In 2011, money was collect for the Blue Ridge Area Food Banks and in 2010, our youth collected money that was donated to Episcopal Relief and Development for Haitian earthquake relief. In previous years, the youth of St. Paul’s have donated the funds to the Quality Community Council’s Urban Farm Project in Charlottesville, Heifer, International and our own Outreach fund. Collected funds have been used to purchase first aid kits and flashlights/batteries (after a hurricane in Albemarle we found that our Outreach families had almost nothing for any emergency situation). Money has also been donated to the Thomas Jefferson Area Food Bank.

Sunday, January 29th was Jim Sivley’s last day as our Associate Organist. For 12 years, Jim has played for our summer services, covered many weddings and funerals, and worked with Alice to provide the exceptional music we have enjoyed at St. Paul’s. Happily, we are not saying good-bye to Jim, as he and his family will continue to worship and sing with us. Jim has also graciously agreed to let us continue to call upon his services when needed in the future, so you will still see him on the bench occasionally. We are very grateful to Jim for his commitment to SPI, and we hope you will personally thank him for his years of faithful service.

After prayerful deliberation, we have decided to combine the lead and associate organist/choir director roles back into one position. In order to attract the most highly qualified candidates, we need to pool the resources of these two part-time positions. A committee of choir and vestry members is interviewing candidates for this new position. While the search continues, we will have an interim organist/choir director. Please welcome Linda Hanson beginning February 5 as she steps in to lead our music program in the coming weeks.

Linda earned her Bachelor of Music and Master of Sacred Music degrees from Boston University. She is a Colleague of the American Guild of Organists and past dean of the Charlottesville/Albemarle chapter. She studied Alexander Technique with Sandra Bain Cushman and composition with Alice Parker. She served for many years (23) as Minister of Music with Westminster Presbyterian Church. Although she is no longer employed full-time as a musician, she continues to play for churches in the area and directs Fire, an a cappella women’s vocal ensemble. We look forward to working with her in this time of transition.

The January 31st Soup Kitchen Service Day was a huge success thanks to the generosity of our St. Paul’s, Ivy parishioners. We had 12 volunteers to help serve approximately 150 guests. The majority of the guests were men under age 50. The number of homeless seems to be on the rise in this area. The next Soup Kitchen is May 29th.

On Saturday, February 11, Bishop Shannon Johnston will be at St. Paul’s for the Ordination to the vocational diaconate for Donald Cady, Christine Garcia and Frederico Garza. All parishioners are welcome to attend the service at 10:30 a.m.

If you are interested in receiving Confirmation during the Bishop’s visitation on the afternoon of Sunday, March 25, a series of 6 classes is being offiered by the Rev. John Seville to prepare candidates for this important stage in their Christian journey. Classes will meet on Sundays from 5 – 6:30 p.m. in Neve Hall. Class dates are February 5, 12, 19, 26, March 4, 11. For more information or to register for classes, please contact the church office.

Look for our own St.Paul’s, Ivy Lenten Devotional on the Sunday before Lent, February 19. Copies will be available on the usher’s table and on the table in the stone hallway. The daily devotions will also be available on our website (www.stpaulsivy.org) along with links to all the related readings. Many thanks to our fellow parishioners for their inspirational thoughts.