“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
– Isaiah 43:1-3a, NRSVue
Dear Siblings in Christ,
2025 has been a year of transition and change for St. Paul’s. In the beginning of the year, I was thankful to have the opportunity to take three months of parental leave after the birth of my daughter. I appreciate the work of Pastor Peggy Marks and Pastor Chris Regan who provided coverage for worship and pastoral care while I was away. I also appreciate Rosanne Scassero, our Office Manager, and the many leaders of St. Paul’s who stepped up during this time to ensure everything went smoothly in my absence.
Since my return shortly before Easter, life has been significantly different for me and in my relationship to the church. Due to the overwhelming cost of child care, my husband and I are splitting parenting duties throughout the week. This means that sometimes my attention is divided while in the office. Additionally, my time for pastoral visits is limited, along with the concern of not bringing extra illnesses with me either on my visits or into my home. In all of this, my ministry at St. Paul’s has changed, but I remain committed to working for the church’s wellbeing and leading this community of faithful believers.
Beyond my own life transitions that have had their effects on St. Paul’s, the community itself has had transitions of our own. One of the largest has been the worship schedule changes. Before my parental leave, it was decided that we would transition to having the Saturday service and only one Sunday morning service. The Worship and Music Committee and Council chose to continue this worship schedule, until it became clear that it wasn’t viable for the Sunday School teachers and children. Additionally, the Saturday service attendance has been steadily decreasing and it was becoming no longer viable for my schedule with a teenager at home who is highly involved in extracurricular activities. After several conversations with the congregation, Worship and Music Committee, Faith Formation leaders and Council, we have arrived at a new worship schedule to better accommodate needs at this time. Worship is now held on Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. and Sunday evenings at 5:00 p.m.
Certainly, as change always does, this has led to some conflict, disappointment, concern, and anger. For some reason, as humans, we become deeply entrenched in certain routines, such as attending worship on a particular day or at a particular time. When those things change, it can be challenging to manage our emotions, our schedules, and our desire for consistency. Nevertheless, I promise you that God still shows up at our new worship times, and I encourage you to show up too. As part of this change, we have the opportunity to meet new people, build new relationships, and get involved in different aspects of the church’s ministries. I hope that you will continue to join me in worship and ministry.
In addition to the worship time changes, St. Paul’s has had many conversations over the last year about the changing community and world and how it has impacted attendance and participation at St. Paul’s. Questions around attracting more members, engaging more with the community, and seeking to have a meaningful impact on our community have been at the front of people’s minds. These conversations led to the revitalization of our Evangelism Committee in November. As we continue to determine the direction of our evangelism efforts, I invite your prayers and participation.
In all of the events of 2025, in trials and struggles, as well as in celebrations and new life, I trust that God is present and active. The Holy Spirit continues to move in and through St. Paul’s and in the larger community. Even when it is hard to see what the Spirit is doing, it is still at work.
Sometimes the Spirit challenges us to change and grow in ways that are uncomfortable. In fact, most of the time, the Spirit challenges us beyond what is comfortable and familiar. On many occasions in this past year, I have witnessed overwhelming generosity from our congregation. Some of this has been shared between members, other generosity has been directed outward through our Social Ministry projects. I am incredibly excited and humbled to have had the opportunity to see God at work in these ways in you. It feels as though there is a growing desire for generosity and community outreach at St. Paul’s, and I am hopeful to see where that will lead us in the year to come.
It is my hope that as we look to 2026 we will be willing to move with the Spirit, and explore more ways to make a difference in each other’s lives and in the community around us. I hold you all in my prayers, and look forward to the ministry we will share in the coming year. Thank you for your continued support and generosity.
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.”
-Galatians 5:25, NRSVue
Peace,
Rev. Jessica Hahn, Pastor