St Paul UMC

"Making Our Neighborhood God's Neighborhood for healing, health & hope."

Our Centennial Celebration

St. Paul United Methodist Church will celebrate our Centennial on Saturday and Sunday, March 6-7.

Saturday night we will have a Centennial Reception at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (201 S. Shackleford, at I-630) in the Jackson Room from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The reception will be a dressy affair for adults only with heavy hors d'oeuvres. The menu will include shrimp cocktail shooters, carved top round of beef, chicken tenderloins, stuffed mushrooms, cheese/fruit/vegetable tray, chocolate dipped strawberries, and mini cheesecakes. The cost will be $20.00 per person. However, scholarships will be available for those on a fixed income (contact Sherry for information). Transportation will be available for those who prefer not to drive after dark. Reservations must be made in the church office for transportation. Child care will be available at the church - by reservation only.

Sunday, March 7, there will be one worship service at 10:45 a.m. Bishop Charles Crutchfield will preach, and Rev. Phil Hathcock will also participate in the service. We are inviting our former pastors to participate in the service as well. We will have special music during the service, which will include an anthem especially composed for our Centennial Celebration.

Following the service, lunch will be provided at no cost in Richards Fellowship Hall for everyone. We will have a birthday cake at every table (we still need volunteers to bake cakes). There will be a PowerPoint presentation of St. Paul highlights, and lots of opportunities for fellowship.

We need everyone to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime celebration. Please return your reservation card by February 19 and let us know you are coming.

Karen Branton, Centennial Committee Chairperson

What's Happening at St Paul

Help the Homeless:
Interfaith Hospitality Network

Through the Interfaith Hospitality Network, we will be partnering with Westover Hills Presbyterian as they house families February 28 through March 14. If you would like to volunteer by helping prepare meals for this ministry, please contact Suzie Van Patten at suzievp@sbcglobal.net or call the church office.

LENT

This Wednesday we began the Season of Lent. I hope that you will take the opportunity over the next several weeks to engage in Lenten Disciplines. A discipline could be giving up something and/or adding some spiritual component to your life. Note that the word discipline is rooted in the word disciple. Our journey as disciples of the Risen Lord calls us to do a little "spiritual spring cleaning" every once in a while. It is a time to pull every thing out, toss out the junk in our souls, polish the good, and sweep out the dust and cobwebs so that we greet Christ on Easter with our lives and our relationships with him and each other in good order. So, I invite you to engage in the disciplines of daily prayer and scripture reading, scheduled periods of fasting, and almsgiving in order that you may strengthen yourself as a disciple of Christ. I promise that you will find joy in these disciplines as you place God first in your life! -- Blake

St. Paul Spring Break VBS

March 22 - March 26

Monday - Friday 8:45 - 11:45

Register for VBS at:

http://stpaulumcfamily.blogspot.com/

CONFIRMATION CLASS 2010

A Confirmation Parent Information Meeting will be held from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. (NEW TIME) on Sunday, March 14. The confirmation schedule is as follows and classes will be held from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

  • Sunday, April 11, Session 1, Rev. Phil Hathcock
  • Sunday, April 18, Session 2, The Journey
  • Sunday, April 25, Session 3, How Methodists study the Bible
  • Sunday, May 2, Session 4, A Methodism to Our Madness
  • Sunday, May 16, Session 5, How We Worship/Making a Decision
  • Sunday, May 23 is Confirmation Day--Pentecost

If you have any questions, please call Miz Liz.

Rescheduled Parents of Youth Meeting

Sunday February 21 @ 6:30

parents & those interested in helping our youth are invited

MUSIC DEPARTMENT ASKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT

The Handbell and Chancel Choir members are so appreciative that the Trustees approved a chancel renovation. Plans include an updated sound system and removal of the existing theater seating to be replaced with free standing chairs. The total cost of this project will be between $18,000 and $20,000. The Music Department goal is to retire this debt as quickly as possible. A few early contributions have already been received; however, more is needed to cover the entire cost of the project. A designated fund for chancel renovation has been set up. Please consider donating toward either the cost of the sound system or the purchase of a chair. The cost per chair has been set at $80 following a contribution specifically for chairs. No donation is too small; we will enjoy the improvements together, so consider retiring the debt together.

EASTER LILIES

If you would like to purchase an Easter Lily plant to beautify the Sanctuary this season in memory of or in honor of one or more persons, please let us know by: 1) completing information on the signup sheet in the church office or 2) dropping off or mailing a note to the church. Each plant is $12.00 and you may take them home following Easter worship services. Please pay when ordering.

♫♫♫" Notes" from Bob ♫♫♫

Music Calendar for January - February

  • Sunday, February 21 - The Chancel Choir will sing J.S. Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring."
  • Sunday, February 28 - The Chancel Choir will sing John Purifoy's "Make a Joyful Noise."
  • Sunday, March 7 - St. Paul Centennial Celebration Special music by the St. Paul Ringers, the Chancel Choir, guest organist Andre Duvall, the Quapaw Brass Quintet, timpanist Bill Woolly, and flutist Michelle Drilling. The commissioned prelude and opening hymn "Festival Concertato on St. Anne" will be premiered!
    ONE SERVICE - 10:45 A.M.
  • Sunday, March 14 - The Joyful Noise Children's Choir will sing "Be Still and Know that I am God."
  • Sunday, March 21 - The Chancel Choir will sing "As the Deer."

Looking Ahead

  • Friday, February 26 - The William Jewel College Handbell Choir in a free concert. 7:00 p.m. Lakewood UMC/North Little Rock.
  • Saturday, February 27 - State Handbell Festival. 9:00-3:00. Free Concert at 2:30 p.m. Lakewood UMC/North Little Rock.
  • Saturday, March 6 - Mass rehearsal for Chancel Choir and St. Paul Ringers, 10:00-Noon. The Sanctuary.
  • Sunday, March 14 - The Chancel Choir will go on the road to sing with the choirs of Parkhill Presbyterian Church (NLR) and host choir First Baptist Church (901 Calhoun Street, downtown).

Thanks to all who gave so much of their time to make our Annual Pancake Breakfast successful. And thanks to all who have helped remove the theatre seats from the choir loft. Hope to see you every Sunday during Lent and especially for our Centennial!

Peace - Bob

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN

The United Methodist Women will meet in the Annex at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 1. The mission item is toothpaste. Roger Rasico will present a program on the Juvenile Justice System. Since we did not meet in January or February, we will have some important catching up to do. See you there!

St. Paul Life

PRAYERS

IN GRIEF:

Jim Hamer in the death of his wife, Beverly Hamer, on February 15.

Family and friends of former member Alvin Reap, who died February 13.

 

CONGRATULATIONS:

April and Jeremy Johnson on the birth of a son on February 9, Connor Daniel Johnson.

 

IN THE HOSTPITAL:

Tommy Benson is in UAMS.

John Goode is in Pleasant Valley Healthcare.

 

IN SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY:

Bill O'Dell

Mike Vittorio

Trey Boatman

Chris Boyd

Bart Roper

Justin Fowler

Jonathan Arnold

Will Allen

Stephen Paulson

 

OTHER PRAYERS REQUESTED THIS WEEK:

Vic Wright

Gil Tiller

Johnny Goode

Willie Goode

Joy Darr

Mai Clemons

Tom Newton

Sharon and Wayne Greathouse

Lou Ann Ford

Jerry Moskwiak

Wendy Luplow

Barry Vogelgesang

Doug Clower

Mary Ruth Beckett

May Reaves

Faye Sewell

Lillian Tipton

Patty Wilson

Annette Norman

Betty Drawbaugh

Lenora Dyer

Judy Wilkins

Golma and Dub Fiser

PRESENCE

Worship: 254

Sunday School: 127

GIFTS

Operating Budget: 5,344.00

Lenten Brown Bag Bible Study

Beginning at noon on Friday, February 19, Rev. Blake will host a Bible Study in the Conference Room that references the scripture from the Sunday sermon. This Lent we will be studying selected Psalms. Bring lunch and your Bible and we will discuss the week's scripture reading. This Lenten Bible Study will be held from 12 noon~12:45 on Fridays through March 26.

  • February 19 -- Psalm 51
  • February 26 -- Psalm 100
  • March 5 -- (TBA)
  • March 12 -- Psalm 46
  • March 19 -- Psalm 42
  • March 26 -- Psalm 13

UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS

February 283pm SPRC
March 46pm Ministry Table (Ministry Area Coordinators)
March 166pm Lay Leadership (Nominations)
March 214pm Finance Committee

A PEEK AT THE PAST
by Frank Dean

THE FINAL PEEK

On December 27, 2009, a service of Celebration of Licensure and Appointment to Pastoral Ministry in the Local Church was conducted by Rev. Blake Bradford. The ceremony was to confirm Mike Smith as a local pastor. Mike has been diligently working toward this goal and his work was publicly acknowledged and confirmed with this service.

Rev. Michael Smith can now preach, teach, conduct divine worship, provide pastoral care, serve in mission and administer sacraments.

The St. Paul congregation is very proud of Mike and we congratulate him for this accomplishment. We believe he and Nancy will serve God in the most rewarding way.

* * * * * * * * *

This is the last PEEK AT THE PAST. Hard to believe a year has gone by. I want to thank those of you who have supported this effort. I sincerely hope the series has helped reinforced your knowledge and appreciation of our wonderful St. Paul.

One final note. Karen Branton and her committee have worked very hard for a year or more on plans for our centennial celebration. I urge each of you to make plans to attend every function they have planned and help make this a very joyous occasion. And tell them, THANK YOU!

(Correction: Last month's PEEK inadvertently placed the Forest Park Church at Kavanaugh and Pierce Streets. And you didn't even notice. Of course you know by now that it is at Cantrell and Pierce Streets. Please accept my apology.)

RICE DEPOT

The following are dates we are scheduled to work at the Rice Depot through August:

Thursday, March 11

Saturday, March 27

Thursday, April 8

Saturday, April 24

Wednesday, April 28

Thursday, May 13

Saturday, May 22

Thursday, June 10

Saturday, June 26

Wednesday, July 14

Saturday, July 24

Wednesday, August 18

Saturday, August 28

As a reminder, the weekday hours are 9:00 a.m. to noon and Saturdays are 10:00 a.m. to noon and we meet at the Rice Depot. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Linda Joyce at ljoy0687@att.net.

RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE ON MARCH 21

We will be having a blood drive at St. Paul on March 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Please mark your calendar! Remember: there is a required 8 week deferral between donations. If you haven't donated, save it for the St. Paul Blood Drive.

SCOUTING

Many thanks to the Scouts and leaders of Troop 30 for assisting in Sunday's worship. Our Troop 30 is one of the most effective and successful troops in the region.

SCOUTING GOD AND CHURCH AWARDS were recently awarded to: Steven Hulsey, Michael Hulsey, and Jacob Maris (St. Paul family) and to Blair Bish (Trinity UMC).