Wow!!  September has flown past so fast—I guess the old adage, “time flies when you’re having fun” comes true again!!  Thank you, people of St. Philip’s, for your warm hospitality, your tremendous welcome to me and my family.  We are grateful for all you have done (and continue to do) to make us feel a part of the St. Philip’s Church “family”.  Getting to know you personally is a real joy.  It will take a little time to truly get familiar with everyone, but we are off to a good start.

We have worshipped, prayed, and played together.  I have met with individuals who have shared their spiritual journeys; I have met with leaders of various ministries who have shared their accomplishments, their hopes and dreams; I have met with the Bishop’s Committee for prayer, reflection, and business; I sat in on a music team meeting; and I enjoyed fellowship with the youth group; and it is all good. There is so much creative energy here at St. Philip’s, I feel as if I need a “Sabbath” time to stop, reflect, and sit back like God on the seventh day of creation; to take a deep breath and say “It is VERY good.”

But, we are still in a time of building a firm foundation for our ministry together.  During this time of establishing the “ground work” you will notice a few changes, which are designed to be helpful.  If you find something is changed that is not helpful, please contact me right away to give me your feedback, and we can look at adjusting things to work best for everyone.

Sunday morning services, Bible Study, and Sunday School remain essentially the same for now (although you may notice a change in their description on our Sunday bulletin and website—this is to facilitate visitors and newcomers as they seek to know what we offer each week). 

Another change is the schedule of Administrative and Pastoral hours.  You can expect office hours to be as follows: Church Administrator, Mardi Jensen, will be in the office Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10am-3pm, and my Pastoral hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 11am-6pm, and Friday 10am-3pm, or by appointment.  My morning prayer and preparation time will be off-site, and most Saturdays I have Diocesan or other Church meetings.  Mondays will be my “Sabbath” time, but if you call the Church Office (438-4360) in an emergency, Mardi will assist you in finding a pastor.  Fr. Bill Kelly will be an Assisting Pastor, and on call for emergencies.

There are two special celebrations to enjoy in October:  On Sunday, October 1, at the 10am service we will have a celebration of St. Francis and a “Blessing of the Animals” during regular church time.  PLEASE invite your friends and neighbors to join us that day, bringing their pets (under control on leash or in carriers), or a photo of a favorite pet, to be blessed during the service.  We will hold this service on the lawn behind the Sunday School wing.  Our Youth Band will help with music.

On Saturday, October 28, at 11am we will celebrate the ”Installation” (some say “Institution”) of our new Vicar (me). Here we officially establish our new ministry together in a service of prayers and Holy Communion with Bishop Romero.  A lunch will follow.  Again, this is a good time to invite friends, neighbors, former members, and community leaders to see what we are doing to bring the word of Jesus Christ to Scotts Valley in our uniquely “St. Philip’s” way!

Peace be with you in Christ,

             Pastor Mary and Jim Blessing