~ the eSPIRE Newsletter ~
December 19, 2021
The Fourth Sunday in Advent
Last inSPIRE/eSPIRE until January 12
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Now in recess
- Sunday School, Rector’s Forum (resume Jan. 9)
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Rector’s Bible Study (resumes Jan. 13)
December 15
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Final inSPIRE/eSPIRE mailing (resumes Jan. 12)
- Final Wednesdays Alive! service/supper/class (resumes Jan. 12)
December 17
- Final Middle School Youth Group (resumes January 7)
December 19
- Final High School Youth Group (resumes January 9)
December 24-January 2
In the event of a pastoral emergency while the church office is closed, please contact the Rev. Bill Christian at (843) 327-0791.
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Deadline to Submit Memorials is Today at 5:00 |
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If you would like to make a contribution to the Christmas Flower Fund as a memorial or in thanksgiving for a loved one, please click the link below and submit your information by Wednesday, December 15. After you complete the form, you may pay online through the My St. Philip's portal of our website, stphilipschurchsc.org, or you may drop off a check payable to St. Philip's Church at the church office or mail it to:
St. Philip's Church
Attn: Juli Garland, Christmas Flowers
142 Church St.
Charleston, SC 29401
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The St. Cecilia Choir before Sunday’s service |
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The return of in-person Lessons and Carols on Sunday was nothing short of glorious! The sanctuary was beautifully adorned with Advent greenery, bows, and lights thanks to the Flower Guild and the biggest crowd of volunteer helpers anyone can remember. The lovely Wassail Bowl reception that followed Lessons and Carols was also the result of a lot of hardworking volunteers! Our parish family is full of servant hearts! Please read the messages of thanks from some of our leaders below.
The Greening of the Church (Flower Guild)
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The Flower Guild of St. Philip’s Church would like to thank all of the people who helped green the church last Friday! We had the best turnout ever with so many familiar faces and so many new ones, too! With all of your helping hands, we managed to get everything done in two and a half hours, and we simply can’t thank you enough for all of your great work.
Lessons and Carols (Chris Walchesky, Organist and Choirmaster)
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“May Christ, who by his incarnation gathered into one all things earthly, all things heavenly, and fill you with joy.”––Book of Common Prayer, Church of Ireland
Philip Stopford used the above text in “A Christmas Blessing,” Sunday’s offertory anthem, and I think it is the perfect summation of the spirit of Lessons and Carols and the narrative unfolding through each Lesson: Adam’s fall, the promise of a Savior, Mary’s Annunciation, the Birth of Christ, the worship of the Gentiles, the Word became flesh, “thus to come from highest bliss down to such a world as this.”
To all the choirs, instrumentalists, readers, and the flower and altar guilds: Thank you! And especially I’d like to thank Pat Gould, whose sage wisdom guided us over any hurdle, and Andrea White, whose willingness to help beyond the call of duty made the day a truly special one. Blessed Advent and merry Christmas.
Wassail Bowl (Lee Moore and Angela Clark, St. Philip’s Preschool)
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We would like to offer a huge thank you to our new Wassail crew! We definitely felt the absence of Gene Lesesne, but he was well remembered. What a fabulous treat to have all the homemade goodies and donations! Thank you to David and Jordan Gilbert and their daughters, Rayna and Chloë, for all of their help on Sunday morning! Special thanks to our families, the Clarks, the Moores, Demeree Stone and her children Saylor and Banks, and to Jeff and Jessica Martin, who were there in spirit. Another special thank you goes out to our brand new Wassail servers, the Youth Group of St. Philip’s, including our special helpers, DuBose and Ellie Egleston. Finally, thank you to Dorothy Lancaster for helping with clean-up duties, and as always, thank you to sexton Ben Singleton and assistant sexton Eric Pickford for all they do! |
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Gift Cards Delivered to Neighbors Together
Another Thank You to St. Philip’s!
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Neighbors Together Executive Director Kara Stewart (above left) with Home Missions Co-chair Jennie Richardson; gift cards wrapped in envelopes and ready to be distributed. |
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On Monday, December 13, Home Missions Team members met in the parlor of the church office building to sort through the hundreds of gift cards that generous St. Philippians donated over the past few weeks as part of annual Home Missions angel tree project.
You’ll have to stay tuned for final numbers, but know that between the end of Lessons and Carols on Sunday and the time our Home Missions Team began organizing the cards Monday morning, over 100 more cards came in!
The rest of the cards will be divided among the residents of Star Gospel Mission, the teachers of Simmons-Pinckney Middle School, and clients of Lowcountry Pregnancy Center.
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Neighbors Together Christmas Party
Neighbors Together on Cosgrove Avenue in North Charleston,
Saturday, December 18, 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Volunteers will serve hot meals, distribute holiday turkeys, and pass out stockings to the children in attendance. Gift cards from the St. Philip’s angel tree will also be distributed to families during the party. Space is limited, so for more information or to volunteer with our St. Philip’s team on December 18, please contact Jennie Richardson at (843) 364-2912 or jmerr3975@aol.com.
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Abundant Blessings at Star Gospel Mission
by Swain Marion, Home Missions Co-chair
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Every year in December, Star Gospel Mission, one of St. Philip’s Home Mission partners, distributes gift cards for groceries to hundreds of people in need here in the lowcountry.
In the past, long lines of people circled around the building to wait and receive a gift card. Last year it was pouring down rain and cold! Dr. Marion Platt, Star Gospel’s new executive director, decided to change the process.
This year, distribution spanned five days instead of one so that each person who qualified for assistance was able to have an appointment to speak to a case worker, who took down important information such as personal and family needs, as well as prayer requests.
My husband and I decided to volunteer together as we had both met Dr. Platt and were impressed with his leadership and enthusiasm. We wanted to learn more about what he was doing at Star Gospel, so we decided to go see for ourselves!
We were both trained in the morning as caseworkers, which simply meant we would meet with a person, enter information into a computer, and most importantly ... ask for prayer requests! Our day flew by, and before we knew it, the last person had come through Star Gospel’s doors! After five days of one-on-one appointments with caseworkers, 580 people had received gift cards, prayer, dignity, and love from Star Gospel.
Going to Star Gospel to volunteer will be by far the highlight of our Christmas. It was difficult to see people going through such tough, heartbreaking times, but it was an honor and privilege to be able to pray with them and offer support. And sharing this experience with my husband made it extra special. I hope you will consider going to visit Star Gospel Mission, and maybe you too will decide to volunteer!
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We are looking for someone with some sewing skills and a machine plus a little free time this week to make several basic poncho-style animal costumes for our Christmas pageant.
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State Supreme Court Hearing
Thank you for your fervent prayers!
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In an email sent the afternoon of December 8, the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina shared some history of the legal battle between our diocese and The Episcopal Church (TEC) and noted that during the December 8 hearing, which was an appeal by TEC of Judge Edgar W. Dickson’s interpretation of the State Supreme Court’s 2017 ruling, “the justices were very active in their questioning.”
The communication went on to say, “The Anglican Diocese of South Carolina and its parishes remain prayerfully hopeful of their legal position as the owners of their individual real, personal and intellectual property. It is expected that the South Carolina Supreme Court will not announce its ruling on the current appeal until sometime in 2022.”
St. Philip’s held a prayer vigil and noonday prayer service on December 7 in anticipation of the hearing, and we thank all who participated and prayed at home in the days leading up to the hearing. Your continued fervent prayers are much appreciated.
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Art Auction Coming Up January 15!
with the Rev. Jeff Miller, auctioneer
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Join us on January 15 beginning at 5:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall for an art auction with the Rev. Jeff Miller, auctioneer! Proceeds will benefit the St. Philip’s Choir, whose week-long residency at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London is coming up in August 2022. Original artwork has already been donated by notable artists such as William Warlick, Charles DeAntonio, Steve Graudin, John Townsend, Amelia Whaley, Susan Gaillard, Paula McNamara, and more! We’ve also received many prints––we have artwork for every budget!
Doors open at 5:00 for the silent auction. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres prepared by members of the choir, plus wine and beer. Bidding for the live auction begins at 6:00 p.m. There will be musical entertainment as well!
Contact Pat Gould with questions or to arrange a donation: (843) 364-9552 or
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Registration Open for 20s-30s Oyster Roast
January 23, 3:00-5:00 on the Parish House Lawn
$20 early bird pricing through January 3 ~ Pay-what-you-can option available
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Tea Room Planning Is Underway!
May 2-6, 2022 ~ 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. daily
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Folks, the 2022 Tea Room IS ON! Many of you already know that the delicious lowcountry Tea Room lunches and desserts don't make and serve themselves––Tea Room requires many helping hands: servers, hostesses, kitchen helpers, bakers, etc.
But did you know that many folks are involved in the planning process, too? The planning is going on NOW, and Tea Room co-chairs Amanda Ayers and Ashley Warnock would love your help! Contact Amanda at (843) 696-1852 or amandabear79@yahoo.com to get involved!
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Last service of 2021 is TONIGHT! |
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Tonight's supper: Chicken Marbella |
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Last Youth Group of 2021 This Weekend!
Middle School: 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. on Fridays in the Youth Room
High School: 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. on Sundays in the Youth Room
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Youth group is open to all 6th–12th-graders of St. Philip’s and the surrounding community. Plan to play hard and pray hard. Questions? Contact youth minister David Gilbert at dgilbert@stphilipschurchsc.org or (843) 708-3795.
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This Week's Service Information |
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The Rev. Andrew R. O'Dell will be preaching this Sunday at our services of Holy Communion at 8:15 and 10:30. |
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Merry Christmas from Marshall! |
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St. Philip’s roving smile ambassador, Marshall, has had just about enough of being up north! He recently wrote to Gus, our part-time office helper:
Dear Gus,
It is VERY cold here. My toes are frozen. I can’t find a squirrel anywhere. So for now, I am laying low and dreaming of the fun we will have in Charleston.
Hoping you and your family have a happy Christmas.
❤️
Marshall
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If this correspondence is news to you, sounds like you need to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram! |
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Would You Like Someone to Pray With You? |
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To pray WITH someone:
Contact Frenchie Richards, who will connect you with a prayer minister for a private appointment: frichards7@aol.com or 843-345-8797.
To ask for prayer FOR someone:
Call Suzanne McCord, head of the prayer chain, and she will pass your request on to members of the chain:
Both options are always confidential.
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Save the Date
Dec. 24–Jan. 2~ Church office closed
Dec. 24 ~ Christmas Eve services (4:30, 7:30; 10:30 p.m.)
Dec. 25~ Christmas Day service (10:00 a.m.)
Dec. 26 ~ No 8:15 service (10:30 only)
Jan. 12 ~ Monthly Wednesday Men's Lunch (12 noon in the Parish Hall)
Jan. 15 ~ Art Auction (choir fundraiser, 5:00 p.m.)
Jan. 23 ~ Young Adult Oyster Roast
May 2-6 ~ St. Philip’s Tea Room
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Never miss a sermon!
Click below to subscribe to our Sermons podcast.
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Membership Directory
Are you looking for a fellow parishioner's contact information? Our directory is online! Click the "My St. Philip's" button on our homepage, stphilipschurchsc.org, to log in or sign up for an account. And for easy access on your phone, download the Church Life app!
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We pray for the sick: Harry Carr, Maffett Dowd, Sally Fayard, Mark and Cindy Fields, Elizabeth Flowers, Mary Forbes, Mary Anne Hanckel, Susan Hemminger, John Jerger, Kevin Kane, Claudia Kolster, Joe Livesay, Fritz Lloyd, Connor Lowndes, Ann Marion, Beverly Melvin, Dan Mengedoht, John Murray, Karen Nix, Molly Margaret O’Quinn, Juanita Orvin, Olivia Palmer, Isla Pearce, Owen Ravenel, Fred Riley Jr., Valerie Rouillard, Fran Sanders, Jay Schrimpf, Larry Scoville, Lynne Scoville, Jason Stryker, Lawrence Timoney, Hope Walters, Lindsey Wing, Libby Wright, and Richard Wright.
We grieve with and pray for:
Debra Izard and family on the death of her mother, Frances Ellison Hamby, on December 10, 2021.
We pray for our expectant parents: Kimbrell and Bruce Blackwood, Katie and Ruben Perez-Phillips, Lauren and Ashton Phillips.
We pray for protection for Becca Baird, Chris and Julia Beasley, Graham Blunt, Henry Clayton, Ben Colyer, David Daughtridge, Tripp Hathaway, Morgan and Mason Herring, Horry Kerrison, Frazier Kulze, John Mason, Zach McFadden, Philip Middleton III, Jackson Miller, Edward Pritchard, Nathaniel Rollings, and David Scott serving in our Armed Forces.
We pray for our home missions: Star Gospel Mission, Neighbors Together, Lowcountry Pregnancy Center, and St. John's Chapel.
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, for The Persecuted Church, and for St. Jean Baptiste, our sister church, and the schools in Haiti.
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Collect for Sunday:
We beseech thee, Almighty God, to purify our consciences by thy daily visitation, that when thy Son our Lord cometh he may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Readings for Sunday:
- Micah 5:2-5
- Psalm 80:1-7
- Luke 1:39-56
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ST. PHILIP'S CHURCH
142 Church Street | Charleston, SC 29401
Church Office Hours
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday
8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Friday
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