St. Andrew's
Children's and Youth Ministries
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Hope and Gratitude in the everyday…
November….what comes to mind when you hear the word "November"? Many of us think of Thanksgiving Day, family gatherings, and festive meals with loved ones. November 2020 is sure to be very different than past Novembers. Our lives have changed drastically in the past 8 months, we find ourselves in the middle of a pandemic, masks and social distancing have become the norm and this new normal doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. The 2020 Presidential election is looming, bringing all sorts of fear and anxiety. Our nation feels more polarized than ever with people having little tolerance for differing opinions. Life might very well feel heavy right now and giving thanks might seem daunting. And yet our fall stewardship campaign reminds us there is hope to be found even in the darkness. Parishioners have given witness to the ways they have found hope in 2020, their hope rooted in God’s love and Jesus’s call for us to love God and love our neighbor. In this year of great unknowns, the one constant is our St. Andrew's community. Families discovering ways to find hope and shine God's light even in the darkness. I am reminded of Jesus's call for us to be the light in the world in Matthew 5:14-16, "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." I see this light shine forth each week when our kids come together for Children's Chapel and when youth are enjoying time together at youth group. I see it when parents gather for parent happy hour, help deliver Sunday School at home bags and put together care packages for our college students. I saw it this past Wednesday with our Drive-Thru Boo Bash. Dozens of parishioners donated candy and passed out candy to over 100 people from the parish and the community, looking for a smile and a bit of normalcy in this not so normal time.
My hope for November is that your light continues to shine in all that you do so the world will experience the light of Christ in their midst.
-Jean Long
Minister for Families, Young Adults & Community Relations
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October has been filled with tons of events! Since pictures are worth a thousand words, to catch you up on all things St. Andrew's we have some photos for you to flip through! Click here to check them out!
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Take 15 Follow Up Article |
In September, several St. Andrew’s parishioners participated in a new program that spreads joy and fosters connectedness among our parish.. Click Here to read more!
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Create pinecone turkey decorations, gobble up cornucopia snacks and teach your children the importance of gratitude and giving thanks for helpers in our community. Click Here
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Pen Pal Program Follow up |
Over the past several months, Children’s Ministry has been looking for new and creative ways to connect our kids and our families. The idea of a pen pal program was discussed and some of the children wanted to participate! Click Here to read more!
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Youth Families, we need your help.
Volunteers needed for the youth tree lot!
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The St. Andrew’s Youth Ministry Tree Lot will open Friday, November 27. The tree lot takes a tremendous amount of time and resources to run smoothly. As always, our greatest need is volunteers to work the tree lot. As we continue to move towards a more holistic approach for St. Andrew’s Youth Ministry, I believe volunteering at the tree lot is one way youth families can give their time to the church. This year we are encouraging all families of St. Andrew’s Youth Ministry to volunteer.
- We have a total of 205 shifts that need to be covered from November 27 to December 19 (or sooner if we sell out of trees).
- If each of our 39 youth ministry families would cover 4 – 5 shifts, we would be covered for the year. We need both adult and youth volunteers.
- What does a “shift” mean?
- Weekend shifts are three hours each.
- Weekend shifts have 4 youth and 3 adults per shift.
- Weekday shifts are two hours each.
- Weekday shifts have 2 adults and 2 youth per shift.
- We will be practicing COVID19 safety guidelines. Volunteers will wear a mask and be socially distanced in the lot.
Please prayerfully consider signing up for shifts to help our tree lot run as smoothly as possible this year.
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We are continuing Children’s Chapel and Sunday School at 9:45am via Zoom (ID: 454-101-706) in October. You may visit our webpage to access each week’s lessons and activities. Here’s a list of what’s coming up this month.
Click here to sign up to receive a Sunday school bag.
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Christmas Pageant Photos
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This year the St. Andrew’s Christmas Pageant will be different than in years past because of socially-distant COVID 19 safety guidelines. Children will be participating virtually! We are asking kids to dress up as either a cow, shepherd, angel, or sheep and have their picture taken. During the 4pm service we will have 4 older elementary kids narrate the pageant, When the choir sings the chorus we will have a slide show of your children dressed in their costumes.
We want as many St. Andrew’s children to participate as possible.
How will we do this? Two options are available:
Option 1: Families may signup to come to St. Andrew’s and have their child's picture(s) taken in one of the costumes we have at St. Andrew’s. Photo opportunities will be Friday, December 4 in the evening and Saturday, December 5. Sign up using the button below to reserve your spot.
Option 2: Borrow a St. Andrew’s costume, take your child’s picture at home and send to us.
Option 3: Make your own costume, take your child’s picture at home and send to us.
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We will be moving inside for youth group now that the weather is getting colder. We will be taking proper precautions to ensure the safety of our students, such as wearing masks at all times, keeping a minimum of 6 feet distance and cleaning the space before and after use.
Youth Group: November 1, 8, 22
Middle school: 3:30- 4:30
High School: 4:30 - 5:30
November 15: Tree Lot set up from 2pm tp 5pm.
No youth group Sunday, November 29th, Thanksgiving weekend
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To participate, a waiver is required, please click the button below to download, complete and sign the form, then return the form to Jean Long at jean@standrewkc.org |
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Tree Lot Hours
November 27th - December 19th
Opening Day: Friday Nov. 27: 9am - 6pm
Saturday/Sunday: 9am - 6pm
Monday - Friday: 5:30pm - 7:30pm
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This year we are offering online Christmas tree orders with curbside pick up in addition to our traditional tree lot shopping experience. Online ordering will be available beginning November 6th on the St. Andrew's Website. |
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We will be delivering a special Advent activity to families with the December Sunday school at Home bags. Look for something on your doorstep at the end of November. The first Sunday of Advent is November 29! |
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St. Andrew's Youth | standrewkcyouth.com |
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