FEBRUARY PRAYER LIST (Each prayer request submitted to the church office will remain on the list for approximately 6 weeks at a time. If you would like a request to remain on there for longer please let the office know).
Adult Care Facilities:
Brookdale:Alleen Cox
The Legacy: Christie Null, Anna Argenbright, Ken Kyle, Maxine Chittum, Susie Ritchie, Delores Bradley
Augusta Nursing and Rehab: Joyce Hulvey
Beulah Land: Nancy Cline
The Manor: Kaye Vanderhoff
Members at home: Doris Bocock, Meade Loomis,Betty Combee, Dawn Thompson, Lelia Clem, Dave Rowe
Our Church Family:
Rev. Rob Woodfin & family, Penny Vines, Doris Hayes, Shelley Gayhart, Ray & Joan Pitsenbarger, Emily Harlow, Clay Graham, Charles Huffman, Alex Caldwell, Glen & Bettie Oberholtzer, Paul & Bessie Carroll, Helen Fary, Ken Oakes; Shirley Eagle; Cody Minter; Bill Campbell; Rick Rickabaugh, Chick Crawford
Our Church Leadership:
Bishop: Rev. Sharma Lewis
District Supt.: Rev. Dave Rochford
St. Paul’s Staff & Council Leadership: Bryson Smith, Martha Ramsey, Missy Huffer, Ashlyn Hawley, Ken Nicholas, Chris Lyle, Angela Smith, Taylor Smith, Debbie Galway, Mary Irving, Doug Harris, Mark Wenger, Keith Van Fossen, Lance Barton, Velma Bryant, Carl Balderson, Mark Clarke, Donna Ludwig, Glen Oberholtzer, Kelley Harris
Serving In Missions. . .
El Salvador: The Peterson family, Earl & Becky Cox’s daughter & family
Family and Friends:
Andy, nephew of John & Marcie Johnson
Sue Berry Armstrong
Lydia Atkins, daughter of Renee Hummell
Kay Clarke, mother of Mark Clarke
Nick Collins, father of Anna Collins
The Daley Family, friend of the Rickabaugh’s
Rita Flesher, friend of Sheila Thurber
Roy Hey, friend of Emily Harlow
Daniel Hinkle, son of Paul & Debbie Hinkle
Ollie Hughes, mother of Linda Patrick Nicholas
Becky Hunter, niece of Pat Smith
Lisa Johnson, Danny Scott, Dreama, friend of Marilyn McGonigal
Sidney Labrake, Tom Tracey, Mac Sterrat, friends of the Paul Family
Seth Long & family, son of Andy & Melody Long
Gifford Mabie, brother of Mary Flint
Betty Miller, friend of Barbara Bishop & Debbie Folweiler
Brenda Puffenbarger
Christie Rodgers, niece of Mary Flint
Steven Rowley, brother of Margaret Woodfin
Stanley Russell, brother of Carolyn Carver
Ray Sanders, friend of Carolyn Carver
Anita Smith, daughter of Pat Smith
Ashton Smith, grandson of Patti Smith
Mark Stables, friend of Crabtree family
Emily & Robert Vandervander, friend of Marilyn McGonigal
Those dealing with mental illness: Silvio Zaccaria, Bill & EvelynCampbell’s brother-in-law
St. Paul’s Leadership…St. Paul’s is tremendously grateful for the many leaders and volunteers who make our ministry happen. For those who have served faithfully in the past we are thankful and pray God’s blessings for your faithfulness. For those who will serve our community and lead into this next year we pray for God’s wisdom and courage. Please find the leadership list below and join us praying for our church leadership.
2018 St. Paul’s Council
Council Chair: Debbie Galway Lay Leader: Taylor Smith Pastor: T. Bryson Smith
Worship: Martha Ramsey At Large: Donna Ludwig Finance: Keith Van Fossen
Connect: Mary Irving At Large: Glen Olberholtzer SPRC: Velma Bryant
Serve: Lance Barton At Large: Kelley Harris Trustees: Mark Wenger
At Large: Mark Clarke Lay Member to Annual Conference: Doug Harris
Leadership Teams:
SPRC
Velma Bryant (Team Lead)
2018: Shirley Eagle, Velma Bryant, Matt Lawler
2019: Cindy Lowe,Joey Crabtree, Leslie Meyr
2020: Mary Flint, Rusty Bishop, Sydney Van Fossen
Lay Leader: Taylor Smith
Lay Member to Annual Conference: Doug Harris
Trustees
Mark Wenger (Team Lead)
2018: Charlie Huffman, Roger Eagle, Doug Harris
2019: Ben McDevitt,Leslie Higgins, Jeannette Hull
2020: Mark Wenger, Bo Flint, Pre-School Rep (Chris Lyle/Angela Smith)
Finance
Keith Van Fossen (Team Lead)
Barbara Bishop, Max Hirtriter, Lori Smith, David Meyr, Missy Huffer, Gloria Sams, Leslie Alger (Stewardship Chair), Shirley Eagle (SPRC)
Nominations & Leadership Development
Rev. Bryson Smith (Team Lead)
2018: John Darby, Nancy Harris, Barbara Bishop
2019: Becky Cox, Rene Van Fossen, Mary Katherine Graham
2020: Donna Ludwig, Carolyn Carver, Anne Clarke
Endowment Committee
Carl Balderson (Team Lead)Finance Chair-Keith VanFossen, Trustee Chair-Mark Wenger, Treasurer- Melissa Huffer, Mary Katherine Graham, David Meyr, Matt Fleisher
2018: Larry Carver (at-large); Burk Hershey
2019: Lucille Humphreys
2020: Matt Fleisher
Worship Design Team
Martha Ramsey (Team Lead)
Evelyn Campbell,Taylor Smith, Angela Smith, Chris Lyle, Doug Harris, Mary Katherine Graham, Kelley Harris, Kim Kiser, Anne Clarke, Susan Wenger, Jeanne Lambert, Beth Christian,Cindy Lowe, Judy Cromer, Shirley Eagle
Serve Committee:
Lance Barton (Team lead)
Taylor Smith, Leslie Myer, Angela Smith, Jackie McGovern, Mary Flint, Barbara Bishop,
Doug Harris
Connect Committee:
Mary Irving (Team Lead)
Margaret Woodfin, Leslie Higgins, Glen Oberholtzer, Becky Cox, Leslie Meyr, Doug Harris, Patsy Dillon, Susan Graham
Additional:
Administrative Assistant: Ashlyn Hawley
Financial Secretary/Treasurer: Missy Huffer
Facilities Manager: Ken Nicholas
Nursery Coordinator: Chris Lyle
Pre-School Directors: Chris Lyle and Angela Smith
Historian: Lillian Peters
Librarian: Donna Ludwig
Scouting Ministry: Jerry Sheffer
Lay Member at Annual Conference: Doug Harris
Memorial Committee: Evelyn Campbell
Publicity: Angel Cooper
United Methodist Men: Glen Oberholtzer
United Methodist Women: Helen Caldwell
Special Needs Ministry- Carolyn Carver and Linda Earhart
Older Adult Ministry- Gerry McCray
A Note from St. Paul’s Council…Church Information Available for Review. A 3-ring binder with a listing of current church leadership, meeting minutes and financial reports is available for review in thechurch office during the week and in the church libraryon Sundaymornings. Feel free to stop byif you'd like to see what the various church committees and teams have been up to.
Greetings from the Finance Committee…I am pleased to announce that preliminary numbers for 2017 show that St. Paul's was able to fully fund yearly expenses and actually have some monies left over.
Preliminary numbers are as follows: Income:$471,030.38
Expenses: $465,239.90
Net: $5,790.48
This includes paying our conference apportionmentat 100%. Well Done St. Paul's!!! We are looking forward to another fruitful 2018. Remember you can submit your Tithes and Offerings by placing them into the offering plate eachSunday, direct withdraw from your bank account (ACH), Easy Tithe app, or sending it into the church office. Truly Blessed,Keith Van Fossen, Finance Chairperson
Church Wide RetreatFebruary 23-24! Friends….St. Paul's has been on the move as we strive to do God's work in our church and in our community. Now, more than ever, churches everywhere are entering into uncharted territory when it comes to reaching people for Christ. We have to continually adapt to a changing world. Church has become an option in people's busy lives. But people still need Jesus and the church is still called by God to make disciples. Our church leadershipinvites you to join us onFebruary 23-24for a time of discernment and discovery as we chart a course for the next two years. Look for more information coming soon! If you have any questions please contact the church office.
Join us EVERY Tuesday from 8:30 - 9:15 AM in the Sanctuary for Community Prayer Time.This will be a time to gather and pray for one another, the community and our ministry. All are welcome so come and pray as the Lord leads. If you have any questions, please contact Patsy Dillon at
Pizza with the Pastor, Welcome Classes & And New MemberSunday!! Friends… As we continue to grow in ministry it’s important for us to make sure that we grow together and connect in very intentional ways. OnMarch 1st, we’ll have a Pizza with the Pastor where members and friends are invited to the Pastor’s house for a time of fellowship and pizza. All are welcome! If you’ve been here 1 month or 17 years!! From there we’ll have a time of growing together onMarch 18thin the evening for a time of learning about St. Paul’s UMC and the UMC in general. OnMarch 25th, PalmSunday, we’d like to invite folks to join together into the full life of St. Paul’s with your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness! If you have any questions please contact Glen Oberholtzer or Doug Harris.
If you have kids who have completed 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade, don’t let them miss out on the fun and fellowship! Have them join us for FuntasticFriday!We will meet from6:00pm to 7:30pmonFebruary 16thbeginning with dinner, followed by games and activities designed to help us grow in our relationship with God and grow closer to one another. If you have any questions, please contact Chris Lyle at 290-2858 or email .
Little People Preschool…We have been working hard to get back in our routine at preschool, which has been challenging with cold weather delaysand snow. We are looking forward to our Scholastic Book Fairand pancake breakfast. This is a great time to welcome our parents in for some timetogether and to show them ourappreciation with a delicious breakfast.
Little People is also preparing to open enrollment in March.We are also preparing our schedule for summer camp. Please email us r call us at540-490-1343if you wouldlikemore information.
February 12 at 8:30 a.m. - Pancake Breakfast for parentsand students
February 14- Valentine’s Parties
February 12 - 16- Scholastic Book Fair
FROM THE DESK OF MARTHA RAMSEY…
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC MINISTRIES . . .
SERMON SERIES: The next Sermon Series will focus on the life of Joseph. The series will run for 3 weeks: January 28, February 4, and February 11 (which will be a COMBINED SERVICE at 10 AM), followed by COLORFEST!The themes will center around Joseph’s dreams and arrogant attitude, his fall and rise, and forgiveness. As we study Joseph’s life for the next 3 weeks, we will see how God already has a plan in place and how that plan unfolds. Each week, there will be a monologue presentation followed by scripture readings and sermon that responds to the monologue and scripture. In addition, the Worship Design Team has prepared visual worship aids to enhance our understanding of the theme; these aids will include colorful quilts representing Joseph (coat of many colors) and a dreamcatcher representing Joseph’s dreams and the dreams he interprets.
In preparation for this series, I would encourage you to do three things.
- focus on how God is/has worked in your life -- a) Has He called you to service? b) How have you responded to His call? c)How is he working in and through you and your circumstances as you serve Him?
- Take time in your daily devotions to reflect on the words to our Series Hymn, Lord, Speak to Me.
- Pray for your church leaders who lead in worship each week, and pray for ears to hear, hearts to receive, and hands to reach out in love.
LORD, SPEAK TO ME, that I may speak in living echoes of thy tone; as thou hast sought, so let me seek thine erring children lost and lone. O STRENGTHEN ME, that while I stand firm on the rock, and strong in thee, I may stretch out a loving hand to wrestlers with the troubled sea. O TEACH ME, LORD, that I may teach the precious things thou dost impart; and wing my words, that they may reach the hidden depths of many a heart. O FILL ME WITH THY FULLNESS, LORD, until my very heart o’erflows in kindling thought and glowing word, thy love to tell, thy praise to show. O USE ME, LORD, use even me, just as thou wilt, and when, and where, until thy blessed face I see, thy rest, thy joy, thy glory share.
HANDBELL CHOIR: at least 5 more people are needed to join us for Spring 2018 in order to have enough to play. Plans are to ring for Maundy Thursday Service, Palm Sunday, and Easter Sunday. Children, youth and adults are welcome. Requirements: desire and commitment to ring for Spring season; ability to count. I can teach you about reading notes, note values and rhythm, ringing techniques. We have a lot of fun learning and playing together! Please consider ringing with us this Spring.
COMBINED CHOIRS for Good Friday Service: we will be forming a joint choir to sing a short cantata again this year for the Good Friday Service, and you are invited to join us. We had a great group that did a fantastic job for our Christmas Cantata. Please let me know by Feb. 2 if you would be interested in joining us. More information will follow as plans are finalized.
My contact information is or 540-997-9382 (home), 540-290-9987 (cell). I look forward to your response regarding the above as well as general thoughts and ideas you may have regarding the music ministry at St. Paul’s.
February 3rd- We will travel to Richmond to pack meals for Feed My Starving Children at Gayton Baptist Church. We will leave St. Paul's at9:45 AM, eat lunch at Chick-Fil-A in Short Pump, Pack meals for 2 hrs (12:30-2:30) and then we will head to Boomerang Sports which has a lot of fun activities to include trampolines, high ropes course, wall climbing, etc. The cost for Boomerang Sports is $17 per person for one hour. We should finish up here about4:30and head back home.
Check both activities out:
The website for Gayton Baptist is
The website for Boomerang Air Sports is
Cost:Kids should bring about $30- that will cover chick-fil-a, their ticket into Boomerang and a snack/drink at Boomerang. If the cost is a problem let me know privately and we will work it out. Students needed to register for this byJan. 24thin order to guarantee tickets for Boomerang Sports. If your student has not signed up but would like to go, please call or text or email me and I will see if I can get any more tickets.
Sunday, February 4th- No Youth
Sunday, February 11th-Youth @ St. Paul's5:30 - 7:30
Friday, February 16th-Rock and Worship Road Show at JPJ. The website is It is $10 per person at the door. We need to be there early in order to get in line to get tickets and seats. We will leave the church parking lot at4:00 p.m.They will also need some money for a quick dinner. Please let me know if your student is interested in going.
Sunday, February 18th-Youth @ St. Paul's5:30 - 7:30
Sunday, February 25th-Youth @ St. Paul's5:30 - 7:30
Middle School Journey Retreat
March 16-18is the Journey Retreat weekend at Rockbridge Baths. We will leave around5:00on Fridayand returnSundayaround1:00. This is a retreat for 6th-8th graders only. The retreat takes place at the Young Life camp in Rockbridge Baths. It is a very nice facility with cabins that have bunk beds and a bathroom with showers. We Worship, listen to teaching, participate in small group studies and spend time having fun! They have lots of fun activities including zip lining, climbing wall, basketball, ropes course, etc. You can find out more on their website. It is The cost is $140 per person. This amount will be due byFebruary 15th.
Middle School Summer Mission Trip - Jeremiah Project
JP isJune 24-30in Romney, WV. This is for students who have completed 6th, 7th or 8th grades. We leaveon Sundaymorning and return the followingSaturdayafternoon. The students spend the week doing building type projects.Wednesdayis a fun day.
We stay in large bunk rooms and carry our own sheets and blankets. There are shower and bathroom facilities in a separate building. We have devotions in the morning, go to our work sites for the day and have worship together each night after dinner.
You can find out more info at The cost for each child is $410 but we have money set aside for missions and I will determine the right amount for each student as soon as I know how many are going. There is a $100 deposit due byFeb.1st.
Senior High Mission Trip - Street Reach Memphis
We go to MemphisJune 2-10.This is the Street Reach program through Brinkley Heights Baptist Church in downtown Memphis. We run Bible clubs in impoverished neighborhoods. We will prepare the materials and leaders for crafts, games, stories and music before we arrive. We walk the neighborhoods and pick up children to bring back to the Bible clubs. In the afternoons, we do different community ministry. You can find out more info at
This trip is $275 per personbut we have money set aside for missions and I will determine the right amount for each student as soon as I know how many are going. A $100 deposit is due byFebruary 28th.
Join us Every Wednesdayfor MORE
Dinner Served: 5:45 PM – 6:15 PM
Cost: $8/adult $4/children under 12 $20 maximum
Small Groups: 6:15-7:30PM
Current Small Group Studies: “A Life Beyond Amazing” by David Jeremiah; “Redemptive Compassion”; “World Religions”
February MORE Menu:
February 7th: Pork BBQ, Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw & Baked Beans
February 14th: NO MORE – Ash Wednesday Service @ 7:00 PM at Christ UMC
February 21st: Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes & Green Beans
February 28th: Chicken Divan over Rice, Salad
Lenten Offering 2018…As we enter into the season of Lent starting with Ash Wednesday onFebruary 14th, we’ll also begin our Lenten Offering. You’ll receive a letter explaining our Lenten Offering and the ministry afterFebruary 5th. In the past this Lenten Offering has been used for Hunger Ministries, Youth Ministries and Local community ministries. The community has been very generous in meeting the needs placed before us. Please be in prayer for the way you may be able to help with the 2018 Lenten Offering.