CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS!
 "To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is the Messiah, the Lord!"
Thank you to everyone who helped make our celebration of the Nativity such a festive and joyous experience! May we be inspired to share this Good News through our continued worship, witness, and welcome in the year ahead!
Worship Schedule
Wednesday,
December 25
The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
12 Noon Low Mass
(No 6:30 PM Healing Mass)
Sunday, December 29 The First Sunday after Christmas
(Fr. Peter Hawes, celebrant)
8:30 AM Low Mass
(Rite II)
(No Sunday School)
10:30 AM Sung High Mass
(Rite I)
Wednesday, January 1
Feast of the Holy Name of our Lord Jesus Christ
(Fr. Stephen Bolle, celebrant)
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, Cherie, Chris, Chuck, Claire, Corinne, Dan, Dick, Eddie, Edward, Ena, Ginger, Hamilton, Hannah, Ian, Joanne, Jodi, Krista, Leigh Ann, Margaret Lee, Mary, Nancy, Nell, Ryan, Sharon, Shay, Weesie, Willie, 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. 
Thank You to Everyone Who Supported
Our 2020 Annual Pledge Campaign!
This year, we had the highest response ever in the history of Saint Andrew’s! As of this email, we had received 96 pledges — only 4 pledges shy of our goal of 100 pledges. In addition, we have already exceeded our goal of $260,000 in dollars pledged. Even if you missed the opportunity to pledge during the campaign, your pledge is always welcome and can still be made either by filling out a pledge card or online by clicking the button below.
Announcements
No Sunday School on December 29
Resumes Sunday, January 5 at 9:30 AM
Fr. Peter Hawes Presiding at Masses | Sunday, December 29

After our Christmas Day mass, Father Gary will be away through Thursday of next week to work on completing his thesis. Father Peter Hawes is presiding at masses on Sunday in Father Gary’s stead, and, next week, Father Stephen Bolle will preside at our Wednesday evening mass (1/1). We are grateful to Father Hawes and Father Bolle for their participation in our worship life. Father Gary will return to the parish office the afternoon of Thursday, January 2.
Please note: The Parish Office will be closed
December 24-26 and January 1.
First Wednesdays Men’s Group
Moved to January 8 | 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. Please note, due to the first Wednesday falling on New Year’s day, our meeting has been moved to the second Wednesday this month.
The Feast of the Epiphany
Sung High Mass
Monday, January 6 | 6:30 PM

The Feast of Epiphany is one of the Principal Feasts of the Church Year. It is when we remember the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child and, through it, the sharing of the gift of the incarnation with the Gentiles. This year, we will celebrate the Feast of Epiphany with a 6:30 PM Mass, which will include the Epiphany tradition of the Blessing of the Chalk.
The Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord
Sunday, January 12

Anyone interested in baptism, please contact Father Gary .
Year End Giving to Saint Andrew's

The New Year is fast approaching! Please consider Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church in your year-end giving in the following ways:
  • A Year-End Gift - As you wrap up your charitable giving for the calendar year 2019, please consider a special year-end gift in thanksgiving to Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church. You may record a one-time online gift via the the link provided below. You can also make a 2019 tax year donation by placing it in the offering plate on or before Sunday, December 29, by sending it by U.S. mail with a 2019 postmark, or by hand-delivering it to the parish office during office hours (through 12 PM on Tuesday, December 31). Link for donations:
  • Your 2020 Pledge - If you have not yet made a pledge to Saint Andrew's for 2020, please consider doing so prior to the start of 2020. You can submit a pledge on our website via this link: www.standrewsgreenville.org/pledge Alternatively, you can download the pledge card by clicking here--and then mail it, e-mail it to the office, or place it in the collection plate.
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.
Sign Up for Dining at Home Supper Club

It's time to join the Saint Andrew's Dining at Home Supper Club. Each group consists of 8 people dining together at the participant's home each month. The group meets for 4 months. (If you are a single, you can ask a friend to join in hosting.) The hosts provide the location and entree. Guests bring side items, salad, bread or dessert. Often each couple brings a bottle of wine to share. This is a great way to get to know each other better.

A sign up sheet will be in the Parish Hall beginning this Sunday or you can email Riley Owens at wrileyowens@gmail.com . If there are people you'd like to include in your group, please let him know.
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.
Safe Church Training at Saint Andrew's
Sunday, January 12 | 1:00 to 4:00 PM
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.

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.
Parking at Saint Andrew's
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.
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.