Learning and Soul Work at St. Paul’s
St Paul’s is a place where people can grow in their faith, within a trusting and challenging community. Together we seek to expand our understanding of what God is up to in this world, and how each of us can use our gifts joyfully and purposefully to make God’s dream a reality. We seek to know who Jesus was and who Christ is in our own lives and in the world.
We also seek self-understanding. What is it that motivates each of us uniquely? What particular gifts each of us bring to healing the world in Christ’s name and to identify roadblocks in our own lives keep us from living fully and freely the life God has prepared for each person.
All are invited to go on this expansive journey by participating in one or more opportunities for learning and soul work.
The Bible Challenge:
Read the Whole Bible in a Year
Have you ever been one of those people who said they would like to read the whole Bible? But then when you got started you quickly got lost? Take advantage of this pandemic year to join in the Bible Challenge. Using the book of the same name you’ll be invited to read a small portion of the Bible each day. Along with each passage is a brief reflection by a variety of scholars, bishops and teachers. Each week, if you choose, you can join in a small group discussion to discuss the week's readings with one of the clergy at St. Paul’s.
Ways to participate (do one or all)
Watch and listen: To short video introductions for each book of the Bible before reading.
Read: A portion of the Bible each day and a short reflection from The Bible Challenge by Marek Zabriske.
Discuss: Small group discussion on Zoom led by clergy will be set every other week by those interested.
Resources needed to join:
The Bible Challenge: Read the Bible in a Year
Click here for Amazon options including a Kindle download
Or click here to purchase it on Forward Movement
Good Bible for reading and studying: These versions of the New Revised Standard Version have good notes to help with the reading of the scripture. They can be ordered online. Click here for The Access Bible, New Revised Standard Version with Apocrypha or click here for The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha: New Revised Standard Version
On Sacred Ground: Dialogue Circles for Racial Healing and Justice
A film and reading based journey for those seeking to increase compassion and understanding about race. (Ten sessions meeting every other week.)
In these extraordinary times of a cultural awakening to the effects of race and racism in our culture you’re invited to expansive conversations and learning about race. Rich documentaries and reading materials, and conversations will help each participant expand their understanding and compassion for others, and help them discern what action they can take to be a healing presence in the world.
“But the end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the beloved community.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
From the Sacred Ground program guide
The vast majority of white Americans have forsworn intentional racism. The challenge is to look at how good, well-intentioned people still can have unconscious habits of mind and emotion that reproduce bias, can have systemic advantages in terms of life prospects that others don’t have, and can be looking the other way as harms are reproduced.
Click here for the 10-session syllabus.
watch (movies) & pray
Storytelling through film has a way of capturing our attention in a renewed and refreshed way. Our film series will feature a recent film that holds promise for a faithful and prayerful conversation. The chosen films will explore how centralizing personhood ultimately leads us to the right relationship with one another.
Then follow these three steps:
1. Watch, read, or listen to a common text
2. Pray with and study it
3. Join a conversation
Learn from the movies and join a conversation on the following Mondays at 7:30pm on Zoom, Meeting ID: 503 656 8822.
If you are interested in participating, please email jsideco@stpaulsburlingame.org to contact Pastoral Associate Jocelyn A. Sideco.
The Enneagram For Our Life in Christ
The Enneagram is an ancient system of spiritual growth tool. The Enneagram identifies nine types of thinking, feeling and behaving which allow people who identify their own type to become more self-observant of your own patterns and reactivity. The gift of the working with the Enneagram is the ability to see yourself and others with clarity and compassion.
Along with identifying and exploring these different types, we will go deeper with applying this knowledge to our spiritual journey with Jesus the Christ. From examining what prayer
practice makes sense to using the scripture as a guide for our type.
A Hidden Wholeness: Practices for Finding Courage and Purpose in Life
When is it that you feel most alive and purposeful? How does the Spirit work in you to bring life to the world around you? Parker Palmer laments that so many people get distracted and forgetful in the midst of the demands of living that they cease to live from their deepest values and priorities. He bemoans that people live divided lives. You are invited to learn about and practice ways of listening that can recapture energy and direction for your life and in the lives of those you care about.
Ways to participate:
Sign up: Click here to sign up.
Read: “A Hidden Wholeness” by Parker Palmer (Click here to see it on Amazon.com.)
Watch: A brief video exploring each chapter of the book.
Participate: In a live Circle of Trust online every other week (Times TBD) to learn and practice.
Monday Journey
Monday Journey is a women’s group that seeks to learn more about our faith, get support as you seek to put ideas for spiritual growth into action, and create deeper friendships with other St. Paul’s members.
Each two hour gathering includes time for sharing what’s happening in life, conversation around the focused study topic chosen by the group, and prayer for one another.
If you’ve been seeking ways to make your faith more a part of your everyday life, Monday Journey is a wonderful way to do it.
Monday Journey is meeting in-person and via Zoom at its normally scheduled time of 1pm. Contact the office for more information.
Children's & Family Ministry
Compassion Circle Sundays: A Renewal of our Children's Relationship with Church
Beginning September 20 • 4pm
Compassion Circle Sundays is a five-week hybrid series of online and in person lessons and experiences called as a revival for our children to connect with church. As we look around the world, what becomes clearer each day is our deep need for compassion — now more than ever. Each of the five sessions has a central scripture passage about the day’s theme. Compassion Circles’ goal is to cultivate compassion for each other, ourselves, and the world. We will examine different places in our lives where we can cultivate compassion.
Online: Compassion Circle Time
Teacher Janet will be offering songs and a story that goes with the scripture story circles.
Click here for the Compassion Circle playlist.
In person: Compassion Sunday Circles
Sundays at 4pm outside gathering circles for toddlers and children up through 5th grade. It will be 20-minutes of safe ways to see the sacred spaces of our Church as it relates with the lesson for the week, as well as YOGA! outside in a circle — socially distance of course! Registration is required. Look for registration links in your email or on St. Paul’s Events webpage.
To help and strengthen family life at home: Home deliveries!
Visits from The Rev. Julie and teens of examen prayer cards, art and action practices each week pertaining to the Compassion of Christ lessons and scriptures.
Session 1: At the table; what is the Compassion Christ shows us? Luke 15: 11-32
Session 2: To the neighbor compassion helps us be brave. Mark 2: 1-12
Session 3: For myself compassion helps us love ourselves. Mark 12: 28-31
Session 4: Along the way compassion helps us be present with each other. Ruth 1: 1-22
Session 5: With the world compassion gives us a fresh start. Leviticus 25
Deepening Faith for M.O.M.s –
Mothers On a Mission (of Faithful Parenting)
Being a mother can be isolating, rewarding, exhausting and exhilarating. It is the most important role we've been given. Being a mom who wants to guide, love and mentor her children from her life with Christ is even more of a challenge. That's why we need other moms who are seeking to parent from that spiritual core relationship. Over the years, our M.O.M.s groups have been that source of community, inspiration, understanding, and learning. Now especially in these challenging times of pandemic and civic upheaval, moms can find connection and renewal faith tradition and insight into a spirit-led parenting style. Consider one or both of these events.
M.O.M.s’ Night Prayer via Zoom
Third Wednesday of the Month
Beginning October 14 ~ 8pm
A Brief Night Prayer service for mothers, of two 10-minute sessions. The first 10-minutes will be sharing what needs to be prayed for and then the second 10-minutes of a Compline prayer to end. This will be via Zoom and will be all about praying together.
For all mothers on the following Wednesdays: October 14, November 18
M.O.M.s’ NIGHTS OUT
Safely Gathered in a church members' backyard
A socially distanced small group gathering for supportive check in, theological reflection, prayer.
Email the Rev. Julie Graham for more information.
Youth Ministry
Young people in the church are not just the “church of the future.” They are the church of today. At St. Paul’s, we seek to walk with our middle school and high school youth as they have fun, grow in self-understanding and faith in God, build community with one another, and develop the unique gifts they bring to serve the church and the world.
Where Do Our Youth Connect?
Confirmation Class
Middle schoolers and high schoolers are involved at St. Paul's in a variety of ways. They sing in the choir, serve as acolytes, lectors, participate in church-wide service projects and lead the Christmas pageant. Along with these intergenerational activities, St. Paul's youth can take part in fun outings, important conversations on faith and real-life concerns and diocesan-wide youth retreats and overnights.
Leaving home to learn and serve in a part of the world that is different from our own is an important part of being formed as followers of Jesus. Knowing this, we schedule biannual opportunities for our youth to travel for a weeklong service project. On hold during Covid, these weeks have been rich times of learning about ourselves, others, and God’s work in the world. Past trips have included teaching Vacation Bible School in Point Hope, Alaska; building a house in Corbin, Kentucky; painting homes and businesses for community renewal in South Central Los Angeles; working on the Heifer International Farm in Rutland, Massachusetts; serving at the Nez Perce Native American Reservation in Idaho; helping four urban parishes create welcoming spaces for vulnerable people in their communities in Portland, Oregon.
Contemplative Parenting
Parents of students in middle and high school often face their own particular stresses. It can be easy to find ourselves feeling disconnected from the supports that we relied on when our children were small, and the pace of family and work-life may leave little time for reflection on the spiritual and emotional work of parenting.
For help finding support within this community, contact Jocelyn.
Nursery School
The St. Paul’s Nursery School has a rich history of serving children in the community since 1950. Join them as they explore the joy, wonder and magic of childhood together. This preschool program is curated to focus on the most incredible part of childhood - play. Through play, children grow and develop their emotional, social, and intellectual curiosities.
The St. Paul’s Nursery School is an independently owned and operated school located on the southeast corner of the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church property.
See the St. Paul's Nursery School website for more information.