St. Paul's Church Welcomes You
A Member Church of the Anglican Communion in Haymarket, Virginia
Welcome
Welcome to the web site of St. Paul's Church. A Christian community meeting in the neighborhood of Haymarket. Welcome Visitors...
Visitors
If you are visiting our site for the first time, please take a few minutes to learn more in the About Us section of our site. We are glad you stopped by and hope that you will consider visiting with us on Sunday morning. If you have any questions, please contact us at any time.
Upcoming Events
- Ash Wednesday Service
Join us tonight at 7:30 PM for Ash Wednesday Service -
Soup-er Lunch
The senior women of St Paul's are invited to join us each month to share some warm soup, great fellowship and wonderful laughter. The kick-off lunch will be Friday February 24th at noon in the Parish Offices kitchen. Please contact Celeste or Jo so we know how many to expect. - Ladies' Night Out
The next Ladies' Night will be Friday, March 9th at 6:30 PM at Giuseppe's Italian Restaurant in Haymarket. Afterward dinner, we will meet at the Parish Office for further fellowship. - Parents' Night Out
Thank you to everyone who volunteered for this special event!.
Legal Update
Recently, there have been several updates to our legal situation with the Episcopal Church. Our Vestry and those of other churches are praying and discussing the matter. There are many decisions still to be made.
Please see the following letter from our Rector. There is additional information and links now available on our Legal Status page.
Letter to the Congregation
January 10, 2012
Dear Family of St. Paul's:
This evening I, and your Vestry wardens, Pam Stutz and Fran Bell, received word that Judge Bellows issued his ruling late today.
I am saddened by the ruling. However, I am strengthened by the sure knowledge that a set of buildings is not the church. You and I are the Church. Jesus is, indeed, Lord of His Church and He will lead us in the days and months and years ahead. You and I are St. Paul's Church. God has given us a wondrous purpose in this community to proclaim the Gospel and be witnesses for Jesus Christ our Lord, in His empowering love. We will continue to serve our Lord with all faithfulness, persistence, and grace.
I will quote from Section III.1 of the ruling:
“III. SUMMARY OF RULINGS
In this Letter Opinion, the Court makes three principle rulings:
1. TEC and the Diocese have a contractual and proprietary interest in each of the seven Episcopal churches that are the subjects of this litigation. Specifically, the Court finds for TEC and the Diocese in their Declaratory Judgment actions and, among other relief, orders that all real property conveyed by the 41 deeds, as well as all personal property acquired by the churches up to the filing date of the Declaratory Judgment actions (on or about January 31, 2007 or February 1, 2007) are to be promptly conveyed to the Diocese. (Additional instructions are provided at the conclusion of this Letter Opinion.)”
I have not yet read the entire “Letter Opinion”, which is 113 pages in length.
Our attorneys are reviewing the Opinion and will provide more information going forward. We have not yet decided whether or not to appeal this ruling.
The Seven Churches in Northern Virginia, including the Falls Church and Truro Church, involved in this case have provided a joint statement which I hope you have seen.
Our Bishop, John Guernsey (Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic), will also be providing a statement which I will also send to you.
The media no doubt will be reporting this in the press and on TV tomorrow. Please be gracious in what you say if the media should contact you. At this time, I am going to refer the media to CRC, the public relations firm which is handling media inquiries. I would request that you do the same. The CRC phone number for Caitlin Manaois is 703-683-5004, ext. 119 or cell 703-795-9183.
We have prepared contingency plans for St. Paul's. This was done with the thought that, if such a ruling were given, we would have a plan. Over the next several days, I will be sharing these plans with you, as we have them at present. I anticipate all the church functions and activities will continue without interruption into the future, though in different places. We will keep you informed.
We will be worshipping as usual on Sunday, January 15th, and I will talk after the service about the ruling and what lies ahead.
Please be praying for the Vestry and myself as we meet in the next few days to work on our plans for the future. Please be praying for all persons who are members of Christ's body who are St. Paul's Church, that we do not lose heart but “keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary or lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:2-3)
Please do not hesitate to call or email me at any time if you have a question. I am here for you.
The Apostle Paul wrote: “Pray without ceasing.” (I Thess 5:17)
In the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord,
David
Rector, St. Paul's Church
Learn more about St. Paul's Church
Our Services
Sundays
Worship Services
| 8:00 AM | Traditional Service (Anglican Rite I) |
| 10:30 AM | Contemporary/Blended Worship Service* |
Education and Choir
| 9:20 AM | Adult Education (Parish Offices) |
| 9:45 AM | Adult Choir (Church) |
| 10:30 AM | Children's Sunday School (Church) Children will begin and end in the Church with their parents |
Wednesdays
| 6:00 PM | Youth Group (Parish Offices) |
| 7:00 PM | Adult Bible Study (Parish Offices) |
Thursdays
| 10:00 AM | Holy Communion with Prayer and Healing Service |
Fridays
| 7:00 PM | Prayer & Praise Worship! (1st & 3rd Fridays) |
* Nursery care is available for infants and toddlers in the Parish Offices during the 10:30 AM Sunday worship services.
Coffee Hour
All are welcome to join us for Coffee Hour directly following the 10:30 AM service in the Parish Offices (the white house next to the Church). We will serve coffee, juice and an assortment of goodies to eat.