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.
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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
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.
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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 April 14, 2024
Easter 3
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Gospel: Luke 24:36b-48
36 While they were talking about this, Jesus[a] himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”[b] 37 They were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.[c] 41 Yet for all their joy they were still disbelieving and wondering, and he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,[d] 43 and he took it and ate in their presence.
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah[e] is[f] to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses[g] of these things.
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First Lesson: Acts 3:12-19
12 When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, “Fellow Israelites,[a] why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob,[b] the God of our ancestors, has glorified his servant[c] Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. 14 But you rejected the holy and righteous[d] one and asked to have a murderer given to you, 15 and you killed the author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus[e] has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
17 “And now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah[f] would suffer. 19 Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out,
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Second Lesson: 1 John 3:1-7
3 1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he[a] is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
4 Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children,[b] let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
News
Sunday School Teachers Needed
Jesus wanted the little children to come to Him. Currently, we seem to have a shortage of little children at Faith, but we recognize there still are young children connected to our congregation—but we need to provide a program to which we can invite them. We’d like to start a mini Sunday School during the worship hour. The kids would be invited to sit with their parents until after the Children’s Sermon, then be led out to hear a Bible story or do an activity geared to them. We’re going to need some volunteers to accomplish this. We’re hoping to have enough teachers that each one would only need to volunteer once per month. Sign up on the bulletin board if you’re willing to help.
Counters Needed
Your chuch really appreciates your financial support. We also appreciate some help in accounting for this support. Stalwart volunteers Wayne Radlach and Rich Aicher stay after church almost every Sunday to make sure the offering is counted and ready to deposit in the bank. They’d appreciate a little help so they don’t have to stay every Sunday. If you can do simple addition, write semi-legibly, and can spare 15 – 30 minutes on a Sunday after church, please volunteer to be a counter. Talk to Pastor or to Rich or Wayne.
Last Sunday of the Month Donation
Our last Sunday of the Month Donation for April will be to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Cystic fibrosis is a progressive, genetic disease which effects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. There are close to 40,000 children and adults in the united States living with cystic fibrosis, and the disease effects every racial and ethnic group. Please plan on making an extra gift to help battle this disease on April 28th.
Bishop Davenport’s Statement Eid Al-Fitr Shootings
Beloved,
I was deeply troubled and saddened to learn of the shooting that erupted yesterday during a joyous celebration of Eid al-Fitr, the festival that closes the holy month of Ramadan, in the Parkside neighborhood in West Philadelphia.
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It is sobering for every person of faith to know that even public expressions of religious faith are threatened by the gun violence that is raging across our city. I pray that the Holy Spirit would stir the leaders and people of Philadelphia to increase efforts to reduce this epidemic of violence.
On behalf of the lay faithful, pastors, and deacons of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, I offer my deepest prayers for our brothers and sisters in the Muslim faith community. Today we stand in solidarity with the community and share in their hurt and anguish.
I ask all members of the Lutheran tribe of the Jesus Movement in southeastern Pennsylvania to join me in asking God to pour out mercy, healing, and a loving embrace upon all those in the Muslim community who are suffering.
We pray especially for those who were wounded in this incident, for all those who witnessed the event and experienced this trauma during their important religious festival, as well as for all in the community who have been affected. And may God watch over the first responders who protect and serve our communities each day and night. We are grateful for their service.
The Rev. Dr. Patricia A. Davenport
Bishop
Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America