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
Ash Wednesday
11:30 AM
7:00 PM
News
Last Sunday of the Month Offering
Once again, we are requesting donations to Lutheran Disaster Relief to alleviate the suffering of those who are victims of the wildfires in southern California. Lutheran Disaster Response is coordinating with the Southwest California Synod, Pacifica Synod and other partners to assess the needs of people impacted by the wildfires. We will work with them to provide for immediate needs and recovery amid the widespread destruction. Lutheran Disaster Response is committed to accompanying recovering communities for months and years to come. Please plan on making a donation on Sunday, February 23.
Lent
The holy season of Lent will soon be upon us. Ash Wednesday is March 5. We’ll observe this solemn day with a brief service of Imposition of Ashes in the sanctuary at 11:30 AM (Just before the meeting of the Golden Age Seniors). There will also be a soup supper in the Lower Auditorium at 6 PM, followed by the traditional Ash Wednesday Mass at 7 PM. Please sign up on the bulletin board if you plan to attend the supper.
Our thanks to everyone who filled out a survey about Lenten observances. By majority request, our mid-week observances will be held on Tuesday evenings at 7:30pm. These will be brief vespers-type services with hymn singing and prayers (no communion) and a message from Pastor Owen. The theme for these five services will be “Rediscovering Lutheranism.” If you’re new to the Lutheran tradition or it’s just been a long time since you were in Confirmation class, Pastor will offer brief insights into the major teachings of our denomination.
It's also been suggested that we revive the old Faith Lutheran tradition of soup suppers prior to Mid-Week worship. If you’d be wiling to come at 6:30 and provide some soup, bread, beverages, or dessert, there will be a separate sign-up sheet on the bulletin board soon.
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, February 23, 2025
Epiphany 7
Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
27 “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; 28 bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and if anyone takes away what is yours, do not ask for it back again. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive payment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.[a] Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
First Lesson: Genesis 45:3-11, 15
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me; do not delay. 10 You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 I will provide for you there, since there are five more years of famine to come, so that you and your household and all that you have will not come to poverty.’
15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them, and after that his brothers talked with him.