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....
I love to cook. Browsing through recipes and then preparing them for my family and friends is one of my favorite things to do. To me, I am showing my love for them by taking the time to follow each step and make the preparations for a wonderful meal as my gift to them––and, of course, when my children were younger, to ensure their proper physical growth and health. Is preparing nourishment in the form of food for our bodies any different from being nourished spiritually? We are not just a physical body; we have a spiritual body that must be fed as well. Without food and water, we would die. Without feeding our spiritual bodies or souls, we would become empty and begin searching for, in many instances, the wrong things to feed our hunger, which could never be satisfied with just earthly things. God wants to nourish our souls so that we may have the proper spiritual growth and health....
If you prayed, volunteered your time, gave a gift, or supported Water Mission in other ways throughout the past year, then you helped us serve more than 600,000 people with safe water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions in 2019. Together, we were the hands and feet of Christ. We… • completed safe water projects in 182 communities and 20 countries, • provided desperately needed safe water to survivors of natural disasters, • traveled to rural areas around the world to install sustainable safe water and sanitation systems, • and helped refugees fleeing violence and persecution. ...
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. ...
We thank God for the safe return of our first group of St. Philippian pilgrims, who journeyed in the footsteps of St. Paul May 28 through June 7. Our second group began the journey June 11 and will return June 21. Please pray for their safety as they travel and that they, too, would experience a deepening sense of God’s mission for the church....
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As many of you know, the Canterbury and St. David Choirs will be traveling on their European tour July 20 to August 6, 2019. The Canterbury Choir will be singing in Canterbury and London, England, for the International Children’s Choir Festival, and then they will join the St. David Men’s Choir in Paris on July 27. What you may not know is that these choirs were schedu...
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The St. Philip’s clergy, Vestry, and staff are delighted to report that we have successfully completed our 60-day “$198 to be Great” debt retirement campaign, and we would like to thank everyone who has so generously provided! While we’ve reached our goal, the church prayerfully requests that the 43% of our regular givers who have yet to make a contribution please ...
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At the end of 2018, Water Mission’s staff in Mexico connected with ASELSI (Associa- tion Equipping the Saints International), a nonprofit organization based in Guatemala. In partnership with Water Mission, ASELSI provides basic theology training to new believers in communities we are serving with safe water projects....
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From June 10-July 26 (8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.), St. John's Chapel, one of St. Philip's Home Missions partners, is hosting a summer camp that will help children ages 6-15 and their young adult counselors develop academic and social skills outside of a traditional classroom setting....
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As many of you know, Suzy McCall’s beautiful 16-year-old, Sallie, died suddenly on Sunday, May 12. Experiencing a heartbreak beyond words, Suzy, the founder and spiritual director of LAMB, has been shatterred, as any mother would be. She had raised sweet Sallie since she was six months. Sallie was one of our very first “God’s Littlest Lambs” that the Lord used to l...
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This morning as I went out the front door briefly on an errand and came back in, my eyes were drawn to our piano. So, I sat down on the bench. There was music there, but just to my left, on the candle stand, there was a service leaflet ... not sure how it got there. I picked it up and saw the familiar words of Psalm 134....
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This past Wednesday, the young adults of College Fellowship came together to celebrate Ryan’s birthday. As I was looking across the table at everyone in attendance, I came to realize that we were celebrating so much more than Ryan’s birthday. ...
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I am proud to be a member of the St Philip’s family of volunteers that took part in preparing and serving lunch at Tricounty Family Ministries last Wednesday. Marc Boutan, Ben Hagood, and Andrew O’Dell provided beautiful praise music along with a rendition of “Happy Birthday” to Ryan Streett. The diners enjoyed the music as well as a fabulous barbecue meal donated ...
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Sunday, May 19, was a gorgeous day and our last high school youth group of the season. What was different about this when compared to other senior high send-offs? The McAdams family hosted our youth group at their home on Shem Creek. Allison (Mrs. McAdams) had been asking me for a while to please take her up on her offer to host us during a high tide. She twisted my arm so...
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