ThiS week At st. peTer’s | 5-14-23
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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6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER 05-14-2023
Christian friends, God’s heart is for you, God’s children. God sent the Savior to deliver you by love. God sent the Spirit to direct you in your loving. And God sends you as the embodiment of God’s love for others. Contrary to what the world offers, it is love that is the very power of life, it is the way that life triumphs over death, defeats sin’s power, and conquers our inner turmoil. If we are not loving, then we are not in a right relationship with God. We have a life’s journey to practice becoming more obedient, more authentic, and more effective in our loving and, in doing so, to discover the true meaning of our life, to really be alive.
TODAY
9:00AM All Saints Choir warm-up.
10:00AM + EASTER SEASON WORSHIP + (in person and online)
11:20AM All Saints Choir rehearsal.
MOTHER’S DAY. Today we celebrate mothers and mother figures, grandmothers and great grandmothers, daughters and sisters, young and old, and especially those who are in the Lord. In truth, this is a day that holds both joys and sorrows, expectations and longings, words spoken and much left unsaid. May we pray for those who have birthed us, who have nurtured us, who have pushed us and protected us, who have been tender and strong toward us, who have given us the love of God in our everyday lives, and who have prayed us up in good times and bad.
“Trudi’s Challenge”
During 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 try to designate such extra giving as “Trudi’s Challenge”. But it will blend with other general giving toward our 2023 Budget needs. Received last week: $155.00. Total since February 26: $1,537.00. Lord, let me steadily walk your path. Help me to give witness to your love through generous giving!
- PETER’S CHURCH COUNCIL (5/8): (1) approved 4/8/2023 Council Meeting corrected Minutes; (2) celebrated financial report that January – April 2023 Budget Income was $64,807.91, while Budget Expenses totaled $65,587.39; (3) continued discussion of updates to our congregation’s rental policy for weddings, funerals, organizations, private events; (4) received Pastors’ and Property Committee reports; (5) discussed Pentecost (cake and ice cream after worship), “Bear Creek Sunday” (lunch after worship), Summer Day Camp (too little time to prepare an effective program), and a building use request (more info needed).
Stay Easter green and growing.
ThiS week At st. peTer’s
Monday, 7:00PM Scholarship Committee meeting (on Zoom).
Wednesday, 10:30AM Senior Ministry “Games and Social Activity” in Rhoda Hall.
Thursday, 7:30PM AL-ANON PROGRAM. Find encouragement to end your own codependence!
Friday, 6:30PM Girl Scouts.
Saturday, 10:00AM Eastern Star training event in Rhoda Hall.
Saturday, 10:30 – 12:30PM Girl Scout event in Rhoda Hall.
Saturday, 7:00PM Cliveden-Wister Al-Anon Anniversary in Rhoda Hall. Happy Anniversary!
What’s Happening…
May 21… 7th SUNDAY OF EASTER. Praying that we may be ONE!
Hybrid Worship in person and online at 10:00AM.
May 25… The ASCENSION OF JESUS. 40 days after he rose from the dead, he disappeared into the heavens. What now?
May 28… DAY OF PENTECOST! A Spirit explosion of joy and power!
Hybrid worship in the Sanctuary at 10:00AM followed by cake and ice cream downstairs.
In the sanctuary or even at home, we invite you to wear bright red, yellow, and orange as we
celebrate the fire of the Holy Spirit that filled, fired, and poured out of those 120 believers.
Pastor Clesha Staten will be our preacher. Can we have 120 believers gathered?
June 3… Scholarship Committee “Po’ Folks Dinner and Designer Bag Bingo”. More info later.
June 3… St. Mark’s Lutheran, Broad & Chelten, is having a flea market + dinner sale, 10AM – 4PM.
June 11… BEAR CREEK CAMP SUNDAY. Come and meet some of the staff. Plan to attend a
week of Christian camp (completed grades 1-12) in the Pocono Mountains. Registration is
now open! Often our kids will choose Session 8 (August 6-11 this year).
July 11… Scholarship Committee “Bus Trip to Sight and Sound” in Lancaster. Contact Jerona Rice.
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… or give online 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. You are also invited to give to these other financial extensions of our love beyond St. Peter’s:
- Lutheran Charities Appeal (which supports KenCrest, Lutheran Settlement House, and
Gemma/Silver Springs – Martin Luther School, three local social ministry organizations, as
they serve over 30,000 of our neighbors with various needs.). Received in 2023: $397.
- our selected Mission for January 1 – June 30 of Covenant House, Philadelphia (which helps get
homeless young adults off the streets, into a job, and transitioned into independent living).
Received in 2023: $100.
- ELCA World Hunger Offering (which helps address the needs of an estimated 842 million people
in our world – all neighbors to us – who do not have enough food). Received in 2023: $761.
(Ever since COVID first hit, these three special offerings have suffered… folks have perhaps forgotten them.)
LOVE is the true call no matter what the world says.