This Week at St. Peter's
Parking Garage Closures During August. LAZ Parking, the operator of our parking deck, is closing the parking deck for portions of the next three weekends, as follows:
August 9–10, closed, but open for St. Peter’s on Sunday, 7:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
August 16–17, closed, but open for St. Peter’s on all day Sunday, 7:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
August 23–24, totally closed, with parking available at the Fifth Third Center, 159 W. 6th Street
On Sunday, August 10 and Sunday, August 17, you must leave the deck before the closing time at 1:30 p.m. or you will be unable to exit. We will have validation passes available for the Fifth Third deck as well as the usual 7th Street parking deck.
Charlotte City Council Candidates Forum – August 12. St. Peter’s is co-sponsoring a Charlotte City Council Candidates Forum on Tuesday, August 12 at 7:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church (our neighbor on N. Tryon Street). Ahead of the September primaries, hear candidates discuss key housing, neighborhood, and transportation issues. RSVP and learn more at https://tinyurl.com/cltforum. Join us to show that addressing social justice begins in our own community.
Learn.
Sunday Party of Readers: Summer & Fall Books. This season, the Sunday Party of Readers will explore childhood through stories set in Victorian England, colonial Jamaica, and the segregated American South—reflecting on injustice, resilience, and the sacred worth of children – “It is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” (Mark 10:14) Optional Summer reading is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, and the Fall book selections are Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. For more details and the Fall schedule, contact Deje McGavran (dhmcgavran@gmail.com.)
Sacred Ground Resumes this Fall. Join us on a healing journey toward the Beloved Community. Through study, dialogue, prayer, and shared reflection, Sacred Ground explores the obstacles and pathways to reconciliation and wholeness in Christ. This 11‑session series meets biweekly (about three hours each) after the 11:00 a.m. service, beginning Sunday, September 14. Facilitated by Joanne Jenkins and Fr. Murdock Smith. Contact Fr. Murdock (frmurdocksmith@gmail.com) to learn more or sign up.
EfM: Education for Ministry – Registration Closed. Our EfM group for this year is now full and registration is closed.
Adult Confirmation Retreat, Saturday, October 11, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. On October 11 we will offer a one day retreat for those interested in being Confirmed or Received into the Episcopal Church, or who wish to Reaffirm their faith. Participants are asked to read the book Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs and Practices by Scott Gunn and Melody Wilson Shobe prior to the retreat. Those interested must be available for the entire retreat day and plan to be at church on October 19 at the 11:00 a.m. service for the Bishop’s Visitation. For questions, or to register for the retreat, contact Mother Amanda Stephenson (astephenson@st-peters.org).
Contemplative Prayer Group Forming. A new Contemplative Prayer Group will begin meeting in September. Contemplative prayer invites us to rest in God's presence and listen for the movement of the Spirit within. Common practices include Centering Prayer (a form of meditative silence) and Lectio Divina (prayerful engagement with Scripture). If you are interested in joining a weekly group, please contact Mother Amanda Stephenson (astephenson@st-peters.org). Meeting time, location, and prayer practices will be determined based on participants' availability and interests.
Engage.
September 7, 12:30 p.m. – St. Peter’s Choir Brunch and Hymn Sing Join us on Sunday, September 7 after the 11:00 a.m. service for our Choir Brunch & Hymn Sing! Enjoy brunch favorites (including vegetarian options) and mimosas while supporting the St. Peter’s Adult Choir and their upcoming Summer 2026 residency at Exeter Cathedral. Tickets are $40 for adults and teens, $15 for children under 12, with kids 5 and under free and a family maximum of $100. Make it extra special with a $100 hymn request for the choir and guests to sing! Our 20s & 30s group will be there with a reserved table. Come celebrate our music ministry with food, fellowship, and song! Sign up on Realm at bit.ly/ChoirBrunch2025
Stay Connected with St. Peter’s eNews. Don’t miss weekly updates! Sign up on our website to receive the eNews every Thursday morning. If you don’t see it, or if this email is going to spam, check your spam folder and mark it “Not Spam,” or add news@st-peters.org to your contacts so you never miss what’s happening.
Call for Photos. We want your photos for our social media accounts! If you are a part of a ministry group, and you have photos from any of your events or gatherings, please feel free to send them to communications@st-peters.org so we can show off all our amazing people. Please ensure any people in the photos consent to their image being posted online.
Serve.
Pride Sunday – August 17! St. Peter’s will celebrate Charlotte Pride with a parade team and hospitality on our church lawn. We need volunteers to march, welcome neighbors, and help with preparations, plus both monetary donations to support our hospitality efforts and food to support our walkers. Pride T-shirt orders are due July 31. To volunteer, donate, or order a shirt, contact Kayla Newsome (knewsome@st-peters.org). Donations to the Pride Fund may also be at bit.ly/SPECPrideFund
Donate toiletries for neighbors at A Roof Above. Following his experiences on his Journey to Adulthood pilgrimage which he wrote about for last week’s eNews, Alex Wimbish, a rising 11th grader, is conducting a toiletry drive for A Roof Above neighbors. Please consider donating basic hygiene items, especially bar soap, shampoo, body lotion, toilet paper, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Your donations will be collected in a marked box in the parish lobby. If you have questions, please contact Alex (alwimbish@icloud.com).
Join a Roof Above Lunch Team. In addition to its monthly dinner team, St. Peter’s is now staffing two lunch teams to volunteer at the Roof Above Men’s Shelter at 1210 North Tryon Street. The schedule for each team is 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Contact Brian Gallagher (bdgallagher7@gmail.com) for more information.
Individual Volunteers Needed at Roof Above’s Day Services Center. In addition to our St. Peter’s monthly dinner team and two lunch teams, there are opportunities for individuals to volunteer. To learn more, go to roofabove.org and click on the "Volunteer" tab. Have more questions? Contact Christine Delia (cdelia@roofabove.org, 704-334-3187 x1028).
Feed the Red Bins. Bring food to church on Sundays (or anytime). Priority needs are: canned meat, canned fruit (low sugar), pasta, peanut butter, canned vegetables (low sodium)—and also diapers (large size). The red donation bins are located in the Parish House Lobby. You can also make donations to Nourish Up and to Galilee Center’s food pantry in the basket by the Tryon Street entrance.