CURRENT EVENTS & WORSHIP BULLETINS
THE MEANING OF LENT- Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word “lencten,” which means “spring.” The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry. Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others. Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a “mini- Easter” and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.
HOLY WEEK SERVICES-
April 13, 9:30 a.m.: Palm Sunday worship service
April 17, 7:00 p.m.: Maundy Thursday service
April 20, 9:30 a.m.: Easter worship service & celebration
UPCOMING CHRISTIAN EDUCATION – This year during the Season of Lent, St. Andrew members and friends will have the opportunity to examine their faith and draw closer to God through a 4-week study of the Lord’s Prayer led by the Rev. Dr. Gary Hindman. He will draw on relevant passages of Scripture, a number of current and classical books and, especially, the wisdom and experience of those who attend the class and share from their own stories about this most meaningful and inspirational prayer. The class will be Sunday Mornings March 9, 16, 23 and 30 after church.”
WOMEN'S WINTER BIBLE STUDY- Join Pastor Julie in a 7-week study on, “Heaven: When Faith Becomes Sight” by Jennifer Rothschild. Have you wondered about heaven? Had questions about what the Bible actually teaches about it? Who goes there? Where is it? What will we do there? Questions like these arise when we consider an eternal future beyond this physical life. How can we know the truth about what comes next? (LAST SEESION ON 3/19/2025)
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP - The Christian Education Committee of St. Andrew Community Presbyterian Church is currently soliciting scholarship applications from local Presbyterian Church (USA) members for the 2025-2026 year. To apply, write a letter of application giving your current accomplishments, your involvement in the church and community as a volunteer or employee, your financial need, and your plan of study for next year, including the institution, the course of study, and goals. Email the letter to standrewindio@gmail.com to the attention of the Christian Education
Committee, Scholarships. The application deadline is April 26, 2025. St. Andrew has two endowment funds which provide support for graduating high school seniors who want to continue their education at a four-year institution. Another fund, the Local Scholarship Fund, provides money for church members who want to retrain, enroll in a certificate program, or attend graduate school.
PER CAPITA FOR 2025: The Per Capita Assessment for 2025 will be $44 per member. Each church is required to pay the per capita which is based on the number of members on the rolls by April 1 of each year. Per capita is divided between Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly to help pay their bills. St. Andrew pays its Per Capita regardless of the congregation’s participation, but we appreciate your special contribution towards this assessment.
DEFERRED MAINTENANCE FUND: We invite you to consider giving a donation to the Deferred Maintenance Fund. We will be accepting donations throughout the year. All donations will be placed in our interest earning Mission Market Fund note. Please write Deferred Maintenance Fund in the memo section of your check or include a note in your gift envelope. We appreciate how generous this congregation continues to be and thank you for your support. Your assistance and giving helps to insure that we can have a positive effect on future generations of Christians here in the valley.
DID YOU KNOW WE HAVE ASSISTED LISTENING DEVICES? – Assisted lisening devices are available to help in Worship. Joe Hamner has them at the back table if you would like to use a set.