As we welcome our newest class of Vestry members, let us offer our heartfelt thanks to the outgoing Vestry Class of 2021, who helped implement the successful "198 To Be Great" debt elimination campaign, oversaw the handling of ongoing legal issues, and led us through a most unexpected 2020. Thank you, Martha Freshley (Senior Warden), Reid Davis, Guv Gottshalk, and Sam Robinson!

During St. Philip's first––and possibly only––virtual annual meeting, the Rev. Jeffrey S. Miller, Rector, addressed the highs and lows of a most unusual year, using words never before used in a St. Philip's annual meeting, such as "masks," "livestream," and "Zoom fatigue." The unusual medium made for an efficient meeting, though, and in record time, last year's meeting minutes were approved, Vestry slots were filled, and diocesan delegates were chosen. We bade our outgoing Vestry members a fond farewell, heard a report from finance chair Jim Stelling and a legal update from chancellor Ben Hagood, and prayed for those we'd lost in the past year.

If you missed Sunday’s annual parish meeting, you may still pick up your copy of the 2020 annual report in the church office. In it, you will find reports from the wardens, the clergy, program staff, and various lay ministries, as well as our 2021 budget and a report from the finance committee.

As the economic effects of the pandemic continue to plague so many of our neighbors, Tricounty Family Ministries (TFM) is partnering with Charleston County to help those who are behind on their bills for COVID-related reasons. TFM will be setting up a computer lab staffed by volunteers to assist clients with online applications for financial assistance, and for this to be a success, TFM needs computers and volunteers!

Donated computers should have internet capability and be in good working condition. Volunteers must be fully vaccinated in order to work side-by-side with clients at the computer desks; masks are required and computer stations will be sanitized after each use. All volunteers will receive training in safety protocols and in the online application process, and they should be willing to work one shift per week (Mondays or Thursdays from 10:00 a.m.–12 noon).

Let's do all we can to help our Home Missions partner ministry and our neighbors in need!

Please click the link below to get registered as a volunteer, and contact Lydia Ford at Lydia.Ford@tricountyfamilyministries.org with questions or to sign up for an office shift!

Team St. Philip's captain Jill Settle announced a new Walk for Water goal last week: 100 walkers! Seventeen new walkers have signed up since, bringing our team total to 58 walkers––we're getting there! We've got less than two weeks to go––can you join the team today and ask your friends and family to join, too? Remember that you can walk at Riverfront Park (the 10:00 slot is full, but you can try for 9:30 or 10:30), or you can walk in your own neighborhood (or wherever you'd like––and whenever on March 20 you'd like). Click the button below to register!

Virtual (neighborhood) walkers, please see the resources at this link to help prepare you for a successful walk! And if you're looking for something to jazz up your bucket, stop by the church office and pick up a "Walk for Water" sticker!

Feel free to call or email Jill Settle if you have any questions: (843) 697-0818 or jillasettle@gmail.com.

If you would like to make a contribution to the Easter Flower Fund as a memorial or in thanksgiving for a loved one, please submit your information by Thursday, March 25, at 5:00 p.m. at the link below. You may make your donation online at My St. Philip's (be sure to use the below form first––your dedication submission confirmation email includes instructions for donating online) or you may mail a check to the church office (donations only––please do not mail your dedication information):

St. Philip's Church

Attn: Juli Garland, Easter Memorials

142 Church St.

Charleston, SC 29401

There is a dark and evil trend occurring in our world right now. Open Doors USA reported this week that two Christian girls are disappearing each day.

In areas where Muslim radicals operate with no consequences, Christian girls as young as 12 are being abducted in broad daylight. When the parents go to the police, the girl will then be seen in court saying that she has converted to Islam and consents to marrying the typically much older Muslim man. Open Doors recently released its annual World Watch List, and its Gender-Specific Religious Persecution Report cites forced marriage and sexual violence as the top global trend in these areas.

Sofa or pew? Whether your family is worshipping at home or in person, we have a great new resource for children: My Church Notebook preschool and elementary editions!

Borders and icons in the notebooks are designed with themes relating to either creation or the life of Jesus and His parables. These themes cycle through the book, reminding children of our great Creator or great Savior Jesus as they listen and take notes during the sermon.

You may pick up these free resources (one book per child while supplies last) in the church office, or we can ship them to you for $6 (payment link in email confirmation).

How safe do you feel right now? If you live in Charleston, you may feel threatened by crime, property loss, or even by no longer knowing your neighbors.

Pastor Matthew Rivers of St. John's Chapel, a mission church of our diocese, is organizing a Town Hall meeting with Mayor John Tecklenburg, Police Chief Luther Reynolds, Solicitor Scarlett Wilson, Sheriff Kristin Gaziano, SLED's Richard Johnson, and Mt. Zion AME's the Rev. Dr. Kylon Middleton. This group of elected officials and community leaders will answer citizens' questions and discuss changes on the peninsula that some call progress and others say are polarizing ((please make your questions as specific as possible and submit them before Wednesday, March 10, to stjohnschapel878@gmail.com).

News 2's Carolyn Murray will host this virtual town hall event, which will stream live on Facebook tomorrow at 7:00 p.m.

Pictured above: The Rev. Matthew Rivers with Mayor Tecklenburg during St. John's "Unity in the Community" event in 2019.

We are pleased to offer Preschool Camp for babies through age three! Two sessions are available (campers must have been born after September 1, 2017), and at each session, the children enjoy socializing while engaging in age-appropriate activities.

The fee per child is $250, and campers do not have to be St. Philip's Preschool students to attend. Space is limited, with preference given for church members and for full-week camp attendance.

A note about safety: Cleaning is something we have always taken very seriously at St. Philip’s Preschool. We will clean and sanitize daily during camp, and we will also be using air purifiers. We would be happy to share our cleaning protocol with you upon request.

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

Childcare during the 10:30 service is 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.

Mere Christianity began as a series of radio talks during the darkest days of World War II in England. Lewis was asked by the BBC to do the talks because so many people were living in fear and anxiety and were feeling that the world was crumbling around them, that "the wheels had come off the bus." Our culture today is beset with many of those same anxieties, albeit for different reasons. Lewis's broadcast talks were then edited by Lewis and published in book form as Mere Christianity. The book is still remarkably fresh today and serves 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 his last wrap-up email, and if you'd like to join his email list, let him know!

Join the Rev. Jeffrey S. Miller tomorrow at noon, and find out for yourself why the best place to spend your Thursday lunch hour is on Zoom! Make yourself a sandwich, grab your Bible and a comfortable seat, and click the link below a little before noon tomorrow, and get ready to dive into St. Paul's letter to the Philippians!

Last week, sexton-in-training Cecilia Walchesky settled a paycheck dispute on her own terms by helping herself to the candy on Finance Administrator Juli Garland's desk. Yesterday, perhaps looking for a little extra candy on the side, she offered some tech support to Director of Music Pat Gould, while the Rev. Brian McGreevy, who reportedly turned 29 yesterday (which may or may not make him younger than at least one of his children), was less bold, eyeing his special treat (coconut cake from Magdalena's!) as he patiently awaited someone with a good knife and the skills to use it.

All of this is old news, of course, if you follow St. Philip's on social media. If you don't, and you too would like to be among the first to learn about schedule changes, part-time staff updates, four-legged office visitors, and other important news, take a minute to click the buttons below to like or follow St. Philip's now!

Remember to set your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed on Saturday night, March 13, so you can be sure to be on time to church on Sunday! If you don't feel like changing your clock and you need a little motivation, watch the video at the link below!

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

March 20 ~ Walk for Water (Riverfront Park OR place of your choice)

March 21 ~ Choral Evensong Service (5:00 p.m.)

March 28 ~ Palm Sunday

March 29-31 ~ Daily Holy Week services (8:00 a.m. in the church––corrected)

April 1 ~ Maundy Thursday (service at 6:00 p.m.)

April 2 ~ Good Friday (service at noon)

April 4 ~ Easter Day (services at 6:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 11:15 a.m.)

April 18 ~ 20s-30s Lowcountry Boil

April 24 ~ Annual Women's Gathering (Christ Church, Mt. Pleasant)

We pray for the sick: Katie Burris, Harry Carr, Elizabeth Flowers, Mary Forbes, Edward Good, Robert Gould, Jonathan Hanger, Clark Johnson, Joe Livesay, Connor Lowndes, Beverly Melvin, Leon Patat III, Deborah Pollak, Edward Pritchard, Jr., Rose Tisdale, Mike Walsh, Carolyn Warlick, Lindsey Wing, and Charlie Yoho.

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 Water Mission and the Global Water Center, and for St. Jean Baptiste, our sister church, and the schools in Haiti.