The ladies in St. Paul’s ECW would like to start putting together a cookbook of favorite recipes from your kitchens as a fund raising activity for ECW.  Stephanie Antongiovanni has agreed to assemble a cookbook featuring new/old recipes from the members of our parish who have exhibited their culinary skills to so many of us.  Wouldn’t you like to have Sally Bylin’s Praline recipe, or some of her Greek Feast offerings?  Or how about Allison Lawrence’s recipes for Chocolate Candy Cake or Lobster Bisque, and Connie Stinemeyer’s wonderful Orange Drop Cookies?  If you have a favorite recipe of your own that draws praise from your family and friends and you would not mind sharing it,  make a copy and send it to the church office.  Call Stephanie at 872-4344 if you need more information.  We think this will be great fun, and you will at the same time be a part of a fundraiser for our churchwomen. 

Bishop C. FitzSimmons Allison, the retired Bishop of South Carolina, will be speaking on “Trust in an Age of Arrogance” at St. Paul’s on Saturday, November 17, beginning at 9am.

Trust in an Age of Arrogance (PDF)

If we had been able to follow our nominee for Honored Woman daily through the past 25 years, we would have been able to see that not only has she been a busy churchwoman, but she has also been a busy mother.  Her church activities, as those of so many other churchwomen, have followed the lives of her children.  Let’s see what we can find out about Irene Jones. 

Irene and her husband Carl moved to Bakersfield in 1982 from Ridgecrest when Carl accepted a position on the teaching staff of

During those years, the parish saw the need for a pre-school, and with Lauren in tow, Irene became a board member for the fledgling MOMs group.  For seven years she served on the board as the school went from being a dream to becoming a reality, volunteering her time in fund-raising and other pre-school activities.  During those years two more children were born – Stephanie and Cameron.

By 1990, her children were growing up and entering their school years, and the parish had another job waiting for her – Sunday School teacher.  From 1993-1996 she was Sunday School Coordinator, and, with her family grown, only just this past spring did she retire from her Sunday School teaching duties. 

Having a little time now to explore other areas of her interest, she has become a member of Prisca Chapter, Order of Daughters of the King.  This year the parish asked her to take on yet another responsibility – that of a member of the Search Committee, which had been given the task of finding a replacement for our Rector.  Irene has kept busy in ECW working in the ECW Antique Shows, helping with annual parish picnics, coordinating ECW bake sales and rummage sales, helping with the annual Greek Feasts, as an enthusiastic high school youth group supporter, and as an usher for Sunday services. 

Oh, did we forget to mention that church work was not all she was involved in?  She earned her California teaching credential and when her children were off to school, Irene became a teacher for the

How do we thank Irene for all those years of selfless duty?  Of course, we make her our Honored Woman for 2007. 

MOMs  Pre-School once again is selling Wreaths and Swags to use when you decorate your home or place of business for the Christmas season.  They will be delivered fresh and fragrant in plenty of time for the holidays.  Look for MOMs table in the courtyard after the 10 a.m. service and place your order early. 

November 4th after the second service there will be a spaghetti lunch fundraiser for Jack Cohrs.  Jack is the son of John and Kelley Cohrs and was diagnosed with autism in March.  He started therapy in June and has made remarkable progress.  Proceeds from the lunch will be used by his parents to take Jack to Thoughtful House Center for Children in Austin, Texas, for medical treatment.  It is one of the few medical centers in the country treating children with autism spectrum disorder.

Tickets will be on sale between services  on Sunday (10-28), or you may call 859-0460 to reserve them.  The price is $10 for adults, $5 for children five to twelve.  There will be a short film about autism in general, and Jack and his progress specifically. 

     For the summer months, junior and senior high school youth will be in the church service with their families on Sunday morning.  Children will also be in the service with their families, leaving during the sermon for a children’s lesson in the Forum.

Thanks to all the families that participated in our “God Rocks Club” kids time on Wednesday nights.  We had our last meeting Wed., 5/16.  Look for Family Fun Nights during the summer.

Junior and Senior High will not meet regularly on Wednesday nights, but we will gather about twice a month for fellowship at St. Paul’s families’ pools.  Families will receive in the mail a schedule for our “Underwater Bible Studies”.

June 11-15, 2007, 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

There will be a table out on Sunday morning the next two Sundays to register your children and their friends (!) for VBS. Don’t miss this great week of learning Bible stories, singing, games, crafts, and snacks. If you are able to help–there are lots of ways–please contact Greg Walgenbach at the church office.

We will recognize our Sunday School teachers for their faithful service to our children and youth for this past year. Teachers, there will be breakfast for you and your families at 9 a.m. before the service.

We will also acknowledge, at the 10 a.m. service, those who have graduated from high school this year. We ask that graduating seniors or their parents call the church office so that we do not miss any one!

ECW is planning a chartered bus trip to the Pantages Theater to see the hit show “Wicked”.  We have purchased 35 seats in rows 1, 2 and 3 of the Mezzanine for the 1 p.m. performance. (Good seats!) The date is Sunday, Sept 16.  We will leave the church at 10:00 a.m. Bring your sack lunch and drink to enjoy on the ride down.  The cost is $81.00.  Make your check payable to Jan Smith and get it to her preferably by June 10th. Please mail them to her at 4120 Chardonnay Dr., 93306.  There are only 35 tickets available, so don’t delay!  It will be a “Wickedly” fun afternoon.  Call Jan at 871-5568 if you have any questions.

Several parishioners have asked me if we are going to call a curate to replace Fr. Michael.  The answer is “Not at this time.”  There are various reasons for this.  One obvious reason is that it would be inappropriate to call a new priest to come to St. Paul’s when my circumstance as rector remains uncertain. Another reason is that with both Frs. John Wilcox and Bob Richard here in a non-stipendiary ministry, and Greg Walgenbach, our Youth and Christian Education Minister, and a seminary graduate, pursuing ordination with the diocese, we have, I believe, sufficient “clergy” help.  A third reason is financial. With the Capital Campaign projects we can’t afford it.  As we look to the future, a bigger challenge is to strengthen the Sunday school and ministry to families.  The vestry, staff and I will focus on this during the summer months as we prepare for the fall schedule.