Dear Friends in Christ, 

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen indeed Alleluia! 

Yes, Easter continues for 50 days and each year we hear the Resurrection lessons during our Sunday worship including when the disciples were locked behind the doors. Jesus, as we recall, appears among them, breathes on them, and says, “Peace be with you.” An early Pentecost moment in the midst of Easter reminds us that the Resurrection does not end on Easter morning but begins that day. 

Beyond our worship practices, how might we proclaim a Risen Lord in our lives? In what ways might we find ourselves locked behind the doors of modern anxieties and worries as a Bible study participant reminded us this morning? The power of the Resurrection comes through the doors of our life to save us, not only from the power of death in the life to come, but from the power of death in the form of fear in our earthly lives. 

I look forward to our continued celebration of Easter this weekend as we gather in the name of the Resurrection and sent out into the world to proclaim it in our lives. 

Faithfully yours, 

Saturday, April 13th

@ 6:00 p.m. – Holy Eucharist: Rite II

Sunday, April 14th

@ 8:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist: Rite I

@ 9:00 a.m. - Bible Study

@ 10:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist: Rite II

@ 11:30 a.m. - Sunday School / Coffee Hour

@ 1:00 p.m. - Confirmation Class

Wednesday, April 17th

@ 9:30 a.m. - Holy Eucharist: Rite II

@ 10:30 a.m. - Bible Study

Links to our online services and Bible Studies are available on our website.

Opening - Welcome, happy morning (Hymn 179)

Sequence - Rise, O church, as Christ arisen (Insert)

Offertory Anthem - Here, O my Lord, I see Thee face to face (Percy Whitlock, 1903-1946) 

Communion - Christ the Lord is risen again (Hymn 184)

Communion - Shepherd of souls, refresh and bless (Hymn 343)

Closing - Alleluia, alleluia! Hearts and voices heavenward raise (Hymn 191)

Our next coffee chat date is tomorrow, Thursday, April 11th, at 9:30 a.m. at West Springfield Panera. Stop by to catch up with current friends, and to meet new ones! Here's hoping the weather will be warm enough to sit outside! No RSVP required.

Relay for Life is the signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. This year’s Relay for Life is on Saturday, May 18th at Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA. Team Believe is a team of amazing, St. Andrew’s women who have all had our lives touched by cancer ourselves or someone close to us. If you are a cancer survivor and you wish to walk the survivor lap with us, or if you would like to become a member, we would love for you to attend! To join us or donate please check out this link.

Please join us at our Purse & Jewelry sale on Saturday, April 13th, from 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. All proceeds go directly to cancer research and education and the donations are tax deductible.

Join us on Sunday, April 14th from 3:30-5:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall for our next young family fellowship time! We will have snacks and a variety of toys for the kids to play with while parents socialize and connect. Older children are also welcome, but we have scheduled the event to give younger children a chance to nap after church. Don't miss out on this opportunity to meet other families and grow our community!

Each fall, our Parish journeys to Shrine Mont (Orkney Springs, VA). Called “A Place Apart” Shrine Mont is where people are more important than things; prayer, reflection, rest, and recreation are more important than appointments and tasks. From meaningful conversations to moments of spiritual revelation, the retreat promises to leave a lasting impact. It’s a wonderful time away, and all are welcome. You’ll find the perfect combination of relaxation, community, and spiritual growth amongst the gorgeous fall foliage. We hope you will join us. 

Register (http://tiny.cc/ShrineMont2024) and look forward to spending time apart from the hustle and frenzy of our lives and together in community the weekend of October 25th-27th.

For more information, join us on Sunday, April 21st during the Forum Hour to learn more about Shrine Mont and our retreat. 

Our Pre-K and Nursery class, which watch our youngest members from 10:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Sundays, needs helpers. We have a paid staff member, but for the safety of everyone, we need at least one helper with them throughout the morning.

Our Nursery needs an adult helper each week, and our Pre-K class needs an adult or teen helper each week. Teen volunteers (14+) can earn service hours for their work.

Sign up here to volunteer: http://tiny.cc/babywatch-spr24.

We thank our coffee hour hosts for their continued ministry, facilitating our fellowship after worship. So many of us are able to participate and I encourage you to stop by and have a cup of coffee, tea, or just have a conversation after the 10:00 a.m. service. With the increasing number of attendees, we would also like to remind everyone that only the coffee hour hosts will be in the kitchen for safety reasons to give them ample space for their ministry. If you are interested in serving as a coffee hour host or curious as to what it entails, please reach out. 

Thank you as well to our 8:00 a.m. coffee hour, especially Bob Heyer, who helps to facilitate that fellowship in the Narthex. If you have yet to come, we encourage you to stop by for a conversation.

Join us for a fun evening of casual conversation and dinner at Giardino's Restaurant at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16th. The restaurant is located at 8944 Burke Lake Road, in the King's Park Shopping Center. RSVP by Sunday, April 14th. Attendees are responsible for their own checks. Hope to see you there!

Our last concert for the 2023-2024 season will be held on Sunday, April 21st at 4:00 p.m. in the Nave. A true star among young classical musicians, Monica Berney, née Czausz, has made a name for herself as one of the finest organists on the scene today. Known for her technical mastery, effortless musicality, and engaging stage presence, she has been inspiring audiences from coast to coast with “artistic mastery far beyond her years” (The American Organist). Ms. Berney was appointed Director of Music at St. Paul’s Parish, K Street (Washington, D.C.) in August 2023.

On Sunday, April 28th, at 4:00 p.m., the Adult Choir of St. Andrew’s will travel to St. Paul’s, K Street in Foggy Bottom to appear as the guest choir at Evensong and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. St. Paul’s is home to a storied music program of international reputation and has offered Evensong and Benediction regularly since 1936, one of the rare parishes in the country to do so. This will be a fantastic opportunity for both our choir and parishioners to experience a different flavor of liturgy at a nearby parish, and all are invited to support the choir! Music will include works by Gabe Simerson and William Bradley Roberts as well as Charles Villiers Stanford’s mammoth anthem “For lo, I raise up,” the most ambitious work the choir has presented in recent memory. 

This Mother’s Day, help us sweeten the day for Mothers who need a little extra treat. St. Andrew’s will collect chocolates (i.e., Godiva/Lindt or your special Chocolate treat, individually wrapped) for ECHO to deliver throughout May to mothers supported by ECHO services. A donation basket will be in the Hallway at St. Andrew’s. The last day to drop off chocolates will be Mother’s Day, May 12th.

Save the date: our annual Spring Clean-Up will take place on Saturday, May 4th (rain date May 11th). We will be working both inside and out, so dress appropriately. More details to come.

We are busy with preparations for the celebration of our beloved Amy Tibbetts, who will be leaving us in May for her next life adventure in Oregon. We face this farewell with thanksgiving and joy for the ministry of Amy here at St. Andrew’s over the past 22 years, 7 of those years as our Director of Family Ministry. We will have a special farewell in the liturgy for Amy on Sunday, May 5th to be followed with a farewell reception for her. You can help with the setup and food by signing up here: http://tiny.cc/FarewellAmy.

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.

emily@standrews.net | www.standrews.net

(703) 455-2500