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I knew a pastor who had a small, framed painting of a mail carrier on her office wall. It wasn’t a particularly unique piece of art, it looked like a postcard set into a frame. It clearly meant something to her, so I asked her about it. In res…
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Near the end of October, St. Paul member Pam Garrett assumed the role of the Pastoral Residency Program Administrator. This role oversees all administrative aspects of the pastoral residency program at St. Paul, fosters a rich learning experience for…
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Never did I imagine that putting siding on a house would count toward the ‘other duties as assigned’ portion of my job description. This past week, on the annual mission trip with the Appalachian Service Project, I discovered myself doing exactly tha…
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I adore my children. They are quite capable of doing many things, but keeping their rooms clean is not among their talents. I think it’s due to their creativity and full lives, but when the time comes to clean, they become easily overwhelmed. They ju…
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In August, Ellie began her journey as the director of youth ministries. A lifelong St. Paul member, Ellie brings with her a wealth of knowledge about St. Paul and a bundle of new ideas to help youth grow in their faith and confidence. Tell us about y…
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I hit every single red light that evening. All of them. Between my home and church, heading south on Welcome Way, rather than the typical Jersey Ridge route, there are seven traffic lights. Some of them change frequently, some don’t. My kids and I hi…
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Steve Kalber has been named the new St. Paul counselor. Steve and his wife K.D. joined St. Paul in the spring of 2021 and since that time, the two have been active in multiple St. Paul ministries. Steve has worked closely with the mental health aware…
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Faith stories are the culmination of confirmation at St. Paul every fall. Ninth-graders share brief presentations describing how they see God at work in the world and in their lives. “I like fishing and being alone in nature. It’s freeing and everyth…
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Today is the second day of 20 during which Iowans can vote in this year’s general election. Illinois is already halfway through its early voting period. For many, I suspect, this brings a measure of relief: the end of this political season can now be…
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During a recent gathering of the St. Paul Prayer Team, we talked about our various practices of prayer. Many of them have a special chair where they sit to pray for people in our community, and their Bible and prayer lists sitting on their laps. Some…
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Over the past 10+ years, Dana Welser has been St. Paul’s neighborhood partnership coordinator and spearheaded the creation of Madison Market. In the last decade, the food pantry grew to serve upwards of 150 (or more) families twice a month. Dana’s ef…
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If you ever happen to find yourself traveling to the other side of the world to the beautiful port city of Osaka, Japan, you’ll have plenty of things to consider for such a big trip. But there’s at least one thing you won’t have to worry about: your…