A Message from the Senior Warden:
The Season of Advent
It’s the Christmas season and that means lots of tinsel, decorations, shopping and finding deals. I spend time making a list. Keeping track of each family member that I want to buy for and how much money I have spent. I know that all the emphasis on gifts and buying isn’t what this season is about. It is the season of Advent when we anticipate the coming or birth of Jesus Christ.
The Episcopal Church website says this: Advent is a season of preparation: shopping for gifts, decorating our homes and sanctuaries. Advent is also a time to prepare our hearts and communities for the coming of Christ, the Almighty God who came among us poor and homeless, a stranger and a child. There may be no better time to reflect on how we as the Episcopal Church embrace the Holy One who continues to draw near in the neighbor, the stranger, the refugee, or the one who seems most “other” to you. It is the ideal season to commit to becoming Beloved Community and growing loving, liberating, life-giving relationships across the human family of God.
It is a time for reflection and spiritual renewal. As I spend time reflecting, I think about the time I spend buying gifts and I have to admit that I don’t want to stop. I still want to show my love by giving. I love to give gifts. Can I give gifts that embody the love of this Advent season?
I have decided to buy each of my loved ones an adventure to be shared with others. We’ll go see the monster trucks and have hot chocolate. Or I’ll give a zoo membership so we can spend time together and visit the animals all year long. And a trip to New Port, Rhode Island will be a fun adventure for the ones who love the gilded age and its architecture. Then I’ll round this out by donating to causes and people I care about.
As I reflect, I hope that my gift giving embodies the love Jesus shared.
Karen Hirt Mannon, Senior Warden
Connect With Us
Rector’s Office Drop-In Time
Rev. Jen has set her office drop-in day as Wednesday of each week from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. for anyone who would like to stop in and visit. You are always invited to make an appointment for a time convenient for you. Mondays are her Sabbath day.
The Third Sunday of Advent/Year A
In-Person Sunday Morning Worship Service, December 14, led by the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Oldstone-Moore,10:15 a.m.
You can stream the service via St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Greencastle, Indiana Facebook Page. Click on this link to view the Live Stream. We will start the Live Stream 5 minutes prior to the start of the service.
Click here for the service booklet for December 14.
One License #A-741864
CCLI License #22315781
Advent and Christmas 2025 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.
Festival Crafts on Sundays in Advent
Join us on Sundays following the Sunday Holy Eucharist service in Hamilton Hall for crafts to help you count down and celebrate the Advent season. We will prepare with candle crafts, ornaments and letters, and rose windows on Rose Sunday.
Advent Lessons and Carols and Greening on December 21st
Let us look forward and prepare for Christmas with Holy Scripture reading and hymns and songs of praise. The youth and young adults will lead us in worship. Following the service, we will deck the halls and help put up the tree to green the church for Christmas Eve.
Christmas Eve
Wednesday, December 24th
Joy to the world! The lord is come! On this holy night God shines the brightness of the true Light upon the world – we behold Jesus Christ is born! Join us at 5:00 pm for Festal Christmas Eve Carols and a Service of Holy Eucharist at 5:30 pm.
Christmas Day
Thursday, December 25th
Unto us a child is born. Celebrate Christmas with this quiet, intimate morning service at 10:15 am.
Christmastide at St. Andrew’s
The twelve days of Christmas include two Sundays this year. Join us on December 28th for Christmas Lessons and Carols, and Sunday, January 4th for Holy Eucharist.
The Latest Updates
CHRISTMAS FLOWER REMEMBRANCES
Flower forms were included in your service sheet on November 30. Please complete and return to the church office by this Sunday, December 14. The greening of the church will take place immediately following the service on Sunday, December 21.
HEALING PRAYER
Most Sundays our intern Meghan will be offering anointing and healing prayer at Sunday services during communion. Meghan will set up a station in the narthex; meet there for general or specific prayers for healing.
TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY
The Book and Bible Group has begun again, meeting at 4:30 p.m. most Tuesday afternoons with Evening Prayer celebrated at 4:00 p.m. The next one will be Tuesday, December 16 at 4:30 p.m. You will find the Gospel passages and links to these commentaries on the St. Andrew’s website, last selection under the Connect tab entitled “Book and Bible Group”. All are welcome.
ALTAR FLOWER CALENDAR
An altar flower calendar is posted in Hamilton Hall. Sign up to sponsor the altar flowers to commemorate a birthday or anniversary, remember a loved one, or in thanksgiving for an important event. We ask a donation to help offset the cost of the altar flowers and other worship expenses. Be sure to tell the office your dedication so that it can be printed in the bulletin. Please make checks payable to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and in the memo field please put this information: Altar Flowers, person’s name, occasion, Sunday date you’d like for the flowers to be on the altar.
VESTRY MEETING MINUTES
If any of you are interested in what your Vestry is doing, there are two copies of each month’s minutes on the music stand in Hamilton Hall. Feel free to read and return!
SHOPPING LIST FOR NON-FOOD PANTRY
Please add razors, shaving cream, laundry detergent, spray cleaner, and toilet bowl cleaner to your shopping list for the NFP for the month of December. Meals and conversation in Hamilton Hall are going well. Patrons are now able to pick out items they most need. Your contributions help our budget go farther in helping meet the needs of those in Putnam County. The next Non-Food Pantry will be Saturday, December 20 from noon – 2:00 p.m. If you can help with this ministry in any way, please contact Harriet Moore or Carl Huffman.
KROGER COUPONS
If you have any unwanted Kroger coupons, please bring them to Hamilton Hall and place in the window ledge near the “Little Library”. We would like to make them available to our Non-Food Pantry recipients so that they might be able to take advantage of them to help extend their food budget. Thanks in advance!
FREE DAILY DEVOTIONAL
We have some large print Day by Day daily devotionals in the sanctuary that you are free to take home for your personal devotions–and if we know that people would like copies, we can order the right amount. Many of you may also appreciate the on-line version of Day to Day. Click here.
ON-GOING COVID PROTOCOL
We continue to respond to both our county’s current CDC designation and to the current variant. Masking is optional. Decisions on COVID policy have moved from the Reconvening Committee to Rev. Jen and the Wardens.
Prayers and Reflections for This Week
We have heard that the daily reflections and scripture readings provided during Lent were appreciated. The meditations are written by persons from Gobin UMC and Beech Grove UMC. They will be in the newsletter each week. Whether you enjoy these every day or as the Spirit moves you, may this resource continue to bring you spiritual food for the journey. Blessings!
Click here to view the readings and accompanying links.
Non-Food Pantry Latest
Saturday, December 20
• Noon to 2:00 p.m.
There will be a distribution in Hamilton Hall and light lunches will be served inside. We are grateful for all those who have worked so hard to obtain supplies for the Non-Food Pantry. Items are having to be purchased from a variety of sources making it much more expensive. Donations to help offset this extra cost will be gratefully accepted!
Top 3 Needed Items
Your prayers are asked for:
Haile Bane, grandson of Joanne Haymaker
Beth Benedix, friend to many at St. Andrew’s
Jennifer Clarke, friend of Patti Harmless
Diane
Angela Evans
Katie Gleichman, relative of Jim & Cathryn Ensley
Tom Kaiser, friend of Jen+ & Chris
Lynda, friend of Sarah Finlay-Black
Warren Macy
Hansford Mann, friend of Joanne Haymaker
Teresa Masten, friend of Karen & Jim Mannon
Sally Motsch, friend to many at St. Andrew’s
Mary Mountz
Sarah Oldstone, sister-in-law of Jen+
Elizabeth & Natalie Sheffler, daughter & granddaughter of Page & Narda Cotton
Deloris Smith, friend of Emily Knuth
Skip Sutton
Larry Taylor, former member of St. Andrew’s
Donald Voermans, father of Nick Voermans
Dwight Ziegler, uncle of Stephanie Gurnon
Diocesan Cycle of Prayer: St. John’s, Bedford: The Rev. Kelsey Hutto-Ford, Rector.
Our companion dioceses: The Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil: The Most Rev. Mauricio Jose Araujo De Andrade, Primate of Brazil and Bishop of Brasilia. The people and Diocese of Haiti and Saint Andre’s Parish and school in Mithon.
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: The Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil.
Birthdays: None.
Anniversaries: Larry & Dawna Wilson, December 17; Joe & Jenny Heithaus, December 19.
Special Events and Services
