We are now accepting orders for red poinsettias to adorn the sanctuary during Christmas. You can honor or remember a loved one by purchasing a poinsettia in their name. You can also donate money to Bethany's Children's Home or an American Indian Congregation. Please place your order here by Wednesday, November 20, 2024.

"How to Embrace the Future with Hope" will be the focus of our worship service on our Stewardship Sunday, November 17, at 10:30 a.m. We will explore how we can invest in God's bright future for us.

St. Paul’s Messy Church will participate again this year in the Selinsgrove Library Tree Fest of Children’s Books. We picked a delightful book about all the colors of Christmas and planned many fun activities for everybody. Come and help us create the many ornaments in all the colors of Christmas to decorate the St. Paul’s Messy Church tree that will be proudly displayed in the library from November 20 until January 4.

Are you interested in exploring more about St. Paul’s and what it takes to join our congregation officially? We already have a small group of people who want to join, and Pastor Dietmar is offering a New Member Orientation beginning Sunday, October 20, following our worship service. The group will learn more about who we are as St. Paul’s, our vision, mission, and ministries, and what meaningful membership will look like. We will get to know each other more closely, clarify expectations, and answer questions. There will be refreshments. The new member orientation takes place over three meetings on Sunday after worship, on October 20, October 27, and November 10, with the opportunity to officially join St. Paul’s during our worship service on November 17. Please indicate your interest in participating in the New Member Orientation to Pastor Dietmar at dietmar@saintpauls-ucc.org or (570) 541-0121 or to the church office at office@saintpauls-ucc.org. Thank you! 

We invite you to our second Meet & Eat on October 27 after church. Enjoy a shared meal and good company with members and friends of St. Paul's. Please sign up so we know how many people to plan for. If you can, bring a dessert to share.

The Selinsgrove VFW will host our Loaves and Fishes Food Bank for their Thursday, October 17, Bacon Burger Benefit Night starting at 5 p.m. This event is open to the public and is a bargain at $7 for the burger, choice of French fries, onion rings, macaroni and cheese, and a fountain drink. Randy Tanner will need a few people to join him at 4 p.m. to clean tables and to help set up. He will also need a few servers to help serve starting at 5 p.m. Last year’s turnout was fantastic, and we hope for another well-attended night.

We're excited to invite you to join us at Messy Church on Sunday, October 13th, at 4 p.m. to explore the love of Jesus. Jesus reminds us to love one another as he has loved us, which is super important. We'll chat about how we can extend this love to everyone, even those we might not see eye to eye with. Just imagine how awesome the world would be if we focused on spreading love, challenging hate, and reaching out with peace!

At Messy Church, we'll be having a blast painting gourd birdhouses, making and savoring campfire cookies, fixing up hearts, doing leaf paintings, creating gratitude paper pumpkins, decorating cute little lanterns, and a whole bunch more. We'd love to have you with us!

Shane Sanders, Assistant Director of the GO Program at Susquehanna, will present to community members about her recent time in the Congo DRC - one of the 5 poorest countries in the world. She will share her experience staying in the capital of Kinshasa to visit orphaned children of the ongoing civil war, and the team that cares for them. Come join the conversation about this aspect of what it means to be a global citizen. A Q&A with coffee will follow the 45-minute presentation. All are welcome to join in this conversation!

Our first Meet & Eat of the new program year will take place on September 29th after church, and everyone is invited. We're looking forward to sharing a meal and fellowship with you! Please sign up so we know how many people to plan for. If you can, bring a dessert to share.

Hey there! We are so excited to invite you to St. Paul’s All Church Picnic on Kickoff Sunday, September 8th, at East Snyder Park from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. It's going to be a lovely afternoon filled with good food and even better company. We'd love for you to bring a dish to share and your own reusable plates, cups, and utensils to help us reduce waste. Don't forget to sign up so we can plan for your arrival and know what delicious dish you'll be bringing. And guess what? At the same time and place, we'll be having Messy Church with the theme “Who is God? What is God like?” It's going to be double the fun and excitement! We can't wait to see you there! Oh, and just in case it rains, the event will be moved to September 15th.

Hot Topic on Gun Violence on September 8 at 9 a.m. in St. Paul’s sanctuary - As a community, we will come together to engage in the topic of gun violence, presented by Dave Wilson, President and CEO of Citizens for Gun Safety. The Surgeon General, America’s top doctor, issued a first-of-its-kind advisory recently, declaring gun violence a national public health crisis and recommending it be treated as such. Dr. Wilson raises awareness about gun violence being a public health crisis and provides hope with proven common sense solutions on how to reduce gun violence deaths. A Q&A with coffee will follow the 45-minute presentation. All are welcome to join in this important conversation!

Choir rehearsal starts on Wednesday, August 28, at 7 p.m. Come and sing with us!

Come and get to know Grace Winakor, the candidate for the Associate Pastor position at St. Paul's UCC. We invite you to a Meet & Greet event on Saturday, August 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. We ask that you please sign up so that we can plan for the food at the lunch.

The congregational meeting will take place during the worship service on August 25, where Grace will deliver the sermon. Later in the service, we will vote on Grace becoming our new Associate Pastor. We look forward to seeing you there!

More info about Grace and the upcoming vote is here.

We invite all children and youth to participate in the Blessing of the Backpacks during the worship service on Sunday, August 18, before school starts in the Selinsgrove district. Bring your backpacks to the Children's Message for a blessing. You will receive a backpack tag reminding you that we hold you in our hearts and lift you in prayer for a great year of learning and growing. Please invite your friends to join us on this special Sunday.

Get ready for an exciting Messy Church session all about rediscovering God in creation! We'll dive into the amazing ways we can encounter God every day through the wonders of the world. We'll have a blast making a creation mural, crafting our own special "lim-pets," and even making delicious ice cream in a bag! Plus, we'll reflect on how God's creation inspires us and how we can take action to care for it. Join us as we grow in Christ and celebrate the beauty of God's creation together. It's going to be a fantastic time of fun and faith!

Join us for a delightful picnic at the Rudnitskys' on July 28 from 1-4 p.m. (rain date August 4). We'll enjoy splashing in the pool, playing ping pong or shuffleboard, and spending time with our St. Paul's family and friends. Indoor seating will be available for your comfort. Please bring a lawn chair and a snack or dish to share. Let's make this a memorable grill-free event!

Hey there! Get ready for an awesome and refreshing VBS day at the Water Olympics hosted at the Rudnitskys' pool! Save the date for July 14th, from 1 PM to 3 PM. Don't forget to bring your sunscreen and bathing suit, and let's dive into a world of games and splashy fun! It's a fantastic chance for St. Paul's families to come together, soak up the summer sun, and make unforgettable memories. We're looking forward to seeing you there! Please sign up so we can prepare for you.

P.S. Remember to bring your competitive spirit and a big smile! 😄🏆

Hey there! You're invited to "Bullfrogs and Butterflies," St. Paul's family event on June 8th from 5:00-8:00 PM at the McCabes’! It's going to be a magical evening focusing on "being born to new life," all beautifully illustrated through the amazing nature around us. Families, we'd absolutely love for you to sign up online for this event. We've got a fun scavenger hunt planned, and we'll wrap up the evening around a campfire. Treat yourself to some delicious s'mores, hot dogs, lemonade, chips, and fruit. Don't forget to bring your lawn chairs or blankets to relax and soak in all the fun. We seriously can't wait to see you there!

Join us for great food and fellowship right following our worship service on April 28 in the fellowship hall. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect, chat, and share over a meal. I’m grateful to the Meet and Eat team for providing again for us. Please sign up so we can better plan the amount of food.

Join us at St. Paul's UCC for Messy Church on April 14 at 4 p.m.! We will explore the story of Jesus' disciple Peter. All are invited, and children need to be accompanied by an adult. Expect a lively afternoon filled with engaging activities and crafts in our fellowship hall, followed by a time of celebration in the sanctuary. We will conclude with a family-style meal together. Come and enjoy the Messy Church experience with us! Kindly RSVP so we can prepare enough supplies and food for everyone.

Jesus invites a diverse group of individuals to "follow him," urging them to make decisions that reflect his teachings and to show compassion towards others. Just like Peter, our journey of discipleship will have its share of joy, challenges, and moments of testing faith. Despite this, Jesus knows and continues to encourage us to "follow him."

Final Spring Clean-Out Day is April 11 at 5:30 p.m. We still need your help with moving everything out of the garage. Thank you for all your help! —Jacob Koch and your Property and Grounds Team

Our 10:30 a.m. Celebration Service will include trumpet, organ, and extra special vocal music from the Senior Choir and Jaime and Sophia Namminga. It’s promising to be a deeply moving and meaningful Easter celebration with the Groundbreaking for our Renewing St. Paul’s renovation project following the service on the front lawn. We are excited to experience the joy of Easter with you.

Invite a friend to join us in experiencing true Easter joy. We will explore how we can be raised and set free from what constrains us: grief, addiction, oppression, illness, and suffering. We will unlock the fullness of life that God created for us. We will start our Sunrise Service at 6:30 a.m. by the Easter Fire on the front lawn and walk with candles into the dark sanctuary which represents the tomb. We join Mary Magdalene who meets the Living Christ.

Community Good Friday Service - March 29, 12-3 p.m. at Sharon Lutheran Church on Market Street in Selinsgrove - The Selinsgrove Ministerium invites you to experience the meaning of Jesus’ journey to the cross. Many of our local churches, pastors, and musicians participate in this outstanding service. Together we will explore Jesus’ Seven Last Words. St. Paul’s Senior Choir will sing, and Pastor Dietmar will share in the service with many of his colleagues. Our St. Paul’s segment of the service is from 12:20-12:40 p.m.

Maundy Thursday, March 28, at 7 p.m. - Join us for a moving service on Holy Thursday. We will immerse ourselves in Jesus’ Passion and explore its meaning for us. We will commune together with bread and grapes as we remember Jesus’ Passover Meal. Then we will walk with Jesus into the darkness during the Tenebrae part of the service with the traditional Seven Last Words. The Senior Choir will share “Angels Bore His Soul Away.”

This Palm Sunday, we invite you to explore a delightful array of vintage church treasures in our fellowship hall. Browse through a variety of items, from timeless decor pieces to one-of-a-kind trinkets, hymnals, kitchen items, etc. and choose your favorites to take home. These are all items that were unearthed during the recent cleanout of various storage rooms and closets here at St. Paul’s, and they now need a new home. Feel free to make a donation to St. Paul’s if something captures your heart. Come and see what you can find!

The March Meet and Eat will be on March 24 (Palm Sunday). We will provide sandwich fixings and drinks and you are welcome to bring a dessert with you if you’d like. Come enjoy a nice relaxed lunch along with conversation and fellowship after our service! Please sign up so we can better plan the amount of food.

How do you believe something that is unbelievable? The women at the tomb that morning must have thought they were crazy. I think most of us would think it was a dream. It was only when these women were reminded of their teacher’s words that they snapped out of their confusion. Sometimes it is difficult for us to snap out of our confusion about our faith too. When Easter comes every year, we are reminded of the beautiful and amazing mystery that is the resurrection of Jesus. It helps us to snap out of our daze and remember that this was foretold for generations and that believers all over the world continue to tell this story to those who listen. We believe because we have faith and we tell the story with joy, just like the women told the disciples. Each time we tell the story our faith grows, as does our love for Jesus Christ.

Come to Easter Messy Church on March 10 at 4 p.m. and explore the joy of Easter with us! Please sign up so we know you’re coming.

The first Meet and Eat of 2024 will be Sunday, February 18, immediately following the worship service. Please sign up to help us plan the food. If you want, you can bring a dessert. Please join us for some delicious food and fellowship!

Messy Church in January is all about growing in faith. Let’s climb into the DiscipleSHIP and set sail on our journey with Christ. We can ask tough questions, and it’s okay to have questions and doubts. God can speak to us in infinite ways. Come join the fun and fellowSHIP! See you on January 14 at 4. As always, children must be accompanied by an adult, and EVERYBODY is welcome!