Ministry Directory
Acolytes are an ancient order in the Church. Theirs is a ministry of service to the priests and elders at the altar and during worship. In the Orthodox tradition they are named Diakonoi (Deacons). Acolytes' duties include lighting/extinguishing candles for worship, leading processions, attending the reading of the gospel, serving at the preparation of the altar for Eucharist and at the final cleansing of the vessels, washing the ministers hands for holy service. Acolytes also attend to the preparation of incense for use in worship. Under the direction of their priest, they serve in other capacities to assist in the beauty and dignity of worship. Serving as an acolyte allows our young people to participate in a rich and meaningful way in our worship and to learn, hands-on about our tradition. At Saint Paul's, children age 8 and over are welcome to join the ministry of Acolytes. Speak with Kay Sylvester to initiate training. For more information please contact the Parish Office at 714-544-3141.
St. Paul's offers a wide variety of Adult Education classes and discussion groups throughout the year. The keystone is the "Sundays @ 9:10" series which offers various Bible study and spirituality topics on Sunday mornings. In addition, special classes on the Basics of the Faith, Anglican Spirituality, parenting issues, devotional Bible study, current ethical issues or Biblical scholarship are offered during the week at various times. Watch the monthly Family Letter for announcements of scheduled learning and faith development opportunities.
EFM -- Education For Ministry is a four-year program of theological education-at-a-distance from the School of Theology of the University of the South. St. Paul's has students working at all four years of the curriculum meeting at one of two sessions each week. Registration takes place in the Fall. If you are interested in this class or would like to visit a class session to see what is covered, please contact Wayne Kempe, 714-544-3141.
The ministry of the Altar Guild is a ministry of hospitality both human and divine. The Altar Guild sets the physical environment for worship which is welcoming not only to human worshippers, but to God as well. Under the able leadership of Angela Miller, they provide and prepare vestments, altar linens, flowers, Eucharistic vessels, sacramental supplies. They host at weddings and funerals. The Altar Guild adds to the beauty and grace of our worship. Members are appointed by invitation of the Rector. For more information please contact Angela Miller or Reese Riley or call the Parish Office at 714-544-3141.
The Bishop John M. Krumm Scholarship Fund was established to carry on the memory of Bishop Krumm, longtime retired Bishop-in-residence at St. Paul's, by providing financial aid to women with few monetary resources who have made significant efforts toward improving their ability to compete in the marketplace. Each year Episcopal Parishes in Orange County nominate women who are striving to return to the workforce. This annual grant makes a difference in the winning candidate's ability to overcome obstacles in this important journey. For more information please call the Parish Office at 714-544-3141.
The purpose of the Children's Ministry at St. Paul's is to provide a loving and healthy environment for children and families to grow in the knowledge of the Word of God and the expression of Christian faith in the Episcopal tradition. Our Children's Ministry team plans fun activities throughout the year that support our worship and education programs and encourage community building among our children and their families. For more information please call the Parish Office at 714-544-3141.
The St. Paul's Church School Teaching Team manifests faith, hope and love in our Church School Program. As the core program of our Children's Ministry, the team is the church's connection to children, parents and often times, the community. The members of the team are representatives of the St. Paul's Children's Ministry who embrace The Great Commission. Through prayerful consideration, members of the team agree to this purpose and accept the commitment required to fulfill this important mission as established by the Children's Ministry Leadership, under the authority of Father Reese Riley. For more information please call the Parish Office at 714-544-3141.
The Craft Guild is currently a group of ladies interested in making crafts. Meetings are on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evening of each month from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm in the Adult Education Room. In the fall (mid September) we meet each Tuesday in preparation for the Christmas Boutique in early December. Profits are used for outreach and needs at St. Paul's. For more information please contact Jocelyn Baden, Barbara VanDeerlin or the Parish Office at 714-544-3141.
Adults in the Episcopal Church may be licensed by the Bishop to assist their priest as Eucharistic Ministers (EMS) to perform certain duties once limited to ordained persons. The license has two levels: the first qualifies a person to administer communion (either bread or wine) during celebrations of the Eucharist, the second qualifies a person to carry the sacrament from the altar during a celebration of the Eucharist to those who are unable to attend worship. Both levels of service require Diocesan training in Child Abuse and Sexual Misconduct Prevention. Persons serve as Eucharistic Ministers at the invitation of the Rector. For more information please contact Bob Roensch or the Parish Office at 714-544-3141.
St. Paul's members are active in the St. Ælred and Hildegard Ministry sponsored by the Episcopal Church of the Messiah in Santa Ana. This is a fellowship and outreach ministry to gay and lesbian persons in Orange County and Long Beach. The group meets monthly for a potluck and evening prayer and includes people from many parishes in the area as well as and many with no church affiliation but who are learning to trust the Church again and hear its message of love and inclusion. For more information please call Wayne Kempe in the Parish Office 714-544-3141.
St. Paul's has provided leadership to the Habitat for Humanity project undertaken by the Episcopal parishes in Orange County (Deaneries 9 and 10). The congregations raised over $100,000 and are providing support workers and construction skills for a house under construction at the Habitat for Humanity build site in Westminster. Habitat for Humanity strives to construct homes for low-income residents in more than 100 countries world-wide. Watch the monthly Family Letter for volunteer opportunities.
At St. Paul's we believe that promoting good health is a part of our journey toward wholeness of body, mind and soul. Our Health Ministries is one way that we are able to achieve this. We have blood drives at least twice during the year. Watch The Family Newsletter for upcoming events. If you are interested in helping with this ministry or have questions please e-mail Ruth Sarvas at rrsarvas@cox.net or call the Parish Office at 714-544-3141.
Our prayer group meets every Thursday morning in the Vail Ministry Center at 9:30 am. Requests for prayers are made by filling out the prayer cards in the pews or calling the Parish Office. We add these names to our list and divide the list among the Prayer Group members. We use this list to pray from and every request is prayed for every day. The list is published for distribution at Sunday Services as well. We welcome new members, so if you are interested please call Kay Sylvester in the Parish Office at 714-544-3141.
Each year we have the opportunity to help with the Interfaith Shelter Network (ISN) program which in 2007 will be hosted here at St. Paul's in the month of August. The ISN provides transitional shelter to motivated and capable men & women as they seek and gain employment and save enough to secure their own housing. Up to twelve qualifying participants receive food, transportation assistance, case management, employment counseling and shelter at a series of Orange county churches. You can participate in a variety of ways; cooking & hosting evening meals & weekend breakfasts, providing supplies for weekday breakfasts & lunches, staying overnight in the Parish Hall as supervisor, helping to transfer guests into and out of St. Paul's, or donating for miscellaneous expenses. We are a caring, warm group that will, once again, put our visitors at ease and supply them with the necessary support and nourishment to proceed toward meeting their goals of independence. Any questions, please contact the Parish Office at 714-544-3141.
Learning, Enrichment & Achievement Partners (LEAP) began in 1999 as a community outreach ministry of St. Paul's and has demonstrated its success in benefiting children (identified by their teachers as being at risk of failure academically) as well as their families and the volunteers, who now come from both the church and throughout the community. At the LEAP Learning Center each afternoon, volunteers assist and tutor children with homework and additional skill building activities and encourage and motivate children to do their best. Teacher and parent evaluations tell us that the time and energy tutors commit to this ministry results in significant improvement not only in children's grades and test scores but also in their self-confidence. Tutors gain great personal satisfaction from involvement in a ministry that breaks the downward cycle of failure for a child While LEAP tutors are the core of our ministry, there are other ways to support the work of the program such as helping with snack, planning or helping with an enrichment project, preparing educational materials, serving as a board member or giving financial support. Everyone participating in LEAP embarks on a journey of faith. For more information or to volunteer please call Sally Parkin at 714-832-6061.
The Lunch Bunch meets every Thursday at 12:30 pm in the Parish Hall. We have a group of about 20 people who get together to enjoy a gourmet lunch of soup, sandwich and cookies for the fantastic price of $3.00. Come join us for great fellowship, an excellent lunch and meet new friends. We always are looking for anyone who wants to share their cooking talents with us. Occasionally, we present motion pictures in wide screen and stereo sound. For more information please call the Parish Office at 714-544-3141.
This Committee was formed in 1975 to assist the Rector in determining the use of memorial funds given to the church in ways that will preserve the architectural integrity and honor the traditions of St. Paul's Church as well as reflect the character of the person being memorialized. The Committee is responsible for the upkeep of the Memorial Garden alongside the church where many people have chosen to have their ashes interred. Other memorial gifts and thanksgivings are received by the Committee and used for various purposes. For example, the stained glass windows in the church are all memorial gifts and their installation was overseen by the Memorial Committee. Many items placed in the church or used each week in the services are memorials. If you are interested in joining the committee, please speak to the current chairperson, Terry Bonin, or the Rector.
The Men's Fellowship encourages fellowship, service and spiritual reflection among the men who attend. Occasionally there is some structured or guided discussion on a spiritual issue as well as general fellowship activities and service projects for the Church. The Fellowship meets on the second Saturday of each month in the Parish Hall for breakfast, fellowship, discussion and planning for service involvement. Contact Bob Morano or the Parish Office, 714-544-3141, if you wish more information.
Week after week we seek to glorify God in liturgies that move the heart and challenge the mind with great variety, color, energy and reverence. Into each service go hours of careful thought and planning, to find ways to communicate the transforming message of the gospel. Music plays an important role in the worship life of our parish. We are indeed fortunate to have a dynamic adult choir. St. Paul's Chancel Choir gloriously leads us in liturgical music that embraces a wide range of traditions and styles. King's Kids (age 4 - grade 1) and Jubilee Company (grades 2-6) offer musical opportunities, enrichment and education for children and youth. Joyful Ringers, our bell choir, is in it's sixth season. This group is open to all ages that might be available for a weekday rehearsal. Your inquiries and participation are invited for any of our musical offerings. For more information on our music ministries contact David Milligan at 714-544-3141 x104.
The St. Paul's Newcomer Ministry Team organizes and implements the work of welcoming and including newcomers into the life of the parish. Along with the clergy and office staff we arrange for friendly and personal follow-up with each new person. The goal of the Newcomers Ministry is to make sure that all who visits St. Paul's are welcomed warmly and given an opportunity to discover everything that is available to them here. If you have an interest in being actively involved in this important ministry please call Susan Dean at 714-544-3141.
St. Paul's has made a serious commitment to an outreach program that not only involves our members but one that allows our facilities to be used so that community ministries can become a reality. Our Parish Hall and Adult Education room are used regularly during each month for L.E.A.P., 12 Step Meetings (AA, OA and Alanon) and on an occasional basis by the Red Cross, Holy Family Adoption Agency, A.F.S. (American Field Service) and other community groups. The Church is used for a Korean worship service on Saturday morning and Bible study Friday evening. St. Peter’s Congregation a parish of the Church of South India (Anglican) utilizes the Church on Sunday afternoons. The church is used during the year for many different types of concerts: piano, choral and orchestral.
For the past 18 months, St. Paul’s has been providing cash support for an orphanage in Malawi, an African country that has been devastated by the AIDS epidemic. This orphanage houses up to 30 infants whose parents have died of the disease.
During Lent our Children’s Ministry in conjunction with the entire parish and the Preschool raises month for Heifer International, an organization that boosts village economies throughout the world with gifts of live animals that provide food or cash income to subsistence farmers.
At Christmas time we participate in "Operation Christmas Child." Your family has the opportunity to help a child to experience the joy of Christmas. You are asked to fill a shoe box with small gifts and $7.00 for shipping to a specific aged boy or girl, your choice. The preschool joins us in this worthwhile outreach project.
We help the homeless with food coupons rather than cash. In some cases we do help with shelter and cost of medication and gas/ bus fare. In short we try to be a help where we can and with what we have to offer. If you would like to become involved in any of these programs or have suggestions of other ways we might be of use to our community, please contact the office at 714-544-3141.
Have a few minutes to spare? How about a morning or afternoon? The Parish Office can always use you. As a volunteer you can answer the phone, make copies, proof read, help with mailings especially our Family Letter and all sorts of special projects. We can use volunteers on a regular basis and an irregular basis especially with the Family Letter. So think about it and if you are available to help in our Parish Office we would love to hear from you. Please call Wayne Kempe at 714-544-3141.
Parsons Place is our on-site gift and book shop. Merchandise includes greeting cards, small religious gifts, selected religious art, and books for spiritual development or family life. Profits from the sale of this focused merchandise go to support the Bishop Krumm Scholarship Fund. Books utilized in the various Adult Education classes are also made available through Parsons Place. Volunteers are needed to staff the shop on Sunday mornings and possibly at other times. Contact Sharonann Gain through the Parish Office, 544-3141.
St. Paul's Preschool was established in 1971 and continues to be an outreach to the surrounding communities. The preschool is accredited through the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs and the National Association of Episcopal Schools. We offer a half day preschool serving children ages 2 through 5 years. Our staff is fully credentialed and trained in CPR and First Aid. Our goals for your child include providing them with a daily schedule of activities that would enhance their social, emotional, cognitive and physical development. It is our goal that a strong foundation for their spiritual growth and values be established. Furthermore, we strive to foster their curiosity, language skills, perceptual acuity, self-help and problem solving skills. Lastly, we endeavor to provide a safe, warm, accepting environment in a Christian setting and to build a strong relationship between family and school. For more information please contact the Preschool Office at 714-832-8201 or see the web site at stpaulspreschooltustin.org.
The scrip program at St. Paul's was in place for several years. In 2005, the scrip program changed and it has only become easier for you to support St. Paul's with your regular grocery and other merchant purchases.
St. Paul's automatically receives 4% of what our member parishioners spend at Ralphs with their registered Ralphs card. Please register your card, stop by the Scrip table after services and sign up.
If you have a St. Paul's Community Partners Card for Albertson's, you can link it to your Albertson's/SavOn Preferred Savings Card by swiping them both on one visit and give St. Paul's a percentage of your Albertson's and SavOn shopping dollars.
Your purchases at most other stores with your registered credit card or debit card can generate income through the E-scrip program. Contact the Parish Office for information regarding how to register your credit cards. You do not pay any more for your items, but a portion is returned to St. Paul’s. Likewise, if you show at amazon.com through the link on St. Paul’s website, the Parish receives a rebate from Amazon.
This is a an easy way to increase your financial support to St. Paul's Church at no extra cost to you. Scrip profits are designated for Youth ministries and for LEAP.
The Senior Ministry of St. Paul's is a new ministry focus which includes some pre-existing activities and ministries, such as the Lunch Bunch on Thursdays, but also has been looking for new activities that will be of interest. Several bus trips have been sponsored by the Senior Ministry to places as far-ranging as the Museum of Art in San Diego, several local Orthodox churches and the Nixon Library. Many of the activities of the Senior Ministry are open to people of all ages -- and to people from outside St. Paul's! For more information or to share ideas on this ministry and outreach, please call the Parish Office 714-544-3141.
The Southwest Community Center in Santa Ana provides free meals to the needy and homeless on a daily basis. Volunteers from St. Paul's purchase, prepare and serve lunch on the first Thursday of each month. Contact Carolyn Trott through the Parish Office, 714-544-3141, if you would like to help in this satisfying outreach project.
Hospitality is a key component of Biblical faith. The St. Paul's Usher Teams provide one of the first greetings every worshipper -- regular, guest or visitor -- receives at they enter the church. Ushers also provide for the good order of parts of the worship and respond to varying needs during the service. Ushers are generally scheduled to serve once a month. Please contact the office at 714-544-3141, if you are interested.
In an interesting way, the Vestry embodies the very essence of "Episcopalian." As the local "Board of Directors" of the parish, its members are democratically elected by the congregation, reflecting the American nature of the Episcopal Church -- the "Anglican Church in America." It has both spiritual and fiduciary responsibilities, reflecting the Protestant concern for the right proclamation of the Gospel and the concern for individual conscience. And it also is in communion with the Diocesan Bishop, striving to reflect the broader concerns of the Church catholic. Its 12 members meet monthly to consider issues of budget and parish policy. Chaired by the Rector, the members also serve on various program, action and planning committees. While the name "Vestry" recalls the private room in which the group probably met in an earlier age, its actions and business are certainly not private or secret.
The St. Paul's Vestry welcomes comment and reaction to the shape and future of the ministry of this parish. For more information please contact the Parish Office at 714-544-3141.
St. Paul's Women's Ministry provides opportunities for the women of St. Paul's and their friends to gather for fellowship, education, and worship. The primary activities of the Women's Ministry at this time are occasional women's retreat days, the monthly book discussion group and an ongoing Women’s Spirituality Group. Please contact the Parish Office, 714-544-3141, for more information.
Worship is the very essence of the Christian Church. Out of the common worship
experience -- the one time that the largest number of the community
is gathered together -- comes the impetus for communal action and service.
The community that meets at the altar is the community that experiences fellowship,
care and service. But liturgies don't just happen. The efforts and
planning of clergy, altar servers, musicians, hosts/ushers and the behind-the-scenes
preparations all must be coordinated and evaluated. This is the purpose of
the Worship Committee, which meets regularly to look at the worship events
just past to evaluate for future improvements and to lay plans for the seasons
ahead. The Committee also makes recommendations to the clergy staff and to
the Vestry regarding worship. For more information please contact the Parish
Office 714-544-3141.
Engaging youth within the church community is an important part of our common life at St. Paul's. Programs for Middle School and High School youth cultivate community and encourage exploration of faith. These provide a safe and nurturing place for teens to be accepted and loved. Middle School youth meet on Sunday mornings with Fr. Reese for the "Livign the Baptismal Covenant" class and on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm for dinner, games and discussions at Faith Club. Call Mike Penn or the Parish Office at 714-544-3141.
Our Senior High group meets on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 pm for "Teen Cafe." Pizza, blended smoothies and shakes, music and interesting discussions advocate a personal journey of faith. Confirmation classes for High School youth prepare our young people for a personal and public affirmation of their baptismal covenant. Special fun activities are planned throughout the year. For more information on our youth ministries contact David Milligan at 714-544-3141 x104.
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