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Author: Alice Lebow
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2018 Lenten Worship Schedule
February 14, 2018 – 7:00 p.m., Ash Wednesday, St. Philip Lutheran Church
Ash Wednesday, is the first day of the season of Lent and begins a 40 day journey intended to be a time of confession, reflection, preparation, and fasting. It is a time for Christians to remember that our hope comes from the Christ of the cross and is assured by Jesus’ Easter resurrection. Come and experience the powerful promise of Jesus as we gather for worship in the sanctuary.
Lenten Worship Series: Open My Life Lord
When we cannot see the beauty of your creation, open our eyes, that all living things thrive and grow. When we neglect the poor, the sick, and the grieving, open our hands to do your work in the world. When we ignore the cries of injustice in our midst, open our ears, that all will know your love. When we are hardened against our neighbor, open our hearts and heal our resentment. When we are closed to the grace you long to give us, open our lives and turn us to follow in the way of the cross.
February 21, 2018 – 7:00 p.m., St. Philip Lutheran Church, Rev. John McCandlish
Open My Eyes Lord: Paul saw the light of Christ shining around him on the road to Damascus. As individuals and communities, what do we have difficulty seeing?
February 28, 2018 – 7:00 p.m., Glade Creek Lutheran Church, Rev. David Derrick
Open My Hands Lord: We use our hands to pick up a child, to serve a meal, to play an instrument, to wipe away a tear. Jesus used his hands for healing and for deeds of great power.
March 7, 2018 – 7:00 p.m., St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Rev. Ken Lane
Open My Ears Lord: Ancient Greek philosophy notes that we have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. Jesus reminds us that we sometimes hear but don’t listen, listen but don’t understand.
March 14, 2018 – 7:00 p.m., St. Philip Lutheran Church, Rev. James Davis
Open My Heart Lord: Listening to Paul’s teaching, Lydia opened her heart to God and was baptized. Her willing, trusting faith echoes down through the centuries as we witness her “open heart procedure.”
March 21, 2018 – 7:00 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Church, Lutherans of the Roanoke Valley – CANCELLED
Open My Life Lord: Writing to the Galatians, Paul tells us that we have died to the law so that we might live to God. It is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us.
*All services except Ash Wednesday preceded by Soup and Bread at 6:00p.m.
On February 25, St. Philip will celebrate 60 years of ministry in the Roanoke Valley. (see page 1) Throughout the church’s history, congregation members have seen a need in our area and around the world and have sought a way to fill that need through mission and ministry. From creating a preschool – one of St. Philip’s first ministries – to 20 plus years of blood drives to community holiday meals to support of sister parish in Mponela, Malawi to Elijah’s Backpack, a feeding program that reaches children in five local schools.
In celebration of 60 years of ministry in the Roanoke Valley, the coordinators of Elijah’s Backpack have issued a challenge to the congregation – raise 600 jars of peanut butter in the month of February. That’s 100 jars of peanut butter per decade of service to St. Philip’s neighbors. Each week Elijah’s Backpack serves 64 children in need at Burlington Elementary, Mountain View Elementary, Glen Cove Elementary, Northside Middle, and Minnick School Main Campus. Six hundred jars of peanut butter will help feed these children through the end of the school year.
Beginning February 11 and running through Anniversary Sunday on February 25, you are invited to donate jars of peanut butter to Elijah’s Backpack. There will be a display set up in the Fellowship Hall for you to place your donations. The size peanut butter the ministry uses is 16-ounce jars, any brand. If you have any questions about Elijah’s Backpack or the 600 Jars drive, please speak to Judy Brammer or Nancy Shadix. Elijah’s Backpack also welcomes volunteers to help pack bags.
Let’s have a big tower of 16-ounce jars of peanut butter in the Fellowship Hall as the congregation moves into its 7th decade of ministry. St. Philip is truly a congregation that Lives Like †hat!
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February Worship Servers
February 13, 5:30 – 7:30pm
The meal includes steak, baked potato, green beans, fresh bread, and fine desserts. But the best part is gracious pampering and service provided by our youth. We will meet you at the front door, hang up your coat, seat you in the dining area, get your drink order, and find out how you want your steak fixed – all while you relax.
This event is not only a great time to catch up with members of St. Philip, but it is also a great time to invite someone to some great hospitality at your church then be sure to invite them back for Ash Wednesday services the next evening. Tickets are available from any St. Philip youth or online! (Select Youth Sponsored Activities)
This is an important fundraiser for the youth groups so they can attend youth retreats for all ages. Tickets are $15 in advance/$18 the night of, for adults, and $3 in advance/$6 the night of, for a kids hot dog meal. You can also add a bowl of gumbo to your meal for an extra $2. Yum!
As you prepare to purchase groceries this week, you are invited to provide food and funds for our hungry neighbors.
Americans spend about $1 billion on Super Bowl snacks. In contrast, the youth of St. Philip challenge the congregation to donate just $1000 and 770 grocery items (that’s enough cans to build two 10 x 10 pyramids) to Feeding America Food Bank and the St. Mark’s food pantry, respectively.
On February 11, we will collect the groceries in the sanctuary and the money at the close of worship as you leave the sanctuary. Together we can help end hunger right here in Roanoke! For more information on the Souper Bowl of Caring and hunger in the United States, visit tacklehunger.org.
Council met on January 9 at 7 p.m. in the church library. Much of the meeting focused on long-term transitional planning in the wake of Pastor Kelly’s departure.
Treasurer Peter Shick said the year-end appeal to congregation members to help erase the anticipated budget shortfall was very successful. In November, it looked like the church might finish the year having spent $7,000 more than was received in offerings. By the end of the year, that deficit had been reduced to $282.
Pastor David reported that church administrator Laura Latham agreed to boost her hours for the next six months to help meet some of the short-term administrative needs created by Pastor Kelly’s vacancy, and Kelly Miller Truax, a teacher at St. Philip preschool with family ties to the church, agreed to work 10 hours a week as a volunteer coordinator. She will be at church on Sundays to help connect people to the work that needs to be accomplished.
Many volunteers have already stepped forward and been assigned tasks and responsibilities, and even more have said they’re ready to help out. Pastor David said he’s feeling very good about the short-term transition effort.
Council spent some time brainstorming about the church’s future, how to best engage the congregation and what kind of long-term staffing solutions to consider. This will be an ongoing conversation.
The next council meeting will be January 30 at 6 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend.
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February 2018 Newsletter
F
aith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times. – Martin Luther
St Philip is excited to be participating in the Virginia Synod’s ForwardingFaith initiative. The goal of ForwardingFaith is to endow the youth and faith formation activities, events and programs of the Virginia Synod, ELCA.
We believe in both living and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ joyfully and abundantly throughout our lives. Based on our faith in the Triune God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—we are empowered to live lives of discipleship, service and mercy. We believe in faith formation to Love Feed and Serve others so that we can all Live Like That.
To learn more about the youth programs of the Virginia Synod, click here.
Visit the Virginia Synod website to learn more about the faith formation activities
Ambassadors Community for Theological Study (ACTS)
Power in the Spirit annual conference
Roots and Wings resources for family-based faith formation
St. Philip Lutheran Church and Feast @ Philip’s is featured in this Roanoke Times article. 