~ the eSPIRE Newsletter ~
January 12, 2020
The First Sunday of Epiphany:
The Baptism of Our Lord
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Ben will be speaking about how God has brought him through two cancer battles, focusing on the selfless service of a grace-filled young man who helped save Ben’s life through a bone marrow transplant, and the remarkable ways God connected their lives.
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For many St. Philippians––as well as neighbors and visitors who worship with us annually––Christmas Eve is the most special day of the year because of the traditions we look forward to as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The Christmas Pageant, the first of our three Christmas Eve services, is a time for the youngest members of our congregation to absorb the message of the Nativity as they themselves help deliver it.
Toward the end of both of the later services, the congregation sings “Silent Night” by candlelight. The high school youth group was tasked with assembling the candles, and they of course happily obliged. The Nativity tableau at both the 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. services––which this year was set up outside––is a great visual representation that vestryman Bill Warlick has headed up many times, the first time being a snowy Christmas in 1989, shortly after Hurricane Hugo. He’s had a host of behind-the-scene helpers; Kent Keller built the set in 2007 and has helped move it to and from Bill’s garage many times, and Guv Gottshalk, Ben Singleton, and many others have also been steadfast helpers in set-up and breakdown.
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Canon J.John is Coming to St. Philip’s!
Natural Evangelism:
The Practice of Praying, Caring, and Sharing
Tuesday, January 21, at 6:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall
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Mark your calendar for this special opportunity to hear British evangelist, minister, speaker, social activist and writer John Ioannou––much better known as Canon J.John––in person! John was born in London, and he now lives in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, in England. He studied psychology at Hendon College in London. It was there he was introduced to Christianity by a friend, the Reverend Andy Economides. He studied theology at St. John’s Theological College, Nottingham, England. While there he worked at the Christian Renewal Centre in Northern Ireland, taking part in reconciliation work, including volunteering at a local prison.
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All are welcome to attend this Anglican Leadership Institute event on January 21. Light refreshments will be served.
Canon J.John will also speak at the Rector’s Forum on January 19 (9:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall), and he will preach at the 10:30 service that same day.
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New Sunday Offering: The Lifegiving Parent
With the Rev. Ryan Streett ~ 9:30 a.m. in Philadelphia Alley Annex
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In today’s world, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and even paralyzed by the constant flow of parenting advice. We’re flooded with so much practical information that we wonder if we’re choosing the right way. And we may be missing the one thing God really wants us to give to our children: His life. God doesn’t include a divine methodology for parenting in the Bible, but He does provide principles that can enable any faithful parent to bring His life into the life of their home. The St. Philip's parenting cohort is a group of parents who meet together once a week on Sunday mornings during the adult education hour (9:30-10:15 a.m.) beginning this week, seeking to learn together how we can best bring God's life into the life of our homes. To help aid us in that endeavor, we will be led through a book study of
The Lifegiving Parent by Clay and Sally Clarkson.
We will meet in the Philadelphia Alley building at St. Philip's (building #6 on
our campus map.) If you need help finding the classroom, just ask one of our friendly greeters!
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Information Session This Sunday!
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Mission to LAMB in Honduras Coming Up in March
Information session Sunday, January 12, in the Parlor after the 10:30 service (about 12 noon)
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Jeff and Connie Rink will be leading a mission team to LAMB in Honduras March 7-14, 2020. All ages are welcome––youth under 18 must be accompanied by a parent.
The team will be taking much-needed dental care to the children at LAMB and beyond, working at the LAMB Children’s home on a building project, loving and ministering to the LAMB community, and seeing with our own eyes all that God is doing there for the Kingdom.
Please come to the informational meeting and learn more about this wonderful
opportunity to go to LAMB in Honduras!
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St. Philippians Help Provide Christmas Blessings
by Amey Warder, Home Missions Committee
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With a heart for mission, the generous friends and family of St. Philip’s Church donated 315 gift cards this year! Teachers and families in need in our community were given these $25 gift cards that allowed them to decide how to spend their money. I am grateful and fueled by God’s guidance and devotion.
On December 21, 233 of those gift cards were distributed at the Tricounty Family Ministries Christmas party. The line was long at 9:00 a.m. About 1000 people were served BBQ from Martin’s BBQ, children picked out toys, coats and bicycles were gifted, and frozen turkeys were handed out––a grand celebration! There were many hardworking families who needed a little boost this season and many folks who were down and out.
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One grandmother was there with her three grandchildren while her daughter worked that day. The grandchildren had great manners and were thankful for gifts, but shy about accepting the toys at the party. The grandmother was gifted two gift cards to pass along to her working daughter. We hope these cards gave Mama a little freedom to pick up something extra for her children, or herself.
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Above: The Dixon family and other volunteers helped distribute toys during the party at Tricounty Family Ministries
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You’re Invited:
Submit Your Pledge Offering on January 19
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The rector invites you to bring your completed pledge card to church with you on January 19 and place it in the offering plate as an act of worship during the offertory of either service. You may also return it to the church office. Copies of the rector’s letter regarding stewardship, along with pledge cards and envelopes, are available in the church office and in the narthex.
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For Grandparents: A Generations Ministry Event
Wednesday, January 22, at 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall
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Grandparents, following Wednesdays Alive! worship and supper on January 22, join us to hear author Michael James Dowling speak to us about his new book,
Frog’s Rainy-Day Story and Other Fables, an ideal resource for grandparents.
We will also be hearing from the Rev. Brian McGreevy, who will share the Christian worldview and help guide us in using Dowling’s book to help our grandchildren navigate the culture in which we live.
Michael James Dowling has been writing professionally since 1999. He and his wife, artist and illustrator Sarah Buell Dowling, have three grown children and one grown grandchild.
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Heard Around the World:
St. Philip’s Podcasts
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Most St. Philippians have known for some time that Florance Anderson records sermons, the Rector’s Forum, and other classes and events and makes them available on our website, and many have come to rely on those recordings when they’ve missed church or classes because they’ve been ill or out of town.
Over the past several months, though, ever since the same classes and sermons have been available as podcasts, we’ve been getting word that the Gospel message in the recordings are reaching ears across the globe, from Schulte, Kansas, all the way to Australia!
We continue to be grateful to Florance for her ministry as she works diligently behind the scenes to make these recordings available online so quickly!
Jesus said, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” ––Mark 16:15
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The church office will be closed and the sanctuary and cemetery will be closed to visitors on Monday, January 20, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
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Wednesday Morning Worship Resumes Today!
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Wednesdays Alive! Resumes Tonight!
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Tonight's supper:Chicken Penne
Next week's supper:Taco Bar
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Would you like to take another listen to Sunday's sermon? Or were you out of town and you missed it the first time? Sermons, the Rector's Forum, and more are available on our website,
stphilipschurchsc.org/sermons-classes.
Accompanying slide presentations for certain classes are also available for download.
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Never miss a sermon! Click below to subscribe to our Sermons podcast.
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SAVE THE DATE
Jan. 19 ~ Guest Preacher (10:30 service), Rector's Forum speaker:
Canon J.John
Jan. 20 ~ Martin Luther King Jr. Day (church office closed)
Jan. 21 ~ Anglican Leadership Institute Lecture with Canon J.John
(Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall)
Jan. 22 ~ Generations Ministry Event for Grandparents with Michael James Dowling (Parish Hall, 7:00 p.m.)
Jan. 23-25 ~ Youth Pilgrimage to Walk for Life in D.C. (prayers requested)
Mar. 21 ~ Water Mission's Walk for Water (9:00 a.m., Riverfront Park)
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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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Do you have a loved one you would like added to our prayer list?
Please provide his or her name by calling the church office, 843-722-7734
.
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We pray for the sick: Walton Avery; Katie Burris; Kelly Corlett; Ed Dibble; Elizabeth Flowers; Meredith Gale; Robert Gould; Tracy Graudin; Janet Hanger; Jonathan Hanger; Delia Hipp; Bobby Hood, Sr.; Barbara Lisle; Joe Livesay; Miller Love; Peter Moore; Harold Patteson; Aranell Ray; Benjamin Schools; David Smythe; and Lindsey Wing.
We grieve with and pray for: Ann Rhett and family on the death of her son, Edmund Rhett, on December 21.
We pray for our expectant parents:
Oliver and Courtney Iselin.
We pray for protection for:
Becca Baird, 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, Life Resources, St. John's Chapel, and the Open Door Committee.
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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St. Philip's Regular Weekly Worship Services
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Collect for
the Baptism of Our Lord:
Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan didst proclaim him thy beloved Son and anoint him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with thee and the same Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Readings for Sunday
:
- Isaiah 42:1-9
- Acts 10:34-38
- Matthew 3:13-17
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Sundays
8:15 a.m. – Holy Communion: Rite I, in the Church
10:30 a.m. – Holy Communion: Rite I, in the Church (on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays)
10:30 a.m. – Morning Prayer: Rite I, in the Church (on the 2nd and 4th Sundays)
Wednesdays
8:00 a.m. – Morning Prayer, 1928 Prayer Book, in the Chapel
5:30 p.m. – Wednesdays Alive! Holy Communion: Rite II, in the Church (Sept.–June)
Lay server schedules are sent out quarterly, one month prior to the start of each quarter.
If you are unable to serve, please make an effort to find a substitute, and let
Felicia Lescow
in the church office know who will be substituting for you.
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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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HERE
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