Spiritual Hub

Ellen Hayward grew up with the expectation that she would go to church. As she got older and set out on her own, she continued going for a while. “But then,” she says, “I did the whole ‘personal journey’ thing. I definitely had a spiritual gap in my life.”

After moving to Myrtle Beach and having her daughter, Riley, Ellen wanted to rediscover spirituality, both for herself and for her daughter. She returned to church and to a familiar denomination, but something still felt missing. “It was all about obligation,” she says. “That’s why we went growing up, because we were supposed to.”

Ellen remembers churches where no one spoke after worship, no one stayed around, and no one really seemed connected. “Once church was over, it was like everyone said, ‘Ok, now we can leave.’ There was no community.”

Ellen wanted something different, especially for Riley. She needed a spiritual hub, not just a place to attend on Sunday mornings. So, she reached out to her friend and mentor, Hank Moody. After listening to what Ellen was searching for, he suggested she try St. Philip.

When Ellen first visited, the service felt familiar, but something was different about it. She saw kids and young families. People lingered after worship. They talked to one another! It felt like a community. The following week, Joan DiLorenzo recognized her and handed her a vase of flowers. It was the welcome she needed.

“There are so many small things that shouldn’t matter but do,” Ellen says, pointing out the Blessing Box, the many ways to serve, and the feeling that everyone is accepted. But what matters most is that Riley does not resent going to church the way Ellen once did. “St. Philip helped me bring Riley into a life of faith without feeling like I had to do it all alone,” she says. “If it was just up to me, I don’t think she would have gotten any faith foundation.”

What Ellen found at St. Philip was more than a place to fulfill an obligation. She found a community of faith that walks alongside one another. A community where people are welcomed, supported, and connected. A community helping build a foundation of faith for the next generation.

Thank you for making that kind of community possible.