~ the eSPIRE Newsletter ~
August 23, 2020
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
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No printed inSPIRE this week
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In-Person Worship Begins This Sunday!
Morning Prayer Services at 8:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
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Service video will be available Sunday evening
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While many of us will see each other in person on Sunday, many parishioners may choose to continue to worship from home. Please note that for the time being, the weekly service video will be available beginning Sunday evenings instead of Sunday mornings. We understand this may be an inconvenience, and we are working toward equipping our historic church sanctuary with internet access so that we are able to show the service in real time. In the interim, the service will continue to be recorded and then edited and uploaded to our YouTube and Vimeo channels.
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Space available at the 8:15 service
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While the 10:30 service is full, there was still space available at the 8:15 service of said Morning Prayer (no music) as of yesterday afternoon. If you have not yet made a reservation and you wish to worship in the sanctuary on Sunday, please reserve your space now through the link below or by calling (843) 471-0544. Remember that the church office remains closed; please do not call the office to make a reservation.
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Ushers will begin seating those with reservations beginning about 45 minutes before each service. Reservations will be held until five minutes before each service begins, at which point available pews will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis until we reach our current maximum capacity.
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What to expect at the service
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Remember that for the safety of all of our St. Philip's family and friends, several modifications are in place. Please be sure to read the complete guidelines at the link below to ensure that your return to worship is as smooth as possible. Here are just a few of the important notes for Sunday:
- Masks are required.
- The church office building (Ministries Hall) will be closed, but the ground floor of the Parish House (on the corner of Church and Cumberland Streets) will be open should you wish to visit a restroom.
- Coffee will not be available.
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Childcare will not be available. (Childcare resumes September 6.)
- Each person will receive a bulletin for use during the service. Please do not use the prayer books in your pew. Please take your bulletin with you when you leave.
- Ushers will seat you for the service and open your pew door for you to leave after the service. Please keep your mask on until you are in your car.
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Happy Birthday, Lee Moore and Pat Gould!
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The Church Street Singers are BACK to celebrate Lee Moore and Pat Gould's special day.
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Those memories of singing "Happy Birthday" (so beautifully ... right?) almost every week––those memories that were so far, far away that it could've all been a dream––came flooding back yesterday when the Church Street Singers serenaded St. Philip's Preschool Co-Director Lee Moore and St. Philip's Director of Music Pat Gould with a most fabulous rendition of "Happy Birthday." It didn't matter that we were missing the Rev. Brian McGreevy and the Rev. Marc Boutan, two of our most musically inclined members, or that Pat Gould was a serenadee instead of a serenader––we gave quite a performance ... and the Rev. Justin Hare made his official debut as a Church Street Singer! Click here to listen!
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Before all the singing, though, we had a lot to go over. There was much, much talk of all things sanitization––disinfectant sprays, hand sanitizer, Lysol wipes, gloves, masks––and how they apply to worship, preschool, youth group, nursery and children's church (which aren't scheduled yet), and the church office. There was even talk of acrylic partitions. "That's something I never expected to hear at a St. Philip's staff meeting," said the Rev. Andrew O'Dell. "'Acrylic partitions.'" Such strange times.
So many of us are ready and eager to get back to something that looks vaguely like normal, and the goal is, of course, to keep everyone who comes onto church campus as safe as possible. Many of our parishioners are not yet ready to return, though. Are you one of those parishioners? If you are, and if you have any questions about how our return to in-person worship is going to affect you, or if you'd simply like someone to talk to, please let us know by replying to this email, filling out the questionnaire at the link below, or calling one of the priests directly. And if you are someone who's looking for a way to help a fellow parishioner adjust to this ever-changing way of life, please reply to this email so that we may connect you with someone who needs your help.
The Rev. Jeff Miller: (843) 812-0556
The Rev. Andrew O'Dell: (843) 639-9084
The Rev. Justin Hare (843) 478-3443
If you know of someone who might need or want a phone call, or someone who's having any trouble with accessing our services, devotions, or emails, please let us know by replying to this email or filling out the form below.
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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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Olive Smiles: An Update from the Dufatanye Organization
by Martha Vetter, World Missions Committee
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Since 2001, Martha Vetter has taught Bible and ministered to orphans, street children, the sick, and the poor of Rwanda. In 2008, she began serving with the Dufatanye Cooperative, a farming community with 56 HIV-infected families, including almost 250 children. Many of the co-op members still have PTSD from the 1994 genocide, which killed almost one million people in 100 days. Cooperative families grow and sell various crops and animals. They train in micro-finance and study reading, English and the Bible. They build homes for widows and orphans, provide medical care, and provide milk and porridge for children. They have given banana and avocado trees to the surrounding community. It’s a wonderful form of outreach, as the “least of these” give to others who have even less.
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Early in the days of the pandemic, the Dufatanye Organization joined forces with partner organization ZMission to provide emergency relief to desperate people in Rwanda. At that point, I was skeptical that we’d be able to raise the funds to make even a small dent in such an overwhelming need, and I told one of my friends that I would be surprised if we could donate provisions for six weeks. But between March 26 and July 20, we gave away 198,836 pounds of maize flour, 97,911 pounds of beans, and 9,901 twelve-inch bars of soap to 50,565 people in 941 families! Let us rejoice in what great things God has done!
Though our food distribution project is now dwindling, ministry opportunities that emerged from it are just beginning. Meet Speciose, age 68, who bore eight children. Only one of her children is still alive today, a daughter named Olive, age 30. Olive has two sons, ages four and two years. Olive has a heartbreaking story to tell.
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See You In December, Father Marc!
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In yesterday's devotion, his last before leaving for a three-month sabbatical, the Rev. Marc Boutan reflected on the comforting words of John 14:2: "In my Father's house are many rooms ... I am going to prepare a place for you." But the promise of the Father's house is more than a promise of Heaven, because that place of welcome and promise is a place that God wants for us right now.
The devotions are currently on a Tuesday/Thursday schedule and are posted on the news section of our website at 7:00 a.m. Click the top link below if you've missed any and need to catch up; click the bottom link if you'd like the devotions delivered to your email inbox.
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Get Prepared
Your Disaster Relief Team Can Help!
St. Philip's Disaster Relief Team helps in times of hurricane, tornado, flooding, earthquake, fire, or any other disaster
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Hurricane season is now, and now is the time to prepare. We never know how bad the effects of a natural disaster will be, so we must prepare ahead of time, even if that means preparing to get help afterwards. This is where the St. Philip's Disaster Relief Team comes in. The Team's mission is to provide help, assistance, and hope to our parishioners and neighbors in times of extreme crisis by offering comfort and minor emergency repairs.
We have a network of parishioners who are willing and able to respond when they are called via our phone tree. We have two points of the phone tree and geographic coordinators for most of the tri-county area already in place. We are always happy to welcome new volunteers!
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“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
––Matthew 25:40.
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St. Philip's Preschool Begins Today!
Wish You'd Registered? It Might Not Be Too Late!
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Today is the first day of school for St. Philip's Preschool Monday/Wednesday students! Tuesday/Thursday students start tomorrow. Blessings on your first days, students!
Many families have had plans change over the course of the past several months. If you missed registration for the 2020-2021 preschool year and now find that you'd like for your child to attend, please contact Angela Clark or Lee Moore at 843-722-7610 or lmoore@stphilipschurchsc.org; a few spaces remain.
St. Philip’s Preschool program is offered to the members of St. Philip’s Church and its surrounding community. This is one of the many ministries of the church provided to reach out to children with Christ’s love. The program introduces children to the church community and a Christian worldview. Parental participation is not only encouraged, but it is also crucial for the livelihood of this program.
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Susan Yates to Return to Lead Anglican Women’s Retreat October 23-25, 2020
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Ladies, flip your calendar to October and mark the 23-25 for a weekend of fellowship, teaching, rest, and restoration at the Anglican Women’s Retreat at St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center. This year Susan Yates will be our speaker. Chelsea Hamshaw will be our worship leader.
The retreat begins at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, October 23, with supper served at 6:30 p.m., and it ends Sunday morning, October 25, following a service of Holy Eucharist.
Young moms: if you can’t get away for the whole weekend, plan to join us for the day on Saturday as a commuter.
Donations to the Anglican Women’s Scholarship Fund will be graciously accepted. Your donations will bless those who are unable to attend due to financial constraints. The online registration form will allow you to donate to the fund at the time of your registration. Please contact Mary Kauser at (843) 814-4035 or by email at marykauser@gmail.com if you have any questions.
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Our diocese has several offerings to look forward to right now. Would you like to read about them? Click the link below to see the latest news!
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We Want To Hear What's Going On With You!
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What's been on your mind lately? Why don't you put your thoughts down on paper (or better yet, in a Word document or body of an email) and share them with your fellow St. Philippians?
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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: Harold Arnold, Jr., Kelsey Brockbank, Katie Burris, Julia Drayton, Hal Dyer, Elizabeth Flowers, Mary Forbes, Robert Gould, Janet Hanger, Jonathan Hanger, Amy Kittrell, Dan Kohn, Reed Kurtz, Joe Livesay, Alan McNeel, Rogers Moore, Benjamin Schools, Mike Walsh, Lindsey Wing, and Vereen Woodward.
We grieve with and pray for Jane McGreevy and family on the death of her brother, William Whitney, on August 14.
We pray for our expectant parents: Torrey and Ryan Knapp.
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, 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 10/40 Tribal Commission, for Water Mission, and for St. Jean Baptiste, our sister church, and the schools in Haiti.
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Collect for Sunday:
Grant, we beseech thee, merciful God, that thy Church, being gathered together in unity by thy Holy Spirit, may manifest thy power among all peoples, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
Readings for Sunday:
- 2 Timothy 1:1-14
- Matthew 16:13-20
- Psalm 138
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ST. PHILIP'S CHURCH
142 Church Street | Charleston, SC 29401
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