September 20 Pastor’s Corner
This Sunday Chaplain Chris Haughee is joining us in worship at 11:00 AM to share a Children’s sermon. Chris is one of the many committed people that are a part of Intermountain. Intermountain is an organization that has long been associated with Methodism in Montana and our commitment to share to gospel in the world through putting our belief in God’s love into action.
For the past 150 years, St. Paul’s and Methodists in Helena have lived this out in our practice. To celebrate this historical achievement we chose not to just sit and cheer, but to stand and make a difference. We want to Do Good… for Good and to continue to share the love of God.
Intermountain has been a part of our history from our very early days and so this fall we are teaming up with them to learn about ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences). The facility we founded, as the Deaconess Home for Children has turned into an organization that helps children with severe emotional and mental health needs through holistic, integrated services and a relationship-based approach. The education wing of Intermountain, Child Wise has begun a campaign to educate the community on ACEs to help us look at some big challenges our children and we are facing.
Chaplain Haughee will be working with area faith communities to find a way for faith communities to respond to ACEs together.
To learn more about all we are doing to learn and make a difference through our ACEs study, go to stpaulshelena.org/update.
Enthusiastic Peace for Good,
Pastor Tyler
September 13 Pastor’s Corner
As you know, just over a month ago Debbie Irby announced her retirement as our Church Administrator. We celebrated her ministry last Sunday and August 31 was her final day at work. Ever since we knew of Debbie’s intent, the Staff Parish Relations Committee, Tyler and I have been working on a plan for our next steps. Times of staff change are challenging but they also provide opportunities to re-think how things are done and what is possible.
The Staff Parish Relations Committee, Tyler and I are pleased to announce that Sue McNicol, currently our part time Administrative Specialist, has accepted the full time position of Parish Administrator (note the name change for the position). Sue’s dedication to the ministry of the church, her skills and abilities and her hospitable spirit make her uniquely qualified for this important position on our staff. Though the position does not officially begin until October 1, Sue has already been learning some of the job responsibilities. In particular, she has spent time learning from Debbie in the week before she retired. And, throughout September, while Sue will continue as our Administrative Specialist, she will also continue learning more aspects of the Administrator position. That is why, with the support of SPR, we made the decision to limit the number of hours our office will be open for walk-in traffic in September. This will allow Sue, in particular, some needed time to focus on training for her new position. It will also relieve some of the stress on staff as we reassess how we cover office responsibilities in a changing environment. We will, of course, continue to return phone calls and respond to parish needs. We do hope you will be patient as we negotiate this transition.
Our intent is to use this time of transition to assess the overall administrative and office needs of our church. For the immediate future, we will not be hiring a receptionist but will rely on current staff and volunteers. If you are able to volunteer to assist in our office over the next several months, please let us know by calling the office or by indicating an interest on the Presence Form.
I know I speak for all of the SPR and our staff when I say that we are thrilled that Sue has accepted this position. If you have any questions about our plans moving forward, please feel free to contact SPR chairperson Dave Nielsen (d.nielsen@bresnan.net), Marianne or Tyler. Change is always daunting but it brings with it exciting possibilities as well and we are definitely hopeful as we move forward.
Grace and peace,
Marianne
Marianne
September 6 Pastor’s Corner
As you know, just over a month ago Debbie Irby announced her retirement as our Church Administrator. We celebrated her ministry last Sunday and August 31 was her final day at work. Ever since we knew of Debbie’s intent, the Staff Parish Relations Committee, Tyler and I have been working on a plan for our next steps. Times of staff change are challenging but they also provide opportunities to re-think how things are done and what is possible.
The Staff Parish Relations Committee, Tyler and I are pleased to announce that Sue McNicol, currently our part time Administrative Specialist, has accepted the full time position of Parish Administrator (note the name change for the position). Sue’s dedication to the ministry of the church, her skills and abilities and her hospitable spirit make her uniquely qualified for this important position on our staff. Though the position does not officially begin until October 1, Sue has already been learning some of the job responsibilities. In particular, she has spent time learning from Debbie in the week before she retired. And, throughout September, while Sue will continue as our Administrative Specialist, she will also continue learning more aspects of the Administrator position. That is why, with the support of SPR, we made the decision to limit the number of hours our office will be open for walk-in traffic in September. This will allow Sue, in particular, some needed time to focus on training for her new position. It will also relieve some of the stress on staff as we reassess how we cover office responsibilities in a changing environment. We will, of course, continue to return phone calls and respond to parish needs. We do hope you will be patient as we negotiate this transition.
Our intent is to use this time of transition to assess the overall administrative and office needs of our church. For the immediate future, we will not be hiring a receptionist but will rely on current staff and volunteers. If you are able to volunteer to assist in our office over the next several months, please let us know by calling the office or by indicating an interest on the Presence Form.
I know I speak for all of the SPR and our staff when I say that we are thrilled that Sue has accepted this position. If you have any questions about our plans moving forward, please feel free to contact SPR chairperson Dave Nielsen (d.nielsen@bresnan.net), Marianne or Tyler. Change is always daunting but it brings with it exciting possibilities as well and we are definitely hopeful as we move forward.
Grace and peace,
Marianne
Grace and peace,
Marianne
August 31 Pastor’s Corner
Endings and Beginnings . . .
As we come together today, we do so knowing that it is time to leave the lovely days of summer behind. But, the end of summer also means the beginning of new adventures. School has begun and by the time we reach Labor Day, our children and their teachers will have the entire first week behind them! I loved seeing the excitement in the eyes of our children last week as they brought their backpacks to church for a special blessing. The summer is ending but new adventures await as the fall unfolds.
As we come together today, we do so knowing that it is time to leave the lovely days of summer behind. But, the end of summer also means the beginning of new adventures. School has begun and by the time we reach Labor Day, our children and their teachers will have the entire first week behind them! I loved seeing the excitement in the eyes of our children last week as they brought their backpacks to church for a special blessing. The summer is ending but new adventures await as the fall unfolds.
Of course, we would all like to also bid farewell to the smoky skies of the last weeks as well! As I’ve struggled with the smoke, I’ve tried to keep in mind the firefighters all over the West who are dealing with much worse conditions than we have. I use the smoke here to remind me to pray in gratitude for their service and for their safety.
Today also marks another milestone in our church family. We say goodbye to Debbie Irby who has been our church administrator for the past 15 years. Debbie has seen us through the move into our new church building and all the challenges that entailed. She has helped us weather staff changes and reconfigurations in almost every area of our program. She has seen us through a computer server crash, phone service changes and software updates. She has paid bills, negotiated contracts, tried to keep track of keys, and scheduled weddings, concerts and presentations in our buildings. And, of course, that is just what I am thinking of today as I write this. Like all of our staff the ‘other duties as assigned’ is part of what keeps life interesting in this growing, thriving church community! And Debbie’s life at St. Paul’s has indeed been kept interesting! Blessings to you, Debbie, as you end your years of service as a staff member. Blessings as you begin the next phase of your life . . . retirement! At 9:45 in the Fellowship Hall the Staff Parish Relations Committee will host a reception to celebrate Debbie’s time among us. Stop by and/or send her a note of thanks!
Finally, today the Guatemala mission team will share some of their insights and new awarenesses from their mission experience. In a sense, this brings to an end their Mission Team commitment . . . they are doing what they committed to do at their commissioning: sharing what they learned with us. (And, by the way, we committed to listen and learn from them!) Thanks for sharing with us . . . and blessings as you let what you have learned impact your lives.
Grace and peace in this time of
transition for us all!
Marianne