Formation
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 3:18a
At St. Andrew’s we believe that the Holy Spirit comes to us through a worshipful community steeped in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Our mission is to offer to all ages an open awareness of their faith, its foundations, its core values, and its application to their personal and communal lives.
Adult faith formation.
Sunday School for adults has long been a fixture at St. Andrew’s Church. The format has varied considerably over the years but currently enjoys an active and participatory format led by a parishioner with a background in adult education. The guiding principle of Adult Faith Formation is to explore, through readings and discussion, our lives as Christians, Episcopalians, and spiritual beings. In addition to our lay-led Sunday School, St. Andrew’s is blessed to have a priest-led weekly Bible Study on Tuesday mornings 10-11 a.m. via Zoom.. Through this ministry, our parishioners experience in-depth exegesis of entire books of the Bible, exploring their history and theology, and leading to personal reflection and insight. Contact the office for the Zoom link.
During Lent 2024 we offer a Wednesday evening simple soup supper at 6:30 followed by conversation on Barbara Brown Taylor’s book, An Altar in the World, 7-8 p.m. We close each evening with Compline. Please join us!
Godly Play.
Godly Play is a Montessori-based method using hands-on materials to share, reflect, and retell stories and themes from scripture, more recent history, or liturgy. All participants have an opportunity to make their own responses using the story materials, craft supplies, or other choices. The children have a dedicated classroom enriched by contributions from parishioners sharing their many gifts -- building shelves, woodworking, painting, creating fiber arts, donating financial resources, and more. Godly Play currently meets from 9:15-10:15 on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sunday mornings in-person, upstairs in the Education building in the Godly Play room.
Youth ministry.
Even with a small congregation, St. Andrew’s is blessed with young families with children who will soon be middle/high school age. . To supplement the parish’s own activities, there is an active diocesan youth program offering events and conferences throughout the year. The St. Andrew's Children's Fund has been established to offset the cost of participation in any church or diocesan event, including youth conferences and attendance at Camp Henry. The Children’s Fund also provides for small college scholarships to St. Andrew’s students -- up to $1,000 a semester. We are currently exploring opportunities for Middle/High school youth. Ideas are welcome!
Contemplative gardening.
As we tend to God’s whole creation, we have begun to spend time together in contemplative gardening as we beautify our church grounds. We are designing different gardens, beginning with the Promise Garden. We are working on designing other gardens around our grounds. All are welcome to join us as we design, plant, and tend!
