August brings changes...

August -- winds of change!

We welcome Rev. Laura Wind, the new Duke Lutheran Campus Minister. Pastor Laura has been slowly getting settled in before the students arrive in mid-August. She will be dividing time at Duke, at Grace House where there is a Campus Ministry lounge as well as at St. Paul's and Grace Lutheran. Pastor Laura is hoping to involve many people in supporting this important ministry in several different ways:

• praying for our incoming and returning students
• praying for the larger Duke community
• welcoming students as they come to worship
• signing up to provide meals on worship nights
• providing holiday bags/baskets for students

You may email her at Duke@stpaulsdurham.org.

On July 31, we say goodbye to Vicar Joseph O'Donnell as he has completed his year of internship at St. Paul's.  He has been packing up to prepare for his move back to the midwest.

On August 15, we say hello to Vicar Susan Holland as she begins her year of internship. Sue has spent the past year splitting time between living in Cary and completing her Lutheran studies as part of a Master of Sacred Theology degree at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, SC. Prior to that, she attended Duke Divinity School in Durham where she earned a Master of Divinity degree. Her studies and interests are focused on pastoral care and social justice issues.  Sue is married and has two teenage boys.

Starting August 1, Christopher McDonald will be in the sanctuary and invites anyone to join him in Morning Prayer. Times and days are 7:30 to 8:00 am on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. You are welcome to join in or simply pray alongside in silence.

The Education committee is looking for leaders to help in the rotational Sunday School classes for children. The stories are presented over a 3-4 week period through crafts, cooking, puppetry, video -- and other ways as the leaders prefer. If you have a talent you can share with the story presentation, please contact Pastor Anderson or Betty Hinshaw.

Wednesday night suppers continue on the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 6:00 pm. The one on August 3 will be a Salad Days Pot-Luck! We invite any and all to come to the meal and if possible, bring along a salad to share -- the type of salad is your choice. Can be anything, such as: pasta, green, potato, tuna, chicken, fruit, jell-O, bean, Greek, taco, ambrosia, Caesar, chef, Cole slaw, egg, macaroni, ham, rice, Waldorf, or wedge -- We supply bread and desserts. Come join us!

Summer Adult Conversations continue through August on Sundays at 9:45-10:45 am, currently they are delving deeper into the lessons and readings from worship each week. The group is led by Sharon Schulze.

Worship continues on Sundays at 8:30 and 11:00 am. We have been using a setting based on the German Mass by Franz Schubert. On August 7, we will begin using Setting Three booklets from the Evangelical Lutheran Worship book. Sunday School begins its new year on Rally Day, September 11 with the traditional breakfast at 9:30 am. Classes return on September 18 at 9:45-10:45 am for all ages.

Exciting Times in Sunday School

Our Sunday School classes begin this week (Sept 14) for all ages.


Jesus Blessing the Children Mural

Exciting things are happening with Sunday School this fall.
We remodeled rooms and hallways into creative spaces for creative learning. This school year, for the children, we will begin a Rotation Model of Sunday School. Every week the children will gather as a whole community for an opening, which will have music, prayer, and a reading of the current story they are studying. Then, by age group, the children will go to their scheduled class rooms for various types of learning and interactions with the story.
     The model is designed for children to hear the same story four weeks in a row; however, each week they'll hear, see, act out, create, and imagine the story in different styles of learning. Each week they'll rotate with their age group to a different classroom, which will offer the story in a different creative setting. For example: arts and crafts, movie watching (with popcorn), drama, puppet theater, cooking, science, music, and skills and games.
     Everyone learns differently, and the Rotation Model accounts for that. Teaching each Bible Story for four weeks in different settings helps the children grow in their understanding of the stories. 
     If you haven't already, please visit the Sunday School wing and see the life-size murals in person: Jesus blessing the children, Joseph and Mary and the Manger with on looking shepherds, Noah's ark and the various animals crawling their way into the halls, and Jesus calling the Disciples at the Sea of Galilee.
     Sunday School is meant to be a time for fun, interactive, creative learning, and we want the children of St. Paul's to experience that. We care about the children and nourishing their faith. So come join us on Sunday mornings from 9:45-10:45 for Rotation Sunday School.

The middle school youth left off last session with Jesus in the wilderness tying that in with Moses and the Israelites, so after a review, they will move into new territory asking the question: "Is the New Testament more important than the Old Testament?" Anyone want to respond to that? We invite all middle school youth to share in the class.

The high school will be exploring new material called "Echo." Students will be given a sketch journal to use throughout the sessions. We'll explore some of the deep, rich questions of faith. All senior high youth -- come join Vicar Daniel for this class.

The Adult Class schedule for the next few weeks includes:

• Sept 14 -- Conversation with the Pastor and this week's Bible study review
• Sept 21 -- Saints and people who do important work through the church, led by Pat & Morris Casper
• Sept 28 and Oct 5 -- "Just as I Am: How Christians Tell Their Lives," led by The Rev. Dr. Richard Lischer

The Adult class meets in the upstairs Whitesell Hall, coffee included.

Please take some time and share in our community faith studies through Sunday School classes. Worship is at 8:30 am and 11:00 am on Sundays with Sunday School for all ages at 9:45-10:45 am.  Worship this fall at 8:30 am will be using "Now the Feast and Celebration" service by Marty Haugen. The 11:00 am service will be using Setting Three of the Evangelical Lutheran Book of Worship. All services celebrate Holy Communion.