Happy Thanksgiving!
Blessings and hopes for a Happy Thanksgiving for all of you! May your travels be safe and trouble-free, your food be delicious and abundant, your time with family and friends be loving and fruitful, and your afternoon nap be enriching and uninterrupted.

Please note that, given the Thanksgiving holiday, there is no Wednesday night Healing Mass tonight -- and the Parish Office will be closed tomorrow and Friday. However, I look forward to seeing you on Sunday morning as we prepare to celebrate the First Sunday of Advent and begin another church year together!

In the meantime, I offer you the following Collect for Thanksgiving Day, which is found on page 194 in the Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty and gracious Father, we give thee thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we beseech thee, faithful stewards of thy great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Grace and Peace,
Fr. Gary+
2020 Pledge Campaign & Parish Survey Update
“For it is in giving that we receive.” - Prayer attributed to Saint Francis
We are now entering the final week and a half of our Annual Pledge Campaign. As the graphics above indicate, we are continuing to make impressive progress toward our goals! Thank you to everyone who has already turned in their pledges!

If you do not have your pledge card, you can download one via this link -- or you can complete your pledge online via the "Pledge" link below:
In addition to the Annual Pledge Campaign, our parish survey, which is being used to help guide the work of the Saint Andrew's Mission/Vision/Values Task Force, continues. If you haven't already had an opportunity to complete the survey, you can do so via the following link:
Thanks again to each of you for blessing Saint Andrew's with your participation in our common life -- and for your faithfulness in supporting this community with your time, talent, and treasure
Worship Schedule
Wednesday,
November 27

No Healing Mass
or Choir Practice

Enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving!
Sunday, December 1, The First Sunday of Advent
8:30 AM Low Mass
(Rite II)
(No Sunday School)
10:30 AM Sung High Mass with Great Litany
(Rite I)
Wednesday, December 4, Feast of Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra
6:30 PM Low Mass with Unction and Healing Prayers
Prayer Requests
The following people have been commended
to the prayers of the parish:
Ann, Audrey, Bambi, Barbara, Bill, Bob, Chris, Chuck, Corinne, Eddie, Edward, Elaine, Ena, Ginger, Hamilton, Hannah, Jean, Jodi, Leigh Ann, Margaret Lee, Mary, Nancy, Nell, Sharon, Weesie, Willlie, Winnie
To add someone to the Daughters of the King prayer list, please e-mail
daughters1913@gmail.com . There is also wooden box in the Narthex where you can fill out prayer cards. The Daughters will add your names to their prayers. 
Bishop's Visitation with Baptism and Confirmations - Sunday, November 24
Announcements
No Sunday School This Sunday
We will resume next Sunday, December 8
West End Association Meeting | Tuesday, December 3
6:30 PM | Parish Hall
Saint Andrew’s will be hosting the monthly West End Neighborhood Association meeting. All are invited. Click here for the minutes from the November meeting.
First Wednesdays Men’s Group | December 4
7:30 AM | Church
  All men are invited for this 20-minute prayer service with Morning Prayer, Rite II. Afterwards, we’ll have breakfast at a local restaurant. For more information, contact Tommy Watson .
ECW Christmas Project: Greenville's Gift
For its Christmas outreach project, our ECW (Episcopal Church Women) has voted to sponsor Greenville’s Gift , which collects and distributes items for needy newborns in Greenville. Requested items are blankets, bibs, burp cloths, infant hats, socks, onesies 0-12 months, pajamas 0-12 months, outfits 0-12 months, coats, jackets or sweaters. Items may be placed in the collection box located in the narthex. 
Backpack and Blanket Drive 
Saint Andrew’s Mission and Outreach is sponsoring a backpack and blanket drive to assist United Housing Connections with their annual Point-In-Time (PIT) Count in January. The PIT Count helps to identify those who are experiencing homelessness in Greenville and the Upstate. Each person identified is given a backpack which includes items to aid them against the harsh winter weather. 800 backpacks and blankets are needed to fill this need. Information about homelessness and boxes for donations are provided in the parish hall. If you would prefer to write a check for your donation, it can be placed in the offering plate. Make your check out to "United Housing Connections" and in the memo line, add “2020 PIT Donation”.

For more information contact Cindy Henry , Sara Conrad, or Rusty Infinger .
Clothe Thy Neighbor Seeking Winter Clothing

Please bring warm clothing for men and women to the Parish Hall for those in need.
Poinsettia Orders for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

If you would like to dedicate poinsettias for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services, the dedication forms can be found in your Sunday bulletins. You can also e-mail the Parish Office with your order and dedication. The deadline for orders will be Sunday, December 16. Suggested donation for each plant is $15.00.
Ordo Kalendars Available

The 2020 Ordo Kalendars are available in the Parish Office for $5 each. Reserve yours today by emailing office@standrewsgreenville.org , or stop by the office.
Parking Update
With the repaving and repainting of the Pendleton Street Baptist Church (PSBC) parking lot (the lot that is adjacent to the church), all of the parking spaces in that lot are now marked with white numbers -- so Saint Andrew's parishioners no longer need to worry about yellow vs. white vs. red spots in that lot . For your information, based on our agreement with PSBC, we are able to use that parking lot as follows:

  • Sundays - All available spots are open to folks who are coming to Saint Andrew's for worship.
  • Weeknights & Saturdays - All available spots are open to folks who are coming to Saint Andrew's for worship or other church-related activities. (Availability may be limited due to baseball or other events.)
  • Weekday Business Hours - Up to five open spots (preferably the spots closest to the stairs from the parking lot) are available for Saint Andrew's parishioners and staff here for church-related events. (If we foresee the need for more than five on a particular weekday, we will notify PSBC to obtain their permission for additional spots.)

Please note that, in addition to available on-street parking, we continue to have access to all of the "permit only" spots on the ground floor of the Homewood Suites Hotel on all weeknights and weekends (including Sunday mornings).

For all of this parking, we encourage folks to have a Saint Andrew's parking sticker visible in their rear window. If you do not have a sticker, please contact the parish office to get one . Finally, if you ever get a parking envelope/ticket while using the PSBC lot for a church-related event, please do not pay it. Instead, bring it to the parish office so that we can notify PSBC and have the ticket canceled.
Upcoming Safe Church Training Opportunities
Safe Church training is important for anyone volunteering in children's ministries, or doing any lay ministry, such as lay eucharistic visitors, involving potentially one-on-one ministry within the parish. We encourage all parishioners, especially those in positions of leadership - such as vestry members and other ministry area leaders, to get Safe Church certified.

We are offering a Safe Church training session here in January:


Please make sure to let our parish office know if you sign up a class at a location other than Saint Andrew's. More info on Safe Church Training here.
Sunday Altar Flower and Presence Candle Dedications
On Sundays, we have the opportunity to offer a special dedication of the altar flowers or presence candle in honor, memory, or celebration of loved ones. The cost to the church for altar flowers is now $100 per Sunday, so we are suggesting that donations for dedicating altar flowers be in the range of $50 to $100 to help us cover those costs. The suggested donation for a presence candle dedication is $10.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR ADVENT: Given the penitential nature of the Season, we only have flowers on the altar on the Third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday.

If you would like to sign up for a Sunday, please see the sign up sheet on the bulletin in the Parish Hall or click on the button below. You may place a check in the offering plate with "Altar Flowers" or "Presence Candle" noted in the memo.
Service Opportunities
Nursery During 9:30 AM Sunday School and 10:30 AM Mass Every Sunday
Staff member Amanda Abreu oversees our Sunday morning nursery during the 9:30 AM Sunday School hour and the 10:30 AM Mass. Each week, we need at least one parish volunteer to serve with Amanda as our second nursery caregiver. If you have gifts for working with infants and young children--and have “Safe Church” training, we could use your help!
Join the choir! Wednesday evening rehearsals at 7:30 PM
This is a reminder to any interested Saint Andrew's Church friends or members that our regular Wednesday evening choir rehearsals are held in the Parish Hall after the 6:30 PM Mass. If you know of any prospective new choir members, bring them along with you! If you need transportation to rehearsal and or church, or if you have questions, please e-mail our organist/choirmaster John Gilbert.
Sunday Coffee Hour Refreshments
We are blessed to be a growing parish, and one of the ways that we offer hospitality to our many visitors is through our coffee hour after the 10:30 AM mass every Sunday. Please consider signing up for a Sunday on one of the sign up sheets hanging on the parish bulletin board. 
Feed Thy Neighbor on Saturday Mornings
Feed Thy Neighbor is a cooperative effort of the Episcopal community in Greenville. Parish volunteers from Saint Andrew’s, Saint Peter’s, Saint James and Christ Church feed the homeless each Saturday from 7:30 to 8:30 AM in the Saint Andrew's Parish House. The Third Saturday of the month is Saint Andrew's particular responsibility. Come and join us! Set-up and cook team start at 6:30 am. Clean up team start at 8:00 am. Individuals interested in this ministry opportunity, please contact the office at 235-5884.