Formation and Fellowship at Saint Philip's

The fullness of joy in Christian faith is found in the common life of the entire body of faithful gathered in worship and adoration of God and in service to the world. We approach the Altar and the Font, partaking of the holy mysteries of faith, and are suffused by the real presence of Christ, knitting every member together in the perfect bond of charity. We are at home in the Church, and every member grows together in the grace and stature of Christ, always in community. Together we are become more than any one person can on their own.

Formation is not about education alone but about seeking and serving Christ. For some this will happen as they dive more deeply into theology, Scripture, or ancient wisdom. For others this will happen serving and sharing in the patterns and rhythms of service and holy witness that are part of Christian life in community. Formation is more than knowing about God — it is about knowing God.  

The earliest followers of Jesus, and the Christian communities that emerged in the years following the Ascension of Jesus, devoted themselves to the breaking of the bread and the prayers, to the teachings of the apostles, and unfailing service to the world — to feed to hungry, to clothe the naked, to visit the sick and widowed in their distress.

From generation to generation, Saint Philip’s has been a community that has lived into this mystery of Christian faith, seeking by grace to be knit more fully together in the fellowship of Christ’s Body, the Church. We gather and are formed at the Altar and devote ourselves to work, pray, and grow into the full stature of Christ. Below are some of the opportunities for us to share and grow together.

Mosaic Dinners (Every Wednesday Evening)

A regular midweek gathering for fellowship, prayer, and study and a consistent opportunity for anyone and everyone to come and share the joy of life together and to lend one another hope in the pursuit of uplifting and challenging relationships, sustained in Christ's love.

A short liturgy of prayers, psalms, and scripture readings called Evening Prayer begins at 5:30 in the Chapel of the Nativity (a smaller side chapel in the main Church building), and dinner follows in the Murphey Gallery at around 6:00 pm From 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm a variety of forums, bible studies, and activities provides us informal occasions to dialogue and learn from one another. All are welcome for as much or as little of the evening as one desires.

These Wednesday gatherings are designed for young and old alike; children are always most welcome!

Learning

There are a number of classes at Saint Philip’s, some on Sundays and others on a variety of days in addition to Sunday. Some of these are classes that run for the duration of the program year and others are a few sessions. Some are during the day and some on evenings. We work to offer a variety of classes, all with the goal of drawing us deeper into the mysteries of faith and forming us for faithful living. You can learn more about the various classes by clicking the “Learning” button below.

Fellowship

Christian living is a “pack” activity — we have been called to be a community of witnesses to the love of God. We lend one another courage, hope, joy, and comfort. There are a wide variety of fellowship opportunities at Saint Philip’s that are designed to both draw people together with folks with similar interests and experience and also to draw together people across generations and spiritual paths. You can learn more about these groups by clicking the “Fellowship” button below.