Pastor’s Ponderings

If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,

and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ~ 1 John 1:7 [NRSV]

Dear Friends, February is approaching and the groundhog will have to deal with snow this year. But for many of us it seems as though Christmas was just yesterday (some of us still have Christmas decorations to pack away). However, we all know that “time and tide wait for no man” and so we are now approaching the season of Lent. At the very center of our faith is the story of God reaching out to us throughout all of history. God’s unfolding story of love reaches a pinnacle in the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Since the time of the early church, these events in the life of our Lord have given shape and meaning to church’s worship service and our Christian Calendar. And so we remember the mystery of our redemption in God’s Son through the seasons of Lent and Easter.

Lent is time for growing deeper in our faith and strengthening our relationship with our Lord. We grow closer to God through repentance, prayer, fasting, reading God’s Word, fellowship and joining together to glorify God through worship. We are to be living signs of God’s kingdom in this world. Let us look upon Lent, not as a time of giving up something, but rather as a time of opening ourselves to God’s grace so that we may participate in the mystery of the incarnation, God present with us in flesh and in Spirit. One way that you can be open to receiving God’s grace in your life, is to participate in the special worship services that will be offered throughout the season of Lent. We will begin this time of reflection with a service at 7:00pm on Ash Wednesday, February 18th in our Sanctuary. This will be a service of hymns, scripture, and ashes. We will begin our journey through the Holy Land with Adam Hamilton [see the order form in this newsletter for further information.] On the Wednesday evenings that follow, we then will gather for a pot-luck supper in Cozens Hall from 6pm to 6:55pm. We then adjourn to the Sanctuary for a hymn sing and a time to “encounter the life and ministry of Jesus in a fresh and exciting new way!” Palm Sunday is March 29th, followed by our Holy Thursday service on April 2nd at 7:00pm, remembering our Lord’s last supper with his disciples. Our Lenten journey ends with the joyous celebration of the resurrection of our Lord on Easter Sunday, April 5th. I encourage you to make every effort to join us as we begin our Lenten journey together, and participate in the great mystery of our Loving Lord. In God’s Great Grace,

Pastor Janet

The Herald St. Paul’s United Methodist Church ▪ 2131 Palomino Drive, Warrington, PA ▪ 215.343.0230

Janet L. Saddel, Pastor Nancy Mongelli, Admin. Assistant

Doug Tester, Organist Ray Washam, Handbell Choir Director

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Visit us online @ stpaulsumcwarrington.org Like us on Facebook ▪ St. Paul’s UMC, Warrington

Lent at St. Paul’s UMC: “The Way”

Wednesday Evenings beginning on Ash Wednesday in our Sanctuary at 7pm ~ February 18th

Wednesdays that follow: Cozens 6 pm dinner; Sanctuary 7pm ~ Feb 25th through March 25th

Encounter the life and ministry of Jesus in a fresh and exciting new way! Travel to the Holy Land with us this Lent. Travel to the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized, and the Judean wilderness where he was tempted. Climb the mountain where Jesus may have given his most famous sermon, and take a boat into the Sea of Galilee. This journey into the heart of the land where Jesus walked, will deepen your understanding of His life, while also in-creasing your love and faith in Him.

Each year during Lent, our church family gathers on Wednesday evenings to journey together as we grow deeper in our faith. In “The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus,” author and pastor Adam Hamilton explores the earthly ministry of Jesus to help you hear his teaching and view his actions anew by drawing upon insights from history, archaeology, and the geography of the Holy Land. Hamilton uses his knowledge from extensive travel in Israel to enrich many episodes from Jesus' three years of ministry.

We will again be gathering each Wednesday as we hear from Adam Hamilton through a DVD presentation. We will sing hymns and worship together, beginning on Ash Wednesday. In the weeks following, we’ll gather in Cozens Hall for a meal, and then adjourn to the sanctuary for our study.

If you wish to purchase the book to study along with our weekly worship, or the companion 40 Day Devotional, the form is below for your order. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------————————————————————————-

Order Form

Please make checks payable to: “St. Paul’s UMC” and either place your order form and check on the prayer table, or place in the Pastor’s mailbox (in the church office) no later than 2/8/15. Note: do NOT put in the offering plate. Name: Phone: Email: Hardcover book: Quantity ________ x $12.50 = Companion 40 Day Devotional: Quantity ________ x $6.50 =

Total enclosed: $

Baptism and Temptation: The Jordan River and the Wilderness

The Healing Ministry: Capernaum

Proclaiming the Kingdom: The Mountains

Calming the Storm: The Sea of Galilee

Ministry Brain-Storming Session on

February 10, 2015 at 7 pm

See I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:19

On February 10th we will begin a transition in the way we address the mission and ministry of St. Paul’s. That is, in the months of February, March, May, June, August, October, and November, we are calling everyone to meet as a team for the purpose of sharing ideas and supporting the mission and ministry of St. Paul’s. These meetings will be in place of the Church Council administrative meetings that have traditionally been held during these months. Administrative meetings will now be held only during the months of January, April, July, and December. The word “transition” means a movement or change from one concept to another. We can welcome this transition, knowing that God is in the midst of it. We need to focus on the Lord, what He is doing, and what He is about to do. Let us be surprised and grateful for His blessings, and be confident that His best is in store for us. It is our hope and prayer that as we begin to live this new model of ministry, we will see the fruits of the Holy Spirit come alive in our church. I was having trouble sleeping one night last week and kept thinking about how I, and the St. Paul’s Congregation, everyone, was going to be able to get involved in the ministry and mission of our church over the next two years. I prayed: “I’m lacking ideas Lord, please send a few our way”. Well, they came so fast that I had to get out of bed and write them down: Celebrate the Life of St. Paul’s – we’ll be celebrating 50 years! Involve present and past member in planning. Have an Open House. Display the history of buildings and people. Past members may want to donate if we had a wish-list from trustees. Sell an anniversary Christmas ornament, an anniversary plate, and maybe even a cookbook. We have many 55+ members. How about a grandparent’s day so we could meet a grandchild, or a child you consider as a grandchild? How about a 55+ group meeting, sharing memories, food, fellowship, educational items, etc. on a regular basis? A Founder’s Day Picnic? We have land! How about a Memorial Garden or Labyrinth? Or do something that could benefit the Warrington or Palomino Farms Community? We need to know where and why people are getting excited, and where and how we can help our community, and then bring that community to St. Paul’s. OK!! My heart and mind are racing, but on February 10th we want to hear about the dreams and ideas that have you excited for St. Paul’s. We want all members of St. Paul’s leadership teams to attend, but we need each and every member of our St. Paul’s Congregation to please, please, come and share your thoughts, ideas, and enthusiasm; and, extend and support the thoughts, ideas, and enthusiasm of others. May blessings and ideas surround you,

Pat Nickett

Sunday’s... 9:00 am Adult Sunday School 10:30 am Worship 10:40 am Children’s Sunday School After service Fellowship/Cozens Hall We still need volunteers to help keep this wonderful fellowship time going. Questions? Contact: Sharon Crawford 215.343.1735

Noisy Can Collection, the second Sunday of every month…Next collection: February 8th. There are jars on the table in the Narthex if you need one. If you forgot your jar on the second Sunday or will not be in Church you can drop it off at the Church Office. All donations are gratefully accepted even bills and checks. Thank you!!!

Monday’s... Trustees 7–9 pm third Monday of the month/Pastor’s office

St. Paul’s Book Club..third Monday @ 7:30 pm in the Library...We are currently reading, THE PILOT'S WIFE, by Anita Schreve. You’re welcome to join us whether you've read the book or not. Perhaps you have a good book title to suggest? Hope to see you on Monday, February 16!

Tuesday’s... Church Council @ 7 pm on the following dates: April 14, September 8 & December 8. Ministry of Mission brainstorming, 2nd Tuesday of month’sin between @ 7 pm.

Wednesday’s... Women’s Bible Study 10 am every Wednesday/Cozens We are going through the book of Genesis, verse by verse. All women are welcome! Lenten gatherings begin February 18th, Ash Wednesday @7pm February 25th, Supper @ 6 pm; service @ 7 pm.

Thursday’s... Handbell Rehearsal 6:30–7:30 pm ▪ Choir Rehearsal 7:30–9 pm every Thursday/Sanctuary Missions Food Pantry Drop-Off Program On the first and third Thursdays and Saturdays we will be a drop-off location for the community to drive-through and leave food items for the Pantry. Thursdays from 6-8 pm and Saturdays from 10 am-Noon. This should help the Pantry with a void in the Warrington area and help the community have a local place to give to others in need.

Saturday’s... Keeping Us In Stitches is the needlework group at St. Paul's. Bring any kind of needlework and join us in fellowship on the fourth Saturday of each month. Many are making Prayer Shawls for our Ministry and other work on their own projects. All are welcome! Hope to see you on Saturday, February 28 in Cozens!

Men’s Bible Study and Breakfast 8–10 am first, third & fifth Saturday/Cozens St. Paul’s Widows & Widowers meet on occasion throughout the year. We enjoy the fellowship of one another by going to events, movies, or dinner. Contact Judy Snyder if you are interested.

What’s Happening @ St. Paul’s... Standing Meetings, Groups & Programs

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church is presenting a series of four programs entitled

Never Ending Love... meets again on Sunday, February 15 at 2:30 pm in Cozens Hall. Thanks to all who attended the

first in the Series and shared how much they learned! Bring your friends and relatives as we reach out to serve the community as we learn more about issues involved with Living Wills and Ad-

vanced Directives, planning for senior care, inventory of what you own, and property involving married couples at our February gathering! March 15 and April 17 will be the following dates in the

series. Please call 215.343.0230 to register.

Mark Your Calendar...

The food pantry is now accepting pet food donations, please put your donations in the box in the Narthex. Thank you!

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Our new FOOD PANTRY DROP OFF project begins on Thursday, February 5 and continues

on Saturday, February 7 and again on the first and third Thursdays & Saturdays of each month. Share with your friends and neighbors and tell them

to drive through on Thursdays from 6-8 pm and Saturdays from 10-Noon, volunteers will be there to pick up

their food gifts for the Doylestown Food Pantry. Let's all work to make this an effective outreach to our community

and a way to help the needy in our midst!

Due to the great success of Boutique Row in 2014, the women of St. Paul's will offer the event again in November 2015. Please consider donating any gift cards you receive for the holidays or any time during the year. Instead of letting the gift cards sit in a drawer, be for-gotten, and go unused, donate them. The Raffle Basket committee will put them to good use as an enticing part of our baskets. Please see Betsy McCormick or Gwynne Bee if you have gift cards to donate.

THE WOMEN OF ST. PAUL'S thank Cheryl Ward and Lynne Heaton, Chairs, and all who helped and attended the Pot Luck Dinner and program,

COME, BE PAMPERED on Wednesday, January 21! We fought the snowstorm, so appreciated your support! The next event will be a trip in the spring. Watch for more information and a date you can mark on your calendar!

As I am writing this, we are waiting for a huge snowstorm to arrive. I think it is pretty exciting, but my friends in the office are not quite as enthusiastic! We have had only a little snow so far…just enough to be a tease. My little friends really want to play outside and build a snowman and throw a couple of snowballs. That’s a whole lot of fun when you are a preschooler. January has flown by with all of the fun activities here at St. Paul’s. We all came back from Christmas break ready to see our friends again and get down to some serious learning. Teeth were front and center! We had a dentist come to visit with some of our classes. We also had a funny puppet show all about brushing, flossing and eating healthy foods. We all learned that “sticky and sweet is a yucky treat” for our teeth. We’ll be very knowledgeable for Dental Health Week next month. My friends in the 3/4 classes visited UNO’s for a trip. They got to peek into the kitchen and make their very own pizza. Then they shared it with their moms and ate with their friends. We all got to visit UNO’s for the monthly restaurant fundraiser later in the month. The Mom’s Group had a Zumba session and Lil’ Sports and Dance have started up again. February will bring Dad’s Day and Dad’s Nights for the Preschool and Family Night for Extended Care. Love will be in the air as we get ready for Valentine’s Day. Our PreK Christian class will have Chapel again this month. We will collect extra change for Love is Sharing and share our bounty with some people associated with the Preschool who could use a little extra help. Our restaurant fundraiser for February will be at Bertucci’s on the 3rd from 11 to 9 so come and join us for lunch or dinner! Looking far ahead, our Craft/Fun Fair is scheduled for March 7th (we are currently soliciting crafters) and the Spring Consignment Sale is March 27 & 28. I hope you have a “loverly” month! Hugs and kisses from Paul E. Bear

St. Paul’s Preschool News… February 2015

The preschool is having a craft fair on March 7 from 10-3...they are looking for new items for: Baby Family Game Night Items to Pamper Mom Grilling & Baking... Please get them to Maryann in the preschool, no later than February 20th. If you have any questions, please call her at: 215.343.1563.

It's Snowing! Will We Have Church Today? Our Trustees do their best to keep our facility and parking lot safe. But we can’t possibly remove every bit of snow and ice, so we ask that you use your own common sense about attending during inclement weather. We have two means of finding out if our church services are cancelled (and the same for evening meetings or Bible studies). You can call this Winter Storm Emergency phone number: 215.343.1693. If services are cancelled, the message will clearly state as such. If you have a computer you can access our website and a banner will be posted on the front page: www.stpaulsumcwarrington.org We trust that each person will use their own judgment and not risk life and limb to get to church in difficult weather conditions. Know that you will be missed and we will look forward to greeting you when you are able to come to church.

Courtesy of Diana Wrisley:

TEACHER: Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?

SIMON: No sir, I don't have to, my Mum is a good cook.

HELP WANTED We need help keeping our website up-to-date and interesting.

If you can turn on a computer you have enough skills. We will teach you the rest. It is easy!

You will get written procedures and a support team. If you are interested or have questions, contact Diana at: dianawrisley@verizon.net

or the church office at stpaulsumcwarrington@aol.com or 215.343.0230.