This Week at St. Peter’s | 2-26-23
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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FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT 02-26-2023
92nd ANNUAL MEETING OF ST. PETER’S
+ The discipline of Lent +
Christian friends, the Israelites wandered 40 years in the wilderness. Jesus spent 40 days and 40 nights struggling with Satan in the wilderness. During Lent we will journey through our own 40-day wilderness as we seek to die to our old habits and destructive ways. Lent is a season of remembering Christ’s suffering and death for our salvation. Now is the time to honestly face our sinfulness, to humble our hearts, and to seek God’s mercy and strength. Make a journey of growing in your faith and faithfulness. The traditional disciplines of Lent down through the ages were the act of giving alms (making an offering to help those in need), the act of prayer (devoting more time to listen and to share with God) and the act of fasting (abstaining from eating for a set period of time, skipping a meal, not eating a food we like, etc.). During the 40 days of Lent, GIVE to realign yourself with others, PRAY to realign yourself with God, and FAST to realign yourself with self. Sundays are not included in the 40-day Lenten period. Each Sunday is a re-enactment of the resurrection!
TODAY
9:00AM All Saints Choir warm-up.
10:00AM + LENTEN SEASON WORSHIP + (in person and online)
11:30AM 92nd ANNUAL MEETING OF ST. PETER’S. (in person and online)
We will officially approve our 2023 Budget, elect Church Council, etc. We will need 50 adult “confirmed, communing, contributing” members of the Congregation to officially meet.
(Alternate date: next Sunday after worship)
ThiS week At st. peTer’s
Three more days… BLACK HISTORY MONTH. Discover. Celebrate. Commit to the future.
Monday, 4:00PM Property Committee meeting (in person).
Wednesday… Women’s History Month. Who are some of the “sheroes” you are grateful for? Wednesday, 10:00AM Diane Hughes, volunteer office administration.
Wednesday, 10:00AM Senior Ministry “Bible Study”.
Wednesday 11:00AM Whole Foods fresh produce distribution.
Thursday, 7:30PM AL-ANON PROGRAM. Find encouragement to end your own codependence!
Friday… WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
Friday, 8:00AM Senior Food Box distribution.
Friday, 6:30PM Girl Scouts.
Saturday, 11AM Baptism Class with Pastor Gwen.
May we each live fully in the time and place where God has called us.
- important questions during Lent:
- Do you believe that God loves you?
- Do you believe that you are a sinner?
- Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins?
- Will you now trust Jesus as your Savior and Lord?
Join in our new life together which is being shaped by the good news
of Jesus Christ crucified and now risen among us! Speak to our Pastors
about Holy Baptism, affirming your Baptism vows, or joining St. Peter’s.
What’s Happening…
March 5… SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. Hybrid Worship in person and online at 10:00AM.
Communion Assistants meeting after worship. (Alternate date for Annual Meeting)
March 11… Eastern Star training event in Rhoda Hall, 10:00AM.
March 12… THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT. Hybrid Worship in person and online at 10:00AM.
HOLY BAPTISM!
March 13… Church Council meeting, 7:00PM.
March 14… Area Girl Scout leaders in Rhoda Hall, 7:00PM.
April 2… PalM Sunday / Sunday of the Passion. HOLY WEEK…
April 6… Maundy Thursday. Hybrid Worship in person + online at 7:00PM.
April 7… Good Friday. Hybrid Worship in person + online at 7:00PM.
April 9… EASTER SUNDAY RESURRECTION !
May 13… Mother’s Day “Pop-Up Shop” fundraising event, 1:00 – 5:00PM. Vendors contact Elaine Jones.
Giving in 2023.
You are invited to give an additional offering to:
- Lutheran World Relief (“Earthquake” in the memo line for urgently needed support and care);
- our quarterly Mission (We neglected to pick a cause at the Council meeting and will announce in the future… last year we divided the total received between Covenant House and No More Secrets);
- LENT (Many of our Church family have expressed additional gratitude for God’s amazing grace through the discipline of additional giving toward God’s work that happens at and through St. Peter’s Lutheran Church.)
And here is some good news – Our printed and numbered boxes of 2023 Offering Envelopes have finally arrived (after COVID-19 supply route delays and lack of seasonal workers to do the printing). Ask for your box.
Or, if you haven’t in past years, start the discipline of weekly offerings. God is not impressed nor pleased when we try to act religious – pretending to care, pretending to share – without actually being very faithful. Giving little or nothing often expresses little gratitude and shows no loyalty to Christ. You can’t fake love and connection, concern and compassion when it comes to God. It must be genuine.
LOVE, NOT HATE. PEACE, NOT VIOLENCE.
MERCY, NOT GREED. JUSTICE, NOT ABUSE.