Come, let us gather to seek, question, and embody together the new life of God's work in and around this welcoming and diverse community of faith. No matter where you find yourself on the journey of life, faith, doubt, and hope, you're welcome at Grace-St. Paul's as you are.
Worship and Christian Formation
Community worship
Sunday mornings:
8 a.m. Holy Eucharist, spoken with no music
10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with music.
Wednesday evenings: 7:30 p.m. Spoken Eucharist in an intimate, candlelit
setting
Summer schedule: Beginning Sunday, June 24, services will be at 8 a.m. (no music) and 9:30, with hymns.
Life at Grace-St. Paul's
Join us and change us as we seek God's future
together...
Welcome! Whoever you are, and wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith, you are welcome at Grace-St. Paul's. Children are welcome in worship. Clipboards and materials for kids of different ages are on the book shelves at the back of the church. Ushers and greeters will be happy to help you with your needs. Professional caregivers are available in the nursery from 7:45 a.m. until 11:15 a.m. Parents are requested to pick their children up by 11:15 a.m. Please join us in Craft Hall for a chance to know each other better following each worship service.
"Between the Services"
Holy conversation, holy play at 9 a.m.
Adult Forum
Adults gather in Craft Hall to go deeper in talking about faith and life.
Children and Teens
Kids gather in the church at 9 for music, then go to their individual rooms.
Grace-St. Paul's Direct to Your Inbox
There's so much going on at Grace-St. Paul's that a great way to stay in
touch is by being on the mailing list for the midweek e-letter. Not on it
yet? Send your email address to parishoffice@gracestpaul.org with "e-letter"
in the subject line, and we'll make sure you get on the list.
Nets For Life Campaign
Grace-St. Paul's
is partnering with the Millennium Development Goals Task Force of the Diocese
of New Jersey and Episcopal Relief and Development to raise money for the
"Nets for Life Campaign" to help eradicate malaria in Africa.
Malaria deaths in Africa have been cut by one third in the last decade.
How can we maintain the momentum? By supporting "Nets for Life".
The cost of each net is $12. That cost includes the education and community
work needed for successful use of the nets. Donations will be accepted through
Sunday, May 20. We ask that you put your loose change in the net covered
can located in the back of the church. As of May 6 donations will purchase
8 nets.
Grace St. Paul's Spring Cleanup…Thanks to all those
who helped!
If you were unable to help on the spring cleanup day,
please check out the board in the narthex for tasks that you can do at times
that suit your schedule. Have questions?? Contact either Gladys Longmuir
at 609-587-1422;
gml7103@verizon.net or Patrice Lavanture at 609-792-9709; plavanture@aol.com
with questions or to let them know you will be there to help!
English Tea
Grace-St. Paul's English Tea
will take place next Sunday, May 20 beginning promptly at 2 p.m. Tickets
are $20. For tickets or info, please email NSILVALOH@gmail.com
Episcopal Church Women Service Awards
The Episcopal Church Women are offering Service Awards again this year to
young adults that are currently enrolled or will be enrolled this fall in
an undergraduate program at an accredited college. To be eligible to apply
for this award, you must have given time in service to Grace-St. Paul’s
during this academic year. The forms are in a folder in the ECW’s mail slot
in Craft Hall. Please return the completed form to that same folder by June
15th. If you have any questions, please contact a member of the ECW.
The Survey is ready!
To All Members of
the Diocese of New Jersey:
The Episcopal Election Committee is happy to announce that the Online Survey
is now available at http://deploy.ztelligence.com/start/survey/survey_taking.jsp?PIN=1673P3MTY97MM&d=2.
Instructions for completion of the survey are easy to follow. As you will
see, the Survey questions are different from the Focus Group questions.
We encourage you to participate in both the online Survey and the Focus
Groups. The Focus Groups are in full swing, collecting your "voices"
for the Profile of the Diocese that will be viewed by prospective candidates
for our next Bishop! Four Focus Group meetings have already been completed,
and there are five coming up, including two specifically for Clergy. If
you haven't already signed up to participate in a Focus Group, please check
the list of Convocations that are still open. For more information about
Focus Groups please go to http://newjersey.anglican.org/bishopsearch.
The Survey and the Focus Groups are our only way to hear your opinions regarding
the bishop you want. Please take time today to complete the survey and to
help spread the word: Let your voice be heard!
The Episcopal Election Committee
"I Am Episcopalian...." – and I go to
Grace-St. Paul’s!
Grace-St. Paul's on the National Website - Again! The new, updated
website of the national Episcopal Church is exciting, insightful - and it's
now live! Check it out at http://episcopalchurch.org/.
In particular, go to the "I Am Episcopalian" page http://episcopalchurch.org/page/i-am-episcopalian
to see videos of regular Episcopalians around the country witness to the
life-giving presence of the Episcopal Church - and see a few familiar faces!
Watch as Pat Hines, Brian Bridgewater, Ely Molina, Martha Heckel,
and Rose Cooper share their stories with us, the nation, and the
world, and you'll even catch glimpses of Dylan's and Zoe's Pentecost
baptisms. And what better witness to the new life of Missio:
Engage - its story-telling and, most importantly, story-listening.....
Check out the site!
Missio Moments: Listening
to the Listeners Story-telling and story-listening.... "Missio
Moments" is a regular space where those who set up an intentional time to
listen deeply to someone's story of life and faith can share how the listening
itself was transformative - and then they give us all the gift of being
transformed by their story of listening. So read on....
2011 has been the worst year of my life so far. Spring brings someone telling
me something that would devastate any family. I’m at odds on what do I do
with this information. Summer comes along and my union goes on strike against
my employer. Both Ely and I are without income and we’re told the strike
may last until December. I’m also still dealing with the repercussions of
the choice I made to do with the information from the spring. Fall arrives
and the man who was a second father to me when I was young passes away.
I’m interviewing people for Missio about a God that makes them smile, while
inside I’m screaming “Where the hell are you for me God?!” Here comes winter
and I’m told that my mammogram has a finding that needs to be biopsied.
Christmas is a time of peace and joy but I sure wasn’t feeling it. Where
is my ah ha God moment that others seem to have? I want it. I need it.
January 2012 was my turn to give a Missio testimonial during church services
and I had no clue what I was going to say. After listening to a few of the
core Missio group share their stories, I begin to realize that I was looking
for God in all the wrong places and in all the wrong ways. God was there
in the spring the very moment I was told the devastating information in
first place. God was there in the summer when the strike only lasted two
weeks and we had enough savings to cover our loss. God was there in the
fall when my uncle was taken out of his misery and the moment my brother
put his arm on my shoulder during the funeral. God was there in the winter
when I had an appointment with the surgeon the very next day, the biopsy
by the second day and negative test results within four days of being told
the mamo findings may be cancerous. God was there all along in the partner,
family and friends that I am blessed with.
God didn’t show up for me with a lightening strike or wind blowing. I probably
never will have a powerful ah ha God moment but I’m learning to find God
in the little things. I’m also finding peace along with it.
--by Charin Cetkowski
"Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away." BCP
Every Sunday will now be TASK barrel Sunday. TASK needs our help and we
are answering the call! When is the last time you went hungry? There
is a place where people wake up hungry in the morning and go to bed hungry
at night. These people are our neighbors. The place they live is called
Trenton. TASK provides more than 3,000 free meals per week to people in
need in the Trenton area. Please remember TASK during your weekly grocery
shopping with a very simple theme, One-a-week! Pick up one item during your
shopping trip to put in the TASK barrel. Needed non-refrigerated items include:
Fruit singles, pudding singles, Chef Boy R' Dee microwave cans, spaghetti
sauce, salad dressing, juice boxes, peanut butter, jelly, canned fruit,
non-perishable foods, macaroni, canned beef or turkey gravy, or canned veggies.
Personal hygiene itemes also needed: shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes,
deodorant, disposable razors, and bars of Soap (Irish Spring, Zest, Coast
and Lever 2000 are patron favorites). NO glass jars,
please!
Keep those caps, box tops and labels coming …
The Stewardship Ministry is collecting the following items that will benefit
a local school: bar codes or caps from Coke products, Box Tops for Education,
which are found on many different products including General Mills and Land
of Lakes, and Campbell Soup Labels. This year the Mercerville School in
Hamilton Township will receive all the items collected. Thank you for your
support of this ministry.
"Solo Cup Brigade"
GSP has teamed
up with TerraCycle to recycle plastic cups that would otherwise end up in
landfills. Bring in any brand or size # 6 cup or plastic cup packaging &
GSP will earn $0.02 per item. Place the items in the container in Craft
Hall labeled "Solo Cup Brigade." For questions, see Charin Cetkowski.
Know a GSP Friend Who Can't Get to Church?
If you know a Grace-St. Paul's friend or family who, for physical or health
reasons, can't make it to church, let our Eucharistic Visitors know. They'll
help find the best way to share the presence and sacrament of the church
with that person. Contact Rose Cooper at g.r.c@att.net.
Looking ahead….
SUMMER WORSHIP SCHEDULE
We will begin our summer worship schedule on June 24th.
Service times will be 8:00a.m. and 9:30a.m.
Vacation Bible School 2012: SKY—“ Everything is
Possible with GOD”
July 16th –July 20th 6:30 to 8:30 pm . Please join us for VBS where you
will experience: Wild Blue Bible Adventures; Sing spectacular Sky songs;
Play All-Star games; Snack at the Skydive Diner; do Arts and crafts at the
Imagination Station; and we can’t forget the Bible Memory Buddy that you
get each day. Registration forms are available in the narthex under the
Sky Poster or through the Church School Staff. All are welcome—ages 4 to
10. So invite your friends to join you. Any questions please contact Gladys
at 587-1422 or Sue at 586-3750. Registrations are due by June 10th.
All
Are Welcome at Grace-St. Paul's
Visit us at: 3715 East State Street Extension
Mercerville, New Jersey 08619
Services are Sundays at 8 am and 10 am.
Church School every Sunday during the school year.
Join us weekly for Coffee Hour after each service.
Call to learn more! (609) 586-6004
fax (609) 586-6024