Dear Friends,
The Christmas Season of 2008 is upon us, and although the Advent Season is itself a joyous, blessed time of year, it goes without saying that 2008 has been a mixed blessing for many. And the year is not yet over.
This letter is both a reminder of a St. Andrew’s tradition and a request to at least continue this most worthwhile tradition. The tradition is that St. Andrew’s has for a number of years devoted our entire Christmas Offering to helping needy families in our own and in nearby communities. The amount gathered and disbursed last year was in excess of $13,000. It is hoped that we can do at least as well this year.
Every penny you contribute toward this effort will go to the families listed below, and if the offering is large enough other families whose needs come to our attention. It is a most efficient way to give, and an important and appropriate way our Parish can glorify God. The candidate families this year were nominated by Bound Together (All Saints Church, Pontiac); The Baldwin Avenue Church and Center of Pontiac; Open Door of Union Lake; and by members of our own Congregation.
The families we will be helping this year are:
1. A mother and daughter. The car of the family is inoperable and there is no money for repairs. A repaired vehicle would make possible family transportation, especially for the daughter’s essential tutoring sessions at Bound Together.
2. A mother with four boys. The mother works as a cleaning woman to support the family. The father is serving a long prison sentence. The costs of utilities and gas and rent leave precious little money left over.
3. A mother and father and two children. The wife has fibromyalgia, degenerative disc disease, lupus, and diabetes. Father has tumors in his feet, a herniated disc and bone spurs. Neither can work and the family has declared bankruptcy.
4. A mother and father and one son. The mother suffers from back and knee problems and depression. The father has a heart problem and is bipolar. The bipolar son quit school when he was 14 and “…hasn’t left their home in seven years due to his disability.” They live on a small monthly SSI payment.
5. A single mother with two children, an eight year old son and a nineteen year old daughter. The daughter suffers from constriction of blood vessels in the brain resulting in seizures. The mother recently lost her job when the dentist she was working for closed his practice. She does not receive child support.
6. A mother and father and son. The mother has Addison’s disease, osteoporosis, and suffered a heart attack in July. The father suffered a gunshot wound to the head in 2007 and cannot work as a result. The son has a tumor in his right knee, IBS, asthma, and is bipolar. Their SSD does not cover their $675 monthly rent.
7. A mother and son and daughter. The father is a drug addict currently in prison. The mother left him after fifteen years of marriage and receives no child support. She lost her job of five years last May and is now getting by on unemployment which just covers rent, heat, and car payment.
8. A mother and father and six children. The mother is pregnant. Mother and father work at part time jobs and the two family cars which are necessary for them to get to work are inoperable. The home is in need of significant plumbing and electrical repair.
These then are the families we are hoping to make a difference for this Advent Season.
Please give careful consideration to how much you can do to support this St. Andrew’s Outreach. We are in a position to make a difference for these eight families.
Three thoughts come to mind and I leave them with you:
· There but for the grace of God.
· From those to whom much is given, much is expected.
· As you do unto the least of these, you do unto Me.
Please help to continue this most worthwhile and commendable form of Outreach.
Faithfully yours,
Paul Sparre on behalf of the Christmas Outreach Committee
St. Andrew's Mission Statement
The mission of St. Andrew's Church is to show forth powerfully the love of God in Christ, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, by means of worship, fellowship and service to all who come to us, to those whom we seek out and to one another. Corporately, we will grow in numbers and in tangible and intangible resources. Communally as well as personally, we will grow toward the full maturity of Christ.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
What is Pledging?
What does pledging mean to me? Well in my lifetime of going to church (not that it's always been on a regular basis), I always thought it meant giving what you could afford, giving the extra you had. I never dug particularly deep, partially because I didn't always have a lot, but also because at other churches I never really saw where the money was going.
One of the best things about St. Andrew's Church is that you see where the money is going. Yes, it takes a certain amount to pay for the building and the salaries, but I love St. Andrew's emphasis on outreach. We are not a "profit" organization. Every year at Christmas time we're proud to help families in dire need. The loose offering goes to the discretionary fund, which helps so many worthy projects. We give to Open Door, to people in the military, and so many other worthy causes and projects.
So pledging and giving has come to mean something different to me than just giving the "extra". The money I give is making a difference in so many lives, not just outside the congregation, but inside as well. So it's become a high priority for me. I admit, some weeks are tight, and I can't give anything that week. But then on a better week, I give my pledge amount and make up for the week I couldn't give. And I use a very "high-tech" accounting technique to keep track-I keep the envelope in the box until I give my pledge amount. It's simple, but it works! I try to give to the church first before I "give" to Target or the dollar store, and I find a way to make it work.
I know some of you may feel bombarded from the vestry and budget committee with all the talk
about pledging and the 2009 budget. It's a tough subject to hear about, and I know it's not been easy for the vestry members who have gotten up to speak before services or during services (and thanks so much to them!). We all have to remember that not only is the economy in difficult times, but a transition time for a church is never easy. We definitely can't claim to have Father Chris' special touch when he sent out the letters for the next year's budget. However we are doing the best we can to give the congregation an honest, objective view of our current financial status, so everyone knows exactly where we stand.
This article and the budget committee article are the last ones you will see, and there will be no other talks given in the church about pledges or the budget, until our annual meeting, which is Sunday Jan 18. We will simply update in the bulletin the status of the pledge cards we receive. Thanks for listening, I think if we all look carefully at our situation, pray about it, think about all the good this church does, and have faith, we can move forward in a po$itive way.
Respectfully,
Francine Klein
One of the best things about St. Andrew's Church is that you see where the money is going. Yes, it takes a certain amount to pay for the building and the salaries, but I love St. Andrew's emphasis on outreach. We are not a "profit" organization. Every year at Christmas time we're proud to help families in dire need. The loose offering goes to the discretionary fund, which helps so many worthy projects. We give to Open Door, to people in the military, and so many other worthy causes and projects.
So pledging and giving has come to mean something different to me than just giving the "extra". The money I give is making a difference in so many lives, not just outside the congregation, but inside as well. So it's become a high priority for me. I admit, some weeks are tight, and I can't give anything that week. But then on a better week, I give my pledge amount and make up for the week I couldn't give. And I use a very "high-tech" accounting technique to keep track-I keep the envelope in the box until I give my pledge amount. It's simple, but it works! I try to give to the church first before I "give" to Target or the dollar store, and I find a way to make it work.
I know some of you may feel bombarded from the vestry and budget committee with all the talk
about pledging and the 2009 budget. It's a tough subject to hear about, and I know it's not been easy for the vestry members who have gotten up to speak before services or during services (and thanks so much to them!). We all have to remember that not only is the economy in difficult times, but a transition time for a church is never easy. We definitely can't claim to have Father Chris' special touch when he sent out the letters for the next year's budget. However we are doing the best we can to give the congregation an honest, objective view of our current financial status, so everyone knows exactly where we stand.
This article and the budget committee article are the last ones you will see, and there will be no other talks given in the church about pledges or the budget, until our annual meeting, which is Sunday Jan 18. We will simply update in the bulletin the status of the pledge cards we receive. Thanks for listening, I think if we all look carefully at our situation, pray about it, think about all the good this church does, and have faith, we can move forward in a po$itive way.
Respectfully,
Francine Klein
It's More Blessed to Give Than to Receive
I've heard that since I was a child. Another thing I often heard was that whatever you give, you get back several times over. Of all the things I heard as a kid, for some reason, I really believed these two concepts.
As a young working adult, before I was married, my Dad told me that I should give a portion of what I earned to the church (at that time, All Saints', Pontiac). "Whatever you give to the church is between you and God. It is always returned in ways you may not understand, but it always comes back to you," I remember him saying.
Over the years, I've found he was right. Giving must come from your heart. You must give deliberate, thoughtful, and especially PRAYERFUL thought to what you give to the church. And, yes, it does always come back in one way or another. It's usually not in a monetary way, but in a way I feel surging through me, increasing my own belief in God'sgoodness.
This year it is especially important to PRAY about what you do. Michigan families are facing hard times. We don't know what's around the corner for the auto industry that has run this region throughout my life. Yet, life does go on, and this church will be a part of your life no matter what. In fact, I think the support and encouragement of your fellowchurch members is even more important during hard times.
St. Andrew's needs your pledges, but you must also support your family. I remember when our family consisted of five children ages 12 and under. Outfitting all of them in snowsuits, gloves, scarves, hats and boots could break the bank!! Then there were unplanned doctor bills, school trips, college expenses, etc. etc.
Yet, we always gave a pledge to the church we attended. Some years that pledge would be larger than in other years depending upon what expenses we knew were coming. Some years we hit the mark of our pledge, some years we fell short and some years we went over. Some years we knew we could give more than we did in the previous year. Those were ALLELUIA years!!
Here at St. Andrew's I feel our family has a second family, just as important and just as loving and accepting as our family at home. We've grown in our closeness to God through the educational and spiritual programs here and through the wonderfully thought out sermons of Rev. Bob Wollard and Rev, Marlyn Stroud. I believe in the church's ability to move ahead.
This year as a member of the Vestry Budget Committee, I hope you will think deliberately about what you can do. I hope you will be thoughtful as you fill out the pledge card. But, mostly, I hope you will be PRAYERFUL and really listen to what God is telling you to do. I hope your gift comes directly from you PRAYERS and from your heart.
I firmly believe in St. Andrew's Episcopal Church's ability to maintain programs to the best of its ability. I firmly believe that God's work is done here and that work reaches outside the church to those in the community.
And, I firmly believe that whatever we give will come back to each of us several times over throughout the next year and the years ahead.
THINK, PRAY, THEN GIVE FROM YOUR HEART.
Charlotte Wall
As a young working adult, before I was married, my Dad told me that I should give a portion of what I earned to the church (at that time, All Saints', Pontiac). "Whatever you give to the church is between you and God. It is always returned in ways you may not understand, but it always comes back to you," I remember him saying.
Over the years, I've found he was right. Giving must come from your heart. You must give deliberate, thoughtful, and especially PRAYERFUL thought to what you give to the church. And, yes, it does always come back in one way or another. It's usually not in a monetary way, but in a way I feel surging through me, increasing my own belief in God'sgoodness.
This year it is especially important to PRAY about what you do. Michigan families are facing hard times. We don't know what's around the corner for the auto industry that has run this region throughout my life. Yet, life does go on, and this church will be a part of your life no matter what. In fact, I think the support and encouragement of your fellowchurch members is even more important during hard times.
St. Andrew's needs your pledges, but you must also support your family. I remember when our family consisted of five children ages 12 and under. Outfitting all of them in snowsuits, gloves, scarves, hats and boots could break the bank!! Then there were unplanned doctor bills, school trips, college expenses, etc. etc.
Yet, we always gave a pledge to the church we attended. Some years that pledge would be larger than in other years depending upon what expenses we knew were coming. Some years we hit the mark of our pledge, some years we fell short and some years we went over. Some years we knew we could give more than we did in the previous year. Those were ALLELUIA years!!
Here at St. Andrew's I feel our family has a second family, just as important and just as loving and accepting as our family at home. We've grown in our closeness to God through the educational and spiritual programs here and through the wonderfully thought out sermons of Rev. Bob Wollard and Rev, Marlyn Stroud. I believe in the church's ability to move ahead.
This year as a member of the Vestry Budget Committee, I hope you will think deliberately about what you can do. I hope you will be thoughtful as you fill out the pledge card. But, mostly, I hope you will be PRAYERFUL and really listen to what God is telling you to do. I hope your gift comes directly from you PRAYERS and from your heart.
I firmly believe in St. Andrew's Episcopal Church's ability to maintain programs to the best of its ability. I firmly believe that God's work is done here and that work reaches outside the church to those in the community.
And, I firmly believe that whatever we give will come back to each of us several times over throughout the next year and the years ahead.
THINK, PRAY, THEN GIVE FROM YOUR HEART.
Charlotte Wall
A Little Noise About The Squeakers
The St. Andrew’s Children’s Choir practices after the 10:00 service on most Sundays. All children are welcome. Upcoming events include a Christmas Eve performance, a play created in collaboration with the church Sunday School and musical collaborations with the St. Andrew’s Minstrels. For more information, contact Jennifer Vanadia, Harry Williams or Mary Kay Sparre. To receive email notification of Squeakers practices and performance dates, email jtvandsal@sbcglobal.net and put Squeakers in the subject line.
Church School News
The Church School students and their teachers are preparing an Advent play titled “God's Gift to Us.” The play will be presented during the 10:00 a.m.service on Sunday, December 14. Thanks go to Art Noren for finding the “One Rehearsal Christmas Play”; to Tom Sharpe for set design and construction; to Harry Williams and Jennifer Vanadia for helping with the music. We look forward to sharing the play with everyone!
From St. Andrews Endowment Committee
Each year the Endowment Committee plans to make a sizable gift to St. Andrew’s for projects that typically cannot be included in our annual budget. In past years, Endowment funds helped provide a new roof for the Rectory, purchased a defibrillator, helped purchase the new table and chairs we now enjoy in Hunt Hall and in the St. Gregory’s room, made it possible to replace the porch, and helped to make it possible to purchase the new organ.
Project approval and requests for funds must come from the vestry. This year the Endowment was asked to fund a kitchen remodel/upgrade that would provide new lighting, a new floor along with additional structural support for the floor, and a fresh coat of paint. Those who use the kitchen know that such a makeover is long overdue and the Endowment felt this was a just and worthy cause. However, do to current economic conditions, especially the downturn in the investment sector, the Committee felt that it is not the proper time to make a withdrawal from its investments.
In anticipation of an investment market rebound, the Endowment Committee stands ready to support new projects, programs and/or needed renovations that St. Andrews might not otherwise be able to take on. If you would like more information on the St. Andrews Endowment feel free to call on one of our Trustees: Randy Arsenault, Donna Bullard, John Ferris Jr., Sue Foster, Matt Jenkins, Kevin Roussey, and Judy Rowcliffe.
Project approval and requests for funds must come from the vestry. This year the Endowment was asked to fund a kitchen remodel/upgrade that would provide new lighting, a new floor along with additional structural support for the floor, and a fresh coat of paint. Those who use the kitchen know that such a makeover is long overdue and the Endowment felt this was a just and worthy cause. However, do to current economic conditions, especially the downturn in the investment sector, the Committee felt that it is not the proper time to make a withdrawal from its investments.
In anticipation of an investment market rebound, the Endowment Committee stands ready to support new projects, programs and/or needed renovations that St. Andrews might not otherwise be able to take on. If you would like more information on the St. Andrews Endowment feel free to call on one of our Trustees: Randy Arsenault, Donna Bullard, John Ferris Jr., Sue Foster, Matt Jenkins, Kevin Roussey, and Judy Rowcliffe.
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