Reporting

From Mandy B.: Our newest members of St. Andrews are: RICH and JOHANNA L., owners of Metro Glass, and their three children; EMILY-15, DAVID-13, and MAGGIE-10.

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THIS WEEKEND AT ST. ANDREW’S

April 5 & 6

Saturday, 5:00 (Family Life Center)

Sunday, 8:30 & 10:00

Bruce preaching: SOLID FOOD

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The new worship schedule is off to a rousing start! Here are some numbers from the weekend.

• We were all taken back by the turnout for our inaugural Saturday evening service. The sanctuary count was 349—exceeding our most optimistic projection. That said, we were ready and prepared, and the evening went off wonderfully.
• The 8:30 count was 106, somewhat less than I was hoping for. The service itself was excellent and I highly commend 8:30 as a worship option.
• The 10:00 sanctuary count was 415, add another 43 youth in the Family Life Center.
• The most interesting number of all, perhaps, is from the Children’s Department. Our Saturday evening Children’s count was 94. The total count for the weekend was 246. That compares to an EASTER Children’s count of 177. Mandy B. has been telling us that Saturday evening would be a very attractive option for families with young children and the first returns would seem to indicate she was right on target.
• While some of the Saturday turnout was surely curiosity-driven, we seem to be on to something with this service. Netta reports that when parents were coming to pick up their kiddies afterwards, there was a very positive vibe. I couldn’t be more excited.

This Saturday, and on occasional Saturday evenings from now through the summer, the 5:00 service will be held in the Family Life Center, as the sanctuary is committed to weddings. The congregation spent ten years worshiping in the Family Life Center, so it’s set up for sound, video, etc. This helps explain a recurring dream I’d been having. (I assure you I am not making this up.) In the dream, there were two major league ballparks, just blocks from each other. The home team played some games in the new stadium, and others on the older field. It’s been months now since I had that dream—in fact, I don’t think I’ve had the dream since we decided to commit to the new worship schedule. I have decided the dream was a sign that was okay to switch the Saturday evening service back and forth from the new sanctuary to the former worship space, as necessary. In fact, I’ve taken the dream as assurance that we’re on the right track with the entire restructuring of the worship schedule. . .

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In our most recent communication, I made particular mention of the Children’s and Music Departments as critical to the success of our new venture. I should have mentioned also the custodial department. The amount of activity in this building, seven days a week, is astonishing. I am amazed at how Clark Sanders and his team keeps up with it, including some very short turnarounds, as a given space is transformed from the needs of one activity to the next. This is a great problem to have, of course, but it means we need to have the longest possible lead times in scheduling, with lots of patience and understanding when a given space isn’t available. We do our very best to move things around and to be as accommodating as possible. And we always appreciate it when groups can do some cleaning up after themselves. That helps a lot.

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FROM NETTA P.:

Saturday Evening Services/Church School:

We are opening up another classroom for the Pre-Kindergarteners on Saturday night. We were blessed with large numbers in this age level! We will need 2 teachers and 2 helpers to make this happen. You can rotate every other month, giving you an opportunity to worship as well. OR, if you already attend a Sunday Service, prayerfully consider teaching at the 5:00 hour on Saturday.

We are also in need of more helpers in the nursery. Again, you can rotate your schedules.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!! Netta

Children’s Ministries Presents: THE BIG TICKET

There is not a BIG TICKET event this Friday, April 4. It was on the bulletin by mistake. The first BIG TICKET event is April 18.

• Get closer to God!
• Watch a Movie!
• Eat popcorn and snacks!
• Play games!
• Meet new friends!

Come to our showing of “A Bug’s Life”, Friday, April 18^th from 6:30-8:15.

If your child is 5 years old or under, an adult must accompany them.

Sign up in the entrance!!

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From DIANE M.: The United Methodist Women’s group is taking orders for bedding plants for your flower garden! Look for our display in the rotunda. The profits from the sale will fund our $500 youth scholarship. Orders must be in by April 21^st. Call Diane if you have questions.

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I Corinthians 3:1-3

And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving according to human inclinations?

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BRD