As we thank God and pray for the veterans of the armed forces of the United States, let us also pray for this country they have defended––or continue to defend––so valiantly:

––The Book of Common Prayer, page 207

November 10, 2020

Dear St. Philip’s family,

These words from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians truly express my gratitude for each and every one of you and for your partnership in the Gospel ministry of this church, most especially during the time of this pandemic. Despite the challenges of these turbulent and uncertain times, the work and ministry of St. Philip’s has continued to prosper and be blessed by the presence of the Holy Spirit and undergirded by your generous and faithful financial support.

I am writing not only to thank you, but also to ask you for your continued generosity to help us finish this year strong.

Dear St. Philip’s family,

On March 7th of 2021, we will hold our Annual Parish Meeting. During that meeting, we will elect the next “class” of leaders to serve on the Vestry. At our September meeting, the Vestry appointed Martha Freshley (Senior Warden), Todd Brown (Junior Warden), Reid Davis, Guv Gottshalk, Robby Marion, Connie Rink, Sam Robinson, and Bill Warlick to serve as a nominating committee.

The goal is for this to be a Spirit-led process, executed by the Vestry and blessed by the clergy. The challenges associated with COVID, particularly the reduced personal parishioner interaction, led us to start the nomination process earlier than previous years. We encourage you to spend time in prayer concerning this matter, and allow the Lord to lay on your heart individuals that might well serve the church in this leadership position. We ask that you not contact the person regarding your nomination as the names submitted will be held in confidence by the committee. After committee review and prayer, qualified candidates will be contacted by the committee regarding their interest in serving.

Members of the Parish may submit prospective names to the committee by email to Todd Brown (tcb29401@gmail.com; 843.270.4131) or the Executive Assistant to the Rector, Rachel Murphy (rmurphy@stphilipschurchsc.org; 843.722.7734). Names can be submitted now through December 1, 2020.

Bundle up, grab your blankets and lawn chairs, and join us for an evening of socially distanced fun as we gather on the lawn to watch "Christopher Robin"!

Space is limited and reservations are required––click the link below to register now! Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and the movie will start at 6:00 p.m. Seating choices will be on a first-come, first-served basis; however, those with lawn chairs will be positioned behind those with blankets so that everyone has a great view. Boxed dinner and snack options are available.

The Compassion Committee of St. Philip’s would like to share with all of you a powerful and important new component of our ministry that was born from one of our church’s recent Spiritual Gifts workshops. After learning about her gifts of encouragement and faith, along with some complementary gifts, Ann Hunley Harrington asked us about joining one of our note-writing teams.

Then, shortly after she enthusiastically joined, she said she had an idea! She asked if it would be all right for her to write to the young men and women on our prayer list who are enlisted in our country’s armed forces. Thus began a ministry of note-writing to these brave men and women.

Join the Rev. Brian McGreevy at 7:15 p.m. on Zoom as he continues his exploration of Mere Christianity, a book that is still remarkably fresh today, serving as an encouragement to the believer, a winsome challenge to the doubter, and an effective apologetic for the unbeliever.

Do you receive Fr. Brian's updates and weekly wrap-up emails? Click here to read the message and materials he sent to the class yesterday, and if you'd like to join his list, let him know!

On Sunday, we heard from the Rev. Brian McGreevy that even though our rector knows so very much about the Queen of England, she does not know him. And sometimes, people who know a lot about Jesus find themselves in that same boat. Does Jesus know you?

Reservations for this Sunday's services of Holy Communion at 8:15 and 10:30 open today at 9:00 a.m.

Childcare during the 10:30 service is now available for infants and young people through age five, with limited capacities within each age group. You may register at the link below after first registering to attend the 10:30 service, or you may call the church office at (843) 722-7734 to reserve space.

20- and 30-somethings of St. Philip's, let's get to know each other! Whether you're married or single, whether you've got kids in diapers or in school uniforms or you don't have kids at all, this time of food and fellowship is for YOU!

Tickets are $20 per person, and we will have oysters, hot dogs, chili, beer, wine, soft drinks, and water. Childcare is available by request during registration, and there is no charge for kiddos who would like a plate for themselves. Please register at the link below by 5:00 p.m. next Wednesday, November 18.

We have excellent news for all those bakers who missed out on displaying their delicious talents on the Tea Room dessert table: We're having a bake sale!

Details about the sale itself are forthcoming. For now, we are looking for volunteers to bake! Our "menu" will be limited, and bakers will drop items at the church office ahead of time to be frozen or drop fresh items off the day of the sale.

If you have questions or would like to volunteer to bake and need the menu and drop-off details, please email Hope Gamble.

Next week, technicians will be working on the phone system at the church office, and it's possible our phone and/or internet services will be down for a brief period on that Friday. We thank you in advance for your patience.

We are looking to add to our wonderful infant and toddler paid nursery staff! We are currently seeking patient, kind, dedicated, and responsible childcare workers (ages 15 and up) for Sunday mornings (9:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon). Responsibilities include interacting with and teaching children through play, games, songs, and stories. Other responsibilities include diapering, feeding, and comforting children and helping to maintain a safe and healthy nursery environment.

If you have questions or would like to apply, please contact Larsen Spinelli at (843) 822-2866 or larsen.clark@aol.com.

Yes, it's your weekly dose of St. Philip's not-so-serious goings-on, and if you follow St. Philip's on social media, you heard about this bold little fellow already.

If you have a Facebook or Instagram account and you don't follow St. Philip's, click below to give us a follow right now! You get the not-so-serious updates like these, plus reminders about upcoming events, weather-related schedule changes, and other helpful information. And you just might strengthen your St. Philip's family ties. What are you waiting for?

Grandparents, Generations Ministry head Lynn Dayton has a grandparenting newsletter recommendation for YOU! Click below to read the fall 2020 edition of "Grandparents on the Go" (and see which familiar names you see sprinkled throughout!), and then click that subscribe button so you receive the next quarterly newsletter straight in your inbox!

Questions about this webinar series or about Generations, the grandparents' ministry at St. Philip's? Contact Lynn Dayton at (843) 343-1001 or lland312@gmail.com.

Did you know that you are more than welcome to join in the Rector's Bible Study on Thursdays at noon, no matter where you go to church or where in the United States or the world you live? Even if you're joining us for the very first time, just make yourself a sandwich, grab your Bible and a seat on your couch, and meet up with us on Zoom as the Reverend Jeffrey S. Miller continues his study of the Gospel of Matthew!

Last Thursday, the Rev. Andrew O'Dell used a set of Proverbs to teach us about “staying on the saddle” of God’s will. Yesterday, the Rev. Brian McGreevy taught us about a hymn we're accustomed to hearing during Advent, not the season after Pentecost: "Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending." Click the images above to watch!

Call Juanita Orvin, who will connect you with a prayer minister who will pray for your concerns over the phone.

juanitaorvin@gmail.com or (843) 884-4018

Call Suzanne McCord, head of the prayer chain, and she will pass your request on to members of the chain.

suzanne1959@gmail.com or (843) 224-1630

November 13 ~ Family Movie Night (Parish House Lawn, 6:00 p.m.)

December 6 ~ 20s and 30s Oyster Roast (Parish House Lawn, 3:00-5:00 p.m.)

We pray for the sick: Dotsy Boineau, Kelsey Brockbank, Katie Burris, Elizabeth Flowers, Mary Forbes, Brooks Goode, Robert Gould, Janet Hanger, Jonathan Hanger, Cecilia Hawkins, Mac Leppard, Joe Livesay, Connor Lowndes, Doug McAdams, Beverly Melvin, Elaine Pendarvis, Deborah Pollak, Harold Robling, Charles Truluck, Mike Walsh, and Lindsey Wing.

We grieve with and pray for Elizabeth Dixon and family on the death of her father, Hal Dyer, on November 6.

We grieve with and pray for the family of Mary Barnwell Vaughan, who died on November 3.

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 10/40 Tribal Commission, for Water Mission, and for St. Jean Baptiste, our sister church, and the schools in Haiti.