Rector Page and Search Updates

Click here to see the Parish Profile for St. Paul’s Rector Search

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Educational Opportunities Galore!

Education for Ministry (EfM)
On the Holy Cow survey members of St. Paul’s indicated that Education was their most important priority. EfM is a program of group study and theological reflection. It meets each week for 9 months of the year. The entire program requires a four-year commitment. It is a wonderful way to grow in theological knowledge and understanding while building community within your EfM group. Lisa Silvis has completed the program and is willing to take on the training to be a leader. If you are interested, please call the office to put your name on the list. We need to have 6 committed students before we can be approved to be a training site.

HOPE Grief Support
Jennifer Zimmerman has offered to run a grief support group here at St. Paul’s. It has been offered here in the past and is an adult information support group to help cope with the death of a loved one. We will need a minimum of 5-7 people to run the group. If you are interested, please contact the office and ask to be put on the list.

Sunday Adult Education
Our Sunday Adult Education program is reading the book, The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel. He invites readers to rediscover the Sabbath not simply as a day of rest, but as sacred time. It is a weekly opportunity to step away from productivity and dwell in holiness, gratitude, and delight. Heschel writes:

“There is a realm of time where the goal is not to have but to be, not to own but to give, not to control but to share, not to subdue but to be in accord. Life goes wrong when the control of space, the acquisition of things of space, becomes our sole concern.” — Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath (2005)

With poetic insight and theological depth, The Sabbath challenges modern assumptions about time and invites us to experience rest as a gift from God and a foretaste of eternity. Please join us for shared wisdom on Sundays!

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

WoW! What an incredible Holy Week! We began with beautiful Palm Sunday services. Altar was gorgeous – those red paraments grab our attention. Thank you so much Altar Guild. You work quietly behind the scenes and rarely are you thanked for your tremendous dedication and efforts. We appreciate you. Readers did a phenomenal job with the Passion Gospel. Acolytes you are wonderful. Thank you all for your time and efforts.

Maundy Thursday – you did it! You were willing to participate as either an observer or participant and it was incredible to watch. Lucian played beautiful music. The service was so meaningful and then – once again, the Altar Guild went to work emptying the sanctuary. Brittany sang a beautiful piece by Samuel Barber, “The Crucifixion.” At the very end, Rachel placed the sanctuary candle on the bare altar and extinguished the light. It was a powerful moment.

Good Friday service was also well-attended (45). With the threat of rain, we moved the stations inside. “It was Friday, but Sunday was coming!”

And it did ~ Easter was a joy-filled celebration of the Risen Christ! The altar was covered with brightly colored flowers. 51 people celebrated with us at 8 am. We sang (!!!) and enjoyed music from the choir loft. We heard a recording of Nicole Mullen singing, “My Redeemer Lives.” (Google it and listen to it for yourself.) At 10 am the children (and some young-hearted adults) enjoyed an Easter Egg Hunt in the sanctuary. At 10:30 am we had a choir and amazing music. 151 people attended that service! Julia reminded us about VBS in first week of June. I reminded everyone that we are open every Sunday and would welcome their presence! At the dismissal, each person was given a mini–Risen Christ figure to put on their nightstand or wherever and remember that we worship a risen Christ and we are his hands and feet.

Holy Week, like every week, can’t happen without the active participation of so many people. I won’t list names because invariably I forget someone, but Jennifer, St. Lydia’s Guild, Altar Guild, Ted Howden and his crew, Jaime and Carmen, grounds clean-up crew, Dick and Val Wimbish, Arlene Gallagher, everyone who donated for flowers, readers, singers in the choir, Brittany, Elliot, Lucian, visitors, acolytes, Julia, Carolyn White, Hosts and hostesses, Eucharistic ministers, and everyone who came and participated in our services, and all I have forgotten ~ thank you for making this week so special.

Easter blessings upon you! Nancy+

Search Committee Update

Your search committee is interviewing candidates. We are committed to making sure we find the best priest for St. Paul’s. Please be patient with us as we will take as long as it takes to find the right priest for all of us.

Joyce, Rob, Mary, Ann, Andrea, Val and Craig

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

The Lord is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!

Our reading for Easter Sunday is John 20:1-18. And what a joyous reading it is! It seems there are three imperatives we can take away from this reading. First, the women are urged to believe. Even though this was something that seemed too good to believe, the angel reminds the women that Jesus promised them he would rise from the dead. His words offer an invitation to believe. We must take him at his word, AND BELIEVE.

The second imperative is that the women are urged to share what they have experienced. Their command from Jesus is: “Don’t be afraid. Go, tell my brothers to go to Galilee and they will see me too.” He wants the women to spread the Good News.

And the third imperative is to rejoice. This is the word that the Risen Christ greets the women with., REJOICE! We are called to worship God with Joy. The word “rejoice” means to be joyful or glad with one’s whole heart; to be whole in our wellness ~ mind, body and spirit.

Maybe this is the message we must receive at Easter. First, we must believe. After all, thought precedes action. If you believe you will act like a believer. Secondly, you must share the Good News, and if you have to, use words. And finally, you must rejoice. You may think you don’t deserve it, but open your eyes, open your arms, open your heart to God’s mercy and loving kindness. It’s there for you to embrace.

Grace and peace be with you. Rejoice! He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Nancy+

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Holy Week

The birth narrative that we hear at Christmas is probably one of the first Bible stories we hear. Unfortunately, many people stop their spiritual growth at that point. The “Manger Story” is all they know of Jesus. In Baptism, and the Renewal of Baptismal Vows, we promise by prayer and witness to, “Help children grow into the stature of Christ.” (BCP pg. 302). “With God’s help,” we model Christ’s behavior, embodying His obedience, truth and love, rather than remaining in spiritual infancy.

In the sermon on Sunday, I said, “Transformation is grounded in the acquisition of a deeper understanding of life.” Holy Week offers us the opportunity to journey into a deeper understanding of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. The transformation of Holy Week helps us “grow into the stature of Christ; to become more like Jesus in our character, thoughts and behavior.

Holy Week is all about transformation. Please join us at St. Paul’s as we walk along the way of Palm Sunday, at 8am and 10:30am. Come to the foot-washing on Maundy Thursday, at 6:30pm in the sanctuary. Experience the emptiness of the tomb on Good Friday at 12pm in the sanctuary and then follow with us in the Stations of the Cross outside by the labyrinth.

And then, you will be ready to celebrate the joy of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Sunday services will be held at 8am and 10:30am. Be a part of the spiritual unity of this worship and mark your calendars now!

Easter offers us a chance to start over and renew our relationship with God. Who of your relatives, friends, neighbors, and co-workers can you think of that might want to join you in celebration during this Holy Week? People are more likely to be open to your invitation during this time of year than at any other time. Take advantage of this opportunity to invite them to one or all of our services.

Blessings and peace be with you during this holy season! Nancy+

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

On Sunday, we talked about the need to leave our politics outside the church. As Bishop Doyle has said, “When we enter the church, we enter God’s Kingdom. Our political viewpoints must be left outside.” We are God’s children and must treat each other with the respect and dignity we promise in our baptismal vows:

“Will you strive for justice and peace among all

people, and respect the dignity of every human being?”

I will with God’s help.

Likewise, we have a responsibility to protect and care for each other as brothers and sisters in a faith community. If you hear something questionable, say something. Silence is complicity. Don’t allow inappropriate jokes or demeaning bullying to continue. This is unacceptable behavior in a faith community and we must not allow anyone to think it is acceptable at St. Paul’s.

We are here to support and encourage each other, to build up the body of Christ. That includes all people. Again, as Bishop Doyle has said, Our identity as disciples of Jesus takes precedence over our identity as citizens. “Let us double down on God’s Word and echo the truth: Christ alone is Lord!”

Lenten blessings to all. See you Sunday! Nancy+

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

COWS DON’T GIVE MILK
~Author Unknown ~ maybe Batra

A father used to tell his children when they were young: “When you reach the age of 12 I will tell you the secret of life.” One day when the oldest turned 12, he anxiously asked his father to tell him the secret of life. The father replied that he would tell him, but that he must not reveal it to his younger brothers.

His father said, “The secret of life is this: The cow does not give milk.

“What are you saying?” Asked the boy incredulously.”

The father continued, “As you hear it, son: The cow does not give milk, you have to milk it. You have to get up at 4 in the morning, go out into the field, walk through the corral full of manure, tie the tail, hobble the legs of the cow, sit on the stool, place the bucket and do the work of milking yourself. And that is the secret of life, the cow does not give milk. You milk her or you don’t get milk. It seems this generation thinks that cows GIVE milk, that things are automatic and free. Their mentality is, ‘if I wish, I ask….. and I obtain.’”

“They have been accustomed to get whatever they want the easy way…But no, life is not a matter of wishing, asking and obtaining. The things that one receives come from the effort that one gives. Contentment and peace are the result of effort. Lack of effort only creates frustration.”

So, share with your children from a young age the secret of life, so they don’t grow up with the mentality that school, the government, their parents, or their cute little faces will give them everything they want in life.

Remember:

“Cows don’t give milk; you have to work for it.”

This story is a good story for us to hear in Lent. Sometimes we forget that it is our work in Lent that helps us appreciate and celebrate the joy of Easter. Join us on Sunday. We would love to see you. And may you continue to observe a holy Lent.

Nancy+

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Hospitality is an incredibly important virtue for disciples of Jesus. In the Old Testament, it is commanded by God in Leviticus 19:33-34. “When a foreigner lives with you in your land, don’t take advantage of him. Treat the foreigner the same as a native. Love him like one of your own. Remember that you were once foreigners in Egypt.” And in the New Testament Jesus depends entirely on the hospitality of others as he and the disciples travel from town to town. In ancient times, travelers had to depend on hospitality because there were very few inns and traveling was dangerous.

Hospitality in the Church is inherent to caring for others. Our plan is to Invite, Welcome and Connect. We Invite others to join us, we Welcome those others who come, and we Connect them to ministries. Invite, Welcome and Connect. This MUST be the ministry of all who attend St. Paul’s. Please reach out to anyone you see who might be a visitor, and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself!

To spearhead this effort, we are asking for volunteers who would be willing to be hosts or hostesses on Sunday morning. Your main job is to help us follow-through with our visitors/guests and newcomers to make sure they feel welcomed and connected to a ministry. We need 5 people at each service who are willing to commit to one Sunday a month and be here to help. This must be an intentional effort to notice and acknowledge people who come to share in worship on Sunday.

We want to have this ready for Easter Sunday, when we will have the most visitors we have during the year. If you are willing to participate, please call or email Jennifer in the office and let her know. We will have a training next Sunday between services.

We are also looking for people willing to bake bread to give to our visitors. If you like to bake bread, please call Jennifer and let her know. Questions? Just give me a call. Blessings and peace be upon us all. Thank you for your support!

Nancy+

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

The season of Lent has been observed as a time of preparation for Easter since about 325 CE. The word “Lent” is derived from a root word meaning “long days,” and alludes to the lengthening of days during this time of year. The color for Lent is traditionally purple which signifies a time of solemn preparation and humility in preparation for Easter.

Lent continues for forty days, significant because of the forty-day fasts recorded in scripture for Moses, Elijah and Jesus following his baptism. However, Sundays during Lent are not included in this count of forty days. Because…Every Sunday is a mini-celebration of the Resurrection.

So how are you going to observe Lent? Join us today for one of our Ash Wednesday services: Rite I held at 12 noon, Family Service at 6pm and Rite II with music at 7pm. Copies of our Lenten daily reading booklet, Living Well Through Lent, are available in the narthex (or download here).

Lenten Blessings, Nancy+

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

On Tuesday, February 17th, we celebrate Shrove Tuesday. The word “shrove” is derived from an Old English verb, “to shrive” which means “to hear confession” or “to grant absolution.” To shrive means to make time for the spring cleaning of your soul: all those “things done and left undone, things said and things left unsaid” ~ that are cluttering up your life. Shrove Tuesday, this spring cleaning of the soul, arrives just before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, the season of penitence and reconciliation.

The tradition of eating pancakes and sausage on Shrove Tuesday dates back to the Middle Ages. Eggs and fat were forbidden during the fasting of Lent, so in one meal, the pantry is cleaned out prior to Ash Wednesday. In Germany the day is called Fetter Dienstag. In France and New Orleans, it is called Mardi Gras.

So how are you going to observe Lent? First, join us for the Annual Pancake Supper on this coming Tuesday, February 17th. It begins at 5:30pm. and is always a terrific fellowship event. Then come back on Wednesday, February 18th for one of our Ash Wednesday services: Rite I held at 12 noon, Family Service at 6pm and Rite II with music at 7pm. Copies of our Lenten daily reading booklet, Living Well Through Lent, are available in the narthex (or download here). And….we look forward to seeing you this Sunday ~ the Last Sunday in Epiphany!

Lenten Blessings, Nancy+

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

As a community, St. Paul’s has participated in the Souper Bowl of Caring for a number of years now. This is an opportunity for everyone to put their faith into action and help ease hunger in our community. We are also collecting monetary donations. 100% of the proceeds from this event go directly to the Katy Christian Ministry Food Pantry. It is a very efficient food/fund collection.

Our youth will be assisting with the collection. Please be generous. In the next few weeks if you see something on sale in the grocery store, pick up an extra, bring it to church and donate it to the Souper Bowl. We all use credit/debit cards but make a special effort to bring cash to church on this Sunday to drop into the soup pots our youth will use to collect donations. We can do a really good job on this ingathering if we organize ourselves and come prepared. If you won’t be here this Sunday, we will accept donations through February 15th.

Thank you in advance for your participation and donation! We will update you on our collection.

Nancy+

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

In a former parish a parishioner came to me and said, “I have been in this church for 24 years, and I still feel like a newcomer. Why is it I am never asked to do anything? I feel like something is missing, like we aren’t working like a church should be.” This was a profound statement, and she was right. There was a little group of people who knew everything that was going on and the rest had to clamor to get information. And so we worked on connecting people.

Beginning this month, each vestry person will be given a shepherd list. They will be calling to check in on you. They want to know how you are doing and what is happening in your life. Not all the details…..just what you feel a church should know about you. Maybe your daughter is getting married or you have a new great-grandson or your son is going to college next year. Maybe you are recovering from knee surgery or would like communion to be brought to you. Maybe you are interested in a new ministry opportunity. Whatever…please respond and know that we care. Too often we feel, “It is none of our business,” but sometimes that is taken as “I don’t care.”

We care and to build the body of Christ…we will be calling you. Blessings upon you.

Nancy+

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

On January 23rd we celebrate the feast day of Phillips Brooks. He was born in Boston in 1835 and began his ministry in Philadelphia. After ten years he returned to Boston and served as Trinity Church’s rector. Eventually he was elected Bishop of Massachusetts. He was well-known for his warmth and tenderness, but it was his preaching that truly inspired many people. For me, his relationship with Helen Keller is most admirable.

In the early 1890’s, Helen and Phillips wrote letters back and forth regarding Keller’s questions about faith, God and spiritual guidance. In one of those letters, Helen told Bishop Brooks that she had always known about God, even before she had words to identify God. She knew that God was there. In her darkness and isolated existence, she knew she was not alone and felt God’s love. Eventually, when she learned language and heard about God, she said she already knew God.

This was the God that Phillips knew, the God that would come to a lonely child and speak to her without words but in a way she could feel and understand God’s love. Perhaps it was Helen he had in mind when he wrote the third verse of O Little Town of Bethlehem:

How silently, how silently
the wondrous love is given!
So, God imparts to human heart
the blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming,
but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
the dear Christ enters in.

This says so much about our responsibility to nurture the spiritual life of children. Our spiritual journey is innate, but our formation can only happen with the guidance of those around us and the Holy Spirit. Brooks wrote: “Whatever happens, always remember the mysterious richness of human nature and the nearness of God to each one of us.”

“Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine” Ephesians 3:20

Nancy+

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

As a community, St. Paul’s has participated in the Souper Bowl of Caring for a number of years now. This year we are reminding you early. Spread the word! Do you have neighbors who might want to donate food or money, but do not attend a church? Invite them to participate. Collect food from your neighborhood and bring it to church on Sunday, February 8th. This is an opportunity for everyone to put their faith into action and help ease hunger in our community. We are also collecting monetary donations. 100% of the proceeds from this event go directly to the Katy Christian Ministry Food Pantry. It is a very efficient food/fund collection.

Our youth will be assisting with the collection. Please be generous. In the next few weeks if you see something on sale in the grocery store, pick up an extra, bring it to church and donate it to the Souper Bowl. We all use credit/debit cards but make a special effort to bring cash to church on February 8th to drop into the soup pots our youth will use to collect donations. We can do a really good job on this ingathering if we organize ourselves and come prepared on the 8th of February. If you won’t be here on the 8th, bring your donation early. We will accept donations through February 15th.

Thank you in advance for your participation and donation! We will update you on our collection.

Nancy+

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39

Search Committee Update – January 7, 2026

Happy New Year from your search committee!! We are diligently working to select a new priest. We have made some good progress as directed from the Office of Transition Ministry. We will be doing a couple practice interviews with Nancy Hauser and Mary Wilson to hone our interview skills. These will be done in January. After the practice interviews we will receive approved names of priests to interview. Once the names from the diocese are received the committee will go “dark” (this means we are mum) until the choice is announced to the congregation that a new priest is selected. There will be periodic general updates but nothing specific. Please keep in mind that it will take at least 3-4 months maybe longer after names are secured to do the interviews and visits. The confidentiality portion is to protect the candidate and their congregation as the candidate’s congregation may not know there might be a change. You as part of our search process are asked to pray for the committee’s discernment, pass along questions you want us to ask and most of all be patient as we work towards a candidate that will be the best for St. Paul’s.

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Wow!

What amazing celebrations we have had this past week! Brittany and Lucian did an incredible job with our Christmas Eve services. The choir was fantastic and brought such JOY to the evening. Catherine’s harp was angelic and oh my gosh…that solo from Brittany ~ just brilliant! Lessons and Carols was a beautiful review of our season. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU all!

And a huge thank you to Jennifer for all her copying and putting the leaflets together, and to all who made our services possible ~ acolytes, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, altar guild, decorators, ushers, greeters, bell ringers, and YOU! We appreciate your presence and participation in our worship.

Blessings and peace be with you during this Christmas season.

Nancy+

Wednesday, December 24, 2025

It’s Christmas!

Please join us on Christmas Eve, Wednesday at 4:30 and 7:30. This year we are asking you to bring a donation for the food bank and place it in the manger in the narthex. We have a wonderful half-hour of Christmas music to begin the celebration and then our services. We will be live-streaming the 5pm service for those who cannot attend – see below for the bulletin. We hope to see you there!

When the song of the angels is stilled
When the star in the sky is gone
When the kings and princes are home
When the shepherds are back with their flock
The work of Christmas begins.
To find the lost
To heal the broken
To feed the hungry
To release the prisoner
To rebuild the nations
To bring peace among others
To make music in the heart.

~ Howard Thurman

Blessings and peace be with you!

Nancy+

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

The expectations of the season are crashing down upon us. Maybe it is time to just say, “no.” We must take this season back. If we don’t, the world will never do it. Over, and over again I need to be reminded that this is still Advent, a time to ponder, a time to be, and a time to acknowledge the presence of God among us. This short poem by Kay Halliwill helps me remember.

CHRISTMAS HUSH

May the quietness of Christmas,
The calm and holy hush
Of the Advent season,
Still our Christmas rush.

May our memories of the manger
Reassure us and ease the stress
Of troubled hearts in troubled times
With God’s peace and quietness.

~ Kay L. Halliwill

May the peace of God be upon you and remain with you through this holy-day season.

Nancy+

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Poet Ann Weems has written:

Some of us walk into Advent
tethered to our unresolved yesterdays,
The pain still stabbing
The hurt still throbbing.
It’s not that we don’t know better;
It’s just that we can’t stand up anymore by ourselves.
On the way to Bethlehem,
Will you give us a hand?

This poem captures the experience of this season for those dealing with grief or loss. The season of Advent can be very painful for those who are experiencing the loss of a job, death of someone close, or a change in health or life circumstances. Paul offers ways to live out our faith in relationships. One verse seems especially appropriate at this time of year. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” In the case of a death, we can offer a hand to grieving friends and family by accepting their sadness and not expecting them to “get over it” in time to celebrate. We can talk about the person who has died, share special memories and encourage the person to share the sadness they are experiencing. We can be quiet, listen and pray for God’s help.

Only God can heal the deep wounds of grief and sorrow, but we can offer a hand. If necessary, don’t hesitate to suggest or help the grieving person seek professional help. St. Paul’s has a tradition of offering a service to acknowledge these difficult feelings. It is called Blue Christmas and will be held on Sunday, December 21st at 4pm (please note the new/earlier time to help get you home before dark). Please plan to join us. It is always helpful to have people present who may have experienced a death in the past and are now moving away from grief. They bring strength and hope to a group like this.

The service will be a simple service, with a Eucharist and will be about an hour long. Share this invitation with friends and please sign up so we have some idea how many might attend (sign-up sheet in the Narthex, email the office or call 281-391-2785).

Nancy+

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

It’s started. The mad rush has begun. Parties, gatherings, decorating, baking, cooking and all the other expectations of the season are crashing down upon us. Maybe it is time to just say, “no.” We have to take this season back. If we don’t, the world will never do it. Over and over again I need to be reminded, and so I am reminding you. Advent is a time to ponder, to be, and to acknowledge the presence of God among us. Read this short poem by Kay Halliwill, and use this Advent time wisely, to prepare your heart once again for the Holy Child of God.

CHRISTMAS HUSH

May the quietness of Christmas
The calm and holy hush
Of the Advent season,
Still our Christmas rush.
May our memories of the manger
Reassure us and ease the stress
Of troubled hearts in troubled times
With God’s peace and quietness.

~ Kay L. Halliwill

Mark your calendar and plan to share the Christmas Pageant and a Christmas Celebration Dinner with your faith community at St. Paul’s on Sunday, December 14th – pageant begins at 5pm followed by the dinner at 5:30pm. This is a great way to “still our Christmas rush.” May the peace of God be upon you and remain with you throughout this holy-day season.

Nancy+