Rector's Welcome
On behalf of all the people and staff at Saint Andrew’s Church, I welcome you to our church and to our Web site. For more than 70 years we have faithfully served the people of State College and beyond, and we are excited to discern where God will lead us next.
We are a warm, welcoming and growing group, inclusive of all sorts, shapes and sizes. Only in God’s house can such diverse people come together to find and form a spiritual family. I believe that there is room and a space here for anybody and everybody to land. Our parish family includes university students, faculty and staff, Central Pennsylvanians, those just passing through and just about everybody else. At Saint Andrew’s there is a place for whoever wants one.
We place a particular emphasis on spiritual formation and growth, and our strength lies in our programs: with our young people, through our outreach, in our adult education offerings, by our strong music program and in the fellowship among our members, and there are numerous ways to easily get involved.
If you are in search of a church home for your family, we take special pride in what we offer: nursery care for the youngest and superb programs of Christian education and formation for children and youth lasting through high school. We dedicate space and resources of staff and money to be sure that the youngest among us understand the integral and critical role they play in our common life.
Our primary work is worship — meeting Jesus in the Eucharist and being sent from the altar into the world, nourished to do His work. Opportunities exist to attend the Eucharist nearly every day of the week. Services are at different times on different days to make it easier for worshippers to find a service that will fit into their schedule.
Our belief in the Incarnation compels us to place outreach at the heart of our vision and mission. We are a parish that looks outward into our neighborhood, our community and our world. Opportunities exist here at Saint Andrew’s to be involved in local, national and international mission. On Thursday evenings, our Community Cafe provides an opportunity for people of all ages, from our church and the community, to break bread together and enjoy some table fellowship. Building upon the success of this endeavor, we challenge ourselves to ask where God calls us to work next.
Although we look out, we also look in. Our “inreach” to all members of our parish family forms a strong community of care, love and mutual support with many opportunities to connect with one another. We are a church that believes in a watertight system of pastoral care.
We are proud Episcopalians — members of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania under the leadership of our Bishop, the Right Rev. Dr. Nathan Baxter. We embrace our national church’s mission of building and growing a church where there are no outsiders. And, just occasionally, God’s “frozen chosen” may even find themselves being thawed!
Newcomers will find a church where they will easily integrate and find their interests, skills and talents almost instantly embraced. I encourage you to contact me directly with any questions. God is doing great and exciting things here. I invite you to join us and share our Christian pilgrimage.
