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St. Philip's Lutheran Church History

1960s

  • Dr. & Mrs. John Gronli -- retired Lutheran missionaries first envisioned the formation of a church in Carmel Valley

  • July 1965 -- Reb. J. Bernhard Bretheim was called by the office of America Mission of the American Lutheran Church to be the organizing pastor of a new church in Carmel

  • November 14, 1965 -- start worshipping at Carmel Middle School

  • May 1, 1966 -- officially recognized as a congregation in the Lutheran church

  • 1967 -- Church built -- Parsonage on Flander's Drive up for sale, completed in August 1968

  • 1968 -- started library​​​

1970s

  • 1972 -- Schardt left early in the year. Pastor Vrudny was the contact pastor for the Presidio of Monterey, appointed by the Lutheran Council, division of Service to Military Personnel -- From November 2 until 1974

  • 1973 -- started connection with Rock Point Navajo Mission, Lent and Thanksgiving services with Bethlehem and Faith; participated in 90-day Radio Ministry "Faith for Today" - 15 minutes per day

  • 1974 -- Lowell built the lectern, Lent and Thanksgiving services with Bethlehem and Faith

  • Taste Force September 1975 -- purpose to investigate all possible aspects of St. Philip's and to make recommendations for improvement -- met biweekly x3 months (Gerog French, Jeanne Hiaasen, Ruth Bullock, Bob Erickson, Wayne Moore, Pastor Vrudney); Navajo Mission

  • 1976 -- 10th anniversary -- Bretheim & Schardt came, shared Lent and Holy Week services with Bethlehem & Faith, the co-op nursery (Parent's Co-operative Nursery -- part of Monterey Unified School District) left after three years (Barbara Novelli had been teacher in 1975), use of fellowship hall by Mid-Valley Fire Department for monthly meetings

  • 1977 -- First time that regular and interest payments were made to ALCA, had combined vacation Bible school with valley churches, combined Lenten services with Bethlehem, Faith, Epiphany, and St. Timothy; restart newsletter

  • 1979 -- Start support of Sunny View Manor in Cupertino, CA -- over the years, financial, bibs, lap covers; June 1 -- end of agreement with Faith for shared pastor

1980s​

  • Was a polling place

  • 1980 -- pews completed - wood donated by Richard Comings, built at Carmel High School, cost us $231.21; easement to the county for expansion of Carmel Valley Road

  • 1982 -- New organ

  • 1984 -- New piano for sanctuary

  • 1985 -- Synod report on tensions within congregation

  • 1987 -- Restart newsletter -- Marilyn Long

  • January 1, 1988 -- end of obligation to ELCA Loan Fund as successor to ALCA @ Minneapolis

  • 1989 -- Financial support to El Buen Pastor; Rev. Amy Onstad serves as interim pastor; November 19 - Mortgage Burning Celebration with Rev. Midthun in attendance.

1990s

  • Dream Team -- Swede Johnson, George Miller, Elmer Rupp, Don & Elsie Gault, Mark Johnson, Bob McCully, Alan & Lesley Pedersen, Tom & Ida Barber, John Long, Emmy Kelly

  • 1991 -- 25th Anniversary celebrated 4/28/91, went to 2 services in September; October 13 - special congregation meeting to approve building program; Earthly Treasurers Sale; updated constitution

  • 1992 -- start I-HELP in December - Monterey County Interfaith Satellite Shelter Project )started as 100/day program during the rain); visit from El Buen Pastor; went back to 1 service in November; vacation Bible School with St. Dunstan's (Daneen Gunter - led) -- well made; mission for the 90s -- restructure the council to add 3 positions - group life, life visitation, mission/physical​

  • 1993 -- 1st bilingual service with El Buen Pastor in August; joint services with St. Dunstan's in July & December; Lenten retreat; groundbreaking for new addition 9/1/93.

  • 1994 -- Koinonia Study Group; Scholarship program to help college student while he cleaned the church (anonymous donations), paving of parking lot (anonymous donation); Brunch Bunch (fundraiser of 2nd Sunday of the month -- Freedie Miller, Larmier, Cleo Rupp); rummage sale; Art & Craft Show

  • 1995 -- Lunch with Pastor on the 4th Wednesdays of the month; Roger Bartels led Sunday Evening Lecture Series; special offering of >$1,700 toward a fund of about $30,000 from Aid Association for Lutherans, ELCA, and other churches & LCMS for Monterey Count relief following floods -- relief in area of Rose's Bridge in Carmel -- led by Steve Reinerstsen; continue to collect soup labels for Navajo Mission

  • 1997 -- Matt Larson as intern

  • 1998 -- Jodi Golden-Lund as intern; playground equipment installed -- Murphy's Lumber of Carmel Valley donated lumber & other materials for bench in play area & the basketball court; pew cushions; "In the Family Fund" - provide financial assistance to member/friends of St. Philip's on an as-needed basis. funding from special offerings, not budgeted

  • 1999 -- El Buen Pastor worship -- we went 6/13/99, they came to us 8/1/99; looking for director of Family, Education & Youth ministries as part time position

2000s

  • 2000 -- Jazz worship 6/18 -- Hal Harris; island in parking lot completed; Endowment Fund started (Karl Hansen, Illah Hjort, Mel Kelly, Jack Pingel - November 5th congregational meeting); El Buent Pastor visits 8/20/2000; Mission to Mexico June 22-28; VBS; Psalm 150 playing for the first time July 30th; Kid of the Kingdom Choir sang at nursing homes; Youth music director - Tori

  • 2001 -- Blumhorst retirement luncheon June 10th at Rancho Canada -- Schmidt as intern (left August 2002); Nancy Costello food and Christmas program, Angel Tree for outreach; Central Coast Interfaith Project (formed in 2000 to work with other congregations seeking welfare of region through conversation leading to action); Food with Love Prayer Chain Carin Callers; 9/01 -- Bishop Munib Younan of ELC of Joran and Palestine -- public lecture that was co-sponsored by St. Dunstan's; 10/7 - Blessing of the Animals; Thanksgiving service with St. Dunstan's and Congregation Beth Israel. VBS August 6-10 - evening program; Mission to Mexico; Church in the Home after Easter; youth have 30-hour Famine to raise money for World Vision International; painted the youth room

  • 2002 -- Larson installed 9/15/02 - Outreach Nancy Costello food projects, Angel Project (Christmas gift for children of prisoners); kitchen remodel, Blumhorst named Pastor Emeritus in October; Bach Sunday in July, Seder for Maundy Thursday

  • 2003 -- Audit Committee - Fall (Members -- Mike Hendrickson, Scot Johnson, Mel Kelly, Maria Buell); 6 went to National Youth Gathering in August 2003; Bach Sunday in July

  • 2004 -- new sign at road made by Lowell; alternate worship, healing service, VBS 7/26-7/29 in the evening; Bach Sunday July 25 & August 1; Dream Team add Emmy, Cleo; Nen's Breadfast; Radio program "Leap to Faith"

  • 2005 -- oak tree removed; Jerusalem Market place August 1-4 VBS; two oaks planted

  • 2006 -- end of Coleman stove fund, Blessing of the Animals, Bach Sunday, VBS 7/24-27, Treasure Cove, Beam replacement, noon Lenten service, new dishwasher

  • 2007 -- start with IOC, Mt. Cross Day Camp June 25-29, Mardi Gras Brunch, started with Food Bank Saturdays

  • 2008 -- May 18th - Bread for the World Forum with Panetta; $2,000 to Carmel Red Cross response to Big Sur Fire, Mt. Cross Camp for VBS

  • 2009 -- Mardi Gras; Confirmation 5/17; Thank You brunch for Food Bank raised $1,045 in September

2010s

  • 2010 -- Friends in Need Fund; Laurel install 9/26/10; join IOC; Healthy Start -- start October 16 Rev. Dale Sollom Brotherton (7 point -- make sure pastor congregation well acquainted, develop leadership structure, improve communication, increase participation, fellowship improve quality & quantity, adult education, visitor fellowhip)

  • 2011 -- Tiding launched - name auggested by Mike Berry; 5/22 -- 2nd golf; 2/12 CPR & AED certified; Moms in Touch used Fellowship Hall

  • 2012 -- Birdies for Charity -- Window project; golf tournament, VBS -- Gardening appreciation Sunday 6/3; Giants game 9/8; host IOC Thanksgiving service

  • 2013 -- Geochace, bowling, aquarium; 7/14/13 -- congregation meeting to sell the parsonage; Oktoberfest

  • 2014 -- Oktoberfest; Golf tournament; Combined Lenten services with St. Timothy and Epiphany; Pastor Laurel goes half time; I-HELP changes leadership; Naval Post Graduate outreach; Sunday school and confirmation proposed with Bethlehem; Education classes with Jon Erickson and Anita Johnson

  • 2015 -- VBS; August - Pastor Alexander goes out on disability; Pastor Larson - interim arrives - September; Confirmation with Bethlehem; Alzheimer's Class; Ensemble Monterey

  • 2016 -- Call Committee formed; Pavers to front of church initiated -- Walkway fund; Nursery attendant quit; Organ fund for a new organ -- refurbished 2004 Rogers organ; Use of parking lot for BMW show; Sink hole in parking lot fixed; Ensemble Monterey; Banner poles; Constitution review and updates; Sobranes fire

  • 2017 -- T-shirts; Cross has been placed by the front door & congregation members were encouraged to bring in stones to place a the base that would symbolize their burdens; Organ replaced; Website developed

  • 2019 -- Pastor Tony started serving; Adopt a Highway started

2020s

  • 2020 -- Last in-person worship March 15; COVID - Zoom - join with St. Timothy's for Bible Study - Zoom worship; Drive throughs for Christmas; Weekly food bank distribution with Granite started April; Continue with I-HELP

  • 2021 -- Resume in person worship June 6; Lenten drive through before Ash Wednesday with asked handed out and again for Palm Sundays - palms handed out; Shared outdoor Lented services with St. Timothy; Blessing of the Animals

  • 2022 -- October 16 - worship in the park with St. Timothy's - Casanova Knolls Park; Starting January - First and Third Fridays - through summer STEM bags for Carmel Valley Library

  • 2023 -- Team with St. Timothy - collaborative task force to look at ways the two churches can work together - Three options are cooperative ministry (keep both churches open and share a pastor), merging (close one church and merge into the remaining church), and consolidating (close both churches and open a new church in a new location).; December 16 - Christmas Gala at St. Timothy's; Shared Lenten services with St. Timothy's; Wayward wanders; Oktoberfest

  • 2024 -- Article about woodworkers, Oktoberfest, Pastor Tony leave in November; December 14th - Music Fest featuring St. Philip's Choir, Emily Rustad, Psalm 150

  • 2025 -- Lay Leadership - preaching, Bible Study; Synod's Lay Preaching Class - George Isaac, Barb & Lowell Battcher, Laureen Hill, Sharon Anderson, Mary Kramer; December 13 - Music Fest featuring Epiphany Lutheran Marina, Beth Israel Synagogue, Mike Mahoney's band, Psalm 150, St. Philip's choir, Emily Rustad

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