Rector's Warden

Greetings St. Andrew’s,

We have a lot to look forward to in April, especially upcoming Holy Week as Lent comes to an end and we reflect on Christ’s path to the crucifixion, his suffering and death, and ultimately the joy of Jesus triumphing over sin and death on Easter Day. Services during Holy Week takes us through a powerful journey, and I encourage you to try and attend as many as you can to receive the fullness of this contemplative and transformative period and cornerstone of our faith.

This is also a great time of year to take inventory on ways you’d like to get involved here at St. Andrew’s. Thought about doing something different, or new? Now is a perfect time and if you need any guidance or have questions to what you could do, reach out to me, Reverend Ben, or any Vestry member as we’d be happy to help with direction and answer questions.

Some ideas to consider:

• Host a coffee hour. It’s a single commitment event and you can go as basic or fancy as you’d like. And it’s a super casual way to get to know more people as you host this time of fellowship. This is an area of great need, so why not give it a try? (Contact Julia Sanders)

• Help with Spring Cleanup in early May. This is another single commitment event to be working in the church yard and beautify our grounds while getting to know others. This is a good one to meet people who you typically might not see from your usual 8am or 10am service as we get a good mix. (Contact Ken Mancini)

• Help with our Outreach ministries. There are many different single commitment opportunities, like providing a meal for Atkinson’s, or you can be a regular committee member to be involved at a recurring level. Those who do outreach together build close bonds together! (Contact Doug Pratt)

• Become an Usher/Greeter. Isn't it nice to walk up to the church and get greeted with a warm smile and handy bulletin? This is a great way to get involved, meet people, and help with services. (Contact Lee Johnson)

  
  

That is just a small sample. You’ll see so many other opportunities just reading through this Piper and looking around the church. If something catches your interest, don’t hesitate to ask about it. Many hands make the work easier for all, and we build some of the best connections in doing so.

Below are our current Highlights, Opportunities, and Dependencies as a church. These are just high-level bullet points and further information can be found within the individual ministry reports or by contacting a ministry leader.

Highlights (March)

• March 2: Special Celebratory Service & Reception for First Communion Class, completion of Confirmation Class, and seven newly baptized at St. Andrew’s

• March 5: Ash Wednesday Services

• Adult Christian Formation: Episcopal 101 Series, 11:15am in the Werner Room after 10am services during Lent

• March 16: Special visit from Canon Shawn Wamsley

• Outreach: Youth cooking for the March Atkinson Dinner served with cards of encouragement – thank you to our 11 youth volunteers and the adult support

        for their efforts!

• Outreach: Lenten Children and Youth Service Project - Operation 143 Backpack Program

• March 25: Feast of the Annunciation Service, combined congregational service with Saint James’, Downingtown

  
  

Opportunities

• Join us for Holy Week Services: Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil with special reception, and Easter Sunday

• Easter Sunday Egg Hunt after the 10am service – invite your friends and neighbors!

• St. Andrew’s Garden – bed prep and planting, kicking off with our youth workers and Jeff Herrera

• Outreach: Bridge of Hope Easter Dinners for families in need

• Spring Cleanup! Be on the lookout for volunteer signups and join us in May for much needed help to beautify the church grounds. The more hands, the lighter the load, and it’s fun to work outside together.

• Mark your calendars for Vacation Bible School: July 21-24, 9am-noon. Reach out to Kristy Campagna for information, volunteer help, and sign-ups.

  
  

Dependencies (items that impact our ability to accomplish opportunities/goals)

• Volunteers - We need you! Please consider upcoming events to lend a helping hand. If you need any guidance to align your gifts/passions to volunteer efforts at the church, just ask Ben or a Vestry member.

• Reminder to keep up with financial pledges, your gifts are important to the sustainability of our programs. Thank you!