Great things are happening at The Palms! We are dreaming big, acting boldly, and loving God. To that end, we welcome Jennifer Hoppe! She will be our new keyboardist / accompanist. Her skillset has taken her around the world—she’s worked for the Metropolitan Opera and most recently four years of teaching and performing in Italy.… Continue reading Welcome, Jennifer Hoppe, our new keyboardist / accompanist
Category: Pastor Paul’s Ponderings and Letters
Thank you and goodbye
My oldest kid, who lives in Missouri, was out recently for a visit. He recognized that his grandparents were getting older and wanted to come while they were still alive and celebrate their presence in his life. In many respects, he wanted to say, “Thank you and goodbye” to them. Are there people in your life… Continue reading Thank you and goodbye
“Did-Ya-Know?” top ten
10. Did you know that we expanded our Feet-n-More Shower Trailer ministry in 2021? It traveled from Sun City to Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, Tempe – all over the metropolitan area. 8. Did you know that buying Girl Scout cookies and donating them to the church office is calorie-free? 7. Did you know that we received over $518K… Continue reading “Did-Ya-Know?” top ten
Pastor Paul’s brief recap of the past five years
Thank you to all who made the 2022 Annual Meeting such a success. I am honored to serve with the slate of volunteers we have for 2022. Before we jump too far into the 2022, let me give a brief recap of the past five years. In 2017, I talked about adjusting our sails, because… Continue reading Pastor Paul’s brief recap of the past five years
Don’t miss my State of the Church address
Thirty years ago I was listening to President Bush give the State of the Union address. The governor then gave the State of the State and the mayor the State of the City. I thought, “Why can’t a preacher do the same thing with the church?” To my mind, my thought was so original and… Continue reading Don’t miss my State of the Church address
We have a good group guiding us
Our Annual Meeting on Saturday, January 29 at 9 a.m. in the sanctuary will be a celebration: record-setting financial giving to the church, great volunteer leadership, expansion of our social justice ministry, hope for tomorrow. Having said that, every time I start to think that I have this Covid thing figured out, a new wave… Continue reading We have a good group guiding us
Anniversaries are an important part of life
On this day, 31 years ago, I was ordained into Christian ministry. My family and church family gathered to celebrate. My travels have taken me to serve churches in Texas, Florida, back to Kentucky and finally home in Arizona. My family has changed as well (with the addition of two more kids). How blessed I… Continue reading Anniversaries are an important part of life
2022 resolutions the fabulous Whitlocks shall attempt
New Year’s resolutions are common this time of the year. Overheard at dinner, here are some of the (tongue in cheek) resolutions the fabulous Whitlocks shall attempt: I resolve to keep my fake houseplants alive this year. I resolve to stay within the earth’s atmosphere all year. I resolve to not move this year. I… Continue reading 2022 resolutions the fabulous Whitlocks shall attempt
Word of the year
Each year Merriam-Webster — the dictionary word people — declares a “word of the year.” The biggest science story of our time quickly became the biggest debate in our country, and the word at the center of both stories is vaccine — the word of the year. That word was what was hoped for at… Continue reading Word of the year
Many things happened in 2021.
As this year comes to an end, I pause and give thanks. Many things happened in 2021—it was a hard year for many of us. The year began with my dad dying from Covid-19. The hope that vaccines, once heralded and hoped for, morphed into a political game. Worship in-person returned with strong limits. Variants… Continue reading Many things happened in 2021.