Following the Son:

Virtual Ministry Fair

When we planned our stewardship drive, we weren’t sure whether it would be safe to gather in large groups. Under normal circumstances, a ministry fair would take place in the parish hall, with various representatives discussing our ministries. While a written document is not the same as an in-person conversation, we hope that these “testimonials” about these ministry areas paint a picture of who we are and what we do at Saint Paul’s. We hope you will join us on our journey. Don’t forget to fill out a “Time and Talent” sheet if you are interested in any of these ministries or if you have ministry ideas of your own.

Altar Guild

Over the many years that I have been an Episcopalian I have served in many roles.  One of my favorites has been that of the Altar Guild.  Although we work "behind the scenes," we provide a necessary service to the priest, the congregation, and the Church.  The work is not hard and does not take much time, but it is significant to the life of the Church.  In a few minutes' time we create the Lord's table, putting out the communion pieces and elements.  After the service, also in a few minutes' time, everything is taken down, cleaned, and put away, each in its own place.  Ironing the linens offers a few moments of contemplation while smoothing out folds and wrinkles.  Those effortless steps are all that is involved in being in the Altar Guild--for me, a labor of love.  It is a simple job, but it creates a sense of peace and fulfillment.  What could be more rewarding than assisting in the Communion of the Church?

--Barbara Kachmar

The Arts at Saint Paul’s

Before COVID-19 entered our space, we were exploring ways to be more intentional in using the arts for growth and connection at St Paul’s, plus considering opportunities to reach beyond the church to our town, which currently has no local gallery or artistic hub. There is an unusually high number of creative/artistic folks within this small church: writers, poets, painters, musicians, singers, actors, digital designers, fabulous cooks, textile artists. I’m positive there are other areas I’m not even aware of. (Now if we just had a ceramicist!) That lively energy and appreciation of creativity in its myriad forms is part of what draws me to this community. I’m looking forward to participating in the creative opportunities here as we continue adapting to local, national, and global stress. An expressive arts ministry matters to me more than ever during this season of unrest.

--Jaylene Whitehurst

Communication

Keeping in touch with each other has been like herding cats this year, and that’s made our E-news that more important. To keep Fr. Josh from having to be the only source of information, I put together the email that goes out each Monday. The E-news is one of our most immediate ways of telling the parish what’s going on on a regular basis, or on a short notice if something unexpected comes up.  

--Laura Finger

Community Garden

Coming from a family of gardeners, I’ve had my hands in the dirt from an early age, weeding my mother’s bright flowerbeds, hoeing compost into the soil in my parents’ vegetable garden, and harvesting delicious rewards: springtime asparagus and red raspberries, fresh summer squash and tomatoes, gourds and pumpkins in the fall. Our Corinth yard is too shady for vegetable gardening, so I was thrilled to claim a sunny plot in St. Paul’s freshly plowed and tilled community garden this spring. The tomato plant and cherry tomatoes (three colors) thrived in soil amended with bags of mulch and compost. A squash plant from the garden center and a few more planted from seed produced a bounty of summer squash to enjoy and share. Extra squash was baked into casseroles for summer meals and the church freezer ministry.

Working the community garden soil and harvesting fresh vegetables all summer has been so rewarding, I’m looking forward to planting cool weather crops in a newly tilled section. If you or a friend would like to enjoy cool fall days outdoors in the garden, call the church office to claim a plot. The garden is open to members and non-members. It’s a great way to get out of the house if you need a break from COVID seclusion. I can offer free horticultural advice and some seeds to share—beets, carrots, radishes, arugula, lettuce, spinach—with gardeners of all ages.

While I’m on the subject of gardening, I’ll mention another area where I volunteer time and talent at St. Paul’s. I help tend the beds bordering our church which need periodic weeding and pruning. Weeds overtook us during the weeks we were away from church sheltering in place this spring. The shrubs have only had one quick trim this year. I’m beginning to tackle weeds, laying down landscape cloth as I go, to control new growth. If you have a little time to spare on a cool morning or afternoon, the church would greatly appreciate your help weeding a section of the bed bordering the main parking lot or with any other spot that needs attention.

There are fringe benefits to sharing your time and talent with one or more gardening ministries at our church. Medical studies report gardening is good for your heart, makes you happy, and can reduce stress and dementia, in addition to improving hand and core strength. Time outdoors will also give you a healthy dose of vitamin D, raising calcium levels and benefiting bones and immune system. I hope you’ll join me tending the gardens at St. Paul’s.

--Susan Adams

Lay Eucharistic Minister

For close to a dozen years I have served as a Eucharistic Minister. It is a ministry that satisfies my need of service to our St. Paul's members who are unable to attend church. By connecting through prayer, offering communion and sharing "news from the pews", I'd like to think my visits leave our folks connected, comforted and included. Although...  it was not until I was on the receiving end of this ministry that I truly and deeply appreciated the overwhelming strength the in-person Eucharistic visit offers. 

About this time eight years ago, Woody and I were close to completing our epic 2,184.2-mile thru hike of the Appalachian Trail. With 300 of some of the toughest trail miles to go, fellow St. Paul's member and ‘Trail Angel Extraordinaire’, Susan Adams, came all the way from Mississippi to New Hampshire to help us through a particularly gnarly stretch of the AT. Besides offering dependable shuttle service and helping us solve some tricky resupply logistics, she came wearing her Eucharistic Minister hat. There we were over a thousand miles away from St. Paul's and Susan came bearing unique gifts: consecrated communion bread and wine, uplifting prayers and a sense of connectivity with our church family. We will forever remember the power of her ministry. The renewal of my mind, body and spirit was transformative. It is my hope the Eucharistic visits I share are as impactful.   

--Cynthia Harrell

Music

If you ask me music is as vitally necessary as oxygen—at varying times more so. Over my 40 years of being a part of St. Paul’s at different seasons of my life and different stages of the congregation’s life, I have found great joy in the music of the church. There have been many who value music at St. Paul’s—those who sing, play, hum, whistle, etc. appreciate the music of the church.

We started mid-week mini concerts in the Spring. This was a fun experience that I would like to expand upon. One thing I have enjoyed is listening to people read. The ability to read well out loud is a music talent, really. We have psalms set to music which could be sung, read, played, in all parts of church life. The Psalms are songs meant to be read, sung, played, etc. Perhaps we could meet by Zoom for experimentation with psalm reading alongside music.

We also have talented instrumentalists in the congregation. Come blow your horns! I would love to hear trumpets, French horns, clarinets, and saxophones during special and regular worship moments during the church year. We also have those who play stringed instruments—I so envy you! We have the capability to provide music from all genres: Southern Gospel, contemporary Christian, and our beautiful traditional liturgical music. Like jazz? We have it. Like spirituals? Lift every voice and sing! Like children’s songs? We have some that are precious beyond words.

What do you like to do? Read to musical accompaniment? Sing by yourself or in a small group—with accompaniment or not? Add to the organ music with string instruments and the sound of horns? Praise God in his sanctuary; praise Him in his mighty heaven! Praise him with the horn, lyre, harp, tambourine, dancing, strings, flutes, cymbals—loud clanging cymbals! Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!

--Cathy Byars

Outreach

Christians are told to love each other and Jesus showed us that loving them means caring for them, being our brothers’ keepers. This is why reaching out becomes an important part of our ministry even though St. Paul’s is small with limited resources. Our outreach identifies us as a generous, caring, church family. In our budget there is a line item for outreach which we use for designated gifts and special needs.

The last Sunday of each month is for our outreach ministry; we take this opportunity to make free-will donations to a pre- determined recipient, often an agency or group. Together our combined individual gifts make a sizeable contribution from St Paul’s.

Each of us is invited to help select where we contribute Outreach Sunday donations. Periodically vestry outreach leaders announce that a planning discussion will be held after worship on a given Sunday. All persons interested are invited attend to make suggestions; the recipients selected will become the plan for Outreach Sundays in the coming months. Additionaly anyone may give vestry members outreach ideas for consideration at any time.

--Barb Barrett

Stewardship

When most people think about the word stewardship the first thing that comes to mind is usually money but being a member of St. Paul’s has taught me that stewardship is indeed so much more. Certainly, it does come from the biblical principal of tithing and being responsible stewards of all that God has given us but to me the ministry of stewardship is about reaching out to build relationships through growing our church community, our outreach to serve those in need, our mission to touch the lives in our local community in a positive way and to show the love of Christ. God asks us to give of our time, talent and treasure and to do it with thanks and praise. My desire is that when I give of my time, my treasure and my talents that I am placing God at the center of my life and that it puts me in a posture to acknowledge that every good and perfect gift is truly a gift from him.

--Renèe Harmon

Technology/Digital Faith

The tech ministry at St. Paul’s evolved out of necessity. I wasn’t exactly seeking to add technical elements to our worship. It seemed so strange at first. Now I can’t imagine church without it. The ability to take our worship services and put them in a format that someone can watch from their home, retirement community, or car as they fly down a highway is huge. It’s not always possible to physically bring the gospel to everyone, but by doing our little part in giving it to the world, we are being noticed. I can’t count the number of St. Paul’s supporters who live hundreds of miles away. Yes! Our little parish is impacting people hours away in far off places. I feel like a modern missionary some days. Join me if you wish, supporting the ministry that puts the love and peace of Jesus Christ into the hands and screens of dozens of people every week!  It has become a vital part of St Paul’s. 

--Patrick Hudson

Verger

When we started attending All Saints’ Tupelo in 1990, I was intrigued by the fellow in the blue velvet trimmed robe who led the procession of choir and altar party into and out of the church each Sunday. I learned that fellow was a verger and later realized there was more to verging than just carrying a cross-topped stick (the verge) to lead the procession. When the call went out recruiting new vergers at St. Paul’s, I found a place to serve, helping make our church services welcoming to members and visitors, as well as relieving our clergy of having to oversee every detail in preparation for worship.

Vergers work behind the scenes before church services, turning on lights, checking thermostat settings, lighting candles, and finding substitutes if a lector or acolyte or other server listed in the bulletin is missing. Vergers at St. Paul’s also coordinate with altar guild members to be sure the altar is set, candles filled, and the day’s scripture lessons are marked in the lectionary Bible. During the service, the verger may serve as one of the chalice bearers when wine is being distributed. After services, vergers check that the candles are extinguished and lights are turned off where no longer needed.

I enjoy sitting in the verger’s seat watching the service unfold, knowing everything is in place for the day’s worship. It’s a rewarding way to contribute time and talent to St. Paul’s. Do you have questions about verging? Ask one of St. Paul’s vergers, Susan Adams, Dana Bullard, or David Dierks. We would love to have more vergers in the Sunday morning rotation. We were all trained “on the job” and would be happy to do the same for you. Then you too could wear the blue velvet trimmed robe, carry the little stick, and lead the service procession at St. Paul’s.

--Susan Adams