Reach Out. Proclaim. Inspire.

July 29, 2015

Opportunities to Serve!

Contact: Pastor Valerie Strand Patterson, vstrand@spdlc.org or Cindy Carlson at ccarlson@spdlc.org. To learn more, visit our website.

Sharing and Caring Hands - Aug. 1
Feed My Starving Children - Aug. 4 and 25
Messiah Food Pantry - Aug. 14 and 29
Interfaith Outreach - Aug. 12

We are also looking for a scheduler of volunteers for Messiah Food Shelf.

The Texts this Weekend

This weekend is the 10th Sunday after Pentecost. The readings include Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 and John 6:24-35:

So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, 'Rabbi, when did you come here?' Jesus answered them, 'Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.' Then they said to him, 'What must we do to perform the works of God?' Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.' So they said to him, 'What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat." ' Then Jesus said to them, 'Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.' They said to him, 'Sir, give us this bread always.'

Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Matching Grant for Messiah Summer Food Pantry

Because children are home from school during the summer, the demand on area food shelves is even greater than the rest of the year. To help address this need, members of St. Philip the Deacon have pledged to match any contributions made in June, July and August up to $5,000! We're more than 2/3 of the way to our goal. To take advantage of this match, make your check out to St. Philip the Deacon and write "Messiah Food Shelf" in the memo line. To make a gift online, visit our online giving site and enter your gift under "Food Baskets: Messiah Food Shelf."

Register Now for Fall Faith Creek

Fall Faith Creek will begin Sept. 12-13. It's time to get signed up! To register your children (ages 3 through 5th grade) you can go to: spdlc.churchcenteronline.com or visit the website under Children's Ministries, Faith Creek Church School. Don't miss the fun!

Register for Children's Choirs

Do your kids love to sing? It's time to get them signed up for choir this fall. Dynamic Deacons is a choir for kids aged kindergarten through 2nd grade, and Chancel Choir is for kids in grades 3-5. These choirs meet on Tuesday evenings. Sign up online today!

Donate Household Furnishings

A friend of our congregation is in need of basic household furnishings. If you have gently used items you are willing to donate, please contact Pastor Valerie Strand Patterson at vstrand@spdlc.org or Cindy Carlson at ccarlson@spdlc.org. Some of the items we need are:

Couch or futon
Comfortable chair
Coffee table
End table
Lamp
4 Dining or kitchen chairs
Book shelf
Student-size desk

Donate School Supplies - Through Aug. 16

Bring school supply donations now through Aug. 16 to Fellowship Hall. To make a financial contribution, add the line "School Supplies" in the note on your check to St. Philip the Deacon, and give it during the offertory in worship, or bring your check to the church office.

Suggested items:

Backpacks (large, solid colors)
Wide or college rule spiral notebooks
Pocket folders
Composition notebooks
3-Ring binders (1 1/2 inch)
Calculators

Learn more at spdlc.org/school.

Join Bike Club - July 30

Join our SPD summer Bike Club! Every Thursday this summer at 9 a.m. we'll meet at a different place to explore our local bike paths, enjoy God's creation and fellowship with one another. And there will be an evening ride each month on the fourth Thursday. Our next rides are:

Thursday, July 30 at 9 a.m.
Meet at the dirt lot off Baker Road (not Baker Park!) in Minnetonka (just after South Street). (Take Excelsior Blvd to Baker Road; head South on Baker; the lot is about 3/4 mile on the left by the bridge for 494) We will bike the Minnetonka Trail to Eden Prairie. This trail is mostly crushed limestone.

Contact Pastor Cheryl Mathison for more information: cmathison@spdlc.org or 763-475-7128.

Full Throttle Fishing Tournament Kick-off - Aug. 7

Phil's Guys is hosting the kick-off dinner for the Full Throttle Fishing Tournament on Lake Minnetonka. Full Throttle is a non-denominational Christian organization that features faith-based fishing events. The kick-off dinner, held in the lower parking lot on Friday, Aug. 7 at 6 p.m., will feature a backyard BBQ, a show-your-boat review and an explanation of the tournament rules. Contact Ben Hovland at philsguys@spdlc.org for more information.

Staff Transitions - Aug. 9 and 30

Thanksgiving and leave taking often go together. Mark your calendar for Sundays Aug. 9 and 30, when we will be saying "Thank you and Farewell" to two of our staff: First, Jeremy Lahaie will be moving to England to begin new adventures; and Rebecca Hinz will be concluding her pastoral care internship at the end of the month. Be sure to join us for their sendings in worship, and wish them well at cake receptions between worship services.

All Church Summer Picnic - Aug. 9

Sign up today for the All Church Summer picnic. The picnic will be on Sunday, Aug. 9 at 5 p.m. at the Three Rivers French Regional Park (Moraine Park Area). The Park is on Rockford Road, just east of Northwest Blvd. There will be live music, food, relay races and games. We hope you will join in the fun!

We will have hot dogs and brats on the grill, and you are asked to bring a dish to share (salad, dessert, fruit, baked beans, etc). Cost is $5 per person, or up to $20 per family. (Kids under 3 years, no charge.) Register online or stop at the hospitality desk in the upper level atrium. Please also let us know if you can help with grilling, serving, leading games with the kids, set-up or clean-up. Contact Cindy Carlson with questions: ccarlson@spdlc.org.

It's going to be fun -- you won't want to miss it!

Worship in the World - Aug. 12

Join us on Wednesday, Aug. 12 at 6:30 p.m. for a two hour cruise aboard the Minnehaha Steamboat on Lake Minnetonka. We will board at the Wayzata Depot. SPD member Bruce Warner will be our captain. Our cruise will include a simple worship service with music led by John Roth and Linda Wrobel and we will remember our baptisms as we tour the lake. Registration is required. Space is limited. Cost is $20 per person or $40 per family. Please note: Since the Minnehaha is a floating museum, no food or beverages are allowed, other than water in a capped water bottle.

Birds, Wildflowers and Bog - Aug. 18

SPD Outdoors invites you to enjoy a lovely evening out in nature! Meet us at Theodore Wirth Park at the Eloise Butler Sanctuary on Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 6:30 p.m. for an evening stroll in a wildflower garden. It's a bird-watching haven! There is also a children's garden and quaking bog. The serenity of the park and woods lets us forget just how close we are to the heart of the city.

Encounter: Minnesota Arboretum - Aug. 19

"Encounter" takes a journey to the Arboretum on Wednesday morning, Aug. 19 from 8:30 a.m. to noon. We will begin with a continental breakfast and devotions at church, and then travel by coach to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. You will have time to explore and enjoy the beauty of God's creation, and nature photographer Susan Ramlet will give you tips on photographing scenes in a garden.

Bring your phone or digital camera! Don't have one? Just let us know and you can borrow one for the event. The cost of this Encounter is $20 per person. (If you are a member of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, the cost will be $11 per family member.) You may register on line at spdlc.org or at the Hospitality Desk on the upper level. Questions, please contact Cindy Carlson at ccarlson@spdlc.org or Pastor Mathison at cmathison@spdlc.org.

Book Club - Sept. 15

Join Pastor Mathison for a discussion of Roz Chast's memoir, Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant, as she brings her wit to the topic of aging parents. Spanning the last several years of their lives and told through four-color cartoons, family photos, and documents, Can't We Talk is as full of laughs as it is with tears. For anyone experiencing the life-altering loss of elderly parents, this book and our discussion is sure to bring comfort, and a relief that you are not alone.

We meet Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Nook. Participants can purchase a copy of the book at the SPD upper level hospitality desk ($20) or borrow it from the library in the Nook, or acquire one from a bookstore or online.

DivorceCare Group for Women - Sept. 22

Separation and divorce are painful and stressful experiences. They are confusing times when you feel alone and have lots of questions. DivorceCare is a confidential group support program to help participants discover hope and experience healing. Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Sept. 22 through Dec. 15. This group will be for women. A men's group will be offered in the spring. Contact Pastor Valerie Strand Patterson at 763-475-7126 or vstrand@spdlc.org to sign up. Learn more about DivorceCare.

In This Issue

Matching Grant for Food Shelf

Faith Creek Ramps Up

Register for Children's Choirs

Donate Household Furnishings

Donate School Supplies

Bike Club - Thursdays

Full Throttle Fishing Tournament

Staff Transitions

Summer Church Picnic

Worship in the World

Birds, Wildflowers and Bog

Encounter: Minn. Arboretum

Book Club

DivorceCare for Women

Yet he commanded the skies above,

And opened the doors of heaven;

He rained down on them manna to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven.

Mortals ate of the bread of angels; he sent them food in abundance.

He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind;

He rained flesh upon them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas;

He let them fall within their camp, all around their dwellings.

And they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved.

Psalm 78:23-29

For Reflection

"God does not ask if we are able. God asks if we are available. And the weakness we offer him, he turns into a strength."
- Leonard Sweet

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

Faithful Parenting

3 Powerful Steps to Redirect a Bored Kid

Talk with your kids about their gifts. Talk about technology and boundaries, too. Find some 3-D alternatives. Have a lesson in tree-safety or tool-safety or oven-safety if need be. You can help your children begin to build and enjoy real-life skills and learn to use them to bless others.