Welcome to our newsletter.

We hope this information keeps you connected to our church family. 

Bishop Taylor's Visitation - May 12

Dear Friends,

I am pleased to share with you that Bishop Taylor will be visiting St. Andrew’s on Sunday, May 12. The last time a Diocesan Bishop visited St. Andrew’s was about 20 years ago. Given the significance of this visit, I have decided that it would be best to have one service on Sunday, May 12 at 10:00 a.m.

We will have our traditional Mother's Day brunch at 9:00 a.m. followed by the service. I am hoping that Bishop Taylor will be able to join us for some of that time. If you are interested in being confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church, please get in touch with me.

I hope you are able to attend this service. I think it’s important for the Bishop to see us and for us to be with him, especially in this time of transition for St. Andrew’s.

Grace and Peace,

Peter

Starting this week, we will be printing fewer bulletins in an effort to reduce our carbon footprint. We realize that using a device to read the bulletin may be a daunting task, but we have several congregants who are ready to help if you need it. If we are able to purchase less paper over time, we will donate the savings to our outreach efforts. If you don’t have a device to use, but are willing to share a bulletin with your neighbor, that helps us reach our goal too.

Pastoral Care

Weekly Sunday School

Expert day care for infants and Sunday School children during the 10:00 a.m. church service will be provided by Samira Sameni, a preschool teacher at our Saint Andrew’s Children’s Center. For this week, drop-off will be at the playground on the left side of the Children’s Center.

This week Tammy Smecker-Hane will be out of town. The children worked very hard to make the mosaic stepping stones we created for Earth Day over the last two weeks so it’s a great time to reward them with a morning devoted simply to playing with one another! Please take a look at the stepping stones, which are displayed on the patio of Fellowship Court. They celebrate the story of God’s creation from Genesis 1-2 and the themes include: the darkness & stars, the Sun, oceans & land, fish, whale, ladybug, butterfly, daisies, roses, orange tree, dove, dog, bear, panda, and humans. We will soon be adding the stepping stones to the landscaping beds that surround the church. They are truly beautiful, and will be a wonderful edition for many years to come.

If you would like information about the kits and tiles used for the stepping stone project and instructions for how to make them so you can make these yourself at home, or if you have any questions or feedback about Sunday School, please contact our Sunday School teacher, Tammy Smecker-Hane. 

Outreach News

This Sunday, May 5 begins our May Baby Shower Event for Families Forward. We will be collecting diapers, wipes, and baby formula throughout the month of May. Thank you for your continued support. 



“We are truly God’s outreaching hands in the world."

Grief Support Group - May 6

The Grief Support Group meets this Monday, May 6 at 4:00 p.m. Scroll down to Events & Activities on our home page for the latest information. Contact Susan Garrett, Kathy Cartelli, or Catherine Sharbaugh.

Book Group - May 8

The Virtual Book Group meets weekly on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. followed by noonday prayer. We are currently reading "Holy Envy" by Barbara Brown Taylor. Scroll down to Events and Activities on our website homepage for the new reading. To be added to the Zoom invitation please contact the office.

Annual St. Andrew’s Mother’s Day Breakfast - May 12

Sunday, May 12

9:00 a.m. in Fellowship Court

All are welcome! Please come help celebrate all of the mothers at St. Andrews.

Men - Our monthly men’s breakfast will be moved up a week to finalize the details of our event. We will meet at 8:30 a.m. at Strawberry Farms, on Saturday, May 11.  If you would like to help, but don’t yet have an assignment, please reach out to Mike Caprini or (714) 925-4741.

Women's Gathering - May 26

Sunday, May 26

5:00 p.m. in Fellowship Court

We will be ordering a mixture of food from Luna Grill, including vegetarian and gluten-free options. Estimated cost $10-$15 per person.

Please bring a drink or a dessert to share.

Everyone welcome! Please RSVP HERE.

Media Release

We’ve made some modifications to our media release form and ask that you fill it out if you are new to St. Andrew’s or a parent of a minor. We’ve added some clarification on what is posted on our site and on the St. Andrew’s Facebook page. If you prefer to complete it online, click here.

A Look Ahead.........................

May 2024

• May 12 - Bishop Taylor's Visitation and Mother's Day
• May 19 - Pentecost
• May 26 - Trinity Sunday

Pray for Peace in the Holy Land

The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor asks us to pray for peace and keep in our hearts the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and its archbishop, the Rt. Rev. Hosam Naoum. Bishop Taylor has written to him on our diocese’s behalf and invites us to make a gift to the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, which supports the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. Archbishop Naoum calls on all to unite in prayer for reconciliation.

Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church | 949-559-4699

The Very Rev. Peter Browning, Vicar

office@standrewsirvine.org | www.standrewsirvine.org

 Office Administration Hours:

 In-office: Monday and Thursday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

 Remote: Tuesday and Wednesday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.