Greetings, church family!
By now you have heard the news that our beloved Outreach and Youth Ministry Coordinator, Kai Thurow, will be leaving us at the end of the year, as he and his family (Lauren, Kaden, and Cameron) will be moving to the Waco, Texas area, where he will be on staff at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church. This is a huge loss for us, as Kai has served well and faithfully over four years here. While our number of youths here is relatively small, he has provided many opportunities for faith development for them and their families; our outreach efforts here (with North Raleigh Ministries, Families Together, and Refugee Hope Partners/Brown Bag Ministries) has simply EXPLODED under his vision and leadership. We will miss Kai and his family beyond words. We love and appreciate you, Kai, and we are praying blessings for you and your family during this time of transition and into the future. Everyone, please stay tuned for details for an upcoming official farewell send off for the Thurows.
I am writing this column ahead of time, but I fully expect that we will shortly approve the Church Council’s slate of candidates for new Council members. We welcome, therefore, Colleen Slusser, Jeff Rice, and Noell Ochieng. They are already serving faithfully in many ways, and we are excited to welcome them and their ideas and fresh perspectives. It is good to have them on board!
Please do not forget to vote on Tuesday, November 3rd. We are blessed to live in a country which affords us the right to elect our governing officials. Let us not take that for granted.
We are looking forward to our Potential New Members’ Class on Saturday, November 21, from 10 am until noon! We will gather for refreshments, introduce ourselves to each other, take a tour of our campus, and learn about the identity and ministries of St. Philip. This class is for those who want to join as official members and those who are simply curious about our mission here. Please register with Jane Gue, our Office Administrator, in the church office. We are very excited about this incoming class!
The North Raleigh Interfaith Group (of which we are a part) is having our annual Thanksgiving worship service on Monday, November 23rd, at 7 pm. This year, we will be at Beth Meyer synagogue on Newton Road, very near our church. Everyone is invited! This service is always so meaningful each year, and our interfaith partnerships are more crucial than ever in a far too often divided world.
The first Sunday of Advent (and a new church liturgical year) is on Sunday, November 29th. Because it is a fifth Sunday, it will also be a Fellowship Sunday, meaning we will have only one worship service at 10 am. It will also be “Chrismons Sunday,” when we decorate our Christmas tree with biblically significant ornaments and hear about their importance. This is always a joyous Sunday for us, so we look forward to seeing everyone there!
And, finally, have a very happy, blessed, and safe Thanksgiving, filled with food, family, and friends!
Sharing the Love of Christ,
Pastor Tim
