Editor’s note: Ninth-grade confirmation students are sharing their faith stories on Sunday mornings. The story below is from Claire Mask, a student at Pleasant Valley High School. I decided to write my faith story on being a foster sister. In 2015, m…
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Two months ago, when derecho hit, we briefly lost power at our house and cell service was pretty much wiped out, too. My keen husband had the foresight to head out once the wind had died down and buy as much ice as he could find. Not to hoard – that’…
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If it was Sunday evening, it was potluck night at the Ball-Trevor household. While Raymond and Mike were in the kitchen, their three kids were anxiously looking out the window for their neighbor Fran Wolfe, crossing fingers that she was walking up th…
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Have you ever spent much time examining the personalized license plates of cars you pass on the street? Or maybe you have one yourself? It’s always been a peculiar joy of mine to notice the various personalized plates and attempt to decipher just wha…
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On many afternoons as a second-grader, our daughter Rachel resituated the chairs from around our kitchen table and formed them into a semi-circle. That’s how she converted the family room into a choir room. Some of the greatest sacred music ever sung…
Every year, St. Paul gathers a team of people to participate in the annual NAMIWalk. The congregation gives $5,000 to support the work of NAMI in the Quad Cities, and the team gathers to walk together. The walk promotes awareness of mental health, ra…
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Editor’s note: Ninth-grade confirmation students are sharing their faith stories on Sunday mornings, as they wrap up their two-year confirmation journey. Hannah Turner is a ninth-grader at Davenport Central High School. When I think about faith or Go…
Are you a veteran from any era? A new group is forming at St. Paul. Led by Lyle Peterson, this group will connect in a variety of ways to serve fellow veterans and offer camaraderie and support. Lyle, a Vietnam-era veteran, is involved in a variety o…
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Just after I graduated from college, I worked with homeless youth in Denver. I would spend every afternoon out on the 16th Street Mall, handing out granola bars and socks. I’d listen, troubleshoot, and provide resources. I had amazing conversations a…
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Ann McGlynn, who has served as St. Paul’s director of communication for nearly eight years, will be stepping away from her staff position in order to devote more time to an organization she founded. Tapestry Farms is a nonprofit urban farm tha…
“To everything there is a season….” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) The Preacher, as the author of Ecclesiastes is known, penned a hymn to the truth of natural cycles: a time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, a time to harvest; etc. As we enter fall,…
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I’m not sure we can overestimate the value of stories in our lives. “How was your day?” “What’s new?” “How are your kids?” If we give more than one or two word answers to these questions, they come in the form of short stories. We pick a place to sta…