June 2025 Tidings

This is the Tidings for June 2025. If you have not done so already, please sign up on the bottom of the church's website (https://www.sttimsfoxchase.org ) to receive additional electronic news from the church.

Happy June Birthday! 

4  – Carolyn Rakus

4 – Jeremy Davidson

6 – Tess Cooney

12 – Nathan Carroll

14 – Landon Carroll

25 – Sharon Madden

June Anniversary!

5 – Ruth & Gary McDonnell

26 – Isabel & Victor Hyczko

God’s blessings to all who are celebrating a special day in June. Join us at our coffee hour after the service on the first Sunday of your birthday month to celebrate your special day! 

Dear Ones, 

Welcome to the beginning of what is known in the Liturgical Calendar as “Ordinary

Time,” or less formally, the Green Season.  After commemorating the red fire of Pentecost bestowing the Holy Spirit upon the believers who gathered from far and wide, we enter into a time of thoughtful, growing, holy, and whole time.  

Our Thursday Bible Study group is engaging with the book of Acts. As we begin this new liturgical season, perhaps I can share with you a few things that you might like to delve a little deeper into when the blue sky slows down your heart rhythm to welcome a creative beat or ponder what hospitality to the Holy Spirit looks like and how we can be, truly, one in Christ.  

Paul and Barnabas are on a road trip! They visit many towns and churches of faithful followers of Jesus. But a conflict arises when they arrive in Jerusalem, having been sent there to discuss the question of what new followers need to do in order to be saved.  Now, it is true that the specific conversation had to do with bodily changes made to males, but the question was, indeed, much broader than that, dear ones.  The question leans much more into whether or not the law is used to exclude people based on their differences – rather than engaging in hospitality and welcome.  

Peter’s response, after lengthy debate, rested on this: “God, who knows the human heart, testified to them [the Gentiles] by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us.” (Acts 15:8-9)

Peter concludes his remarks before the apostles and the elders with this: “We believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they [the Gentiles] will.”  If you are hearing the melody of other scriptures, that is because the music of the texts is coming together to form a beautiful, and courageous, tune: The tune of unity imbedded with the lyrics of hospitality, welcome, and most of all, Christ’s truth.  Such lyrics can be found in Paul’s epistles.  

Beloveds, where have you heard these words before?  You can find some of them in

Paul’s smaller letters that come early in the New Testament, and even in books of the Old.  And look!  The Creation is championing you to pondering anew what the Lord is calling us all to – with the perfect time of creative, thoughtful days ahead.  

To start us off – we will have the honor and joy of our Bishop Penman presiding at Communion and preaching on Sunday, June 29th.  Please make plans to be present so that we might show him the amazing hospitality and welcome in the people of St. Tim’s!  

I am looking forward to welcoming you through our Ordinary Time kickoff month of June!

Grace & Peace, Pastor Kathleen

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN JUNE 

>   TOWN HALL ON HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, SATURDAY, JUNE 7, FROM 1 PM TO 3 PM 

Learn why affordable housing is increasingly hard to find in Philadelphia. Pastor Kathleen and Karen Paulus are part of the team that organized this panel discussion, led by Philadelphia Council Member Mike Driscoll and Pennsylvania State Representative Jared Solomon.

>    HOPE’S TABLE IS SET FOR SATURDAY, JUNE 14, FROM 11 AM TO 1 PM 

At our last Hope’s Table before we break for summer, picnic fare is on the menu: hot dogs, beans, macaroni salad, dessert, and a cool treat.  Come get a taste of summer! If you would like to cook or volunteer, please call Liz Soltan at 215-828-1619.

>   PREP ON VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL CONTINUES WITH A PLANNING MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, AT 6:30 PM. 

There will also be a meeting for teen volunteers on Tuesday, July 1, at 3:00 pm. (See the enclosed flyer.)

>    BIBLE STUDY CONTINUES ON THURSDAY EVENINGS VIA ZOOM FROM 

7:30 TO 8:30 PM. 

 Learn more about the early Church as we read through the book of Acts, with the help of a study guide written by Max Lucado, Life Lessons from Acts.   Interested?  Call Pastor Kathleen for the link.

>    INTERESTED IN RENEWING YOUR LUTHERAN LEARNING? 

Pastor Kathleen is forming a 3-session New Member Class. The tentative dates are Sunday afternoons on June 15, July 13, and July 27 from 3:00 to 4:30 pm. Contact Pastor Kathleen for more information.

YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS!

BISHOP BRYAN PENMAN WILL PRESIDE AND PREACH AT  ST.TIM’S SUNDAY SERVICE ON JUNE 29, AT 9:15 AM. 

Don’t miss this chance to meet our new bishop. As a bonus, baritone Todd Thomas, who shared his magnificent voice with us at our Lenten supper service and on Palm Sunday, returns to perform. Why not share this special experience by inviting your friends and family to join us?

DID YOU HEAR? SOME RECENT EVENTS AT ST.TIM’S 

HOLY KNIT WITS—SKILLED HANDS, WARM HEARTS 

In what has become an annual tradition, the work of our Holy Knit Wits played an essential part of Jeanes Hospital’s Staff Appreciation ceremony on May 6. While local clergy--including Pastor Kathleen and Pastor Sandra Brown (St. Tim’s transition consultant)--offered prayers and blessings, Barbara Huber helped folks select prayer shawls created by Val Filipenko, Anna Molnar, Barbara Huber, and others. Nearly 40 prayer shawls were distributed.

See the next story to learn how the Holy Knit Wits and other knitters have found another ministry that benefits from their creativity and skill. 

SUPPORTING HOPE LODGE IN QUIET, POWERFUL WAYS 

 Our resident St. Tim’s knitters have been burning the midnight oil making chemo caps for the residents of Hope Lodge. To date, 43 caps have been donated. Colorful and soft, these caps are sure to bring comfort and style to those dealing with hair loss due to cancer treatments. And not to be outdone, St. Tim’s cooks have donated 15 delicious soups plus 30 homemade meals. Residents are responsible for their own dinners on weekends and when community groups haven’t volunteered to cook. St. Tim’s is helping to fill in these gaps. My wish is that everyone could see and feel the gratitude expressed by Hope Lodge’s volunteer staff when the fruits of your labors are delivered. We are certainly doing God’s work! ~ Kathy Swift

COOK-IN ON MAY 24 PRODUCED IMPRESSIVE, TASTY RESULTS 

 Sorry, no pictures—the volunteers were too busy packing home-cooked meals to snap photos.  We’ll let the numbers tell the story: Five volunteers packed 85 meals for Caring for Friends; 15 for Hope Lodge.  Thank you, volunteers, for your hard work!

PLANT AND BAKE SALE 

Saturday, May 17, was a beautiful day in the Fox Chase-Rockledge neighborhood, and as the pictures below show, a hardy group of St. Tim’s volunteers demonstrated that good things happen here!

Plants from healthy seedlings to saplings…flowers that never die…baked goods disappearing fast…some of the volunteers pause for a smile….

LOOKING AHEAD: MARK YOUR CALENDAR

>   SATURDAY, JUNE 7, at 1 pm, at St. John’s, Mayfair—Town Hall on Housing

>   SATURDAY, JUNE 14, from 11 am to 1 pm—Hope’s Table Picnic

>    WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, at 6:30 pm – VBS Planning Meeting

>   TUESDAY, JULY 1, at 3 pm –Teen VBS Volunteers Meeting

>   JULY 7 -11: EVENING VBS—“CAMP FIRELIGHT”

>  ALSO: Sunday afternoons in June and July—Conversations about “what we as Lutherans believe” with Pastor Kathleen. 

Look for more details on these events in future Tidings, Sunday bulletins, our website, and Facebook.

LECTIONARY READINGS 

•       Sunday, June 1: Acts 16:16-34; Psalm 97; Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21;John 17:20-26

•       Sunday, June 8: Acts 2:1-21; Genesis 11:1-9 (alternate); Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Romans 8:14-17; Acts 2:1-21 (alternate); John 14:8-17 [25-27]

•       Sunday, June 15: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15

•       Sunday, June 22: Isaiah 65:1-9; Psalm 22:19-28; Galatians 3:23-29; Luke 8:26-39

•       Sunday, June 29: 1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21; Psalm 16; Galatians 5:1, 13-25; Luke 9:51-

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WHO’S WHO ON COUNCIL 

If you have a question or concern, reach out to any member. If you wish to attend a Council meeting—usually held the third Monday of the month-- please let us know beforehand. 

•       SUSAN FEOLA (PRESIDENT) --      215-718-9600   or     suefeola07@msn.com

•       VANESSA FINEBERG (VICE PRESIDENT) —215-605-2653 or vfineberg@comcast.net

•       SHARON MADDEN (SECRETARY)—267-205-1560 or shmadden8133@gmail.com

•       KATHY SWIFT (TREASURER) –215-813-0824 or kswift6267@comcast.net

•       DAWN WEBER CREEDON (EDUCATION)—215-828-6370 or ddirl@hotmail.com

•       JOHN CREEDON (PROPERTY) –267-249-8369 or creedonsr@comcast.net

•       TINA SNYDER (PARISH LIFE/SERVICE) – 267-879-4637 or jimntina87@comcast.net

•       ELISA DAVIS (WORSHIP) —215-532-1773 or edsmjjd@gmail.com

•       PASTOR KATHLEEN KERIN –201-638-8217 or  kathkerin@gmail.com     

THE NEXT CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING IS MONDAY, June 16, AT 4:30 PM

ON A PERSONAL NOTE

Congratulations to Timmy Madden, who will graduate on June 11 from Abington High School!   He is shown here on prom night with his proud parents, Sharon and Tim Madden!