Parishioners, newcomers, visitors, and friends are invited to St. Paul’s on Wednesday, April 17, for our 5:30 p.m. service, followed by fried chicken and our new Gaga Ball Pit (don't know what that is? ask an 11-year old!). Please bring a salad, side, or dessert to share. To help out with set-up or clean-up, contact Heather Annis at heather.annis@spmcuva.org.

Tony Potter and Pat Punch, members of the Building Committee, will lead a St. Paul's building tour on Sunday, April 14, from 12:15 - 1:15 p.m. (after Common Hour). The tour will focus on the existing church structure and the changes proposed in the Master Plan. All parishioners (newcomers and longtime members and everyone in between) are invited to use this opportunity to learn about plans for the building renovations and expansion. Advanced signups are appreciated.

On Thursday, March 14, from noon - 1:30 p.m. (lunch available at noon, discussion 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.), The University Fellowship, in partnership with Theological Horizons, invites parishioners for a candid lunchtime conversation with Charlottesville's Mayor Juandiego Wade, a longtime member of Olivet Presbyterian Church, and former mayor Lloyd Snook, a member and trustee of St. Paul's, about the relationship between their faith and their work as community and civic leaders. Lunch is provided, RSVP required. Contact Associate Rector for University Ministry Peter Kang for more information.

Parishioners Jody Lahendro (Building Committee member) and Pam Dennison (Centennial Campaign Committee member) will lead a St. Paul's building tour on Sunday, March 10, from 12:30 pm - 1:30 p.m. The tour will focus on the existing church structure and the changes proposed in the Master Plan. All parishioners (newcomers and longtime members and everyone in between) are invited to use this opportunity to learn about plans for the building renovations and expansion. Advanced signups here are appreciated.

St. Paul's is hosting a Lenten Retreat on Saturday, February 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with lunch included.

We will visit our outdoor and indoor church spaces, traveling through the history of the land and buildings, responding in silence and prayer with personal reflection and group sharing about our journeys through life. Together, we will reflect on what must die to make way for the new and how the story of resurrection is alive in our personal lives and in our parish.

The retreat will be guided by the Rev. Dr. Peter Kang, as well as Vickie Gottlob, Leslie Middleton, Brenda Peterson, and Norvene Vest.

Your signup ahead of time here or in the parish hall will help us plan the day.

Questions? Please contact Vickie Gottlob vgottlob@gmail.com.

Ash Wednesday is February 14 and services will be held at 7:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent with a special liturgy that invites the congregation into a season of reflective self-examination in preparation for Easter.

St. Paul's youth group invites all parishioners, friends, and neighbors to our Shrove Tuesday pancake supper on Tuesday, February 13, at 6 p.m. in the parish hall.

Members of the Building Committee and the Centennial Campaign Committee will host a tour of St. Paul's from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. on Sunday, February 11, focusing on the Skinner organ restoration. Tours are limited to small groups, and advanced signups are required. All parishioners (newcomers and long-time members and everyone in between!) are invited to use this opportunity to see the organ restoration work already in progress and learn about plans for the building renovations and expansion. Please contact Leslie Middleton at middletonleslie@gmail.com with questions. Sign up here!

Parishioners, newcomers, and friends in their 20s and 30s are invited to a social brunch – no host, no RSVP, no stress – at a local restaurant following the 10 a.m. service on February 11. Meet on the front steps right after the service! Restaurant location to be announced. For questions, suggestions, or to volunteer to help welcome newcomers or be added to our 20s and 30s list, contact Elliott Pryor at pryorelliott@gmail.com.

The Annual Meeting of the parish will be held on January 28 at 6:30 p.m., preceded by a potluck dinner at 5:30 p.m., and followed by our usual Sunday Evening Prayer service at 7:30 p.m.

All parishioners are encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting. The meeting will include our Vestry election, reports from the rector, wardens, and treasurer, and a look back at 2023 highlights.

This year’s annual meeting will be preceded by a festive potluck dinner. The dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. Vestry members and other parish leaders will be "hosting" individual potluck tables, each with its own theme. Childcare will be provided for the dinner and the meeting. RSVP for the dinner by signing up for one of the tables here.

The signup deadline is Thursday, January 18.

The Prayer Shawl Ministry will meet on Wednesday, January 10, from 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. in the church library. All are welcome. Members of the group knit shawls with prayerful intention for anyone needing comfort and healing. The shawls are available to anyone (free of charge) to take or mail to a loved one.

This year, in lieu of a special service at St. Paul’s on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6, parishioners of all ages are invited and encouraged to worship at the Diocesan Ordination of Priests, where the Bishop of Virginia will ordain seven new priests including Emma Brice, the daughter of parishioners Diane & Ed Wright, and our own former Director of Children’s & Youth Ministries Peyton Williams, now serving as Deacon-in-Charge at St. Andrew’s, Richmond. The ordination service will be at 10:30 a.m. at All Saints Church (8787 River Rd., Richmond), barely an hour from Charlottesville in the western suburbs of Richmond. The choir for the ordination will include singers from a multitude of Diocese of Virginia congregations (including our own), and will be directed by Director of Music & Organist Deke Polifka. The service will also be accessible online via All Saints YouTube channel.

Christmas Day Holy Eucharist

9:30 p.m. - Festive Musical Prelude

10:00 p.m. - Christmas Eucharist with Parish Choir & String Quartet

Please join us at 4 p.m. for a family-friendly Christmas Eve service which includes our Christmas Pageant.

This service is also accessible via Zoom.

Join us for our annual St. Nicholas Celebration on Wednesday, December 6, at 5:30 p.m. There will be caroling, storytelling, and an appearance from St. Nicholas! The service will be held in the church and dinner will follow in the parish hall.

On Sunday, December 3, at 5:30 p.m. the adult and children’s choirs of St. Paul’s combine for a classic candlelit service of Lessons & Carols to begin the Advent season. Readings, anthems, hymns, and prayers prepare the way for the joyful Christmas season. A reception follows the service.

Parishioners and friends of all ages are invited to make Advent wreaths during Common Hour following the 10 a.m. service on the First Sunday of Advent, December 3. All materials will be provided.

A simple service of Holy Eucharist will take place in the Chapel on Thanksgiving Day at 10 a.m.

Parishioners, newcomers, and friends in their 20s and 30s are invited to a social brunch – no host, no RSVP, no stress – at a local restaurant following the 10 a.m. service on November 12. Meet on the front steps right after the service! Restaurant location to be announced. For questions, suggestions, or to volunteer to help welcome newcomers or be added to our 20s and 30s list, contact Elliott Pryor at pryorelliott@gmail.com.

On Tuesday, November 8, we will have a prayer service at 8 a.m. as well as our regular Eucharist at 12:15, both of which will include special prayers for the nation as we remember the sacred responsibility of elected officials and voters to seek justice and peace for all people.

Wednesday, November 1, is All Saints' Day, one of the principal feasts of the Episcopal Church. On this holy day, the Church remembers the saints, known and unknown. Join us for worship at 5:30 p.m., followed by a festive potluck dinner, where we'll honor and celebrate your loved ones by sharing their favorite dishes. Was your grandmother known for her special casserole? Make it! Family recipe with secret ingredients? Make it! Bring an entree, side, or dessert passed down or inspired by one of your personal saints!

Join us on Wednesday, October 26, at 5:30 p.m. for a brief service of prayer followed by a pizza dinner and pumpkin carving for all ages! Bring your own pumpkin to carve, as well as a carving tool. Costumes welcome!

This year, St. Paul’s will seek financial commitments to our 2024 operating budget as part of the Building Centennial Campaign to fund our long-term future. On “Ponder Anew Sunday,” October 22, parishioners will receive pledge packets including information about 2024 annual giving and the Building Centennial Campaign along with a pledge card for use in making commitments to both. Our Common Hour conversation that Sunday will focus on the invitation this moment in our history offers us to reimagine—to ponder anew—what God might do in and through the ministries of St. Paul’s in 2024 and in the years and decades to come. The intensive phase of the campaign will conclude on All Saints' Sunday, November 5, when all are invited to offer their pledge cards in worship. Learn more about the Building Centennial Campaign here.