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Category: News
With great pride we celebrate with Pastor Kelly her call to serve as the Assistant to the Bishop of the Virginia Synod. Her faithfulness, love for God’s people, creativity, passion, and compassion will now be experienced by an even greater audience.
Please make plans to be present as we lift up Pastor Kelly’s ministry among us at St. Philip. On Sunday, December 10th we will have a reception between worship services to honor her and to give thanks for the wonderful ways she has led us to be better disciples of Jesus. The reception will begin at approximately 9:45am. Come to share stories, a word of thanksgiving, and to surround her with our very best wishes. Well done good and faithful servant.
Advent: Season of Hope
In Advent, God’s people wait with hope for the birth of Jesus, God’s anointed one. Advent lasts for four Sundays (and the weeks between them); lighting candles helps us mark the time as we get ready for the Light of World, Jesus Christ. Great memories can be formed as candles on a wreath are lit, scripture is read, and the hopeful anticipation of Christ’s coming is celebrated. You are invited to pick up Advent devotions, on a table in the narthex, for you/your family to use during this holy season.
Advent Night: Potluck, Carols, and Advent Wreaths
Sunday, December 3rd at 5:30pm. All are invited to enjoy the culinary creations of the members of your church family at our potluck dinner, then a festive time with a Christmas carol sing along. We will also create family Advent wreaths with fresh greenery, an Advent calendar for kids AND a fun Christmas photo shoot that could be used for your annual family Christmas card! Come join us as we begin the Advent journey in anticipation of the birth of our Savior!
Fellowship Luncheon
On December 7, 11am, all are invited to attend St. Philip’s Annual Christmas Fellowship Event to help get us in the holiday spirit. The lunch will be held at The Plantation on Sunnybrook. The cost is $16.42, which includes the full buffet, dessert, drinks, and gratuity. Transportation can be arranged by contacting Cindy Fielder at 915-8154. We hope many can attend Thursday, December 7th! Sign up sheets are in the narthex. You are guaranteed an “extra special” Gift–time spent in fellowship with your church family!
Chrismon Tree Decorating, Sunday, December 10, before each worship service
A Chrismon tree is a special tree adorned with symbols of Christianity in its earliest days, such as the Alpha and Omega and the fish. Newer symbols like a dove, Bible, rose, and cross and crown can also be used. All decorations and supplies will be provided.
Christmas Caroling, Sunday, December 10, 5pm
You are invited to share Christmas cheer! Meet at St. Philip. Then groups will head out and about in the Roanoke Valley. Please also bring some cookies to share with folks. Sign-up in the narthex if you plan to join the fun!
Children’s Christmas Program
The children of St. Philip will share the Christmas story at the 5:30pm Christmas Eve worship service. Rehearsals for the children’s Christmas program are each Sunday at 9:50am, through December 17.
Christmas Eve Two opportunities for worship:
5:30pm – Candlelight service and youth program
9:00pm (note the new time!) – Traditional candlelight service
Holy Communion will be served at both services.
Morning Worship Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve
Because Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve happen on a Sunday this year, we will worship on both Sunday mornings at 9:30am. Christmas Eve morning we will light the fourth candle of our advent wreath and conclude our observance of the Advent Season. Then on December 31st we will continue our celebration of the Christmas Season by using Lessons and Carols to shape our worship.
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Thank You for Your Generosity
It is so important to say thank you. St. Philip is a community that practices generosity. That generosity takes shape in so many ways. Thank you. As we celebrate that generosity know that we are always hopeful for expanding the ways we live out mission and ministry. Please prayerfully consider making an additional gift as the calendar year comes to a close.
We are active in so many ways, but know that for Christ’s sake there is always more we might do. Remember that gifts made through December 31st count as charitable donations for the year 2017. You can also be creative in your giving
Consider:
- 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.
- Giving stock. Pay no tax on capital gains when donating stock to a church.
- Visiting the St. Philip website and set up a regular gift to ministry of St. Philip electronically.
* please speak with your accountant or tax advisor for details concerning charitable gifts.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Let’s Make Merry Fellowship
The holidays are fast approaching so here’s a tip: save the date December 7, 11:am! Ladies and Gents are invited to attend St. Philip’s Annual Christmas Fellowship Event to help get us in the holiday spirit. This year we have a reservation for Thursday’s 11 a.m. Luncheon Buffet at The Plantation on Sunnybrook. The cost is $16.42, which includes the full buffet, dessert, drinks, and gratuity. Transportation can be arranged by contacting Cindy Fielder at 915-8154. We hope many can attend Thursday, December 7th!
Please mark your calendar NOW and then plan to sign up in November in the Narthex. You are guaranteed an “extra special” Gift–time spent in fellowship with your church family!
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.