DOH

We had a great hot dog Sunday yesterday - thanks to Mona and all the church school teachers - people stayed, talked and had fun - and I totally did not get any pictures - so you'll have to take my word for it.

Anyway, thanks to all for making hot dog sunday so much fun

Vision and Mission

The clergy of the Diocese had a retreat last week. The retreat leader was the Very Rev. Kevin Martin, dean of the cathedral in Dallas, Texas.

One of the things that he said was that the clergy should take every opportunity to talk about the vision and mission of the congregation they serve.

It occured to me that I haven't done this much lately - so watch the sermons and columns because there will be more coming - but here's a start. I believe that St. Paul's is poised to become a resource for our Diocese and our community - that we have an abundance of energy, enthusiasm, abilites and that we can, if we choose - become one of the first places that our Diocese and our community think of when they are seeking partners in mission and service - more to come - watch this space.

Welcome Back

We are kicking off the school year with a blessing of the backpacks. This picture is of the supplies donated last year for this event.

This year we will bless backpacks at 9:50 in the front of the church - rain location in the parish hall - and then send the children and youth off to Sunday school and the rest of us in to church. Invite your friends to come with you and bring some school supplies for School 6 in Buffalo.

Mission Trip

Our youth group was on a Mission Trip to the Buffalo City Mission last week. It was a good time and I think all involved had a good experiance.

This is from the article that Carri Ludwig wrote about the trip:

"...Last week they spent 2 days reorganizing and stocking the Food Pantry. The Pantry distributes 1500-2000 pounds of food each week to needy families throughout Western New York and is a beehive of activity. According to Charles Walke, Food Pantry Coordinator, the kids were wonderful; 'They transformed our pantry into a moder day TOPS; it has never been this organized. I am thoroughly impressed. I don't want them to leave - ever.'"

We also had a great time at Darien Lake on Saturday. Be sure to sign up for next year's trip.

Mission Trip

We had been hoping to be heading off to Mexico this week - but since I read in the paper yesterday about people being killed at a party, I'm guessing we made the right decision to postpone that for this year.

Instead we will be heading off a week from tomorrow for the wilds of Buffalo - we will be staying at a church in Riverside and working at the food pantry of the Buffalo City Mission - it should be a good introduction to need right outside our doors.

Please keep the leaders, Andrea, Aaron and I and the youth in your prayers next week while we work, pray and have some fun too

What St. Paul's Does Best

In the last several weeks we have had a Chicken Dinner fundraiser, a parish picnic and had the hamburger and hot dog concession at Clarence Day in the Park.

It is very clear to me that one of the things that St. Paul's does best is to eat and feed people.

That makes the motto that the vestry adopted for St. Paul's for the next couple of years: St. Paul's - feed body and soul really appropriate. It is what we do - we feed people, ourselves, others, physically and spiritually.

So, over the next few months think about other ways that we could use our gifts for feeding people in the world around us.

Happy Father's Day

This Sunday is Father's Day. In the last few years it's become harder and harder to find portrayals of fathers on t.v. or in the movies that remind me at all of my father. The fathers in the media tend to be incompetant and need to be rescued by either their kids or a woman (sometimes their wives) or both.

That isn't the father I grew up with. My father knew alot about lots of things. If he didn't know how to do something he'd help me figure it out and I knew that he was always there for me.

Thanks, Dad, for everything.