Claiming the biblical story as our own and employing the richness of the Anglican tradition as a guide to living what we believe, St. Philip’s life and ministry focus on four dynamic priorities. They are Worship, Christian Formation, Pastoral Care and Outreach. It is in and through these four principles of Christian life and ministry that we seek to know and do God’s will.
1. Worship
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We understand the purpose of worship to be a “reality test.” We take the words of Jesus seriously when he says that whenever two or three gather in his Name, that the Risen One is in our midst. In worship, this means that our primary task is to make room for the Lord’s presence and then take note with our hearts and minds what is life on God’s terms.
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Consequently, St. Philip’s is a Eucharistically centered church. That is, we celebrate Holy Communion each Sunday as the center of our lives. We know that the will of God is Communion, and we also know that the important response to this gift is to say “thank you” and to live outwardly in gratitude. Our goal in worship is to live more nearly as we pray.
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2. Christian Formation
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We seek consciously to be formed as individuals and as a community in the image of Jesus as the embodiment of what God calls each of us to be. Together we learn in thoughtful study and interaction and we work to be more aware of what God-in-Christ has given to us and what difference this gift makes. Some of the practical ways we do this are through the Sunday 9 a.m. Scripture Study, and the Wednesday evening Lenten and Advent Study groups.
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3. Pastoral Care
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One aspect of being God’s people and members of Christ’s Body is about taking care of one another. We were not made to be alone. As members of the community we look after one another, doing the simplest things: knowing one another by name, sharing meals and friendship, visiting those who are unable to come to church, and offering a helping hand. When we face those large threshold events of life, such as births, deaths, and serious illness, we face these as family. We belong together and we care about this fact.
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4. Outreach
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An authentic measure of our faithful response to the gift of God-in-Christ is to share the gift with those beyond ourselves. Outreach ministry at St. Philip’s takes many forms as we thankfully share our gifts.