The drive for school supplies has begun! Now through Aug. 9, donations may be brought to Fellowship Hall. The detailed list is below. (Please note, we are not listing backpacks. Backpacks are covered by a generous donation.) The donation place is the east end of Fellowship Hall.

You can pick up a shopping list in Fellowship Hall. Please check out the back of the list for more ways you can make an impact!

A strong school year begins long before the first bell rings. Through partnerships with Messiah Lutheran Church (our sister church in the Minneapolis Phillips neighborhood), Interfaith Outreach and area social workers, children are equipped with the supplies they need.

Here is the list:

• Composition notebooks
• Spiral notebooks
• Washable markers—10 classic colors (broad or fine tip)
• Crayons—24 pack
• Colored pencils—12 pack
• Pocket folders
• Highlighters
• 3 ring binders—1” rings
• Loose-leaf paper
• Watercolors—8 count
• Glue sticks—washable
• Dry erase markers & erasers
• Scissors—5” blunt tip
• Ball point pens
• #2 pencils—Ticonderoga brand, sharpened
• Pink erasers—large
• Tissue boxes (full-sized)
• Disinfectant wipes (full-sized)

Socks and Underwear

• All items need to be NEW!
• Underwear—size toddler and up
• Socks—all sizes and varieties
• Sports bras—women and teen sizes

Lutheran World Relief Fabric Kits are specially designed to help people coping with poverty, disaster, conflict and more. Sewing is a valuable skill that can help men and women earn reliable income. Lutheran World Relief Fabric Kits provide fabric and thread for vocational training programs teaching sewing and for newly trained tailors to launch their sewing business. LWR Fabric Kits are highly regarded throughout the world because of their quality and consistency.

Through June, we are collecting the following items:

• Spools of matching or neutral-colored, general purpose thread 250–300 yards each
• Cotton or cotton-blend fabric (no knits)

Fabric should NOT have religious symbols, messages, US flags, patriotic or military symbols or camouflage. Each piece should be at least as large as the following dimensions:

• 60” wide fabric, 2.25 yards
• 44” wide fabric, 3 yards
• 36” wide fabric, 4 yards

Please contact Renee Putnam at serve@spdlc.org or Pastor Valerie at vstrand@spdlc.org if you would like more information.

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.

Jan. 16, 2026

Dear Friends,

Recently we celebrated the Affirmation of Baptism service for our 9th grade Confirmation students.

That service—and, indeed, the whole week following the Baptism of Our Lord celebration on Jan. 11—reminds us of God’s love for each of us; the community we share as God’s people; and the gift and responsibility of being named and claimed as beloved children of God.

As they affirm their baptisms, our Confirmands promise, among other things:

• “To live among God’s faithful people,” which is a reminder not only that each of us needs community, but that the community needs each of us.
• “To proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed,” which is a reminder that we reflect God’s love in the world not only through what we say, but through what we do.
• “To serve all people, following the example of Jesus, striving for justice and peace in all the earth,” which is a call for each of us, in our own way, to make the kingdom of God a more present reality here and now.

I do not need to tell you that we are living in difficult and challenging times. Our already polarized and divided culture is being divided even further by events during the past week. During times like these, we need to rely on our faith more than ever, and I invite us all to reflect on the baptismal promises that our 9th graders will affirm tomorrow. Specifically:

• I give thanks for the strong community we share at St. Philip the Deacon, and pray that we can lean on one another and celebrate our unity as children of God.
• I give thanks for the life-giving promise of the Gospel, and pray that we can both hear and share the truth that the God who loves the world—and loves each of us—will indeed redeem all things.
• I give thanks for the call God has on our lives, and pray that we can respond—as God always calls us to respond—in love to our neighbors who are most in need.

How Can I Help?

One of the questions I and the other pastors have received over the last few days is: “How can I help?” We have already been responding in a number of ways to organizations and individuals St. Philip the Deacon has good and close relationships with, and members who have reached out to help have been very generous with their time and resources.

If you would like to assist in any of these efforts, we are aware of families who need the following items, which can be dropped off at church, or funds for us to help purchase them:

• Hygiene products (for both adults & youth)
• Home supplies (dish soap, laundry detergent, etc.)
• Activities for youth at home (coloring, puzzles, board games, etc.)
• Gift cards (VISA, Cub, Aldi, etc.)
• Paper grocery bags or boxes
• Donations can be made on our Giving site. Please choose the “Angel Fund” and write “Helping Neighbors” in the designation field.

We also know that, in addition to your prayers and your financial support, our long-time partner Interfaith Outreach is in need of additional volunteer support. You can sign up for shifts at https://iocp.org/volunteers/.

Please know that the pastors are available to listen, to speak and to pray with you, and you are always welcome to come and sit in the Sanctuary if you would like a space for quiet reflection and prayer.

Thank you for all you do as the Body of Christ to reflect God’s light and love to what can be a dark and challenging world. And thank you for your prayers for our neighbors, for everyone who works to keep us safe in our community, and for our 9th graders and their families.

In Christ,

Tim Westermeyer
Senior Pastor

Canasta Básica

The “Canasta Básica” (basic basket) is a list of essential food and household items for families in many Latin American countries. The prices of these basic items are monitored by governments to assess basic living expenses in the population, and monitor the effects of inflation and government economic policy. When prices on these items increase, anti-inflation measures may be implemented, like price agreements that keep the basket affordable.

We are presenting the Canasta Básica as a list of food stuffs that you can donate, that would be culturally appropriate to many families seeking assistance. PLEASE ALWAYS CHECK THE EXPIRATION DATES OF ANY FOODS YOU DONATE.

The Canasta Básica includes:

• canned tuna
• canned sardines
• canned chicken
• beans
• eggs
• vegetable oil
• milk
• rice
• soup pasta
• brown sugar
• sliced bread
• corn tortillas
• tomatoes
• plantains
• apples
• carrots
• onions
• potatoes
• jalapeños
• limes/lemons
• toilet paper
• soap

Share your blessings by helping provide food baskets to families in the Phillips West neighborhood of Minneapolis. The distribution of holiday food baskets is a ministry in partnership with Messiah Lutheran Church, our sister congregation.

Donations to purchase food may be given by check or online.

Note Messiah Holiday Basket on your check. A gift of $50 will purchase food for two families however, any amount is greatly appreciated. Checks may be placed in the offering plate in the lobby or given to the church office. You may also give a gift at spdlc.org/giving and indicate “food baskets.”

A SPD family will match your contribution dollar for dollar up to $25,000, with the hope of providing holiday food baskets, and supporting the Community Bridge* programs.

In addition, you can sign up to help pack and distribute Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner baskets at Food Shelf ML: Thanksgiving Baskets 2025. For more information, contact Renee Putnam at serve@spdlc.org.

Upcoming Holiday Food Basket dates:

• Thanksgiving Basket packing Nov. 18, 19, 20 , 21
• Thanksgiving Basket delivery Saturday, Nov. 22
• Christmas Basket packing Dec. 16, 17, 18, 19
• Christmas Basket delivery Saturday, Dec. 20

*Community Bridge (CB) began as a partnership of Lutheran Social Service of MN (LSS) and Messiah Lutheran Church at the Center for Changing Lives (CFCL or the Center) to enhance hospitality and community outreach in the Phillips West Neighborhood.

Through Christ our Savior we are redeemed and reconciled to God our Creator. Through God’s grace, we live as an Easter people, loving one another and God’s creation. Our joyful response to God’s grace is to care for one another and share the gift of grace. Serving our neighbors is a calling, a privilege and a joy!

SPD is offering a number of opportunities this summer for members of our faith community to enjoy the privilege of serving our neighbors.

• Plogging—Saturdays, June 7, 14, 21 at 8 a.m.
• Serve ‘n’ Sun (teens)—June 17, 26, July 24, Aug. 5
• SPD Gardening and Flower Watering
• Prayer Shawl Guild—June 26, July 24, Aug. 28 at 1 p.m.
• LWF Fabric Kits—Assembly, July 10 at 2 p.m.
• Bloodmobile at SPD—Aug. 4 from 1-6 p.m.
• Bridging Welcome Kits—Assembly, Aug. 7 from 10-11 a.m.
• Habitat for Humanity—July 28–Aug. 1
• Grocery shopping for Interfaith Outreach
• Collecting Back-to-School supplies through July

Do you know of other service opportunities, or ideas for new ones that we can share with one another? Contact Renee Putnam, at 763-475-7162 or serve@spdlc.org.

Download our Love + Serve + Grow flyer.