St. Philip's Lutheran Church on Limestone Road
St. Philip's Lutheran Church sits on Limestone Road in the Pike Creek area of Wilmington, Delaware, where it has welcomed neighbors, families, and curious visitors for more than two decades under Senior Pastor Rev. Patrick Downes. The congregation belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America through the Delaware-Maryland Synod, and it is known around northern New Castle County as a community that is intentionally inclusive, deeply rooted in service, and serious about forming disciples of every age.
The mission that shapes the congregation is short and direct: making disciples, praising God, and serving the community. Rev. Downes, ordained in 2002 and senior pastor at St. Philip's since that time, led the congregation through a season of intentional discernment that produced this focus. As he writes, "St. Philip's should be a place where EVERYONE is welcome and no one feels judged." For him, the church is meant to be a place where the Word of God is heard, taken into the heart, and lived out in daily life in ways that make people "less anxious, less worried, more at peace, more grace-filled, and more confident that whatever may come in our lives that nothing separates us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord."
Sunday Mornings: Two Services, Communion Every Week
Worship is the heartbeat of St. Philip's. Two Sunday morning services are offered each week in the fall, winter, and spring:
- Worship and Holy Communion at 8:00 a.m.
- Worship and Holy Communion at 10:30 a.m.
Communion is celebrated at every service, and everyone is welcome to receive it. The pastor and assisting ministers serve the bread and an individual cup of wine or grape juice. Gluten-free bread and juice are also available; just let the pastor know. Children who are not yet receiving communion are encouraged to come forward for a blessing.
Both services are offered in person and online, with the most recent services livestreamed and archived on the church's YouTube channel. The chancel choir, directed by Dr. Stephen Benscoter, leads congregational singing and choral anthems, and the choir offers a Christmas Cantata each year to celebrate the season.
Between the two services, from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m., three things are happening at once:
- Adult Education, currently working through a video series on Moses
- Kids Club, Sunday school for kindergarten through fifth grade, currently exploring "The Bible According to Bluey"
- Youth Breakfast Club, a Sunday morning gathering in the youth room for middle and high schoolers, with food and conversation about God
A children's sermon is shared at the midpoint of each service. After the pastors speak with the children, kids through third grade are invited to follow an adult leader to the fellowship hall for "Growing in the Gospel," a developmentally-tailored lesson that lets the older kids and adults listen to the sermon without distraction. Children return to worship immediately after the sermon ends.
Small Groups: 120 Adults Studying Scripture Together
Small Group Ministry has become one of St. Philip's most popular programs, with more than 120 adults active in small groups each week. Three goals guide every group: study scripture together, learn to pray with and for one another, and care for one another. Along the way, members build relationships and visitors get to know the congregation in a relaxed setting.
Newcomers are asked to commit to trying a group for at least three weeks.
Youth and Children: A Three-Pillar Program
The youth group at St. Philip's is one of the congregation's most distinctive ministries. Associate Pastor Rev. Amy Wright works alongside adult leaders to build the program on three pillars: relationships with one another, relationships with God, and relationships with the community.
The program has three parts. On Sunday mornings, the "Breakfast Club" gathers in the Youth Room from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. for food and conversations about God. Throughout the program year, the youth meets after church for game nights, blind taste tests, trips to Main Event, ice skating, mini-golf, Synod retreats, lock-ins, apple picking, and signature fundraisers like the annual Spaghetti Dinner and Bingo Night and the Easter Sunday Breakfast. Each summer, the youth travels for rebuilding work, hurricane relief, and service trips, joining the ELCA National Youth Gathering every third year.
Younger children have Kids Club (K through 5th grade Sunday school) and Mission Kids, a family ministry that brings young families together for apple picking, Valentine's Day cards to the homebound, finger painting, an annual Easter Egg Hunt with the youth group, and monthly moms' nights out.
The Rite of Confirmation is geared toward 7th through 9th graders and centers not only on the Small Catechism and the Bible but also on service in the community and what it means to be the Body of Christ. First Communion is traditionally offered during Lent for children in 2nd through 4th grades, with three 90-minute sessions taught by the pastors alongside family members. Children receive their first communion on the first or second Sunday after Easter Sunday.
Stephen Ministry: One-on-One Care in Hard Seasons
Stephen Ministry provides one-on-one, confidential care to anyone in the congregation or beyond who is hurting. Stephen Ministers are trained and supervised lay caregivers who listen, pray, walk alongside a person through hard times, and maintain strict confidentiality. They are available at the end of each service.
Each Stephen Minister completes 50 hours of training before being commissioned. Continuing education and supervisory sessions continue every two weeks thereafter. Stephen Ministers are not professional counselors, but they will gladly offer referrals when needs go beyond what they can give. There is no charge for the care provided.
Grocery Club: Food for Neighbors Who Are Food Insecure
Twice a month, St. Philip's opens its food pantry - called the Grocery Club - to neighbors who qualify by income. Food is pre-ordered from the Food Bank of Delaware and supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables from Produce Junction. The distribution takes place on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. On the second Wednesday, volunteers with pickup trucks pick up the combined order at 1:15 from the Food Bank and bring it back to the church. When the food arrives, others unload and sort it so guests can shop for themselves. Donated clothing and household items are distributed periodically as well.
Family Promise: Hosting Families in the Church Building
St. Philip's was one of the founding partners of Family Promise of Northern New Castle County, an independent nonprofit that helps families with children move toward lasting independence. The congregation hosts homeless families in its own building on a rotating basis, providing shelter, meals, fellowship, transportation, and an overnight host who sees the guests off by 6 a.m. Volunteers clean and set up bedroom areas before and after each host week, prepare dinners each evening, offer fellowship in the early evenings, drive the Family Promise van, and donate breakfast and lunch staples.
Refugee Ministry: Walking Alongside New Arrivals
Beginning in the fall of 2021, in the wake of events in Afghanistan, St. Philip's partnered with Jewish Family Services of Delaware to adopt two families from Sudan. Volunteers assist with state benefits, finding jobs, learning English, transportation to medical appointments, school enrollment, and everyday tasks as families work toward citizenship. The relationships have become so close that the congregation describes the two communities as family.
Women's, Men's, and Senior Ministries
The Women's Ministry gathers women of all ages for Sunday morning Bible study, a monthly book discussion group that meets in rotating homes on the second Friday evening, ladies' nights out, and an annual retreat to Rehoboth Beach.
The Men's Ministry offers "honest fellowship" through motorcycle trips, mid-day lunches, evening dinners, Sunday morning Bible studies, and mountain get-aways. Rev. Downes coordinates this ministry.
O.W.L.S. - Older, Wiser, Lutheran, Seniors - meets in the fellowship hall on the second Tuesday of each month during the program year for lunch, friendship, and a short presentation on a topic relevant to everyday life.
Pub Theology
On the third Thursday of each month, Pastor Amy hosts Pub Theology at Chuck Lager's from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The format is simple: beer, conversation, and God. All perspectives are welcome at the table.
Chancel Choir
The Chancel Choir rehearses every Thursday night from 6:45 to 8:00 p.m., late August through late May. Dr. Stephen Benscoter directs the music program, and Dr. Lauren Elizabeth Conrad serves as Director of Choir Ministry. All voices are welcome; ability to read music is not required, and anthems are typically learned in four-part harmony. A Christmas Cantata is presented each year.
Pinners & Knotters: Quilts for Lutheran World Relief
Each month, a group of quilters gathers from 9:00 a.m. until noon to make quilts for Lutheran World Relief, which ships them all over the world to impoverished and war-torn areas. Newcomers are welcome, and training is provided for those who are new to quilting.
Nursery Care and the Children's Worship Hour
A staffed nursery for children up to age four is available throughout the Sunday morning hours so they can attend small groups and worship without distraction. Parents of wiggly children are also welcome to step out to the narthex, where they can still see and hear the service. During the sermon, children through third grade are invited to Growing in the Gospel, a developmentally-tailored lesson in the fellowship hall.
The Memorial Prayer Garden
On the north end of the building, a peaceful Memorial Prayer Garden offers space for prayer, reflection, and remembrance, with visiting hours from dawn to dusk. A portion of the garden is also designated for the burial or scattering of ashes, and a memorial plaque inside the church lists the names, dates of birth, and dates of death of all those whose ashes rest in the garden. The garden is open to all persons, not just members, and is reached by a sidewalk along the building so it can be reached by those with mobility issues.
Mission Outreach Beyond the Region
St. Philip's reaches well beyond northern New Castle County in its mission work. The congregation supports Lutheran World Relief through Pinners & Knotters quilts, partners with Jewish Family Services of Delaware on refugee resettlement, hosts volunteer teams through Lutheran Volunteer Corps, and has partnered with congregations near Nalepo Kanan, Kenya on a clean water well project.
Pastoral Staff and the Church Office
The pastoral team is led by Rev. Patrick V. Downes (senior pastor) and Rev. Amy Wright (associate pastor). The music program is led by Dr. Stephen Benscoter, Director of Music, and Dr. Lauren Elizabeth Conrad, Director of Choir Ministry. Gigi Mueller serves as a Stephen Leader. The church office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The address is 5320 Limestone Road, Wilmington, DE 19808. The phone number is (302) 239-2100, and the email is stphilipswilmington@gmail.com.
Donations to the ministry and outreach efforts of St. Philip's are welcomed online, and the monthly Guidepost newsletter, weekly worship bulletins, picture galleries, and an extensive library of worship service videos are available to anyone who wants to follow along from home. St. Philip's Lutheran Church lives out its calling to make disciples, praise God, and serve the community every day of the week on Limestone Road and far beyond.