St. Paul's on-the-Hill Episcopal Church 1527 Senseny Road Winchester, Virginia 22602 540-667-8110
St. Paul's on-the-Hill Episcopal Church 1527 Senseny Road Winchester, Virginia 22602 540-667-8110
Our staff includes: The Very Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith, rector; Ms. Heather Ankerbrand, Director of Music; and Ms. Trudi Schwarting, parish secretary. Thank you for visiting our website. We invite you to visit us in person; we would be delighted to meet you. If you have any questions, give us a call or contact our priest by email at hilary@spoth.org or send an email to our secretary at office@spoth.org.
Flu Season Precautions Most likely you have been reading about precautions to take as children to back to school, and guidelines for all generally - the same apply for church. If you are, or your child is, coughing or has a fever, it would be prudent to stay home. Given the concern about the flu this year, starting this weekend, we are going to offer the opportunity to intinct (dipping the bread into the wine rather than drinking from the chalice) in a special chalice for that purpose, from which no one will drink. Details of how we will do that will be explained at the services, and we may try a couple of different ways of doing it as we decide which way will be most efficient and least disruptive to the way we normally receive communion. The chances of getting sick from sharing the common cup are very, very, very low - but given the unknown factors surrounding the H1N1 flu virus, we have decided to take this precaution. There will still be the option of drinking from the other chalice at each service. As well, it is recommended that for the Peace, we stay in our pews and turn to the people next to us and say "The Peace of the Lord be with you." If you know SPOTH, you know that often we get up and walk around shaking hands and hugging each other during the Peace.
New Bible Study - There is a new Bible study being offered to accommodate those who need a different day and time, or a noon-time break from work."Brown-bagging with the Bible" will meet on Tuesdays at noon in the fellowship hall.First meeting is on February 10th.Bring a lunch and we'll choose a study guide to use and get acquainted.
Our Community
Be sure to visit our gallery page to view more pictures.
Hear a portion of our Sunday service May 31, 2009; Pentecost, 10:00am
Support SPOTH, shop Amazon!
Each time you use the link below to shop at Amazon, a portion of your purchase will be donated to St. Paul's on-the-Hill!
St. Paul's Table (our outreach to the hungry) Our church has a Food Pantry on the first Sunday of every month from 1 - 3pm. You can help by bringing clean, hole-free plastic grocery bags. If you know of an appropriate bulletin board, or a social service agency, please post flyers about the food pantry. They are available at church. Donations of food can be made for the pantry; contact us for details. If you'd like to more involved, we are having an organizational meeting the second Sunday of every month following the 10:00 service.
CCAP Sunday The last Sunday of each month we collect and offering that goes to help the needy of our area through CCAP (Congregational Action Project). Thank you for your generosity, which makes a difference in many lives.
Youth Group
Youth Group – Meets this Saturday, January 31, 6:00 p.m. to fill bags with food for the Pantry the next day. Please let Hilary know if you can come. We would like to have dinner provided for the youth – maybe each family or other parish members could bring something to share, coordinate with Hilary. Thanks!
Choir The St. Paul's on-the-Hill choir is open to all who enjoy praising God through song. We rehearse on Sundays, 9am - 9:45pm. Saturday Evening Service
Every Saturday at 5pm. Child care provided upon request. Tell all your friends whose children play soccer on Sunday mornings! This service is also a good option for those who work on Sundays. Parents with small children may find this to be a better time to get everyone out the door. People who have certain medical conditions may also find that this service meets their needs. Everyone is invited! The service will be much like the 10am Holy Eucharist Rite II service but with a blend of music. Casual, Convenient, Cool
SPOTH SING-A-LONG and pot luck dinners. Join us for food, fun and singing designed for all ages. Tired of hanging out alone or watching TV with the family? SPOTH seeks to be a gathering spot for the local community-an oasis of peace and welcome in our busy world. Even if you go to another church or to no church at all, you are welcome to come and bring friends. Newcomers and visitors do not need to bring food--come as our guests. Contact us for the next date and time.
Every Sunday at 10am This fun learning experience is for children in Elementary School. The lesson focuses on the readings for the day in way that children can understand. We use art and music to engage the children in creative ways. Bring your elementary-school-aged child to this fun experience designed for them. The Children gather in the sanctuary for a prayer with the priest and then go as a group to Children's Chapel or return to sit with their parents if they prefer. Children are always welcome in our sanctuary.
The St. Paul's on-the-Hill book group meets on the 1st Thursday of every month. Please call Barbara Epperson at 662-5463 if you would like to join us and select a book for the group to read and discuss.
2010 Book Group Reading List
February
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Amanda Epperson
March
Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
Sundays in parish hall. All are welcome! We are studying readings for the day using the Living the Good News curriculum. Guides provided. Adult education meets between the services on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. in the parish hall.
From the Inside Flap The New Testament writer Paul told the first-century Christians: "You yourselves are our letter . . . known and read by everybody." When a person "reads" your life, what does it say? What does your faith look like to outsiders? A major new research project, unveiled for the first time in this book, describes the increasingly negative reputation of Christians, especially among young Americans. The research shows that Christians are best known for what they are against. They are perceived as being judgmental, antihomosexual, and too political. And young people are quick to point out they believe that Christianity is no longer as Jesus intended. It is unChristian. It shouldn't be this way. What Christians believe may not be popular, but Paul also advised the first believers to "live wisely among those who are not Christians" and to "let your conversation be gracious and effective." In this eye-opening book, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons--along with more than two dozen leading voices within Christianity--unpack the major criticisms leveled against Christians. Understand why those negative images exist and how you can best represent Jesus to your friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Your life is an open book. Is it unChristian?
St. Paul's on-the-Hill is a friendly and welcoming place for children. Children are encouraged to join adults for worship! At the beginning of our services, our priest has a special prayer with them. Children's bulletins and crayons are offered to help them to connect with the scripture readings for the day in a fun way. For our youngest members, the nursery is available during the 10:00am Sunday service and the 5:00pm Saturday service. Elementary-age children can attend Children's Chapel following the prayer with our priest at 10am on Sundays.
The Youth Group wrote this script and directed the action. Come to St. Paul's on-the-Hill for Lent, which begins this week with Ash Wednesday, February 17th.
We take part in my local programs to help the needy of our area. In the fall of 2006, we expanded our Outreach Program to include gleaning. Over 20 of our members went to local orchards and collected apples from areas already harvested. The apples went to feed the needy of our area. Our children and youth are learning about the needs of others and helping by raising funds for the Heifer Project. We also started a feeding program called St. Paul's Table; currently we are serving in teams at the Salvation Army and at the Men's Mission. We walk in the Crop Walk each year. We take part in the Chain-of-Checks program; we support CCAP; we provide gifts for those in need at Christmas. On the first Sunday in January, 2008, we are opening a Food Pantry at our church, 1pm - 3pm. The Food Pantry will be open the first Sunday of every month. Our church is focused on helping others and we welcome your participation. Join us in serving Christ by serving our neighbors.
We strive to accessible to all! We have a ramp into the building and our main worship space is on that level immediately to your right when you come into the building. In the worship space, there is room designed for wheelchairs in first pew on the right side. One could also be in the back of the church or on the side of a pew. The unisex restrooms are immediately to your left when you enter the building. The second restroom is wheelchair accessible, although there are no handrails in either of the bathrooms. The priest's office, the main office, the nursery, and all the Sunday school classrooms are also on that floor. The parish hall, where we often gather for fellowship time, is downstairs. By driving around the back of the church, the parish hall is wheelchair accessible--a ramp provides access into the hall. If you were to visit us and provide suggestions for how we could be more accessible, we would welcome and value your input.
Copyright Saint Paul's on-the-Hill Episcopal Church 2008
by David Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons