Category: News

Church Council News – November

Post author By Alice Lebow
Post date November 28, 2017
No Comments on Church Council News – November

Church Council News – November
Dan Radmacher

Council met on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 6 p.m. in the church library. Though most of the meeting was taken up by going over and approving the 2018 spending plan, a good portion of the meeting was devoted to Pastor Kelly’s announcement that she has accepted a call to serve as Assistant to the Bishop of the Virginia Synod.

This sad and exciting news means major transitions ahead both for St. Philip and the Derrick family, and council spent some time discussing potential ways to fulfill the many responsibilities that Pastor Kelly currently handles. No decisions were made, except to keep Pastor Kelly’s compensation in the spending plan so resources would be available for future staffing decisions.

Council continued to wrestle with the spending plan, approving a plan with a hefty $17,000 shortfall. The fixed expenses of funding the church — staff compensation, utilities, maintenance and upkeep — continue to outpace giving in recent years. While St. Philip is blessed with resources, including substantial endowment and investment funds, council wants to make sure those are used in a responsible and sustainable fashion.

There will be a congregational meeting on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 10 a.m. to discuss and approve the spending plan.

The next council meeting will be Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend.

News

Live Like That: Love, Feed, Serve

Post author By danrad
Post date October 31, 2017
No Comments on Live Like That: Love, Feed, Serve

Love, Feed, Serve is not slogan; it is mission, it is purpose, and it is identity. St. Philip is an active community of faith, compelled by God’s grand gift of love to share that same love with others. St. Philip Church Council has been reflecting upon who we are as congregation and community at this particular moment of time. In our conversations, what surfaced over and over again is that we are people who are shaped by God’s love in a way that changes how we live. We see God’s love epitomized in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and are called to live as Jesus would have us live – to Live Like That.

AND, as conversation continued; equally clear is that our living together at St. Philip is lived out as we love, feed, and serve neighbors near and far.

SO, St. Philip Council proudly announces a tag line, including a new logo that we hope gives direction and inspiration to our discipleship and faith in the coming months. As the weeks unfold, keep thinking about how it is that you Live Like That, share stories as to how God’s love is shared in your own experience, be active in serving so that a hungry world might be fed with the good news of a resurrected Christ.

We Live Like That Everywhere We Go

Tag. You’re it! We want to Live Like That in our worship, through our shared ministry at St. Philip, and in our daily living. Be sure to share your stories of how you Live Like That: Love, Feed, Serve by jotting down on the back of one of our Live Like That tags your experiences. Then hang your tag on the cross in the gathering space (narthex) as a sign of the multiple ways we live out the faith together.

Disciples On The Move – Live Like That mobile

Because our lives of faith are lives of faith everywhere we go, boldly proclaim that you are connected to the community of faith at St. Philip. Boldly proclaim that you joyfully live out your faith. St. Francis once said, “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words when necessary.” You are invited to at least start some of those conversations by putting a St. Philip Live Like That window cling on the back of your car.

St. Philip window clings are available in the gathering space and during Café on Sunday mornings in the fellowship hall. We are asking for $5 donation for the clings. We are disciples on the move – let’s cover our vehicles showing the Roanoke Valley that we are people who Live Like That: Love, Feed, Serve.

A New Website To Go With The New Logo And Tagline

The St. Philip website http://stphiliplutheran.net has gotten a facelift to accompany our new tag line, Live Like That, and logo. We hope the congregation will find the new website cleaner, more useful and easier to use.

The monthly newsletter and worship assistant list are available under the Congregational Life menu, and recent news about St. Philip’s ministries and other activities should be easier to find. St. Philip is a dynamic, active church, and we hope the new website reflects that.

St. Philip is also on social media. Check out the Facebook page and Twitter @StPhilipROA.

News

Finish Strong for 2017

Pastors David and Kelly

We are blessed at St. Philip with great resources! One of which is an Endowment Fund and other investments that allows our congregation to expand ministry in many exciting ways.

However, Church Council also wants to thank you for your generosity to ensure that the infrastructure and core ministry of the congregation continues to happen. Endowment income and investments are not used for the day to day ministry of St. Philip. We continue to need to watch very closely our expenditures as they relate to daily operation.

To date, our expenditures for daily ministry outspend the offerings received from the congregation. St. Philip expects an $8000 deficit for the year 2017. Consider increasing your offering so that we finish the year in a strong financial position. If 80 St. Philip families gave just an additional $100 between now and the end of the year, we would cancel that deficit and finish in the black. Your pastors are committed to making that additional contribution and invite you to do the same.

Council Notes News

Church Council News – October

Post author By danrad
Post date October 31, 2017
No Comments on Church Council News – October

Dan Radmacher

Council met Monday, October 16, at 7 p.m. in the church library. Once again, the spending plan for 2018 dominated the discussion.

Council examined a draft plan that, despite cuts to several areas, anticipates an $11,000 shortfall next year. As noted during the meeting, a large percentage of annual spending is taken up by the fixed costs that are fundamental to the work and ministry of the church: Staff compensation and benefits, office and other administrative expenses, utilities, and property upkeep and maintenance.

At current giving levels, there is little room for spending on the ministries and benevolent activities that many want to see the church engage in. St. Philip is fortunate to have an endowment fund and other investment funds, though. Pastor David discussed the philosophical approach council has been taking to utilizing these funds — appropriating money from them mostly for one-time expenses — and questioned whether the church needs to rethink that approach.

After much discussion, council decided to move forward with developing a spending plan for congregational approval that anticipates a significant shortfall and to meet an hour early in November to devote more time to discussing both how to approach spending and how to best communicate the issues and situation to the congregation.

Pastor Kelly debuted the church’s new Twitter account, @StPhilipROA, and council discussed ways it could be put to good use. Dan Radmacher updated council on the website redesign, and Pastor David discussed the plan for the rollout of the new logo and tagline.

Sarah Parker was unable to attend the meeting but sent an email describing her experience at a training session for the Forwarding Faith Campaign, the effort to raise at least $2.5 million over the next five years to provide an endowment for faith formation activities in the Virginia Synod. That campaign is now entering the congregational phase, and council agreed that a reasonable goal for St. Philip would be to secure commitments from members of the congregation to give $25,000 over three years.

Sarah will lead that campaign over a six-week period from January 21 to February 25 with the last week corresponding with St. Philip’s 60th anniversary. The pastors shared that they had already pledged $3,000 personally and that other St. Philip families have made similar commitments.

Pastor David reported that situations requiring pastoral care continue to arise with greater frequency than normal and that he and Pastor Kelly are doing all they can to meet those needs.

Council will meet again on November 14 at 6 p.m. in the church library. Anyone is welcome to attend.

News Preschool

Reflections from St. Philip Preschool Director

Post author By danrad
Post date October 31, 2017
No Comments on Reflections from St. Philip Preschool Director

Danielle Murray

While I sit here and sip my coffee, thinking about things happening in my life and my friends lives, I look up my students playing happily in the “running room.” The realization hits me. In just a few short years they will be dealing with so many of the same issues.

Broken relationships

Financial worries

Daily parenting struggles

Health issues

It’s a good reminder for me. This short time I have with each of them is invaluable. I get to remind them to look for the positives. I get to teach them about their rights as a human. I get to teach them about respect and their emotions and how to make the two work together. I get to choose to tell them when I’m having a hard day so their hard days don’t seem so foreign but just a different type of day.

It’s a good day to spend with a classroom full of preschoolers.

News Worship Events

We Give God Thanks

We give God thanks for the diversity of people throughout our community and for the unity we celebrate in Christ Jesus our Lord. Witness to the gifts of diversity and unity is happening again this year as the churches of the Hollins community gather to give thanks. Participating churches are Enon Baptist, Summerdean Church of the Brethren, St. Philip Lutheran, Northview United Methodist, Hollins Church of the Nazarene, Green Ridge Presbyterian, and First Baptist of Hollins.

We gather to celebrate the goodness that is God’s promise in Christ Jesus. We lift up our connection to one another and boldly give our thanks and praise to God as we worship and as we live the life of faith in our neighborhood.

This year, as in years past, the churches of the Hollins Community will worship together. The worship service Sunday, November 19, at 7:00 p.m. will be held here at St. Philip. MAKE PLANS TO BE PRESENT AND DEMONSTRATE ST. PHILIP HOSPITALITY. St. Philip will be hosting a reception immediately following the worship service. If you are interested in helping provide food or staffing the reception please speak to Pastor David or Linda Rhodes.

News

Using God’s Resources

We are blessed at St. Philip with great resources! One of which is an Endowment Fund and other investments that allows our congregation to expand ministry in many exciting ways. However, Church Council also wants to thank you for your generosity to ensure that the infrastructure and core ministry of the congregation continues to happen.

Endowment income and investments are not used for the day to day ministry of St. Philip. We continue to need to watch very closely our expenditures as they relate to daily operation. To date, our expenditures for daily ministry outspend the offerings received from the congregation. That deficit will not be offset by investment income, per our investment policies. St. Philip Council asks that you faithfully give and consider increasing your offering so that we finish the year in a strong financial position.

In 2016, the St. Philip Endowment generated $15,000 for ministry initiatives through St. Philip. Church Council has approved the following ministries which, again, are made possible by the Endowment Fund:

$5000 grant to St. Philip Youth for ELCA Youth Gathering

$2000 Seminarian Support – to support our student Matt Leonard

$1500 grant to Camp Caroline Furnace – Virginia’s Outdoor Lutheran Camp

$6500 media upgrade throughout the building

Church Council also approved several upgrades which were made possible by funds from St. Philip’s additional investments. These included:

$6,250 Color Pinter/Copier

$3,390 Automatic Door – to allow easier access for folks with mobility challenges

Council Notes News

Church Council News

Church council met on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. in the church library. Church finances were discussed extensively as council prepares to submit a 2018 spending plan for congregational approval in December and as expenses continue to outpace giving this year.

While giving is up from last year, expenses are exceeding receipts by about $55,500 so far this year as insurance, utilities and other costs continue to rise. It is likely the church will end the year in the red for the third year in a row, which is a troubling trend.

Thanks to the Kinder Bequest and other substantial gifts over the years, St.. Philip has a sizeable endowment and long-term investment fund for capital projects, but council has tried to keep routine spending in line with annual giving.

Council discussed how best to communicate the situation with the congregation, and whether there are ways of responsibly tapping some of the church’s investment funds or income to cover ongoing expenses.

This will continue to be discussed next month.

Council voted on a new motion for the 2016 endowment disbursement. The motion presented last month contained an error. According to congregational policy, a portion of investment earnings from the endowment fund is disbursed every year to further the mission of St. Philip.

The disbursement will be as follows: $5,000 for the upcoming National Youth Gathering, $6,500 for media upgrades for the church (video conferencing for the library, televisions and monitors for the youth rooms and fellowship hall and improved wi-fi throughout the building), $2,000 to support Matt Leonard’s seminary studies and $1,500 for Caroline Furnace..

Council discussed the rollout of the new logo and tagline for the church and received an update about progress on a new website, which should be ready to be unveiled at the end of October.

Sarah Parker will attend a training session in September to serve as head of the congregational Forwarding Faith campaign, St. Philip’s contribution to the effort to raise at least $2.5 million over the next five years to provide an endowment for faith formation activities in the Virginia Synod.

The next council meeting will be Monday, October 16, at 7 p.m. in the church library. Anyone is welcome to attend.