Updates

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Beaufort, NC

Food Drive  Tuesday,  9:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon
Back porch of office building.

Good morning to you all. Time to be in touch once again with Martha’s Mission’s current needs. If your time and budget allow, we hope you will consider contributing ‘one of each’ of items on the list below. laundry & dish detergent 

  • salad dressing
  • Saltines
  • cereal
  • dessert cups & juice boxes  

Monetary donations are also accepted. You may make a donation online at the St. Paul’s website, www.stpaulsbeaufort.org, or by dropping a check off at the church.  Please be sure to indicate on your donation that it is for the Food Assistance Initiative. 

Join us for Noonday Prayer Wednesday at Noon on St. Paul’s Facebook page.
To join us for Noonday Prayer via livestream Wednesday, January 12  at Noon click here: St. Paul’s Facebook page. 
Following the service it will continue to be available on

 St. Paul’s Facebook page  and will also be available on St. Paul’s YouTube channel.
The Order of Service for Noonday begins on page 103 of the Book of Common Prayer. Click here for a pdf copy of the order of service or click for an online copy of the Book of Common Prayer online.

Saint Paul’s
Rector’ s Annual Address 2022
January 9, 2022
Rev. Tambria Elizabeth Lee

Three years ago, this very Sunday, I stood among you for the first time as your Rector. It was a glorious day with so many folks arriving I suspect to see this strange new woman from Chapel Hill. Perhaps they were here to see if in fact those rumors about who I was, and who I wasn’t, were true?  What I remember most about that day was the generosity of spirit and the feeling in the air of expectation. The joyful voices of choir and congregation were raised in song while the tables of the parish hall were being laden with a feast as the clamor of young voices in the classroom were learning and creating. Who knew that fourteen months later our world would be upturned, and we would be forced to pivot from our normal day to day operations to understanding what pandemic life would require of us . I am happy to report that I am no longer am your new Rector. I am among you as one of you and am grateful for the privilege. Together we are navigating the changes and chances of this life and learning what it means to rest in God’s eternal changelessness.
In times of crisis or instability Saint Francis of Assisi said: “Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” 
We have been carrying on this past year with the necessary as hope surged and our lives began to return to some normalcy with the advent of a vaccine. We returned to outside in person worship in time for Holy Week and Easter. It was a sacred and joyful week of regathering and reconnecting under the canopy of God’s cathedral of earth and sky and sea. As the covid numbers fell,  we began to sing in unison and eventually moved from outside in doors, all the while carefully and cautiously making our way forward with the help of our Return to Safe Worship/ Covid Committee. We had a spirit filled in person Bible School on Healing which included the children writing cards to the staff at the hospital , meeting health care professionals who saw their work as vocation,  and a daily skit depicting the miracle  stories of healing from Scripture. We continued the Bible school model with a very successful Sunday School semester using Weaving God’s Promises with a record nineteen teachers and forty plus students. Our annual stewardship was generous and faithful and our ministries of care and concern for others continue unabated through countless funerals of long time parishioners and weddings of new ones. We celebrated the weekend of Juneteenth with our sister parish, Faith Tabernacle of Praise,  sponsoring a spirit filled and well attended concert. We have been more than blessed with two major gifts. We plan to have our playground completed by summer’s end and will name it in honor of Babs Barnes, long time parishioner and lover of children of all ages. A children’s garden, designed by her cousin, Laura Moore, will grace our grounds. We are discerning how best to use the generous gift of Hugh Cullman. Throughout this past year,  you have faithfully cared for one another by making pound cakes for funerals , preparing meals for the sick and dropping off flowers or a card to cheer. ECW’s Harvest Bazaar, under the continued leadership of Laura Snyder and Cindy Cash was simply AMAZING raising an astounding amount of money in a very short time. Like many of you, I have a house full of new treasures, a freezer full of soup, and our community ministries have generous checks to continue serving others. Operation Christmas Cheer, together with the many elves of Saint Paul’s,  made Christmas happen for many needy Carteret county families. The Daughters of the King pray constantly for our many concerns. Altar Guild Chair,  Mary Duane Hale, together with her spectacular teams, keeps the Eucharistic table set, the brass polished and linens ironed. We are continuing our search for an associate and feel certain God will lead us where we need to go. There is so very much more left unsaid and You have made the impossible happen at Saint Paul’s. We  have continued to live faithfully in the midst of that which we once could only fear. God’s perfect love casts out fear allowing us to step forward in hope.
I want to take a moment to say thank you to our staff for their continued hard work in exceptional times remembering especially Linda Laughton upon the occasion of her retirement. Linda’s presence among us is one of Minister of Music. She has been so much more than someone who plays for us on Sunday. Not only is she a gifted musician and choral director, she is a spirited and thoughtful pastor, a steadfast friend and a valuable colleague. I am so very grateful for the ways in which she has built and strengthened our music program. People come here to sing with her. Children respond immediately to her methods. I adore her flexibility and creativity. I hate to lose a colleague but am more than delighted to know that she and Mark will remain among us …that is when they are not greeting the morning on their boat Tango and sending us fabulous pictures of sunrises and sets up and down the East Coast as the cruise the high seas. Thank you Linda for simply being you.
Our outgoing Vestry members are to be commended too. Freida Menzer, Glenn Dunn, Charles Hale and David DuBuisson have with gladness of heart, all brought something unique to the table at Saint Paul’s during these unprecedented times. Charles, your wisdom as Senior Warden has been especially appreciated as we navigated what on occasion felt like impossible terrain. I am also most grateful to David Clawson. As Junior
Warden he has been tireless in his upkeep of our physical plant from replacing air conditioners to making sure the power lines and hot water are working and the building does not burn down!
I never imagined that we would be doing our annual meeting via Zoom for a second straight year nor did I imagine we would be hacked while doing it. But then again,  I also could not imagine how stepping forward in faith in the midst of a global pandemic would yield so much for the kingdom of God. Saint Francis was correct and we will continue on in 2022 to heed his gentle wisdom by doing what is necessary, then doing what is possible, then God willing,  doing the impossible” as we keep the faith, and let the faith keep us.

From the Senior Warden: 2022 Senior Warden’s Address Good morning.
Thank you for supporting St. Paul’s through your time, talent, and treasure this past year. It is your involvement that makes St. Paul’s such a special place and makes St. Paul’s known beyond its doors. Thanks to all who volunteer their time.
It’s hard to believe that we are starting our 3rd year of worship services online. Being able to watch at home is a great service to those who are unable to attend in person, which includes all of us today. It also increases St Paul’s exposure to people who may not otherwise know about St Paul’s: however, we don’t want the pandemic to make us lose sight of the importance of worshiping together, in person, as a community and we hope that time returns soon.
Thanks to all who serve on the vestry especially outgoing vestry members Freida Menzer, Glenn Dunn, David DuBuisson, and thanks to our new vestry members for their willingness to serve: Adeline Talbot, Laura Snyder, Rob MacArthur, and Allison DuBuisson.
I want to thank our Treasurer Charles Phillips. We are fortunate to have such a conscientious treasurer. Charles spends a lot of time on church business and while not a vestry member attends all vestry meetings to give financial reports. Thank you, Charles.
Appointed annually by the vestry is our church clerk. I want to thank Sarah Jo Safrit for filling this role for another year. Sarah Jo also attends all vestry meetings and is an expert at taking vestry minutes.
I want to thank David Clawson our busy Junior Warden for his work this past year. With three buildings under constant use there is always something needing attention and David is on the job.
I especially want to thank Linda Lawton for her years of service as our minister of music. I still don’t know how she was able to produce the music during a pandemic, but she did an exceptional job. We wish her well in her retirement.
I want to recognize our church staff for their hard work. Our business administrator, Nancy Barber is great at working through details and is a master at spread sheets. Carol Smith our Parish secretary is a pleasure to work with whether in person or on the phone. Stephen Hauman our sexton is there to assist in any way he can. Thanks to Frank Sherman for administering our youth program. I know firsthand having had a son in Frank’s program what a positive influence he has had on our youth.

And of course, I want to thank our Rector, Tammy. I have had the privilege of working closely with Tammy over the past two years and know how tirelessly she has worked tending her flock during a pandemic. Tammy thanks for all the things you do big and small. We are truly blessed to have you.

Thank you,
Charles Hale

Pastoral Care Please contact the office at 252-728-3324 if you have a pastoral emergency. For all other needs or questions please email church@stpaulsbeaufort.org

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
215 Ann Street
Beaufort, NC  28516
252-728-3324
church@stpaulsbeaufort.org
www.stpaulsbeaufort.org