ThiS week At st. peTer’s

St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

2169 74th Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19138

Church Office: 215-424-5122 Fax: 215-424-7841

e-mail address: stpetersinfo@yahoo.com

Revs. Gwendolyn Johnson-Bond & Neil A. Bond, Co-Pastors

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EPIPHANY 4 01-28-2024

Greetings! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, continues to be a healing presence in our lives and world. We all have our troubling diseases and little demons… each of us sometime is broken in body, mind, or spirit… and the testimony of the Bible and the Church is that there is healing power in the love of Jesus Christ. HOW BLESSED WE ARE TO HAVE JESUS – THE SON OF GOD, THE WORD OF AUTHORITY IN FLESH AND BLOOD, THE DESTROYER OF DEMONS, THE HEALER OF THE HURT, THE POWER OF LOVE – TO SIDE WITH US, TO FIGHT THE BATTLES THAT RAGE AGAINST US AND WITHIN US! In a world of false truths and oppressive authorities, you can place your complete trust in only one saving truth and one empowering authority – Jesus Christ.

TODAY

9:00AM All Saints Choir warm-up for worship.

10:00AM + EPIPHANY WORSHIP + (in person and online)

11:20AM All Saints Choir rehearsal.

Thank you, Pastor Clesha Staten, for the gift of today’s preached Word and your ministry to others!

Some 2024 giving statistics (after 3 Sundays):

ELCA World Hunger Appeal, $110.00 ($3,032.12 was received in calendar year 2023.)

Lutheran Charities Appeal, $195.00 ($1,088.60 was received in 2023.)

The 3 Lutheran-related local social ministry organizations that we support serve over 30,000 of our neighbors in need: KenCrest Services; Lutheran Settlement House; and Gemma Services.

Mission Offering, $10.00 ($905.00 total was received for Mothers in Charge, Inc. and $647.20 for Covenant House of Philadelphia in 2023.)

(When you add Lutheran Disaster Response contributions of $815.72 and $1,180.00 designated as Synod Benevolence support to the 2023 amounts listed above, our congregation “received and passed on” $7,669.04 in 2023. May we continue to grow in gratitude and generosity! May we never have closed hearts and clenched fists. Love God and love neighbor!

PEACE 🕆 REST 🕆 ETERNAL LIFE

We have received word that our St. Peter’s church member John L. Hill completed his earthly journey a few weeks ago. An energetic public reader of scripture and eager singer of songs in worship, John joined St. Peter’s on March 19, 2017 along with the Rev. Clesha Staten and the Rev. Tanysha Williams.

Lord, we are grateful for his faith and his faithfulness and your promises of everlasting life!

Wednesday, 10:00AM Diane Hughes (volunteer office administration).

Wednesday, 10:00AM Senior Ministry “Study and Discussion” in Rhoda Hall.

Wednesday, 11:00AM Whole Foods fresh produce distribution.

Thursday… BLACK HISTORY MONTH. Discover the truth. Celebrate the journey. Commit to a brighter future.

Thursday, 7:30PM AL-ANON PROGRAM. Find encouragement to end your own codependence!

Friday, 8:00AM Senior Food Box distribution ministry.
Friday, 6:30PM Girl Scouts.

Psalm 111 submits that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Have you ever lost your sense of humility and tried to disrespect God’s grace and will? St. Paul states in today’s 1 Corinthians passage, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” Can you think of examples of this in your daily living?

Join our family, share God’s love.

Are you ready to stop, look, and listen to God? Are you ready to live large? Speak to our Pastors about Holy Baptism, church membership, and the new life of faithful discipleship. God knows the good, the bad, and the ugly about you. You can run but you can’t hide. And, when you tire of running, God is right there, ready to embrace and love you. No one is ever too good or too bad for God’s love. No one.

What’s Happening…

February… BLACK HISTORY MONTH.

You are invited to wear Afrocentric clothing or appropriately messaged shirts this month.

February 4… EPIPHANY 5. Hybrid Worship at 10:00AM.

February 9 is St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church’s 94TH ANNIVERSARY!

February 10… Rental event in Rhoda Hall.

February 11… TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD. Hybrid Worship at 10:00AM.

93rd ANNUAL MEETING OF ST. PETER’S (in person and online) after worship. We will officially approve our 2024 Budget, elect Church Council, etc. We will need 50 adult “confirmed, communing, contributing” members of the Congregation to officially meet. (Alternate date: February 25 after worship). Please submit any reports to the Church Office by January 31. We are looking for candidates who are willing to be considered to serve on our Church Council. St. Peter’s is not governed by the Pastors alone, but by an elected twelve lay members of the congregation who seek to be faithful to the name, spirit, and mission of Jesus Christ as they lead and serve.

February 14… ASH WEDNESDAY, the first day of LENT. Return to the Lord with a humble heart! It’s also Valentine’s Day. Celebrate God’s undeserved and unmatched divine love!

February 24… Rental event in Rhoda Hall.