A Message from Father Paul

 

God has blessed our parish family with great diversity, and so we believe we have been called by God to be an intentionally multicultural church.

 

We are more than multiracial — we are African, South American, European, Caribbean, Canadian, and Black-White-Brown-born-in-the-USA, and we look forward to adding the rest of the world to our family!

 

You will hear many accents here. We love our differences, and we love learning each other’s stories.

 

When you get to know our parish family, you will find that we grew up Baptist, Presbyterian, Mennonite, Jewish, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Pentecostal, Independent Bible Church, Quaker, Episcopalian (and other worldwide churches of the Anglican Communion), spiritual-but-not-religious, and more – and some of us used to call our religion “None.”

 

Some of us have a strong, simple and clear faith, and some of us have come the hard way to a progressive understanding – and we love that difference in our parish family, too. We all hunger for the Spirit to move in our lives.

 

We have learned that the weeks of our lives can be more joyful, and our burdens are carried more easily when we worship together on a Sunday – and we work together as a family to make our worship ever more spiritually powerful. Our 10:00 family Communion has many kinds of music and contemporary language, but with timeless spiritual depth. Our spoken 8:00 traditional Holy Eucharist (Rite I or Rite II, depending on the season) is held in one of our two chapels. Both services are growing!

 

 

 

Our Services

Our Sunday in-person service is also available via Zoom, followed by our virtual coffee hour for fellowship. To join in, click the “Watch Live” button at the top of the page.

 

Family Communion, Sunday 10:00am

Our Family Communion has many kinds of music and uses contemporary language, but has timeless spiritual depth.

 

 

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are you? What is St. Paul’s Elkins Park all about?

We believe that God worked very hard to make us all different, and we celebrate God’s success! We are people of many colors, cultures, languages, and faith backgrounds. But there are also many ways that the people of St. Paul’s are all the same. We are articulate, spiritual, lively, fun-loving, sensitive, questioning, and devout Christians, who believe that we are called to be God’s hands in the world. We strive to walk His walk in this world; to follow the call of compassion and service to others. We worship using ancient and beautiful Christian traditions, but with our eyes fixed firmly on the issues and concerns of today’s broken world.

 

How do I follow along with the service?
You’ll be greeted before entering the sanctuary by our clergy or an usher, who will provide a program that maps out the entire worship service. All you need to do is follow along.

 

What happens after the service?
Coffee Hour takes places immediately after our 10:00 a.m. service.  Our Hospitality Guild serves coffee and refreshments while we visit and catch up together. If it is one of your first visits, Coffee Hour is the perfect time to meet our community.

Is it okay to take Communion even if I’m not Episcopalian?
All are welcome at the Holy Table at St. Paul’s.  This means that anyone – baptized or not, Episcopalian or not – may take communion if they wish.  This is a tradition that dates back to our founding in 1861, and has always been the practice at St. Paul’s.  You may also choose to receive a blessing instead of communion by crossing your arms over your chest when the priest comes to you.

 

What if I would like to become a member?
St. Paul’s welcomes anyone who wants participate fully in the life of our community. We invite you to continue your journey with us; ask questions, attend our worship services and concerts, educational offerings, and participate in the activities in our community.

 

How can I get updated information on activities, special events, concerts, and outreach?
Join our mailing list by filling out the contact form at the bottom of this page. And of course, check this site frequently.

 

I have additional questions…Where can I go for answers?
If you have any additional questions, please call the church office at 215-635-4185 or complete the contact form below.

 
 

 

 

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