The Weekly Net
December 24, 2021
From our Priest-in-Charge

Dear Friends in Christ,

How do you experience the JOY of Christmas? Maybe this year we experience greater joy because we gather like we could not last year. Perhaps we are more isolated this year than last. The joy still breaks through with our celebration of the Incarnation. It breaks through the silence, the pandemic, our fears and into our hearts. The Joy of this Christmas, here and now, points to a Savior born for us and towards an empty tomb.

This is the joy of hope and we are a people of hope!

May you find and experience the joy of our eternal hope this Christmas.

Faithfully yours,
The Rev. William L. Packard
(571) 449-7438
Worship Services

Masks are still required for everyone two and older. We do ask that if you are feeling ill to please stay home and follow along with our online services, which can be found at the links below.

Friday, December 24th
@ 10:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist: Rite II (No pageant)
@ 4:00 p.m. – Holy Eucharist: Rite II

Saturday, December 25th
@ 11:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist: Rite II

Sunday, December 26th
@ 10:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist: Rite II

Note: When joining any of our Zoom meetings, please make sure your name is displayed.
2nd Note: If any of the service links above don't work, check our website for updated links.
Note the 3rd: All of our services are also available on our Facebook page.
Regathering Update

With the onset of the Omicron variant, we are seeing greater transmission rates in Fairfax. To stay further informed, here are the health metrics for Fairfax County. 

Transmission Rate: 
As of today, December 23, 2021, the transmission rate according to the Brown School of Public Health is 51.1 cases per 100k. This is another significant jump from just last week. According to the CDC, there are 284.79 cases per 100k (3,268 total). The number of deaths in Fairfax is still labelled as “suppressed” indicating between 0 and 9 deaths. 

Health Facilities: 
There were 68 new hospital admissions this past 7 days which is 4.24 per 100 beds and 5.93 per 100k people. This is a 41.67% increase over the past 7 days. 8.39% of ICU beds are being used for COVID-related reasons which is a 3.05% increase. A new metric this week takes a look at the hospitals in our county’s capacity and strain. According to the University of Minnesota’s COVID-19 tracking project, our county’s hospitals show moderate strain with fewer than 10% of beds occupied by COVID-19 patients. This does not mean that there is not increased strain because of COVID-19. 

Vaccine Information: 
According to the CDC, 78.6% of the county five years of age and older is considered fully-vaccinated. The number continues to rise as those who are recently eligible continue to receive vaccines. There is not data on booster shots, however, there are indications that booster shots reduce the risk of severe illness for COVID-19. The latest variant is breaking through vaccines at a larger percentage, but is still showing good protection against severe illness. 

Please do know if you are in a higher risk category and make informed decisions this Christmas and as we continue to navigate the pandemic. 

Contact: The Rev. Will Packard (will@standrews.net)
2021 Contributions

Please note that to be considered a 2021 contribution, your donations/pledges to St. Andrew's must be received or postmarked by December 31, 2021. Please contact Michelle If you have any questions.

Contact: Michelle Ramsdell (michelle@standrews.net)
Stewardship Ingathering Continues

It’s never too late to pledge and it also has never been easier!

  • Pledge cards are available in the Narthex, next to the TV monitor. You can either mail in your card or drop it off in the collection plate before or after one of our services.

  • You can also pledge online by going to tiny.cc/hgdluz. (This does not require you to pay online, you can still do that by check).

We are currently at 92% of our pledge goal and would love to make it to 95% by the end of the year! Pledges are still accepted in the new year, but those made now help us budget for 2022.

Contact: Brian Jones & Karan Wright (stewardship@standrews.net)
Sacraments Class *New Date*

Our second Sacraments class will be held on Sunday, January 9th, from 4:00-5:00 p.m., with the Rev. Will Packard and Amy Dutton. This class will discuss the sacrament of Communion. We may not need the full hour, depending on the number of participants. These classes work best with those 4 years old and above. Email Amy if you plan on attending.

Contact: Amy Dutton (amy@standrews.net)
FoMA Concert: Sophia Subbayya Vastek, pianist

Friends of Music and the Arts at St. Andrew’s (FoMA) invites you to come and hear pianist and keyboardist Sophia Subbayya Vastek play on Sunday, January 23rd at 4:00 p.m. in the Nave.

Described as playing with "passion and profound tenderness” (Second Inversion) and with “serene strokes and lyrical beauty” (Brooklyn Rail), Sophia maintains an active career as a performer, educator, interdisciplinary collaborator, and event producer. Free admission. Masks required.

Contact: Gabe Simerson (foma@standrews.net)
Hypothermia Prevention Week

St. Andrew’s is hosting our annual Hypothermia Prevention Program from January 30th - February 6th. During this week, we will welcome approximately 35 guests each night and provide them with food, fellowship, and shelter. This outreach program requires a large number of volunteers and donated items, and can only be done with a parish-wide effort.

More information on how you can help will be in the January 2022 Net, which will be emailed out on Friday, December 31st.

Contact: Steve Koss (hypothermia@standrews.net)
Online Giving

During these unprecedented times, we are called into community in unprecedented ways. Your financial gifts to St. Andrew’s are of vital importance to support our ongoing ministries and our outreach to the most vulnerable among us. Please continue to offer your faithful gifts by:

  • Mailing your check to our church office (6509 Sydenstricker Rd, Burke VA 22015)
  • Hand delivering cash or checks to the church mailbox (cash or check should be sealed in an envelope marked with your name)
  • Using your bank’s online bill-pay feature
  • Using St. Andrew’s online giving feature. You will be asked to provide your email address, an amount, date of gift, whether it is one-time or recurring, and a fund. In the fund box, you can click the arrow at the right-hand side to see the drop-down menu (the current options are Pledge and Plate Offering). The next page will give you the option of paying via your bank or debit/credit card. Please note that St. Andrew’s will pay fees on these transactions and you will be asked if you would like to increase your donation to offset these fees.

Contact: Michelle Ramsdell (michelle@standrews.net)
Prayer List

Please keep these members of our community in your prayers: 
Pam, Larry Dickerson, Linda & Ed Hunter, John & Janet Carver, Bill Hartig, Nancy Knight, Janet Keyser, Charles Petty, Gloria Covington, Jack Keyser, Hugh Brian Henderson, Theo Pickeral, Olivia Kertesz, Carol Matovick, Rachel Gordon, Phil Purdom, Karan Wright, Kim Reisig, Christy Bering, Beth Matovick, Dorothy Polk, Rebecca Miyares, Natasha Browning, Robert C., Eric & Melissa Christianson, JoVanna Tawney, Joan & Bud Hahn, Joe & Karen Steele, Mary Lu Powell, Joani Dasher, Kim D. Howard, Becky Myhre, Donna Schrock, Jeff, Christina Nies, Doffie, the Ewers Family


Contact: Deborah England (prayer@standrews.net)
emily@standrews.net | www.standrews.net
(703) 455-2500