Drop off Sunday in the church when you come for worship or Tuesday the 15th from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. in front of the church office, where friendly Home Missions volunteers will be masked and ready to load items onto trucks.

You may also order supplies online and have them shipped directly to TFM (make sure they will arrive by the 14th in time for sorting the next afternoon):

Attention, young adults! Join the Rev. Justin Hare tonight at 7:00 p.m. in the Youth Room! You'll enjoy some fellowship with your peers and a yummy meal (individually boxed) courtesy of Chef Connie Stahl while you explore the book of Hebrews. Bring your mask! All young adults (college-aged and beyond) are invited. Questions? Call/text Justin at (843) 478-3443 or click below to email him.

The church office will resume a regular five-day schedule next week, beginning Monday, September 14! It has been joyfully noisy in the office building the past week, and we are eager for even more noise as more and more folks stop by to say hello, meet with clergy, and even (soon, we hope!) gather for Bible studies. If you do come by (please do!), remember to wear your mask inside and to stay six feet away from others. Clergy will be available to meet by appointment.

Youth in 7th–12th grade, you're invited to youth group this weekend! Like last year, we'll have prayer, music, and games, but we'll be keeping our masks on for the whole evening, so we won't be eating dinner. We aim to keep our youth safe both physically and spiritually!

Please read the complete guidelines below, which contain safety requirements and drop-off/pick up protocol, and contact St. Philip's Youth Minister David Gilbert (843-708-3795) or Associate Youth Minister Sarah Silcox (843-566-2805) with questions.

As the Rev. Jeff Miller said some weeks ago, our re-entry into church activities must be gradual: we are “wading in” versus “jumping in.” What that means for the ECW (Every Church Woman) of St. Philip’s is that we will not be having our Fall Dinner. While we are sorry to miss this annual evening of fellowship––always complete with delicious food and an engaging speaker––we know that it’s necessary for our safety and that of our entire St. Philip’s family.

Even though we won’t be gathering for dinner, some of the branches of the ECW are still offering opportunities to meet and volunteer. The Flower Guild, composed of four small teams, are the ladies responsible for making the beautiful arrangements we see on the altar each Sunday, and they will happily teach new volunteers the art of arranging and caring for flowers and greenery. The New Mothers Committee helps mothers transition from “expecting” to “mothering” by providing a meal, prayers, and encouragement. With meals or notes, the Compassion Committee shows our bereaved families and those on the prayer list that we, their St. Philip’s family, are praying for them and available for them.

If you’d like to learn more or get involved, please contact ECW president Hope Gamble at hopebrowngamble@yahoo.com or (843) 568-7705.

All singers are welcome! Please pray about your opportunity to serve God and His Church. We especially invite choristers of all ages who have dropped out of choir for any reason to return. Great joy can be found in praising God through music!

Although choirs may not sing in church presently, we will work towards music for Lessons and Carols and Christmas. All choir members will also be given age-appropriate vocal training since most have not sung in six months. Young Cherub and St. Nicholas choristers will enjoy time in song, dance, and music learning. Please note that most rehearsals will take place in the Parish Hall on the second floor of the Parish House (corner of Church and Cumberland Streets) to accommodate social distancing. Masks will be required.

Questions? Please call Pat Gould at (843) 364-9552 or email her at pgould@stphilipschurchsc.org. New and returning choristers, please click the link below to register.

Who: You, participating in a Zoom-based class led by Pringle Franklin, author of Hope & Healing in Marriage; Pringle has taught marriage seminars/classes in church settings in Charleston, SC, and Paris, France.

What: A nine-week study of the stories of real couples dealing with a mixed menu of struggles and issues such as infidelity, alcoholism, abuse, loss of love, destructive anger, the death of a child, and chronic illness.

When: Two class sections are available: Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. or Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. Classes run from the first week in October to the second week in December.

Where: Join via Zoom from home or wherever you happen to be.

Why: To gain inspiration, hope, encouragement, and insight; to strengthen your marriage and your relationship with God.

How: To register, send an email to HopeandHealinginMarriage@gmail.com. Or use Facebook to send a message to our page, Hope & Healing in Marriage. The class is free; participants will want a copy of Hope & Healing in Marriage, available on Amazon in the USA and most of Europe (in English).

Last week, the Rev. Andrew O'Dell encouraged us to step back from the concerns of right now and focus on eternity, and the Rev. Justin Hare explored what Christianity can offer our society in the 21st century, a time when most are focused on self-actualization instead of self-sacrifice.

This week's devotions will be posted to the news section of our website at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow and Friday. Click the top link below if you've missed any and need to catch up; click the bottom link if you'd like the devotions delivered to your email inbox and haven't yet signed up.

While the Rev. Marc Boutan is on sabbatical, the Rev. Gerry McCord, Deacon, will be available for those with any pastoral concerns (e.g. prayer needs, illness, hospitalization). If you or someone you love would like to pray with or speak to Gerry over the phone or in person, please contact him.

The Rev. Gerry McCord: (843) 224-1342 or gerrymccord@gmail.com.

Are you looking for a deeper way to connect with the Body of Christ during COVID-19? Consider joining the Thursday morning Centering Prayer group in its weekly Zoom meeting at 8:00 a.m. This group convenes for one hour, and the heart of the meeting is an opportunity to practice 30 minutes of contemplative (silent) prayer, resting in the presence of the Christ with others who are also earnestly seeking Him. Afterwards, group members discuss their experiences and share insights and prayer requests. This is an opportunity to bond with the Lord and a group rooted in peace.

For more information, please contact Pringle Franklin, group facilitator, at franklin.pringle@comcast.net or (843) 270-5585.

Start by following St. Philip's on Instagram and liking our page on Facebook. You'll receive lots of suggestions for connecting with other St. Philippians!

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

It seems like there's a new hurricane threat every week––are you prepared? We never know how bad the effects of a natural disaster will be, so we must prepare ahead of time, even if that means preparing to get help afterwards. This is where the St. Philip's Disaster Relief Team comes in. The Team's mission is to provide help, assistance, and hope to our parishioners and neighbors in times of extreme crisis by offering comfort and minor emergency repairs.

We have a network of parishioners who are willing and able to respond when they are called via our phone tree. We have two points of the phone tree and geographic coordinators for most of the tri-county area already in place. We are always happy to welcome new volunteers!

We pray for the sick: Harold Arnold, Jr., Dotsy Boineau, Kelsey Brockbank, Katie Burris, Elizabeth Flowers, Mary Forbes, Robert Gould, Janet Hanger, Jonathan Hanger, Dan Kohn, Reed Kurtz, Mac Leppard, Joe Livesay, Alan McNeel, Rogers Moore, Harold Robling, Benjamin Schools, Mike Walsh, and Lindsey Wing.

We grieve with and pray for the family of Felicia Chisolm Wardlaw Sperr, who died on September 2.

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 10/40 Tribal Commission, for Water Mission, and for St. Jean Baptiste, our sister church, and the schools in Haiti.