~ the eSPIRE Newsletter ~
January 24, 2021
The Third Sunday of Epiphany
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A Service of Prayer for Our Nation This Morning
8:00 a.m. in the church
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The clergy of St. Philip's invite you to join them in prayer for our nation and its leaders this morning at 8:00 a.m. in the church. Our fervent prayers are especially important during this time of painful division within our country; let us offer them up together as we prepare for the transfer of our nation's leadership this afternoon.
The service will be in-person only (masks required), but those who wish to pray at home may click the link below for the liturgy.
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Almighty God, our heavenly Father, send down on those who hold public office the spirit of wisdom, charity, and justice; that with steadfast purpose they may faithfully serve in their offices to promote the well‑being of all people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Office and Service Schedule Update
In effect through January
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To help ensure the safety of our parishioners and staff given the current surge in COVID-19 cases in our area, the following changes to our office hours and service and activity schedules implemented last week will remain in effect through January:
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Church Office
- The church office building will be closed Mondays and Fridays with staff working remotely. You may reach staff by phone (843-722-7734) or email during regular office hours on those days.
Wednesdays Alive! Service and Classes
- Wednesdays Alive! services are suspended.
- College Fellowship will be virtual.
- Mere Christianity will meet on Zoom as usual.
Sunday Services
- Both the 8:15 and 10:30 services will be Morning Prayer.
- Childcare will not be available.
Youth Group
- Youth Group will meet virtually.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. ––Joshua 1:9
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A Letter from the Rev. Marc Boutan
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The following letter was mailed January 11 and emailed January 14.
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Dear St. Philip’s Family,
I began my ministry at St. Philip’s Church in January of 2001, and I’ve spanned the course of 20 years here. On Friday, January 8, I turned 68 years old, and I feel it’s time to scale back. After much prayer and thought, I have come to the decision to retire from full-time pastoral care ministry.
This has been such a hard decision, and one that I have mulled over for a long while. Part of what makes it so difficult is that things are good here at St. Philip’s with the parishioners and with my colleagues. Our church is spiritually healthy, and the relationships among us are very strong. Trish and I have felt a lot of love here. Together with you, we are growing in our knowledge and love of Christ, thanks to great leadership and God’s grace. But I’m ready to work part-time, and the position of Pastoral Care Assistant requires a full-time priest. My retirement from pastoral care ministry will become effective February 1, 2021.
Fortunately, Jeff has asked me to stay on part-time as the Music Team leader for the Wednesdays Alive service, so I am retiring––but I am not leaving. I will be at the church office on a weekly basis preparing for the service. Happily, we will continue to see each other.
I know this is a big change, but it’s not goodbye! I am confident that God will raise up a successor to carry on the important work of pastoral ministry at St. Philip’s.
Affectionately in Christ,
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God's Littlest Lambs Children's Home Update
by Tammy Gottshalk, World Missions Committee
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Life at God’s Littlest Lambs Children’s Home in Honduras has been very different during the past several months as our committed staff have worked tirelessly to care for the more than 60 children whose home is with LAMB. They have faced great challenges along the way. We are grateful that through God’s mercy and the diligence of our Honduran staff, we have not had a single case of COVID at the children’s home! Instead, in the midst of the pandemic, our children are continuing to learn, grow, and achieve new goals. We wanted to give you a taste of this through a few images sent to us this week from our Honduran staff.
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Christian Formation@Home
Winter-Spring 2021
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While we may not be able to gather in person for Sunday School at this time, we have selected great resources for your family to use at home.
"Meeting with Jesus" is a daily Bible reading plan for elementary school students. The guide focuses on the life of Jesus and includes daily Bible readings, discussion questions, prayer prompts, a weekly memory verse, and space to take notes on sermons.
"The Jesus Storybook Bible" is the ideal starting point for young children to learn about the Bible. Beautifully illustrated, each story from the old and new testaments points to Jesus.
These resources are available to your family at no cost. Click the link below to order your copy. Supplies are limited.
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2020 Anglican Women's Conference Videos Now Available Online
Talks by Susan Alexander Yates, Bishop Mark Lawrence,
and St. Philippian Jayne Gurley
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Last October, women of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina met at Camp St. Christopher for a weekend of reflection and fellowship with guest speaker Susan Alexander Yates. Click the link below to listen to her three-part talk, "Eight Keys to See Our Almighty God with Greater Clarity," along with Bishop Mark Lawrence's opening address and St. Philip's own Jayne Gurley's talk on mentoring.
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Men, Are You Ready?
Wild at Heart Basic Bootcamp at Camp St. Christopher
February 25-28, 2021
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A man needs a deeper understanding of his masculine heart—and why God made him just like that. What if those deep desires in our hearts are telling us the truth, revealing to us the lives we were meant to live? A man must know he is powerful; he must know he has what it takes. The way we handle the heart is everything. Basic is not a retreat about the “seven things a man ought to do to be a nicer guy.” It is a four-day quest into the recovery of a man’s masculine soul, the release of a man’s heart—his passions and his true nature—all given him by God.
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This Week's Livestream Link
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In his final scheduled sermon at St. Philip's, the Rev. Marc Boutan spoke of vocation and his own call to ministry, illustrating his story with a quote from theologian Frederick Buechner: "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."
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Reservations for In-Person Worship
Reservations for this Sunday's services of Morning Prayer at 8:15 and 10:30 a.m. open today at 9:00 a.m. Childcare during the 10:30 service is currently suspended.
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Tonight at 7:15 p.m. on Zoom
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Do you receive Fr. Brian's updates and weekly wrap-up emails? Click here to read his last wrap-up email, and if you'd like to join his email list, let him know!
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Rector's Bible Study
Thursdays at noon on Zoom
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All are welcome to join our rector, the Reverend Jeffrey S. Miller, as he continues his exploration of the Gospel of Matthew! Fix yourself a sandwich, grab your Bible and a seat on your sofa, and click the link below a few minutes before noon tomorrow. We can't wait to see you!
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Do You Follow @st.philips.church?
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If you follow St. Philip's on social media, you already know that a recent "lost and found" situation ended happily. You also know that there are still a number of open investigations, including the one pictured here involving a Christmasy earring.
If you would like to help reunite owners with their lost items (or vice versa), and if you enjoy being among the first to know about schedule changes, furry visitors, and other important news, take a minute to click the buttons below to like or follow us now!
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Would You Like Someone to Pray With You?
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To pray WITH someone:
Call Juanita Orvin, who will connect you with a prayer minister who will pray for your concerns over the phone.
To ask for prayer FOR someone:
Call Suzanne McCord, head of the prayer chain, and she will pass your request on to members of the chain.
Both options are always confidential.
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Save the Date
January 20, 27 ~ Wednesdays Alive! service cancelled
January 22, 25, 29 ~ Church office closed (staff working remotely)
February 17 ~ Ash Wednesday
February 25-28 ~ Men's Retreat (Wild at Heart Basic Bootcamp) at St. Christopher
March 7 ~ Annual Parish Meeting
March 20 ~ Walk for Water (Riverfront Park OR place of your choice; registration coming soon)
April 24 ~ Annual Women's Gathering (Christ Church, Mt. Pleasant)
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Never miss a sermon!
Click below to subscribe to our Sermons podcast.
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Membership Directory
Are you looking for a fellow parishioner's contact information? Our directory is online! Click the "My St. Philip's" button on our homepage, stphilipschurchsc.org, to log in or sign up for an account. And for easy access on your phone, download the Church Life app!
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We pray for the sick: Kelsey Brockbank, Katie Burris, Harry Carr, Elizabeth Colwell, Glenn Corley, Coakey Evans, Elizabeth Flowers, Mary Forbes, Edward Good, Brooks Goode, Robert Gould, Janet Hanger, Jonathan Hanger, Clark Johsnson, Mac Leppard, Joe Livesay, Connor Lowndes, Beverly Melvin, Leon Patat III, Deborah Pollak, Edward Pritchard, Jr., Charles Truluck, Mike Walsh, Carolyn Warlick, Lindsey Wing, and Charlie Yoho.
We grieve with and pray for Chris Hoefer and family on the death of his mother, Elizabeth Spencer Hoefer, on January 14.
We grieve with and pray for the family of Eugene "Gene" Frost Lesesne, who died on January 19.
We pray for protection for Becca Baird, Chris and Julia Beasley, Graham Blunt, Henry Clayton, Ben Colyer, David Daughtridge, Hayes Fair, George Hoefer, Andrew Kane, Horry Kerrison, Charles Kirkman, Frazier Kulze, John Mason, Philip Middleton III, Jackson Miller, Ned Montgomery, Edward Pritchard, and David Scott serving in our Armed Forces.
We pray for our home missions: Star Gospel Mission, Tricounty Family Ministries, Lowcountry Pregnancy Center, St. John's Chapel, and the Open Door Ministry.
We pray for our world missions: For Suzy McCall and LAMB, for the medical missions to Honduras, for ministry to victims of genocide and AIDS in Rwanda, for Water Mission and the Global Water Center, and for St. Jean Baptiste, our sister church, and the schools in Haiti.
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Collect for Sunday:
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and all the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Readings for Sunday:
- 1 Corinthians 7:17-24
- Psalm 130
- Mark 1:14-20
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ST. PHILIP'S CHURCH
142 Church Street | Charleston, SC 29401
Church Office Hours
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday
8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Friday
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Click HERE if you would like to opt out of receiving the printed mailing of the newsletter when we resume our mailings.
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