation, ministry work, volunteer possibilities within the church and the community at large, and even recreational activities. By asking about your skills, the survey can help the Revs and our lay leaders identify ways that you might like to contribute to the church’s vitality and that are suited to your particular strengths and interests.

All of the information collected in the survey will be confidential; it will only be available to the clergy and laity authorized to review that information specific to their duties as employees or supervised volunteers.

Thank you for helping us connect more regularly and more meaningfully with one another!

Add a Name to the Prayer List at St. Paul

Want to add someone’s name to the prayer list? Please call the Church Office or email our Registrar, Orin Ellingson, at registrar@stpaulsps.org with names. Prayers remain on the list for one month unless otherwise noted.

Altar Flowers

“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom . . .” Isaiah 35:1-2

Altar flowers, also known as chancel flowers, are a Christian tradition of placing flowers in the chancel of a church to beautify the space and honor loved ones. In the Episcopal Church, altar flowers are often used to celebrate special occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries, or the birth of a child. They can also be given in memory of a loved one or to honor a person.

If you would like to sponsor altar flowers for a future Sunday to commemorate a special person or event, you’ll find the sign-up book in the Narthex, or you can call the Parish Office at 760.320.7488 to reserve your sponsorship dates(s). A donation of $95 for each altar flower sponsorship (or $65 for narthex flower sponsorships) covers the flower shops fees.

Prayers of the Church

For the Anglican Communion, and for the Archbishop of York, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Stephen Cottrell, who is also currently serving as the acting Archbishop of Canterbury; pray for the Province of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, The Most Reverend Ezekiel Kondo, Archbishop and Primate.

For the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming, The Right Reverend Todd Ousley, Bishop Provisional.

For the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, The Right Reverend Doctor Susan Brown Snook, Bishop; for the clergy and people of Grace, San Marcos; for our campus ministry at Cal State University San Marcos, its students and leaders.

For those commended to our prayers: Jud Hoiseth, Carolyn Scott, Ivonne Anderson, Patricia Rossberg, Gary Adams, Dr. Joy Zavarich, David Ballard & Family, Mike Brunetti, Shirley Patton, Kimie Patton, Ann & Ignatius Monteleune, Jane Friedman, Charles Lewis, Mary Montelene, Stephen White, Gilman Rogers, Katianne Simpson, Jimmy Simpson, John Bennett, Beth Colwell, Georgia Colwell, Wayne Colwell, Vertis, Michael Marguet, Dr. Michael Jardula, David Lotz, Nick Bonnell, Marty Turner, Ed Walsh, Stuart Bader, Richard Klinkerman, the parents of Anthony Tarnoski, Steve and Michelle Tarnoski, and their extended family; pray for Don Hamilton, Michael Carmona, James Phillips, Brian Bishop, David Smith, Miguel Mattias, Amy Kidder, Mary Ann Lee, Ben Clark, Marla Mark, Lt. Lauren Moore, Lt. Thomas Moore, Veronica Pooh-Nash Poleate; Lori Miller, Lucy Youngren, Bonnie Ong, RC Eckert, Gaile Eckert, Cheryl Kelley, Tish & Eliott Kahn, Hap Blaisdell, Terry Fabian, Pat, David Valenzuela, Chloe Grace Wilson Barton, Marilyn De Silva Currie; pray for all those for whom no prayers have been said.

For those who have died: Dennis Shepherd, Kathryn Briski, Amelia Grinstead, Roger Allen, Charlena Verrette, Vernon Wade, Poncho Hough, Annie Belle Cheatham, Susan M. Patterson, John Edward Fischer, Verl Sproul, Anthony Tarnoski, Beth Boyce, and Dana Gunning. Rest eternal grant to these, your servants, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen

For those celebrating anniversaries: September 30: Larry Stralow & Wayne Watson; October 3: James Bisconti & Donald Shamp.

For those with birthdays: September 28: Matthew Hampson; September 29: Ron Shepherd, Josh Brown; October 1: Peter Di Carlo, Jan Wacker; October 4: Steve Horstman.

For those for whom flowers have been donated: Today’s Altar Flowers are sponsored by Josh Brown & Martin Prew, in loving memory of Gunther, “Our trusted pet of four years,” AND BY Larry Stralow & Wayne Watson, in thanksgiving for their wedding anniversary (September 30) and for 39 years together.

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 registrar@stpaulsps.org. The weekly print deadline is Wednesday noon.

For next Sunday’s Lectionary readings, go to www.lectionarypage.net and click on October 5, The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost.

Upcoming Funeral Services – October

Saturday, October 4 at 11:00 AM – Dana Gunning

Saturday, October 11 at 1:00 PM – Ray Kelley

Saturday, October 18 at 11:00 AM – Tom Lutgen

Upcoming Meetings & Events at St Paul’s

Tuesday, September 30 – Office Closed – Annual Staff Retreat
Wednesday, October 1 – 2:00 PM – Men’s Bereavement Group
Wednesday, October 1 – 5:00 PM – Praying in Liturgical Time
Wednesday, October 1 – 6:00 PM – Evening Prayer
Thursday, October 2 – 1:30 PM – Campus Care
Sunday, October 5 – 8:00 AM – Outdoor Mass – Bring your Pet
Sunday, October 5 – 10:30 AM – Indoor Mass – No Pets at Service
Sunday, October 5 – 3:00 PM–4:00 PM – Blessing of the Animals (Outdoors)

Want to help make St. Paul’s Campus & Buildings Better?

Have you have had a moment where you were at church and you saw the same lightbulb has been out for weeks and no one has changed it? Or maybe you go to grab a railing to steady yourself and find that it’s really loose and wonder why it hasn’t been fixed? Or perhaps you’ve noticed that your pew rack is missing cards or envelopes or pens and you are reminded that no one can fill them unless someone knows they are empty?

We have a BRAND-NEW tool that anyone can use to help us make sure the campus is safe, stocked, and ready for worship and other campus activities! Welcome to the NEW St. Paul’s Maintenance/Repair Request Form found online. If YOU see something that needs repairing, cleaning, sprucing-up, etc. on St. Paul’s campus, this is THE way to ensure that we know about it. Scan the QR code below OR click on the Building & Grounds Maintenance/Repair Request Form. You will be able to fill out the form in real time, which will allow our sexton to address those issues and/or the Campus Care Committee to address any major campus issues. Help us stay organized and prioritized!

If you see something that needs repairing, cleaning, sprucing-up, etc. St. Paul’s campus, this is THE way to ensure that we know about it. Scan below to reach our Building & Grounds Maintenance/Repair Request Form.

Annual Meeting Recap & Impact Report

Stay Connected

Sunday Service LiveStreaming

We are livestreaming our 10:30 AM Sunday Eucharist every week. You can view the livestream on our Home Page, YouTube Channel, and Facebook Page.

Missed a service? Or want to rewatch a liturgy? All our past services are available to watch either on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/StPaulintheDesert or on our Facebook timeline: https://www.facebook.com/stpaulinthedesert

Join our E-Mail List

You’ll find this invitation on the front page and many pages throughout our website. It’s intended for anyone who wants to receive communications from St. Paul’s via email. This includes The Abundant Life weekly, online newsletter. If you haven’t already, sign up today!

Get “Social” with St. Paul’s!

Want to see daily pics about what’s happening at St. Paul’s? Be sure to like/follow us on Facebook and Instagram. And, subscribe to our YouTube channel to view our livestream and past services.

The Episcopal Church’s Immigration Toolkit

Shifting federal policy on immigration is already impacting people in all four of our counties. With this in mind, the Episcopal Church’s church-wide office routinely collects up-to-date immigration resources for congregations. Visit the Immigration Action Toolkit to find ways your congregation can help migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers.

Click here for more information:

Red Cards

Click to enlarge the images.

The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego’s Info on Reporting Misconduct

Intake Officers:

Ms. Megan Callan, megan@mecallan.com

The Rev. Willy Crespo, frcrespo@gmail.com

Ms. Meredith Hardy, mlh8180@gmail.com

The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego considers the reporting and investigation of misconduct to be of critical importance. Reporting enables the diocese to protect the complainant, the respondent, and the larger community. It also allows the diocese to assist with the spiritual, psychological, and emotional needs of all concerned during and after the report of misconduct. Please visit edsd.org/safe-church-safe-communities/reporting-misconduct/