2024
December 15
Sunday afternoon. St. Paul’s was privileged to host a performance of Vivaldi Magnificat. Thank you to Rhett Barnwell, harp and conductor, and our staff singers Maria Margiolaku, soprano, Tom Foust, tenor, Kaitlyn Costello-Fain, alto, and Cole Hankins, harpsichord. Look for more outstanding concerts to be held at St. Paul’s in 2025!
December 14
Saturday night. St. Paul’s Youth was a part of this year’s Annual City of Newnan Christmas Parade. Thank you to our young people, Rev. Deandre, and the adult volunteers for their hard work in helping St. Paul’s celebrate the holidays with our local community!
November 25
A message from Vestry member Anne Graner:
“We did it! 37 volunteers packed and delivered meals to 70 seniors in our community. Thank you to the chefs- Tony King and the Men’s Club, Deandre Bruton, and Patty King. And thanks to the kitchen and set-up/ clean-up crew: Cathy Sandlin, Patty King, Wendy Llosha, Tammy Martin and Lou Graner. And to our 12 delivery teams and drivers- so appreciate you!
The Housing Authority of Newnan and their employee/ and our church member, June Francis, have already shared their appreciation of this partnership. They mentioned what they saw for their ‘young at heart’ residents’ response to having a meal delivered to their home.
Way to go St. Paul’s! May we find ways to deepen this initial contact and possible future connection.”
October 23
Our Trunk or Treat was a huge success this past weekend with over twenty-two cars decorated for our trunk or treaters. For our Chili Cook-Off competition, Frankey Henderson took home the bragging rights, winning the contest. Thank you to Frankey and our six other contestants, Marge Bass, Cathy Sandlin, Jane Huskinson, Elizabeth Pape, Mary Francis Honea, and Jeff Lawhead for their participation in this delicious event! Gratitude also goes out to Rev. Deandre and our volunteers, adult and youth, who put in the time and hard work to create this special experience for St. Paul’s.
October 21
For this quarter’s blood drive we gathered 44 donations of life-saving blood! Thank you to all our donors! And a special thanks to the Red Cross and all our volunteers who made sure this season’s blood drive was a success!
October 7
A message from Rev. Deandre:
“Huge thanks to St. Paul’s! We collected 66 cases of water. On Monday, Julianne Reynolds, Frank West, Mark LeVan, Jayden, Zach, PJ, and I were able to take your donations and prayers along with a $1000 donation to assist St. Paul’s of Augusta in serving their community. This was indeed the Lord’s doing and it is indeed ‘marvelous in our eyes’. Psalm 118:23.”
October 6
Sunday afternoon. In partnership with Newnan Presbyterian Church, we celebrated Octoberfest and the Blessing of the Animals at The Reserve – Line Creek Brewery. We were privileged to have Canon John and Rev. David Jones II preside over the blessings of our furry (and feathered!) friends. Thank you to all who volunteered to make this such a special event! And a special thanks to the Newnan-Coweta Humane Society for all the good work they do in our community! For more information about this group: https://www.nchsrescue.org.
September 22
Sunday at The Cathedral of St. Philip. Congratulations to India and Rev. Deandre on being confirmed to the Episcopal Church! And thank you to Katie McBride Newman for these photos.
September 14 – 15
A Message from Junior Warden Tony King:
“Often, great ideas spawn from fellowship and good conversation. At a Men’s Club dinner in August, discussion centered around Scott’s Garden, a garden area on the east side of the church that was generously underwritten by Mary Ben Christiansen in memory of her late son, Scott McDorman. Mary Ben has been a long-time member of the church and has blessed us with her grace, friendship, and generosity for decades.
We decided that the area needed some TLC. While our youth had done some work to improve the garden, a pallet of mulch and some additional effort were needed to complete the job. On Saturday, Sept. 14th (Mary Ben’s 93rd birthday!), eight parishioners gathered to pull weeds, spread mulch, and rake and sweep to spruce up the garden. The following Sunday morning, after the 10:30 service, the garden was dedicated.
When inspired by God’s love and great ideas, we can accomplish great things.”
September 8
Sunday morning. St. Paul’s Homecoming & Ministry Fair. Along with enjoying a delicious lunch in the Parish Hall, parishioners were also blessed with the opportunity to talk with our Ministry Leaders regarding the numerous ministries that St. Paul’s has to offer. The congregation also got a chance to wish Canon John a very Happy Birthday! THANK YOU to all our volunteers who made this such a special day for our parish!!
August 16 – 18
From the Men’s Club. Thank you to Mark Huskison for this report and the photos.
“This past weekend, the men of St. Paul’s made their annual journey to Camp Mikell for the church’s men’s retreat. The journey began with many of the men meeting at the church and carpooling to Shirley’s Sole Food Cafe in Toccoa, GA. The purveyor of the establishment, Ms. Shirley Combs, runs two homeless shelters in Toccoa and feeds the homeless at her restaurant (in addition to driving a bus for the local school system). Having lunch at her establishment has become an annual tradition of the retreat.
After taking in some of the sights around Toccoa, the men arrived at Camp Mikell. They were treated to fresh cooked meals during the entire retreat weekend courtesy of Tony King, Jeff Lawhead, Nick Eversoll, and Danny Brown. In addition to providing wonderful food for the men of the retreat, it also helped to lower the cost significantly for all attending.
After dinner the men began a weekend of worship, spiritual (and spirited!) discussion, and fellowship – as well as bonding and relaxation. The theme of the weekend was ‘A closer Walk With God: Listening to God in Silence.’ We were honored to have the Rt. Rev. Robert Wright, Bishop of the diocese of Atlanta, lead our morning session Saturday and join us for lunch. He told us the story of his own journey with God and listened to our stories. Canon John then led the rest of the weekend discussions and worship.
After a final meal and Eucharist, the men headed down from the mountaintop to rejoin their families and community in Newnan, rested and revitalized. The men wish to offer their deepest thanks to Frank West, who has been planning these retreats since their inception, and to Canon John and Bishop Wright for leading this year’s retreat.
Look for more information on next year’s retreat in the coming months. We had a larger group of newcomers to the retreat this year than we’ve ever had before, and we’d love for it to be even larger next year!”
August 4
Sunday evening. During the Men’s Club meeting, Canon John blessed the renovated pavilion which was dedicated in memory of Heather Heaberlin’s parents, Chief Petty Officer Donald E. Spidahl and Cheryl M. Spidahl. Canon John also blessed the fire pit which was dedicated in memory of Billy Newman. Our new flagpole also received a blessing from Canon John and was dedicated in honor of all St. Paul’s members who have served in the Armed Forces or are currently serving.
July 8 – 12
From music and arts & crafts to story time, this year’s Vacation Bible School was amazing. St. Paul’s is blessed to have folks who support the children and youth of our parish and our community. Thank you to all the volunteers, families, and youth volunteers who made this year’s VBS a success.
June 2
Sunday afternoon. The Cathedral of St. Philip. Congratulations to Liam Bulford, Jayden Reynolds, Mary Scott Fabrizi, and Mary Huskison for their confirmation into the Episcopal Church!
May 19
Sunday morning. The Day of Pentecost! During the 10:30 AM service, bags of food for Backpack Buddies were blessed by Canon John. After the service, we enjoyed a Pentecost Lunch. We are grateful to all our parishioners who contributed to Backpack Buddies and/or provided a dish for today’s celebration!
May 12
Senior Sunday! We congratulate our high school seniors Adele Bulford, Rhett Eversoll, Caroline Hawes, Lanie Mae Henderson, and Sofia Young on their graduation. And a special thank you to Lannie Mae and Adele for speaking at both the 8:30 and 10:30 AM services.
April 24
Wednesday morning. St. Paul’s donates 85 blessed food bags to the Coweta Community Food Pantry for its elderly clients. In addition to the food, a Community Grant check for $10,000 was presented to the Food Pantry. The Outreach Committee would like to thank everybody who supplied food bags and also express their gratitude to all our parishioners who fulfill their yearly pledges so St. Paul’s can financially support local nonprofits.
March 31
Easter Day. Thank you to Cathy Sandlin, Elizabeth Pape, Polly Hopkins, Beth Gourley and the Java Crew, Louise Howard and the Flower Guild, and all the volunteers who helped make our Easter Morning Brunch and our Worship Services wonderful experiences for St. Paul’s this year!
March 11
Sunday afternoon. March 10. Cole Hankins conducts Maria Margiolakou, soprano; Jenna Rodriguez, mezzo-soprano; and Rhett Barnwell, harp & cello in Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. The artists would like to thank the staff, Vestry, and parish choir of St. Paul’s.
March 11
Saturday morning. March 11. Quiet Day. We gathered together to still ourselves as we prepared our hearts for Easter. During the concluding session, Canon John led us in a short liturgy where we released our written requests to God, visualizing the smoke rising as incense to God…
February 14
This year the Community Lenten Series Service with the Imposition of Ashes was presided over (from left to right in photo) by Rev. Andrew Chappell of Newnan First United Methodist Church, Fr. Frank Lyness of St. George Catholic Church, Canon John of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Rev. David Jones of Newnan Presbyterian Church, and Rev. Matt Sapp of Central Baptist Church who also gave the homily.
February 13
Thank you to our Vestry, Parish Life Committee, and EYC for putting on another wonderful Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner this year.
A night filled with food, fun, and music was brought to a reflective conclusion with the tradition of “burying the Alleluia”, a symbolic gesture marking the beginning of Lent.
January 28
Sunday morning. Our Annual Business Meeting. Today we welcomed Sarah Huxford, Elizabeth Pape, and Anne Graner as the newest members of St. Paul’s Vestry. And we thank our outgoing Vestry members Virginia Williams, Frankey Henderson, and Mark LeVan for their dedication and service to our church.
2023
November 5
Sunday. All Saints’ Day. From the Collect for All Saint’ Day: “Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.” – Collect for All Saints’ Day.
November 4
Saturday afternoon. St. Paul’s annual Flower Festival & Traditional English Tea. We are thankful for Louise Howard and all the volunteers, young people and adults, for their beautiful creativity and hard work!
October 29
This year’s All Hallows Festival and Supper! We are grateful to all our volunteers – adult and EYC – who contributed to our Trunk & Treat, Chili Cook-off, and other fun activities.
October 8
This year we held our annual Blessing of the Animals Service at Line Creek Brewery – The Reserve. We thank Canon John and all our volunteers who helped us gather in communion and friendship as we brought forward our pets, entrusted to our care, to receive a blessing. If you want to help animals in need, here in our community, please contact Newnan-Coweta Humane Society at 770-683-3156 or go to nchsrescue.org.
September 17
Homecoming! Students and educators were prayed over by Canon John. Blessings were given to backpacks. After the 10:30 AM service, all were welcome to attend lunch in the Parish Hall. At that time, St. Paul’s said goodbye to Cynthia Meisinger, our Youth Director of Children and Youth Ministries. We wish Cynthia all the best as she moves into the next chapter of her life! And thank you to all the volunteers who worked so hard today to make this year’s Homecoming a success!
August 18 – 20
Last weekend, the men of St. Paul’s headed north to Camp Mikell, the camp and conference center of the Diocese of Atlanta. The beautiful and natural setting of Mikell set the tone for the men attending to connect, make new friendships, and nurture old ones. The retreat was facilitated by the Rev. Mark Johnson, St. Paul’s former Deacon and now Priest in Charge at Advent/Madison. With Fr. Mark at the helm, and no cell phones, lawn mowing, or week-end chores as a distraction, the weekend was a huge success, filled with fellowship, fun and, most importantly, St. Paul’s men growing together as brothers in Christ.
Under the leadership of Frank West, retreat chairman, the number of men attending this year set a record. Mahalo Nui loa! Bill Harrison was the winner of the first annual Gordon Ramsey Memorial “Sartorial Splendor Sox” award. Want to know more about the significance of this esteemed award coveted by all Episcopal Men? Attend the retreat next year. We are already in the planning stages.
July 16
This summer, while we wait for The Rev. Canon John Thompson-Quartey to begin his tenure at St. Paul’s as our Interim Rector on Aug. 6, we continue to be blessed with an assortment of supply priests and leaders in the diocese who preside over our Sunday morning worship services. On this Sunday morning we had the privilege of having one of our own parishioners officiate and preach. We thank Nicole Walters for this act of service.
June 25
Congratulations to the Rev. Mark S. Johnson who was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests this past weekend at the Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta. Today, he served as celebrant for the first time at St. Paul’s at both the 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM services. Afterwards, a luncheon was served to celebrate his ordination.
May 20 – 21
This past weekend we celebrated our rector Rev. Hazel Smith Glover’s thirty years of ministry as she and our church prepare for her upcoming retirement. Family, friends, parishioners, and colleagues came out to honor Hazel on Saturday night for a festive evening in the Parish Hall. On Sunday morning, the Rev. Canon Hannah Anderson ,a longtime friend of Hazel’s, delivered a sermon that reflected on Hazel’s spiritual journey and her career as a priest in the Episcopal Church. Following the sermon, Hazel performed her last baptism at St. Paul’s, ensuring one more child is now baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
May 1
Many donors and volunteers turned out to this spring’s Red Cross blood drive, contributing to the collection of forty-six viable units.
March 29
One of our Wednesday night supper crews: Beth Gourley, JJ Thomasson, JoAnna Thomasson, Heather Heaberlin, and Anne Kelleher. We are so grateful to all our volunteers who serve in this capacity!
March 26
Sunday evening. Our EYC and St. Margaret’s EYC joined forces at St. Paul’s for pizza, snacks, and games!
March 11
Saturday morning sidewalk sale at One Roof Ecumenical Alliance Outreach in Newnan with The Daughters of the King.
February 21
Shrove Tuesday pancake supper! This year’s celebration was hosted by St. Paul’s youth group.
February 21
Our friends from the Rutledge Center joined us in the Parish Hall for dancing, laughter, and connecting through joy!
February 3 – 5
St. Paul’s vestry’s annual retreat to Camp Mikell. This year we welcome Marge Bass, Mary Frances Honea, and Roy Reynolds as new members of the Vestry! We also welcome Marianne Lawhead as the new Senior Warden!
January 29
This year’s annual Winter Preaching Series hosted by St. Paul’s. Joining us in this collaborative event were Central Baptist and Newnan Presbyterian. Dr. Mark Douglas, Professor of Christian Ethics at Columbia University, delivered the morning’s sermon, titled “Partners in Mission”.
2022
December 17
Congratulations to our seminarian Mark Stewart Johnson on his ordination to the diaconate today. The service was held at The Cathedral of St. Philip and presided over by The Right Reverend Robert Christopher Wright.
December 4
John Will baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
November 13
Sunday evening. The Men’s Club had the privilege of hosting local author Save Quesinberry. Steve spoke about his new book “Better Men”, a story ten years in the making that traces the (until now) untold history of Coweta County’s Vietnam veterans.
November 13
Sunday morning worship service. Remembering and honoring our veterans in observance of Veteran’s Day.
November 12
At the 116th Annual Council, some members of our youth group took part in “Overnight @ Annual Council”. Mary Scott, Mary, and India stayed overnight from Friday evening into Saturday afternoon playing games and enjoying other activities. In partnership with other youth from the diocese, these young ladies also helped with packing 10,000 lunches for food-insecure families. We are proud of these youth, their service to those in need, and how well they represented St. Paul’s this past weekend.
November 11-12
This year the 116th Annual Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta was held at Holy Innocent’s Episcopal Church and School. Along with the Rev. Hazel Smith Glover, diocesan council delegates Renee Powell, Cynthia Meisinger, Geoff Mattera, and Mark Huskison were in attendance representing St. Paul’s. Prayerful discussion and debate were had concerning a wide variety of important issues facing the diocese. Votes were taken and calls to action issued.
November 5
At the home of Daryl and Amy Jones. A Usher, EM, and Verger party with a focus on celebrating our rector, The Rev. Hazel Smith Glover.
November 2
After Wednesday night dinner. Making crosses for All Saints Day in honor of loved ones who have passed away during the last year.
