Proverbs 3:5–8: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. 



Sunday, May 21, was a big day for our high school seniors! During the 10:30 service, they came forward for a gift, Rebecca McLaughlin’s Confronting Christianity, and a blessing from youth minister David Gilbert, who asked that the Lord fan into flames the spiritual gifts that He has anointed them with, so that over the next four years of college, they may live in holiness, fulfill His Kingdom work, and lead souls to His great love. After the blessing, the senior acolytes in attendance––Andrew O’Dell, Cora Miller, Reeves Bair, and Harris Ayers––received a Tree of Life cross made of walnut from the Rev. Bill Christian, acolyte master, who pointed out that the acolytes’ roots at St. Philip’s and in the Word of God are deep, and that they are continuing to grow in their faith just as a tree’s branches continue to grow and reach out.  

Now in summer recess:

• Sunday School and the Rector's Forum
• Wednesdays Alive! service and supper
• High School Youth Group

Nearing Summer Recess:

• May 24 ~ TONIGHT! Final C.S. Lewis class (7:15 p.m. in the Parish Hall)
• May 26 ~ Final middle school youth group (rising 5th-graders welcome!)

Summer inSpire/eSPIRE mailing/emailing schedule: 

• June 7
• June 21
• July 5 (eSPIRE only)
• July 19
• August 2
• August 16
• August 30
• September 13 (regular weekly mailing resumes)

An invitation from 2023 Tea Room co-chairs Amanda Ayers and Hope Gamble:

Now that the 2023 Tea Room is finished, it is time to celebrate a job well done!

Volunteers, please meet us tonight at 5:30 at the Romney Street Kickin' Chicken! We will have wings, wraps, and other yummy bites on the patio, and there will be a cash bar as well.

It was such a great week, and we'd really love to celebrate YOU! Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Join us for an Amazing Adventure at St. Philip’s Vacation Bible School (VBS) 2023! The theme is Ready, Set, Move: Follow Jesus Here, There, and Everywhere. It was designed to encourage students of all ages in their journey of faith. Based on Jesus’ example and through lessons from the New Testament, we will learn to DO What He Says, BELIEVE Who He Is, LOVE Who He Loves, and GO Where He Leads.

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, so don’t let them miss out on this fun and enriching time of fellowship!



Youth and Adult Volunteers Needed!

Parents, older siblings, relatives, and friends, there’s no reason the little ones should get to have all the fun––you can join us as a volunteer! Youth and adult helpers should register at the above link. We are so thankful for any help you can give us!

Questions? Please call Dorothy Lancaster at (854) 429-1940 or email her at dlancaster@stphilipschurchsc.org.

With most of our regular church activities in summer recess, now is the perfect time to think about other ways to fill your time! Add the following events to your calendar, and then think about how you can serve the community and our home missions ministry partners by yourself or with your family and friends! 

June 27: Red Cross Blood Drive (noon to 6:00 p.m.)

Donate blood and/or help with registration, snacks, etc.

July 22: St. Philip’s Day at Water Mission (10:00 a.m. to noon)

Tour, scavenger hunt, and empathy exercise––learn about the global water crisis to be a part of the solution!

August 5: St. Philip’s Day at Hope to Home (8:45–11:45 a.m.)

Opportunities include delivering furniture to previously homeless people moving into their first apartment, organizing donations in the H2H warehouse in North Charleston, putting together kitchen and linen kits, repairing/refinishing furniture, decorating Bible verses to go in frames, and more!

Tuesday, May 16:

Star Gospel Donation

In preparation for an upcoming Home Missions Team meeting, co-chair Gantt Folline contacted the Rev. Dr. Marion Platt, Director of Star Gospel Mission, to inquire about current needs. As it happened, Star Gospel’s refrigerator had just broken that Friday! The Team was able to respond quickly to help out one of St. Philip’s mission partners during its time of need, and Gantt delivered a check to cover not only the cost of a new refrigerator, but also a little extra to help cover some of the cost of the lost food. “Truly God’s timing!” said Home Missions Team co-chair Jill Settle.

Tuesday, May 16:

Visit from the Preschool Students

One of St. Philip’s Preschool final school days was cut short thanks to an abundance of caution on the part of Dominion Energy, who evacuated the Parish House to identify the cause of a gas smell. The displaced children didn’t seem to mind the disruption––Rachel Murphy logged into her Disney Plus account and plugged her computer into the screen in the Parlor, and the children happily watched Moana while waiting for their rides!  

Sunday, May 21: Sunday School Teacher Appreciation

The faithful volunteers who help shepherd the youngest members of our parish enjoyed a delicious Chicken Salad Chick luncheon and year-end celebration on Sunday after the 10:30 service. Thank you, team, for generously sharing your time and energy this year!

Interested in joining next year’s team? Call Dorothy Lancaster at (854) 429-1940 or click the button below to email her.

The highly anticipated video recordings of January's Mere Anglicanism conference are now available for purchase! Complimentary access is available for those who attended––check your email inbox or click the link below for more information.

The church office will be closed Monday, May 29, in observance of Memorial Day. In the event of a pastoral emergency, please contact the Rev. Bill Christian at (843) 327-0791.

The Rev. Jeffrey S. Miller is preaching at our services of Holy Eucharist: Rite I at 8:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Follow St. Philip's on Social Media!

Important Dates

May 27 ~ Sacred Harp Shape Note Singing (beginners arrive at 9:30 a.m.) 

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

May 29 ~ Charleston Men's Chorus Memorial Day Chorus (12 noon)

June 4 ~ Choral Evensong (5:30 p.m.) 

June 17 ~ Generations Ministry Pirate Adventure (10:00 a.m.)

June 19-22 ~ Vacation Bible School (VBS)

June 26–30 ~ GrandCamp 2023

June 27 ~ Red Cross Blood Drive

July 15 ~ Generations Ministry Summer Party (Anderson residence on Sullivan’s)

July 22 ~ St. Philip’s at Water Mission (10:00 a.m. to noon)

August 5 ~ Hope to Home Workday

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

We grieve with and pray for the family of Susan Keenan, who died on May 21.   

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. 

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:

Almighty God, who on this day didst open the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of thy Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Readings for Sunday:

• Acts 2:1–11
• Psalm 104:24–35
• John 14:8–17