St Paul's United Church of Christ
50 North Main St.
PO Box 129
Manheim, PA 17545
717-665-2447
The Reverend William J. LaSalle, Pastor
email:stpaulsucc@dejazzd.com

Pastor's Message

November 2007

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is good to be with you! At this writing, I have been your pastor eleven days. I can report that I am slowly, steadily, getting my feet upon the ground, meeting the staff, building working relationships, and learning how the church operates. Worship was good, despite my initial nervousness. I am impressed with the commitment and quality of the music program! And, it was great preaching to a full house. (Keep it up!)

My next task is to begin to meet and get to know you better, and for you to get to know me on a more personal level. To facilitate this task, I have asked the elders to organize ten afternoons or evenings where we can meet to do just that. I will call them YEP (Your Evening with the Pastor) and YAP (Your Afternoon with the Pastor). We will gather in groups of about twenty members for an hour of introductions and story telling. You will get a chance to hear my story and ask questions. I will have the opportunity to listen to you and learn what is important to you about the past and future of St. Paul’s. Light refreshments will follow.

You are invited to sign up for a YEP or a YAP. Sign up sheets will be available in Fellowship Hall on Sundays. If you are unable to get to the church, you may sign up by calling the church office. You can find a complete schedule on page 7 of this newsletter.

Several people have asked when we will move to the Manheim area. Our plan is to move in the spring. Geri, my wife, is an instrumental music teacher in the public school system. When she completes this school year, she will be eligible for an early retirement option from the school district where she teaches. We will put our home up for sale in the spring and move when the house is sold. This means that for the next few months I will have a one hour and fifteen minute commute to Manheim from my home in Pottstown. Fortunately, I have been generously given the use of an apartment in Mount Joy to use on those nights I have meetings at the church.

For the time being, my schedule will look like this: Monday is my regular day off. I will be in the office Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and available for meetings or appointments on those evenings. I will work at home on Fridays and Saturday mornings preparing for worship on Sunday. Wherever I may be sleeping, I remain available at any time for emergencies requiring pastoral care. You may call the church office (717-665-2447), my home (610-718-9688) or my cell phone (610-310-3455). The best place to leave a message will be at church on weekdays or my home on evenings and weekends.

Shalom,
Pastor LaSalle