Whenever I hear someone say something like “The Bible is clear that…” I brace myself for what’s coming next. It’s likely that whatever they’re about to quote isn’t really so clear at all. Someone might say “The Bible is clear that anyone who doesn’…
When Lisa Holdorf dropped her daughter Ellie off at Iowa State University (ISU) this past fall for her freshman year of college, she braced herself for the wave of emotion everyone warned her about. “My friends thought I was going to be a basketcase,…
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Sitting here today, as my part-time position ends for the year, I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve St. Paul as giving ministry coordinator. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into but from my first day, I have been constan…
For nearly 20 years, St. Paul has served as a crucible for pastoral formation, welcoming ordained pastors fresh from seminary into a two-year residency program. Now, responding to shifting realities in the church and an opportunity to shape pastoral…
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The best things in life are often the most inconvenient. While that may seem a bit sensational, I have come to believe over the past few months that it is true. A few months ago, I bought a new coffee maker. A very inexpensive thing, but it makes t…
Joel Moore serves as the chair of the call committee. He is an ordained deacon who has been part of the St. Paul community for more than 20 years. “This is not a job someone applies for,” Joel said. “This is a vocational calling into ministry as an a…
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January 6 is a particularly important day in the life of the global church. It marks the Epiphany of our Lord, the Manifestation of Christ to the world. The most common element of Epiphany is the arrival of the wise men, or magi, to visit the Christ…
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This week, people from around the world gathered to welcome 2026. One of my favorite things about New Years is to learn the customs from around the world that help to welcome the next year. These traditions are expressions of new beginnings, and wish…
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Since launching this summer, the partnership between St. Paul and Tapestry Farms has flourished beyond expectations. What began as monthly deliveries of culturally appropriate food and hygiene items to refugee families has grown into something deeper…
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Many of you know that I am, in fact, a bit of a Christmas enthusiast. The music, the (bad) movies, the decorations, traditions. All of it. I will battle to the end that Die Hard is a Christmas movie and it should be watched annually, lest the season …
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During these weeks before Christmas, our family lights candles on an Advent wreath at dinner time. As we light the candles we sing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” When our son was four or five, he asked about the lyrics of that twelfth century chant and w…
JOY: Jesus, Others, and You! “We’ve called the Quad Cities home for nearly 40 years (Sam from central Iowa, Dee from eastern Nebraska). After retiring from the grocery industry and office administration, we’re blessed to share our days with our son a…