Reach Out. Proclaim. Inspire.Sept. 2, 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.
  • IOCP Food Pantry - Sept. 9 and Oct. 14
  • Guides for Confirmation (boys groups)
  • Faith Creek teachers and helpers
  • Prayer Partners for 3-year-olds entering Faith Creek
  • Families Moving Forward, Sept. 27-Oct.4 (see article below)
The Texts this Weekend
 
This weekend is the 15th Sunday after Pentecost. The readings include Isaiah 35:4-7a and Mark 7:24-37:
 
Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."
Read more Mark 7:24-37
Register for Fall Programs

It's time to get your kids signed up for fall programs. You can register then online for:
Bible Read-Along Gathering #4 - TONIGHT!

Attention Bible Readers! Tonight we gather for the fourth time this year to reflect on our journey through the Holy Scriptures. We have completed the Old Testament! We will mark this milestone by sharing our insights and impressions. Every one will receive a special bookmark listing all the books of the Old Testament. All are welcome! Learn more about the Bible Read-Along on our website.
Opportunities to Serve - Families Moving Forward

Your gifts of time, talent and money make a difference in the lives of families who are experiencing homelessness. We will once again be hosting a group of adults and children for one week, Sept. 27-Oct. 4.

You can sign up at the table in Fellowship Hall to host or make a dinner, do activities with families, provide groceries, stay overnight, or launder linens. You can also sign up online for various tasks at our CareCalendar site. To learn more about signing up for tasks, visit our website.

Your participation is a key part of making this ministry successful!

Contact Sandy Dockter with questions: sandymdoc@gmail.com.
Lighting Update

The sanctuary lighting project continues, and excellent progress is being made. The project is being accomplished in stages, and we are hopeful that the final stages will be completed the week following Labor Day. Thank you for your patience as we make this important improvement to our worship space.
Early Childhood Events

Family Playtime will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings in the month of September. Families are invited to spend a fun morning playing with your child in the Childcare Center. Playtime dates: Sept. 15.16, 22, 23, 29, 30,  from 9:30-11:30 a.m. No registration required.

Special Event - Dad & Wheels!  Dads, you are invited to bring your young children and their wheels (trikes, bikes etc.) to an early evening "wheeling fun time" in the Lower Parking Lot at St Philip the Deacon - Thursday, Sept. 24, 6-7:30 p.m.  Register online.

SPARK Take-Home Bible Story Packets for 2- and 3-year-olds begins following each worship service, Oct. 3 and 4, and continues until Nov. 21 and 23. Fall SPARK Session is for 8 weeks. Packets are distributed in the Childcare Center.

Lilly Pad Storytime - Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. Guest adult readers will share their favorite books with the little ones.

Baptism Workshop - The next workshop is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24 at 10:30 a.m. for families who have not previously had a child baptized at St. Philip the Deacon. To register, contact Liz Nelson at lnelson@spdlc.org.

3-Year-Olds receive Beginner Bibles - Sunday, Oct. 25, during 8:30 and 9:45 a.m. worship services.

You can be a prayer partner for a 3 year-old as they transition to Faith Creek church school. Call Liz Nelson at 763- 475-7129 for details.
Sr. High Ministry
 
We have been hard at work this summer identifying a new Director of High School Ministries for St. Philip the Deacon. This position is a strategic priority for the congregation, and because of that, we are committed to finding an exceptional candidate who will help us to expand this ministry in the years ahead. During this search, we have a three-fold strategy for Senior High Ministry:
  1. Our existing staff will work together to support Senior High Ministries-including Pastor Westermeyer, Pastor Schmid, Clay Thomas, Cindy Carlson, and Deb August.
  2. Four young adults with deep ties to St. Philip the Deacon will support our Senior High activities this fall: Kate Mathison, Dave Milne, Chris Paulson, and Kate Thomas. We are grateful to each of them for stepping into these roles, and excited about the energy and enthusiasm they will bring to them.
  3. We are inviting our Senior High students -- and particularly our upperclassmen -- to become more active leaders for the ministry, and have already been meeting with them to discuss all of these plans.
We are genuinely excited about how this fall is shaping up for our High School students, and will continue to communicate news about our ongoing search. Please keep this ministry -- and all of the ministries of St. Philip the Deacon-in your prayers.

Stay tuned for details on our Sr. High fall kick-off event, Saturday evening, Sept. 19!
The Conversation - Sept. 8

Whether you're retired, semi-retired or just find yourself free on Sept. 8 from 1-2:30 p.m., join us for The Conversation. There will be good food, conversation and laughter. Reservations are not needed.

Our guest this month will be Susan Path, St. Philip the Deacon's new Parish Nurse!
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.

Read more about Book Club on our website.
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.
First Communion Workshop - Sept. 26

First Communion workshops are now scheduled for the coming season. They will be offered three times during the school year, with the first one being held on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 9-11 a.m. This group of kids will then receive their First Communion on Saturday, Oct. 3 at the 5:30 p.m. service. These workshops are for kids in Grade 2 and older. Parents should plan to attend with child(ren). To register, please go to spdlc.churchcenteronline.com.
Adult Education Classes
 
Two Adult Education classes are offered for this fall.

Martin Luther Encounters a Radical God, with Dr. Mark Tranvik. This class isfor everyone, though it will be especially interesting to those traveling to Germany in 2016. Held on Wednesdays, Sept. 23-Oct. 14, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Learning Center.
 
Big Ideas from the Bible, with Pastor Cheryl Mathison and Dr. John Schultz. This series explores the big themes from scripture like baptism, communion, the trinity, and grace. Held on Mondays, Sept. 28-Nov. 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the Learning Center.
Faith & Life Lecture Series

The 2015-2016 season of the Faith & Life Lecture Series begins on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. with speaker Bill George, a former chairman and CEO of Medtronic. An author of four best-selling books on values-driven leadership, Bill will address the topic, "Faith & Leadership: Finding Your True North."

Read about the rest of the Faith & Life series on the website, Faith-and-Life.org, and like our Facebook page to receive reminders of upcoming events.
In This Issue
Register for Fall Programs
Bible Read-Along Gathering
Families Moving Forward
Lighting Update
Early Childhood Events
Sr. High Ministry
The Conversation
Book Club
DivorceCare for Women
First Communion
Adult Education
Faith & Life Series
 
Like us on Facebook   Follow us on Twitter   Visit our blog   View our profile on LinkedIn
Join Our Mailing List


Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.

When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.

Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God,

who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them;

who keeps faith for ever; who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The Lord will reign for ever, your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 146
For Reflection
 
"Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God's plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins."

- Eric Liddell
 
See more thoughts like this at fb.com/spdlc.
  
Faithful Parenting
 
How to Break the Cycle of Crabbiness and Negativity

Kids get crabby. Grown-ups do, too. Especially when their best efforts to help crabby kids just leads to more crabbiness.
If you have questions about anything you've read here, or want to know more about St. Philip the Deacon and its ministries, please contact us at info@spdlc.org or 763-475-7100.