St. Paul's on-the-Hill Episcopal Church 1527 Senseny Road Winchester, Virginia 22602 540-667-8110
St. Paul's on-the-Hill Episcopal Church 1527 Senseny Road Winchester, Virginia 22602 540-667-8110
Our staff includes: The Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith, rector; Ms. Heather Ankerbrand, Director of Music; and Ms. Trudi Schwarting, parish secretary. Thank you for visiting our website. We invite you to visit us in person; we would be delighted to meet you. If you have any questions, give us a call or contact our priest by email at hilary@spoth.org or send an email to our secretary at office@spoth.org.
Community Event --The Shenandoah Valley Amateur Radio Club will hold its annual Field Day event on the property of St. Paul's On-The-Hill from 2 PM Saturday to 2 PM Sunday, June 27&28. We will occupy the rear parking lot and the lawn area behind the church building. Field Day involves setting up portable antennas and radio equipment using emergency power and operating around the clock to demonstrate Amateurs' ability to communicate in less-than-ideal conditions and to provide the general public an opportunity to see Amateur Radio in action. It is also a LOT of fun! All are invited to come check us out after church Saturday and Sunday, or at any time during the event. Tom Sherwood.
Summer Seminarian – Welcome Catherine Hicks! Catherine will be doing her summer parish training with us; she has just completed her second year of seminary at the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria , VA.
New Bible Study - There is a new Bible study being offered to accommodate those who need a different day and time, or a noon-time break from work."Brown-bagging with the Bible" will meet on Tuesdays at noon in the fellowship hall.First meeting is on February 10th.Bring a lunch and we'll choose a study guide to use and get acquainted.
Group Spiritual Direction – Hilary, who is a trained spiritual director, will be offering an opportunity for group spiritual direction on Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m. starting March 3rd. We will use materials and methods of spiritual direction to help us reflect on our relationship with God – how we experience God in daily life.
Our Community
Be sure to visit our gallery page to view more pictures.
Hear a portion of our Sunday service May 31, 2009; Pentecost, 10:00am
Support SPOTH, shop Amazon!
Each time you use the link below to shop at Amazon, a portion of your purchase will be donated to St. Paul's on-the-Hill!
St. Paul's Table (our outreach to the hungry) Our church has a Food Pantry on the first Sunday of every month from 1 - 3pm. You can help by bringing clean, hole-free plastic grocery bags. If you know of an appropriate bulletin board, or a social service agency, please post flyers about the food pantry. They are available at church. Donations of food can be made for the pantry; contact us for details. If you'd like to more involved, we are having an organizational meeting the second Sunday of every month following the 10:00 service.
CCAP Sunday The last Sunday of each month we collect and offering that goes to help the needy of our area through CCAP (Congregational Action Project). Thank you for your generosity, which makes a difference in many lives.
Youth Group
Youth Group – Meets this Saturday, January 31, 6:00 p.m. to fill bags with food for the Pantry the next day. Please let Hilary know if you can come. We would like to have dinner provided for the youth – maybe each family or other parish members could bring something to share, coordinate with Hilary. Thanks!
Choir The St. Paul's on-the-Hill choir is open to all who enjoy praising God through song. We rehearse on Sundays, 9am - 9:45pm. Saturday Evening Service
Every Saturday at 5pm. Child care provided upon request. Tell all your friends whose children play soccer on Sunday mornings! This service is also a good option for those who work on Sundays. Parents with small children may find this to be a better time to get everyone out the door. People who have certain medical conditions may also find that this service meets their needs. Everyone is invited! The service will be much like the 10am Holy Eucharist Rite II service but with a blend of music. Casual, Convenient, Cool
SPOTH SING-A-LONG and pot luck dinners. Join us for food, fun and singing designed for all ages. Tired of hanging out alone or watching TV with the family? SPOTH seeks to be a gathering spot for the local community-an oasis of peace and welcome in our busy world. Even if you go to another church or to no church at all, you are welcome to come and bring friends. Newcomers and visitors do not need to bring food--come as our guests. Contact us for the next date and time.
Every Sunday at 10am This fun learning experience is for children in Elementary School. The lesson focuses on the readings for the day in way that children can understand. We use art and music to engage the children in creative ways. Bring your elementary-school-aged child to this fun experience designed for them. The Children gather in the sanctuary for a prayer with the priest and then go as a group to Children's Chapel or return to sit with their parents if they prefer. Children are always welcome in our sanctuary.
The St. Paul's on-the-Hill book group meets on the 1st Thursday of every month. Please call Barbara Epperson at 662-5463 if you would like to join us and select a book for the group to read and discuss.
2009 Book Group Reading List
February
An Ordinary Man, an Autobiography by Paul Rusesabagina and Tom Zolner
Sundays in parish hall. All are welcome! We are studying readings for the day using the Living the Good News curriculum. Guides provided. Adult education meets between the services on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. in the parish hall.
Rector's Read July 8, 2009 7:30 pm
Library, St. Paul's on-the-Hill
In the Eye of the Storm: Swept to the Center by God by Gene Robinson
Gene Robinson is bishop of the tiny, rural Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, but he's at the center of a storm of controversy raging in the Episcopal Church and throughout the worldwide Anglican Communion involving homosexuality, the priesthood, and the future of the Communion. This book offers an honest, thoughtful portrait of Robinson, the faith that has informed his life, and the controversy that continues to rock his Church.
About the Author Gene Robinson, elected bishop in 2003 amid great controversy, is the first openly gay bishop elected to serve in the Anglican Communion. His episcopate - and his entire ministry - have been marked by service to the poor and marginalized, and devotion to prison ministry.
St. Paul's on-the-Hill is a friendly and welcoming place for children. Children are encouraged to join adults for worship! At the beginning of our services, our priest has a special prayer with them. Children's bulletins and crayons are offered to help them to connect with the scripture readings for the day in a fun way. For our youngest members, the nursery is available during the 10:00am Sunday service and the 5:00pm Saturday service. Elementary-age children can attend Children's Chapel following the prayer with our priest at 10am on Sundays.
I'm Amber Hummer and I have been part of St. Paul's on-the-Hill youth for about two years now. I am 16 years old and a Junior at Millbrook High School. Being in the youth group has been one of the best experiences. Our youth group has young adults ranging from middle school to high school. We run around and do a lot of different things. Dr. Hilary has taken us to Hagerstown a few times to see movies and things of that nature. Please don't feel like you are too young or too old to join. We are always looking for new members! Our youth group has a very non-intimidating environment. So if you have any questions please contact Dr. Hilary or myself. My email address is amber_hummer@hotmail.com We look forward to seeing you on Sunday :)
We take part in my local programs to help the needy of our area. In the fall of 2006, we expanded our Outreach Program to include gleaning. Over 20 of our members went to local orchards and collected apples from areas already harvested. The apples went to feed the needy of our area. Our children and youth are learning about the needs of others and helping by raising funds for the Heifer Project. We also started a feeding program called St. Paul's Table; currently we are serving in teams at the Salvation Army and at the Men's Mission. We walk in the Crop Walk each year. We take part in the Chain-of-Checks program; we support CCAP; we provide gifts for those in need at Christmas. On the first Sunday in January, 2008, we are opening a Food Pantry at our church, 1pm - 3pm. The Food Pantry will be open the first Sunday of every month. Our church is focused on helping others and we welcome your participation. Join us in serving Christ by serving our neighbors.
We strive to accessible to all! We have a ramp into the building and our main worship space is on that level immediately to your right when you come into the building. In the worship space, there is room designed for wheelchairs in first pew on the right side. One could also be in the back of the church or on the side of a pew. The unisex restrooms are immediately to your left when you enter the building. The second restroom is wheelchair accessible, although there are no handrails in either of the bathrooms. The priest's office, the main office, the nursery, and all the Sunday school classrooms are also on that floor. The parish hall, where we often gather for fellowship time, is downstairs. By driving around the back of the church, the parish hall is wheelchair accessible--a ramp provides access into the hall. If you were to visit us and provide suggestions for how we could be more accessible, we would welcome and value your input.
Copyright Saint Paul's on-the-Hill Episcopal Church 2008
