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Report on Family Ministry

Annual Meeting, Church of St Paul in the Desert

Palm Springs, California

The Reverend Armand John Kreft, Associate Rector

I am pleased to say that we've entered the second year of family ministry at St Paul in the Desert. Family Ministry continues to be a vital and strong, albeit small, ministry with great ramifications for the spiritual life of our youth and children.

Faithfull Families is in the second year curriculum of a three year cycle. There is a strong core group of families that participate. I thank Beth Owsley and Tim Jewsbury for coordinating the monthly gatherings. The curriculum of FaithFull Families is based on strengthening the family unit through prayer, sharing meals, activities and blessing. We meet once a month for a two hour structured evening. The crafts produce items that can be utilized in family rituals during the week.

This last year the Sunday School time was moved to 9:15, beginning with a short chapel service. Sunday School and Adult Forum give us a chance for education and study. The time between services allows families to be involved with Sunday School and still worship as a family unit at either the 8:00 or 10:30 services.

This past year we introduced a new Sunday School curriculum based on the Revised Common Lectionary. This curriculum, Seasons of the Spirit, did not prove adequate for our needs and we've reverted to our former curriculum until we have a chance to review others that follow the lectionary used at St. Paul's.

The Youth Group activities have grown in attendance and enthusiasm. This past year we enjoyed Pizza and Bowling. I learned that youth do not eat anything but pepperoni pizza. I learned that anchovies and the like are not allowed... but that left more for the adults. We also had a very well attended trail ride at Smoke Tree Stables. IN the near future we will have an intergenerational hay ride and an afternoon of archery. Special thanks to Tim Nugent and Kathy Kilmer for their coordination of the Youth Group.

This past summer we also offered a self-esteem seminar for the boys and girls in grades 4 through 6. Rob Firth and Tim Nugent taught the boys, Beth Owsley and Monica Firth were on hand to teach the girls. While the attendance was sparse, we did get coverage on CBS 2 news and I hope we will be able to offer this again this coming summer.

For those of you familiar with reality-based television shows, in early summer we will offer "Survivor - Sunday School", a series of friendly competition between two teams challenging the participants with tasks engaging physical, mental and spiritual strengths.

You have also seen a greater participation of youth and families at the 10:30 service. While some children are readers or offer the prayers of the people, family units now act as oblation bearers, bringing the elements of communion forward to the altar. Even our acolytes seems to be getting younger. This participation, along with the children's choir, remind us that these children are not the future of the church, they are the church today, along with everyone else.

Along with participation wihtin our community, the children and youth (along with parents, most notably Claudia McVeigh) assembled and sold Christmas ornaments based on our stain glass windows. This fundraising effort was to aid less fortunate children in the Coachella Valley at Christmas time. By the sale of these ornaments, the children of St. Paul in the Desert raised over $1,000 which was used to purchase toys and candy for the children of migrant families.

While family ministry continues to be strong and will grow as more families are invited to St. Paul's, it will never be our "cutting edge" ministry. However, with the inclusion and welcome to all families to join our larger community, St. Paul's continues to be a haven, respite and joy in Palm Springs. It is the hope of this ministry to offer a chance for families to use their faith, their intellect and their sense of joy in Christ, for the greater glory of God. This ministry has given me great satisfaction and gratitude for my time with you and I look forward to continuing this ministry.
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