Welcome to Worship

at St. Philip Lutheran Church!

We are so glad you have chosen to worship with us this day! This page is meant to help you get to know St. Philip and how we do worship. You may be asking yourself, can I take communion? Are my children allowed in worship? Or what should I be doing when? We hope this helps you to feel welcomed so that you are able to truly worship. We are glad you are here!
 
Or, if you are interested in joining for worship in the future, join us in person or virtually. We worship every Sunday morning at 9:00am and on the second and fourth Saturdays we worship at 5:00am. The Saturday evening service is not live-streamed. To join us virtually, please visit our Worship at Home page to get the link to worship via zoom or view past worship services on YouTube. 
 

At St. Philip Lutheran Church, we intentionally build relationships through Christ to grow and serve. We are a community where all people may come to know Jesus Christ, become faithful followers empowered by the Holy Spirit, and sent with Christ’s love into the world. St. Philip is a church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).

Relationships are central to our life together. We are committed to helping people grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. Together we celebrate the love and grace of God. Together we reach out to one another and to the world with that same grace and love. We are not perfect, none of us are, but we come together as a community of faith to grow and serve our God who loves us and forgives us.

Are you looking for a place that affirms God’s life-giving relationship with you? Are you looking for a place where you can get to know others and serve with them in meaningful ways in the work of God? Are you looking for a place where you can grow in your relationship with God? St. Philip Lutheran Church is the place for you!

 

Worship at St. Philip

All are welcome at the worship services of St. Philip Lutheran Church.

Worship is at the center of our life together as a community of faith. Weekly worship strengthens us to be God’s hands and love in this world through our daily living.

Our worship services are based on the liturgies of the Lutheran church. They are brought to life through a great diversity of music used in all of our services. On any given Sunday you may hear a variety of music spanning from Bach to Bluegrass, Gospel or Latin fusion.

 

Children in Worship

Children are always welcome in worship as integral members of the body of Christ and we welcome the sounds and activity that accompany them! Children are included in many ways throughout the service:

  • A Children’s Conversation is offered where the children are invited to the front of the church for a message specifically for them.
  • Children are invited to bring their offering and put it in the offering plate as well.
  • During Holy Communion, if your child does not receive Holy Communion, they are invited to come up with you for a blessing.
  • Children’s activity bags or clip boards and crayons are also available in the back of the sanctuary, by the west doors for children to use during the service.
We understand that the parents of our youngest, and most wiggliest ones, may need a little extra space for those restless legs. For this reason, we have a Pray-Ground located in the narthex, right out the sanctuary doors for children 4 years old and under to play, read and enjoy other activities.
 
 

What is Holy Communion?

As Lutherans, we believe God is fully present in Holy Communion. Martin Luther said, “Jesus is present in, with and under the bread and wine.” We do not believe the bread and wine is turned into Jesus’ body and blood (transubstantiation); rather, we believe Jesus is fully present in the bread and wine. Therefore, when we eat the bread and drink the wine, we believe we receive Jesus. Holy Communion is a sacrament in the Lutheran church, which means God commanded us to do it, God is present in it and there are physical elements to it (bread and wine).
 
At St. Philip you will receive the bread and the wine. You can receive communion two different ways: coming up to the communion rail or by staying in your pew or chair. If you wish to receive communion at your seat, we invite you to pick up a packet of communion as you come into the sanctuary. The packets are sealed with the bread wafer and grape juice. If you wish to come up to the communion rail, at the front of the sanctuary, we invite you to follow the guidance of our ushers. As you go up to the communion rail, there will be a table with individual cups on it, located at the front row. Grab a cup and bring it with you to the communion rail. The cups that are filled have grape juice in them. If you wish to receive wine, grab an empty cup and it will be filled with wine by one of our communion servers. You will first receive the bread with the words “the body of Christ given for you” or similar words and you can eat the bread. You will then receive the wine or if you have grape juice, the communion server will symbolically fill your cup, and say, “the blood of Christ shed for you” and you may drink. Feel free to say a prayer to thank God for the gift of Jesus. When you are finished you return to your seat by going up the center aisle and dropping your cup into the basket on the table at the front row, at the center aisle. 
 

Who Can Receive Holy Communion at St. Philip?

All are invited to the Lord’s Table and receive Holy Communion. You do not have to be a member of St. Philip or a Lutheran, but we ask that you believe in Jesus as the Son of God. We have Holy Communion every Sunday at St. Philip.

 

Offering/Giving

God has blessed us with so much, including our treasures. Our offerings are a way to give back to God to say thank you. God invites us to give of our first fruits, which means we give to God first rather than giving God from what is leftover. God invites us to be generous as God has been generous to us. Proverbs 11:24-25 tells us, “Some give freely, yet grow all the richer; others withhold what is due, and only suffer want. A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water.”
 
In worship, you are able to give by putting a check or cash into the offering plate, located at the back of the sanctuary by the baptismal font. All are able to give online, at any time, by credit card or bank account. To reduce the fees charged, you are encouraged to give through your bank account, rather than a credit card, if you have the option or information. 
 
Thank you for your generosity as you tithe and give your first fruits to God by supporting St. Philip Lutheran Church! To give online, click the button below. You will be redirected to a secure site for the transaction and you will be able to give a designated or undesignated gift to St. Philip or a specific ministry or event.
 

Sending

At the end of the worship service we end with, “Go in peace, serve the Lord” or similar words and we respond with “Thanks be to God.” God is sending us out into the world to be the hands and feet of God. 
 
Again, we are so glad you are here or are learning about St. Philip. If you have any questions about worship, want to learn more or would like to talk with Pastor Brad Doty, please reach out by emailing Pastor Brad at bdoty@stphilip-co.org or calling the church office at 303-979-4491.