Parishioners filled the Parish Hall during the Rector's Forum on Sunday to learn about our Shine the Light capital campaign.

All are invited to witness the confirmation, reception, and reaffirmation of our adult candidates next Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. The Rt. Rev. Chip Edgar III will be preaching. A reception in the Parish Hall will follow. The Rev. Brian McGreevy’s C.S. Lewis class will not meet, and our regular Wednesdays Alive! service, supper, and class will resume May 10.

Calling all Grandparents, Godparents, Aunts, and Uncles to Pray! 

Last Grandparents@Prayer Drop-In Tomorrow

Thursday, May 4 ~ 11:00–11:45 a.m. in the Chapel

A note from Jane McGreevy: I invite all grandparents (and others involved with young people) to come and pray for your grandchildren tomorrow morning at 11:00 in the chapel. We'll be there for about 45 minutes––come for as long as you can! If you are attending Jeff's noontime Bible study, pop over before going to class. 

I am very committed to my grandchildren, and my number-one desire is that they will walk with the Lord all the days of their lives. I honestly believe the best tactic to this end is prayer! I know this in my head, but I've got to make my actions match my thoughts. Given the busyness of life, I may not make as much time to pray for my grandchildren as I should. However, if I at least pray for them once a month, that is something!  

I was recently convicted about the importance of this time when Sandra Anderson shared at our Generations Ministry Kickoff. I loved her idea of calling your grandchildren the night before and telling them you will be praying for them and asking would they like you to pray for! Not sure my 2-year-old John Henry will have any ideas, but the 1st-grader will for sure! Sandra has also suggested bringing a picture of your grands to the prayer meeting. Who doesn't want an opportunity to share a picture of their grandchildren?  

We will be in recess over the summer months, but we plan to resume meeting the first Thursday of every month in September for prayer in the chapel. So as you plan for the fall, try to work this time into your schedule. Additionally, we need volunteers to help, so let me know if you would like to be a part of this ministry.

Hope to see you tomorrow morning at 11:00!

Something I didn’t know (but probably should have) when I arrived in Rwanda was that it is known as the land of a thousand hills and a thousand smiles. The loveliness of both the topography and the people struck me immediately.

Godfrey Karema and the Dufatanye Organization

I was visiting Rwanda to represent the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina as one of its clergy delegates to the 2023 GAFCON (Global Anglican Future Conference), held April 17–21 in the capital city of Kigali. However, since I arrived an extra day early, I was able to take a day trip to visit one of St. Philip’s own world mission partners, Godfrey Karema and the Dufatanye Organization. The DO began in 2003 with a vision to spread the good news of Jesus and care for those whose lives have been affected by the genocide, HIV/AIDS, or malnutrition, and it has grown into an organization with hundreds of staff with a ministry to eight villages, each with 250 homes.

Seniors of St. Philip’s, you’re invited on a special outing to beautiful Millford Plantation in Pinewood, SC! (And while we anticipate most guests will be 60 and over, we will happily welcome anyone who’d like to come!)

Schedule: The bus will depart from St. Philip’s promptly at 8:45 a.m. and will return at about 4:30 p.m. Parking for your vehicles will be available in the church lot. 

Cost: $145 per person, which includes coach fare, lunch at Summerton Diner, entrance fee for our group’s private tour of Millford Plantation, and all gratuities. 

Questions? Kitti Mullins: kittimullins@aol.com or (843) 224-9595

The Rev. Bill Christian: bchristian@stphilipschurchsc.org or (854) 429-1939

This event is capped at 40 guests––register now!

We will be recognizing our hardworking high school and college seniors on Senior Recognition Sunday on May 21 and in that week’s inSPIRE (mailed and emailed May 17). If someone in your family is graduating this spring, please submit his or her information at the link below by May 14!

A note to parents of current 5th graders: Your students are considered the senior class of VBS and as such get special privileges! They will meet together in their own small group and have special field trips. They are not "too old for VBS"! Don't let them miss out on this fun and enriching time of fellowship!

Register Today for Camp Jubilee!

Members of the Camp Jubilee leadership team!

The Rev. Brian K. McGreevy is preaching at our services of Holy Eucharist: Rite I at 8:15 a.m. and Morning Prayer: Rite I at 10:30 a.m.

Buns in the Oven!

During staff meeting yesterday, we received some exciting news: Felicia had buns in the oven! Despite the timing of her announcement, which came right after someone else had noted that there was an addition to the expectant parent prayer list, it turned out that she was not making that type of announcement. However, for this crowd, the reality was perhaps even more exciting: we were going to enjoy some fresh-baked sticky buns after staff meeting!

If you follow St. Philip's on social media, you already knew about the yummy mixup, but if this is the first you're hearing about it, why don't you take a moment right now to click the links below and give us a follow so that you, too, can be among the first to know about office misunderstandings, weather-related schedule updates, and other breaking news?

Important Dates

May 3 ~ Adult Confirmation (6:00 p.m.), reception following

May 4 ~ Grandparents@Prayer Drop-In (11:00–11:45 in the Chapel)

May 9 ~ Generations Ministry Dessert and Q&A with Jeff Miller

May 11 ~ ECW Spring Social (6:00 p.m.)

May 12 ~ Seniors’ Excursion to Millford Plantation

May 17 ~ Final Wednesdays Alive! service and supper (no class May 17)

May 18 ~ Final Rector’s Bible Study before summer recess

May 21 ~ Senior Recognition Sunday

May 21 ~ Final Sunday School, Rector's Forum before summer recess

May 28 ~ "Recounting Rwanda" with the Rev. Justin Hare (9:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall)

June 19-22 ~ Vacation Bible School (VBS)

June 26–30 ~ GrandCamp 2023

We pray for the sick: Johnny Anderson, Sallie Barrera, Tim Bass, Elizabeth Bowles, Tory Bowles, Diane Christensen, Karen Collins, Cullen Crowley, Sally Fayard, Mary Forbes, Dana Heikes III, Susan Hemminger, Susan Keenan, Marvin Kirkland, Robert Kizer, Thomas Legaré, Libby LeLand Puckette, Wes Lewis, Rena Mack, Rene Meyer, Elaine Pendarvis, Eli Penn, Bill Phillipps, Sally Rhett, Becky Riggs, Fran Sanders, Joanna Sparks, Pete Sperr, Margaret Swanson, Jenny White, and Lindsey Wing.

We pray for our expectant parents: Sarah Beth and Devin Angel, Sallie and Sam Barrera, Kimbrell and Bruce Blackwood; Elizabeth and William Bryan; Ainsley and Dominic Monda; and Demontre and Minka Parish. 

We pray for protection for Becca Baird, Graham Blunt, Robert Cale III, Henry Clayton, David Daughtridge, Eric Gaines, Morgan and Mason Herring, Andrew Kane, Quin Kane, Horry Kerrison, Frazier Kulze, John Mason, Zach McFadden, Philip Middleton III, Jackson Miller, Edward Pritchard, Nathaniel Rollings, David Scott, and Joey Villeneuve.

We pray for our home and world missions: Lowcountry Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Lowcountry Pregnancy Center, Star Gospel Mission, Suzy McCall and LAMB, for the medical missions to Honduras, for ministry to victims of genocide and AIDS in Rwanda, for the Persecuted Church, for Anglican Frontier Missions, for Uganda Christian University Partners, for Water Mission and the Global Water Center, and for St. Jean Baptiste, our sister church, and the schools in Haiti.

Collect for Sunday:

O Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know thy Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leadeth to eternal life; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Readings for Sunday:

• 1 Peter 2:1-12
• Psalm 66:1–9
• John 14:1-14