2021 Christmas Project
Gathered in love. Transformed by grace. Sent by God to serve.
These three statements reflect the principles of our faith. They serve as anchors and guides for how Saint Philip’s lives out the Episcopal doctrine.
During this Christmas, season you will be invited to express these principles through different donation opportunities. One option will be the Christmas Offering which is used to help those in the community beyond Saint Philip’s parish.
This year’s Christmas Offering will support the Naco Christmas Project and Boys and Girls Club of Tucson. Details about each are below.
Saint Philip's Joins Saint Andrew's-Glendale in Naco Christmas Project
A core group of Saint Philip’s parishioners has been meeting monthly with counterparts from Saint Andrew’s–Glendale to build fellowship and explore opportunities for joint ministry. In an exciting development, Saint Philip’s will join Saint Andrew’s in its annual Christmas project to provide holiday foods and gifts to families in Naco, Sonora.
These families are affiliated with Casa Saludables, a free health clinic that operates under the auspices of the Naco Wellness Initiative. In addition to providing a variety of health treatments and aids, Casa Saludables also operates as a community drop-in center where people come to meet and socialize. As they say on their website, “A good ear and a kind heart are sometimes treatment enough!”
Longtime parishioners will remember that Saint Philip’s participated in the original establishment of this health ministry when it was launched in the early 2000s. Parishioners from Saint Philip’s and Saint Andrew’s will travel to Naco on Saturday, December 18, to distribute food and gifts.
You can lend your support by making a financial donation or by purchasing a gift. This effort will not only demonstrate God’s love to our Naco neighbors but will also further strengthen the growing bond between Saint Philip’s and Saint Andrew’s.
Boys and Girls Club Partners with Beloved in the Desert
The Beloved in the Desert Episcopal Service Corps program is an intentional community for young adults that fosters beloved Christian disciples through service, study, and prayer in the Tucson borderlands. A key component of this program is to develop relationships with community non-profits through the placement of Beloved service corps members to serve for 10 months at an organization.
A recent addition to our community partners is Boys and Girls Club of Tucson, whose mission is to provide young people in our community, especially those who need them most, with a clear path to reach their full potential and pursue their dreams.
For two years, Beloved in the Desert has had a service corps member serving at Boys and Girls Club for 16-hours per week. They have engaged directly with youth, providing after-school programming for children across Tucson, as well as working in the administrative office with direct program support. Through this partnership, Saint Philip’s continues to live into its commitment to intergenerational work and to be transformed by grace and sent to serve the community as members of Christ’s body.
Details about how to donate will be in next week’s Bell & Tower. Stay tuned!