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....
Our family has purchased freshly cut Frasier fir Christmas trees from Wishon Tree Farm for several years. This year was no different. Our friends Faron and Ethan Atwood, a father and son from Sparta, NC, oversee this tree lot by the American Legion at 968 Folly Road every year....
With a heart for mission, the generous friends and family of St. Philip’s Church donated 315 gift cards this year! Teachers and families in need in our community were given these $25 gift cards that allowed them to decide how to spend their money. I am grateful and fueled by God’s guidance and devotion. ...
For many St. Philippians––as well as neighbors and visitors who worship with us annually––Christmas Eve is the most special day of the year because of the traditions we look forward to as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Christmas Pageant, the first of our three Christmas Eve services, is a time for the youngest members of our congregation to absorb the message of the Nativity as they themselves help deliver it....
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 November 2, St. John’s Chapel, a mission church of our diocese and one of St. Philip’s home mission partners, had its first community fundraising event. It was well attended and a huge success!unity...
"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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Summer is TEAM season at LAMB! Every year, LAMB hosts teams of volunteers who come to Honduras to serve God and the ministry. They do so in a variety of ways. Some teams are specially trained and come to provide a particular service, like our medical and dental teams. They provide health care or dental care not only to our kids at LAMB, but also to poor communities in Hond...
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