Reach Out. Proclaim. Inspire.

April 29, 2015

TONIGHT! 2015 Bible Read-Along Gathering #2, 6:30 p.m. in the Learning Center

Opportunities to Serve! Contact Pastor Valerie, vstrand@spdlc.org
Find more opportunities to serve on our website.

May 2 - Yard Clean Up at Home Free Shelter, 9 a.m.-Noon
May 3-10 - Families Moving Forward here at SPD

The Texts this Weekend

This weekend is the Fifth Sunday of Easter. Readings include Acts 8:26-40, and John 15:1-8:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

Nepal Earthquake Relief

An extremely powerful earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, causing massive damage to buildings and infrastructure. Tremors were felt across northern India and neighboring Bangladesh and Pakistan. Thousands have been injured or killed, and many more displaced. Please pray for those affected by the earthquake in Nepal and for all who are working to respond to the disaster.

You can donate to Lutheran Disaster Response by phone at 800-638-3522, online at Lutheran Disaster Response Nepal, or by mail:

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
ELCA Gift Processing Center
P.O. Box 1809
Merrifield, VA 22116-8009

Please write "Nepal Earthquake Fund" on the memo line of your check.

You can also donate to Lutheran Disaster Response through SPD. Your check, payable to SPD with "Nepal Earthquake" on the memo line, can be placed in the offering plate, and we will forward your gift. When you donate to Lutheran Disaster Response, you can rest assured your dollars are used wisely.

Support Redeemer - Text to Vote!

Here's a fun, easy way you can participate in our local mission and ministry:

Thrivent Financial is splitting $20,000 in charitable grant funds between Redeemer Lutheran Church (our mission partner in north Minneapolis) and three other local nonprofits. In this fun social media campaign, you can vote with the text messaging service on your smartphone! The distribution of the $20,000 is based on the percentage of votes received, so your vote is important. Texting your vote is easy:

Create a text message and enter 86677 after the "To:" prompt.
Type "RYouth" in the message creation area.
Press "Send." You will receive a text message confirming your vote.

Spread the word! Tell your friends and family, so they can get in on the voting too! Voting runs through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, 2015. (This is not an opt-in list. You will not receive any other text messages or phone calls from Thrivent's Share the Vote program. Only one vote per phone number will be recorded. Standard text messaging rates apply.)

Thank you for your participation!

Congratulations, Honor Choir Participants!

Congratulations to three of our SPD choir members who will be participating in the ACDA of Minnesota Children's Honor Choirs this weekend! Clay Weum (grade 6) will be singing in the 4th through 6th grade Boys Honor Choir, and Chelsea Klaphake (grade 5) and Olivia Landro (grade 5) will be singing in the 4th through 6th grade Girls Honor Choir.

The American Choral Directors Association sponsors Honor Choir opportunities for children of all ages annually. This year over 1000 students from all over Minnesota auditioned for a place in these two choirs. This is a terrific honor and achievement for our singers! The Honor Choir Concerts will be held on Saturday, May 2 at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi.

Bible Read-Along Gathering #2 - April 29

Participants in the 2015 Bible Read-Along will gather for our second conversation TONIGHT, Wednesday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the Learning Center. We will check in with one another on how we are doing; share best practices and insights; ask questions; and conclude with a look at what lies ahead.

VBS Registration Deadline Friday - May 1

Get ready for adventure at the 2015 Vacation Bible School! VBS will be June 15-18. Register by Friday, May 1 in order to get your Everest t-shirt!

Opportunity to Serve! Yard Clean Up - May 2

Here's a great opportunity to enjoy this great spring weather -- and help your neighbor as well! Join us with your garden tools and gloves this Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to noon at Home Free Shelter, and we'll spruce up their yard and plant some flowers to show them their neighbors care. Home Free is a shelter for women and children who have experienced domestic violence, and is located at Medicine Lake.

Families Moving Forward - May 3-10

St. Philip the Deacon will serve as host for the Families Moving Forward program the week of May 3-10. Families Moving Forward is an interfaith network of churches that provide hope to families with children who are experiencing homelessness. You can help by providing food for lunch, preparing and serving dinner and breakfast, serving as an overnight host, laundering linens, and playing with children. Learn more!

Planning a Funeral - May 7

On Thursday mornings in May from 10-11 a.m. we will offer a class on how to plan a funeral. We will cover wills, trust, and power of attorney documents. We will talk about the information needed for the funeral home and for planning the service itself with the pastor. The dates are May 7, 14, 21 and 28. For more information contact Rebecca Hinz at rhinz@spdlc.org.

IOCP Plant Sale - May 16

IOCP is hosting their annual plant sale in our lower (east) parking lot on Saturday, May 16, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Shop a fantastic selection of perennials, annuals and heirloom veggies, and a garden bazaar with an assortment of quality garden items, all while supporting our mission partners!

Interested in volunteering? Contact Jackie Archbold (612-280-8873, jiversarch@comcast.net) or Joan Floren (952-475-0914, jbfloren@gmail.com). Do you have some healthy plants to donate? Please contact Jackie or Joan before May 9 for more information.

SPD Choirs in Concert - May 17

On Sunday, May 17 at the 11 a.m. worship time, all the choirs of St. Philip the Deacon will give praise to God in a special spring concert. Sanctuary Choir, Dynamic Deacons, SPD Singers, Kinderchor and the SPD Quartet will share special anthems and lead the hymns.

Soul Sisterhood Fifth Anniversary - May 17

2015 marks the five-year anniversary of the creation of The Soul Sisterhood -- a ministry of St. Philip the Deacon -- which provides opportunities for young women to engage ever more deeply in relationship with God, make new friends, and gain confidence as they explore their gifts of creativity. We will comission the Soul Sisterhood's new camper van, "Ruthie," for mission and ministry as we expand our outreach for Summer 2015 with Little Sister and Wayfarer Day Camps. Join the celebration Sunday, May 17 at 2 p.m. Everyone is welcome!

Book Club - May 19

Book Club meet on Tuesday, May 19 at 7 p.m. to discuss the book "7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess" by Jen Hatmaker. "7" is the true story of how Jen (along with her husband and her children to varying degrees) took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence. Food. Clothes. Spending. Media. Possessions. Waste. Stress. They spent thirty days on each topic. Please join us for what promises to be a lively dicussion. Books are available at local bookstores and on Amazon.

Since this is our last book club of the season, please come with the title of a book or two you would like to see on the list for next year. For more information contact Pastor Mathison at cmathison@spdlc.org.

Yoga Devotion - Saturdays Now through May

Take time to stretch and pray! Yoga Devotion is a Christian-based yoga class that gives you time to focus on peace as well as health. Join us Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. through the end of May. Cost is $10 per class.

Encounter: Mission Partners Field Trip - May 27

On Wednesday, May 27 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. we'll take a field trip to visit our mission partners in the city. Stops will include Messiah Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Social Services' Center for Changing Lives, Families Moving Forward, and Redeemer Lutheran Church in north Minneapolis. The cost is $15 and includes lunch. Register online at stphilip.smartevents.com, stop by the hospitality desk in the atrium at church, or contact Cindy Carlson at ccarlson@spdlc.org or 763-475-7115.

Bike Hike to the Twins Game - May 30

Join us for our Bike Club outing to the Minnesota Twins game on Saturday, May 30 at 10 a.m. We'll meet at The Depot Coffee Shop in Hopkins (Excelsior Blvd. and Hwy. 169) for devotions, and then set off on the 10-mile, flat, paved bike trail to Target Field. Bicyclists of all abilities are welcome! Children aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Register online. Tickets are $34 per person. If you decide not to bike but still want to attend the game and meet up with the group at Target Field, contact Cindy Carlson at ccarlson@spdlc.org or 763-475-7115 to reserve your tickets.

SPD Outdoors Summer Fishing Retreat - June 11-14

Join us June 11-14, for the SPD Outdoors Summer Fishing Retreat at the Hiawatha Beach Resort on the quiet north shore of Steamboat Bay on Leech Lake. This experience is open to everyone, whether you are an experienced angler or a beginner.

To learn more contact Roger Elias at rwelias@comcast.net. There are only a few spots left, so register online now!

Summer of Re-Creation 2015

There's so much going on this summer at St. Philip the Deacon, we've produced a special booklet about the many opportunities for learning, service, worship and fellowship. To learn about these events and programs, pick up the Summer of Re-Creation booklet at church, or visit our website for all the information and a PDF to download. You can register online for many of these events.

In This Issue

This Weekend

Nepal Earthquake Relief

Text to Vote for Redeemer

Honor Choir

Bible Read-Along Gathering

VBS Registration Deadline

Yard Clean Up

Families Moving Forward

Planning a Funeral

IOCP Plant Sale

SPD Choirs in Concert

Soul Sisterhood Anniversary

Book Club

Yoga Devotion

Encounter: Mission Partners

Bike Hike Twins Game

Summer Fishing Retreat

Summer of Re-Creation

From you comes my praise in the great congregation

My vows I will pay before those who fear him.

The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live for ever!

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord;

And all the families of the nations shall worship before him.

For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.

To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.

Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord,

And proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.

Psalm 22:25-31

For Reflection

"We have what we seek, it is there all the time, and if we give it time, it will make itself known to us."

- Thomas Merton

See more thoughts like this at fb.com/spdlc.

Faithful Parenting

Build Kids Up with Nourishing Affirmation in 30 Seconds

ACTION - What did my child do?

BENEFIT - How does their action benefit them or others?

CHARACTER - What character traits did it take to do that?