Weekly parish news and Sunday service information
Fr. Ben Hankinson, Rector
Celebrant for all services.

If you are not vaccinated, please wear a mask and observe social distance.

July 18, Eighth 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.
Readings for Sunday, July 18

  • Lesson - Jeremiah 23:1-6
  • Psalm 23
  • Epistle - Ephesians 2:11-22
  • Gospel - Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
Make Your Offering!
Mail: Send your check to St. Andrew's Treasurer, at 406 Hillsboro Avenue, Edwardsville 62025.
The Week of July 18

  • School Supply filling of backpacks, Sunday, following 10 a.m. service.
  • Evening Prayer, 5:30 p.m., Sunday, via Facebook Live
  • Evening Prayer, 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, via Facebook Live
  • Holy Eucharist, Feast of Mary Magdalene, 5:30 p.m.,Thursday, via Facebook Live and in-person
As we return to in-person worship, we are grateful to those who provide support to Fr. Ben for our weekly liturgy. This week we thank Jimmy Gillentine for his leadership as Acolyte Master, responsible for training and scheduling the Acolytes.

Our current Acolytes include the following:
  • Crucifers and Book Bearers: Drake Depew, Duane Douglas, and Carl Slaughter

  • Junior Crucifer and Book Bearer: Graham Pezza

  • Crucifer: Declan Depew

  • Junior Crucifer in Training: Emery Clausen

  • Book Bearer: Maggie Moseley



Senior Warden Kevin Babb called the July 15 meeting of the vestry to order at 6:30 p.m. Fr. Ben was away at Nashotah House and could not attend. Vestry members Walter Bohn, Marty Cavanaugh, Heather Clausen, Liz Edwards, Velma Schmidt, and Carl Slaughter were present as well as Treasurer Maxine Callies.
  • The minutes of the June meeting were received and approved.
  • Senior Warden Babb reported for Fr. Ben that a new mid-week class will start in August and that the Ministerial Alliance will meet on August 11.
  • Treasurer Maxine Callies indicated that former treasurer Atwood projected a shortfall of 2021 income to cover 2021 expenses. Funds carried forward from 2020 will probably be needed to help with 2021 expenses.
  • Communications - Marian Smithson reported that Membership Vision, the software company for the parish website is offering an upgrade of our web software for $720, a reduced price. Further details will be forthcoming but Smithson recommended that St. Andrew's purchase the upgrade.
  • Carpet Tile/Flooring - The committee, headed by Marian Smithson is in the process of obtaining large samples of flooring for the kitchen and adjoining areas in order to make a recommendation to the vestry. She hopes to obtain carpet tile and flooring estimates from at least two vendors plus at least one estimate for the painting of the parish hall. Once the full cost is known, the vestry will need to determine funding sources.
  • Walter Bohn reported that the Outreach Committee sent a $150 check to the Glen-Ed Food Pantry.
  • The vestry considered current Covid-19 procedures in light of the rising infection rate for Madison County and determined that those attending services should continue to sign in.
  • St. Andrew's was to receive $2500 from St. Boniface for use of our parking area during their construction project. Maxine Callies was asked to check whether that amount has been received.
  • Senior Warden Babb affirmed that Fr. Ben will be holding a planning meeting with the vestry during the morning of July 24. Further details will be shared with vestry members.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:42 p.m.
U.S. Church Membership Falls Below Majority

Washington D.C. -- [Gallup | March 2021] Americans' membership in houses of worship continued to decline last year, dropping below 50% for the first time in Gallup's eight-decade trend. In 2020, 47% of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue, or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999.

U.S. church membership was 73% when Gallup first measured it in 1937 and remained near 70% for the next six decades, before beginning a steady decline around the turn of the 21st century.

(Omission of two paragraphs precedes the paragraph below.)

The decline in church membership is primarily a function of the increasing number of Americans who express no religious preference. Over the past two decades, the percentage of Americans who do not identify with any religion has grown from 8% in 1998-2000 to 13% in 2008-2010 and 21% over the past three years.

As would be expected, Americans without a religious preference are highly unlikely to belong to a church, synagogue or mosque, although a small proportion -- 4% in the 2018-2020 data -- say they do. That figure is down from 10% between 1998 and 2000.

The full article can be read here.

Notes of Interest

  • Parish volunteers will be filling backpacks with school supplies to be delivered to the Glen-Ed Pantry after church on July 18. Please bring your donations to Pearson Hall by July 18. Contributors can also write a check directly to the Glen-Ed Pantry. Checks should be made out to “Glen-Ed Pantry” and mailed to Glen-Ed Pantry c/o Amy Poos, 125 Fifth Avenue, Edwardsville, IL 62025. Please write “from St. Andrew’s” in the memo line.

  • [The Living Church] -Washington D.C. | July 12 - An Episcopal church in New Mexico says it paid off all of the available medical debt for all of New Mexico, as well as several counties in Arizona. St. Bede’s Episcopal Church in Santa Fe, N.M. says that through donations, and partnering up with nonprofit RIP Medical Debt, it was able to pay off $1,380,119.87 in medical debt belonging to 782 households. According to its website, RIP Medical Debt is a group dedicated to finding families with medical debt whose incomes are less than twice the poverty level, as well as families whose liabilities exceed their total assets, known as an insolvency.
St. Andrew's Communications
Communications Coordinator and Newsletter Editor-in-Chief, Marian Smithson
Newsletter Editor, Jane Weingartner | Newsletter Editor, Marianne Cavanaugh