~ the eSPIRE Newsletter ~
December 5, 2021
The Second Sunday in Advent
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Reminder: Vestry nominations due TODAY by 5:00
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Noonday Prayer Service Next Tuesday, December 7
In anticipation of the State Supreme Court hearing on December 8
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From our diocese: “The importance of this hearing for the Diocese and its Parishes cannot be overstated. For that reason, the clergy and people of the Diocese are strongly encouraged to keep the coming hearing in your prayers as the date approaches. Pray first for the shielding of Mr. Runyan and his legal team as they prepare for this hearing. Pray also that they be granted divine wisdom in preparing their arguments. Pray finally for the Justices (Donald W. Beatty, John W. Kittredge, John Cannon Few, George C. “Buck” James), that they be granted divine clarity in their preparations, in the hearing, and in their final ruling.”
St. Philip’s will hold a noonday prayer service in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd (located between the church and the Parish House) on Tuesday, December 7. The hearing will be live-streamed, and our diocese will also be holding a virtual prayer vigil on December 7 and an on-site prayer vigil at Camp St. Christopher on December 8.
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Men's Lunch Today at Noon!
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Please note that the registration page previously incorrectly noted the start time; it has been corrected to 12 noon. We apologize for any confusion!
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Advent Drop-In This Saturday
No RSVP necessary
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The Angel Trees Have Arrived!
Make Someone’s Christmas This Year!
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Here’s how:
1. Take an ornament home from one of the two angel trees in the narthex as a reminder (and as our gift to you!).
2. Purchase one or more $25 gift card(s) from a store listed on your ornament (Walmart, Target, Publix, Family Dollar)
3. Return the gift card at any church service or bring it to the office by Monday, December 13, at 9:00 a.m. There will be volunteers collecting cards in the narthex at both our Sunday and Wednesday worship services. The church office is open Monday–Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Click the link below for the complete details of this home missions project, which will offer parents in need the dignity of choosing and purchasing Christmas gifts for their children or fixing a Christmas meal, bless the teachers of Simmons-Pinckney Middle School, and more. There are also opportunities to volunteer at church services to collect gift cards and hand out information cards, and to volunteer at the Neighbors Together Christmas party, where some of the cards will be distributed.
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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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Alan Runyan Presents "The Star Out of Jacob"
Two-part series ~ December 5 and 12 during the Rector's Forum
9:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall
“[A] star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.”
––Numbers 24:17
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Three thousand four hundred years ago, God put these words in the mouth of an infamous magus from the East named Balaam. His intended curse of Israel was transformed into a prophetic blessing. Fourteen hundred years later, this prophecy was fulfilled with the birth of Jesus Christ. Once again, God used magi from the East to proclaim the “newborn King of the Jews.” Why did God choose to announce his birth to magi from the East and an anonymous group of shepherds in the fields? What was “his star” that drew the wise men to Judea? What does this “star” tell us about when Jesus was born, and how does it relate to his death? Join us as Alan Runyan leads this study of “The Star Out of Jacob” during the Rector’s Forum on December 5 and December 12.
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Alan Runyan is an attorney in Beaufort, SC, and a member of the Parish Church of St. Helena. He has served many roles at St. Helena's, including warden of the vestry and Bible study leader, and he is the former chancellor of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina. In 2016, he put his law practice on hold to pursue graduate studies in theology at Oxford University.
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Godly Grandparenting Matters
by Jane McGreevy, Generations Ministry Co-Chair
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Godly Grandparenting Matters is a monthly column that shares tips, books, and other resources to help you in your intentional grandparenting journey. If you have an activity or resource to share, please contact Lynn Dayton (lland312@gmail.com) or Jane McGreevy (janemcgreevy@yahoo.com).
Advent Activities:
Most children love Christmas and the weeks leading up to it. As intentional grandparents, we can help teach our grandchildren about Advent and remind them of the real reason for the season. Here are some suggestions from our fellow grandparents:
1) Instead of Elf on a Shelf, move Mary and Joseph around throughout your house on their “journey to Bethlehem” and have them end up at the Nativity Scene on Christmas Eve. (Even if your grandchildren live elsewhere, try to adapt this idea to FaceTime as you walk around your house with your grands on your phone.)
2) For elementary age+ grandchildren: Get each sibling to come up with 24 compliments for the other siblings for December 1-24. Grandparent provides stationery with envelopes (cute and inexpensive from Dollar General or Walmart). Younger ones may need help. They write a compliment for each day and put it in a sealed envelope. I did this with my 7-, 9-, and 11-year-olds. They said they had fun doing it! The 7-year-old spent the most time and wrote the most detailed compliments. The girls are excited about opening them together each day!
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Christmas Flower Memorials and Thanksgivings
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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 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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Lessons and Carols ~ Wassail Bowl ~ Poinsettias
December 12 ~ 10:30 a.m. service, 12 noon reception
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Join us for a beloved St. Philip’s tradition as we celebrate Lessons and Carols, wherein God’s plan of salvation is traced in Scripture and song from the creation of the world through the wondrous incarnation of Jesus Christ at Christmas. Based upon the service instituted at King’s College Cambridge in 1918 in the aftermath of World War I, this glorious time of worship full of joy and hope is not to be missed!
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Immediately following Lessons and Carols, please join us in the Parish Hall for our annual Wassail Bowl reception, where you may mingle with St. Philippian friends, family, newcomers, and guests while munching on refreshments. And of course there will be plenty of hot mulled cider––otherwise known as wassail––to go around!
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Every year at Christmastime, the St. Philip’s Compassion Committee provides poinsettias and cards to parishioners who are especially in our hearts this season. We need your help to get them delivered! As you’re leaving the Wassail Bowl, please go by the downstairs entryway of the Parish House and pick up a plant (or a few plants!) to deliver to someone who lives near you or on your route home. The poinsettias will be sorted by ZIP code and the cards will have complete addresses. Note: Families who have lost loved ones this year are welcome to pick up their own poinsettias.
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Church Open for Visitors and for Prayer
on Wednesdays in December and January!
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We are delighted to announce that the church will be open on Wednesdays in December (the 1st and the 15th) and in January (beginning January 11) from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. both for visitors and for prayer. Because of the pandemic, we have not opened the building other than for services, but we are working to begin opening the building more regularly during the week to share its beauty with visitors and to provide a place of prayer for them and our congregation during the day.
A prayer team will be available each Wednesday in the church from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. to pray with anyone desiring prayer. We will welcome visitors and share about our church’s history and architecture in the narthex, while asking them to keep reverent silence once they enter the interior doors.
If you are in the neighborhood on one of these Wednesdays, please come by for a time of spiritual respite.
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Art Auction to Benefit St. Philip’s Choir
with the Rev. Jeff Miller, auctioneer
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Mark your calendar for January 15, and prepare yourself for a fabulous evening of enjoying (and bidding on!) beautiful artwork in the Parish Hall, mingling with friends, sipping wine or soda, and supporting the St. Philip’s Choir as they prepare for their internship at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London next summer! The evening will begin with a silent auction, and the live auction will follow. Have artwork to donate? Contact Pat Gould at pgould@stphilipschurchsc.org or (843) 364-9552––and please invite your artist friends to donate, too!
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Tonight's supper: Lasagna
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Receive Email Updates, Remote Viewing Options
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If you would like to receive updates such as schedule changes and weather-related cancellations and you are not already on the Rector's Bible Study email list, please join by filling out the form at the link below.
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Come to Youth Group 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. Justin C. Hare will be preaching this Sunday at our services of Holy Communion at 8:15 and 10:30 a.m.
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Does the Sexton in Training Still Need Training?
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Pictured above: Cecilia Walchesky (with Ben Singleton) vacuuming in February and sweeping on Tuesday.
It seems like just yesterday that Cecilia Walchesky came on as our sexton in training under Ben Singleton. In those early days, she acted more as an assistant, with duties such as adding a helping hand during vacuuming and lending an extra set of eyes during hallway surveillance. But fast forward nine months, and she's taking care of things on her own!
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And so well! No one has ever swept the carpet in the first floor hallway quite as she swept it yesterday. Great job, Cecilia! She also has been getting along very well with financial administrator Juli Garland, and she often enjoys her payment––usually chocolate, but sometimes jelly beans or candy corn (or other seasonal pay)––while sitting and chatting in Juli's office. If there have been any salary disputes since the big one (who could forget the dark chocolate debacle of May 2021?), they must have been handled with respect and grace by both parties, as the rest of the staff have not caught wind.
Keep up the great work, Cecilia!
Is this the first you're hearing of our sexton in training? Sounds like you need to give us a follow:
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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 who will pray for your concerns over the phone: frichards7@aol.com.
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. 3 ~ ECW Advent Luncheon (Betsy Cahill, noon in the Parish Hall)
Dec. 4 ~ Advent Drop-In at the Rectory (3:00-6:00 p.m.)
Dec. 5 ~ "Star out of Jacob," Part 1 (Rector's Forum with guest Alan Runyan)
Dec. 7 ~ Prayer service for State Supreme Court hearing (noon in the chapel)
Dec. 10 ~ Greening of the Church (9:00 a.m.)
Dec. 12 ~ "Star out of Jacob," Part 2 (Rector's Forum with guest Alan Runyan)
Dec. 12~ Lessons and Carols, Wassail Bowl, Poinsettia delivery
Dec. 15~ Last Wednesdays Alive! service, supper, class of 2021
Dec. 16~ Last Rector's Bible Study of 2021
Dec. 24 ~ Christmas Eve services (4:30 p.m. Christmas Pageant, 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. Festival Holy Eucharist)
Dec. 25 ~ Christmas Day Holy Communion (10:00 a.m.)
Dec. 26 ~ No 8:15 service (10:30 service only)
Jan. 15 ~ Art Auction with Jeff Miller, auctioneer
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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, Sally Fayard, Mark and Cindy Fields, Elizabeth Flowers, Mary Forbes, Mary Anne Hanckel, Susan Hemminger, John Jerger, Kevin Kane, Claudia Kolster, Sabrina Lipscomb, Joe Livesay, Connor Lowndes, Lucille MacLennan, Beverly Melvin, John Murray, Juanita Orvin, Olivia Palmer, Isla Pearce, Owen Ravenel, Valerie Rouillard, Wanda Russer, Fran Sanders, Jay Schrimpf, Larry Scoville, Lynne Scoville, Jason Stryker, Lawrence Timoney, Hope Walters, Lindsey Wing, Libby Wright, and Richard Wright.
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, Hayes Fair, 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:
Merciful God, who sent thy messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Readings for Sunday:
- Malachi 2:17-3:5
- Psalm 126
- Luke 3:1-6
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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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