A Message from the Senior Warden:
A New Year, a Hopeful Beginning
The year 2024 didn’t end well for me. I felt let down by my country and my family and I suffered a great loss. The fact that both happened on the same day compounded the feelings of loss and sadness. It has been difficult to participate in the world as I used to. Wanting to hole up at home and ignore everything is my go to.
As I have reflected on this, I wondered if others have been having these same feelings of sadness and disconnectedness. This is not how I want to live my life and spending time with my grandson over the holidays showed me that I have much to be grateful for. With the new year I want to look for the positive. Martin Luther King, one of my heroes, said, “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
I know that we have much to be grateful for at St. Andrew’s. As our first step, we can rejoice over a very successful stewardship campaign. Out of 47 pledging units, 87.25% pledged. This includes 4 new pledging units (families or individuals) and most of the regular pledgers increased their pledges for 2025. St. Andrew’s is beginning this new year without a deficit and we feel comfortable that we can continue to afford to do the ministries we want to do and keep the staff we so highly regard.
To encourage me to continue up MLK’s metaphorical staircase, I read a quote by poet Charles Lamb. “New Year’s Day is every [hu]man’s birthday.” This makes me think of rebirth, beginning again, and hope for the future. A birthday is a celebration of a new year. A new chance to make a change.
In the new year I hope you find hope, feel love in the world, and see that each of us can make small changes that make the world a better place. Isn’t that what St. Andrew’s is all about?
Wishing you love and peace,
Karen Hirt Mannon
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 First Sunday after the Epiphany
In-Person Sunday Morning Worship Service, January 12, led by The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Oldstone-Moore, 10:15 a.m.
You can stream the service via St. Andrew’s 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 January 12.
The Latest Updates
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!
SACRED POETRY GROUP
Our Sacred Poetry began meeting again. We will meet again on Wednesday, January 15 at 2:00 p.m. in Hamilton Hall. All are welcome!
TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY
The Book and Bible Group has begun again, meeting at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays with Evening Prayer celebrated at 4:00 p.m. The next one will be Tuesday, January 14.
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 top of the piano in Hamilton Hall. Feel free to read and return!
THIS WEEK’S SHOPPING LIST FOR NON-FOOD PANTRY
Please add baby wipes, disinfectant wipes, and Adult Depends (any size) to your shopping list for the NFP for the month of January. 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, January 25 from noon – 2:00 p.m.
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, January 25
• 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
The family of Vernon Bane, father of Joanne Haymaker’s daughter-in-law
Toppy Beach, sister of Skip Sutton
Beth Benedix, friend to many at St. Andrew’s
Kim Frank, sister of Pamalee Smith
Katie Gleichman, relative of Jim & Cathryn Ensley
Carole Greenawald
The family of Troy Greenlee, friend of Thom & Gwen Morris
The family of Richard Hassler, brother of Suzanne Hassler
Janet Jenks, friend to many at St. Andrew’s
Tom Kaiser, friend of Jen+ & Chris
The family of Lisa Breese Kincaid, daughter of Bob & Mimi Breese
Teresa Masten, friend of Karen & Jim Mannon
Sally Motsch, friend to many at St. Andrew’s
Mary Mountz
Jeri Mucia, friend of Joanne Haymaker
Tom Mullen, father of Patti Harmless
Logan Murray, grandson of Dave & Sue Murray
Marilyn & Leo Nelson, sister & brother-in-law of Joanne Haymaker
The family and friends of Kevin Sanders, friend of Mannon family
Elizabeth & Natalie Sheffler, daughter & granddaughter of Page & Narda Cotton
Skip Sutton
Karen Swalley, friend of Thom & Gwen Morris
Dwight Ziegler, uncle of Stephanie Gurnon
Diocesan Cycle of Prayer: St. Peter’s Church, Lebanon: Mr. Chuck Dailey, Sr. Warden.
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 in Mithon.
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: The Church of the Province of West Africa.
Birthdays: Henry Cox, January 13; Caroline Good, January 13; Suzanne Hassler, January 14 .
Anniversaries: None.
Special Events and Services
