St. Andrew's Episcopal Church

St. Andrew's is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania
                           The Rt. Rev. Dr. Nathan Baxter, Bishop

With God's help, the people of Saint Andrew's Church will strive to know and accept God's love in Jesus Christ for people of all sorts and conditions and to witness to God's love in word and action.

Ministries

St. Andrew’s offers a wide variety of opportunities for individuals to serve in personal ministries that enable them to use their gifts to serve the church and its community. Volunteers provide a wide range of services to the Church, ranging from manning the phone at the volunteer’s desk, to helping assemble publications and mailings, and running the gift shop, providing childcare, and teaching in church school, and youth and adult education, and visiting the sick. Volunteers also provide food and service for church functions ranging from the Coffee Hour to Church luncheons and suppers. In addition, we have a wide variety of committees, commissions, and the Vestry to help manage the business matters of the church. If you feel called to any of these opportunities, please see the Rector, or call the church office.
 

Time and Talent

St. Andrew’s has an active Altar Guild. The Guild is divided into teams which serve once every five weeks. Duties include preparing the altar and vestments for every service and caring for, cleaning, and maintaining all of the ornaments of the altar and sanctuary. Members are on call for weddings, baptisms, funerals and other special services. They meet as announced during the year.

Ushers

This ancient and important ministry is carried out at the 10 a.m. service on Sunday and at special services. Greeting and welcoming people into the House of God is included with the privilege of making strangers and visitors feel at home and at ease.

Middle school and High school students are invited and encouraged to participate in the services at St. Andrew’s. One of the most common ways is to become an acolyte. Training sessions are held, as announced, throughout the year.

St. Andrew’s has a number of trained licensed Lay Readers/Chalice Bearers who participate regularly in the services of the Church by reading Lessons and offering the Prayers of the Church, as well as administering the chalice at the Holy Eucharist. These persons are licensed by the Bishop as Lay Eucharistic Ministers upon recommendation of the Rector.

Lectors participate in the service of the church by reading lesssons as assigned. Training sessions for Lectors are held periodically throughout the year. Call the church office to volunteer as a Lector.

St. Andrew's has Sunday Church School all 12 months of the year! Twenty-five volunteers teach the children ages 3 through 5th grade. The children are grouped by age into five church school classes. A classroom for 3-year olds transitions children from the nursery to the church school. The curriculum for 4 and 5-year olds is Godly Play. All of the elementary grades use ECC. Teachers work in teams that teach on a rotation system .They teach two consecutive Sundays then are off for four Sundays to attend Holy Eucharist. We always teach in teams of two teachers in a room at all times. Teachers have quarterly meetings and work together to support each other in their ministry that includes welcoming, listening, caring, engaging, learning, and teaching children about matters of both faith and practice. All teachers must complete Safeguarding God's Children, a training program in sexual abuse awareness for clergy, Sunday School teachers, nursery workers, vestry members, and others who work with minors in our churches.

Eucharistic Visitors are laypersons who have been trained and authorized to administer the Eucharist to people unable to attend services.

Stephen Ministers are lay persons who receive training in pastoral skills and whose ministry provides care, compassion and understanding to individuals in both the parish and the community. Typically, a Stephen Minister is paired with an individual in need and maintains a relationship with the same individual over time.

The Saint Francis Ministry was formed by a group who had completed their fourth year of Education for Ministry, with the purpose of providing short-term practical services to individuals with temporary problems, such as transportation, meals, household help, and shopping, and running errands. Franciscan ministers serve to fill in when an individual or family has an immediate problem that can be remedied by the assistance of a Franciscan minister.

Parishioners Ministry

The Parishioners’ Ministry of St. Andrew’s has been one of our ministries since 1958. The parish supports The Parisioners' Ministry with monthly contributions and individuals and the Women of St. Andrew’s have also made generous contributions. Six stewards administer the funds, and are elected by the parish to serve three-year terms. Two new stewards are elected each year. The Parishioners’ Ministry quietly and confidentiality assists people in the community who find themselves in need of our help. The Parisioners' Ministry steward on duty works with social agencies in the State College area to put together financial packages to aid clients in financial difficulty, with assistance in meeting a variety of needs including help with medical expenses and oral surgery; obtaining eye glasses; assisting with payment of utility bills, purchasing shoes, gasoline and other necessities; and helping with payment of rent in emergency situations.

All women communicants of St. Andrew’s are automatically members of the Episcopal Church Women (ECW). The ECW is a national organization with a mission of carrying out Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world and to take their place as leaders in the life, governance, and worship in the Episcopal Church. The ECW of St. Andrew’s also runs an International Gift Shop that supports outreach ministries to those in need.

Daughters of the King

The Daughters of the King is an Order for women, with chapters in the Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Members undertake a Rule of Life, incorporating Rules of Prayer and of Service. By Reaffirmation of the promises made at Confirmation, a Daughter pledges herself to a life-long program of prayer, service and evangelism, dedicated to the spread of Christ’s Kingdom and the strengthening of her parish.

The Canterbury Society is comprised of people who have made bequests to the church, either in their wills or through life insurance policies or other means.

Vestry, Commissions, and Committees

St. Andrew’s offers many opportunities for service to the church and community at large in the form of Committees and Commissions. Most of these groups are directly involved in the life and activities of the church, while others perform community outreach.

The Board of the parish which is composed of twelve lay persons and the Rector. In December, four lay persons are elected for three-year terms. The Vestry, with the Rector as Chairman, has responsibility for all of the properties of the parish, the raising and dispersing of funds, the budget and, in effect, all the temporal concerns of the parish. The Vestry meets twice monthly at 7:30 p.m., on the first and third Monday.

Oversees the conduct and promotion of the educational activities of the parish.

Companion Parishes Commission

Seeks to deepen our relationship and commitment with local and international companion parishes, St. John's, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and Santo Andre, Brazil.

Parish Life Commission

Promotes and coordinates social functions and deepens fellowship in the parish.

Social Ministry/Parish Health Ministry Commission

Seeks to translate the Gospel into works of mercy and action for the Church and the community, including promoting health and wellness as part of the mission of a community of faith.

Spiritual Life Commission

Coordinates retreats, quiet days, study groups and publications to assist and nurture the spiritual growth of the parish.

Stewardship Ministry Team

Works to interpret the insights of Scripture regarding the care of our material resources and personal resources of time, talent and money for the mission of Christ's Church and the care of the world.

Archives Committee

Cares for and suggests policies regarding preservation of historical parish documents.

Finance Committee

Informs and advises the Vestry regarding all financial affairs of the parish, including insurance programs, administration of funds and budget.

Personnel Committee

Develops policies and job descriptions for staff members as well as instruments of evaluation.

Planned Giving Committee

Promotes ways of supporting the Church's work through bequests and wills and trusts.

Property Committee

Oversees maintenance and protection of all property of the parish and recommends work to be done.

Investment Committee

Oversees the management and investment of church bequests and endowments.