Special Services & Gatherings during Holy Week

• Palm Sunday, March 29: We will gather on Palm Sunday to sing ‘Hosanna’ and wave palm branches as we remember Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. Join us for worship at 9:02am in the Fellowship Hall for our contemporary, discussion-based service, or at 11:00am in the Sanctuary for our traditional worship service.

• Maundy Thursday, April 2: Keeping with St. Paul’s tradition, on Maundy Thursday we will host our friends from Community UCC for a soup dinner at 6pm in St. Paul’s Fellowship Hall, followed by a special worship service in St. Paul’s Sanctuary at 7pm. The service will also be livestreamed on St. Paul’s YouTube page.

• Good Friday, April 3: If you are looking for a worship service to mark Good Friday, we recommend worshipping with our friends at West Raleigh Presbyterian Church on Friday at 7:00pm. West Raleigh Presbyterian Church is located near N.C. State University at 27 Horne Street.

• Easter Sunday, April 5: On Easter morning, we will gather for worship at 9:02am and 11:00am. Our 9:02am worship service meets in the Fellowship Hall, is discussion-based and includes contemporary music. Our 11:00am worship service will also begin in the Fellowship Hall with the celebration of baptism before moving into the Sanctuary. This service is more traditional and formal. In addition to worship, we will gather for a Potluck Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall at 10am, followed by an Easter Egg Hunt on the church grounds at 10:30am for kids of all ages. Folks are also invited to bring fresh flowers from their home or garden to decorate the cross. The service will also be livestreamed on St. Paul’s YouTube page.

• Holy Week Devotional: Our Easter and Lenten devotional also offers written and creative reflections for Holy Week and Easter Sunday. Click here to view the digital devotional.

Lent was originally a season for new converts to learn and prepare for their baptism on Easter. During that time, they would study what was central to Christianity. This Lent, we will focus on the ideas central to Jesus’ life and ministry: radical welcome, love for neighbor, care for the vulnerable, nourishment for the hungry, nonviolence in the face of injustice. At the heart of Jesus’ teachings, we find liberation, love, mercy, and grace—all of which are meant to be very good news for us all.

Jesus’ words are easily distorted and sanitized in our modern world. Following Jesus leads to a richer, more expansive life, but it’s not necessarily comfortable. Jesus’ ministry can be described as “radical” which comes from the Latin word “radicalis,” meaning “root” or “ground.” Therefore, the good news should bring us back to our roots. Emulating Jesus and embodying his teachings should ground us in who God created us to be. Can we be “good news” people in a world too often burdened by bad news?

We hope this series will provide fertile ground for conversation and worship, rooting our hearts and lives in the expansive goodness of God. This Lent, let the teachings of Jesus lead us forward. May the good news inspire us to take action in a world desperate to hear, see, and taste what is good.

Resources for our Lenten Journey

Lenten Daily Devotionals: Printable or Digital

• Devotional Books with readings, songs, art and reflection prompts for each week are available online, or printed copies are available at church in the Narthex and Fellowship Hall. Please contact the office if you need a printed copy mailed to you. 

  • To protect the work of the publisher, please refrain from posting the above link on social media or a personal webpage.

• Lenten Practices for Elementary Families: Our elementary families will receive a copy of Traci Smith’s book titled “Faithful Families for Lent, Easter and Resurrection: Simple Ways to Create Meaning for the Season.” Parents and families are invited to find one or two faith practices to mark the season of Lent and the celebration of Easter. 

songs for lent & the easter season

• Click here to listen to the Spotify playlist curated by Sanctified Art that connects with this year’s Lenten theme, “Tell Me Something Good.”

Regular Opportunities to Worship, Study and Pray

• Prayer Group gathers every Thursday morning at 9:30am, both in-person and on Google Meet, for 30 minutes of prayer for our church and world. Consider joining us and deepening your prayer life this Lenten season.

• Worship Services take place every Sunday at 9:02am & 11:00am. Our 9:02 service is a contemporary, discussion-based service that meets in the Fellowship Hall and our 11am service is a traditional service that meets in the Sanctuary. Childcare & worshipful opportunities for children are available in both services. 

• Sunday School gatherings for all ages meet every Sunday at 10:00 am:

• Gatherings for Children & Youth: Pre-K - 2nd Grade class; 3rd - 5th Grade class; 6th - 8th Grade class

• Our High School Class & Adult Class will spend the Lenten season discussing different atonement theologies, which seek to answer the question, “Why did Jesus die on the cross?” During this class, we will discuss how both the ancient church and modern-day theologians wrestle with this question. If you have ever struggled with the violence of the cross, or feel uneasy when people say things like, "God's wrath was satisfied when Jesus was crucified," this conversation is for you. As we journey with Jesus this Lenten season, let us reflect on what the cross means in the Christian faith and what it might mean for us today.

• ESL Sunday School embarks on a slow reading of the Sunday Scripture, providing a place for people of all language and educational backgrounds to engage with our sacred stories.

• After 9:02 Gathering: Join 9:02 worshippers for a chance to fellowship, reflect on the Sunday Scripture, and catch up on life!

Special Worship Services

• February 18, Wednesday - Ash Wednesday: We will gather for dinner & worship with our friends at Community UCC (814 Dixie Trail, Raleigh). Dinner will begin at 6:00pm, followed by worship at 7:00pm. St. Paul’s folks are invited to bring a dessert to share. The service will also be livestreamed for folks who are unable to attend in-person.

• April 2, Thursday - Maundy Thursday: St. Paul’s will host dinner at 6:00pm in the Fellowship Hall, followed by Maundy Thursday worship at 7:00pm in the Sanctuary. Our friends from Community UCC will join us; the service will also be livestreamed.

• April 3, Friday - Good Friday: St. Paul’s does not host a Good Friday worship service. Instead we encourage folks to attend one of the Good Friday services hosted by sister churches in the area. We will share more details about these gatherings soon.

• April 5, Sunday - Easter Sunday: In addition to worship services at 9:02 and 11:00 am, we will have a Potluck Breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt at 10:00am. 11:00 worship will begin in the Fellowship Hall with a celebration of baptisms before moving into the Sanctuary. 

Community Opportunities to Serve, Connect, and live the good news!

Wake Interfaith Immigration Network Virtual Meeting - Thursday, February 26, 12pm - 1pm

• You are invited to join an initial organizing meeting of faith communities and their members in Wake County committed to standing with our immigrant neighbors and addressing concerning practices by immigration enforcement authorities. Click here to register. 

Ramadan Friendship Dinners with the Divan Center - February 26, March 3, March 5, or March 11

• Join Muslim neighbors as they break their daily fast and learn more about their celebration of Ramadan. Click here to RSVP.

• You can also sign up to attend a home-based, Family Ramadan Dinner in person to break bread with a Muslim Family between Feb. 20 - March 18. The exact date of the dinner will be decided together with the host family and the guest family. Click here to sign up.

Creation Care Retreat at Camp Caroline - February 27 - March 1:

• Click here for details & registration, or contact Cathy Cralle Jones for more info. 

Team Trivia Night - Friday, March 6 at 7:00pm (Dinner Fundraiser at 6:30pm)

• Join us on Friday, March 6 to test your trivia knowledge and have fun with friends! Trivia will begin at 7pm, with a pizza dinner fundraiser at 6:30pm. All profits from the pizza dinner will go to Siembra NC’s immigration advocacy work. Suggested donation is $5 - $10 per person. Click here to RSVP for trivia and/or dinner.

Habitat for Humanity’s Interfaith Build Work Day - March 14, Saturday, 8:15am - 3:30pm:

• Join St. Paul’s Outreach Team as they partner with individuals from many faiths to build affordable housing for neighbors in our community. Click here to sign up by February 27, or contact Pastor Diane for more details. 

St. Paul’s Virtual Book Club - Tuesday March 17 at 7:00 pm

• Gather with St. Paul’s Book Club on Zoom to discuss the March book, “Stories are Weapons” by Annalee Newitz. 

St. Paul’s Property Work Day - Saturday, March 21, 9:00am - 12:00pm

• All ages are invited to help with projects around St. Paul’s campus. Donuts & coffee provided. 

Community Blood Drive with the American Red Cross - Monday, March 23, 1:00 - 6:00pm

• Hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (5060 Six Forks Road); Sign up details to come. 

Inter-Community Seder with Temple Beth Orr - Thursday, March 26, 6:00 - 8:30 pm:

• Up to four representatives from St. Paul’s are invited to attend a community-wide Seder at Temple Beth Orr. Contact Diane for details by March 10.