St. Philip's United Church of Christ holds

St. Philip’s United Church of Christ. (Photo taken from the church website)

St. Philip's United Church of Christ held a Panera fundraiser at the South County/Tesson Ferry/Kennerly Road location across from Mercy South. Participants donated to the community by presenting a printed flyer or electronic version to the shop's website before purchasing Panera Bread products.

The fundraiser event occurred on Nov. 17 from 4 to 8 p.m., located at 9920 Kennerly Rd St. Louis, as per the church's press release.

Panera Bread

Panera Bread was formed in 1987 as St. Louis Bread Company, a small community bakery with a sourdough starter from San Francisco and a vision of putting a loaf of bread in everyone's hands, as per its website.

While Panera Bread's business has grown well beyond St. Louis since then, the same sourdough starter is still utilized in their signature sourdough bread, and the art of baking fresh bread every day remains at its core, the page revealed.

Their expert bakers provide their bakery shelves with delicious freshly baked cookies, pastries, bagels, and various bread ranging from focaccia to classic baguettes every day, the site bared.

Panera Bread believes in offering tasty, freshly cooked, clean meals that they would be happy to serve their own families. Chefs and bakers have created a menu of classic, familiar foods, each with a unique twist, the page revealed.

They are conscious of their impact on the environment and take steps to mitigate it. Whether it's a customer at their cafe or one of their employees, they believe in treating everyone with warmth, generosity, and respect. They also believe in assisting their communities, particularly in times of need, the site also mentioned.

St. Philip United Church of Christ

St. Philip's United Church of Christ is a welcoming, loving community of Christians who are thrilled about God's Church's future and their role in it. They cherish gathering as a church family every week to be nourished and given grace and spiritual instruction, as per the church website.

When you walk into their light-gathering place, you'll notice their welcoming, laid-back vibe. Worship, fellowship, and community service are essential to them, the page bared.

Children, teenagers, and adults participate in church programs that bring us together to study, pray, work, and worship. Every individual has a position in their community and a gift to offer, the site revealed.

History

Eden Seminary students surveyed the Concord Village area in 1957 and found that a church was needed. The inaugural service was held in the Tesson Valley Hall basement. After hearing recommendations from the congregation, "St. Philip's" was chosen, and Philip's words in John 1:46, "Come and See," became the congregation's bottom as per the about page.

The church first met in Dressel School before relocating to its current sanctuary in 1961. The building has been expanded over the years, with the most recent addition being the gathering space in 2001. The Early Childhood Center was established ten years after the church and has always been a vital element of the ministry, the site mentioned.

Many excellent pastors and lay leaders have served at St. Philip's. They believe that all congregation members have a shared ministry and that their mission activity extends beyond the walls of St. Philip's, the page stated.