The Reverend Owen Griffiths, Pastor
Faith Lutheran Church
Heading 1
4150 Woodhaven Road
Philadelphia, PA 19154
(215)-637-4210
flcphiladelphia@verizon.net
Welcome
Thank you for visiting Faith Lutheran Church online!
We are a small, family-friendly church in NE Philadelphia.
Whoever you are and wherever you are on life's journey--married or single, old or young, black or white, native-born or immigrant, gay or straight, bisexual or transgender, parent or childless, rich or poor--you are always welcome here at Faith Lutheran.
Help us out: If you missed your weekly offering, or if you just want to support the ministry of Faith or the ELCA, you can make an online donation by clicking the "GIVE!" button on the menu bar.
Our Mission
Our mission is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people through worship, education, service to our community and world, fellowship, caring, and prayer.
We would love to have you join us!
Baptisms & Weddings
Call the Pastor at (215)-637-4210
for information on how to schedule baptisms and weddings; he will be glad to work with you.
SUNDAY WORSHIP
You can enjoy VIRTUAL worship on Facebook Live every Sunday.
Go to Faith Lutheran on Facebook!
Just click the underlined link!
Worship Schedule
Sunday Worship
10 AM
Children's Time
during worship
every Sunday
Faith and Fellowship
Bible Study
Sunday at 11:30 AM
News
Reformation Sunday
This Sunday, October 25th, is Reformation Sunday. It’s the time we Lutherans celebrate the posting of the 95 Theses in 1517 which began the Protestant Reformation. Pastor Owen will be away this week, so Deacon Mari-beth Fetsick will lead worship and deliver the Reformation Sunday message. She always has great insights, so be sure to come and be inspired. And don’t forget to wear red to show your Lutheran pride!
All Saints Memory Book
Faith’s All Saints Memory Book will be in the narthex for the last time this Sunday. If you have lost a loved one since last November 1st, please write their name in the book and list your relationship to the deceased. We’ll remember all our dear departed on All Saints Day, November 1, 2026.
Support Autumn
Our very own Autumn Darrer (daughter of Annemarie Goffredo, sister of Jordan) has an online store where you can get really cool stuff for Christmas gifts or for your own enjoyment. Autumn is raising money for her Girl Scout troop. She says: “Being in Girl Scouts, I can make the world a better place. Girl Scouts do activities and help the community while learning important skills that will help us forever. My goal this year is to earn $150.00 to help Girl Scouts, and so that our troop can buy materials to help our community. Will you please help by shopping at my online site? Thank you.” Autumn’s site has magazines, nuts & chocolates, personalized items, candles and other things. You can shop it by clicking on: https://www.gsnutsandmags.com/landing/0/49d99816-46bc-4e53-87df-5fe7e820633b/en-us/False or just ask her to send you an email.
Faith and Fellowship
Faith & Fellowship is meeting every Sunday at 11:30 in the Lower Auditorium. Grab your coffee and snacks and head downstairs for inspiring Bible study, group activities, faith-based videos, and friendly fellowship. You don’t need to be a Bible scholar. Just be curious and have a desire to know the Scriptures and your fellow Faith-ites a little better.
Men’s Ministry
Faith’s Men’s Ministry is meeting Tuesday nights at 7:30 PM in the Fellowship Room. Join Joe Ross for some deep Bible insights, light refreshments, and meaningful conversation. All men ages 18 and over are invited. You don’t have to be a member of Faith, so feel free to invite a friend.
Last Sunday of the Month Offering
Faith’s Last Sunday of the Month offering for October will be for Feast of Justice.
Upcoming Events:
Sunday, November 15th: Harvest Home Sunday. Please bring non-perishable food items to church to share with the families registered for assistance with Feast of Justice.
Tuesday, November 17th 7:00 PM: Faith’s Thanksgiving Service. An evening service of song and Holy Communion to give thanks for God’s blessings over the past year.
Sunday, November 22nd: Youth Sunday
Sunday, November 29th: First Sunday in Advent Guitar Mass. Our friend Deacon Silvarius Galvan will lead us in song and deliver the message as we begin this holy season.
Kids' Time
Just a reminder Faith has a Kids' Time every Sunday during the 10 o'clock worship. Miss Grace and Miss Emma tell stories to the tiny tots who may not be able to sit comfortably through our liturgy. The kids also do crafts and get a special message from Pastor.
Commemoratives this Week:
Monday, October 26: Philipp Nicolai (d. 1608), Johann Heermann (d. 1647), and Paul Gerhardt (d. 1676), Hymnwriters. All three of these hymnwriters were Lutheran pastors who served in Germany during times of war and plague. Among their works are “Awake, Awake for Night is Flying” (Nicolai), “Ah, Holy Jesus” (Heermann), and “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” (Gerhardt). These hymns are still sung in Lutheran congregations around the world today.
Wednesday, October 28: Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles. Simon “the Zealot” and Jude called Thaddeus are listed in the gospels as being among the twelve. Little is known of them, but legend has them both traveling to Persia after the resurrection and being martyred there.
WELCOME! VIRTUAL WORSHIP NEWS:
If you can't make it to church on Sunday morning, we're bringing church to you. We are livestreaming Sunday morning worship at 10 AM on the Faith Luther Facebook page. You can also read the texts of Pastor's sermons by clicking on the "Pastor's Blog" tab on the toolbar. Please remember, too that you can make online donations by clicking on the "GIVE!" button above.
You can also check out videos from our national church body, the ELCA, our Synod, or our congregation below. We usually start our livestream about 10 minutes BEFORE the worship begins, so you can fast forward through the video to hear this week's announcements and experience the previous Sunday's service.
Sunday, October 25, 2026
Reformation Sunday
Gospel: John 8:31-36
31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
First Lesson: Jeremiah 31:31-34
31 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.
Second Lesson: Romans 3:19-28
19 Now we know that, whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For no human will be justified before him by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed and is attested by the Law and the Prophets, 22 the righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; 26 it was to demonstrate at the present time his own righteousness, so that he is righteous and he justifies the one who has the faith of Jesus.
27 Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. Through what kind of law? That of works? No, rather through the law of faith. 28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of gentiles also? Yes, of gentiles also, 30 since God is one, and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law through this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
6 The nations are in an uproar; the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice; the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations;
I am exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.