Outreach
Christ came not to be served but to serve, teaching us through the example of his life that God’s will for us is to care for our brothers and sisters. The parishioners at Saint Andrew’s have been called in many ways to care for others. Some of our programs such as Stephen Ministry and St. Francis Ministry were established decades ago while others like the Community Cafe have more recently sprung up in response to new needs and opportunities to reach out a supportive hand. Many ways are available for your hands to do God’s work. All are welcome to join a community of
people who choose to serve.
The Community Cafe
The Community Cafe was born of a desire by parishioners to fill the outreach void that was left when the State College Area Food Bank, which was housed at Saint Andrew’s for many years, outgrew its space. Since March 2009, the Community Cafe has been serving soup and bread suppers from 5 to 6:45 p.m. every Thursday, and welcomes everyone to the table. Volunteers arrive at 4:00 to begin setting up and usually finish by 7:15. But it’s more than an opportunity to volunteer; it’s an opportunity to break bread together, to help those in need — whether they’re in need of a hot meal or fellowship — and to support this growing ministry.
Parishioners’ Ministry
Parishioners’ Ministry has been a part of Saint Andrew’s since 1958. Six stewards administer the funds and the parish supports PM with a monthly contribution. Individuals have also been most generous. Parishioners’ Ministry works quietly and with confidentiality to meet the needs of people in the community who find themselves in need of help. The PM steward on duty works with social agencies in the State College area and financial packages are put together to aid clients. A variety of needs are met, including help with medical expenses, eye glasses, oral surgery, utility bills, shoes, rent, gasoline and more.
The Companion Parish
The Companion Parish Ministry at Saint Andrew’s was established in 2004, entering into a companion relationship with the parish of Santo Andre, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. Members of the two parishes have visited their companion parish during the six years of the companion relationship, celebrating the Eucharist together and enjoying a broad range of parish activities while learning about each other’s cultures and customs.
Santo Andre is the only Anglican church in Campinas, a metropolitan area of more than 2 million. During the early years of the companionship, Saint Andrew’s assisted in stabilizing the parish of Santo Andre, which at the time was exceedingly fragile. The parish has since grown, and one of the most important joint ventures uniting the parishes is the mission to educate, shield and develop shantytown children in a program known as Cool Saturday. This program currently ministers to more than 35 children between the ages of five and eleven.
For a description of the Myers' 2010 visit to Campinas, please click Companion Visit 2010.
For more information, please check their website at www.igrejaanglicana.org.br.
To see Father Sergio's forum presentation, please click here.
Saint Andrew’s also shares a companion relationship with Saint John’s, Bellefonte, and with the Episcopal Campus Ministry at Penn State.
The International Gift Shop at Saint Andrew's
The mission of the gift shop is and always has been to help people in developing countries.
Much of the merchandise comes from developing countries through A Greater Gift and 10,000 Villages, which ensure that the artisans get a fair living wage for their handcrafts. Fair trade items such as chocolate and coffee are available for purchase, and this year, local items such as Tait Farm products and Amish handcrafts have been added. Because of the moral need to reduce energy use, we now have some energy-saving items as well. These new items have been added to keep the shop viable as Third World items become more and more available everywhere. Proceeds form gift shop sales go back to people in need in Third World countries through donations to different organizations. So far this year, the gift shop has donated $500 to Santo Andre, our companion parish in Brazil, and $500 to Haiti after the recent earthquake. A contribution to Heifer International will be made later this year.
The gift shop is open after the 10:00 church service on Sundays and weekdays in the month before Christmas and during the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.
The Social Justice Committee
The Social Justice Committee, through dialogue, prayer and reading, seeks to discern a focus and a direction for the church’s efforts to help our community achieve a greater measure of social justice. The Bible speaks passionately about the rights of the poor, therefore we are called together in faith to help our community in areas such as housing, health and hunger and to build a stronger sense of parish community while educating others about the manifold forms of prejudice and the grievous harm it causes to individuals and society.
Click this link for a more detailed history of this committee. History of Social Justice Committee
The Saint Francis Ministry
The Saint Francis Ministry at Saint Andrew's is an outreach ministry that provides willing pairs of helping hands to assist with the activities of daily living to those who find themselves in need of a little extra help. The assistance we provide tends to be short term and, as enthusiastic amateurs, we are strictly nonmedical and nonprofessional.
Typical activities include:
Laundry
Transportation to church and medical appointments
Letter writing
Preparing light meals
Making phone calls
Shopping
Dog walking and pet care
Home and hospital visits
Please call the church office for any type of assistance, 814-237-7659
Stephen Ministers
Stephen Ministers are lay people who provide one-to-one Christian care to people within our congregation and in the larger community of Central Pennsylvania. People receiving care from a Stephen Minister may be handicapped, bereaved, hospitalized, terminally ill, separated, divorced, unemployed or facing a crisis or other life challenge.
Stephen Ministers administer the Eucharist and provide comfort and have been ministering to the people of Saint Andrew’s for 15 years. Anyone who chooses to become a Stephen Minister will receive guidance, training and support from the congregation. This practice of faith provides a satisfying means of putting love into action.
People Who Receive a Visit…
- Receive quality, Christ-centered, confidential care
- Find hope, healing and a sense of community through the support of a Stephen Minister
- Know they are remembered and supported by their congregation in times of personal difficulty
- Receive ongoing care long after the onset of a crisis, when others may have forgotten about their need
- Receive Eucharist and participate in the body of Christ.
People Who Become Stephen Ministers…
- Live out Christ’s teaching and follow His example of service
- Enjoy the satisfaction of making a difference
- Represent their fellow congregants in showing care
Learn more at www.stephenministries.org.
Meeting Space
Because of the central location of Saint Andrew’s, the building is an excellent venue for community gatherings. Meeting space is provided to 12-step programs every day of the week and several campus organizations use the facilities for fundraisers such as spaghetti suppers. For information and availability, please call the church office.
J.R. Johnson in Afghanistan
One small act of love extended beyond our community was the recent contribution of dozens of pairs of shoes collected by our members and distributed by J.R. Johnson to the children in the village of Shah Joy, Zabol province, in Afghanistan.
