The Epistle. September, The Habitual Life. St. Paul s welcomes new staff member. Sunday Worship Schedule

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1 The Epistle Newsletter of St. Paul s Church A Parish in the Diocese of San Joaquin The Anglican Church in North America September, 2016 The Habitual Life The great English writer Samuel Johnson (who was born September 18, 1709, in Lichfield, and died December 13, 1784, in London) is reported to have said, The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. It appears that he was thinking of negative habits that end up enslaving us. And that thought is well worth our careful consideration. But, there is another perspective, too one that keeps in mind the positive effect of positive habits. After all, it is good to have the habit of kindness, and of compassion, and of love. And it is good to have the habit of prayer, worship and service. It is good to live habitually if we have good habits! But good habits are not automatic they need to be chosen and developed, so here are some habits to consider nurturing in our lives: saying grace before meals expressing love to family and friends reading the Bible and praying daily worshiping in church on Sundays giving away a portion of our income volunteering our skills and services It seems to me that these habits, if we should adopt them, will never disappoint us, and for that reason I hope that this thought will also be worth careful consideration. St. Paul s welcomes new staff member Last month, St. Paul s welcomed Linda Smith and Ellen Daniels to the parish staff, as Parish Secretary and as Music Director, respectively. This month, St. Paul s welcomes Tiffany Connors as the parish s Childcare Director. Tiffany and her family are long-time members of St. Paul s Church. Also, Tiffany serves as the Preschool Director at St. Paul s School. Child care will be offered from 7:45 to 11:45 on Sunday mornings, and during all Wonderful Wednesday activities, including the Wednesday evening worship service at 5:30. Child care will also be available for special events, as needed. As with other staff members, Tiffany will serve under the direction of the Rector and Vestry, and her work will be an extension of their ministry and that of the whole parish. Questions about the parish s programs may be addressed to a member of the clergy. Sunday Worship Schedule Beginning Sunday, September 4 8:00 AM Holy Communion, Rite I 10:30 AM Holy Communion, Rite II Please note time change!

2 Page 2 September, 2016 St. Paul s Anglican Church 120 North Hall Street Visalia, CA Church Office: Rivera Hall: VisaliaAnglicans@gmail.com facebook.com/spvisalia SPVisalia.com Office Hours Monday-Friday 8:00 to 4:00 Communion Services Sundays at 8:00 and 10:30 AM Wednesdays at 9:30 AM Clergy and Staff The Rev. Richard I. James, Rector The Rev. Paul Gibbons, Curate Linda Smith, Parish Secretary Antoinette Horsting, Bookkeeper Ellen Daniels, Music Director William Johnson, Organist Cindy Sanders, Bell Choir Director Tiffany Connors, Childcare Director Michael Nagle, Sexton Members of the Vestry 2017 Jim Doe, Pam Hubbard, Kashy Rowland-Smith 2018 Amy Cave, Wendy Johns, Kevin Robinson 2019 Steve Carstens, Dave Francis, Pat Hodde, Judy Ramirez September Coffee Hour Volunteers Members of the parish are grateful for the following people who have provided food and given of their time to make St. Paul s Coffee Hours possible. 8:00 AM 10:30 AM 4 Anne McDonald Ed and Kim Robinson Pam Hubbard Rory and Hayley Mc Carthy 11 Dave and Catherine Francis Barbara Melton Pat Hodde 18 Maureen Martin Need Help Jorge and Baleria Rodriguez Dale and Joan Wiley 25 Lawrence and Bonnie Chan Don and Peggy Buchanan Bill Roach Amy Gunn Anyone who can serve on a Coffee Hour team, either on a regular or an occasion basis is asked to contact the church office at Newcomers Brunch Those who are new (and not-so-new) to the parish are invited to a newcomers brunch, to be held in the Guild Room at noon on Sunday, September 18. The brunch will give the clergy and Vestry an opportunity to welcome new members and to answer questions that they might have about the parish and its ministries. It is also a great way for newcomers to meet some of the parish s lay leaders. Reservations are not required, but those who know that they will be attending are invited to respond to Fr. Paul Gibbons at Delegates to Diocesan Convention Betty Blackmon, Lydia Castaneda, Jim Doe, Wendy Johns, Janet Robinson, Kim Robinson

3 September, 2016 Page 3 Sunday School classes set to resume Sunday School classes will resume in September with two special activities, as listed below. Sunday, September 11 Honoring Our Heroes This year will mark fifteen years since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, when the United States was attacked by Islamic terrorists. In commemoration of the event, and in honor of those who lost their lives, not only in the attack, but also in responding to it, St. Paul s Church will have a special event during the Sunday School time. Families are invited to gather in Rivera Hall from 9:30 to 10:15 for an Honoring Our Heroes activity led by Kashy Rowland-Smith. Children and their parents will have the opportunity to make a thank you banner and cards for our local heroes law enforcement officers, fire fighters and other emergency responders. For adults without children, a 9/11 commemoration video will be shown in the Guild Room, with discussion led by Fr. Richard James. Sunday, September 18 Ministry Fair In order to let parishioners know the full scope of the ministries and activities of the parish and to sign up for them! a ministry fair will be held in Rivera Hall from 9:30 to 10:15. Representatives from various committees, groups and organizations will be present to share information about the ministry opportunities available at St. Paul s Church. Anyone wanting to participate in the ministry fair by hosting an information table is asked to contact Wendy Johns. Sunday, September 25 Regular Sunday School classes resume. Wonderful Wednesday resumes September 14 With the start of the new school year comes the resumption of many parish programs, including Wonderful Wednesday. The schedule includes the following activities: Holy Communion An informal Communion service with contemporary music is held in Rivera Hall at 5:30 each Wednesday afternoon. Dinner A dinner prepared by the Heaven s Kitchen team is served at 6:15 each week. The September 14 dinner will be a Welcome Back Barbecue with hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chili beans and chips. Cup cakes will be served for dessert. Classes and Activities Classes and activities for all ages will be held from 7:00 to 8:00 each Wednesday evening. The adult class, taught by Fr. James, meets in the Guild Room. The youth class, led by Fr. Paul Gibbons and Randle Lewis, meets in the basement youth room. The children s class, led by April Gibbons, meets in the Children s Chapel. Nursery care, provided by Tiffany Connors, is provided in the nursery. Choir and Bell Choir The parish s choirs have begun rehearsals and are actively seeking new members. Interested persons are invited to attend rehearsals which are being held on Wednesday nights. The bell choir, led by Cindy Sanders, rehearses in the Music Room from 7:00 to 8:00 every Wednesday night, beginning September 7. The choir, led by Ellen Daniels, rehearses in the church from 8:00 to 9:00 each Wednesday.

4 Page 4 September, 2016 Grief Recovery Group To help parishioners dealing with a loss in the their lives, a support group meets each month at the home of Kashy Rowland-Smith, 2743 W. Harvard, Visalia. The next meeting will be at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, September 13. Lunch will be provided. All are welcome. Questions may be addressed to Kashy. St. Anne s Guild Women of the church are invited to join members of St. Anne s Guild for a time of fellowship at 11:45 AM on Monday, September 19. The meeting will be in the Guild Room. Please bring a sack lunch. The leader of St. Anne s Guild is Maggie King. Anglican Church Women Most months of the year, the ACW hosts a luncheon in Rivera Hall on the first Monday of the month. The first fall luncheon will be at 11:45 on Monday, October 3. Cost is $10. After lunch, which will be catered by Tres Bien, renowned vocalist Barbara Volker will perform. The luncheons are a great way for long-time members and newcomers alike to become acquainted with other members of the congregation. And, although the luncheons are sponsored by the ACW, men are welcome, too! Questions about the ACW may be addressed to Betty Blackmon. Deaths Carol Seeks From the Parish Records Address Changes Dave and Ellen Daniels 2718 E. College Avenue Visalia, CA Brian and Martha Ecans 1822 Arkansas Avenue Tulare, CA Greg and Leon Romanazzi Post Office Box 6636 Visalia, CA St. Paul s annual holiday bazaar is set for Saturday, October 22 On Saturday, October 22, St. Paul s Church will be hosting its annual holiday bazaar in Rivera Hall from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Proceeds will be used for community outreach. Homemade items needed Parishioners are asked to make items that can be sold at the bazaar. Items need not be geared toward any specific holiday since all sorts of things make wonderful gifts for any occasion! Anyone who can help in any way, or can make or items for sale, is asked to call Fr. James. Until you ve lost your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is. Margaret Mitchell

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