The Saturday before Thanksgiving, several St. Philippian youths met up with youth minister David Gilbert and youth leader Sarah Silcox to go door-to-door downtown to collect canned goods for Tricounty Family Ministries ahead of one of its busiest weeks of the year. The kids divided themselves into small groups and headed off in all directions to begin their mission to top last year’s 600-pound total. Although this year’s total––upwards of 200 pounds––seemed like a big drop from last year (many folks were already out of town for Thanksgiving), David Gilbert discovered when he made the drop-off that afternoon that the food had come at just the right time, and Tricounty Director Sue Hanshaw was incredibly grateful....
Remember when churches were open all the time? Remember how nice it was to go in and sit quietly in prayer? Remember the peace you felt? Well, the world is different now and our churches are closed and locked much of the time. I was at Bible study when Elizabeth Bowles spoke to us about the Open Door Ministry. She explained the desperate need for volunteers that were needed for just two hours a week. I was new to Charleston and new to the Anglican Church, but I knew then that God was telling me to step out of my comfort zone and join the Open Door Ministry....
Click the link below to read the St. Philip's eSPIRE, the email version of our weekly inSPIRE newsletter, which is packed with information about all that's going on in the life of our parish....
The St. Philip’s Home Missions Committee is once again partnering with Tricounty Family Ministries to help brighten Christmas for Charleston families by collecting $25 gift cards to Walmart, Family Dollar, Big Lots, and Dollar Tree so that parents in need can have the dignity of purchasing a gift for their child. The Committee is also working with St. John’s Chapel, a mission church of our diocese, to collect $25 gift cards to Walmart or Target for the teachers of Sanders-Clyde Elementary School, who have poured their hearts into the students of Charleston's Charleston's Eastside neighborhood. With Thanksgiving coming late this year, the trees, which will be decorated with the ornaments that are Home Missions Committee's gift to you to serve as a thank you or reminder, will be in the narthex for only two Sundays! ...
The church office closes at noon Wednesday, 11/27, and reopens Monday, 12/2 at 8:30 a.m. No printed inSPIRE Thanksgiving week. No Wednesdays Alive! service, supper, or classes on 11/27. No Rector’s Bible Study Thanksgiving Day. Youth Group and children’s choirs will not meet Thanksgiving week....
If you were at the last ECW meeting in October, you may have heard me mention off the cuff that if we were to lose Gene Lesesne, the Tea Room could not go on. Gene is 82 years old, rides his bike almost daily 20 miles, was a Naval aviator, and flew for Pan Am Airlines as a commercial pilot until he went to teach at the Citadel in the PE department. He was married to Ann, who was a nurse instructor at Trident Tech until she was disabled by rheumatoid arthritis. He was her caregiver until her death just about five years ago. He has two daughters: Angela, who runs the preschool with Lee Moore here at St. Philip’s, and Jessica Martin, who attends and volunteered here as a Sunday school teacher for years. His first great-grand was recently baptized here. I do not know how long the Lesesne family has been attending St. Philip’s, but I know they have a legacy of serving quietly....
On a recent November mid-week, a small group of St. Philippians traveled up to the glorious mountains of North Carolina to attend a much-touted (by our beloved priest and C.S. Lewis aficionado, Brian McGreevy ) C.S. Lewis symposium. The conference was a packed time filled with insights and sharing to encourage us and engage us on our Christian journey. People from 28 states, England, and Malta were drawn to the beautiful village of Montreat for this experience, officially titled “C.S. Lewis: Influence and Relevance Today.”...
Last weekend, high school students from across the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina came together for “ReGenerate,” a weekend retreat at Camp St. Christopher on Seabrook Island. The main verse for the weekend was Philippians 2:8-11, and our speaker, Nate Morgan Locke, a youth evangelist with Christianity Explored Ministries, talked about how sometimes we put on different hats (like different identities) when we are in different social scenes. He told us that as Christians, we should have the same integrity, rooted in Christ, in all of our social realms. Another strong point that he reminded us of is that we are never done growing in our relationship with Christ. There is always something that we can change and there are ways that we can continue to get closer and closer to Jesus!...
Once upon a time, there was a master violin maker whose greatest joy was to make the most beautiful violins in the world. With each new instrument that he created, he went to great effort and expense. When each was complete, he would spend many hours testing its limits by playing it as only he could. For he dearly loved each one. ...
When my son was in a terrible car accident in 2011, his life was in the balance, and with one phone call, the St. Philip’s prayer chain was alerted and I was able to get many people praying fast. I believe that through these prayers and many more throughout his recovery, he was saved and is now healed. St. Philip’s has had a prayer chain for about the last twenty years, and many of us have taken great comfort in knowing that our situation is getting prayed over “right now.” But now we have a new and improved prayer chain....
On Wednesday, September 25, Jill Settle and I rode with Amey Warder to Tricounty Family Ministries in North Charleston to take a wonderful tour with the executive director, Sue Hanshaw. They are doing such great work there by giving hope to people in crisis. I have known about Tricounty Family Ministries for years, but I didn’t realize all the services they offered fo...
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"My House shall be called a house of prayer for all nations." Isaiah 56:7 Do you wish to learn to pray or would you like someone to pray with you or for you? Come join some of the following opportunities in helping St. Philip's continue to fulfill the call of being a house of prayer. Thursdays Centering Prayer led by Pringle Franklin 8:00 a.m. in the Prayer Ro...
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The annual parish retreat at Kanuga, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Hendersonville, NC, is a time of spiritual enrichment and nourishment for parishioners of all ages. There are daily opportunities for worship and fellowship, and there’s also time for you to explore the grounds and the Hendersonville area on your own if you’d like. This year’s speaker is th...
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We’ve been hearing a great deal about Honduras in the news these days. Over 200,000 Hondurans have fled to the US just in the last nine months. With 67% of the Honduran people living in poverty, major gang activity affecting the everyday life of most people, crimes committed with few prosecutions, and corruption in the government even to the highest levels, you can under...
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September 15 was a joyous day at St. Philip’s: the anthems were glorious, the sermon was rousing, the bouncy house was hopping, and the BBQ was delicious and plentiful. Rally Sunday is a day that St. Philippians look forward to every year because it marks the return of Sunday School and the Rector’s Forum after what always seems like an endless summer. But Rally Sunday...
Keep ReadingFood and fellowship with old and new friends Looking for a great way to get to know others in the St. Philip's family? Consider joining a Foyer Group! "Foyer" is a French word meaning "hearthside" implying the warmth of a close, small group of friends sharing a common friendship. Whether you are longtime St. Philippian or a relative newcomer, we encourage you to particip...
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This summer when Grace stayed with me the first two weeks in July, I was looking for something for her to do at St. Philip’s, knowing that most children’s activities were in recess, a well deserved rest for the teachers and leaders. I was surprised, then, to see an announcement in the eSPIRE about a Tuesday evening program led by David Gilbert. Before his program, at 5...
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Because of the mandatory evacuation order and the possibility that many of our families might not be back in time for the originally scheduled Rally Sunday, we haved moved Rally Sunday to September 15....
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The Home Missions Committee would like to thank all who participated in donating backpacks and school supplies for Tricounty Family Ministries. We also appreciate the volunteers who helped organize and sort the backpacks and supplies last Monday, as well as those who handed out the filled backpacks to the children on Friday. The following supplies were collected, sorted, a...
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During the 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday, the Rev. Andrew O’Dell invited all students and teachers to come forward for a blessing before the start of the new school year....
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