God provides abundantly!

On Sunday, November 6 we will celebrate Consecration Sunday when we gather together and pledge our gifts for the coming year to God's ministry and mission at St. Andrew's. Please plan to stay afterwards for fellowship at a special coffee hour.

Blessings from your Stewardship Team 

Donna Barnum, Alana Hercules, Liza Holzinger, Dean Lowe (Chair), and The Rev. Lane Perdue

Francis Latham’s Reflection

David Jones came to the hospital to visit with my mom and dad when I was in a coma after my accident. I got hit by a Mack truck when I was 6. Aunt Helen Jastremski was a member of St. Andrew’s and asked Father Jones to visit us. Later a doctor at Good Shepherd told my parents that I might never walk or talk again. But at Easter Seals they were able to teach me to walk and talk.

In 1980, about a year after my uncle Thomas Bailey passed, we started going to St. Andrew’s. We took to church my aunts Ada Bennett and Muriel Bailey. We all sat in the first row on the right. Helen would sit next to the aisle, then Ada, then my mom, then me, then Muriel, and then family friend Joe Irwin. My dad never took me to church, but he was one of the construction workers when the church was built. All those people I just mentioned except for me are buried in our memory garden.

I was an acolyte. I also used to help make Easter candy with Sue Hansen, Helen Jastremski, my mom, my Uncle Raymond Bailey and Sue Large. My job was to remove the chocolates from the refrigerator and put them on wax paper on a lunch tray. Then I took the tray back to Mary Franssen and Catherine Jeffery to weigh and box them. The Easter candy was a big fundraiser for the church.

My mom and aunts helped every time we had any dinner or lunch at the church. I bussed the tables. I still like to help when we have a meal. I like to help when it is our turn to distribute food at the Food Pantry, too. I used to help when our church had Fall rummage sales. And I helped at the Troxell Street sales by bringing up food from the kitchen.

You might remember my friend Jennifer Motes who used to come to church with me. She lived in the same house as me at Above and Beyond. I brought other guys to church too. I would just invite them to come to church. Lynne Wagner sometimes comes to church with me now.

I used to come to Bible Study. I like to go if someone can drive me. I don’t drive, but I really appreciate everyone who drives me to church.

Now I am an usher. I really like Father Scott. My favorite things about the church service are the sermon, the Nicene Creed, and the prayers of the people. And singing too. My favorite song is Amazing Grace.

I have been a member of St. Andrew’s for over 40 years. And some day I will be in the memory garden too.

As members of Saint Andrews Church, and volunteers to Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering, we actively support providing a warm, safe place for guests to eat and sleep in the coldest months. As volunteers, we have done so for the past 12 years. 

We believe BES has changed the lives of many who need shelter. In addition to meeting the basic needs for our neighbors, BES goes out of their way to reduce barriers to other services for their guests. Since our work is in the downtown area and we live in the Lehigh Valley, we often see and know our street neighbors in Bethlehem. We are grateful for the assistance that BES provides to them especially during the COVID epidemic. 

We also support the work that BES does in the off season. BES provides bagged lunches on Saturdays and Sundays year-round to those struggling to make ends meet in this economy.  And now, BES has opened a Day Center on the South Side to continue services are provided to those struggling with homelessness.  

We are proud to have helped Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering by providing food, cooking meals and serving BES residents while volunteering at the BES facility. Many of our volunteers have known a number of the guests for many years. 

We understand that the City of Bethlehem has hired a consultant to develop a strategic plan to address homelessness in Bethlehem.  We hope that this plan includes Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering as a key player in this effort.  BES’s experience in serving the needs of our street neighbors and their active base of  many volunteers and supporters must be a vital component of the coordinated efforts to address homelessness in our community and region. 

Thank you for your work to support our community neighbors in need.

Carol Todaro and Paul LeMenager, St. Andrew's Coordinators

Dear Friends,

In this season of stewardship reflection, I am happy to report to you that over the past two years the Vestry and Junior Warden have been quite active in improving the state of our buildings and grounds at St. Andrew’s. In that span of time, we have completed the following major upgrades to our physical plant:

1. Replacement of a failed flat roof over the Education and Office wing
2. Repair of tile floor in the entrance hallway that was damaged by leaks in the old flat roof
3. Replacement of the pitched asphalt roof over the Sanctuary which had reached the end of its life
4. Resurfacing and painting of the bell tower
5. Installation of new double doors near the pantry entrance, to replace original doors that had reached the end of their life
6. Installation of a new basement door, to replace original door that had reached the end of its life
7. Removal of three fatally diseased Austrian pine trees in the yard
8. Replacement of the old water heater which failed on Christmas Eve

We have been blessed by God with sufficient capital funds to complete these vital and necessary projects. Contributions to the capital funds for these endeavors came from generous gifts from parishioners, payments from the Church Insurance Corporation, and a grant from the Episcopal “Long Name Society”.

Our next capital project, which will take place this fall, is the planting of a red American maple tree to replace the Austrian pine trees. May the new maple tree grow tall and straight and true, and be a reflection of our faith in God’s grace and goodness to us all.

Bob Tench, Junior Warden