Dear Members and Friends of St. Paul’s, As I write this, I am anxiously anticipating the birth of our daughter, though I have given her strict orders to stay put until after Christmas! As a church, we have spent the month of December preparing for the birth of our...
Dear Members and Friends of St. Paul’s, As I mentioned last month, I have been working on all the plans for my parental leave. I have been working diligently with the Council, Synod, Supply Pastors, and various leaders in the congregation to ensure that all needs are...
Dear members and friends of St. Paul’s, As I’ve been pondering plans for parental leave, I came across the following article that I’d like to share with you. I have already been working with Andy Opperman, our Council President, as well as the New Jersey Synod, supply...
Friends in Christ, It’s hard to believe it’s October already! Soon, the leaves will be changing color, the days will get shorter, and the nights will become cooler. We’re beginning to think about Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we’re entering into the season of...
Dear Members and Friends of St. Paul’s, As we enter into the fall season and a new programming year, we, along with much of American culture, return to our normal routines. While it’s “back to school” season for teachers and students, we often also think of it as the...
Dear St. Paul’s Family, A few of my nieces are picky eaters. For a period of time, it seemed like all they ever ate were chicken nuggets and fries or tater tots. And of course, lots and LOTS of ketchup! This makes planning a family dinner a little difficult, because...
Dear Siblings in Christ, As we move into the more “official” election season, the divisions in the world around us and between one another will sometimes feel heightened. We will be reminded in the news, in conversations, with lawn signs, and especially on social...
Dear St. Paul’s Family, As a high school student, I was never allowed to attend the ELCA Youth Gathering. According to my parents, it was “too much social time, and not enough community service.” The same was said about my youth group’s backpacking trip that focused...
Dear Members and Friends of St. Paul’s, These have been a busy few months at St. Paul’s! Looking at my calendar from March and April, we’ve had all kinds of celebrations in worship and in the life of the church. These months have included the festival worship services...
Dear Siblings in Christ, With the beginning of April comes the season of Easter! Yes, Easter is a whole season that lasts 50 days, until our celebration of Pentecost on May 19. The season of Easter is a time to celebrate new life all around us: the life of Jesus,...