St. Philip's e-News - October 17, 2018

Join us in Welcoming Bishop Reed 
Bishop David Reed will be at St. Philip's on Sunday, October 28th. The Bishop's visit is an important day in the life of the parish. The Bishop is a symbol of unity within the Church and a reminder that the Church is larger than the local parish.

Bishop Reed will celebrate the Holy Eucharist and preach at both services. He will also baptize, confirm, receive new members, as well as renew baptismal vows.

Our schedule that morning will be as follows:
8:00 a.m. - Holy Eucharist in the chapel;
9:00 a.m. - Breakfast and conversation with Bishop Reed; and 
10:30 a.m. - Holy Eucharist in the church. 

Individual Reaffirmation of Baptismal Vows
As part of Bishop Reed's visit on Sunday, October 28th there will be a general reaffirmation of Baptismal vows,  If you would like to receive an individual blessing from the Bishop as part of this reaffirmation please contact the church office. 

St. Philips's School Spooktacular
SPES invites the church families to attend the "Spooktacular" on Friday, October 26th.  There will be a parade, games and a costume contest. The games are free but they are asking for donations of a 1 pound bag of beans as an entry donation fee. Donations will be given to the Uvalde Food Pantry.

Do You Want to Go to Diocesan Council?
The annual meeting of the diocese will be February 21-23, 2018, in McAllen, Texas. It is an opportunity to participate in the work of the larger church, to learn what is happening in the diocese, to bring ideas and energy back to St. Philip's, to gather with old friends, and meet new friends.

The vestry will soon be electing parishioners to serve as St. Philip's delegation to Council. If you are interested in being considered for election please contact either Charlie Downing , Senior Warden, or Fr. Mike.

Looking Ahead - All Saints' Sunday

We will celebrate the Feast of All Saints on Sunday, November 4. As in past years we will pray the Litany of Saints before the opening hymn and during the liturgy we will read the names of our local saints, those who have gone before us but who in their earthly life loved, taught, nurtured and cared for us, and whom we still love and remember.

We will include the names of those from St. Philip's who have died in the past fifteen years. This is, however, just a starting place and is not intended as a limitation or exclusion of anyone. You may add anyone to the list, regardless of the date he or she died, and regardless of whether he or she was a member of St. Philip's. If there is someone you want named please check with Julie to insure the name is on our list. Please give names to Julie no later than Wednesday, October 31st. 

Renewal Works - Survey Success!

Thank you to all who took the time to participate in the Renewal Works survey. We had 84 surveys submitted which is 16 over the required number we needed to make this a valid representation. Thank you! 

Next Steps:

• The anonymous bulk data will be sent to St. Philip's.
• There will be a conference call with the team leaders, clergy and Renewal Works. 
• A larger team of about 24 will have four meetings to analyze the gathered data from the survey.  
• A report from the larger team will be submitted to the vestry.
• The vestry will forward the information to the congregation.  

Ministry Moments
Thank you Bobbie Jean Lowe, Don Huddleston and Barbara Edwards for your recent Ministry Moments. Don't miss this week's Ministry Moment as Pat Carver shares her dreams and expectations for the new Lamplighter's ministry that will reach out and touch the lonely in Uvalde. These Ministry Moments will continue each Sunday through November 11th. On Sunday evening November 11th we will gather for a parish dinner to give thanks for the many ways St. Philip's has been blessed and to learn about how we can support the continuing work of St. Philip's. 

Blessing of the Animals - A fun day for all!  

"More than pets were blessed today with addition of the pet blessing. Bark in the Park was blessed beyond measure!" - Kelly Faglie  
Moving the pet blessing to Bark in the Park this year was a great success. Fr. Mike blessed more than 80 (our count was off last week by about 30) animals, and money was raised for the Uvalde Humane Society. It was a great day - click here to see all the photos.

Updates to the Church Directory - Has your phone number or address changed in the last couple of years?  If so - we need to update your information in our on-line church directory.  Also, we have many people in the directory who have not submitted a photo.  Photos help our newest members get to know us a little bit faster by being able to put names to faces.  If you need to update your information or add or change your photo or just need additional assistance in accessing the directory please contact me. The on-line directory is a great tool for us to have and I am here to help if you need any assistance.  -- Cyndy Marsh 

DWTX Altar Guild Fall Gathering
The Altar Guild of the Diocese of West Texas is presenting a fall gathering on Saturday, November 10th. This year's theme is The Seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. All altar guild members are invited. This free event will be held from 9:00 - 3:00 in the Mission Room at the Bishop Jones Center. Contact the church office for additional information.

Help Needed
Help is needed with the upcoming Breakfast with the Bishop, Oct 28th and the Parish Dinner on November 11th.  Please contact the church office, 830-278-5223, if you are willing to help. Thank you!

Taizé Service - December 9th
Mark your calendars and invite your friends - the next Taizé service will be Sunday, December 9th at 6:00 p.m. 
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