Father Terry's Mediations and Articles "Keep Calm and Carry On" "Be Mindful of Other Epidemics" "Allow your Hearts and Homes to be a Temple of God" "Prepare a Place for a Sacred Space" "Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!" "Patience is a Virtue" "St. Patrick Day -- Every Day" The Prayer of St. Patrick "We're Back (Sort of. . .)! "And We Begin Again. . ." "Stimulus Giving"

Celebration of the Life & Life everlasting of Henry L. Boyd, Sr.

GIVING ONLINE Pledges and Donations Debit or Credit Card Giving We are excited to offer online payments for offerings through Tithely. Click on the secure link for pledges, discretionary fund, Memorials/Honorariums, and Altar Flower offerings. You may also give general donations. It will open up a secure checkout page on Tithely. Enter the amount of your offering and choose the fund from the drop-down menu. Enter your first & last names, your email address and credit card information. There is also a MEMO line for any additional information such as a name for a memorial offering. A confirmation email receipt will be sent to you confirming your payment. Please note that there will be a 3.5% charge to St. Philip for the use of this service. You may elect to pay this fee. CLICK HERE TO GIVE BECOME A VOLUNTEER Volunteer is defined as a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task. There is something more to becoming a person who freely gives time and effort to the work of Christ at St. Philip. The feeling of the heart (sometimes called the reason of the heart) is the foundation of being a volunteer in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is our challenge to respond to that feeling. Yes, it is our faith that brings us to give our actions freely. HOW YOU CAN HELP The most important thing you can do is to PRAY ! This is a simple act that will make our ministries grow in the parish. When we pray, the Lord hears us. We need workers who will spend the time in the various ministries at St. Philip. If there is something you want to do, speak to a Vestry member or Ft. Terry. The still small voice of the Lord calls you from your prayers. How will you respond? As you pray, be aware that the Lord may call you into a leadership position. It is a simple matter that sometimes you can go beyond your comfort level. Many times, leadership is not sought out, it just happens. Leadership results from of a prayerful harmony of events. Be open to hear a call that rises from your prayers. Read More >> WE NEED YOUR HELP The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” ( Matthew 9:35-38)

Altar Guild Have you ever wondered how the Altar is prepared for Communion? Who is responsible? The Altar Guild, who is made up of members from St. Philip, work regularly to ensure proper protocol is presented for all services. The Altar Guild is a wonderful, rewarding ministry and we're ALWAYS looking for new people. The only requirement is that you be a confirmed member of the church. You are not expected to work alone. A seasoned member of this ministry will always be working beside you. If you're interested, please contact the church office by email: office@stphilipmemphis.org .

Episcopal Church Lectionary with Scripture Links If you want to study the four scriptures readings (Old Testament, Psalms, Epistle, & Gospel) for any Sunday or Holy Holiday, you are invited to check out the Episcopal Church Lectionary site. It is in calendar form. For each Sunday or Major Holy Holiday, there are links to the biblical verses. These "lessons" can be downloaded in a MS Word document format. Planning Ahead? Use these calendars 2021 Liturgical Calendar 2022 Liturgical Calendar Reverse Lectionary NEW Resource: RCL Daily Reading s

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To the memory of the Lord's servant, Charles Wilburn Funeral Service -- Audio Funeral Service -- Video

Feel-Good Giving 2 Corinthians 9:5; 7: So I (Paul) thought it was necessary to urge these brothers and sisters to go to you ahead of me and get ready in advance the gift you promised to make. Then will it be ready when I arrive, and will show that you give because you want to, not because you to have to. . . You should each give, then, as you have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly. . . A few years ago, a Christian denomination did a study concerning stewardship. The study included various realms of giving, which included the offering of money, time, and talents. What the study concluded was that the people felt a sense of guilt with what they were giving. So contrary to a popular stewardship theme among many congregations, “Give until it hurts”, the real pain was because people felt, as individuals, they could do more, a lot more, than what they were doing. In terms of donations, let us consider “Feel-Good Giving” -- Giving until it feels good! Stewardship is a time of spiritual self-reflection. It is when we take a moment to prayerfully reflect on our commitment to God in terms of sharing our time, talents, and money. As we take this spiritual inventory of ourselves, we need to prayerfully consider what to donate. After all, it is a spiritual promise to our Lord. In this vow, let us look upon stewardship with joy. After all, it is true thanks to God. Donations of our time, talents, and money should be “Feel-Good Giving”.

At St. Philip, We Pray Together. . . Play Together. . . Work Together. . . To Enjoy and Further the Kingdom of God!

The History of St. Philip - Davieshire The Rt. Rev. W. Fred Gates, Jr., Suffragan Bishop of Tennessee, presided at the first service of St. Philip Church on Sunday afternoon, December 8, 1974, at the J. B. Griffin Memorial Chapel in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Brunswick, Tn. Three weeks later, December 29, 1974, Mrs. Ellen Davies Rodgers donated ten (10) acres for a church to be built on land that was a part of Davies Plantation. On January 24, 1976, St. Philip Episcopal Church was accepted as an Organized Mission at the 144th Convention of the Diocese of Tennessee. “Miss Ellen”, as she was affectionately known, would later give more land and most of the means for the construction of the church building. The late Rev. H. Gordon Bernard became Vicar of St. Philip in July,1980. Ground was broken for the new church that same year on September 14, with more than 300 people attending on an afternoon when the temperature soared to 103 degrees. Both Bishop William E. Sanders and Suffragan Bishop Gates took part in the consecration service for the new church on Sunday, November 1, 1981, (All Saints’ Day). St. Philip became the first congregation admitted to parish status in the newly created Diocese of West Tennessee on January 20, 1984, under the Rt. Rev. Alex D. Dickson. Fr. Bernard served as Rector until his retirement in July of 1988. The Rev. John Sterling came to St. Philip in the fall of that same year and served until his retirement in April of 1994. On April 25, 1994, the Rev. Joseph N. Davis began his duties as the third Rector of St. Philip. After thirteen years, in June, 2007, Fr. Davis left to accept a call to the Church of the Resurrection in Franklin, Tennessee. In August, 2008, the Search Committee and Vestry of St. Philip concluded their nationally advertised search for its’ fourth Rector when they called Fr. Terry Street. Fr. Terry came to us from St. John’s Episcopal Church and Barth House. It was with a unanimous vote by the Search Committee and a separate unanimous vote by the full Vestry that Fr. Terry was called. Fr. Terry began his ministry at St. Philip on Sunday, September 21st, 2008 with formal installation to follow on November 20th. St. Philip has grown from "six warm souls" in a cemetery chapel to a busy parish of approximately 200 members. St. Philip has many lay ministries, including an energetic Men's Club, an active women's organization which meets monthly and is very involved in several outreach programs. In 2007, St. Philip became the new home of the Good Shepherd Center for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, which serves the entire diocese. We have a vital Christian education program for children, adults, and nursery. We have a modern "state of the art" playground. While intentionally remaining a traditional parish, we seek to proclaim the good news of Christ to all people in our community. At the ground breaking ceremony in 1980, Miss Ellen said of the land that she had given for the church, "Many types of rewarding crops have been planted on this good land for more than a century by my family. Today we plant the Cross and by the grace of faith, pray for an abundant harvest. As we attempt to build upon the faithful deeds of those who have gone before us, may we serve our Lord so that his harvest may always increase."

Flower Guild In addition to regular Sunday services, the Flower Guild takes care of ordering and placing the Easter lilies and Christmas poinsettias at St. Philip. We also handle the flowers for any special occasions such as a reception for the Bishop, the new Confirmands, etc. We welcome anyone who is interested to team with us. If you would like to serve in this ministry, please email the church office: office@stphilipmemphis.org .

Worship Lay Ministries During times of Worship, there are several lay participates who actively contribute to our Holy experience. These people are Parish members and their ministry actions represent the worship community with Holy participation. If you are interested in serving the ministry of the church in any one of these capacities, please contact the Church Office: office@stphilipmemphis.org . Acolytes An important ministry for our youth and adults is to serve as Acolytes. The word “acolyte” means “helper”. With the Acolytes’ responsibilities, they perform valuable services in helping those in charge of the Worship. At the beginning of the service, they are lighters of the candles and extinguishers of the flame at the end. During the processional, they may carry candles (torch bearers), banners, or the cross (crucifers) as the ministers and choir enter or exit the church. The Acolytes assist with the Gospel Procession when it is read from the center of the church. They also help with receiving the offerings from the congregation and assist the priest with his or her duties at the Altar. St. Philip welcomes worshipers who want to become a part of this vital ministry. Training is scheduled at convenient times for participants. Ushers Parish ushers are persons who help ensure a smoothly running church service and who ministers to people in a variety of practical ways. Their duties include greeting people as they arrive for the service, assisting people with special needs, collecting the offering. St. Philip provides a pocket tag that easily identifies our ushers. As the worshipers arrive, the ushers will act as doorkeepers, greeting each person with a smile, shaking hands, and handing out bulletins. They are also available to answer visitors’ questions and extend extra help in seating those who need the assistance. They are ready to assist anyone in the congregation who might need help, to aid latecomers in finding a seat, and to inform those in the sanctuary of any urgent matters. The ushers will always present first-time visitors with a welcome gift bag. As a part of the liturgy, the ushers are responsible for taking up the church offering and then walk back toward the alter during a hymn of praise. They hand the plates to the Verger who then presents it to the Rector who blesses the tithes and offerings. Also, they count the number of worshipers so the Rector will know the amount of bread and wine to prepare for the Eucharist. After the service, ushers will again be at the door to greet the congregation as they leave and provide assistance as needed. The ushers will then make sure that the sanctuary is tidy, the thermostat is adjusted, and the lights are shut off. The heart of an usher is that of a servant, and he/she does this work for his Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:24 ). The church usher has a true love for the people of the Parish and a desire to promote an atmosphere of reverence and worship in the house of the Lord. . Verger Ministry The term verger usually refers to a member of an Anglican Church who takes on the extra duties of planning the details of services, participating in religious processions, and can substitute for any worship role except Priest or Deacon. The word verger comes from the ceremonial staff or rod that the verger carries during these processions — in Old French, a verge is a "twig, branch, or wand of office." Vergers serve the church in a ministry of welcome. Often a visitor to a new parish church will see the verger in a simple black cassock moving about the church before the worship service, checking fonts, candles, and in general prepping the church for solemn worship. The verger is usually the first person a visitor meets and cheerfully responds to any inquiry concerning the upcoming service, church facilities or current program offerings. Logistically, a verger’s support allows the clergy more time for pastoral and sacramental responsibilities. Many of the other typical verger duties include assigning, training and checking in lectors, chalice bearers, acolytes and prayer intercessors. The verger coordinates with the altar guild and funeral guilds, checks lighting, and the Priest’s vestments and liturgical hangings. Above all, he/she works behind the scenes making sure that everything runs smoothly during the liturgy. All of the Verger's duties are specific to the church in which he/she serve and can evolve through many years under the direction of the rector. Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEM) Lay Eucharistic Ministers are licensed by the bishop to administer the consecrated elements of the eucharist. Lay eucharistic ministers may be licensed to administer the consecrated bread and wine at any celebration of the eucharist in the absence of a sufficient number of priests and deacons to assist the celebrant. They may also be licensed to go from a Sunday eucharist or other principal celebrations of the eucharist to share the sacrament with members of the congregation who were unable to be present at the celebration because of illness or infirmity. Lay eucharistic ministers may be licensed for either or both ministries. This ministry is understood to be an extraordinary ministry, and is not to take the place of the ministry of priests and deacons concerning the administration of the eucharist. Lay Readers The Lay Reader volunteers to read the Scripture Lessons during worship services. The Book of Common Prayer directs that laypeople should read the lessons preceding the Gospel. The readers at St. Philip are provided a printed copy of Lessons well in advance so they may practice their reading. All scripture readings are derived from the Episcopal Church Lectionary . Oblation Bearers Oblation Bearers are responsible for processing the oblations (the bread and wine to be offered for consecration) to the altar during the Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion). They also represent the entire congregation in which we offer our lives to God as a “reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice.” Offering Counters The Offering Counters count the Sunday and special service offerings and prepare the receipts for bank deposit. They document the giving for the finance secretary who then enters the information in the church finance database, preparing a record for each giver.