Mark your calendar for Wednesdays in July 2026! St. Philip the Deacon is hosting a new season of Summer Organ Concerts. Note that two concerts are at 12:15 p.m. and two at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, July 8 at 12:15 p.m.
Chad Fothergill
Cantor, Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival Chapel Organist, Duke University Chapel,
Organist Duke Divinity School
Durham, N.C.
Wednesday, July 15 at 12:15 p.m.
Sam Backman
Director of Sacred Music, Holy Cross Catholic Church
Minneapolis, Minn.
Wednesday, July 22 at 7 p.m.
Tigran Buniatyan
Doctoral Candidate, Organ, Arizona State University
Director of Music, Christ Church of the Ascension
Director of Music, Mountain View Lutheran Church
Phoenix, Ariz.
Wednesday, July 29 at 7 p.m.
Celina Kobetitsch
Organist, St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church
Plymouth, Minn.
Dear Friends of St. Philip the Deacon,
We write to invite you to attend one of two special Estate Planning Workshops sponsored by the St. Philip the Deacon Foundation on Tuesday, April 14. The event will be held from 1–2:30 p.m., or from 6:30–8 p.m. Both events are identical, there is no registration or cost to attend, and anyone is welcome.
The sessions will be led by three experts in Estate Planning, each of whom is also deeply committed to the Lutheran tradition:
- Joe Sullivan: Regional Gift Planner for the ELCA Foundation, based in the Twin Cities. Through his work with the ELCA Foundation, Joe provides individual donors with confidential, free consultation on a wide variety of charitable giving options.
- Jason Watt: Senior Manager at DAFgiving360, a national provider of charitable solutions, specializing in donor-advised funds. A licensed attorney and CPA, he has dedicated much of his career to helping donors support Lutheran ministries.
- Kimberly Gray: Estate Planning Attorney for her own practice, representing clients in estate planning, probate and trust administration, real estate transactions, and planning for long-term care.
These experts will help attendees more fully understand the fundamentals of estate planning, how to most efficiently gift assets, and the benefits of establishing charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts. They will also be able to respond to whatever questions about estate planning you may have.
The St. Philip the Deacon Foundation exists to augment and expand the mission and ministry of St. Philip the Deacon. It does this not only by receiving and managing assets to benefit the congregation—now totaling more than $1 million—but also by offering periodic educational events like this one.
We hope you will join us for one of these free sessions. If you have questions we invite you to reach out to Pastor Westermeyer at twestermeyer@spdlc.org or foundation@spdlc.org.
Blessings,
Tim Westermeyer, Senior Pastor, St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church
Jason Bixby, President of the Board, St. Philip the Deacon Foundation
We’ve got plenty of summer events planned, from Vacation Bible School to golf, Minnesota Twins games to gardening. Learn more about these events by visiting our online registration site, and sign up for summer events full of fun, faith and fellowship! You can pick up a Summer Preview brochure at church, or download a PDF here.
June 2025
Dear Friends of St. Philip the Deacon:
I’m writing to share news of our transition to a new system for our church calendar, event registrations, and group management. This new online destination will be called the “SPD Hub.” The transition will not only benefit you but also our church staff, allowing us to serve you more efficiently and effectively.
On the SPD Hub—which you can access at spdlc.org/hub—you will be able to:
- View Our Church Calendar: See all upcoming events, worship services, and activities in one easy-to-navigate calendar.
- Register for Events: Easily register for classes, retreats, and more. You can also sign-up guests! When you register for an event, you’ll be asked to enter your mobile number and a code that will be sent via text. If you need to create an account, it will also ask for your email address.
- Find a Group: Discover and join small groups, volunteer teams, and ministries that align with your interests. This is a new feature that we hope will encourage connection and engagement!
- Update Your Info: Update your address, phone and email along with other information in your personal profile.
- You will have the option to download an app to your phone, making all of this available at your fingertips. To download the app, look for the “Church Center” app on your Apple or Android app store.
It is our intention to make this transition as seamless as possible for you. Watch for hands-on help between church services and important tips about these new tools in the weekly eNews, and please reach out to the church if you have any questions.
Blessings,
Tim Westermeyer
Senior Pastor
We welcome you to St. Philip the Deacon and are delighted that you have found our faith community. Generally, the process for joining St. Philip the Deacon is to attend a New Member Orientation and complete our membership form: spdlc.org/im-new. We frequently offer New Member Orientation sessions. You can register for these at spdlc.org/register-for-events/. Any questions can be directed to Cindy Carlson at ccarlson@spdlc.org or Pastor Tim Westermeyer at twestermeyer@spdlc.org.
As we approach the start of the fall, we’re excited to offer a number of educational opportunities for adults. A brochure has been sent uot to all SPD households withinformation about these offerings, including:
- a course on mourning, led by Pastor Strand Patterson
- conversations about the faith stories of our four pastors in October
- an introduction to C.S. Lewis in November
- ongoing Holy Grounds devotion and study sessions
- a Spiritual Growth Workshop about eliminating hurry from our lives
- two retreat opportunities for women in October and November
In addition to these courses and conversations, we are also excited to be part of a cohort of twelve churches from across the country for a series on Tuesday evenings this fall led by Dr. Allen Hilton. Learn more at spdlc.org/house-united.
