Category: Ministries

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Congregational Life Grocery Bag Ministry Youth Ministry

Souper Bowl of Caring – Sunday, February 11

As you prepare to purchase groceries this week, you are invited to provide food and funds for our hungry neighbors.

Americans spend about $1 billion on Super Bowl snacks. In contrast, the youth of St. Philip challenge the congregation to donate just $1000 and 770 grocery items (that’s enough cans to build two 10 x 10 pyramids) to Feeding America Food Bank and the St. Mark’s food pantry, respectively.

On February 11, we will collect the groceries in the sanctuary and the money at the close of worship as you leave the sanctuary.  Together we can help end hunger right here in Roanoke! For more information on the Souper Bowl of Caring and hunger in the United States, visit tacklehunger.org.

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Feast at Philip's News

Roanoke police bring meals to seniors on Christmas

St. Philip Lutheran Church and Feast @ Philip’s is featured in this Roanoke Times article. 

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Congregational Life Ministries Worship Events

Advent & Christmas Activities

Advent: Season of Hope
In Advent, God’s people wait with hope for the birth of Jesus, God’s anointed one. Advent lasts for four Sundays (and the weeks between them); lighting candles helps us mark the time as we get ready for the Light of World, Jesus Christ. Great memories can be formed as candles on a wreath are lit, scripture is read, and the hopeful anticipation of Christ’s coming is celebrated. You are invited to pick up Advent devotions, on a table in the narthex, for you/your family to use during this holy season.

Advent Night: Potluck, Carols, and Advent Wreaths
Sunday, December 3rd at 5:30pm. All are invited to enjoy the culinary creations of the members of your church family at our potluck dinner, then a festive time with a Christmas carol sing along. We will also create family Advent wreaths with fresh greenery, an Advent calendar for kids AND a fun Christmas photo shoot that could be used for your annual family Christmas card! Come join us as we begin the Advent journey in anticipation of the birth of our Savior!

Fellowship Luncheon
On December 7, 11am, all are invited to attend St. Philip’s Annual Christmas Fellowship Event to help get us in the holiday spirit. The lunch will be held at The Plantation on Sunnybrook. The cost is $16.42, which includes the full buffet, dessert, drinks, and gratuity. Transportation can be arranged by contacting Cindy Fielder at 915-8154. We hope many can attend Thursday, December 7th! Sign up sheets are in the narthex. You are guaranteed an “extra special” Gift–time spent in fellowship with your church family!

Chrismon Tree Decorating, Sunday, December 10, before each worship service
A Chrismon tree is a special tree adorned with symbols of Christianity in its earliest days, such as the Alpha and Omega and the fish.  Newer symbols like a dove, Bible, rose, and cross and crown can also be used.  All decorations and supplies will be provided.

Christmas Caroling, Sunday, December 10, 5pm
You are invited to share Christmas cheer! Meet at St. Philip. Then groups will head out and about in the Roanoke Valley. Please also bring some cookies to share with folks. Sign-up in the narthex if you plan to join the fun!

Children’s Christmas Program
The children of St. Philip will share the Christmas story at the 5:30pm Christmas Eve worship service. Rehearsals for the children’s Christmas program are each Sunday at 9:50am, through December 17.

Christmas Eve Two opportunities for worship:
5:30pm – Candlelight service and youth program
9:00pm (note the new time!) – Traditional candlelight service
Holy Communion will be served at both services.

Morning Worship Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve
Because Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve happen on a Sunday this year, we will worship on both Sunday mornings at 9:30am. Christmas Eve morning we will light the fourth candle of our advent wreath and conclude our observance of the Advent Season. Then on December 31st we will continue our celebration of the Christmas Season by using Lessons and Carols to shape our worship.

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Feast at Philip's Ministries

Feast at Philip’s Christmas Day, Monday, December 25th 3:00-4:00 pm

Thank you to all who helped cook, serve, and clean up for the Thanksgiving Feast at Philips!!

On Christmas Day, you are invited to serve the community as part of your family Christmas tradition. This year’s Feast will be more to-go boxes for our neighbors, but we will also serve those who come to eat at St. Philip.

How can you help?

  • Volunteer to serve at the Feast
  • Volunteer to pack to-go boxes for our neighbors
  • Purchase and cook a turkey and/or a ham
  • Bake a pie or pies
  • Volunteer to help set up or clean up
  • Make a financial donation to support the Feast (be sure to write “Feast at Philips” on your check)

This is a great opportunity to share God’s love by sharing with our neighbors. If you would like to be a part of this ministry, there is a volunteer sign-up sheet in the narthex with specific duties listed. If you have questions about offering yourself for this feast, speak with one of the pastors. Thank you for your servant hearts!!

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Blood Drive Ministries

Blood Drive Thank You 

What an amazing group of people at St. Philip! The semi-annual blood drive on Monday, October 16 collected 96 pints of blood! It was certainly a team effort to handle all the task that had to be done. So many folks commented  they loved the food, missed Margaret Mitchell and Louise Jargowsky, and would come back to us as long as they could. This is such a strong time honored community ministry that the congregation at St. Philip should be very proud to be a part of.

A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CONNTRIBUTED.

“IT FEELS GOOD TO SAVE A LIFE”

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Feast at Philip's Ministries

Community Thanksgiving Feast at Philips 

Saturday, November 25th, 3:00-5:00 pm 

You are invited to help serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal to our neighbors in the Melrose-Rugby neighborhood and in the Hollins neighborhood. There are two opportunities to serve:

St. Philip and Abundant Grace Assembly will serve our wider community together at Melrose Towers on Melrose Ave. We will also serve to-go meals to folks from the Goodwill Jobs Campus.

St. Philipians will serve those who come together in our Fellowship Hall.

How can you help?

Volunteer to serve at the Feast

Purchase and cook a turkey and/or a ham

Bake a pie or pies

Volunteer to help set up or clean up

Make a financial donation to support the Feast (be sure to write “Feast at Philips” on your check)

This is a great opportunity to share God’s love by sharing with our neighbors.  If you would like to be a part of this ministry, there is a volunteer sign-up sheet in the narthex with specific duties listed.  If you have questions about offering yourself for this feast, speak with one of the pastors. Thank you for your servant hearts!!

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Global Missions Ministries

Global Mission News 

Thanks to the faithful support of our congregation and community we were able to send a check for $5,867.00 from this year’s Mission Fest to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi.  The money this year will all be put toward food security.  We also have collected $854.72 in noisy offering in just the first 6 months of this year.  Our St. Philip family is made up of truly generous people.

We are looking forward to a change in our fundraising for 2018.  Our 2017 Mission Fest fell on a different date due to the Lenten/Easter season.  The weekend that was chosen just happened to be a very busy event weekend in Roanoke and then we were also blessed (!?) with rain.  In spite of all this we still were able to host a successful  event.  We know you all appreciate what a big undertaking our Mission Fest turns out to be, soooo,   the GM committee has decided that we would host two smaller fundraising events in 2018 – one in  the spring and one in the fall.  More information will be coming after January 1.  We are hoping these two events will be just as successful  and that everyone can find a place where they can help out.

The Global Mission team is also hoping to plan another Mission Trip to Malawi late next summer.  Our trips are always faith building as we strengthen our relationships with our brothers and sisters in the ELCM.  If you think you might be interested in joining us or just have questions to ask please see Pastor Kelly or Kathleen Radtke.

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Elijah's Backpack Global Missions Ministries

World Food Day 2017 – Malawi Feeding Centers & Elijah’s Backpack 

The right to food is a basic human right. Investing in sustainable food systems and rural development means addressing some of the major global challenges – from feeding the world’s growing population to protecting the global climate, and tackling some of the root causes of migration and displacement.

Currently, St. Philip supports 3 Feeding Centers in Mponela Parish in Malawi. The feeding centers serve nutritional meals to 150 orphans and vulnerable children each week during the rainy season (27 weeks). They also provide a mobile health clinic for families. $3 feeds one child for one week. Each center requires $450 each week to feed all 150 children. For the full 27 weeks, Mponela Parish needs $12,150! St. Philip’s noisy offerings have raised $1161 in 2017 – enough to feed all 150 kids for about 2 ½ weeks.

Elijah’s Backpack currently serves 43 kids in north Roanoke County – and more will join the program in the next few weeks. In 2016-2017, Elijah’s Backpack packed over 1700 bags of food. More than 50 volunteers logged nearly 5000 hours of service to kids in our community. Elijah’s Backpack has also added a new school this year: the Minnick School. We join others across Virginia in a goal to have no child hungry on the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, October 31, 2017.

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Elijah's Backpack Ministries

Elijah’s Backpack

Each Friday afternoon elementary school children receive a pack of healthy food and snacks in their backpacks. Elijah’s Backpack may include the following items: cereal, breakfast bars, oatmeal, juice, tuna kits, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter crackers, soup, apple sauce, fruit cups, ravioli, vegetables, milk, and other nutritious food.

What is Elijah’s Backpack?

Many families struggle to eat healthy meals and snacks every day. Elijah’s Backpack, a free community ministry sponsored by St. Philip Lutheran Church in Roanoke, Virginia, helps families eat more healthy meals and snacks through their local elementary school.

Each Friday afternoon elementary school children receive a pack of healthy food and snacks in their backpacks. Elijah’s Backpack may include the following items: cereal, breakfast bars, oatmeal, juice, tuna kits, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter crackers, soup, apple sauce, fruit cups, ravioli, vegetables, milk, and other nutritious food.

Elijah’s Backpack works with families at Mountain View Elementary and Burlington Elementary, in Roanoke County. The school principal and guidance counselor select participants based upon need. Program participation is kept confidential. A parent or guardian must return a signed permission form for their child to participate. This form is available from their elementary school counselor.

The prophet Elijah was sent by God to visit Zarephath, where he met a widow and her son. When he arrived, Elijah was quite hungry and asked for food. The widow had so little food for herself and her son that she feared they would die of hunger, yet she shared her own bread with Elijah. God responded by providing more than enough for the three to eat together. (1 Kings 17:8-16) God calls us to serve all who hunger (Matthew 25:35-40; James 2:15-16). The story of Elijah reminds us that those who are hungry are also our sisters and brothers, gifted by God and very often sharing what they have with others in need.

 WDBJ7’s news coverage of Elijah’s Backpack

Children carrying more than just books in their backpacks

Program Partners

Elijah’s Backpack is supported by St. Philip Lutheran Church, Hollins First Baptist Church, Enon Baptist Church, Hollins Church of the Nazarene, Northview United Methodist Church, Summerdean Church of the Brethren, Life Academy, Faith Alliance Church, Burlington Elementary, Mountain View Elementary, Feeding America Food Bank, Hollywood’s Restaurant, and donations from individuals supporting Elijah’s Backpack. We are seeking other community partners.

 

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Global Missions Ministries

Global Missions

The global missions team seeks to promote peace, justice, and care of creation through congregational support of missions at home and abroad. We will educate congregation members about the diverse needs of the community to which we all belong. We as Christians wish to share the many blessings that God has so graciously given. 

Our current mission partner is Malawi, Africa. We are active in our partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Malawi.

News and photographs of our missionaries’ trip to Malawi

Watch WDBJ7’s coverage of the mission trip to Malawi: