Sunday is Pentecost, the birthday of the church! Please wear red as we celebrate and dedicate our pledges.
We have exciting things happening in worship in May. Mark your calendars and join us!
May 22: We’ll recognize our graduates and have cake!
May 29: It’s Memorial Day weekend, so we’ll be at the old church on Geyer.
Note: Worship is at 10:00 am
At its March meeting the Session approved moving worship to 10:00 am starting May 29 and running through Labor Day weekend (September 4). The change was made so that we can finish a little earlier and enjoy the beautiful summer days
Flat Jesus is making a comeback this summer via a special Facebook Group. Next week, Disciples Gathering will decorate their Flat Jesus, but anyone of any age can get in on the action. A Flat Jesus template is available in the Gathering Space or as a PDF in the Facebook Group. Take Jesus with you this summer, snap a selfie with him, and then upload it to the group. It’s a fun way to stay connected over the summer, and the reminder that Jesus goes with us everywhere doesn’t hurt, either!
Thank you Kathy Sherrick, Whitney Payne and Erica Abbett for organizing our Mother’s Day celebration last Sunday. If you had your picture taken, a 4x6 print is waiting for you in the Gathering Space.
This year 28 adults, youth and children took part in the first year of PALS which concludes today. Thank you to Will Ridley, Tommy Epling, John Onken, Manning Asyre, Jim Baker, Mark Asyre, Henry Epling, Diane Asyre, Julia Epling, Eliot Asyre, Mathew Richter, Nancy Hope, Leslie Richter, Lindsay Marting, Kara Richter, Ashley Marting, Morgan Dolley, Randi Weber, Charlotte Epling, Charlotte Ridley, James Dolley, Barb Abbett, James Richter, Leslie Barnes, Cy Thornton, Erica Abbett and Mathew Willock for being a part of it. Once a month PALS meet to foster relationships across generations. Sometimes their conversations are sacred in nature, sometimes not; and the doughnuts are always good! If you have a child entering kindergarten next year, he/she is eligible for PALS. If you’d like to be an adult PAL, let Annie or Barb Abbett know. We’ll resume again in September. Thank you!
Our sympathy is extended to the Onken family upon the death of Mike's mother, Debby Onken, on April 18.
Congratulations to Patrick and Cat Harper on the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Nora Anne. Nora was born April 11 weighing 8lbs 4oz and 21 inches long. Everyone is healthy! It’s always a joy to welcome a new baby into our church family. We’re blessed!
Tai Chi classes will be taking a summer break. The last class is May 23. Watch the blog and bulletin for when classes will start again after Labor Day.
Morning Drop-In Group, 2nd and 4th Monday of each month,10-11:30 am. New members are welcome to join at any time, no registration required. OR Evening 6-week Closed Group Monday, 5:30 – 7 p.m. June 13 to July 25, August 15 to September 26, October 10 to November 21. These groups close to new members after the 2nd meeting of the 6 week session. Pre-Registration is required. Call Mercy Hospice Bereavement Program at 314-729-4419. Located at Mercy Hospice, 1000 Des Peres Road S 200B, Des Peres, MO 63131
Dear Faith Des Peres Friends,
I’m going to be honest with you and admit that I have a love/hate relationship with Mother’ Day. This might come as a surprise to you since I have four children who I think are great kids. But as a pastor I know it’s a holiday filled with landmines. It used to be, 20 years or so ago, that a preacher had to preach on Mother’s Day, but for the past 20 years or so, most have started to steer clear of it because we know that while some people may have had June Cleaver as a mother, there are others who didn’t. We also know that some people have lost their moms in the past year, while there are some moms who have lost children. And then there are the countless women who don’t have children, or want to have children but can’t. So rather than trying to navigate all of this, we ignore the holiday or maybe mention it in a prayer, and leave the celebrating up to Hallmark or the restaurants packed with brunch patrons.
But this year, we’ve decided to embrace it – in all its glory and honesty. After all, if everyone else is talking about Mother’ Day, then maybe the church should, too. So we’re going to celebrate it by honoring all the women in our lives, because whether you’re a mom or not you’ve mothered someone. A photographer will be in the Gathering Space starting at 9:45 and after church to take pictures of families. After church, the Membership Growth Center is putting on a nice light lunch with sandwiches and pastries from Daily Bread. We’ll have flowers for all women. Come celebrate and invite someone!
But we’ll also be honest and look at some of the more notorious mothers of the Bible, because they’re not all June Cleaver. (Biblical “family values” aren’t what they’re cracked up to be!) Yet, we can still learning something from them about what it means to ask for and extend forgiveness, and recognize that while none of us are perfect, we can be grateful for how our lives have been shaped by extraordinary women.
I hope we’ll see you Sunday for a special day.
Blessings,
Annie
Faith Des Peres is hosting the St. Louis Storytelling Festival on Friday, May 6. The evening kicks off at 6 pm with “Stories for the Young Listener”. At 7 pm, the adults get their turn featuring story tellers Nancy Kranzberg, Tom George and many others. Also at 7 pm there are ghost stories and spiritual and faith-based stories. All events are free and open to the public. For more information visit www.stlstorytellingfestival.com or call 314-2664833. We hope to see you here!
This Sunday we’ll honor the women in our lives in a special way. A photographer will be in the Gathering Space beginning at 9:45 to take pictures of families (you’ll leave with a print and get a digital file). You can also get your picture taken after church. We’ll also have some yummy pastries and sandwiches from Daily Bread after church. This is a great Sunday to invite someone to church. Whether you are a mom or not, everyone mothers in their own way, so join us for a special day.
Congratulations to Patrick and Cat Harper on the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Nora Anne. Nora was born April 11 weighing 8lbs 4oz and 21 inches long. Everyone is healthy! It’s always a joy to welcome a new baby into our church family. We’re blessed!
As we continue to live into our vision “to challenge the present to change the future to make Christ known”, we hope you’ll prayerfully consider what your gift to the church will be this coming fiscal year. Every gift is needed and appreciated. We will dedicate our pledges next Sunday, May 15. Thank you!
Worship in May
We have exciting things happening in worship in May. Mark your calendars and join us!
May 15: Pentecost! It’s the birthday of the church and we’re celebrating. We’ll also
dedicate our pledges on this Sunday.
May 22: We’ll recognize our graduates and have cake!
May 29: It’s Memorial Day weekend, so we’ll be at the old church on Geyer.
Note: Worship this summer will be earlier at 10:00
Wear red for Pentecost Sunday, May 15
Next Sunday is Pentecost, the birthday of the church! Please wear red as we celebrate and dedicate our pledges.
Summer Worship Time is 10am!
At its March meeting the Session approved moving worship to 10:00 am starting May 29 and running through Labor Day weekend (September 4). The change was made so that we can finish a little earlier and enjoy the beautiful summer days.
Our sympathy is extended to the Onken family upon the death of Mike's mother, Debby Onken, on April 18. A memorial service will be held May 7 at 10am at St. Michael and St. George Episcopal Church in Clayton.
Morning Drop-In Group, 2nd and 4th Monday of each month,10-11:30am. New members are welcome to join at any time, no registration required. OR Evening 6-week Closed Group Monday, 5:30 – 7 p.m. June 13 to July 25, August 15 to September 26, October 10 to November 21. These groups close to new members after the 2nd meeting of the 6 week session. Pre-Registration is required. Call Mercy Hospice Bereavement Program at 314-729-4419. Located at Mercy Hospice, 1000 Des Peres Road S 200B, Des Peres, MO 63131
Dear Faith Des Peres Community,
A year ago this time we were unveiling our new Vision and Mission Statements, Values, and five-year goals to grow the church numerically and spiritually. This Sunday, when we kick-off this year’s stewardship campaign, you’ll have the opportunity to hear from the Session and its Centers (formerly committees) what they have been doing to accomplish those goals, and how your gifts to the church have been instrumental to our ministry and meeting those goals. It’s been an exciting year in which all of us have been working to live into our vision “to challenge the present to change the future to make Christ know” and our mission to “reflect and live God's love, accept and affirm all and inspire a passion to do God's work.” I hope you’ll be here to listen to everything they/we have accomplished.
Wear your blue Faith Des Peres t-shirt this Sunday to celebrate!
This is also communion Sunday, so don’t forget your food for Feeding the Flock.
See you Sunday!
Annie
Our sympathy is extended to the Onken family upon the death of Mike's mother, Debby Onken, on April 18. A memorial service will be held May 7 at 10am at St. Michael and St. George Episcopal Church in Clayton.