Thank you so much for your interest in St. Paul’s. We are a small church with an out-size commitment to each other and our corner of the universe. To do that, we practice and welcome authenticity, we play and pray together, and we deepen our commitment to the God who models unconditional love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ.
We prioritize weekly worship, creative expression, and the well-being of our neighbors. This is exemplified in our motto: Believe. Befriend. Be.Loved. Some examples of this include: artists display their work in our parish hall where we host art shows, home cooked meals are regularly shared with our neighbors almost every week, and a team makes sandwiches and stocks the little free pantry out front.
We prioritize weekly worship, creative expression, and the well-being of our neighbors. This is exemplified in our motto: Believe. Befriend. Be.Loved. Some examples of this include: artists display their work in our parish hall where we host art shows, home cooked meals are regularly shared with our neighbors almost every week, and a team makes sandwiches and stocks the little free pantry out front.
You might be wondering:
What do we believe?
St. Paul’s is a progressive church in the Episcopal denomination. We understand our faith through the central lens of the teachings and ministry of Jesus Christ, considering all other scriptures as they inform the Gospels. We believe that the power and presence of God is manifested through the sacraments, and the goodness of life. We are generous in our orthodoxy and welcome people of any or no faith without judgment. We believe that the power of love transforms people, so we don’t use fear tactics or hidden agendas to force people to fit our spiritual agenda. We are an open and affirming church. The diversity of gender, love, and ethnicity are all welcome and incorporated among us.
Who does your congregation hate?
No one. Not one single type, life-style, or person. Sadly, we know that the "hate card" is one that some churches play. It sucks to be in the congregation and suddenly that card gets pulled. Leaders cultivate a shared animosity toward those people because it creates group solidarity, but it's not the way of Jesus. We don't do that from the pulpit, and we address it when it arises within the community. We are about love. Which sounds great until you remember your personal list of "those people". Then, it's challenging. We invite you to join us in learning the practice of love.
How do I get connected?
The easiest way to gain friendships at St. Paul’s is to come to Adult Sunday School at 9:30 Am. Or, come to a publicized event and ask the magic question: “How can I help?” In no time at all, you’ll have made a friend and found a meaningful task. We try very hard to not push people to join things. In fact, we don’t have committees. We have teams! You’ll be invited to join one, but take your time and pray before accepting!
What do we believe?
St. Paul’s is a progressive church in the Episcopal denomination. We understand our faith through the central lens of the teachings and ministry of Jesus Christ, considering all other scriptures as they inform the Gospels. We believe that the power and presence of God is manifested through the sacraments, and the goodness of life. We are generous in our orthodoxy and welcome people of any or no faith without judgment. We believe that the power of love transforms people, so we don’t use fear tactics or hidden agendas to force people to fit our spiritual agenda. We are an open and affirming church. The diversity of gender, love, and ethnicity are all welcome and incorporated among us.
Who does your congregation hate?
No one. Not one single type, life-style, or person. Sadly, we know that the "hate card" is one that some churches play. It sucks to be in the congregation and suddenly that card gets pulled. Leaders cultivate a shared animosity toward those people because it creates group solidarity, but it's not the way of Jesus. We don't do that from the pulpit, and we address it when it arises within the community. We are about love. Which sounds great until you remember your personal list of "those people". Then, it's challenging. We invite you to join us in learning the practice of love.
How do I get connected?
The easiest way to gain friendships at St. Paul’s is to come to Adult Sunday School at 9:30 Am. Or, come to a publicized event and ask the magic question: “How can I help?” In no time at all, you’ll have made a friend and found a meaningful task. We try very hard to not push people to join things. In fact, we don’t have committees. We have teams! You’ll be invited to join one, but take your time and pray before accepting!
What is expected of me?
Virtually everyone at St. Paul’s gives one to three hours a month in some kind of volunteer or worship activity. Same for financial giving. We have a 98% rate of committed giving, and almost 100% of people keeping their financial commitments. In addition, we make sandwiches, dinners, donate all sorts of supplies for people in crisis, and make food to share together. Plan to also give your time, share your talent, and give financially…but we’ll give you a minute!
Will my family and I be safe?
We are a safe practices church. Our leadership is trained to identify and prevent abuse. We take the safety of children and vulnerable adults seriously. Our neighborhood is more dicey than most. If you have children, we have dedicated two parking spaces in our lot (accessed through the alley)so that you can park there and easily enter the building. The pastor lives a block away and has never felt personal risk. However, if you want to be perfectly safe this is not a neighborhood you should choose a church in. If you want to take small risks for the sake of love, you’ve found your place!
If you have questions or would like to meet with the pastor, please reach out to [email protected]. Sign up for the weekly newsletter, and you’ll get two emails a week in your inbox. We pray that you will find your spiritual community where you can enjoy meaningful relationships with love and belonging. If we can be that place, all the better! Thanks for giving St. Paul’s a try!