Announcements

ONLINE 10:30 AM Worship Services on Church Website/YouTube/Facebook/Zoom
St. Philip’s Church, will livestream the 10:30 AM worship service on our Website, Facebook page and YouTube page and now back on zoom. (Starting December 4^th) Members can now return back to zoom for worship and will have an opportunity to fellowship virtually after the service.

Indoor Worship Suspended
Given the projected increase due to the Thanksgiving holiday and the lag in infection symptoms and reporting time, The Diocese of Maryland have made the difficult decision, to suspend all indoor worship through January 1, 2021.

2021 Pledge Cards
On behalf of everyone on the Stewardship committee, we want to extend a huge “Thank You,” to our church members and friends who turned in their 2021 pledge cards. We are truly grateful for your commitment and dedication towards the ministry here at St. Philip’s Church. Each week until January 24, 2021, we will add your names to our bulletin, to acknowledge that we have received your pledge cards and to also show our appreciation. Again, thank you for devotion towards our goal to have 100% of our church family pledging. “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (Hebrews 13:16) (2021 Pledge Card is inside of the bulletin)

ECW Phone Visitation has begun!
Members of ECW and the Men’s Club will maintain a connection with church members by phone during the time of the pandemic when most members have very limited physical contact. Church members will receive a friendly call just to say hello and to stay connected once every 6 weeks.

Prayer & Bible Study
Tuesday Bible Study on zoom at Noon-1pm and 6pm-7pm.
Bible Study will be led by Fr. Callender and/or Deacon Corby.
Tuesday Bible Study at Noon & 6:00 PM
December 1, 2020: Luke 8:1-15 & Matthew 25:1-13 “Parables”
Video: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4345492848 (copy and paste link)
Call in: 929-205-6099
Meeting ID: 434-549-2848#

Advent Series: Journey the Way of Love
This Advent zoom-series will be offered in three parts and facilitated by Mary Kelly. Starting on Wednesday, December 2, Advent 1 will be offered at Noon-1pm and 6pm-7pm. A combination of Advent 2 and 3 will be offered on December 9 at noon-1pm and 6pm-7pm. Advent 4 will be offered on zoom on December 16 at noon-1 and 6pm-7pm.

This Advent time together will be based on The Way of Love: Practices for Jesus-Centered Life 

Advent curriculum, with an emphasis on ways to expand our heartfelt love of Jesus, in this time of COVID. Keeping our hands in the hands of God through a variety of spiritual practices. We will touch on the contemplative prayer dimension of Centering prayer as a way to ground our life in Christ, as well as, looking into a daily devotion to God through a personalized “Rule of Life” and the possibilities of what that might look like. A brief introduction into iconography described as “theology in line and color” will be included if there is any interest in that. We will be breaking open the Word together and praying with the first two chapters of Luke. This will be a sacred reading of the text approach ~ looking with the eyes of our hearts to uncover what God has to give each of us during this Advent season with an emphasis on sharing our stories of grace right now, in this moment of time.

If you think you would like to “Try on” some new spiritual practices, and say “Yes” to this journey of love please contact Fr. Callender and Mary will send out a packet containing all the written materials you will need for this gift God has especially prepared for you to receive during this  joyous season of the year.

Pre-Recorded Christmas Eve & Lessons and Carols Services
Due to COVID-19 and not having the opportunity to gather in large groups, our Christmas Eve & Lessons & Carols Services will be pre-recorded and live-streamed on our Church Website, Facebook and YouTube page. The Christmas Eve service will be on Thursday, December 24th Time: TBD & The Lessons and Carols service will be on Sunday, December 27th at 10:30 AM. (All members and friends will be asked to stay at home and watch both services)

New DOV Intern September 27-February 7
St. Philip’s Church welcomes our new DOV Intern, Mary Kelly from St. Martin’s in the Field.

Executive Assistant to the Rector
Let us welcome our new Executive Assistant to the Rector, Mojoyin Opeaiye to St. Philip’s Church. Mojoyin started on October 19th.

New Media Ministry
Let us welcome our new Live-streaming Technician, Myava Mitchell to St. Philip’s Church.
Myava began her ministry on Sunday, October 25th at the 10:30 AM service.

Call for Volunteers for Weeding in Conservation Garden
We all love the way the Conservation Garden looks with the major weeding done and new native plants added. In many ways, the planting is the easy part. From now until winter, St. Philip’s needs to weed the garden on a bi-weekly basis, then resume a similar schedule in the spring to keep weeds at bay and help our native plants flourish. If you like to garden, don’t mind working on a slope, and are willing to do weeding for one to two hours on a weekday with a small group of us, please contact Ann O’Malley, [email protected] or via phone, 443-995-1214. And, thank you to all of our members for your continued support in our efforts to help the environment, while beautifying our church property.

Kindred Coaches
2020 is a year that will never be forgotten. Our community is suffering from two pandemics: COVID-19 and a nationwide awareness of racial injustice. These crises are taking a significant toll on our community physically, mentally, and spiritually. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of the Diocese of Maryland in collaboration with the Union of Black Episcopalians and Memorial Episcopal Church are launching a new ministry called Kindred Coaches. Kindred Coaches™ will encourage Courageous Conversations on an individual level and in group activities. The goals of this ministry are to address health inequities and healthcare disparities within communities of color within the Diocese of Maryland, primarily in Baltimore and surrounding areas. In conjunction with Wellcoaches®, Inc., we are offering a 12-session training to become a Kindred Coach. This training will be provided over a six-week period (two 90-minute sessions per week) at no cost. After completion of the training, you will be registered with Kindred Coaches™ to actively work voluntarily with communities within the diocese. Contact us through our website at www.kindredcoaches.com or at [email protected]

Washington National Cathedral Coffee Hour
Every Sunday at 1:20 PM Episcopalians from around the world gather together for a virtual Congregation Coffee Hour. Make sure you have your coffee and tea mugs ready to make a toast to Jesus and to one another! You can register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYudOurrj8qH92g_R0B2a3c7TglP6ozFD0l.

Resources for Young Children:
Teaching Strategies has recently launched the Healthy at Home https://healthyathome.readyrosie.com/ family toolkit. The toolkit represents a comprehensive approach to provide educators and families with free resources to navigate school and program closures. Healthy at Home also provides a direct place for every family to access relevant, accurate, and easy to implement activities that meet the needs of diverse leaners. The Healthy at Home resources were designed by medical, mental health, and early childhood experts to provide support for families and schools.

ANNE ARUNDEL CONNECTING TOGETHER VIDEO
St. Philip’s is a member organization of ACT, which helped launch the Feed Anne Arundel program in late March as a response to COVID-19.  Below is a link to a video of the program in action at Tyler Heights Elementary School in Annapolis.

Feed Anne Arundel has been giving away nutritious meals to people in need, helping restaurants stay afloat, and enabling employees to be paid. As a result, through donations, the program has pumped more than $100,000 into AACo’s economy. The distribution lasts until the restaurant meals and other donated groceries run out.  Then cars are turned away.

Link here: https://vimeo.com/418355731/2861c3b8b4

Over the past couple months, ACT also has met via ZOOM with Annapolis and County officials regarding the equity gap relative to e-learning, food security, unemployment and other challenges now and ahead.  Several new teams are forming to tackle issues together with residents in communities also via ZOOM. If you would like to help with food distribution at the weekly drive-thru or donate to the program, you can click on this link: https://www.actiaf.org/feed-anne-arundel

ACT INVITING VOLUNTEERS FOR “new normal” TEAMS
Throughout COVID-19, Anne Arundel Connecting Together has continued to research, meet with people in communities, and with elected officials of Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, and Maryland.  ACT has continued to make progress toward improvement of lives.  All via ZOOM!  St. Philip’s is an ACT member organization.  Below are new opportunities to work with members of other faiths and civic organizations around the county through ACT.  Please e-mail contacts below to get more information and/or join a team.

• Housing: Continuing eviction prevention. Contact Toni Strong-Pratt (First Christian) at [email protected]
• Behavioral and Mental Health: Psychological First Responders. Contact Dr. Caren Carney (Joy Reigns) [email protected]
• Food Security to Food Sovereignty: Farmers Markets; Organizing farmers, co-ops, and supply chains, and Community gardens. Contact Monica Alvarado (Bread & Butter Kitchen) [email protected].
• Education and housing. Exploring the relationship between school capacity, historic racism, and affordable housing. Contact Karen Neale (St. Philip’s) at [email protected].
• Education and food: Who is not getting food due to restrictions on who can pick up school lunches. Contact Julie Carlson (First Presbyterian) at [email protected].
• Gun Violence & Criminal Justice. Contact Linda Mundy (Unitarian Universalist) at [email protected].
• Re-purposing our sacred spaces & land in light of the pandemic. Contact Rev. Dr. Carletta Allen (Asbury UMC) at [email protected].
• Responding to the lifting of the stay-at-home order. Developing a collective response and leadership. Contact Rev. Tim Stern (Ark and Dove) at [email protected].
• Closing the digital divide. Figuring out how to get digital access into communities that most need it and the power analysis behind that. Contact Erin Snell (Unitarian Universalist) at [email protected]
• Training: Core Teams. Contact Rev. Ryan Sirmons, [email protected], to set up core team training with your institutions.
• Fundraising. Build our organizing capacity for more power! Contact Julie Carlson (First Presbyterian) at [email protected].

Stress and Coping
Fear and anxiety about COVID-19 can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Taking care of yourself, your friends, and your family can help you cope with stress. Also, helping others cope with their stress can also make our community stronger. However, some of you may need one-on-one support to get through this pandemic. If you, or someone you care about, are feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression, or anxiety, please contact Fr. Callender ASAP and he will help you with connecting with a counselor.

Free Radio Yogi Zoom Yoga Class
Stephanie Gaines-Bryant will be leading her chair yoga classes online via Zoom.com. The classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 AM-10:30 AM and Saturdays at 8:30AM. It is a 30-minute class for senior citizens, anyone who has physical challenges, and for anyone who wants to keep moving. It is critical for our seniors to remain active during this time. Just 30 minutes twice a week will do wonders for your mental and physical well-being.

Tuesday Zoom Link

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/894338983?_ga=2.103034304.1167917774.1585660863-354439104.1584478241

Thursday Zoom Link

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/976449770?_ga=2.85495385.1167917774.1585660863-354439104.1584478241

Saturday Zoom Link

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89405502929

Outreach and Feeding Ministries:
For outreach programs, particularly feeding ministries, keep in mind that no more than 10 people should be gathered at one time. Volunteers packing meals should be kept to a minimum and perhaps a schedule worked out for pick-up and drop-off of food. Meals should not be served at our churches, but should all be “to-go.” Use your creativity and best judgment as you continue your outreach ministries with gatherings of fewer than 10 people and ask your vulnerable volunteers to stay home at this time. If you have questions, contact our canon for mission, the Rev. Chris McCloud at [email protected]

Diocese of Maryland Youth!
Join Kate Riley and your peers for games, check-ins, and prayers on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Noon-1:00 PM. Join the Online Youth Leadership Program on Tuesdays, 3:00 PM for Bible study, current events, leadership, games. Contact Kate Riley,

[email protected] to join these virtual gatherings.

“We must continue to move safely through this new stage and follow the instructions that our leaders are calling us to do as well: Wash your hands, isolate when needed, read the Bible, listen to soothing music, do not let the news build up your anxiety, and most importantly always pray.”