Dear St. Paul’s Friends,
Over the last several months, we have put a lot of time, energy and prayer into establishing a new worship schedule. This all began because the Worship and Music Committee and the Council agreed that three worship services are no longer warranted based on current attendance and volunteers. Rather than having a small group of people at each of the three services, we could be stronger together by holding two services each weekend. So, the question became, what times will we hold the two services?
The easy answer of continuing the 5:00 pm Saturday and 10:00 am Sunday schedule, which we have used at various times over the last several years, turned out to be problematic for a variety of reasons. But, any other change was sure to be an emotional one for the St. Paul’s community.
Over the course of many hours of conversations with the Worship & Music Committee, Faith Formation leaders, Council, congregation, and various other ministries and individuals, we have determined a new worship schedule. Weekly worship will be held on Sundays at 9:30am and 5:00pm. The morning service will alternate between contemporary and traditional music as it has recently. Sunday School will be held at 10:45 am. The 5:00 pm Sunday evening service will have traditional music. This schedule will go into effect beginning the weekend of January 3-4, 2026.
I know that this change will be difficult for some people, especially those who have been attending worship on Saturday evenings. At the conversations with the congregation, members were asked to think about what was best for the entire St. Paul’s community. The overwhelming sentiment at all the conversations was that regardless of the decision made, people were willing to change if that was best for St. Paul’s. In the majority of situations, those who are committed to worship will find a time to do so and they will continue to be active members.
Sometimes making a hard decision is also the best decision. While we could have returned to three worship services until attendance at one or more of them dwindled to zero, it is not an appropriate use of our energy and resources, and it would not be life-giving for the St. Paul’s community. Similarly, we could have strained to keep the two-service schedule that we’ve been using, but it would lead to long term frustrations within various ministries that struggle to function under that schedule. It was time to make a hard decision.
As we transition to this new worship schedule, there will be some tensions and frustrations. However, over time, I trust that St. Paul’s will be better and stronger for it. I encourage you to pray for St. Paul’s, for your fellow church members, and to discern how you can best participate in worship as a member of this community.
For the better part of a year, we have been focused inward on ourselves as we have struggled with this issue. Much of my time and attention has been consumed with keeping everyone informed, working with various committees and leaders, and leading the congregation through this change. While valuable and important, this means that I have been unable to devote the appropriate time to other ministry needs.
Now that a decision has been made, we are free to focus our time and energy elsewhere. We need to spend more time thinking of how we as a church make an impact outside of our church’s walls. What value do we have to the community around us? How can we be a more meaningful presence in Hainesport?
I hope that over the coming months and years, we can dive deeper into these questions together.
As always, you are in my prayers. Especially as we face difficult changes, please know that my door is open for conversation and prayer.
Peace,
Rev. Jessica Hahn