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Services this week1 December - First Sunday in Advent 8am Holy Communion 9am Community prayers downstairs in the youth room 9.30am Family Eucharist, in-person and live streamed via Facebook Live [LINK]
Please join us downstairs in the hall for coffee and fellowship after the 9.30 service. 3 December Tuesday 10.30am Contemplative Prayer (continues to 17 Dec, starts in the new year on 7 January) 5 December Thursday 10am Eucharist |
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Joyful Expectation: The Logic of AdventIt's almost here, can you feel it? Preparations have been underway for months: announcements have been made (though in this case not by angelic choirs), construction of the sanctuary is almost complete, ferry routes added, hotels booked. Most importantly, kiddos, young people, and, truth be told, many adults are giddy with excitement, counting the sleeps. ... |
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Parish Council November UpdateParish Council met this past Tuesday. In keeping with our desire to report to the congregation after each meeting, here's what we talked about:
The next PC meeting will be on December 17th. As always, all are welcome to attend. Copies of approved PC minutes are available on the website, on the notice board downstairs, and on request from the office. - Ceal and Larry |
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Pews Will ReturnAfter extensive consultations with the congregation about whether to keep the flexible space at the back of the sanctuary or return the pews to their original position, it has been decided that the pews will be put back for now. About 30 members of the congregation provided feedback — but were almost equally split on what to do. In the end, we decided that, while the possibilities of the flexible space are many, it is too hard to serve coffee or refreshments without facilities like a kitchenette in place upstairs and the space isn't being used often enough to justify keeping it available. The pews will be put back sometime after the Cookies & Carols celebration which is on Saturday, December 7. Thank you to all who took the time to give us their feedback and to the whole congregation for engaging in this experiment. We will revisit the idea once we have a clear vision for how best to use that space. - Allen, Larry & Ceal |
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Music Equipment UpgradeA very generous donor has made a one-time $12,000 gift to St. Philip and requested that it be directed towards upgrading our sound system. The donor also requested that Dave Conway lead the process of determining what equipment should be purchased to make our sound system more reliable and more useable. Dave has been working to figure out what the sound system requires for our current and future needs. Although this project is a primarily a technical upgrade improving functionality and reliability, if you have thoughts on how we could improve the sound system, please let Dave know at zdconway@shaw.ca. We are hoping to install the new system as quickly as we can once we have identified and costed its components. - Ceal and Larry
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New refugee sponsorshipAs our friend Robert Oppenheimer explains, the Emanu-El synagogue downtown has taken the lead on this new sponsorship by a coalition of Jews, Muslims and Christians. Dean Jonathan Thomas at the cathedral is enthusiastic about being involved. St. Philip parishioners have generously supported previous initiatives by Robert helping to bring in Hazara refugees from Afghanistan, who continue to be in our prayers as well. Robert's passion for helping refugees is rooted in owing his own existence to his father's survival as a refugee who was able to flee Germany to Britain after Hitler took power in the early 1930s. May Shihadeh, a local Palestinian woman, will be coming to speak during announcement time at St. Philip this Sunday (1 December). She will come with Robert (if his health permits) or Dahlia Beck from the synagogue. What a perfect opportunity for us to respond to a call to service bringing light to a season of darkness. What a way to mark the start of Advent and to work for the kingdom of peace by being able to literally say, "O Come, Emanu-El". Please read Reem's story, linked below. - Dave Conway Photo by nour tayeh on Unsplash |
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December calendar29 Nov Fri 6pm Teens & Twenties Board Games Night in the Hall |
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Tonight! Teens & Twenties Board Games NightHi everyone! I'm organizing another board-game night! We'll have snacks and board games for you, all you have to bring is yourselves; but also feel free to invite your friends and bring your own snacks and games if you want to! This evening is intended for *everyone* (yes, including you), ages 16 to 29 (age limit flexible). Date: Friday, November 29 Time: 6pm till 9pm Where: St. Philip Anglican Church - entrance to the lower level through the pathway by the garden at the side of the building - follow the signage down the ramp! Feel free to drop in or leave at any time. There are bus stops for buses 4, 9, 7, and 15 within walking distance from the church. Questions?: Contact Karishma at ms.shrutikarishma@gmail.com - Karishma Iyer |
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Neighbourhood leaflettingFriends, as the beauty of the fall unfolds around us, we're reminded that Advent approaches. That's a pun on what the word means (the Coming) , which I hope you'll forgive! Advent and the season of Christmas is a time of anticipation and celebration. This year we'd like to invite our neighbours to participate in the events we've planned for our parish. The act of invitation is itself a joyful anticipation of God's presence with us! I look forward to participating with you on Nov 30th at 10 am -- 11:30 as we socialize, enjoy a coffee and stuff a few mailboxes. -Fr. Allen+ |
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Cookies & CarolsThe Cookies and Carols Service is back again on Saturday December 7, 2024 at 7pm in the sanctuary at St Philip Oak Bay. Following the service we will have hot drinks and cookies. Everyone is welcome! We are also holding the Cookie Exchange on December 7th after the Carol Service. We are looking for someone to help coordinate the Cookie exchange on the night of December 7th. We are looking for people to help as follows:
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP (link to Lisa's Google Doc). There is also a sign up sheet on the table in the narthex. - Annette Fieltsch and Lisa Alexander |
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Parish Nativity PartyMark your calendar and plan to join in for St Philip’s first ever Nativity Party, Saturday, Dec 14 at 4pm. This is the perfect event to invite family, friends and neighbours to enjoy some Christmas crafts, hot chocolate, cookies, singing, and storytelling about the true meaning of Christmas. All are welcome to dress up as your favourite part of the Christmas Story, or borrow one of the (kids') costumes that will be provided. Rumour has it that there may also be a visit from St Nicholas... - Shannon Carmichael Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash |
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Shine a Light on YouthOur Church, through our missions donations, supports the work of Street Hope. This holiday season, shine a light on ending youth homelessness in Greater Victoria when you order Shine a Light on Youth tea boxes or beeswax candles. A deeply local option, the tea boxes contain 12 different teabags from Silk Road tea, while the candles are made in Cobble Hill by Crowfoot Collective. All proceeds support youth in Threshold Housing’s homes and support programs. - Karen Van Rheenen, Missions Committee |
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UPDATE: Christmas Volunteering at the Mustard SeedSAVE THE DATE: Thursday December 19 12pm – 4:30 pm Join other St. Philip Parishioners for an afternoon volunteering at the Mustard Seed Thanks to the great response, our shifts on Thursday Dec 19 have been split, from 12 – 4:30 to 12-2:15 and 2:10 – 4:30. There is still room! You must be at least 16 years old to join. Please invite your family and friends to come along, even if they don’t attend church. This volunteer opportunity is open to individuals aged 16 and older, whether accompanied by a parent or not. If you’re able to join, please email Jackie: jkprowse1450@gmail.com The Mustard Seed has other volunteer times available as well. Please see https://mustardseed.ca/volunteer/ to sign up. - Jackie Prowse
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WRITE A LETTER. CHANGE A LIFEAs a response to the book study on “Jesus and the Powers”, we have been challenged to promote the values that respect the rights, freedoms and dignity of all peoples. Yesterday we participated in Amnesty International’s Write for Rights campaign by writing letters of advocacy and support for persons imprisoned and/or persecuted for their beliefs. There is another opportunity to participate at the Cathedral on Saturday Dec. 7th, from 10 am to 2pm. See this link for details: https://amnesty.ca/event/christ-church-cathedral-victoria-w4r2024/ - Joan Sedgwick |
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This week in prayerPrayers and readings for Sunday 1 December and the following week: click here |
Useful links
The Welcome pew leaflet, weekly parish news, current Anglican Journal, & Faith Tides, recent Parish Council minutes and more are all available in print in the narthex. Please let Anna know if more print copies are needed, on Sundays or for sharing with those who don't use email. News items for the bulletin are always welcome - deadline Thursday noon. More parish, diocesan and community notices on the News and Events sections of the parish website.
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Rector: Rev. Allen Doerksen
email incumbent@stphilipvictoria.ca, cell 236-508-2928 Rector's day off: Friday
Wardens: Larry Anthony lanthony@stphilipvictoria.ca and Ceal McLean cmclean@stphilipvictoria.ca
Office Hours: Mon 1-4.30, Wed & Thurs 9-4.30
250-592-6823
admin@stphilipvictoria.ca Subscribe to St. Philip emails Parish website Live stream link Facebook page |
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Image creditsHeader: detail from the new Advent hanging in the narthex, made by Joan Sedgwick. |
