This Week’s News in Brief
For additional information, events and announcements, please check the weekly “Fruits of the Tree”
Advent Lessons and Carols
This beautiful service of readings from scripture and sacred poetry, paired with hymns and anthems of the season, has become a St. Andrew’s tradition. Our service is dedicated to Mary, Mother of Our Lord. Join us on Sunday, December 6, at 5:30 pm.
Exploring Life and Faith: Our New Christian Formation Program on Thursday evenings
Controlling the Crazy: Please join us after Evensong & dinner for the following programs.
December 3: Christmas and Families
Two breakout sessions. One will be geared toward parents of small children with discussion about the holiday’s influence and pressure on children and families. The second offering will be discussion about the pressure of the holiday.
December 10: What does Christmas mean to you? Values and priorities.
In this session, we take a step back and look at our values and how we can celebrate the holidays with integrity, enjoying what we want to and saying no to what isn’t good for us.
December 17: The Paradoxes of the Season
We celebrate Christmas at the darkest time of the year. It’s cold, all the trees are in hibernation, and it can be depressing. Yet we light up our world like at no other time of the year. In this session we examine the paradox of light and dark, exploring how to let joy and sorrow, peace and turmoil, love and loneliness share space in our hearts – allowing Christ’s birth to cast light on our darkness.
Advent Daily Meditations
Advent Daily Meditations are back by popular demand, and return this December! Call for submissions! We will begin our Daily Advent Reflections starting in December, and would love to have volunteers submit a reflection. The process is easy, rewarding, and has a positive impact on the church community. If interested, please email Billy Powers at advent@standrewdenver.org. If you would like to sign up to receive a daily meditation written by one of our members, email Billy at advent@standrewdenver.org.
Extra pinecones, greens that you can spare?
Our Advent and Christmas decorations use a snowy woodland theme this year. If you can donate pinecones from around your home, please place them in front of the large cabinet in the corner of the Delzell room by Sunday, December 13. If you can provide cut fresh greens, please contact Judie James, 720-626-5300, JudithMJ@aol.com, and she will let you know when to bring them to the courtyard.
Advent and Christmas Memorials and Thanksgivings
Celebrate the Incarnation by remembering your loved ones with a contribution toward poinsettias and other decorations for Advent and Christmas. Gifts given “to the Glory of God, in Memory of” or “in Thanksgiving for” are a beautiful tradition in our church. Please complete the form found inserted in the Sunday leaflet and return it in the offertory plate or to the parish office with your donation attached by Monday, December 14. A minimum donation of $30 is requested; please make checks payable to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, with “Christmas Greening” in the memo line. Remembrances will be listed in the service leaflets on Christmas Eve and Day.
The Giving Tree
The Giving Tree is up and adorned with tags describing a present wished for by a child or mother served by Florence Crittenton Services. Please purchase the item on the tag, firmly attach the tag to the gift or bag containing the gift, and return to the Giving Tree by Sunday, December 13. Please do not wrap your gift. FCS is a Denver nonprofit that empowers teen mothers to become productive members of the community by providing social-emotional support, life skills training, parenting education, after-school tutoring, and financial literacy which makes it possible for teen mothers to succeed, not only academically, but also as parents. Nationally only 38% of pregnant and parenting girls complete high school while FCS achieved a 94.4% graduation rate in 2015. Visit www.flocritco.org for more information
Children and Family Ministries
St. Andrew’s first Kids’ Choir! Don’t miss out on this great opportunity for your children! We will rehearse monthly on the first Thursday of each month, 7:15 – 8:30 PM in the Common Room or office area of the Parish House. We will sing in the communion motet approximately every other month. Additionally, we will include music-reading lessons along with lots of fun music activities and games, in addition to preparing our communion motet.
Save the date: The Flower Guild, led by Judie James, the Children and Family ministry, and the SCF ministry, will be joining on December 19, 2015 at 3:30 p.m. for the annual greening of the parish followed by a short vocal warm up. We will then go out into the evening and sing carols to our neighbors. Please mark your calendar for this fun event. More details, and ways to pitch in, will be forthcoming, but probably not for a few weeks. Thanks, Jonathan Culwell and Judie James
Considering volunteering for Godly Play or TSE? We would love to hear from you. To be in touch about Children & Family Ministries at St. Andrew’s, e-mail children@standrewdenver.org.
Community of Caring: Pastoral Care at St. Andrew’s
The support of a faith community is essential in a time of crisis or personal challenge. At St. Andrew’s we minister to one another in a variety of ways.
- Prayer Chain: Have a prayer request for yourself or others? Email Jean Rafsnider. We have a ministry of members who hold your request in prayer every day.
- Eucharistic Visits: Eucharistic Visitors bring communion to you if you are in the hospital, homebound, or struggling with a chronic illness. Contact Diana Solomon.
- A Meal that Heals: Do not worry about sustenance when illnesses or surgeries arise. A Meal that Heals provides you and your family a meal to make healing easier. Contact Barbara Day and Nancy Kidd to request a meal.
- EZ-Rides: Are you unable to drive to church for some reason? Contact Diana Solomon.
- Home Visits: Offer a caring presence, attentive listening, and nonjudgmental support. Contact Mother Melissa for more information.
Contact our partners in ministry if you are in need or if you would like to get involved. If you need immediate pastoral attention, at the time of a death, illness, or other life crisis, please remember that you can call the church number: 303-296-1712. If Mary answers, ask for the rector’s voice mailbox, and as soon as the message begins, press 1. You will be connected to a cell phone, where you can leave a message and expect a prompt reply. If the voicemail is on at the church, simply press 1 as soon as the greeting begins, and then press 1 again when the rector’s greeting begins. Please help us to help you by letting us know when you need the support of your community.
The Lectionary Discussion Group
The Lectionary Discussion Group meets every Sunday from 10:20am to 10:50am for informal discussions of the scripture readings for the day. We meet in the Parish House Common Room, directly across the courtyard from the Church. Please join us!
Do you have News in Brief to share? Please email it to office@standrewdenver.org by noon on Wednesday for inclusion in the following Sunday’s announcements.
Expanded news appears each week in St. Andrew’s weekly eMinistry (with its own deadline of Monday at noon) – accessible via the homepage of our website: www.standrewdenver.org.