A Stewardship Message from a Parishioner:
There’s a unique beauty in discovering new ways to give. Reverend Jen talked recently in her All Saints sermon about giving our time, talent and treasure. As I sat with this message over the last couple weeks, it has continued to resonate with me. The act of giving for me is a quiet, powerful echo of stewardship—a way of showing gratitude for all that’s come my way, and letting that gratitude ripple outward into our community.
I want to highlight a potential new way to give some of your treasure to St. Andrew’s. For some of you, the opportunity to make a donation straight from Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) associated with your retirement accounts isn’t just about numbers or tax forms—it’s about shaping a story of generosity with the resources we have. When you ask your account provider to send your gift directly to the church, that donation isn’t counted as taxable income. Simple as that. Not only does this help with your annual tax bill, but it can also lower your taxable income enough to reduce your Medicare premiums or keep you in a more favorable tax bracket. For some, this means more flexibility and security with retirement planning—benefits that reach into your daily life as well as your giving. Plus, because St. Andrew’s receives the full value, your offering goes further, fueling our ministry and outreach with every dollar.
This is just one of the many innovative or traditional ways to share your stewardship with St. Andrew’s. Many members utilize the use of electronic monthly automatic transfers (ACH) from their bank to St. Andrew’s account. We also offer various electronic online giving options like secure credit card portals or Venmo. As always, a check or cash in the Sunday plate collection is always welcome and often is a powerful and enduring physical act of giving.
So here’s my invitation to you this season: consider how you are currently giving to this community of your time, talent and treasure. Is this a fresh, fearless and formative way for you to participate in God’s creative work? Whether you are sharing and gifting from triumph or vulnerability, strength or uncertainty, your time and offering matters. There’s joy in sharing stories, and every story of stewardship, including yours, helps our community grow with grace.
Dennis Knuth
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 Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost/St. Cecelia Day/Proper 29
In-Person Sunday Morning Worship Service, November 23, St. Cecelia Day, 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 November 23.
One License #A-741864
CCLI License #22315781
GIVING TREE
It is hard to believe that the holidays are here once again. As in years past St. Andrew’s will participate in the Giving Tree. Your generosity throughout the years has been outstanding. Putnam County children continue to benefit from your kind hearts. Each child receives three-four gifts; this includes toys and clothing.
Gifts should not be wrapped. The Giving Tree program provides the gifts to the parent/guardian so that he/she can gift them to the children. Wrapping paper and tape are also given to the families so that they can wrap the gifts at home.
The deadline to return gifts to me is December 7th. My hope is that as soon as you have your gifts, please call me to plan a drop-off at 709 Toddson Drive, Cell Phone: 765-720-0105 and Home Phone: 765-653-6734 or the gifts can be brought to church.
If you do not wish to shop, we are happy to shop for you. You can send your checks to me or send them to the church and Renee will reimburse me.
Use this link from Sign Up Genius. It will take you to St. Andrew’s page to sign up for a child and a gift you can choose to shop for this season.
Thank you for your open hearts,
Gwen Morris
The Latest Updates
2025 STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN
Our 2025 Stewardship Campaign is underway. While we look around us and think about why we love St. Andrews and the people here, let’s pray for our church, our rector, each other, and how we can support St. Andrew’s financially. Last year we had a wonderful campaign that was able to pay off our deficit; this year we are asking parishioners to raise their pledges for cost of living expenses that will help us meet our salary and maintenance needs. Please return your pledge card by November 25. As always, thank you so much for everything you do for our St. Andrew’s family!
GETTING AHEAD PROGRAM DINNERS
The ecumenical outreach program needs a dinner prepared November 20. They ask that you prepare a simple, filling meal for 15 which will be eaten by parents attending the Getting Ahead at Gobin, and by the children who are babysat while the program is on. Lori Miller, the pastor who leads the program, has been very positive about this cohort – their consistency, the topics they want to learn about, and the personal successes they have with finance, education, and jobs. If you can help out, please let Jen+ know!
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, November 25 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 November. 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, November 22 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, November 22
• 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
Joanne Haymaker
Tom Kaiser, friend of Jen+ & Chris
Lynda, friend of Sarah Finlay-Black
Hansford Mann, friend of Joanne Haymaker
Teresa Masten, friend of Karen & Jim Mannon
Sally Motsch, friend to many at St. Andrew’s
Mary Mountz
The family of Tom Mullen, father of Patti Harmless
Elizabeth & Natalie Sheffler, daughter & granddaughter of Page & Narda Cotton
Deloris Smith, friend of Emily Knuth
Skip Sutton
Sydney, friend of Joanne Haymaker
Larry Taylor, former member of St. Andrew’s
Donald Voermans, father of Nick Voermans
Dwight Ziegler, uncle of Stephanie Gurnon
Diocesan Cycle of Prayer: Grace Church, Muncie: Ms. Connie Turner, 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 Parish and school in Mithon.
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.
Birthdays: Boyd Ensley, November 26; Renee Majors, November 26 .
Anniversaries: Page and Narda Cotton, November 24.
Special Events and Services
