Another Rally Sunday is in the books, and what a glorious day of worship and fellowship it was! Children and youth kicked off the day with their first session of Sunday school, while adults gathered in the Parish Hall for a ministries fair, enjoying coffee, breakfast treats, and fellowship while adding their names to sign-up sheets. We can’t wait to see fresh and returning faces ushering, reading lessons, acolyting, supporting our mission partners, and making coffee! (On that note, we hope someone other than the Rev. Andrew R. O’Dell signed up for occasional coffee duty, because the best he can do while his Foundations class is in session is sample the coffee, and the Perky People need folks who can actually make the coffee.) 

The Rector’s Forum: The Gospel of John

The Rev. Jeffrey S. Miller, Parish Hall

No registration needed. Open to all

Foundations: A Journey of Faith

The Rev. Andrew R. O'Dell, Philadelphia Alley

Class at capacity ~ registration closed

Connecting Our Faith and Work

The Rev. Justin C. Hare, Chapel

On Tuesday, September 26, eat a good breakfast and a nice, big lunch and come on down to St. Philip’s to give the gift of life––one unit of blood can save up to three lives! Every day, blood donors help patients of all ages: accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those battling cancer. In fact, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. Click here to read just a few of their stories.

Walk-ins are always welcome, but making an appointment will help minimize or eliminate your wait time. We also need a few volunteers to greet donors warmly, help with registration, and keep the snack table stocked with goodies.

Hope to Home Ministry

September 17, September 24, and/or

October 1 (at church); October 7 (at Hope to Home)

Serve a Meal to Citadel Cadets

at St. Alban’s Chapel

October 16 ~ 5:45 p.m.

The Shine the Light initiative has been in the works for more than three years, with over 30 volunteers planning (in 2020), preparing (in 2021), responding and discerning (in 2022), and organizing and acting (in 2023). On April 30, 2023, we announced the campaign to the entire congregation. 

We have been blessed by the contributions and pledges of 176 parishioners who participated prayerfully and sacrificially, committing a total of $12.2 million, which represents 60% of our $20.5 million goal. Praise God for this outpouring of generosity!



This fall, we will reignite the Shine the Light Campaign with the goal of 100% parish participation. Current participation is 27%–if you haven’t yet pledged or donated, we invite you to prayerfully consider doing so in the coming weeks. A gift or pledge of any amount will help us reach both of our goals! 

There’s a new face in the office! We are so excited to welcome Alice Smith, who will be serving as our parish receptionist.

A note from Alice: It is a pleasure to be joining St. Philip’s incredible team! My husband, Rhett, and our two daughters, Lillian and Virginia Rhett, began attending here in the fall of 2019. We have all enjoyed the many faith-building and fellowship opportunities. My goal is to be a shepherd of God through prayer, example, and hospitality. I look forward to getting to know more of you during work and church!



We invite anyone who hasn’t yet had the pleasure of meeting Alice to stop by the front desk of the church office Monday through Thursday (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or Friday (8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.). Or look for her family in church! 

“My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” ––Isaiah 56:7

“The effective fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much.” ––James 5:16a

Answered Prayers (Thank You, Lord):

1. For a glorious Rally Sunday. 2. For back to School blessings for the students and teachers. 3. For the safe return from Andrew’s sabbatical and Brian and Bill’s vacations. 4. For the ongoing success of the outreach at Henry’s: Theology on Tap and Mark Finlay’s men’s group. Bless the owner of Henry’s abundantly. 5. For the continued success of the Open Door Ministry. 6. For the intercessors that have committed to pray for each one of the speakers for the Mere Anglicanism Conference. 7. For the financial gifts being given for the Shine the Light Campaign.

If you are a cadet and interested in a ride to church and a free lunch with a Citadel alum, sign up!

Children's Choir Registration

Ages 3–3rd grade rehearse Wednesdays

4th–12th grades rehearse Thursdays

Sunday School and Nursery Registration

Ages 0–18

Diocesan Men's Retreat

October 5–8 ~ Arden, NC



Diocesan Women's Retreat

October 20–22

Mere Anglicanism Conference

January 18–20, 2024

The Rev. Justin C. Hare is preaching at our services of Holy Eucharist at 8:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Music department birthdays are always special times in the life of the church office, so it should come as no surprise that we celebrated Chris Walchesky's birthday with a little more than sheet cake and that tired rendition of Happy Birthday (the one sometimes punctuated with "and many more"). Indeed, Denise Pickford––who has just as much chance of being called Walchesky's partner in crime as being called his assistant––planned a special nautical birthday for our Director of Music and Organist, who would rather be out on his boat than almost anywhere in the world. With sailor caps on our heads and pool noodles in our hands, we serenaded Chris (who was gifted with a captain's hat and shirt) with the dulcet melody of the Gilligan's Island theme song––but with special words like "Pennsyltucky," "'89," and "Jeff says get back to work." Did we video? Of course we did. But we've been advised by our agents not to release the video before we sign our record deal. We are so talented (despite the fact that 25% of the music department sat the singing out).

If you follow St. Philip's on social media, you already knew about yesterday's festivities. If you don't, why don't you take a minute right now to give us a follow so that you, too, can be among the first to hear about schedule changes, special events, and our imminent record deal(s)?

Important Dates

September 13 ~ Men's Lunch with speaker Myron Harrington (12 noon)

September 13 ~ Wednesdays Alive! resumes

September 14 ~ Rector’s Bible Study resumes (noon in the Parish Hall)

September 17 ~ Rector’s Forum resumes

September 24 ~ Friends of St. Philip's Beauty with Charles DeAntonio (6:00 p.m. on the Choir Room portico)

September 26 ~ Red Cross Blood Drive

October 1 ~ Furniture/Home Goods Drive for Hope to Home

October 5–8 ~ Diocesan Men’s Retreat (Arden, NC)

October 7 ~ St. Philip’s Day at Hope to Home

October 11, 18, and 25 ~ Understanding Spiritual Warfare with Frenchie Richards (7:00 p.m. in Philadelphia Alley) 

October 16 ~ Service Opportunity: St. Alban’s Chapel at The Citadel

October 20–22 ~ Anglican Women's Retreat (Epworth by the Sea)

November 4 ~ Lowcountry Walk for Life

January 18–20, 2024 ~ Mere Anglicanism Conference

We pray for the sick: Tim Bass, Jean Carlton, Morris Cave, Diane Christensen, Karen Collins, Silas Cressman, Cullen Crowley, Sally Fayard, Mary Forbes, Dana Heikes III, Susan Hemminger, Emily Hepworth, Ken Holden, George Hooks, Fred Jumper, Marvin Kirkland, Robert Kizer, Wes Lewis, Rena Mack, Allison and Doug McAdams, Alan McNeel, Rene Meyer, Lou Parker, Elaine Pendarvis, Eli Penn, Meredith Repik, Fran Sanders, Pete Sperr, Margaret Swanson, Lindsey Wing, and Libby Wright.

We grieve with and pray for Sarah Christian and family on the death of her brother, Darius Hill Hollomon IV, on August 31.

We grieve with and pray for Ali Arnold and family on the death of her father, Thomas Jackson Scully, on August 31.

We pray for our expectant parents: Jill and Alton Phillips, Liesl and Luke Cressman.

We pray for protection for Becca Baird, Graham Blunt, William Bruce, Robert Cale III, Henry Clayton, David Daughtridge, Paul Economy, Noah Flowe, Eric Gaines, Morgan and Mason Herring, Andrew Kane, Quin Kane, 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 and world missions: Lowcountry Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Lowcountry Pregnancy Center, Star Gospel Mission, Suzy McCall and LAMB, for the medical missions to Honduras, for ministry to victims of genocide and AIDS in Rwanda, for the Persecuted Church, for Anglican Frontier Missions, for Uganda Christian University Partners, for Water Mission and the Global Water Center, and for St. Jean Baptiste, our sister church, and the schools in Haiti.

Collect for Sunday:

O God, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee: Mercifully grant, that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Readings for Sunday:

• Jonah 3:1–4:11
• Psalm 103:1–18
• Matthew 18:10–14