eThepisTle
St. Paul’s Church builds bridges — to God, to one another, to the city and beyond.
Sunday, Sept. 14 - November 30th: Sunday Forum: Bible Study in the Vestry Room at 9:00 am
Wednesday, November 5th: Parish Potluck Supper in the Parish Hall at 6:00 pm
Thursday, November 6th: Lunch ‘n Learn in the Parish Hall at 12:30 pm
Saturday, November 8th:
St. Paul’s Needle Arts Ministry in Wainwright Parlor at 10:30 am
Sunday, November 9th: BONUS CONCERT - The Cleveland Orchestra Low Brass Section at 3:00 pm
Sunday, November 16th: Family Luncheon in the Cadigan Room at 11:30 am
Sunday, November 16th: Third Sundays @3pm Concert
Thursday, November 20th: Caregiver Support Group in the Vestry Room at Noon
Thursday, November 23rd: Newcomers’ Dessert in the Wainwright Parlor at 4:00 pm
Thursday, November 25th: Thanksgiving Eve Service at 5:30 pm
Saturday, December 6th:
St. Joe’s Sandwich Makers in the Parish Kitchen at 9:30 am
The Wardens a noTe from
St. Paul’s Interim Rector Called
Onbehalf of the Vestry, we are pleased to announce that Dan Burner has been called as Interim Rector at St. Paul’s Church. Dan will be joining us in November, and will preach his first sermon on November 9th.
Dan’s Background: Dan has significant experience as an interim rector, having recently served two of the three largest Episcopal churches in the Diocese of Arizona. Prior to these experiences, Dan was Rector at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Penn Yan, and Assistant Rector at All Saints Episcopal Church in San Francisco. While serving in the Diocese of Rochester, he was on the Diocesan Council, served as chair of the Diocesan Budget Committee, Dean of the Southeast District, and was co-chair of the COVID Task Force. He continues to serve as Treasurer of Rural and Migrant Ministry, even though he is currently based in Arizona.
Dan was ordained in 2014. Prior to his ordination, he logged many years of experience in the business world, including work as a personnel specialist/human resource VP and various sales and marketing positions with several major insurance companies. Dan holds a BS in social sciences from Northern Arizona University, an MBA from Houston Christian University, and an MDiv from Church Divinity School of the Pacific. He has also completed the church’s Interim Ministry training and the College for Congregational Development.
What gifts will Dan bring to us? Dan possesses a significant combination of life experience, leadership, and humility, including bringing a business background to his ministry. Dan’s recorded sermons were very solid –connecting the gospel with current-day applications and using humor and personal experience.
During the interview process, he indicated very clearly that he believes the role of an Interim Rector is not to arrive and make wholesale changes. Rather, he said he would listen carefully, use what he learned by listening coupled with his own experiences, and then discuss potential issues that he sees (if any) with church leadership, before acting. He shared some stories about his methods of handling, with care and grace, some difficult situations in his previous positions.
He believes that churches flourish when the laity become leaders in ministry. He would identify parishioners in whom he sees a call and would ask them to become a resource for the parish.
Many thanks are in order! We would like to thank our fellow members of the search team (Jane Chapman, Rick Harrison, and Doug Kelley) for the intense work and thoughtful discernment that went into our recommendation to the Vestry. We thank our fellow Vestry members for their careful listening to and endorsement of the search team’s recommendation. And we would like to thank our fellow parishioners for their patience, and their understanding of the work needed to get to this moment.
With joy and gratitude,
Erin Glanton & Ingrid Stanlis
St. Paul’s Sunday School
Our St. Paul’s Sunday school class is having a fun and deepening our faith each week we gather! It’s been a wonderful time of friendship making and connecting our everyday lives with our bible lessons. Please remember that all children in Preschool through 5th grade (visitors, too!) are welcome to attend class, which runs from 10:00 am to communion time.
I want to thank our families for continuing to make the commitment to bringing your children to church each week. I know how tough it can be to get everyone ready and out the door on a Sunday morning, especially after a busy school/work week. Your presence is appreciated and having a classroom and sanctuary filled with your awesome children is a true blessing for all of us here!
It was wonderful to see so many children in the service for our first Family Sunday! This is a time for all the children and youth to attend the full church service with an emphasis on their presence. The youth were given opportunities to acolyte, children’s choristers sang beautifully, and the children gathered for a homily just for them. It was a special day to embrace our young church goers, and we look forward to our next Family Sunday on November 16th. Also on November 16th, families are invited to a Family Luncheon right after the service in the Cadigan room.
Each week I send families a quick update on classroom happenings and upcoming events. To be added to this list, please send your contact information to awelker@stpaulsec.org and please reach out with any questions you may have or if you’d like to help our children and family ministry program. We could always use a hand or two with the nursery, classroom help, event set up and more!
Dates to remember for the rest of Fall:
November 16th: Family Sunday & Family luncheon
December 21st: Christmas Pageant
December 28th - January 4th: No class for winter break
Halloween Photos: Erin Wright
St. Paul’s Youth Group
This fall the Youth Group welcomed two new adult leaders—Mo and Carmen—to our group as well as a new youth member! We have been having a great time getting to know each other. At the beginning of October, we packed up 96 hygiene bags for the food pantry at St. Mark’s and St John’s!!!! St. Mark’s and St John’s plan to include the hygiene bags with the food given during the upcoming holiday season.
As we look ahead to the rest of the fall and the coming holidays, we’ll continue to get together on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month at 4:30. We’re already making plans to participate in the next Family Sunday in November and then to be a part of the Christmas Pageant in December!
Archives Committee
Have you seen the new History page on our website? Visit stpaulsec.org/history to explore fascinating articles, historical photos, and architectural highlights from St. Paul’s rich past — all compiled by our dedicated Archives Committee as we look ahead to our Bicentennial celebration in 2027!
The Archives Committee meets every Monday morning from 10:00–11:30 am in the Archives Room (located in Stone Hall).
Current committee members include Judy Wadsworth, Linda White, Cheryl Bero, Ruth Hazzard, Phyllis Andrews Noyes, and Peggy Willard.
If you have photos, information, or stories to share — or if you’d like to join the committee — please reach out to archives@stpaulsec.org.
Annual Pet Blessing
Photo credit: Erin Glanton
music deparTmenT sT. paul’s
St. Paul’s music program is building bridges with our Third Sunday’s @ 3pm concert series! Invite a friend to one or all of the upcoming events.
On November 16th: Scivias Medieval Ensemble, a Women’s Choir led by Heather Holmquest will present a concert entitled - Liturgy, Songs, and Carols for the Feast of St. Nicholas.
We know that Santa Claus, sometimes known as St. Nicholas, delivers gifts on the night before Christmas. But who was this mysterious saint, and how was he known to people in medieval Europe? Back then, Christmas was a solemn feast that honored the Christ child, while St. Nicholas’s feast day, December 6th, was much more the jolly, giftgiving event of the Advent season.s
This concert presents music that spans from liturgical chant to informal songs, showcasing that people of all stations in life made merry in honor of St. Nicholas. Music associated with St. Nicholas is tuneful, jubilant, and full of references to the stories and miracles surrounding his life. We will feature some texts that have different melodies associated with them, attesting to the popularity of these stories and the way they transmitted across Europe.
We’ll round out the concert with a few favorite tunes from Advent and Christmas. Please join us for this joyous and festive occasion!
There is a suggested donation of $20 or $5 for students and those on fixed incomes.
We have a bonus concert this Sunday, November 9th @3pm! The Cleveland Orchestra Low Brass Section will be at St. Paul’s for a free concert. This concert will feature trombonists Brian Wendel, Richard Stout and Luke Sieve along with tubist Yasuhito Sugiyama. Join us for the rich, warm sounds of these low brass players.
On the Third Sunday @ 3pm in December which is December 21, a beloved St. Paul’s tradition continues with Christmas Lessons and Carols sung by our wonderful St. Paul’s Choir. This service will feature music by John Rutter, Stephen Kennedy, and jazz legend Dave Brubeck, along with favorite carols for all to sing. Join us as we enjoy nourishing and inspirational music of the season.
eThepisTle
25
Westminster Road, Rochester, NY 14607
585.271.2240 • info@StPaulsEC.org StPaulsEC.org
The Rev. Dan Burner Interim Rector
The Rev. Jay Burkardt Assistant Rector
The Rev. Sue Ouellette, Ph.D. Deacon
Dr. John W. W. Sherer
Organist & Director of Music
Augustine Sobeng Organ Scholar
Amy Welker Director of Children & Youth Faith Formation
Candance Hoffman-Hussain
Susan Hall Sunday Child Care
Sonja Slother Director of Communications & Digital Ministry
Natosche Holt Parish Office Administrator
Judy McGrath Parish Accountant
Lisa Werner
Accounting Assistant
Bob Potter
Property Manager
Dave McEntee
Maintenance Associate
Outreach Council
In September, the Outreach Council received a summer report from Freedom Scholars Learning Center, an after school and summer program for children and their families in the Beechwood neighborhood. With our financial support, FSLC was able to purchase iREADIFY, which is a digital library offering a variety of children’s books, audiobooks, and interactive educational content for the children they serve. Over the course of the summer, 97% of scholars improved their overall reading scores. Reading fluency increased by 15%. The full report can be found at this link: bit.ly/fslc_summer_report
Tips
for
year-end giving
To be eligible for a tax-deductible charitable donation, all contributions to St. Paul’s Church must be received in the office or postmarked by December 31st.
Charitable donations of non-cash items, such as stock, may be made electronically by December 31st. We ask that all stock donors also provide a letter or email correspondence reporting the gift and the number of shares donated to St. Paul’s. Please contact Judy McGrath at 585-271- 2240 x211, or jmcgrath@stpaulsec.org for information about routing and account numbers.
You may also prepay your 2025 pledge by December 31st, so that your contribution may qualify as a charitable deduction on your 2025 tax return. For more information, please call Lisa M. Werner, Accounting Assistant at 585-271-2240 x213 or email lwerner@stpaulsec.org.
REST IN PEACE
Merciful God, we entrust to your never-failing care and love
Henry Couch John Giess
Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord; And let light perpetual shine upon them. May their souls, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
FOLLOW
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OFFICE HOURS: Monday - Thursday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Office email: info@stpaulsec.org
For urgent pastoral needs after hours: call 585-438-0472