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It’s confirmation season at St. Paul! The confirmation ministry of any church has several goals, but put most simply, we want to these kids to know that they are loved, so they can love God and love their neighbors as part of the community of faith….
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Seven pairs of shoes sat just inside the front door of Noela Zamukunda’s new home. She and her six children, ages 2-16, had just completed a journey of 8,000 miles – from Kyaka, Uganda, to Rock Island, Illinois. It was 9:30 p.m. A few important piece…
The annual Southeastern Iowa Synod Fall Theological Conference will be held September 18-20 at St. Paul. The theme will be “Drawn to the Light of God: What we can Learn about Discipleship, Leadership and Witness from the Gospel of John.” Approximatel…
Faith stories, the culmination of the confirmation experience, are a 2-3 minute presentation. During this time, teenagers will speak about how they see God at work in the world and in their individual lives. Faith stories will be shared during the Su…
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Every year at Carrie Busey Elementary School, my classmates and I would take part in the Presidential Fitness Test. I don’t recall all the specifics (perhaps because I’ve tried to block it out of my memory), but here’s what I do remember. The Preside…
On Sunday, Sept. 11, fall start-up is when we return to the fullness of our Sunday-morning learning and worship life. Sunday worship returns to 8, 9:20, and 11:45 a.m., with Saturday worship at 5:30 p.m. Learning classes begin for ages 3-adult, 10:45…
The phone call came last week, on Tuesday afternoon. Beth Johnson, volunteer coordinator from World Relief-Moline, was on the line. “A family of seven, a single mom with six kids, will be arriving in the United States soon. We’d like to partner them…
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Twelve years ago, Elizabeth Lonning and a small team of fellow psychologists began working on changing the law in Iowa. The change would allow specially trained psychologists to prescribe certain medications for the treatment of mental health disorde…
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Earlier this week my sister texted me about a shark attack on kayakers in the Boston Harbor. We’re planning a trip that direction and the idea of kayaking had came up. I expressed disbelief about the attack and her immediate response was a decisive “…
Three new staff members will begin work at St. Paul in September. The congregational council approved their hiring at its August meeting. St. Paul also welcomes communications intern Allison Adams for the 2016-2017 school year. SARA HARLESS is the ne…
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France is a complicated country. Often credited with making the bikini swimsuit a norm for the world’s beaches, France is now clamping down on Muslim women who show up on French beaches wearing burkinis, full-body swimsuits designed to accommodate Is…
They can write a letter to God, paint a painting, pen a poem, or one of countless other possibilities. Confirmation at St. Paul culminates with students crafting and sharing their faith stories in a two-three minute presentation. New this year, confi…