Announcements for the Week of March 7, 2010

Holy Week

Since the time of the Apostles two thousand years ago up to the present day the most important celebration for Christians has been our celebration of the resurrection of Our Savior Jesus Christ, what we commonly call Easter. The resurrection of Jesus is the culminating event of his life and ministry by which he conquered death forever! Leading up to this was an amazing week in His life full of events filled with incredible meaning. It was a truly “holy week.”
During Holy Week the Church walks with Our Lord Jesus through these events. In our worship we are transported back two thousand years – shouting Hosanna at his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, finding ourselves seated at the table with his disciples at the Last Supper; keeping watch while he prays in the Garden, among the crowd at his trial and crucifixion, mourning his death and witnessing the empty tomb on Sunday.
Fully experiencing Holy Week is our opportunity to unite our life with the life of our Savior. As we press into each of these moments in Jesus’ life we find that, just like the disciples, walking with Our Lord through this holy week transforms us and changes us.
Be encouraged this year to dive head-first into Holy Week. Take this beautiful opportunity to unite your life with the life of Jesus and, like the disciples, be transformed.

• Peru Mission Planning Meeting @ 12:30 pm
• Poverty SIM Team Meeting @ 2:00 pm
• Youth Belize Mission Team Meeting @ 4:00 pm
• Evening Women’s Study Begins Tuesday @ 7:00

Teach a Language, Change a Life

“. . . whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” That bible verse from Matthew 25:40 has always resonated with me. But it can be a challenge to reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ when they are outside of our usual circle of friends and acquaintances - when they look differently, speak differently or live differently than we do.
I recently began teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to adults in the Bright Zone. For those in our community that do not speak English, I cannot begin to comprehend the difficulties they endure and the vulnerability they feel as they go about their daily lives - being unable to adequately read, speak, and understand English.
When the classes started, most of the students were uncomfortable making eye contact or speaking above a whisper. They were self-conscious and embarrassed. I have watched their fear subside and their confidence grow with each passing week.
It is a powerful thing to know that I am impacting their lives in a meaningful, long-lasting way.
Lisa Menchaca
ACT ON IT! These ESL students are learning real-life English skills that will enable them to communicate with their child's teacher, shop for groceries, read medicine labels and apply for jobs. Bright Zone funds are helping to improve the lives of these students in practical ways. If you are interested in teaching ESL, helping with child-care or planning a graduation celebration, please contact Jennifer Atwood at jenniferatwood@stphilipsfrisco.org or 214-387-4700 ext. 136.

This Week’s Top 5:
1. EVENING WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY STARTS TUESDAY: An evening women's Bible study will begin Tuesday, March 9th, meeting from 7:00 - 8:45 for 6 weeks. Like the morning group, we’ll be using the Beth More study to explore the book of Psalms. Register in the narthex today or contact tammiebelknap@stphilipsfrisco.org.
2. READ THE BIBLE WITH US! The current 3-year Bible Reading Plan Guide is now available! You may pick one up in the narthex today. If you’d prefer to have the daily readings sent directly to your in-box, sign up for our e-mail list and the readings will be sent to you each day. This is an easy way to begin to ‘Worship Daily’ by spending some time with God’s Word, and get your mornings off to a great start.
3. USE YOUR GIFT OF HOSPITALITY: If you have the gift of hospitality, our Coffee in the Courtyard event needs you! We are assembling a team of folks to take turns hosting our monthly gathering for fellowship and light refreshments. Interested? Sign up in the narthex today.
4. TINY TOTS MOVIE NIGHT: Having trouble finding appropriate movies for your little ones? Join us for our first-ever Tiny Tots Club Movie Night Saturday, March 27th at 5:00 pm in Room 106! Tickets are only 25 cents in advance, 50 cents at the door. There will be free popcorn for everyone; hot dogs and juice will be available for purchase. To learn more, contact Debi Nelson at debinelson@stphilipsfrisco.org.
5. TOOLS FOR A HOLY LENT: During the 40 days of Lent we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Easter
Sunday by looking closely at our lives to see what keeps us from living as people who know God’s love. Our prayer book suggests that we do that by praying, self-denial and reading the scriptures to meditate on God’s Word. Stop by the booth in the narthex to pick up something to help your family observe a Holy Lent together. There is a calendar, an activity book for families, and some other tools that could be helpful.

Ongoing Ministries and News

Pastoral Care Ministries
Our Pastoral Care Ministries, led by our Pastoral Care coordinator, David Chalker, are always available to answer your call. Be it for prayer, a hospital visit, communion brought to you, a home-cooked meal, someone to walk with you during a difficult time or just someone to talk to, they are here to help. Simply call the Urgent Care line at 214-418-6593 or send David an email at davidchalker@stphilipsfrisco.org for assistance.

Prayer Shawl Ministry
Do you like to knit or crochet? Join some like-minded folks in making prayer shawls that have been prayed over and blessed by the clergy. These shawls are then given to church members (or their families) who are facing grave illness or surgery, or devastating life situations such as bereavement or personal or emotional emergencies. For more information, please contact Peggy Bartholomew at james.bartholomew2@verizon.net or Val Parvin at tomvalparv@sbcglobal.net. (Meet 2nd Tuesday and 4th Saturday at 10:00 am in Rm. 107)

You’ve Got Mail!
If you would like to receive the daily Bible reading via e-mail, please contact Lori Corcoran at loricorcoran@stphilipsfrisco.org.

Are You Listening Up?
Our new audio ministry has really taken off - thousands of copies of our Sunday sermons have been taken to share with a friend, neighbor or co-worker. Now we have a new look, as well as a new name, for this ministry - Listening Up. We now also have a catalog of all previous sermon series where you can order copies of your favorites or catch up on those you missed. Additionally, the current week's sermon and the previous week's sermon are also available each Sunday. Check it out in the narthex today.

Do You Use On-line Bill Pay?
If so, please consider utilizing your on-line bill pay provider for your pledges and other remittances to St. Philip's. Not only will it save you time and trouble, but it also helps the church staff handle the ever-increasing volume created by our tremendous and blessed growth. And, there is no cost to you or to us.

Sermon Podcasts Available On-line
Did you miss this week's sermon? Want to listen again to a favorite sermon from the past? Do you want to have our sermons sent to your computer automatically each week? Well, we've got something new for you! We've recently begun sharing the weekly sermon as MP3 audio files, and now you can get them automatically delivered to your computer each week with our new "podcast". Visit www.stphilipsfrisco.org/Sermons for more information.

Two "Painless" Ways to Help Others!
St. Philip's Grocery Rewards Programs
Designating St. Philip's as the rewards program benefactor at the grocery store that you shop in, only takes a short time initially, but the St. Philip's Outreach programs will be rewarded again and again over time.  Tom Thumb, and Krogerl have reward card programs that can contribute a minimum of 1% to the charity of your choice. Why not designate St. Philip's as that charity?

How to do it:
Tom Thumb:  Add your Reward Card number to the Tom Thumb list in the narthex or at the church offices.  You can also do it in the store using our group number, #11029.

Kroger:    Pick up a copy of St. Philip's barcode, take it to your Kroger customer service center along with your Kroger Plus card, and have them scan both to link them.  From then on, all you will have to do is present your Kroger Plus card upon checkout and St. Philip' will benefit!

If you have questions, or would like to sign up today, please contact Julia Chalker at juliachalker@tx.rr.com.

For Your Listening Pleasure
St. Philip’s now has special hearing aids for use during our services. If you have difficulty hearing and would like to use one of our cordless hearing aids, please walk to the Sound Booth at the back of the sanctuary and ask one of the Technicians there. They would be happy to assist you.