The Abundant Life – January 23, 2025

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 Parish Hall.

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.

Sacred Ground

Mondays from 2-4PM—Dr. Joy Zavarich — Sacred Ground: Part 1—Jan. 27, Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24, and March 3.

Sacred Ground is part of Becoming Beloved Community, The Episcopal Church’s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in our personal lives, our ministries, and our society. Participants are invited to peel away the layers that have contributed to the challenges and divides of the present day.

CLICK TO REGISTER ONLINE

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

“I am committed to my faith in Christ! I didn’t grow up Episcopalian. Should I be Confirmed? Should I be Received? What is the difference between Confirmation and Reception?”

Bishop Susan Brown Snook’s yearly visit with the Church of St. Paul in the Desert will be on March 30, 2025. At her visit she will confirm and receive adults into fellowship with The Episcopal Church. Confirmation and Reception are sacramental rites marked by a public affirmation of faith. So, when and why are these rites celebrated and who is eligible to participate?

Confirmation has a complicated history. In the early Church, adults converting to Christianity were baptized by a bishop. Baptism was characterized by immersion in water, anointing with oil, and the laying on of hands. Over time, as more children were born to Christian parents, infant baptism became the norm. Since the local bishop was unable to be present as often as needed, baptism was delegated to parish priests. However, the laying on of hands remained a ritual action reserved to bishops alone, so those baptized by a priest had to present themselves to a bishop at a later time. The sacramental rite of Confirmation emerged out of this development. In the 1979 Book of Common Prayer (BCP), we find this introduction to the rite: “…Those baptized at an early age are expected, when they are ready and have been duly prepared, to make a mature public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their Baptism and to receive the laying on of hands by the bishop” (p. 412). Those baptized as children are usually confirmed during adolescence to publicly affirm for themselves the baptismal vows made for them by parents and godparents. If it does not take place then, Confirmation can be celebrated any time after that. The traditional focus on the Holy Spirit in Confirmation may seem a little confusing: Isn’t the Holy Spirit received at baptism? The short answer is: “Yes, and.” In Baptism we are initiated into Christ’s death and resurrection and receive the Holy Spirit, while Confirmation sends us forth into the world in the power of that Spirit to love and serve God and others.

Reception refers to the rite by which a baptized Christian, confirmed by a bishop, is welcomed into the fellowship of the Episcopal Church. It too, is a public affirmation; like those being confirmed, candidates for Reception also make a profession of faith and renew the Baptismal Covenant. Since they are already confirmed, the bishop does not lay hands on them. Candidates who have previously been confirmed, but not by an Episcopal bishop, receive the laying on of hands along with others being confirmed (e.g. former Roman Catholics, Lutherans, etc.).

We will be holding a series of classes beginning in February for anyone who is interested in Confirmation and/or Reception or for anyone who’d like to learn more. The class is a pressure-free zoon to learn and discuss. You can decide by the end of the sessions if these rites are for you at this time in your spiritual journey. If you would like to join the class, please click on the banner on the website to fill out the form, or email revjessie@stpaulsps.org to enroll.

Resources: An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians, Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors, and https://saintj.com/wp/confirmation-reception-and-reaffirmation-what-are-they/

CLICK TO REGISTER ONLINE

Blessed Harriet Tubman Table Read

Come meet Harriet Tubman in a read aloud play with Mick Welch and Lou Armentrout. You’ll be a stronger person after you get to know Saint Harriet Tubman, American abolitionist and social activist. Just before the Civil War, she escaped from slavery in Maryland, and then went back, time and time again, to help others escape. As we read this dynamic play together, we live through her daring rescues and watch as her faith grows. Participants of any age get involved because they become the characters. You get a chance to BE a saint—to really get inside a truly holy person.

Join us in the Church Office Lobby (we’re being creative with space while the Parish Hall is refreshed) on SUNDAYS BETWEEN SERVICES for a fun “table read” of the play. It’s super easy and anyone can join.

About the Class Leaders: Mick Welch and Lou Armentrout have been together for fifty years – all spent in the Episcopal Church. Both have been lectors throughout that period.  They are life-long educators, and both appreciate beauty where it is – and try to make more of it. Where better to pursue this than at St. Paul’s?!

CLICK TO REGISTER ONLINE

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

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

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

• A visit to the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum in downtown Palm Springs on Saturday, February 15. Cost is $5 for seniors and $10 for adults 18-64. Tickets can be purchased online at tickets.accmuseum.org. The address is 140 N Indian Canyon Dr.

To RSVP this event, please contact Jan Wacker at jwacker2001@yahoo.com.

NOTE: Mark your calendar for a SIS retreat on March 14-15. Details forthcoming.

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.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE LETTER

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 >>

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/