Ministries
CHEER BASKETS
This year, 2023, we built Cheer Baskets for the 100th year in a row. Baskets of fruit, snacks, and other goodies are assembled and delivered to
shut-ins and other church family.
FELLOWSHIP
We have a very active fellowship group and St. Paul. We go to movies, restaurants, and shows. We hold an annual Mothers’ Day brunch, Fathers’ Day picnic, VBS closing picnic, an annual church picnic, game nights, golfing events, mini golfing events, and more.
St. Paul participates in the Millersville Parade every year. The congregation sponsors a yard sale, pay-as-you-will baked goods, hot dogs, sodas and hot chocolate. Proceeds benefit our local volunteer fire department. (Blue Rock Fire & Rescue)
Loft Community Partnership
The Loft Community Partnership (Loft CP) seeks to create a network to connect needs and available resources with Penn Manor School District residents by building and supporting community connections within and between partners, service providers, and community members; and enhance resource availability to all. The agency addresses the systemic nature of poverty by attending to the specific structural needs of households within the geographic boundaries. All Penn Manor School District households (families or individuals) with food, clothing, transportation insecurities, to name a few, are connected to the service groups, nonprofit organizations and community groups that seek to meet the insecurity needs of community member households in need within the district.
After relocating to the St. Paul Lutheran Church in July of 2020, the Loft Community Partnership and the Loft Food and Clothing Pantry became a collaborative, standalone 501c3 nonprofit organization in the Spring of 2020. Since then, Loft CP has physically outgrown our facility and is transitioning to a new location on East Charlotte street near from the fire house.
New Life Mission, Haiti
St Paul has supported the New Life Children’s Home of Haiti since 2015. One of our members worked with Stevie Estime when she was a physical therapy assistant. She had gone on a mission trip to Haiti and met her future husband while serving there. They heard God’s call to establish this orphanage and eventually move to Haiti. They have literally built the complex from the ground up. Zacharie and Stevie Estime have worshipped with us and attended Sunday School to provide intermittent updates on the progress of the building and the children who now live there. St. Paul’s annual spring plant sales have raised funds for the Children’s Home. Plant sale proceeds are matched from our Global Mission fund. The 2019 profits went toward the building of a medical clinic. This was important since the nearest medical care was 20 miles from the orphanage.
Memorial Garden
The Memorial Garden of St. Paul Lutheran Church provides a sanctuary for meditation, reflection, and prayer for all. It commemorates the lives of those members whose names are listed here and whose cremains are committed to St. Paul Cemetery on East Cottage Avenue between North George St. and High School Avenue.
Millersville University Campus Ministry
An independent ministry for students of any faith attending Millersville University. The congregation strives to share the love of Christ with these students through fellowship, options for service, study and reflection. The ministry began in 2016 when a small group of Millersville students approached Pastor Connie Mentzer asking about options for college students within the congregation.
St. Paul assembles hundreds of snack bags for Millersville students and distributes them at the beginning of finals week. (See the picture below and to the right.)
Quilters
This group meets the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month from 10-2 in room 13. There is a core membership of 5 that are busy sewing on these days. They create quilts for Lutheran World Relief and baby quilts for a local charity. They have also made backpacks for school kits to be donated to LWR.
Vacation Bible School
Summer VBS
Every year St. Paul provides a vacation bible school event that is free and open to the community. An enthusiastic group of leaders and children participate in music, stories, crafts, games and snack time. On the final night of VBS we wrap up the week with a picnic. The community is invited along with the children and their families to enjoy this fellowship event.
