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April 19, 2024

For the benefit of newcomers and visitors, please wear your nametag every Sunday. If you need a nametag, please tell an usher or let the parish office know.

• Sunday at 8:00 a.m. – From Palm Sunday through the summer, we will enjoy sharing the same Holy Eucharist, Rite II liturgy in our Sunday morning 8:00 a.m. spoken service as the 10:30 a.m. service.
• Adult Forum at 9:15 a.m. – On Sunday, April 21, 2024, St. Philippian Kevin Greene will begin a three-week discussion regarding the Reformation with the topic “The Reformation begins. The Luther has landed.” Kevin graduated from Campbell University with a degree in Religion and Philosophy. After college he spent three years at Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas before graduating from Southeastern Seminary. During his last year of seminary Kevin changed his focus from church history to pastoral counseling. He would spend the next 35 years in the mental health field specializing in grief and trauma concerns. Kevin and his wife Caroline have lived in Brevard since September of 2023. Adult Forum meets in the YAC, our large downstairs meeting room.
• Coffee & Conversation at 9:15 a.m. – Following up on his wife Christy's "Theology of the Womb" discussion on April 14, St. Philippian Dr. Andrew Bauman offers a timely follow-up on Sunday, April 21, 2024. Half of the Protestant Church—women—have been silenced, mistreated, and even abused; simply put, they have not been viewed as co-equals and heirs to God’s kingdom. Much scripture and theological understanding has been twisted and weaponized against women to serve men in positions of power. It’s time to stop the misogyny masquerading as biblical truth and develop both a Jesus-led and biblically sound model of equity and safety. Join Dr. Andrew J. Bauman to discuss his original research on sexism and abuse in the church. Coffee & Conversation meets in Miller Hall, our large upstairs meeting room. The presentation begins at 9:15 a.m.
• Godly Play at 9:15 a.m. – Children ages 4 through 5th grade will be engaged in Godly Play. The Godly Play approach helps them to explore their faith through story, to gain religious language and to enhance their spiritual experience through wonder and play. Godly Play meets in the education wing downstairs.
• Sunday at 10:30 a.m. – Join us for Holy Eucharist, Rite II (with music) at our 10:30 a.m. service.
• Coffee Hour after the 10:30 a.m. service – All are invited and always welcome to join us in Miller Hall (our upstairs fellowship hall) after the 10:30 a.m. service for juice or coffee and fellowship. This is a great chance to mingle, meet new people, or just relax with friends.

Sunday is our Belonging Sunday! During our 10:30 a.m. worship service on Sunday, April 21, 2024, we will recognize those who have recently chosen St. Philip’s as their church home. 

All are invited to our Coffee Hour/Reception in honor of our Belonging Sunday participants after the 10:30 a.m. service in Miller Hall, our large upstairs meeting room. For those who are interested, The Rev. Elizabeth Roles will also lead a Q & A session about membership at St. Philip’s and in the Episcopal Church, and how Baptism, Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation all fit into this framework.

Shop with us and help provide grants to over 20 local non-profits! New clothes and household items each week.

The Diocese of Western North Carolina is excited to offer the following Building Beloved Community workshops to fulfill the Dismantling Racism requirements for vestry members, lay leaders, and staff.

Building Beloved Community Workshop (April 27-28, Zoom and Black Mountain, NC) – Dismantling Racism training.

Sacred Ground Circles (10 weeks beginning May 7, 2024 on Zoom) - Sacred Ground is a sensitive, prayerful resource that creates space for difficult but respectful and transformative dialogue on race and racism. It invites participants to walk back through history in order to peel away the layers that brought us to today, reflecting on family histories and stories, as well as important narratives that shape the collective American story. It holds as a guiding star the vision of beloved community – where all people are honored and protected and nurtured as beloved children of God, where we weep at one another’s pain and seek one another’s flourishing.

Be a part of something big! Book a donation appointment at our Red Cross Blood Drive at St. Philip’s on April 29, 2024, in Miller Hall!

Your family is invited to join the families from Good Shepherd for a family retreat. The retreat will be May 3rd-5th at Camp Tekoa in Hendersonville. Our theme this year is "Rooted in Love." We will spend time looking at what it means to be surrounded by God's love and how we can share that love with others in our everyday lives. The cost of the retreat is $150 per family with scholarships available. For scholarship information, please contact Ken, Elizabeth, or Abby Glass. Click here to sign up (or use the code in the flyer). We hope you and your family are able to join the other families from Good Shepherd and St. Philip's in this weekend of fun, fellowship, and worship. Please let Abby know if you have any questions about the retreat or with the registration. We’re looking forward to this weekend together! 

Prior to the public Explorations in Jewish Life and History Lecture (see below), a small group from both St. Philip's and from the Brevard Jewish Community (30 from each group) will gather at 2:00 p.m. to share a discussion on the current Israeli challenges and issues. If you desire to be one of the 30, please sign up in Realm or contact the parish office (office@stphilipsbrevardnc.org). The cut-off of 30 will be firmed adhered to, so sign up early!

On May 5, St. Philip's is pleased to host and participate in the second of a series of four sessions arranged by the Brevard Jewish Community. Dr. Geoffrey Levin from Emory University will speak on “Strangers in the Land of Egypt or Subjects of King David: Dilemmas of 20th Century American Jews" at 3:30 p.m. in Miller Hall.

We are excited to announce the leader of our retreat will be the Rev. Canon Augusta A. Anderson, Canon to the Ordinary and Chief of Staff for the Diocese of Western North Carolina. Canon Augusta will guide and inspire our time together with playfulness and prayer while deepening our relationship with the Holy Spirit.

At the April 11 meeting of the WNC Diocese Executive Council, Jann Mellman's appointment to the Executive Council was confirmed by vote of the council, and she attended her first meeting. The Executive Council is to the Diocese as the Vestry is to the Parish, working with Bishop José and his staff on matters that impact the Diocese of Western North Carolina that covers the westernmost 13 counties of North Carolina.

The Executive Council appointment is a three-year term, serving with a body of 21 members who, just as our Vestry does, rotates one-third of the representatives each year. Please join us in congratulating Jann on the appointment and thanking her for having a voice and an ear for St. Philip's, as well as the good of the Diocese, at the table.

The needs at Sharing House are real all year long. As you do your shopping, think about picking up an item or two and putting in the red wagon in the parish hall foyer. We'll make sure it gets to Sharing House for immediate distribution.



• King and queen blankets
• Comforters
• Tarps and tents
• Towels
• Cereal
• Peanut butter
• Spaghetti Pasta
• Spaghetti sauce
• Dessert mixes
• Packets of oatmeal or grits
• Salad dressing
• Ketchup and mustard
• Baby wipes

I want to take this opportunity to provide you with a Quarterly Update on the work of your Vestry. 

In February the Vestry held its annual retreat at Lake Logan. We welcomed new Vestry members Peggy Bridges, Gordon Murray, and Jen Silva. Our retreat leader was Leslie Manning who worked with us to establish the following goals for the next year:

• Connections—to explore opportunities for a men’s Bible study and a men’s breakfast to gather information about the interests of the men of the church. (Subsequent to our retreat, and without the prodding of the Vestry, a men’s Bible study has begun to meet on Tuesday mornings.)
• Children and Youth—expand the volunteer pool for children and youth ministries.
• Music and Liturgy—explore the interest in re-establishing a bell choir; create opportunities for children to participate musically in worship; examine options for sanctuary/chancel space redesign to enhance flexibility; incorporate music expenses into the operating budget (this has been accomplished—see below).
• Volunteer Engagement and Culture—structure for ongoing communication and marketing at “ministry minutes”; host annual volunteer recognition celebration.

At our regular monthly meeting we approved members of the Finance Committee; approved the Parochial report (the quorum for our 2025 annual meeting will be 40); and selected TCStrong as the Easter Offering recipient.

In March the Vestry discussed a proposal from the Music Committee to make our music ministry a part of our budget. We are very proud of Music Ministry under the leadership of Brittnee Siemen and of our talented and dedicated choir members. Previously, the bulk of the financial requirements for our regular and on-going liturgical music and music for feast days have come from off-budget donations. The Vestry agreed that these normal expenses should be reflected in our operating budget. To that end, the Vestry added to the budget a line item that allows for the expenditure of $24,000 for the Music Ministry of St. Philip’s.

The Vestry also received a request to authorize an upgrade to the church’s wireless network. The previous upgrade was done 7+ years ago. We are experiencing slow streaming speeds and drop zones in strategic locations within our facility. The Vestry approved this request which will cost around $8000.

At the April meeting the Vestry approved a spending authorization of $2000 for the Planned Giving Committee in their efforts to underwrite the Cornerstone Fund (you will be hearing more about this in the days ahead).

The Vestry also received a report from our Junior Warden, Mike Wallace, regarding the aging and increasingly unrepairable HVAC systems. Several of our HVAC units are well over 20 years old and are living on borrowed time according to the HVAC experts. Mike presented the Vestry with a plan for HVAC replacement stretched over the next 6 years. Within that plan was a recommendation to replace two of our oldest HVAC units immediately. The Vestry approved that recommendation which will cost around $35,000.

Be assured that your Vestry takes its fiscal responsibilities very seriously. The spending authorizations we have made are essential for the functional needs of our ministries and facilities. We are able to do these things because of your generosity and faithful stewardship. Your Vestry counts it a privilege to represent you in our efforts to continue the ministry of St. Philip’s to our community.

David Yeager, Sr. Warden

Every Sunday morning as we gather for our worship service, a spectacular arrangement of flowers adorns the worship space. Very often, the flowers are given to the Glory of God and often in memory of or thanksgiving for someone or a milestone event. If you are interested in celebrating or remembering or both, simply sign up on the large chart in the parish office hallway right outside the office door or contact the church office (office@stphilipsbrevardnc.org / 828-884-3666) to request your date and we will do the rest! A minimum donation of $75 is requested as this ministry relies solely on donations.

Thank you for investing your treasure in the work and mission of St. Philip’s. Your gift supports our Giving to ministry partners and the Diocese of Western North Carolina, Sharing House, Camp Henry Scholarship Fund, and Habitat for Humanity, to name a few. Visit https://www.stphilipsbrevardnc.org/donate to explore donating. To make a gift now use Realm or text STP to 73256.

The Season of Easter begins with the first Alleluia of Easter and ends 50 days later on the Day of Pentecost. During this season, the liturgical color is white and the liturgies are uplifting and joyful. From the ashes of Ash Wednesday, God has brought us into the fullness of life and joy!

CSW Director Rob Field will lead a two-day pilgrimage in Western North Carolina May 2-3 to explore the frescos of renowned artist Ben Long. We will tour multiple sites with Long’s frescoes, including Chapel of the Prodigal in Montreat, Sloop Chapel in Crossnor, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in West Jefferson,, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Glendale Springs, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Wilkesboro. We will also visit the Haywood Street Congregation in Asheville to see a new fresco painted by a student of Long’s. We will travel as a group and spend the night of May 2nd at the Holiday Inn Express in West Jefferson. For more information, click here.

Join us each week at our services of Holy Eucharist!

• Sundays, 8:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist, Rite II (spoken)
• Sundays, 10:30 a.m. – Holy Eucharist, Rite II (with music)
• Tuesdays, 2:00 p.m. – Holy Eucharist Rite II (College Walk Senior Living Community Chapel)
• Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. – Holy Eucharist with Prayers for Healing (Chapel)

Barbara Boerner (2024)

Craig Gralley (2024)

Mike Wallace (2024-Junior Warden)

Jo Buescher (2025)

Jann Mellman (2025)

David Yeager (2025-Senior Warden)

Peggy Bridges (2026)

Gordon Murray (2026)

Jen Silva (2026)

Pat Dunham (Clerk)

The Rev. Elizabeth Roles, Rector

Abby Glass, Children, Youth, and Family Minister

Dr. Brittnee Siemon, Director of Music Ministry

Edna Hensley, Facilities Manager

Angela Patane, Maintenance Supervisor

William Begg, Co-Treasurer, Receipts

Bob Wesneski, Co-Treasurer, Disbursements

Jill Stewart, Parish Administrator

A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA!

Celebrate the Feast of St. George (April 23)!

Recognize this shield? It is the shield of the Episcopal Church. The red cross on a white field is the Cross of St. George, the patron saint of England, honoring our national church's English roots. The feast day of St. George is celebrated on April 23. Click here to read more about St. George, and click here for seven easy ways you can celebrate this feast!