Music of the Night, July 25th 4-7pm
Buy tickets here!

An Evening of Magic & Whimsy
An enchanted evening awaits those who attend this St. Paul’s fundraiser. The event, on Lake Lillinonah in Southbury, will feature a breathtaking collection of extraordinary, one-of-a-kind, mechanical musical instruments. The museum quality pieces will astound you with their variety, ingenuity and joyful sound.

The event will take place at a lovely lakeside home in Southbury, CT. Suggested cost is $50 per ticket and includes refreshments and both adult and non-alcoholic beverages. Tickets are available here! Questions? Contact Karen Nash at 203-736-3596. 
Please note: admission is limited to 60 guests - get your tickets today!

Music of the Night: Live Auction Items
We will host both a Silent Auction and a Live Auction at the event. Our Silent Auction items are looking great (especially the coveted Gift Card Gift Basket!) 

This Sunday at a Glance

9a- Rector's Forum

10a- Morning Holy Eucharist, Coffee Hour

5p- Evening Celtic Holy Eucharist at St. Paul’s

8p- Zoom Compline

This Week at a Glance

Thursday- Property Committee Meeting, 4p; Executive Committee Meeting, 5p; Finance Committee Meeting 6:30p; Zoom Compline, 8p.
Friday- Zoom Compline, 8p.
Saturday- American Red Cross Blood Drive, 8a.
Sunday- See Above
Monday- Alcoholics Anonymous, 8p; Zoom Compline, 8p.
Tuesday- Dance for Joy, meet up group, 9a; Zoom Compline, 8p.
Wednesday- Al-Anon, 10a; Lunch at Woodbury Country Eatery, 11:30a; Youth Group: Teens middle & high school age, 6p; SPC Personnel & HR, 6p Zoom Compline, 8p.
Thursday- Vestry Meeting, 6:30a; Zoom Compline, 8p.

Each week we will be sharing information about the progress made in our Parish House Renovation here in the newsletter. For more information about the project, click here.

These weekly updates are part of our A Place to Belong campaign renovations. The campaign includes: Total renovation of our Lower Hall, including: flooring, ceilings and LED lighting, window repair, mini-splits, food preparation and creative use space renovation, adding accessibility ramps, bathroom renovations (including ADA restroom), appliances, and furnishings; Upstairs renovations including: Bathrooms near the Pearson Room (including ADA restroom), new flooring from the entryway, throughout the Pearson Room and extending to the Seabury Room; new ceiling and LED lighting, painting throughout including both stairways, and new furnishings.

A Place to Belong Campaign: We are THRILLED to share that this week we have met our campaign goal of $400,000, with participation from 63% of the congregation! A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has pledged so far.

Participation matters so much for this campaign. A large percentage of congregational participation not only gives us more room to finish our project well, but gives us an advantage when it comes to applying for grants for future projects. 

If you have not yet pledged, one of our team members will be reaching out soon. We will close the campaign on July 15th. Together, we can make St. Paul’s a Place to Belong in our community. 

Exterior Renovation Update: Work has begun on our entry pad and lamp post this week. This is part of an exterior renovation that will include new landscaping using native perennial plants. The exterior renovation and landscaping have been provided by a generous gift from one of our parish families. Thank you!

While the entry pad is being installed, please continue to use the side entry door (near the Seabury Room) to enter and exit the parish hall. Additional ushers will be available on Sunday mornings to assist those with mobility issues in entering and exiting the building. 

Thanks so much to Lydia Strauss-Edwards for overseeing this project with Earth Tones Nursery; to our property committee members: Marianne Daly, Russ Depace, and Jeff Leavenworth; and to our sexton, Ron Crowcroft, who continues to assist with making the parish as safe and accessible as possible during construction.

• Woodbury Pride Festival: Thank you to everyone who was able to come and celebrate Pride on June 28th in the North Green. Nearly 100 people came in solidarity with LGBTQ+ folks, and in celebration of the diversity that makes our community stronger. 

  Co-Organizer Vanita Bhalla extends her gratitude to all the participants, writing, “To every neighbor and ally who showed up, your presence mattered. When an LGBTQ+ community is targeted by a local church leader who calls for violence and preaches hate, solidarity is more than symbolic - it is a lifeline. Your support reminded us that we are not alone and compassion still has a home here.”

  You can see an excerpt of Rev. Tuesday’s keynote address from that event by clicking here.  

• Community Services Council of Woodbury: A Note from Megan Houlihan-Aceto, CSCW Executive Director:

  Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak during Sunday's services at St. Paul's. I truly appreciate your warm welcome and the chance to share about the Spread the Light campaign with the congregation.

  It was a pleasure to meet so many wonderful parishioners and to hear so many of their stories of how they have been involved with CSCW.  Everyone was incredibly kind and welcoming, not only to me but to my family, and I was grateful for their support and interest in hearing more about what we are doing. 
  I hope to have the opportunity to visit again before the end of the year, and I look forward to staying in touch.
  Thank you again for your hospitality and generosity!
  Megan

• New Start Ministry- Mary Wehrberger passed away last week. She had been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in April, and it metastasized into her bones. 
  Mary was a dedicated volunteer with New Start Ministry from 2019 through 2023. Mary’s daughter Donna said that Mary's eyes always lit up when she spoke about New Start Ministry, and that her mother wanted us to know about her passing. The funeral and burial took place on Long Island. Here is a link to her obituary: 
  https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/plainview-ny/mary-wehrberger-12941624
  May God bless Mary's soul, and comfort her family.

• Parish Administrator Away- From May 1st through August 25th our Parish Administrator, Hannah Berg, will be away, and will not be accessing email. During that time please direct questions to Rev. Tuesday Rupp, rector@stpaulswoodbury.org. Thanks!

• An Urgent Message about our Little Free Pantry- Our Little Free Pantry is being used heavily right now — about 75–90% of the food is gone every two days. The large donation that recently filled our shelves has now mostly been distributed to neighbors in need, and supplies are running low again. Click here to learn more!

Professional Nursery Care is on hiatus for the summer. Our beloved childcare worker, Nicole, will be back with us on Sunday, September 13th. Parents and caregivers are welcome to make use of the nursery during services and parish events.

Youth Group continues to meet throughout the summer! Come for dinner, meaningful conversation, and fun the first and third Wednesdays of the month, 6-8 pm. Questions? Reach out to our Youth Minister, Deb Tickell, youth@stpaulswoodbury.org. For last-minute questions, text at (623) 340-7474.