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ST. PAUL'S, a family for those seeking to make a breakthrough journey to a deeper relationship with Christ and one another. St. Paul's is embarking upon a breakthrough journey toward an awakening, where anyone is invited to experience and show the love and joy of Jesus. Our family will be a tapestry of relationships where life and faith are shared in authentic communication and trust. We will practice Worship, Scripture, Prayer, and the Presence of the Holy Spirit such that we discover God's overwhelming love, become whole and tell everyone about our journey. In a season when many question the endurance of St. Paul's, even Christian faith itself, we will encourage each other on this journey. Now more than ever Christ urges us, of every generation, not to draw inward, but to open our hearts to our neighbors. "In the Last Days," God says, "I will pour out my Spirit on every kind of people: Your sons will prophesy, also your daughters; Your young men will see visions, your old men dream dreams." Acts 2:17 We will foster leadership development, doubling the number of our leaders equipped to train and mentor us in spiritual transformation. Thus, as maturing disciples, we will widen our circle of friendships among all generations in our Northeast Heights neighborhoods. A revived St. Paul's will discover innovative strategies of the Holy Spirit to engage multiple venues for the mission. We will "move into the neighborhood" (John 1:14) and share not only the gospel but our personal lives as well. A revived St. Paul's will discover innovative strategies of the Holy Spirit to engage multiple venues for the mission. This vision flows from a seminar of 20 - 25 leaders of St. Paul's back in March of this year. At that seminar, we became aware of the need to become deeper and more specific as to the purpose of Transformation in our mission statement. Our Breakthrough Vision calls us to see Transformation as we Become (the 1st paragraph), and as we Engage (3rd paragraph). First, we describe how, over the next 3 years, we will implement a process of Become, of developing spiritually as disciples. We conclude this vision of spiritual growth with these words: "We will practice Worship, Scripture, Prayer, and the Presence of the Holy Spirit" Such that we discover God's overwhelming love, become whole and tell everyone about our journey." I treasure that word, "whole". It reminds the meaning of the work for salvation in the New Testament "sozó". This word has two fields of meaning that overlap one another. One is to be saved, forgiven. The other is to be healed, made well. "Whole" is a strong way to state the original word "sozo." Whenever we become deeper disciples of Jesus, we become forgiven and healed at the same time – we become "whole". As we become whole we become a community of wholeness, of healing, of wellness. A healing community becomes therapeutic in our neighborhoods. We become agents of wholeness! We are also an Engage congregation. We believe that we have a powerful calling to go into the neighborhoods of the northeast heights and be agents of healing. Our Engage paragraph states this not as a process of "handouts" to the hurts and wounds of our mission field, but in a process of coming alongside and sharing our lives with our neighbors. We will develop ministries of engagement that prioritize the development of relationships. We will seek to pour our lives into one another - and into the lives of our neighborhoods and the life struggles, we find there. "A revived St. Paul's will discover innovative strategies of the Holy Spirit to engage multiple venues for the mission. We will "move into the neighborhood" (John 1:14) and share not only the gospel but our personal lives as well." One last thing! Notice our 2nd Paragraph in our Breakthrough Vision. Here we express why St. Paul's should do these things, and do them now! It is because when God's people open themselves to the Holy Spirit, as we are doing in our 100 Days, etc., God gives fresh vision and dreams to all generations of our fellowship. "Now more than ever Christ urges us, of every generation, not to draw inward, but to open our hearts to our neighbors." In the next 3 months, you will be reading and hearing about multiple ways we will continue to implement our Breakthrough Vision. The first of these is our "Engage Sunday", November 17th. Read more about this special experience in this Epistle. #breakthroughvision #spumcabq

There are blessings in our lives for which we are always grateful. One of the blessings in the life of St. Paul's has been the ministry of Rick Homeyer with us these past 3 years. Rick has shared his talents with us. Rick has given us beautiful music in our Flame Worship. Rick has shared his heart, his life, with us in discipling ministries with the young adults and boomers within our congregation. There are so many ways that Rick has made a difference in St. Paul's. In seeking to adjust to financial and budgeting realities going forward, the SPRC regretfully determined that Rick's ministry position undergo significant change, including compensation. The anticipated changes are as such, that we are ending Rick's ministry staff role at the end of May. Please take time to share with Rick your appreciation for his ministry with us.

First off, happy 4th of July to all of you at St. Paul's! July is filled with a lot of events that bring together one another to enjoy fellowship, food, and activities. Check below for something exciting and we hope to see you there! Don't forget to download this month's Epistle below. Some highlights include: A article by Cary Nieuwhof, a Pastor in Toronto, Canada on reaching the unchurched. Pictures from the Andy Mason concert and the Youth's Summer Retreat. And so much more! CHECK OUT WHAT'S COMING UP! Learn more about each event above at our Event Page! #July4th #Happy4thofJuly #Epistle

Santa will be at the Arts & Crafts Fair from 4-6 pm on Friday and 2-4 on Saturday! We hope to see you all there at the Arts and Crafts fair!! Let us know you'll be there!! https://www.facebook.com/events/653638808376795/?ti=cl

Save the Dates! St. Paul's UMC Christmas in October Arts and Craft Show will be October 11-12 in Chapman Hall. Main set up Thursday, Oct. 10, 3-6 p.m. and Friday, Oct. 11 8-10 a.m. sharp. Show will be open to the public Friday 11th 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Saturday 12th 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. We have new ideas and a new email address that we will keep to stay in touch. We will have demonstrations throughout the day, some hands-on, some watch and learn. If you would like to be a demonstrator let us know. The earlier the better. We will have new signs. We again will be advertising in magazines and online. Let your customers know to save the dates and where you will be on the show floor. Registration forms will be out soon. We at St. Paul's are looking forward to having a great Arts and Craft Show again this year. If you have any questions, please use the new email address to reply and we will respond: StPaulsUMCArtsandCraft@gmail.com Cheri Burch is the contact for Crafters information. #artsandcraftfair #arts #crafts #spumcAbq

What do you think about this heat?! Wow! We have some exciting events happening for you to be and stay cool this August! Check below for something exciting and we hope to see you there! Don't forget to download this month's Epistle below. Some highlights include: See the beautiful and colorful Rainbow After the Storm Mural by our Precious Possibilities! A touching VBS testimony from our very own Daycare Director, Gemma Strong! Have you ever heard folks talk about the difference between "joy" and "happiness."? Read Pastor Doug's Special Message in the Epistle! CHECK OUT WHAT'S COMING UP! Learn more about each event above at our Event Page! #Summer #BeatTheHeat #Epistle

"There is a growing and unacceptable discrepancy between God’s vision for the church and ours. Consumerism has to leave. The Church requires more. God’s Church started as a radical, spiritually intimate gathering of believers that ultimately changed history. Yet millions today are content to be mere observers at church. Many more have left, brokenhearted and cynical. But God is waking up His people—people who will risk anything and sacrifice everything to be the dynamic, world-changing Church of Scripture. Speaking out of deep love for the Church, Chan guides Christ followers to live out God’s magnificent and beautiful vision for His Church-a vision we may have lost but God has never forgotten. When He returns, I want Him to find me giving everything I’ve got to bring health to the church—and that’s what this book is about. My hope is that you also will see the need to repent from this casual attitude and treat the church as sacred again." – Francis Chan Let's come together to journey through taking practical steps to live out the fundamental principles of the Bible. We will be challenged, guided, and encouraged to live out passionately the vision of His Church. Please get in contact with Rick for further details. This Small Group will go until May, 2019. Meets in the Lobby. #SmallGroup #Church

We are changing office and custodial hours. Please read below for details. Beginning February 2019 St. Paul's office hours will be as follows: MONDAY, TUESDAY, & THURSDAY 8:30 - 12PM and 1 - 3PM WEDNESDAY 8:30 - 11AM Custodial hours will be as follows: SUNDAYS 7AM - 11AM MONDAY 7AM - 12PM and 1PM - 2PM TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY 7AM - 12PM and 1PM - 3PM THURSDAY 7AM - 10AM #ChurchHours

Below are opportunities for you to give back to the community around you. Community Outreach The SP Church Council in 2017 approved the Outreach Committee's collection of clothing items for men, women and children in the right side bin under the lobby/narthex stairs. All gender clothing items are welcome and may be placed and will be given to sources who help Albuquerque's needy and homeless. Clothing donations are especially helpful during the holiday seasons and year-round. The Storehouse bin (left side bin) is open for contributions under the stairs in the lobby. The SP Church Council will work with the agency now to regularly collect and accept any non-perishable food items. SP participation continues for the 16th year with Project Share - the cooking in Chapman Hall kitchen and meal service downtown to the homeless at Hope Works (formerly St. Martin's). SP cooking and serving months for 2019 are January through April. Volunteers are welcome and cash contributions are even more encouraged. We seek donations to purchase items to make the great meal we serve and homeless recipients totally enjoy. Please designate your check on the "FOR" line and cash donations on the offering envelopes to: SP Project Share. The nine Project Share workers from St. Paul's and the hundreds of homeless Hope Works participants graciously thank you in advance. #SPProjectShare #HopeWorks #ProjectShare