Newsletter January 18 2022

Worship

Wednesday January 19 Evening Prayer Service 6:00PM

Sunday January 23 Third Sunday of Epiphany 8:00AM Holy Eucharist Rite II In-Person

10:00AM Holy Eucharist Rite II

In-person & via our YouTube channel

Childcare is available during the 10:00AM service.

For more information on all worship offerings at St. Philip's

please visit our website.

CALENDAR

This week at St. Philip's:

Tuesday January 18 to Tuesday January 25

Tuesday, January 18: Yoga (Noon) on Zoom

AA Meeting (6:00PM) @ Parish House

Bible Study (7:30PM) on Zoom

Wednesday, January 19: Church Open for Prayer & Meditation

(5:00PM-6:00PM) @ Church (see description below)

Evening Prayer Service (6:00PM) @ Church

AA Meeting (7:00PM) @ Parish House

Thursday, January 20: Music Together w/Alexia (4:15PM) @ Parish House

Friday, January 21: Funeral Service for Nancy Keil (1:30PM) @ Church

AA Meeting (7:00PM) @ Parish House

Saturday January 22: Tai Chi (9:00AM) @ Parish House

Music Together w/Alexia (11:30AM) @ Parish House

Church Open for Prayer & Meditation (12:00PM-2:00PM) @ Church

(see description below)

Sunday, January 23: Holy Eucharist Rite II (8:00AM) @ Church

Holy Eucharist Rite II (10:00AM) @ Church

Vestry Meeting (2:00PM) via Zoom

Monday, January 24: AA Meeting (7:00PM) @ Parish House

Tuesday, January 25: Yoga (Noon) on Zoom

AA Meeting (6:00PM) @ Parish House

Bible Study (7:30PM) on Zoom

Looking for more ministries and events at St. Philip's?

Please check out our calendar for a full list of events.

We hope you can join us!

Church Open for Silent Prayer & Meditation

Starting this week, the church will be open for silent prayer and meditation during specified hours. Volunteers from the congregation will be on hand to ensure security and safety of visitors. This week the church will be open on Wednesday from 5:00PM to 6:00PM and Saturday from 12:00PM to 2:00. Please keep an eye on our church calendar for days and times when the church will be open. Come and visit! All are welcome.

New Task Force Forming

St. Philip’s is forming a committee focused on the work of healing divisions in our community that have been clear for the past year and building back a stronger and more inclusive church as we envision our future after the disruption of COVID. The group will be tasked with providing me recommendations on initiatives we can undertake, as well as facilitating discussions among all our congregants to address these goals. If you have interest in participating in this vital work, please reach out to Joe (joeplumm@gmail.com) or Will (will.felder@googlemail.com).

Video Ministry

We are seeking volunteers to assist on Sunday mornings for the live streaming of our services. No prior experience is required and training will be provided. Contact Daniel Bentley daniel.bentley@gmail.com for more information.

St. Philip’s Annual Parish Meeting

Our annual meeting will take place on Sunday, March 6, 2022, following the 10:00AM service.

Winter Bible Study

Interested in a Bible study or small group to help get us through the tough month of COVID challenges? Join Rev. Amanda and others Tuesday evenings at 7:30PM on Zoom, for some virtual connection, sharing and learning. We will study the upcoming Sunday's scripture readings. All are welcome!

Lunch Hour Zoom Yoga

Join Rev Amanda on Zoom at noon on every Tuesday in January for an all levels yoga class. Perfect for those who work and can join on Zoom at lunchtime or who are at home midday. Questions? Please email Rev. Amanda at rector@stphilipshighlands.org. All are welcome!

Children's Chapel

New for 2022, chapel begins at 10:00AM in the parish house. The children will be engaging the Story Makers curriculum and then return to church for communion. Due to COVID we will monitor the situation and hope to resume later in the month. Be safe and well!

Philipstown Food Pantry Seeking Donations:

Specifically Requesting: Rice and canned vegetables.

To donate, place nonperishable, unexpired items either in the box on the parish house porch or in the church vestibule. Donations will be brought to the pantry on Friday's.

Prayer List

Beth Crocito, Beth Cody Kimmel, Robert Dickey, Jack Sandlund, David Redden, Isabella Sumano, Brian Nice, Henry Atkins, Victor Ruiz, Eddie O’Connell, Judi Dixon, Dave Awl, Joe Garafolo, Jr., Deedee Garafolo, Preston Williams, Erin Levy, Marilyn Jaffe-Ruiz, Steve Lobell, Olga Fagan, Annie Rocco, Ron Madden, Kathy Madden, Chris Brown, Scarlett Hill, Luther Nolan, Edwina Leahey, John Roorda, Billy Dixon, Linda Wainen, Jackie Monaghan, Jason Frizzell, Elizabeth Peters, John Aldredge, Martin Carl, Dennis Keating.

Add a name to the prayer list

St. Philip's Mission Statement

As a vibrant and thriving member parish of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, St. Philip’s in the Highlands is a radically inclusive spiritual center for our community. We celebrate in the Episcopal tradition, work to transform lives through Christ and his teachings of love and justice, and to help restore all to unity with God.

Newsletter January 19, 2021

TONIGHT @ 5:30pm: Tuesday January 19, 2021

Church Bells for COVID lives lost: President-elect Biden will lead a memorial service this evening to remember and honor lives lost to COVID-19, with church-bell ringings and light shows across the country. Churches are invited to a national moment of unity and remembrance by ringing their bells at 5:30 p.m. ET [15 minutes after sunset]. Come hear our bells and remember those lost to this pandemic. A prayer will be shared by our rector and names of those in our community who have died will be read.

Inauguration Day Prayer Service: The bishops Of the Diocese of New York will be conducting a brief Zoom prayer service tomorrow morning, January 20, the day of the inauguration, at 8:00 a.m. We invite all across our diocese to tune in and pray with us, that we may be, across our differences, one people before God, raising one prayer together for the safety and well-being of our nation and peoples. Click Here to join Service

Fellowship and Connection during cold months of COVID

Dear Friends,

As we are finding, the cold months of winter are especially difficult during the COVID pandemic. Our St. Philip’s family can’t be together as we love to be! So I’d like to offer some ways we might find connection during these times. Each week I will be offering some times to gather on Zoom or socially distanced in my office, just to visit together, share conversation about the weather, COVID frustrations, family struggles, favorite hymns, sports teams, or anything at all! This week, I will be in my office and on Zoom on Thursday January 21 at 1:00 pm. Here is a Zoom link. Coffee House Walk - Join me on Friday, January 22, at 11 am in front of Cold Spring Coffee House. Bring or purchase a hot beverage and bundle up! Let’s walk and chat and visit. All are welcome!

I hope to see you!

Rev. Amanda

Sunday Worship

Sunday, January 24th, at 10:00 AM - Children and Family Service All are welcome - especially preschool and elementary aged children and their families. The service features children's music and movement, and a children's message. All are invited to worship with St Philip’s online!

January 31, 2021 at 10:00 AM Zoom Morning Prayer Service. On Sunday, January 31, we will not be live-streaming our worship. We will instead gather on Zoom for Morning Prayer. Parishioner Preston Pittman will be offering the sermon reflection. Come join in community and worship with your St. Philip’s family and friends. We also will have a Zoom “coffee hour” following the service! Please join us!

To attend virtually please visit our (and subscribe) Youtube channel. All are welcome!

For more information on all worship offerings at St. Philip's please visit our website.

Pledge Envelopes 2021

If you would like your 2021 Pledge envelopes please contact the parish office to arrange for pick up or to have them sent to you. You can contact the office via email at office@stphilipshighlands.org or by calling 845-424-3571. Regular office hours are Tuesday through Friday from 9am to 2pm.

Upcoming Events @ St. Philip's

Please check out our calendar for all events and ongoings at St. Philip's.

Join the Altar Guild

If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity at St. Philip’s, please consider joining the Altar Guild ministry. Guild members care for the linens and vessels used during worship and they prepare the sanctuary before and after services. The time commitment, scheduled in advance, is flexible – an occasional hour or two every few weeks. Experienced Guild members are available to train and support new members. All are welcome! If you would like more information, please contact the parish office at altarguild@stphilipshighlands.org for more information.

Young Women’s Group

St. Philip’s is organizing a Young Women’s Group!

All those who identify as young women are invited to join. We will gather together for support, fellowship, prayer, and spiritual growth on a regular basis. All young women in our community are welcome! If you are interested or know of anyone who might like to be a part, please contact Rev. Amanda at rector@stphilipshighlands.org or Allison Pataki Levy at allison.p.levy@gmail.com for more information.

CrossTrainers Youth Group

Our next gathering of our youth will be on Zoom, on Sunday, January 24th, at 5:00 PM. The activity will be our postponed Christmas gift exchange. All youth will be assigned another youth group member to whom they will be "Secret Santa", and will be invited to (secretly) drop a (<$10) gift off at their house (wrapped and labeled) before our 1/24 meeting. We will all bring our wrapped gifts to the Zoom party where we will unwrap them and guess who gifted what! If you would like to join the fun please email Kari Bentley at karibentley@me.com.

Cleaning Supplies Drive For the Philipstown Food Pantry Organized by Cross Trainer Dylan Horan

Cross Trainer Dylan Horan is organizing a personal hygiene and cleaning items winter drive for the Philipstown Food Pantry, starting this coming Saturday, January 23. Please consider donating:

· Toilet Paper

· Paper Towels

· Tissues

· Laundry Detergent

· Dish Soap

· Household cleaners and disinfectants

From Saturday, January 23- Sunday, February 7 there will be a labeled drop-off bin on the St. Philip's Parish House steps. If you would like to make a check donation, please make a check out to the "Philipstown Food Pantry" and mail to 10 Academy Street, Cold Spring, 10516 or donate online here: https://www.presbychurchcoldspring.org/food-pantry.html

Building Community

As we all know and have experienced, COVID has made it difficult for us to connect in the ways we normally are able. We aren't together in worship, coffee hour, or fellowship events nor are we having the frequent in-person conversations that help us remain connected and grow together. So, to connect during this time and build community, you are invited to participate in small group discussions with Amanda and the St. Philip's vestry. These small group discussions will take place between now and the annual meeting in March. Most discussions will be via Zoom, and we may consider some small in-person socially distanced groups for those who would struggle with technology. Each discussion will last no longer than 90 minutes and will start with some conversation related to our renewed mission and vision statement.

Please click here to sign up to participate in a group discussion so that we can renew our connection as the Body of Christ. If you are new to the community, we send a special invitation to you to join us, too! Please indicate your preference for meeting time and method (in person or virtual) as well as any topics that you would like to discuss. We will do our best to accommodate requests and will get back to you with a schedule. We look forward to this time together!

Prayer List

Beth Crocito, Julie Lilburne, Preston Pittman, Beth Cody Kimmel, Eric Wagner, Robert Dickey, Bruce Taylor, Caron Dunkeley, Jack Sandlund, David Redden, Linda Vrooman, Melissa Turner, Isabella Sumano, Robert Culp, Brian Nice, Agnes Poilucci, Henry Atkins, Elmer Romero, Luther Scales, Emily Scales, Lisa Petrocelli, Dona Franklin, Victor Ruiz, Sheilah Rechtschaffer, Michael Guadagnoli, Karen Ratazzi, Anna Kantor, Eddie O'Connell, Joe Garafolo, Jr., and Deedee Garafolo.

Add a name to the prayer list

Bible Study Wednesdays @ 2pm: Come study the Gospel of Matthew together. No pre-reading necessary. All thoughts and perspectives are welcomed and encouraged! Bible Study is held via Zoom. To join click here. Meeting ID 249 829 9928 Password: Garrison

Be sure to like us on Facebook to get daily posts about all of our activities here at St. Philip's

Rise and Shine Yoga!

Yoga returns with a new day and time! Join Rev. Amanda and others in our community at 7:00 AM on Wednesday, January 27 for rise and shine yoga. If you have never practiced yoga before, if you are an experienced yogi, or somewhere in-between, you are welcome! Click Here to join.

Outreach

Philipstown Food Pantry Seeking Donations:

In response to a greater need during Covid-19, St. Philip's is now collecting food for the pantry! To donate, place nonperishable items either in the box on the parish house porch or in the church vestibule. Donations will be brought to the pantry on a regular basis.

St. Christopher's Inn

There has been a recent outbreak of Covid 19 at St. Christopher's Inn, a men's residential recovery center at Greymoor in Philipstown. They are grateful for donations of masks, gowns, and financial gifts to assist them during this challenging time. A box labeled "PPE Donations St. Christopher's" is on the parish house porch. To donate funds please click on the link below. Thank you for your support of our friends in need.

https://stchristophersinn-

Newsletter October 6th 2020

Upcoming Worship and Events:

Yoga –Join us Tuesdays for Yoga! To join this ALL LEVELS class meet at the church at 6:00 pm with a mat, mask, and water (or, if you need a mat, some are available), If you prefer Zoom, click here.

Bible Study – Wednesdays, 2:00 PM – Come study the Gospel of Matthew together. No pre-reading necessary. All thoughts and perspectives are welcomed and encouraged!  To join click here. (Meeting ID: 249 829 9928 Password: Garrison)

Evening Prayer – on Thursdays at 7:00 PM. You are invited to join this simple worship service inside the church. We will be following Covid 19 guidelines of social distancing and wearing a mask. No sign up is necessary. This service will also be available on Zoom “here” Come join us for this midweek respite.

Sunday Morning Worship – Sunday Oct. 11th @ 10:00am Holy Eucharist Rite II. Attendance will be by sign up only as we have to limit the number of people attending to follow COVID guidelines for safety. Please email Micki in the church office @ office@stphilipshighlands.org or by calling 845-424-3571. Please try to sign up by Friday @ 12:30pm. In addition, Sunday Morning Worship will still be live-streamed “here” and posted on the website, YouTube Channel, and Facebook page for later viewing.  

Cross Trainers Youth Group – Our next meeting is Sunday Oct. 11th from 5pm-7pm at the Parish House patio. We will be sharing dinner, s’mores at a campfire, planning our participation in the Desmond-Fish Library’s “Pumpkin Glow” and having fun! All youth in grades 6-12 are invited!

New @ St. Philip’s

Save the Date! – Join St. Philip’s Nursery School Fall BYO Picnic – Saturday October 24th To be held on the Rectory lawn. More details TBA.

Prayer List

Please keep those on our St. Philip’s Prayer List in your prayers – Tom Bentley, Dana Poplees, Mimi McCallum, Anne Sandlund, Andrew Hubbard, Linda Vrooman, Cory Arias, Beth Crocito, Julie Lilburne, Preston Pittman, Beth Cody Kimmel, Eric Wagner, Robert Dickey, Bruce Taylor, Caron Dunkeley, Jack Sandlund, David Redden, Melissa Turner, Isabella Sumano, Robert Culp, Anna Kantor, Brian Nice, Joe Garafolo, Jr., and Deedee Garafolo.

Wider Community

School Supply Collection for San Miguel Academy – Our partner in ministry, San Miguel Academy in Newburgh, is seeking school supplies for their students. San Miguel inspires the young men of the city of Newburgh, so they may break the cycle of poverty, achieve new potential, and embrace lives of purpose, faith, and truth. A collection box for the school supplies is on the parish house front steps. Supplies including paper, notebooks, pencils, pens, erasers, writing pads, folders, etc. are requested. When dropping off supplies, we ask that the times of 8:45-9:15 AM and 11:45-12:15 PM be avoided due to Nursery School drop off and pickup. Thank you to all who have given donations!!!

Diocese of NY Antiracism Book Group - The Diocese of NY is reading Ibram X. Kendi’s How to be an Antiracist this September and October. Online book discussions will take place with those from other churches culminating with an virtual author‘s event on October 22. This promises to be an enriching, educational, and community building activity and all are encouraged to participate. Please email Amanda at rector@stphilipshighlands.org if you would like to join and for more information about getting a copy of the book.  Learn more here. 

St. Mary’s in the Highlands, Adult Study Group – via Zoom Wednesday Evenings 6pm-7:30pm for 10 weeks. St. Mary’s offers a seminar in a regular series of adult faith education, as we explore the book, “Reading the Bible Again for the First Time” by Marcus J. Borg. Study guides, organized by chapter will be provided. The book can be purchased through many retail outlets including Amazon and can be downloaded for Kindle or audio book. Registration is required to participate. To register please send your name, email and phone number to stmaryinthehighlands@gmail.com or call 845-265-2539. If you have questions please reach out to Father Steve of St. Mary’s at the above listed phone and email.

Philipstown Food Pantry Seeking Donations - Donations accepted between 10:30 and 11:30 on Friday mornings, and Saturdays between 8:30 and 10:00 AM.  Please no homemade food, bulk, or expired foods. Monetary donations are welcomed as well at https://www.presbychurchcoldspring.org/food-pantry.html. For further info, you may also call St. Philip’s parishioner, Amy Richter, 914-552-9204.

Sincerely,
St. Philip’s Church

3/20/20

Good Evening,

I pray that you and yours are well today in this time of anxiety, transition, and fear as we deal with many changes in our individual and common lives. There continue to be more questions than answers about the pandemic and how it will progress, and at times we may be very fearful and feel out of control.

But God continues to be with us and there are things we can do to enlist the power of God to bring peace, healing, and grace to our lives. We can pray. We can reach out to each other (in the coming days I will be making some phone calls to our members and I hope that if you need anything you will let me know). We also can worship God together even though we may be apart. Thus, I hope that you have been able to access the online worship that has been posted on our website and Facebook this week. I invite you to listen, pray along, and if it feels right, pick up a prayer book or go to bcponline.org (online Prayer Book) and join together in our common worship. We will be posting our filming of Morning Prayer Rite II on Sunday, and perhaps in a week or two we will try a livestream of Compline or Sunday morning worship.

In the meantime, may you know that God, whose power working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him form generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever.

In Christ,
Amanda

Online Bible Study

You are Invited - Online Bible Study, Wednesday, March 25 at 2:00 p.m.

Dear St. Philip’s,

My prayers continue to be with you all during this time. I hope that you have enjoyed viewing and participating in some online worship.

I’d like to invite you to a Bible study tomorrow, Wednesday, March 25, at 2:00 pm via Zoom. My proposal is that we will read and study the Gospel of Matthew together. The meeting info is below. If you haven’t used Zoom before, it is a way we can connect virtually. Click on the link below where it says “Join Zoom Meeting”.

I look forward to “seeing” you there!

God’s peace, health, and strength,
Amanda

~~~~

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/388938606
Meeting ID: 388 938 606

One tap mobile:
+16465588656,,388938606# US (New York)

Dial in:
+1 646 558 8656 
 Meeting ID: 388 938 606

3/17/20

Dear St. Philip’s,

This is a difficult time. If you have not already heard, Bishop Dietsche and the Diocese of New York have asked that all churches in the Diocese follow the CDC guidelines of cancelling all public worship, gatherings, and in-person meetings until at least after Easter and perhaps until May 17, to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  This is big news and makes us realize that we all need God’s presence, prayer, and church more than ever right now. So, please know that St. Philip’s isn’t “closed” for ministry, worship, prayer, formation or outreach. While we won’t be gathering for public worship or in person meetings for many weeks, there will be creative ways that we can continue our life together.

Think about the early church – Christians were afraid to gather together for fear of political authorities. We may not be fearful for  the exact same reasons, but we need to be aware that when we are in the presence of another, there is a risk for disease transmission. So, like the early Church, we can be creative and faithful in our call and mission.

In the next week we will be working on ways that we might post recorded, live, or streamed prayer, worship, and music on our website or Facebook page. We may offer some short meditative prayers, as well as a longer Sunday worship service. We will let you know how to access these opportunities.  If you do not already follow St. Philip’s on Facebook, now would be a good time to start, as Facebook is a great way to connect to our church community 

I have been in touch with our Canons and Bishop Mary Glasspool and we have agreed that small outdoor gatherings, while observing distance from each other, do not violate CDC guidelines. So, as the weather warms, I will be offering opportunities for outdoor small group study, prayer walks, and yoga. A friend of mine has written a book about Christian yoga and so we can engage those practices as well. These activities are particularly exciting for me, and they are activities that I wanted to offer in the next year anyway, so now seems to be the time. I will let you know about specific opportunities in the days to come.  Please see the message below from our wardens regarding giving to St. Philip’s during these challenging times.

In Christ,
Amanda

3/14/20

Dear St. Philip’s,

First and foremost, greetings and peace to you. These days bring with them many emotions. Know that in the midst of all of the uncertainty, God is present and is holding us all closely. Even though we may not be gathering together in person, I pray that we all might feel the love of God not only through our individual prayer and gifts of grace, but also through our continued connections with each other. While we may not be physically together, God is empowering us to find ways to continue our community worship, prayer and spiritual life with creativity, patience, and love. Being church does not (just) mean being in a building. We can be St. Philip’s even in this way, too! 

Also, know that God and St. Philip’s are and always will be a source of love, care, and healing even while there may be physical distance between us. If you find yourself unable to safely meet the needs of daily life due to COVID-19, St. Philip’s is here to help. Seniors and those with medical sensitivities may wish to avoid grocery shopping or other public venues. If you need help or can offer help with meals, grocery shopping or delivery, please contact vestry member Gabe Salas at gsalas72@gmail.com. Gabe is organizing a group to assist those in need. 

May God continue to hold us all closely during this challenging time. If you need anything from me, please feel free to email me at rector@stphilipshighlands.org or call me at 703-299-0072. 

God bless you!

For your worship considerations:

The Washington National Cathedral will be live streaming a virtual Holy Eucharist service tomorrow morning at 11:00 AM. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will be preaching. To watch, click here.  

Also, you may wish to use the prayer form for Morning Prayer below for your worship tomorrow.

In Christ,
Amanda