Dear Friends,

Found on the cover of our worship bulletins, presented in formation offerings and uplifted in sermons, Worship, Love, Action: St. Philip's - A Church For All People, is at the center of our parish life, mission and identity.  You may be wondering how this phrase was developed and chosen to both describe our community of faith and anchor our mission and ministry.  The answer is that it grew out of our strategic plan.

 One of the great findings of our strategic planning process was that parishioners were exceedingly pleased with St. Philip's for three specific reasons:

1) St. Philip's is growing in diversity along with Durham
2) St. Philip's provides clear opportunities for parishioners to live out their faith through loving service and a striving for justice
3) Worship is central to all things.

While this was great news, it was also of particular interest because each of these three areas directly related to the church's preexisting mission statement:

Therefore, using Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's charge to the Episcopal Church to be "A house of prayer for all people," we revisited our mission statement in an effort to further focus and direct our attention and energy.  It was this that led to the formation of Worship, Love, Action: St. Philip's - A Church For All People.

What I love about this phrase is that it captures who we are and what we do, while also providing a wonderful invitation to others.  There are so many out there looking for a way to find meaningful worship and a way to practically express their faith, all within the context of a community that reflects God's love for all people.  People need that connection.  God has blessed us by uniquely equipping us to offer this, and for this we give thanks.

God Bless,
Jonah+