Photo by Martin Crimpin, Wales.
Weekly parish news and Sunday service information
Fr. Ben Hankinson, Rector
Celebrant for all services.

August 1, Tenth Sunday After Pentecost
Holy Eucharist | Rite I, 8 a.m. | Rite II 10 a.m. (Sung)

In-person attendance for up to 75 worshippers
Facebook Live at 10 a.m.
Coffee hour following the 10 a.m. service.
Masks Required of All Parishioners
In keeping with CDC guidelines, all parishioners, vaccinated or unvaccinated, are asked to wear a mask when attending services, beginning Sunday, August 1.
Readings for Sunday, August 1

  • Lesson - Exodus 16:2-4,9-15
  • Psalm 78:23-29
  • Epistle - Ephesians 4:1-16
  • Gospel - John 6:24-35 - "I am the Bread of Life."
Make Your Offering!
Mail: Send your check to St. Andrew's Treasurer, at 406 Hillsboro Avenue, Edwardsville 62025.
The Week of August 1
  • Evening Prayer, 5:30 p.m., Sunday, via Facebook Live
  • Evening Prayer, 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, via Facebook Live
  • Study class with Fr. Ben, Wednesday, August 4, 6 p.m. (4 sessions)
  • Mass of The Transfiguration, Holy Eucharist, Thursday, 5:30 p.m.
  • Book Fair, Friday, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Advance registration required. Link.
  • Book Fair, Saturday, 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Looking Ahead
  • Study class #2 with Fr. Ben, Wednesday, August 11, 6 p.m.
  • Quilt Guild meeting, Pearson Hall, August 13, 1 p.m.
  • Church School and Choir return Sunday, September 5, 10 a.m.
  • 2022 Quilt Show, March 3 and 4, Thursday and Friday.
Thank You, Flower Guild!

We continue our series on the ministries of St. Andrew's this week with the Flower Guild.

Established in 1990, the Guild now has eight members, including Flower Guild Directress, Kathryn Biarkis, who has coordinated the work of the Guild from its earliest years!

Current Guild members include Sandy Cooper, Caroline Douglas, Julie Hamilton, Janice and Leslie Joplin, Christa Kelley, and LaVernn Wilson. Additional volunteers are always welcome.

Flower Guild members, much like the Altar Guild, prepare the church for Sunday services with fresh flowers each week. Guild members usually begin their work on Saturday mornings by going by Schnuck's to purchase flowers before heading to church. At church, they remove the prior week's flowers from the reredos and other locations then arrange fresh flowers. Their weekly work usually takes about three or more hours.

The cost of purchasing flowers is supported by a small budget plus parishioner donations. Any parishioner may request flowers to honor or remember a special person. The online sign-up for flowers is at this link. The usual donation is $30.00.

We are grateful for the many years of work of the Guild members, current and past, who share their talents and the gifts of God from nature for us to enjoy!



As we move into the later parts of summer, there are some updates that I would like to bring to your attention.
 
First, in light of the recent CDC guidelines, we are encouraging everyone, including those who are fully vaccinated, to wear masks when attending church. This is, sadly, a small step back in the process of re-opening. However, we pray that through compassionate fidelity to the common good, we will soon see the present surge subside.
 
Not unrelated to the common good is an update on the Diocese of Springfield. When Bishop Martins retired last month, the Standing Committee, of which Kevin and I are both members, assumed responsibility as the Ecclesiastical Authority. This week, the President of that body, Mother Beth Maynard of Emmanuel, Champaign, resigned to better care for her ailing father. Following that resignation, I was elected to serve as President.
 
Our life at St. Andrew’s may, at times, seem isolated from that of the wider church, and under normal circumstances, the position is one that does not require much in the way of time spent on a regular basis. In a period of transition such as this one, the commitment is significantly more involved as it already has been since the first announcement of Bishop Martins’ plans to retire in 2019.
 
I covet your prayers for wisdom and discernment as we chart a way forward together, and I hope that you will view this, as I do, as a share in our common ministry with the Diocese of Springfield and, by extension, the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Communion, and the one holy catholic and apostolic church. 
-Fr. Ben
Letter from the Standing Committee of the Diocese

Dear Clergy and
Churches of the Diocese,

The Standing Committee would like to share several pieces of news:

Retirement of Sue Spring 
Sue Spring, Diocesan Administrator, has advised the Standing Committee of her decision to retire effective August 31, 2021. She has taken this decision jointly with her husband, Dave, who will retire from the State of Illinois on the same date.
 
Sue’s service as Diocesan Administrator began more than 18 years ago. During the ensuing years, she has served the Diocese faithfully and professionally, handling all duties originally assigned to the position as well at taking on additional responsibilities as the need arose. To those who know her well, her services have seemed to be indispensable. For matters extending from the handling of medical insurance, the processing of other human resources issues, the maintenance of records on ordination and the ordained, the planning and organization of Synod, the maintenance of the Diocesan Center, and the execution of a variety of administrative tasks, Sue has been always at the ready, applying her superb organizational skills in every area.
 
Despite dealing with serious health issues recently, Sue has remained a steady presence in the Diocesan office. Throughout the COVID pandemic, she has been in the office to handle and channel whatever matters came to the Diocese’s administrative center, being a faithful presence in a trying time.
 
Beyond handling all of her work in the most professional manner, she has always been one with a willing ear, listening to concerns of the clergy and people of the Diocese and helping in every way possible. For this, and for many other things, we owe her a debt of gratitude.
 
A reception is being planned in Sue’s honor in connection with this year’s Synod banquet on Friday, October 15. We also ask that, as occasions present themselves, you join us in taking an opportunity to give her a personal thank you and wish her a long and happy retirement with her husband and family.  
  
Standing Committee Membership Update
It is with sincere regret that we announce the acceptance of the Reverend Beth Maynard’s resignation as a member and President of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Springfield effective July 26. Mother Beth, who serves as Rector of Emmanuel Memorial, Champaign, informed us of her intention to resign on July 12 in order to allow her to better attend to the needs of her father who is afflicted with Lewy-body dementia. The Standing Committee expresses its deepest thanks to Mother Beth, and she has our heartfelt support and prayers. 
 
Upon acceptance of the above resignation, the Reverend Ben Hankinson of St. Andrew’s, Edwardsville, was elected President, and the Reverend Shawn Denney of St. Luke’s, Springfield, was elected Secretary. To fill the remaining two months of the unexpired term, the Standing Committee elected the Very Reverend Andrew Hook of St. Paul’s Cathedral, Springfield. Thank you to Father Andy for his willingness to serve.
 
We ask your prayers for Mother Beth and her family, as well as the ongoing work of the ministry of the Standing Committee and the Diocese of Springfield as a whole. 
  
Welcome to Bishop Lambert & Invitation to Clergy of the North
The Standing Committee is excited to welcome Bishop Paul Lambert to the Diocese for the week of August 16. Bishop Lambert, who is our Assisting Bishop during the episcopal transition process, will be spending the week meeting with various leaders as we begin the process of getting to know one another. This will include time spent with Diocesan staff, visits to area churches and sites, being a guest for the Diocesan Council, and joining the Cathedral of St. Paul for services on August 22.
 
In addition to all the above, we would like to invite the clergy in the Northeastern, Northern, and Northwestern Deaneries to a gathering with Bishop Lambert on Thursday, August 19. Time together will begin with the 12:15 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral followed by a time with Bishop Lambert until about 3 p.m. A simple lunch will be provided. A similar gathering is in the works for the clergy of the southern deaneries in September. 

Continue reading this letter by clicking here.

Notes of Interest

  • Fr. Ben's study class - The class will be provided via Zoom. Class information and the Zoom link will be shared by midday Wednesday via email or the parish Facebook page.

  • Summer Book Fair - The next St. Andrew’s book sale will be held Friday, August 6, and Saturday, August 7. Reservations will be required Friday to limit the number of patrons to 30 at any given time. Friday hours are 3 - 8 p.m.Click here to reserve shopping time on August 6. No reservations are required for Saturday, August 7, when the shopper crowd is anticipated to be light. Saturday hours are 9 a.m.- Noon.

  • Parish email addresses - Time to update your contacts to St. Andrew's email addresses that were created last winter! Check to see if your contact information includes these:
  • Rector/Fr. Ben - rector@standrews-edwardsville.com
  • Office - office@standrews-edwardsville.com
  • Communications - info@standrews-edwardsville.com
  • Treasurer - treasurer@standrews-edwardsville.com
  • Vestry - Links to email addresses are on parish website
St. Andrew's Communications
Communications Coordinator and Newsletter Editor-in-Chief, Marian Smithson
Newsletter Editor, Jane Weingartner | Newsletter Editor, Marianne Cavanaugh