St. Philip's In The Hills Episcopal Church
Parish News: Connecting Electronically
North Campbell Avenue at River Road, TucsonDecember 1, 2009
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Read Past Newsletters
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Did you miss out on receiving previous St. Philip's e-letters? You can read them by clicking here.
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Service Schedule
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Sundays7:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite I 9:00 a.m. Sung Eucharist Rite II Third Sundays: All-Generations Service (Sept. through May) Fifth Sundays: Morning Prayer and Eucharist 11:15 a.m. Sung Eucharist Rite II Fifth Sundays: Morning Prayer and Eucharist 4:00 p.m. "Come & See" Service 5:30 p.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II Third Sundays: Choral Evensong with Eucharist (Sept. through May) Tuesdays10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II and Healing Thursdays (Sept. through May) 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite I Worship services at St. Philip's |
Click to Connect
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Latest News on St. Philip's Web site contains the Sunday bulletin, upcoming events, and links to Episcopal sites of interest
St. Philip's has a group on Facebook, the popular social networking Web site, where you can share reflections with our online community
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Sign Up for
Ministry E-Letters
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Various ministries at St. Philip's offer e-letters:
To sign up for the Adult Formation Ministries e-letter, contact Greg Foraker.
To sign up for the Children, Youth, and Family news, contact Rosalind García.
To receive the Music Ministry e-newsletter, contact Garmon Ashby.
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Greetings!
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Advent is often described as a season of waiting. Advent waiting is not passive, because this is a time of year pregnant with anticipation! Something new is about to be born in our midst. This Advent, we invite you to join in the many opportunities for spiritual growth, community, and ministry at St. Philip's to make this season of waiting a time of enrichment and inspiration for you..
If you know of someone who might like to receive these e-updates, whether they're a parishioner or someone interested in St. Philip's, feel free to use the "forward to a friend" link to share the newsletter with them! That doesn't add them to any lists but gives them the opportunity to choose to subscribe.
We hope this e-letter is a useful tool in connecting and staying connected with our St. Philip's community!
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| What's Going On
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Advent Festival of Lights Thursday The seventeenth annual Advent Festival of Lights, a service that seeks to illuminate the feminine face of God, is titled "For Theirs Is the Kingdom of Heaven," with readings that reflect on the UN's Millennium Development Goals. The evening begins this Thursday, December 3, at 6 p.m. with supper in the East Gallery, followed by the service at 7 p.m. in the Church and dessert at 8 p.m. The cost for the supper is $5 per person/$15 per family. Please bring a dessert to share. A freewill offering will benefit Episcopal Relief and Development's MDG Inspiration Fund. (This year's image was designed by Lindsay Nygren.)  Advent Retreat SaturdayJoin us on Saturday, December 5, for an Advent Retreat entitled "Cosmos: Faith and Science in the Heavens." Our retreat leader, The Rev. Dr. Lucas Mix, Episcopal Chaplain at the University of Arizona, will lead us in an exploration of the incarnation in light of modern cosmology. The retreat begins at 9 a.m.; the $15 fee includes materials and lunch. Scholarships are available. For more information, e-mail Greg Foraker or call 299-6421. Conversation about Immigration Wednesday Join members of the Diocese of Arizona Border, Migration, and Immigration Program Group and Pima County Interfaith Council (PCIC) in a conversation about Comprehensive Immigration Reform in today's turbulent political climate. This two-hour conversation will take place on Wednesday, December 2, at 7 p.m., in the East Gallery. Come to learn, discuss, and take steps to move forward. The session will be conducted by leaders from St. Philip's and other Episcopalian congregations, as well as PCIC. Please e-mail Leah Sandwell-Weiss or call 661-8696, to RSVP. Advent MeditationsThe Adult Formation Ministries offers you a gift this Advent season: a booklet of daily meditations, written by members of your Parish family. Booklets are available in various locations around campus and at the Adult Formation table on Sunday morning. Each week's meditations are also posted on St. Philip's Web site. |
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| On the Horizon
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Sunday, December 6
 First Sunday Music ... as is customary on the first Sunday in December, First Sunday Music will be Lessons and Carols for Advent. The St. Phililp's adult and children's choirs will sing music spanning three and a half centuries by composers from England, Europe, and the United States.
Food for Hunger Food Drive ... also on first Sundays, you are invited to bring food offerings (cans or plastic containers). There will be a collection spot in the Fishpond Garden. Food is shared between St. Philip's food pantry and the Community Food Bank.
 Bethlehem Marketplace ... from 10:15 until 11:30 a.m., experience a Bethlehem Marketplace in the plaza. Allow the children of St. Philip's to lead you back in time as you visit a bustling market in Jesus' time. Savor the aromas of the spice shop and fruit peddler. Stop by the bakery for warm bread; see the leather workers and basket weavers hard at work. Bargain with the animal traders. Pause for a refreshing cup of water at the well. Be sure to keep out of the way of the Roman Centurions as you linger! The sights, sounds, and smells of ancient Bethlehem will surround you in this popular interactive event. (Right: a scene from Bethlehem Market 2008; below, the Phixers and volunteers from Children, Youth, and Family Ministries built this year's sets last Saturday.)
Art Gallery Opening Reception ... the December show in the Murphey Gallery kicks off with a reception at 2 p.m. The show is entitled "Season of Light" because the artists, Lynn Rae Lowe and Candace Greenburg," both work with light. They will donate 10% of sales on that day to the St. Philip's food pantry.
 Exploring Diverse Religious Traditions ... "the 9:00 class" begins a new series. Explore religion's complex and multidimensional nature, using five major religions--Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism--as illustrations of how religions can address the same core issues in parallel and different ways. Each session features a video presentation by New Testament scholar Charles Kimball, followed by discussion facilitated by Brad Stroup. In La Paz.
Pick up a blue Adult Formation booklet (entitled "Grow with God") to learn about diverse offerings for your spiritual, theological, and mission formation, or see the Adult Formation page on St. Philip's Web site.
Special Service December 13
The Feast of St. Nicholas will be celebrated at a family-oriented service in the Music Center on Sunday, December 13 (parallel to the usual 9 a.m. Sung Eucharist Rite II service in the Church). The service is followed by a parent forum entitled "Raising a Family of Santas." As part of the fun, families are encouraged to wear shoes that can be easily removed because we ask that they be left outside so that they can be filled with surprises. In the spirit of St. Nicholas, we also strongly encourage each family to bring a gift certificate to a local shoe store to be presented to the Imago Dei School for their students. If you have neighbors or friends with children, this is a good opportunity to introduce them to worship at St. Philip's.
Labyrinth Walks
St. Philip's Labyrinth Committee invites you to experience a series of meditative labyrinth walks each Sunday afternoon in Advent. The first very successful experience was a walk at a private labyrinth, followed by a potluck luncheon and discussion of the experience.
 Upcoming walks begin at 1 p.m. at the locations below, and will be followed by time to share and reflect on the experience. Gather in the fishpond garden at 12:30 p.m. each Sunday to arrange for people to ride together or follow each other to the labyrinths. Participants can also meet us at the labyrinth locations at 1 p.m., if preferred.
December 6: Unity Church, 3617 N. Camino Blanco, followed by luncheon out.
December 13: Grace-St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams, followed by luncheon out.
December 20: here at St. Philip's, followed by a potluck luncheon. We will be working with the youth groups to construct a temporary labyrinth out of donated cans of food on the floor of the Children's Chapel. Please bring as many cans of food as you are able, to help with the construction of the labyrinth and to feed the hungry! Food will be used to replenish St. Philip's food pantry.
For more information, please contact Eric Rau by e-mail or call 440-7287 or contact Brigid Waszczak by e-mail or call 577-7792.
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| Food for Thought
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Covenant! 2010 Update
On Sunday, November 15, St. Philip's celebrated Covenant Sunday, with the ingathering of Covenant! 2010 pledges. Heartfelt appreciation is extended to all those who have made their pledges. As of November 30, 478 parishioners have pledged $909,975, with 61 new pledges this year. That is significant progress toward our targets of $1,250,000 and 650 pledges. If you have not yet pledged, there is still time for you to do so, and your pledge is very important. Making pledges by the end of 2009 will support St. Philip's mission and help the Vestry make informed decisions about the 2010 ministry and program funding.
We celebrated Covenant! 2010 not to mark the end of the covenant but its renewal, since our covenant with God, St. Philip's, and each other is eternal, as is the support needed to do God's work within St. Philip's and in the greater community.
Pledge materials are available on St. Philip's Web site.
Mission Discernment: Progress Continues
 In spring of 2008, as we began the process of discerning what God is calling St. Philip's to be and do, more than 900 "dreams" were expressed by more than 400 parishioners. Many of these dreams have been realized. Many more have been incorporated in the parish's ongoing goals,
and progress is continuing. Be sure to attend the Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 17, 2010, at 10:15 a.m. for an exciting update on your dreams in action. More information about Mission
Discernment is available on St. Philip's Web site. You may contact our team leaders by e-mail at dreamsintoaction@stphilipstucson.org.
Is Being a Greeter a Ministry for You?
"Did somebody call you by name when you came to church this morning? If so, did it remind you that you are a valued member of this community? If not, did it feel like something was missing? Most of us go looking for places where we can be recognized as unique human beings, and valued by the larger community. Being known and named is crucial to being a whole and healthy human being." (Adapted from a sermon given by Presiding Bishop The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori at St. Michael and All Angels in Mission, Kansas on 10/25/2009)
 At St. Philip's, we are committed to welcoming all those seeking a church community in which to explore, discover, or deepen faith and connection to the Holy. Our Greeters and Evangelism Ministries are icons of the Radical Welcome that permeates the spirit of the St. Philip's community. We are equally committed to sharing the many gifts God has given us and in welcoming the gifts and interests that God has given you. If you have a gift for greeting, and would like to help in extending a Radical Welcome to the valued members and visitors of our community, please contact our Evangelism Commissioner, Raymond Dewey by e-mail or call 578-9066.
Fun with Art
 The whimsical animal faces by watercolorist Scarlett Taylor in the November art show in the Murphey Gallery inspired some playful interactions, captured by Adult Formation host Nancy Shiley.
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