For Sunday September 17, 2023
Curious about what’s next with music?
If you weren’t at church last week, please listen to last week’s service (found on St. Paul’s Facebook, and YouTube) to find out the exciting future of the music program!
Interested in Singing in a One-Off Volunteer Choir for Welcome Back Sunday, October 15 at 10:30AM?
We are a singing church, and MANY of you were in or would like to try out a volunteer choir. If that’s you, you are invited to stick around after the 10:30AM service this Sunday (Sept. 17) and head up to the choir loft. We will be meeting with a choir director who will be leading this one-time choir to sing for our Welcome Back Sunday. We need you! Experience or no experience necessary—this is a fun time to try something new. We hope you’ll join us.
Class: The Role of Faith & The Church in the Healing & Transformation of Lives
About the Instructor: The Rev. Dr. Louise Macatee was the former Director of Counseling at Campbell Hall, an Episcopal school in the Diocese of Los Angeles, where she served students and faculty for 28 years. She holds an M.Div. and D.Min. from Fuller Theological Seminary, as well as an MA in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Counseling from Pepperdine University. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and an ordained Episcopal priest.
Description of the Class: The structure of the course reflects three main components that map out a path of healing for seekers after wholeness. The components have yielded data that reflect on experiences that have worked to help those who have suffered wounds of all kinds, and they serve to help facilitate the healing that only Christ can bring. These components or dimensions each offer solace and strength as Jesus’ promise of liberation is more clearly and fully realized in a person’s life. These components reflect the quest for wholeness of Holocaust survivors, persons suffering traumatic loss of a loved one, and those who grew up in a home defined by parental addiction/alcoholism, mental illness, or abuse, to name only a few of the wounds that bind and diminish us. The three areas of work that have held growth for those and any who have suffered damage and carry wounds are Mourning, Meaning, and Hope. It is through the road of each of these that we hope to grow more in personal self-reflection and spiritual awareness, while enlarging our understanding of others and their needs and pain. From Jesus to Gloria Steinem, come learn about how Christ calls all of us to deeper healing.
Click here to indicate your interest in attending this class!
The Order of the Daughters of the King
In 2002, a Service of Institution was held to form the Mary in the Desert Chapter of the Order of the Daughters of the King at the Church of St. Paul in the Desert. The Chapter included members from St. Paul’s, St. Margaret’s in Palm Desert, and St. John’s in Indio. Several years later those churches instituted their own chapters and the Mary in the Desert Chapter remained for members of the Order at St. Paul’s. Our chapter is named in honor of our patron, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and members include Jo Anne Adair, Patty Kiker, Karen Nelson, Bonnie Stroock, and Teri Whitmer.
We are a group of Christian women who adopt a Rule of Life based on the promises of our Baptismal Covenant. We can never forget that prayer is the foundation from which our service grows, and we are honored to pray for our family, friends, parish, church, and the world at St. Paul’s for over twenty years. Membership in The Order is open to all women at every stage of life. No special spiritual attributes are needed to become a Daughter – only a sincere desire to draw nearer to God and to help others do the same. This fall we will be offering a period of preparation for any woman who would like to discern a calling to the Order of the Daughters of the King. Contact Patty Kiker, the Chapter’s President, at or 214.497.3034 or any of our members for more information.
Please keep the Daughters in your prayers, even as they continue to keep the laity, clergy, and weekly prayer list names in their daily prayers.
Interested in learning more about the Daughters of the King (DOK)? You are invited to join us for noonday prayer and coffee/tea and snacks on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 at 2pm in the Church Library.
Movie Night at St. Paul’s
Saturday, September 16 – 7:30 PM
Have fun, meet friends, and share a movie and popcorn with your fellow parishioners. If you like, you can bring a pizza, a bucket of chicken – or whatever seems to fit the occasion. Enjoy our outdoor theater (weather permitting) adjacent to the Parish Hall at St. Paul in the Desert, September 16 at 7:30 PM. We will provide the drinks and popcorn; you create the fellowship. All are welcome, so invite your friends and neighbors. See you there!
This month’s featured film is The Shack – Based on the New York Times best-selling novel, The Shack takes us on a father’s uplifting spiritual journey. After suffering a family tragedy, Mack Phillips [Sam Worthington] spirals into a deep depression causing him to question his innermost beliefs. Facing a crisis of faith, he receives a mysterious letter urging him to an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Despite his doubts, Mack journeys to the shack and encounters an enigmatic trio of strangers led by a woman named Papa [Octavia Spencer]. Through this meeting, Mack finds important truths that will transform his understanding of his tragedy and change his life forever.
Latino Ministry
Latino MinistryOur Latino Ministry celebrates Mexico’s Independence Day with the Hispanic Heritage Month Kick-off this Sunday at coffee hour, while joining the celebration of the Re-dedication of the Order of the Daughters of the King (DOK).
Circle Supper Kick Off!
If you signed up for Circle Suppers, check your email for details on the Kick-Off gathering on Thursday, Sept. 21st. Come and meet your new group and get ready for a great year!
St. Paul is getting new nametags for Welcome Back Sunday!
St. Paul is getting new nametags for Welcome Back Sunday!Make sure you get your info submitted for the new tags. Info sheets will be in bulletins/narthex for the next few weeks.
An Update On Our Budget & Staffing
Dear Beloveds,
As we prepare for the return to our busy Fall schedule, we have been hard at work in planning for the next calendar year of the church. One part of that preparation has been assessing the personnel budget. The average non-profit spends 60-80% of its operating expenses on staffing. We noticed that if we keep our staffing model as it is (including our new parish administrator), our personnel budget would be 73% of the operating budget. Unfortunately, due to inflation and a much-needed increase to our facilities portion of the budget, we cannot handle an additional 8% in the personnel category. As we look at our budget projections for 2024, we noticed that in order to meet a balanced budget, our personnel expenses need to be 65% of the budget. With no full-time staff currently, this means we must face some difficult realities as a parish.
Join our E-Mail List
You’ll find this invitation on the front page and many pages throughout our website. It’s intended for anyone who wants to receive communications from St. Paul’s via email. This includes The Abundant Life weekly, online newsletter.
If you suspect you’re not receiving all our weekly news and announcements, go to this subscription sign-up box and enter your email address. If you’re already properly registered on our distribution list, you will get a message confirming this. If you’re not, the system will accept your email address and ask you to validate your request. You should then be set to receive future email communications from St. Paul’s. And a reminder to all of us, as a rule, it’s always a good idea to check our spam/junk folders when looking for missing email.
St Paul’s Book Club
The next Book Club meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at 2 PM via Zoom. Meeting information will follow later. For October, Book Club has selected The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. A stunning and magisterial novel of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala, South India, following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret.
New members are always welcome at Book Club. For more information, please contact Alan Zimmerman at
Sunday’s Altar Flowers
“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom . . .” Isaiah 35:1-2
This week’s Altar Flowers are sponsored by Ron McDaniel, in memory of Tom Milne, his loving husband of 51 years.
If you would like to sponsor altar flowers for a future Sunday honoring a special person or event, you’ll find the sign-up book in the Narthex, or you can call the Parish Office at 760.320.7488 to reserve your sponsorship date(s).
Mid-week Services
Mid-week ServicesYou are invited to the church on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM each week for contemplative Eucharist/Evening Prayer. The church will be open the hour prior (5:00-6:00 PM) for silent, personal prayer. Come and rest.
Prayers of the Church
For the Anglican Communion, and for the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby.
For the Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas, The Right Reverend Larry R. Benfield, Bishop, The Right Reverend John T. W. Harmon, Bishop-Elect.
For the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, The Right Reverend Dr. Susan Brown Snook, Bishop; for the clergy and people of St. Paul’s Cathedral, San Diego; for our diocesan clergy as they gather for Clergy Conference.
For those commended to our prayers: Bonnie Archer-Hatch, Timothy Overdurf, Jim Crumby, Ned Smith, Deborah Williams, Mary Ann Lee, Ed, Kenn Catterlin, John Hatton, John & Sheena Wilson, Johnny Maiden, Carson Tullio, Sherry Tullio, David Maiden, Lorrie Nichols, Kristy Nida, Glen Noteboom, José, Margherita & Judith Roa, Jake Williams, Sandy & Joe Williams, Wendy Vicory, Bonnie, Ken Van Horn, Christian Waltaian, Adele Kelley, Sebastian Hall, The Rev. Dr. Sonia Waters, John Hines, Diane & Chuck Hines, Ken Van Horn, Amelia Grinstead, Chloe Grace Wilson Barton, Marilyn De Silva Currie, Donald Chase, Greg Gowdy, A.J. Miller, Tom Lutgen; pray for all those for whom no prayers have been said.
For those who have died: Nora Bain, Dana Gwinn, Lisa Hollis, Clay Hall, Brian Nealy, Gary Nutt, Antonietta Colucii, Anna Q., Joshua Jones, Stanley Rule, Shawna Roberts, John Budovec.
In Memoriam – A service to celebrate the life of Dennis DeLay will be held at St. Paul’s Monday, September 25, at 6:00 PM. Denny passed away April 13, 2023.
Rest eternal grant to these, your servants, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
For those with birthdays: September 17: Johnny Miller, Gloria Swanson Stansbury; September 19: Allan Coe, Jon Coates; September 21: Andy Jessup; September 23: Tom Sweeney.
For those for whom flowers have been donated: Today’s Altar Flowers are sponsored by Ron McDaniel, in memory of Tom Milne, his loving husband of 51 years.
“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom . . .” Isaiah 35:1-2
If you would like to sponsor altar flowers for a future Sunday honoring a special person or event, you’ll find the sign-up book in the Narthex, or you can call the Parish Office at 760.320.7488 to reserve your sponsorship date(s).
Send us your Prayer Requests via email — You may request prayers, “For those commended to our prayers” or “For those who have died,” by sending requests to Weekly print deadline is Wednesday noon.
For next Sunday’s Lectionary readings, go to www.lectionarypage.net and click on September 24, 2023, The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost.
Upcoming Meetings & Events at St Paul’s
- Saturday, September 16 – 9:00 AM – Parish Life Hiking Club – Oak Glen Preserve.
- Sunday, September 24 – 9:00 AM – Newcomers’ Class – Library.
- Sunday, October 8 – St. Francis of Assisi (transferred) – 8:00 AM – Dog Mass, outside – 10:30 AM – Regular Mass – Pet Blessing 4:00 – 5:00 PM – Memorial Garden.
- Sunday, October 15 – 10:30 AM – ONE SERVICE – Welcome Back Sunday – SAVE THE TIME & DATE!
- Wednesday, October 18 – 6:00 PM – St. Luke the Evangelist – Celtic healing Eucharist.
Sunday Service LiveStreaming
We are livestreaming our 10:30 AM Sunday Eucharist every week. The livestream project was made possible through a generous gift from a “snowbird” member from Philadelphia who wintered in Palm Springs for many years and worshiped at St. Paul’s every Sunday. You can view the livestream on our Home Page, YouTube Channel, and Facebook Page.
Missed a service? Or want to rewatch a liturgy? All our past services are available to watch either on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/StPaulintheDesert or on our Facebook timeline: https://www.facebook.com/stpaulinthedesert
Hurricane Relief Funds
Greater Palm Springs REALTORS® Announces Disaster Relief Program following Tropical Storm Hilary. Flooding disaster victims eligible for up to $2,500 rent or mortgage or hotel reimbursement payment assistance.
Anyone in Palm Springs, Cathedral City or Desert Hot Springs whose housing was impacted by the 2023 storm may be eligible for financial assistance up to $2,500. Specifically, residents who faced displacement or whose homes were damaged or destroyed may qualify for relief provided by the Greater Palm Springs Association of REALTORS®, in partnership with the REALTORS® Relief Foundation.
Assistance is available for qualified applicants to assist with the following:
- Monthly mortgage expense for the primary residence that was damaged by the Flooding Disaster, or;
- Rental cost due to displacement from the primary residence resulting from the Flooding disaster, or;
- Hotel reimbursement due to displacement from the primary residence resulting from the Flooding Disaster.
Residents who qualify may apply for reimbursement of one month’s mortgage, rent payment, or hotel reimbursement, or $2,500 – whichever is less.
The REALTORS® Relief Foundation (RRF) was originally created by the National Association of REALTORS® in response to the 9/11 attacks, and has gone on to help several communities rebuild after disasters ranging from wildfires to hurricanes. Through its efforts, the RRF has helped more than 19,000 families stay in their homes.
To apply for disaster relief assistance, please visit gpsr.info/relief
About the Greater Palm Springs Association of REALTORS®: The Greater Palm Springs REALTORS® represents approximately 1,200 members from all real estate specialties including residential sales, commercial sales, development, property management and appraisals within the Coachella Valley.
The Mission of the Greater Palm Springs REALTORS® is to be the source for real estate professionals promoting excellence through education, advocacy, and ethics. To be the one association in the valley that is the reliable source for real estate professionals and the public.
Robyn Spiller
CEO
Greater Palm Springs REALTORS®
