August 2024
Peaches and Pears!
It’s that time of year again, when we partner with St. Michael Catholic Church’s Knights of Columbus for their annual fundraiser selling Palisade fruit. If you wish to order this year, see the attached order form, or contact Sally Fosha, or call the church office. If you print the order form below, please get it to Sally or the church no later thatn Sunday, August 11th! Orders must be picked up between 11 and 1 at st. Paul on Saturday, August 24th!
PEACHES: 9 lb box $25, 19 lb box $42, PEARS: 9 lb box $25, 20 lb box $40. Make checks payable to KofC 14785.
Questions? Contact Michael at 719-351-6751
To help get you ready for the peaches, here is a recipe for Peach Cobbler Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler – Tastes Better From Scratch
And here is a recipe for canned cinnamon pears Cinnamon Pears in Apple Juice Recipe | Ball® Mason Jars (ballmasonjars.com)
Church Council Meeting
Our next church council meeting will be after Sunday morning services on August 4th. Those who wish to comment in-person may attend the meeting, or email church office with your comments/suggestions/concerns. If you plan on attending, please let a council member know so it can be included on the agenda items. Financial reports and last meeting minutes appear on the Council Updates tab of our homepage.
Monthly Potluck and Quilting
Our monthly potluck will be after Sunday morning services August 25th. This month’s potluck coincides with monthly quilting, as well! Food to warm the inside, quilts to warm the outside.
Quilts created here are sent to Lutheran World Relief (LWR) Quilts. LWR quilts are given after natural disaters, war, or other occurrences that force people from their homes empty handed. Participating in the quilting program is not only a great social benefit to you, the quilter, but also creates a product that provides comfort to someone going through their worst time. For more information, visit LWR Quilts Volunteer to quilt | Lutheran World Relief (lwr.org)
Back to School Night/Preschool Open House
Students and their families will be coming to back to school night to visit their soon-to-be classroom and learn about what the 2024-2025 school year holds. Information will include what a typical day will look like in the classroom, and what holidays and events to expect to celebrate. Feel free to join us as we greet our newest class of students, the graduating class of 2039!! 
Our Changing Church Community
Being in a community means participating and sharing. In a town the size of Calhan, micro communities overlap with each other. There are school groups, church groups, local workers of every kind, and volunteer organizations. With technology as it is, participation and sharing look a little different than before, which can muddle the definition of community. Community can be described as a feeling you have when interacting with others who share some of your values, beliefs, and customs. This shared experience makes us feel we belong, and as humans, we crave a sense of belonging. Think about what brought you to St. Paul, what St. Paul brings to you, what the church means to you, and how that reflects in our community. Now think about what you bring to St. Paul, and how you fit within our group.
Some of our former members have moved on to other addresses, but still participate in online worship and visit in person for annual events. Some people who live local claim membership, but only attend on Christmas and Easter. Everybody shows up in their own way, based on their willingness and ability, and to change that requires an intentional shift. Whether the shift, or transition, is on purpose, or if it is forced, it’s still something new to adapt to.
Transitions are going from the known to the unknown. These times of uncertainty can be seen as a weak spot, or a time of vulnerability. At these transition points we open ourselves to connection for reassurance that everything will be ok. During these times, we are tested, and discover how committed to ourselves and our community we really are. We long for ‘when this is over,’ but understand that we are on a constant journey toward more changes. What was, at first, considered a weak point has become a catalyst that exposes a strength we never knew we had.
Our church is in such a transition. Active members have died. Other members have retired, spending extended time away, or moved away permanently. Our pastor is preparing to retire, so we are training a laity cohort to minister to our spiritual needs. Any one of those things by itself is a stressor, but all of them together can bring feelings of confusion and fear. Just like the worker with a trusty hammer they’ve had for 47 years- the head has been replaced twice, and the handle about six times, but its “My Trusty Hammer!” Is it the same hammer? Are we the same church? Why talk about this? Why even bring it up, cause there’s nothing we can do. Well, friend, talking about changes and fears makes them less scary. Talking about the unknown creates space for conversations. It validates the fear and gives the will to move one more step on the journey. It reminds us we are each a part of one body. It’s easy to feel alone, even when in the company of others, simply because of the shifting reality going on all around. But we are not alone. We are all in this together, supporting one another. Interacting. Sharing. Creating a home away from your home. Through our kind words to each other, and generous actions we offer, we work within the change.
In baptism, we die to our old way of living, and rise again to our new way of living. We are, once again, called to leave off an old way so we can live a new way, while keeping within our values of loving and accepting one another for the part each of us plays, each committing what we can so we can continue to thrive.
“For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.” -Romans 12:4-5
