Inside this issue:

IN OCTOBER

1 Pancake Breakfast p.3

1 White House ornament sale p.7

1 Jochebed Circle p.3

1 Washington W.Dist. p.3

2 Acolyte Training

2.9.16,23,30.Joe Corbi pizza UMYF p.4

4,11,18,25 What is a Methodist? 4

5 UMM Dinner Meeting p.3

5 UMW circles meetp.3

5,12, 19, 26 Play Group mornings p.8

7 Prisca Circle meets p.3

9 Two services-No Joyful Rising p.5

15 Church Work Day p.7

16 Children Sabbath Family Church p.4

16 History Comm. Open House p. 6

20-22/ 12 Fall College visits4

23 Bible Sunday -3^rd gr p.4

30 UNICEF coin drive p.4

FORMidible (forms due)p.8

30 Brahms Requiem p.5

30 Day Light Saving ENDS p.9

THE EPISTLE October 2005

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church 10401 Armory Ave. Kensington, Maryland 20895 http://www.stpaulsk.org 301-933-7933 Vol. 48, No. 10 &

St. Paul’s has collected over 20 thousand dollars to assist those affected by Hurricane Katrina. We also have been collecting flood buckets, school kits, and health kits. Please continue to bring these into the church narthex. They will be sent the week of October 2.

A Volunteer in Mission team will be organized for early January to go to the gulf coast area. If you are interested, please stay tuned. They are not signing up teams until there is some guarantee of safety.

PASTOR GIVES 125 GOLD DOLLARS TO CHILDREN

Did you know that during Vacation Bible School this summer Pastor Karin gave children money from the treasury of St. Paul’s? The children were studying the parable of the talents and were challenged to take their $3.00 and be a good steward of it. At the end of the summer, the money would be collected and used

to support the orphans in Nicaragua. (That mission trip has been postponed for a year, but the money has been designated and will be taken with us when we go next year.)

Some of the children sold lemonade and cookies. Others sold bottles of water. Some made soap. Two even had a yard sale!

Over $350 was collected so far from a beginning of just $125! Maybe our children ought to give the stewardship sermon?

Contacts:

Pastor Rev. Karin Walker

revkarin@comcast.net

Minister of Visitation Rev. John C. Walker

friartuck4@verizon.net

Deacon Youth/Education Rev. Rick Buckingham

ricklby@yahoo.com

Office Manager Carol Lewis

stpaulsunited@verizon.com

Epistle editor Del Moyer

del@moyer.us

Karen’s Comments

Someone once said, “Our kindness may be the only sermon some person out there will ever hear.”

How true that is! And if our support in January of the tsunami victims and our more recent efforts for Hurricane Katrina victims are any indication, a lot of folks out there have received kindness. Thank you for your generosity in assisting those in need. The outpouring of love continues as needs are made known.

How true it is as well if you were present for Christian Education Sunday and saw all of our Sunday School teachers and helpers commissioned. They are charged each year with teaching the faith to our children and youth, through word and deed. My favorite Sunday School teacher was Ms. Cox who taught third grade. I don’t remember what we learned that year, but I do remember that Ms. Cox called everybody special and gave out stickers generously.

Finally, how true it is if you’ve been in the need of prayer. Our Bible studies, meetings, worship services, and especially prayer lift, have been praying for you. St. Paul’s is a church that believes in prayer and offering help when there is a need. Our members have been busy taking others to doctors’ appointments, repairing concrete at homes where there is a need, visiting to encourage one another and so much more.

I guess my point is this: John and I are not the only ones preaching!

Thank you for what you do.

Peace,

Karin

John’s Jottings

One of the ministries St. Paul's makes available is its ministry of healing. Of all the opportunities offered by the local church this is certainly one of the most important and vital. In fact, I wonder why it has taken our mainline denominations so long to recognize this. The very heart of Jesus' ministry focused on healing. Everywhere he went, and nearly everything he said, reflected his healing touch. His disciples went on to emphasize spiritual healing as if to suggest that this was to be a vital part of the Christian Church for centuries to come.

Today at St. Paul's, we encourage you to come to the chapel at 7 pm. each Wednesday, receive prayer and the laying on of hands if you wish, and anointing with oil. There is also a time on the second Sunday afternoon of each month at 2 pm. to come to the church sanctuary for a brief

time of meditation and healing. In the past, some equated Christian healing with extreme manifestations of behavior; that was neither effective nor reflective of what Jesus actually

taught. It seems likely that such an approach has served rather to scare than attract those with a very basic spiritual need. But healing is very

scriptural, and very much needed among many Christians of our time who find themselves

fractured by what is happening all around them. It is amazing how God--and the Lord Jesus--use us even now to be channels of anointing and healing to one another! Remember, each Wednesday at 7 pm., and the second Sunday of each month at 2 pm.

Blessings on you!

John

UNITED METHODIST MEN "FALL" INTO BUSY SEASON

Autumn is here and changes are in the air.  One thing that does not change is how important this time of year is to the entire UMM program.  The projects scheduled during the fall account for the bulk of the UMM revenue; and, of course, available funds for the various organizations supported by our organization.  I hope that all men at St. Paul's will plan to participate in as many activities as possible.  Although the EPISTLE articles indicate activities for the current month, the full UMM calendar can be found on St. Paul's WEB page:  Click on Ministries, then click UMM, then click calendar 2005.

Fall Activities:

Sat., Oct. 1 - Pancake Breakfast.  Proceeds go to Potato Project

Wed., Oct. 5 - Supper and a general membership meeting. 

Sat., Nov. 5 - Pancake Breakfast Proceeds to Charles F. Kirkley Scholarship Fund at Wesley Seminary

Fri. & Sat., Nov. 11-12 – Indoor Yard Sale Receiving day is Thursday, Nov. 10

Thurs thru Sat Nov 10 – 12, APPLE SALES

Working with you,

Harold Moyer, President

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN (UMW) FALL NEWS 
 

Fall brings many opportunities for UMW members' participation. Coming Events include:
Oct. 1 Jochebed Circle meets at 9:00 AM
Oct 1 Washington West District Mini-School of Missions at Good Hope Union UMC at 9:30 a.m. This is a good opportunity to learn about the Mission studies for 2006.
Oct. 5 Miriam, Deborah, Lydia, and Sarah circles meet.
Oct. 7 Prisca Circle meets
Oct. 20 Washington West District Annual Meeting at Damascus UMC. Reservations for are dinner due Oct. 10. $10. Theme "Public Education" one of the studies for
 this year. Give reservations to your circle leader and car pools can be arranged.
 
All women in St. Paul's family (members and friends) are welcome to join a circle of the United Methodist Women. 
 
Its PURPOSE is stated in The Book of Discipline, 1996, “The organized unit of United Methodist Women shall be a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church.”
 
I hope many of you will join us this fall. 
 
   Bev Burdin 
 Vice President

CHILDREN’S SABBATH FAMILY CHURCH - Sunday, October 16^th
The focus for our Children’s Sabbath service this year will be on the needs of children in places like Nicaragua, as we continue to plan for a Volunteers-In-Mission trip there next year.

BIBLE SUNDAY - October 23^rd

This year, we will be presenting Bibles to our new third graders during the 10:15 service on October 23^rd, which is Bible Sunday. Parents of third graders are asked to confirm with Rick Buckingham how their children’s names should appear on the Bible bookplate. Please e-mail this information to Rick at: ricklby@yahoo.com by October 10^th.

HAVE YOUR COINS READY OCT. 30^th

On Sunday, October 30^th, the 5^th grade class of our Church School will be collecting for UNICEF as the congregation exits the sanctuary following the 10:15 a.m. service. The number of children in our Church School has now grown to a point where making a collection during the service no longer practical. Please support this effort to meet the needs of impoverished children throughout the world.

New Acolyte Training - October 2^nd

All youth in 6^th grade or above are invited to come to the sanctuary, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m., for training as new Acolytes. Please register your interest with Mrs. Marge Higgins 301-946-5196.

JOE CORBI PIZZA KITS and COOKIE DOUGH FOR SALE!
St. Paul's UMYFers are now taking orders for Joe Corbi Pizza kits and Joe Corbi Cookie Dough. Previous years' successes have resulted from the high quality of the products in addition to the strong support we have from St. Paul's congregation.

This year's profits will be used to support next summer’s Youth Work Camp. Orders for pizza kits will be taken at the October 1^st Pancake breakfast and on Sunday mornings, October 2, 9, 16 23 and 30. The pizza kits and cookie dough will be available for pick-up in Heavener Hall on Sunday morning, November 6^th, 2005 from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 noon.

Fall College Visits in Boston, MA

Our Minister to Young Adults, Rick Buckingham, will be in Boston, Massachusetts, October 20-22, to visit any young people from St. Paul’s who are in that area. Please let Rick know if your college student is attending one of Boston’s many colleges, and get contact information to him by October 12^th.

What is a Methodist? The class, led by Rick Buckingham, will meet on the four Tuesday evenings this month, October 4, 11, 18 and 25, 7:30-9:00 p.m. in the Cleveland Library. All are welcome, and are invited to register on the sign-up sheet hanging in the church office. There is no registration fee or book to purchase.

UNITED METHODISTS PERFORM

BRAHMS REQUIEM

On Sunday, October 30, 2005 at 4:00 p.m., four United Methodist Churches plus friends, soloists and instrumentalists will perform the Brahms Requiem. Participating church choirs include members of College Park UMC, Hughes UMC, Marvin Memorial UMC, and Good Shepherd UMC. Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 9701 New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring, is hosting the performance. The church is located on New Hampshire Avenue one block inside the Beltway; ample parking is available off Mt. Pisgah Road, which parallels New Hampshire. A free-will offering will be taken. Please join us for this multi-church musical event.

LIBRARY BOOKS view the New Testament and Jesus

The library has books to supplement Adult Christian Education classes…

If you plan to take one of the adult education classes this Fall, perhaps you would like to browse through the library’s shelves for resources and other supplemental texts to help further your biblical and spiritual study.

We have two new books in our collection that discuss the New Testament and the life of Jesus. The New Testament Story by Ben Witherington III (call #225.6 Wit) examines how the various books were selected and compiled into the New Testament. These gospels became all the good news that was ‘fit to print’. Witherington includes stories about Peter and Paul with other stories that we know of Jesus and the holy family.

Another book, Jesus Now and Then by Richard A. Burridge and Graham Gould (call #232 Bur) looks closely at how Jesus has been portrayed throughout history and how these interpretations were impacted by the historical events of that time. You will find this scholarly book quite readable.

Our children’s table will feature books on the bible stories that we all know and love – the stories of Noah’s ark, Jonah and that enormous whale and the parables. Please stop by to enjoy and reread these treasures.

Debra McCurry

Librarian

Come and discuss the book Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus from a faith perspective. 

.

Come and enjoy conversation, fun, and learning in this unique way.

Plans are well under way for the Couples’ Retreat. Approximate cost per couple is $150. It includes dinner on Friday, breakfast and lunch on Saturday, and the room. Dates are January 20-21 in Westminster at the retreat Center.

ONLY TWO SERVICES ON OCT. 9

8 AND 10:15

On October 9th, there will be just two worship services: 8am and 10:15. The Joyful Rising service will pick up the following Sunday (October 16).

MEET OUR LAY LEADERS

(a continuing series)

“To serve St. Paul’s, I need the prayers, support and cooperation of those with whom I am working,” says Ruth Ann Kuykendall, vice chair of the Church Council. “I pray that God will give me the strength and the insight to do the very best that I can in whatever I do.”

Ruth Ann grew up near Parkersburg in western West Virginia. She started attending St. Paul’s more than 25 years ago and became a member in 1981. She retired from the Montgomery County Schools after 29 years, mostly as an administrative school secretary. Her husband Gene worked in the automobile service industry and is also retired. They have two adult children, Danny and Diane, a granddaughter, Kelly, and a great granddaughter, Sarah.

Ruth Ann uses her spiritual gifts of organization and leadership as chair of the UMW’s Sarah Circle and as a member of the UMW Mission Team. She also sets up the Octagon coffee table once a month. Previously, she served as UMW president, secretary, and circle leader. As UMW president, she chaired the Octagon Refurbishment Committee and is the most pleased with the new Octagon and the upgraded Chapel.

Always happy to help her family and a frequent volunteer in Diane’s second grade classroom, Ruth Ann also likes to read, garden, play bridge, travel, exercise and bake.

-Jan Aamodt

RESERVE MEETING ROOMS

Don’t forget to reserve your meeting rooms through Carol Lewis in the church office. It’s just as important to let Carol know when a meeting is canceled or rescheduled so the room can be made available to others. Call: (301) 933-7933. For impromptu meetings, please stop by the office and let Carol know you’re in need of a room and one will be assigned to you. Juggling the room schedule can be a daunting task but with everyone’s cooperation the office can better accommodate everyone’s requests.

The History Committee will have an OPEN HOUSE on October 16^th after church at our new workspace and museum in Room 112.

HISTORY TRIVIA QUESTION

When and at what extraordinary places did St. Paul's choir and hand bell choir perform?

(Look for answer on another page).

Emily Robinson

Sermon Discussion Group: A New kind of Bible study

Ever want a chance to dialogue about the Sunday morning message. Here’s your chance! Come to worship at 9am. Enjoy the Joyful Rising band and then beginning at 10:15, join us in the parlor for poignant conversation. Feel free to bring your coffee with you.

BE AWARE OF BUILDING ALARM HOURS

Just a reminder – the building is secured 365 days a year by a key and alarm system. Each evening a member of the lock-up committee enters the building to secure it for the night. Its a big help to the committee if all members take a moment at the conclusion of their evening or weekend meetings or events to close windows, turned off lights and lock exterior doors.

Unless arrangements have been made in advance through the church office or lock-up committee coordinator the building should NOT be entered before 7am weekdays, 7:30am weekends or after 9:30pm in the evenings.

Opening and closing times on holidays may vary slightly, so please check in advance before entering the building.

Tracey Furman, Coordinator Lock-up Committee (301) 942-3540 or (301) 933-6282

COME HELP ON WORK DAY SATURDAY OCT. 15

OCTOBER 15TH is the Trustee fall workday from 8am-2pm. Scheduled projects include weeding and trimming; small indoor & outdoor painting projects; and erecting a new fence in front of the parsonage. A sign up sheet is in the church office so we can plan projects accordingly. Morning coffee, donuts and a mid-day lunch will be provided for all our workers.

Answer to History Trivia:

The choir at the White House in 1970 when President Nixon and former president Lyndon Johnson were in attendance. The hand bell group at the Kennedy Center in 1988, and at the White House, Christmas 1992

THANK YOU FOR: REFURBISHING LEASE RENEWAL BEAUTIFICATION

The Trustees would like to recognize and thank the following members who donated their time and talents over the summer to the youth wing refurbishment project: Harold Moyer, Jerry Watkins, Steve Perfater, Matt Perfater, Steve Warren, John Brown, Carol Davies, Steve Lillie and Marco Palma our building superintendent. We’d also like to recognize Steve Harrison who leads the lease negotiations with our two new tenants and Alesia Peterson who continues to toil away at the beatification of our landscaping.

SELLING WHITE HOUSE ORNAMENT

The White House Ornament fundraiser runs through Sunday, Oct 16th. Order forms are available in the church office after each service. They cost

$17 each and checks should be made payable to St Paul’s UMC. Ornaments will be available for pick-up Sunday Oct 30^th. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Improvement Fund. Questions: Contact Tracey Furman (301) 933-628

Honors James A Garfield; · 20th President;· Decorative wreath design is derived from art objects found at the Garfield home in Mentor,

Prayer and Praise, and a Healing Service

St. Paul’s has launched a new worship service at 7pm on Wednesday evenings. Come and enjoy prayer and singing for about 25 minutes. Some people will have a chance to leave, as some will to go to church meetings. Others are welcome to stay for the healing part of our service including the anointing with oil and the laying on of hands for those who desire it. What a great way to begin a night’s work at the church or to have a mid-week renewing experience.

Play Group

Now that vacations are over and the Fall schedule is about to resume, please remember that we have a play group for parents of babies and young children. It meets on Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. on the second floor of the Church School wing.

Parents and children arrive as their schedules permit and stay for however long is possible. So, if you arrive and find you are the first one there, just relax and wait for the others. And feel free to bring a snack if your child needs one.

There is no commitment required. Just come as often as you are able. It is very rewarding to have an opportunity to converse with and get to know other parents, while your children play in a safe environment. So, if you haven’t done so yet, please give us a try. We think you’ll like it. If you have questions, please call Kate Lewis Brown at 301-946-2008.

FORMidable!

We would be most grateful if you would return the following forms (if applicable) to the Church Office:

1. The Checklist/Questionnaire that you used when visiting a church this summer.

2. The “Spiritual Gifts-Based Placement Form“ If you took the spiritual gifts inventory without taking the class, you only need to fill in the top of the form.

3. The yellow “Lay Leadership Information Form” and the pink “A.S.E.T.T.E Form.” Everyone should have received these forms. If you didn’t, or have lost them, call Kate Lewis Brown at 301-946-2008.

1 – Church Visiting form

With all of the mass of papers you face every day, it’s difficult to find the time and energy even to fill in a simple form. We know that, but we keep hoping ‘cause we need ‘em! 2 – Spiritual Gifts 3-Lay Leadership

Thank you VOLUNTEERS FOR MAILING THE SEPT.EPISTLE.: Nelson Hunt, George Lehman, Mae Miles, Frances Leed, Vernon Pierce, Gerry Hobbs, Tracy Furman, and Marco Palma.

Daylight Saving Time DST ENDS at 2 a.m. OCTOBER 30, 2005

Many fire departments encourage people to change the battery in the smoke detector when they change their clocks, because it can be so easy to forget.

HURRICANE KATRINA

My Story Kristen Kirkpatrick

I will try to capture "my story" of my time in Louisiana (LA) in a way that will serve. There was so much on so many levels: compassion, frustration, caring, listening, fellowship, a realization of oneness.

I was deployed to LA via the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service. I am a Commander in the USPHS, deployed in the role of a Dietitian. We staffed a medical shelter; in addition to USPHS personnel we were complimented with medical volunteers from the State of Indiana, Florida, New York as well as the National Guard. Patients (although another issue as what to call them mind you) in this shelter could have one "care" person with them. Existing medical conditions such as dialysis, diabetes, psychiatric, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-COPD, Cooperative Housing Foundation-CHF, Hospitality Training Network-HTN etc... could be found among those. Some drove to the shelter, some were bused; some were dropped off from other "regular" shelters. When we first arrived the shelter was jammed with 250 people not including medical personnel/volunteer staff. This shelter was located in Alexandria, LA, about 3 hours north of New Orleans (NO).

Beyond Food Service operations and other various assignments my day consisted of visiting folks in their "cot area" just to talk, to listen. Some told of their harrowing rescue out of their homes, of their "escape" out of the superdome, or just how they left everything not knowing what is left, and how for some it was the first time they were separated from family/spouse in years. What I heard consistently were stories of faith, thankfulness, and appreciation. They would remark on how they could hardly believe that everyone who staffed the shelter were volunteers, that they had enough food and that simple things like a toothbrush/shampoo/ a towel were provided for them. I heard many times: "God will provide, God has a plan, I will be ok." Time and time again I sat in awe of their steadfast faithfulness.

At church on Sunday a few things stood out for me. In the bulletin was a flyer requesting self-care kits. From my observations I can tell you that every kit does make a difference, that every dime does make a difference even in the intention of the spirit of which it was given-it all matters. Also, your last story in your sermon was of the Indian children supposedly cheating and how by someone looking deeper, listening for what was really true without judgment, learned about they took care of each other. It seemed relevant to my experience, that we are really "one" and that all of us have a story that we need to listen to each other and care for one another.

Our Town Jon Melegrito

Altered Landscapes Gulfport, Mississippi (MS) I’m standing in front of a near empty lot on Dolan Avenue, stunned. Around it are huge piles of debris. Pieces of shredded clothing and twisted power lines are still braided through the branches of fallen trees. From where I stand, I have a clear view of a once angry ocean, now serene as if asleep. It's the lull after the storm. Everything's flat, except for some broken-off trunks looking like jagged spears pointing to the sky. In the eerie silence, one senses that nothing will ever be the same again. Hurricane Katrina just barreled through, changing the landscape of this coastal town, and quite possibly altering the inner landscape of people's lives as well. There once was a Baptist church standing here - a small wood structure gleaming white in the summer sun, surrounded by bungalows, huge pines and live oaks and resonating with the sound of children playing.. On Sundays, this holy place is a refuge to a mostly-Filipino immigrant community. Each one brings a joy or concern. In the last three months, they've celebrated more than a dozen baptisms and birthdays.

The church as sanctuary is gone, for now. The storm has temporarily dispersed its members to other houses of worship, ending for the moment the Sunday fellowships and potluck lunches. Hurricane Katrina’s strong winds and floodwaters disrupted all that. But it's also mending broken relationships in ways that could very well reshape their lives:

William Batol, a church employee who's lived in the parsonage next door, is trying to salvage some personal belongings - anything - a narra chair, tools, his car, now half buried under debris. What I care most about are my family pictures, he says, walking carefully to avoid stepping on nails. I have photos of my three children from the time they were born. He hopes they're not all irretrievably lost. Not just the photographs. William, who is separated from his family, accepted his wife Imelda's invitation to live with them for a while - at least until he's able to pick up the pieces and find another place to stay. Imelda and the three teenage kids live further inland in Long Beach. They are the live faces in William's photo albums.

It remains to be seen what happens to these altered landscapes. Katrina has laid bare old wounds, brought back a surge of bittersweet memories, possibly rekindled old flames and breathed new life to quarrels long forgotten. Someday soon, this near empty lot will fill up once again, with new pews to sit on and even better sounds. And the people will come, knowing there's much healing to be done.

ST PAUL’S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Non-Profit Organization 10401 Amory Avenue Kensington, Maryland 20895 THE PURPOSE of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church is to invite and welcome all:  — To worship God      — To grow as disciples of Jesus Christ            — To love and support one another — To do justice and serve compassionately in the world “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses.” Acts 1:8a

8:00 a.m. Worship with communion in the Sanctuary 8:00 a.m. Covenant Discipleship Group in the Parlor 9:00 a.m.   Joyful Rising Service in the Sanctuary 10:15 a.m. Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary 10:15 a.m.  Sunday School – classrooms