Weekly Newsletter October 11, 2023

St. Michael’s Weekly News – October 11, 2023

ROOF FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

We are a month into our roof capital campaign. We have received $28,700 to date, including the matching contribution of $10,000. It’s now time for an extra push to encourage parishioners to help raise the funds we need. Unfortunately, we have a long way to go! So please open your hearts and your checkbooks and contribute to God’s building. We appreciate all your efforts. Thank you from your Treasurer.  

Good news this week! We received a $5,000 donation from an anonymous non-parishioner to help us pay for our roof. We are very grateful!

Dear People of St. Michaels,     

          Philip Who?

          Today, October 11, is the yearly commemoration of Philip, Deacon and Evangelist. This is the person you have probably heard of through his work evangelizing others in the book of Acts. This Philip is one of seven honest men chosen as Deacon by the Apostles to distribute food and alms to the widows and poor of Jerusalem (Acts 6:1-6). After the martyrdom of his fellow Deacon, Stephen, also told in Acts, Philip went to Samaria to preach the Gospel. In his travels south to Gaza, he encountered an Ethiopian eunuch, a servant of the Ethiopian queen, reading the Isaiah text on the Suffering Servant. They traveled together, and, in the course of their journey, the Ethiopian was converted and baptized by Philip. (Acts 8:26-40). So this Philip, the deacon, was known for this story and others, not in scripture, of his welcome and interacting with others about his faith and the Gospel.

          I was struck by this in that our bishop, in a Zoom event I watched on Monday, commented on something I’m glad I have not seen here at St. Michaels (or Trinity Lutheran, either). The Zoom call was about receiving Holy Communion and Baptism and her point was she thought it terrible that one might come to worship, receive Holy Communion openly at the Lord’s Table, but then not be greeted or welcomed after worship or at our fellowship time afterwards. That receiving Holy Communion and being open about that is wonderful, but to then not engage and welcome people, new people, when we can, is an incomplete welcome to our fellowship as a Christian people.

          Even after COVID, our Vestry and St. Michaels was eager to re-establish our Coffee Hour and the chance to engage with people, welcoming them to the Eucharist; to the Lord’s Table, but also afterwards, in fellowship around a cup of coffee and some food afterwards. In that way, we ARE, week after week, doing as our Bishop thinks SHOULD happen; and so we continue to do so. To offer a complete welcome into our midst.

          By the way, the OTHER Philip, the Apostle, is found mostly in John’s Gospel, also welcoming others to ‘come and see’ Jesus, who he encountered. (John 1:43-51). This Philip, too felt compelled to engage with others about the good news he found in Jesus Christ. May we follow in his footsteps, too.

In Christ,    

Pastor Randy Knutson

Special Thank You for the blessing of new planters along the sidewalks leading into Larsen Hall (see photos in our Gallery). These were created and completed by Chris Charters and Chris Johnson this week and will beatify St. Michaels for many years. 

New 2023 Directories available: Pick up a copy from the table in Larson Hall

October Birthdays: Scott Dabel, Anne Blanton, Penny Neese, Kylie Navarro, Brother Michael, Christopher Crawford, Hector Magana, Carolyn Chernow, Sue Makovin, Trisha VanWormer

October Anniversaries: Erik & Charla Thorbecke, Kathy & Tom Charters

Online Worship Information

This Sunday we will offer in-person worship and at the same time offer the online broadcast of our service at 10:45 am in the ways posted below:

Our Sunday Service will be on St. Michael’s Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/StMikesFtBragg

https://www.facebook.com/StMikesFtBragg/videos

It will also stay there on the Facebook Pages and you can watch it later.

You can also watch it on this YouTube Channel later that day as well.

This is a NEW St. Michaels YouTube Channel and also on our website!

https://www.youtube.com/@st.michaelsepiscopalfortbragg

Website: When you can, check our new website: https://www.stmichaelfb.com/