The Reverend Owen Griffiths, Pastor
Faith Lutheran Church
Heading 1
4150 Woodhaven Road
Philadelphia, PA 19154
(215)-637-4210
flcphiladelphia@verizon.net
Welcome
Thank you for visiting Faith Lutheran Church online!
We are a small, family-friendly church in NE Philadelphia.
Whoever you are and wherever you are on life's journey--married or single, old or young, black or white, native-born or immigrant, gay or straight, bisexual or transgender, parent or childless, rich or poor--you are always welcome here at Faith Lutheran.
Help us out: If you missed your weekly offering, or if you just want to support the ministry of Faith or the ELCA, you can make an online donation by clicking the "GIVE!" button on the menu bar.
Our Mission
Our mission is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people through worship, education, service to our community and world, fellowship, caring, and prayer.
We would love to have you join us!
Baptisms & Weddings
Call the Pastor at (215)-637-4210
for information on how to schedule baptisms and weddings; he will be glad to work with you.
SUNDAY WORSHIP
You can enjoy VIRTUAL worship on Facebook Live every Sunday.
Go to Faith Luther on Facebook!
Just click the underlined link!
Worship Schedule
Sunday Worship
10 AM
Children's Time
during worship
every Sunday
Lenten Mid-Week Worship
Tuesday 7:30 PM
Soup Supper at 6:30 PM
News
Lenten Mid-Week Worship
As the holy season of Lent is upon us, Faith will be offering an extra opportunity for worship every Tuesday evening at 7:30 pm. Pastor Owen will be presenting a five-week series on Luther’s Catechism. There will also be time for hymn-singing, prayer, and sharing. If you’re new to Lutheranism or you just want to review, we encourage you to attend. The schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, March 11 – “By Grace Alone” A look at Luther and his contributions to our faith.
Tuesday, March 18 – “God’s Constitution” A look at the 10 Commandments and our contract with God.
Tuesday, March 25 – “A Very Strange Deity” The Apostles Creed and the Holy Trinity.
Tuesday, April 1 – “On Earth as in Heaven” The Lord’s Prayer and what it means.
Tuesday, April 8 – “Do This in Remembrance” The Sacraments of the Church and how we worship.
We also invite everyone for a modest soup supper before each vespers service. Soup is on in the Lower Auditorium at 6:30 pm.
Easter Egg Hunt is Back! It’s almost Spring and time for some fun for kids and grown-ups alike. Faith’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt (a tradition we lost to COVID) is back again. The hunt is on Sunday, April 6 from 11:15 am – 1pm (Right after church services). There will be food and crafts for the kids, plus an Easter photo booth. Adults can enjoy a little down time and relax with a small luncheon. We encourage all to bring a favorite dish or treat to share.
There is NO CHARGE for this event. We’d love you to tell any of your friends or neighbors with young children to come and join us. Everyone is welcome!
Last Sunday of the Month Offering
Faith’s Last Sunday of the Month offering for March will be for Global Refuge, the ELCA’s human service organization which protects newcomers who have come to the United States seeking safety and the hope of a brighter future. At the end of January, the new administration froze funding for vital refugee resettlement. While some funding freezes were rescinded, this federal order remains, effectively cutting off vital support—such as housing, food, English classes, and job placement—to refugees already lawfully resettled in the United States. Without these resources, 5,870 newly arrived refugees currently serviced by Global Refuge face the prospect of eviction and food insecurity. Please plan on making a donation on Sunday, March 30.
Soup & Cookies
While the weather is still cold you can warm up with a nice individually portioned bowl of homemade soup. Faith members are making and selling these bowls for $3 each after worship on Sunday.
If it's dessert you're after, our own Brownie Autumn Darrer is selling the world-famous Girl Scout Cookies in the narthex before and after services. Help Autumn support her organization by purchasing a box of cookies. Girl Scout Cookies sell for $5 per box.
First Holy Communion
Pastor would like to invite all of our youngsters in grade 3 or older to receive instruction for their First Holy Communion. There will be three sessions—Sunday March 30, April 6, and April 13. Classes will be at 9:30 in the Fellowship Room outside Pastor’s office. The children will receive their first eucharist on Maundy (Holy) Thursday, April 17 at 7:00 PM. Parents are invited to join the students for instruction and to share their experiences and feelings about this very special meal. Please let Pastor know if your child will be participating
WELCOME! VIRTUAL WORSHIP NEWS:
If you can't make it to church on Sunday morning, we're bringing church to you. We are livestreaming Sunday morning worship at 10 AM on the Faith Luther Facebook page. You can also read the texts of Pastor's sermons by clicking on the "Pastor's Blog" tab on the toolbar. Please remember, too that you can make online donations by clicking on the "GIVE!" button above.
You can also check out videos from our national church body, the ELCA, our Synod, or our congregation below. We usually start our livestream about 10 minutes BEFORE the worship begins, so you can fast forward through the video to hear this week's announcements and experience the previous Sunday's service.
Sunday, March 16, 2025
Lent 2
Gospel: Luke 13:31-35
31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32 He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me,[a] ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 33 Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ 34 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 See, your house is left to you.[b] And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when[c] you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”
First Lesson: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ 2 But Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’[a] 3 And Abram said, ‘You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.’ 4 But the word of the Lord came to him, ‘This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.’ 5 He brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ 6 And he believed the Lord; and the Lord[b] reckoned it to him as righteousness.
7 Then he said to him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.’ 8 But he said, ‘O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?’ 9 He said to him, ‘Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.’ 10 He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him.
17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire-pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.
Second Lesson: Philippians 3:17 - 4:1
17 Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. 18 For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humiliation so that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. 4 1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.