Ministries

JOY55+

JOY55+ is the name for the new Older Adult Ministry at St. Paul’s whose purpose is to promote positive attitudes toward aging, encourage positive aspects of moving into a new time of life, and appreciate the most of what we have if we are already older. There is no specific age criteria, although the hope is to target those who may be thinking about retirement (though still possibly several years ahead of that decision) and also anyone already retired. Much planning and discussion has taken place since the Older Adult Ministry survey, and the group plans to make resources and activities available to members of the congregation. In addition to topical articles, there will be service opportunities offered along with social functions. Watch for details on upcoming activities and events.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ Sharing (BASICS)

BASICS groups provide an opportunity to encourage one another in the faith. These groups help to build a sense of community, a sense of family, a sense of belonging. These groups may meet in homes, at church, in restaurants. They may meet around a faith-based study, pursue and seek God-honoring mission in service to our congregation and/or community, or gather around a common interest/hobby. Click here to learn more about BASICS opportunities.

Dinner for Eight

Get to know your fellow St. Paul’s Lutheran Church family and add to your circle of friends with this newly formed B.A.S.I.C.S. (Brothers and Sisters in Christ Sharing) group. Dinner for Eight groups are a great way to stay connected with longtime friends and meet new friends at St. Paul’s. These groups, based on common interests or seasons of life, gather together about once a month to enjoy good food and fellowship with each other. Each individual or family takes a turn to be the “host” home within the group or selects a restaurant to meet for dinner. Dinner can be as fancy or as casual as your group of eight desires. If you are interested in joining a Dinner for Eight group, please register online by clicking here. Registration forms are also available in the church lobbies. Contact Carrie Patterson with any questions: jcpatt1@sbcglobal.net or 314-609-0988.

Women's Ministry

Information about all of our women's ministry opportunities is available here.

Men's Ministry

Men's Breakfast The Men's Ministry hosts a breakfast for men in February every year at Greenbriar Country Club. 2014's featured inspirational speaker was Rev. Bob Wrede from Concordia Seminary who was at Ground Zero immediately before the second tower collapsed and ministered to first resonders and workers. Click here to view the video from last year's breakfast.

Men's Bible Studies are available on Mondays at 6:00am and Fridays at 6:30am. Yep, that's early!

Men's Club meets the 3rd Monday of each month at 6:00pm. Their most famous event they sponsor is our annual Roast Beef and Potato Pancake Dinner in October. They also support local ministry and missions, including Joplin relief, provide assistance for members studying to be churchworkers, world ministry and missions including David and Lois Mahsman, various items in use at St. Paul's including the tables and chairs used in the school, the HVAC system for our gym. The Men's Club also sponsor our annual Outdoor Movie Night and the final Lenten "Brats for Bricks" dinner.

Men's Open Basketball is every Sunday evening in our school gym at 7:00pm (summer Sundays are sporadic).

Seniors

Our Seniors meet monthly on the 1st Wednesday of the month at noon (no meeting in July). They begin with a carry-in lunch followed by a program, either educational or entertaining.

DivorceCare

Divorced? Separated? You don’t have to go through it alone. Find Help. Discover Hope. Experience Healing. Join with others in this weekly seminar and support group. Come and hear valuable information on how to deal with the hurt accompanying separation and/or divorce and look forward to rebuilding your life. This group, facilitated by John & Diana Zimmerman and Pam Stone meets on Fridays at 7:00pm. The next session will begin on January 29. Contact the church office with questions. Register for DivorceCare by clicking here.

LIFE

St. Paul's Life Advocacy Group meets periodically. This ministry group confirms the ideals and beliefs on all LIFE issues held by national Lutherans For Life. Our mission is the same, to equip Lutherans to be Gospel-motivated voices for LIFE. If you are interested in attending our meetings, please contact the church office. We sponsor two recurring activities:

Click here for more information about Lutherans for Life.

Social Ministry

Our Social Ministry Committee collects food (through the "yellow bag" program) on a regular basis for three different food pantries: Mt. Olive, Transfiguration, and Concordia Seminary. They also hold annual collections of certain items throughout the year. And they accept monetary donations for the numerous families/individuals with valid needs seeking help through the church.