September Spire

Photos from Guatemala trip; premiere of Faith Matters; and start of Church School

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In This Issue September 2014

Reflections from Guatemala Trip
Start of "Faith Matters"
Church School Begins September 21
New Online Courses

Reflections from Guatemala

A group from St. Peter's recently returned from a week-long adventure in Guatemala, where they spent time with the children at The Canterbury School in Guatemala City. St. Peter's Church has a long-standing partnership with this school, which enrolls students from preschool through sixth grade, many of whom could not afford to attend without our support. Each year we send a group to the school to continue our friendship with the children and teachers and to complete a project to improve the school. (Click on the photo to view more photographs on our Facebook page.)

Below are reflections from a few of those who traveled to Guatemala:

"My personal experience has been one of the most gratifying ones in a long time. The Canterbury children, teachers and staff were very grateful during our visit. The kids and the youth from our group were able to break the language barrier and participate in a wonderful exchange of activities and most importantly love." - Danny Alvarado

"At the Canterbury School, one of my most memorable experiences was reading storybooks to the first graders. There were some in English and I pointed out all of the unfamiliar words and explained them to the children." - Christina Gummere

"The kids in our party and some of the adults went out on the playing fields to join in the spontaneous football games going on. A kaleidoscopic scene of running kids, speeding balls, shouting, laughter, fun." - The Rev. Richard L. Ullman

"50 Minutes" Becomes "Faith Matters"

By Jay Newlin

At our meeting this spring, the Adult Education Committee discussed the "50 Minutes" program and heard from members of St. Peter’s that the time had probably come to consider a new name. (The program was originally named after the once-popular television news show "60 Minutes.") After a bit of discussion, we embraced the new name “Faith Matters.” It will continue to occupy 50 of the minutes between the two services (10:00-10:50) on Sunday mornings, and the program will vary with the seasons, bringing a wide variety of topics, discussions, and speakers. It will continue to be vibrant, thriving, and relevant to many members of St. Peter's and our community.

Our first session of "Faith Matters" will be Sunday, September 21, when Rev. Laughlin will lead us in a discussion about POWER (Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower and Rebuild), of which St. Peter’s Church is a member congregation. Click here for more information. We hope that you will join us throughout the year for the forums that interest you the most. “Faith Matters” — for all adults!

Children & Youth This Fall

By Rev. Claire Nevin-Field

This year, church school for grades 1-6 will follow a new, comprehensive three-year Episcopal curriculum called Weaving God's Promises Special emphasis is placed on the spiritual formation of children, growth in Christ’s love and mercy, and teaching them the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation. Click here to learn more about this new curriculum. Church school will be held in the first floor classroom at St. Peter's School from 10-10:50 a.m. each Sunday. To register your child for church school, contact Kate Randall at randall@stpetersphila.org or 215-925-5968.

Other opportunities for children and youth

Godly Play (ages 3 to Kindergarten): Godly Play is a Montessori-based approach to church school in which children hear the great stories of faith and enter into them through play. Led by our own Montessori teacher Sue Mooney and assisted by Kim Dudkin, this group meets in St. Peter’s School adjacent to the nursery.
SPPIT+: St. Peter’s Parents of Infants and Toddlers is planning events for this fall. Watch for announcements in the October Spire!
Youth Group: St. Peter’s Youth Group is relaunching this fall with Dale MacClendon and Cecilia Wagner as co-leaders. Youth grades 6-12 will meet for fun, fellowship, service projects and to discuss issues facing students and how God is at work in our day-to-day lives. Join us for a meeting on Sunday, September 21 to help us make plans for the coming year. For more information, contact Claire at nevin-field@stpetersphila.org.

New ChurchNext Courses Available Online

By Rev. Claire Nevin-Field

Two online courses are now available. They are:

Handling the Work-Life Balance

In this increasingly stressful world we are constantly asked to do more with less, leading to more stress and less relief. It's no wonder that so many of us have gotten out of balance. However, there's a way to tip the scale back. There is a balance that can be struck, and Dr. David Gray has much to say about that. Dr. Gray is the Director of the Workforce and Family program at the New America Foundation and has done extensive research and writing on the subject.

The Gospel of Matthew with Dr. Katy Valentine

St. Matthew's gospel is one of the most popular books in the world, but what was Matthew trying to say, and how does it differ from the other Gospel writers? Bible scholar Katy Valentine gives us a dynamic overview.

To register for either of these 45-minute self-paced online classes, visit our website or contact Claire at nevin-field@stpetersphila.org.

What's Going On

Blessing of the Animals

Celebrate the Feast of St. Francis with the Blessing of the Animals. Bring your dog, cat, or other non-human companion to receive a blessing during either service on Sunday, October 5.

Fringe Festival at St. Peter's

St. Peter's churchyard will be the setting for a performance in this year's Fringe Festival. The 34th Street Poets will perform at 6 p.m. Saturday, September 6. Explore the big questions of life, death, and beyond through words of immortal bards and award-winning (and still-living) poets. Click here to purchase tickets.

Upcoming Events

Parish Picnic:
6-8 p.m. Thursday, September 4
Join us for an end of the summer cookout! Please bring a dessert or side to share.

POWER Meeting:
7-9 p.m. Thursday, September 4

Knitting Group:
5-7 p.m. Tuesday, September 9

TNT Pizza Party:
6:30-9 p.m. Wednesday, September 10

Churchyard Gardeners:
10 a.m.- Noon Saturday, September 13

Welcome Back Picnic:
12:30-1:30 p.m. Sunday, September 14
Join us in the churchyard for our annual Welcome Back Picnic. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share.

Sages:
12:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 17
Guest speaker will be Mike Harris, director of the South Street Headhouse District

Faith Matters:
10 a.m. Sunday, September 21
Discussion about the work of POWER (Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower and Rebuild)

St. Peter's Youth Group:
12:30 p.m. Sunday, September 21
For young people grades 6-12. Let's plan for the upcoming year!

Faith Matters:
10 a.m. Sunday, September 28
The Ministry of Deacons with guest speaker the Ven. Pamela Nesbit, an Archdeacon of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania

Click here to view all the events in the month of September.

Choirs Begin Rehearsal

The time of singing has come! Rehearsals for boys, girls, and adults begin the second week of September. We are pleased to welcome new adults as well as child members to our ranks. Now is a great time to join. Contact Peter Hopkins for more information.

All-Parish Gathering October 19

On this Sunday, we will worship together in the church at 10 a.m. There will be a children's service at 10:15 a.m. in the school auditorium. Services will be immediately followed by an all-parish gathering and lunch in the school auditorium.

Announcements

Choir Invited to St. Paul's Cathedral

Your St. Peter’s Choir has been invited to serve as choir–in–residence at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, in August 2016. Our choristers will take the place of the St. Paul’s Choir that week, singing daily Choral Evensong services as well as Choral Matins, Eucharist, and Evensong on Sunday. Very few American choirs are invited to spend a week at St. Paul’s; this is quite an honor for us!

Walking Choristers

We’re are looking for more folks to walk our choristers to rehearsal on Wednesday and Friday afternoons from McCall and Meredith Schools. It doesn’t take very long and you get to spend some time with our young choristers. If interested, please e-mail Kate in the parish office.

Looking for Church School Teacher

St. Peter's is looking for a church school teacher to teach grades 1-6 on Sunday mornings from 10-10:50 a.m. using the Weaving God's Promises curriculum. In addition to time teaching, compensation will include 1 1/2 hours of prep time per week. Passion for children's Christian formation and experience teaching children necessary. Please send all resumes/inquiries to the Rev. Claire Nevin-Field, 313 Pine St. Philadelphia PA 19106 or nevin-field@stpetersphila.org.

Welcome to Christine Neville

Christine Neville, our Servant Year Member, began work at St. Peter's in August. Christine is a graduate of Dickinson College with a particular interest in nutrition and a passion for food justice. At St. Peter's, Christine will be responsible for managing the Food Cupboard, investigating and possibly initiating a Mobile Food Cupboard, and partnering with other churches and institutions seeking to begin feeding programs.

Servant Year is an ongoing program of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, composed of passionate, faithful college graduates who complete 1,700 hours of community service in churches and social service agencies around Philadelphia.

Thank You and Godspeed!

August 31 was the last day for Mike Master at St. Peter’s Food Cupboard. For the last six months Mike has faithfully, skillfully, and joyfully managed our food cupboard. We are grateful for his work and time among us and wish him every blessing going forward.

Are You a Ringer?

St. Peter’s has a small set of handbells, and we would like to start a handbell choir. This group won’t have a huge time commitment, probably just one rehearsal monthly and playing four or five Sundays between now and June. If you have ever played handbells before and might be interested in taking this up again, please contact Peter Hopkins for more information.

Thank You

Madeleine Champion for joining the altar guild ministry.
Ray Mohr for joining the usher crew at the 9 a.m. service.
Nancy Fago for taking care of our Jesus doll.
Leslie Potter for taking the initiative to organize a cleanup before the Bishop's visit. She ably headed of a team of gardeners including Gina Caruso, John Wasilchick, Christine Magne, Connie Moore, Anne Eiswerth, and Elaine Markezin.
All who helped with the churchyard concerts: Vincent and Elizabeth DiPentinto, Kevin Chu, Phillip Bennett, Cordelia Biddle, Gail Hauptfuhrer, Stacey Auerweck, Christy Santos, Shaun Banta, Jake Digel, Terese Zecardi, Dale McClendon, Ginger Sacha, Ray Mohr, Gracie Killman, Nora Adelmann, and Steve Zettler.

Welcome

We welcome recent visitors to St. Peter's:
Francesca Kotey, Emma Staatz, Barbara Lonnquest, Emma Brown & Christian Rivera, Nicki DeKunchak & Rich Lauletta, Wayne Moyer & Ilaina Spinelli, Greg Hastings, Rob & Caroline Brown, Lynne Kolodinsky, Amelia Diaz, Kyle Reese, Frank & Maria Cartwright

Births

We welcomed many babies this summer!

Ellis Dingfield, born on June 25
David John Bulat, born on July 20
Colin Wagner Woodward, born on July 20
Preston Arthur Dunne, born on August 6

Congratulations

James Shannon and Don Hartz celebrated the Witness and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant on August 2.

Birthdays

Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays in September:
1 - Rufus Abbott
7 - Duncan Spencer
8 - Bob Wright
8 - Alice Duffy
11 - Hal Kellogg
13 - Helen Grabias
14 - Torben Hsu
15 - Alessandra Weber
17 - Laura Grabias
20 - Sarah Laughlin
20 - Addison Urbanchuk
27 - Marilyn MacGregor
27 - Isabelle deWyngaert
28 - Joya Nath
30 - Grayson Wade

St. Peter's is a church on a mission: To know the transforming power of God's love and to make God's love known to others.

Copyright © 2014 St. Peter's Church, All rights reserved.

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