Around the Parish
Monthly E-news
In Christ, We Worship, Love, Grow, Serve and Send.
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Barrett Mitchell Smith, newborn son of Tricia and Mitch Smith, arrived on December 6, 2021. He weighed 8 lbs. and he was 20 inches long. He is welcomed home by big sister, Norah. His proud grandparents from St. Andrew are Buck and Rachel Haltiwanger. Congratulations to the Smiths and Haltiwangers on this sweet new addition to their family.
O God, like a mother, like a father, you tend your children with care. With awe and thanksgiving we praise you for the birth of Barrett Mitchell. Watch over him and bless this new life. Hold us all in the arms of your compassion and love; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Pictured above: proud Grandma, Rachel, holding Barrett.
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The Sacrament of Holy Baptism |
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On Sunday, January 9, at the Baptism of Our Lord Sunday, Jamie Knox Hanson, son of Blake and Dana Hanson, was baptized. Jamie is the grandson of Judy Hanson and Kris Nethercutt. His sponsor is Jill Hanson.
We welcome Jamie as the newest child of God and into the mission and ministry we share at St. Andrew Lutheran Church.
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Benjamin and Brianna Smith joined St. Andrew through the Affirmation of Baptism on the same day their sons, Carter (3) and Owen (6 months), joined the church through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. The Smiths are originally from Chicago, IL. They have lived in Nashville since 2017. Brianna is a pediatric oncologist at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, and Benjamin is a 7th grade history teacher at Valor Flagship Academy. Benjamin and Brianna love having the opportunity to take Carter and Owen to church and to incorporate religion in their lives. They are very excited to be a part of the Saint Andrew community and to continue to worship with friends and family.
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Pictured above: At Carter and Owen's baptism in December and the Affirmation of New Members for Ben and Brianna. We welcome the Smiths into the mission and ministry we share at St. Andrew. |
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Welcome, Marsha Scheusner, Interim Director of Music! |
I am excited to join St. Andrew Lutheran Church as the Interim Director of Music again.
My music ministry started as a teenager as a singer in the adult choir and very quickly at the organ. My older sister was the organist, and when she went away to college, it was my turn to take a hand at it. I continued playing the organ while pursuing a degree in music education with a vocal major. After the birth of two children, a few years of teaching and serving as a church musician, I was drawn to the University of Tennessee and Scarritt Graduate School to do more study in organ and choral conducting. My most recent experience was a call to First Presbyterian church in Columbia, Tennessee to serve as the fulltime Director of Music and Organist.
The church community is all about us being together. The communion of saints, the communion sacrament we share, even the word liturgy means "of the people." All direct us to share our gifts, talents, and love with one another. And did not Jesus ask us to nurture and care for all? I am looking forward to hearing your faith stories as we walk our Christian journey together in community.
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In Memoriam
David Vaughn Needham
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We remember our friend, David Vaughn Needham, member of St. Andrew, who died on Wednesday, January 5, 2022. David was an active member of the church and sang in the St. Andrew Choir. He will be missed for his quiet, gentle, and caring demeanor.
A private, graveside burial was held in Wisconsin on January 12. More information will be coming about a Celebration of Life Service to be held in Middle TN later in the Spring.
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If you would like to share condolences with the Needham family, mail them to Needham Family c/o ZCS, SC, 788 N Jefferson St Ste 200 Milwaukee, WI 53202.
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Dear friends,
Thank you for the generous Christmas bonuses. We appreciate all your support and kindnesses throughout the year.
Best wishes for the new year,
Your staff at St. Andrew Lutheran Church
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A HUGE thank you to all the many hands who put up and took down Christmas decorations, greenery, trees, nativity set, Angel tree, and poinsettias over the Advent and Christmas Season. This is a huge task and we so appreciate the efforts and seasonal beauty so that our St. Andrew community would be able to enjoy it. Thanks to all of you as well as a special thanks to Joe York for leading the effort!
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Thank you, St. Andrew Church membership, for the love and compassion shown to our family on the passing of Don Smith. The flowers, organ donation, and fellowship are greatly appreciated. The service was lovely. We know Don and Mary had a wonderful church family. We are rejoicing that they are together again and with our Lord Jesus!
Gale and Wade Smith
Wendy and Ray Graves
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CHRISTMAS AROUND THE PARISH |
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M is for Manger, the Children's Advent and Christmas program, was presented on Sunday, December 19 in the nave between services. Director of Children's Music, Katherine Mansouri organized and directed the program with many volunteers and musicians helping to lead the effort. A BIG thank you to all the participants and to Katherine Mansouri for this lovely presentation.
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Pictured above: The cast and crew of M is for Manger!
Thanks to Katherine Mansouri and others for the pictures of the Christmas program!
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Two angels and their dad! |
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Mary and "Baby Jesus"
are quite content following the program.
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A cow or wiseman? With his sister! |
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Cutest nativity siblings. |
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Ready to travel to Bethlehem. |
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Have you thought about joining one of our Faith Formation classes or groups? January is a great time to start attending! All are welcome anytime! Here is some information about what we offer:
Sunday Adult Lectionary Class - Sundays at 9:50-10:50 AM, Pearson Hall (+Zoom)
This class is taught by one of the co-lead pastors and studies the Sunday lectionary text while engaging in lively discussion.
Companions in Christ - Sundays at 9:50-10:50 AM in Pearson Hall (+Zoom)
This adult class studies a variety of topics including books, articles, and Bible studies. Currently they are discussing the book, The Misunderstood Jew: The Church, and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine.
Everyday Lutherans - Sundays at 9:50-10:50 AM in Room 126/127 off the Fellowship Hall. The class follows the Children & Youth Sunday School schedule
This adult class primarily consists of parents of Sunday School aged children. They study the weekly text assigned for worship, but usually focus the discussion around families, children, and marriage.
Sunday School (Pre-K - 12th grades) - Sundays at 9:50-10:50 AM in the Fellowship Hall
All children and youth are welcome to join us each Sunday for an opening with songs led by Director of Children's Music, Katherine Mansouri. A short group lesson is led by Liza Hawkins, Director for Youth and Children's Ministries. Following this, grades break into smaller groups for individual weekly lessons: Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade; Second, Third, and Fourth grades; Fifth and Sixth grades; and Seventh through Twelfth grades. Sunday School classes follow the weekly lectionary and are taught in age-appropriate methods. Register your child or youth for Sunday School here if you haven't already done so.
Youth Group (Grades 5th - 12th) - Wednesdays at 5:00 PM on DISCORD
Check in online via DISCORD each Wednesday to share our highs/lows, play a game, have a devotion and a scripture reading. Watch for details on meeting in person in the future. For more information, contact Liza Hawkins, Dir. for Youth and Children's Ministries at liza@saintandrewchurch.com
Monday Night Bible Study - Mondays at 7:00 PM in Pearson Hall (+Zoom)
The Bible study group is currently studying the Gospel of Mark and is led by one of our pastors.
Wednesday Women's Bible Study - Wednesdays at 1:00 PM in Pearson Hall (+Zoom)
The group studies various scriptures and is led by Pastor Pauline Farrington.
The Bookmen - Fridays at 9:00 AM in Room 126/127 off the Fellowship Hall
The Bookmen are currently reading and discussing, One Minute to Midnight, about the Cuban missile crisis of the 60s, when our old WWII ally, Russia, brought us to the brink of nuclear conflict.
All in-person groups have a Zoom option available. Please inquire here or refer to our online calendar or the Friday weekly announcements for the meeting links.
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VBS Rocky Railway
Monday, June 20 - Friday, June 24
9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon
Please mark your calendars now!
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HYMN FESTIVAL
Friday, February 4
7:00 PM
FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH
Nashville, TN
Free and open to the public
The Nashville Chapter of AGO is sponsoring a HYMN FESTIVAL featuring David Cherwien, cantor at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, MN. Cherwien is noted for his many organ and choral compositions. He and his late wife have been collaborators on texts and tunes represented in denominational hymnals, including our own Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Cherwien will also be leading in worship at St. Andrew on Sunday, February 6, during both worship services.
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CHRISTMAS BASKETS!
A HUGE thank you to all who participated!
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Thank you to all who participated in the delivery of 38 Christmas baskets on December 18. Your monetary donations for food and gift cards as well as your helping hands to call households, make Christmas cards, and deliver baskets helped in the success of this annual outreach ministry at St. Andrew. St. Andrew congregants are very generous in helping the community. A very special thank you to Zach and Claire Harris for organizing and leading this ministry again!
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The Harris family are ready for our volunteers to arrive and deliver baskets. |
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Shirley Swan helps organize the delivery lists. |
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Zach Harris directs volunteers on a very warm December deliver day! |
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Claire Harris helps Ron Hartman get his delivery information. |
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Here come the "troops" up the sidewalk ready to pick up their baskets to deliver. |
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ANGEL TREE NEWS
Amazing donations for three organizations!
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By Beth Smith
Thanks so much to our St. Andrew congregation! This year we took a leap of faith and adopted three community organizations. We also had three members apply for and receive Thrivent Action Team grants to help with donations. What an amazing blessing occurred through these efforts! Here is what we were able to accomplish as a TEAM:
Bridges:
Slipper Socks for Adults and Children - 81 pairs
Children's PJs - 54 sets
Gift Cards: 19 - $25 gift cards for a total of $475.00
Groceries for their pantry - $250
Inspiritus:
Toilet Paper - 102 rolls
Medicine (Tylenol, ibuprofen, cold medicine, etc): 24 pkgs
Toothpaste - 25 tubes
Toothbrushes - 42
Shampoo - 24 bottles
Deodorant - 39
Laundry Detergent -15 boxes/bottles
Dish soap - 17 bottles
Body Lotion - 10 bottles
Bars of Soap - 116 bars
Diapers size 2 and 3 - 356
Oak Cottage for Women:
With donated items and a $250 Thrivent Action Grant, we were able to create 8 Christmas gift bags, each including: a backpack purse, an umbrella, a scarf, hat and gloves set, something special such as body lotion or lip gloss, and six $25 gift cards.
Thank you for supporting the Angel Tree ministry!
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JOY IS CONTAGIOUS
From TRINITY HOPE by Denise Gudlen
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Oh, how I miss visiting the schools and seeing the joy in the children’s faces. This has been a tough season, but it is amazing to see God put everything in place to ensure the children still receive their meals, and He is keeping them safe. WOW! Thank you, God, for all your blessings!
In typical years, we get to visit Haiti at least twice a year. When we visit the schools the principal of the school is usually so excited to greet us and share what an impact the meal is having on his students and school. We often hear the common themes that attendance is consistent, the children are learning better, and the school is growing. We also hear that the children are joyful and participating in the classroom. When we finally get to enter the classroom, we are always in awe of the children. Often, they stand and hold signs sharing their appreciation, or share a song of appreciation and welcome.
While recently working with one of our school partners, we were discussing the feeding program and the impact it has had on her school. She shared that attendance is up and steady because the children are eager to come to school and look for the fire which confirms they will receive a meal that day.
The meal was designed with a Vanderbilt nutritionist to ensure we could provide a complete protein knowing that most of the children would not eat again till they returned to school the next day. The portions are large for the size of the child and seeing such a small child consume every grain of rice is so rewarding. The children are so grateful to the love being shared with them. They thank God in song and prayers. Their real joy is contagious.
Sharing their appreciation is important to us and we pray you know what an impact you are making on these lives each and every day, one bowl of rice and bean at a time.
Mesi - Thank you!
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Dear St. Andrew Lutheran Church,
Thank you for your generous support of Habitat for Humanity. We are so grateful for your partnership and dedicated support in making safe and affordable housing a reality for families in our community.
Thank you again,
The Habitat for Humanity Team
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We need one volunteer on January 21 for RITI! This volunteer will take the laundry home on Sunday, January 23 to wash the sheets and towels, then return them to the church the following week.
Additionally, we need volunteers to sign up for two Friday nights in February. The sign-up sheets can be found on the bulletin board under Outreach or watch for the electronic sign up through Sign-Up Genie in announcements. Thanks for Loving our Neighbor, Y'All!
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Prayer Shawl Ministry
By Jody Smith
Have you ever wondered about the power of prayer shawls? You might enjoy reading, The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady by Sharon J. Mondragon. The three knitters or crocheters met in the chapel of the church and when the chapel was undergoing renovations, they had to find another place to meet. Where did they move--into public places such as the local mall! This led to a growth in the church's membership as the mall visitors talked to the prayer shawl members about their church and the ministry. This is an enjoyable book and a fast read on a topic rarely, if ever, written about. Thanks to Susan Shannon for telling me about the book!
St. Andrew's Prayer Shawl Ministry is fortunate to have Barbara Lichtenberger, Peggy Bowker, Ruth Haskins, Sue Cox, Kim Olszewski, and Jody Smith as members of this ministry.
As a reminder, prayer shawls can be found in the brown baskets located in the Administrative Entrance. These items are for everyone--friends, neighbors, family members, not just members of our congregation.
If you are interested in becoming part of this group, or have questions about the Prayer Shawl Ministry, please contact me, Jody Smith at smithdrjk@gmail.com.
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WELCA Gathering
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
6:30 p.m.
at St. Andrew Lutheran Church (+Zoom)
All women are invited to join us for our first meeting of the new year to learn about Habitat for Humanity from one of their own executives. Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit Christian organization, founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller.
St. Andrew Lutheran Church has been helping Habitat for Humanity for many years. We have felt that “charity begins at HOME.” It is not just giving a house to people who are struggling, but giving them a HOME to take care of their family with love and hope for a better life.
Please join us on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 in person or on Zoom.
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Meeting ID: 861 3384 9904
Passcode: WELCA
One tap mobile - 1.301.715.8592
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Quilting Days at St. Andrew |
In-person quilting takes place at the church on the second and fourth Mondays at 9:30 AM. If you can tie a knot, you can quilt! Quilt dates are January 24, February 14 and 28. Help setting up and cleaning up is appreciated!
Home Quilt Kits - We will still provide quilt kits for those who may want to continue working at home. Pick them up at church, from the brown bin in the administration entry.
QUILT-A-THON NEWS
Mark your calendars!
Mark your calendar for Saturday, February 12 from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. and plan to join us for this fun event. Watch for more details soon.
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THIS AND THAT AROUND THE PARISH |
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Christy and Joe York light the pew torches in the nave on Christmas Eve. |
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Bee Laupp, faithful weekly office volunteer, caring for our plants. |
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Wishing the congregation Peace and Joy in the New Year! |
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Pictured above: Liza and the youth playing Jackbox Games during the Christmas party. |
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Nancy and Mike Seitz share special Christmas moments with their granddaughter. |
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A New Year surprise for Jesus in the Meditation Garden! |
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Prior to Christmas, Clover is searching for the Baby Jesus! |
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BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
January & February 2022
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January 2 Jim & Marybeth Cottingham
January 2 Tom & Laura McElroy
January 6 Mike & Tiffany Alday
January 6 Michael Lippard & Susan Springer
January 7 Tom & Sara Netolicky
January 31 Lance & Mallory Dorman
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February 2 John & Carol Robertson
February 11 Larry & Sue Eltoft
February 24 Frank & Cindy Hale
February 26 Barry & Melissa
Brackebusch
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Financial End-of-Year Update: 1/1/2021 - 12/31/2021 |
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Jolene Richardson, Editor
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