ThiS week At st. peTer’s | 10-22-23
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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PENTECOST 21 10-22-2023 Welcome to St. Peter’s. When babies are born there is a friendly tug-of-war between families as to which parent the baby most resembles. She looks just like her mother! She has her father’s eyes! He has his father’s hair! His ears definitely come from her side of the family! Jesus takes us deeper than just our physical appearance. Whose likeness do you bear? Is it the likeness and image of God, who has created you? What, then, will you render to God? When we do only as we please or only what will please the world, we usually don’t please God. Pleasing God requires our sincere love, our trusting faith, our humble obedience, our entire lives. What belongs to God? All that I have, all that I am, all that I seek. Anything less than that is too little.
Render unto Caesar… Render unto God…
TODAY
9:00AM All Saints Choir warm-up for worship.
10:00AM + PENTECOST SEASON WORSHIP + (in person and online)
11:20AM All Saints Choir rehearsal. Add your voice to the praise!
38th Annual Women’s Day at St. Peter’s
October 14-15, 2023
Theme: “Breaking the Chains of Silence!”
See Proverbs 31:8-9 and Psalm 107:13-14.
“We as a body of believers have to start loving and stop judging… we have to seek healing instead of hiding.” And “Hurt people hurt people, but healed people heal people. But you can’t love me if you don’t love you. Love yourself unconditionally. Let’s get back to loving!” [From our preacher last Sunday, Dr. Obioma Martin] Wasn’t it an empowered weekend of songs and sermon, dance and prayer, sacramental meal upstairs and fellowship meal downstairs, receiving the grace of Christ and both comfort and challenge as we considered women and girls, sisters, daughters, friends, lovers, wives, cousins, mothers, neighbors, and fellow human beings who are being trafficked, who are treated as expendable objects! Praise God! Thank you, Sisters! Let’s all make a commitment to speak up, to reach out, to help set free from hurt, harm, and danger. The Women’s Day Offering currently is $2,226.45. Some who were absent or penniless on October 14-15 might choose to give or mail their offering in the next few weeks.
LOVE, NOT HATE. PEACE, NOT VIOLENCE.
MERCY, NOT GREED. JUSTICE, NOT ABUSE.
HUMILITY, NOT ARROGANCE. GOD’S TRUTH, NOT LIES. THE WAY OF JESUS, NOT JUST “MY WAY”.
ThiS week At st. peTer’s
Tuesday, 6:00PM Oak Lane Wildcats young cheerleaders in Rhoda Hall.
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, 6:00PM Oak Lane Wildcats young cheerleaders in Rhoda Hall.
Thursday, 7:30PM AL-ANON PROGRAM. Find encouragement to end your own codependence!
Friday, 6:30PM Girl Scouts.
Saturday, 1 – 5PM YOUTH MINISTRY “Halloween Carnival” to help raise funds for the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans.
“Trudi’s Challenge”
At our 92nd ANNUAL MEETING OF ST. PETER’S (February 26), Trudi Wright suggested that 70 people giving an extra $143.00 in regular giving during calendar year 2023 would add about $10,000 to our Budget Income, taking care of our anticipated $7,322 deficit and creating a small surplus for 2023. Pastors Gwen and Neil liked that idea. If you would like to join in that quest, please designate such extra giving as “Trudi’s Challenge”. But it will blend with other general giving toward our 2023 Budget needs. Received to date since February 26: $2,332.00. We will probably not meet the “Challenge” goal in these last three months of 2023, but each extra gift helps make a difference! Lord, let me steadily walk your path. Help me to give witness to your love through generous giving!
Giving in 2023.
Those in the Sanctuary can put their offering in the offering plate to share their gratitude and generosity in response to Christ’s love. Those who are farther away might mail a check or money order to St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2169 74th Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19138… contribute online through bit/ly/stpetersgiving and set up one time donation or recurring weekly gift to selected categories…or text to Give+ at 833-914-0896 and follow the instructions to register and record your contribution.
Last Sunday’s offering tally (money given in the sanctuary or mailed, but not online giving) also included:
$ 0.00 — ELCA World Hunger Appeal, $2,111 received to date in 2023.
$ 188.00 – Lutheran Charities Appeal, $1,059 received to date 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 (which includes Silver Springs/Martin Luther School).
$ 10.00 – Mission Offering
We have selected Mothers in Charge, Inc. a Philadelphia anti-violence organization), for our July – December giving. We have received $401 to date.
[And our January – June Mission Offering was Covenant House of Philadelphia, servicing
homeless and runaway youth. We received and have sent $647.20.
$ 0.00 – Lutheran Disaster Response (Maui Wildfires, etc.), $575 received to date.
What’s Happening…
October 29… Reformation Sunday. 10:00AM Hybrid Worship (in person and online). Our Preacher will be Pastor David Maddox II.
November 5… All Saints Sunday. 10:00AM Hybrid Worship (in person and online).
We will remember and thank God for Shelia Vitruk and Fannie Thompson.
November 7… ELECTION DAY.
November 11… Women’s Ministry “Gathering” (in person and online) at 11:00AM.
November 16… Annual Covenant House of Philadelphia “Sleepout” fundraising event. Consider sleeping out. Consider donating money. Check out Sleepout.org.