Lee Paczulla's Page

I know September seems like it was only yesterday -- but believe it or not, this Sunday, May 19, I will participate in my very last worship service as your Student Minister at First U.

My Student Ministry in this congregation fulfilled the field education requirement for my program at Harvard Divinity School -- which I'll graduate from (finally!) on May 30.  I was so excited to focus this learning year around my passion for urban and contextual ministry -- working with lay leaders on…

Hi all!

This morning, I was honored to deliver the invocation to open the Philadelphia City Council session, at the invitation of At-Large Councilman Bill Green and his staff.  The text of the short reflection and prayer I offered is below.  It has been such a gift this year to serve as your Student Minister and feel the support of this congregation - I hope I represented you well!…

A few months ago, about a dozen members and friends of First U gathered over three weeks in the Shared Ministry Suite to share, to learn, and to express their frustration and anger over what was unanimously considered to be a powerful and ground-breaking book:  The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander.  In recent weeks, the issue of mass incarceration…

First U's 3rd Annual Holiday Book Drive was a resounding success, thanks to abundant donations from members and friends of our congregation, and to the work of our fantastic book drive coordinator, Bijan Makarechi.  The Andrew Jackson Elementary school library and classrooms will receive a total of 120 books donated by First U -- …