SUMMER DISCIPLESHIP DISCUSSION SERIES

Our Summer Discussion Series continues in August.  Please consider joining us.  One of the great things about this time of faith sharing is finding out that you are not alone, that you are not the only one struggling with the daily choices to follow or not to follow Christ.

When Christ invites you to, “follow me,” how do you respond?  With the Holy Spirit as our guide we will explore the decisions we make and how we can deepen our faith and daily walk with Christ.

Topics for August as outlined by the ELCA Daily Discipleship series are:

August 6 – Life or Death?

August 13 – Filled or Hungry?

August 20 – Connected or Disconnected?

August 27 –Focused or Uncertain?

The group will gather in the library 15 minutes after the worship service ends and meet for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  This will be an informal group so participants need not attend every session.  Contact Janet Slater (262-542-7841) if you would like more information or would like to help.

LOAVES & FISHES MEAL

Loaves & Fishes is a community meal served every Sunday since 1983 at St. Joseph’s Church in Waukesha and is served to anyone who needs a hot meal!  Twenty-four area churches take turns serving, and St. Andrew’s turn is Sunday, August 13^th.  We will be serving spaghetti and meatballs.  A signup sheet is available near the information table.  We need donations of milk, coffee, garlic bread, butter, spaghetti, giant cans of green beans, spaghetti sauce, grated parmesan cheese, olive oil, desserts, money for meatballs and to cover the St. Joseph’s rent charge of $50 and people to help cook and serve starting at 12:30 PM on Sunday, August 13^th.  The meal preparations are begun at 12:30 and the meal is served at 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM.  Help is needed anytime between 12:30 PM and 4:00 PM.  Please talk to June Price at 542-1118 if you have any questions.

QUESTIONS ABOUT ST. ANDREW’S MINISTRY TALK TO A COUNCIL MEMBER

SPECIAL THANK YOUS

·         to everyone who donated or helped with the rummage sale especially Betty Boelter, June Price, Pastor Jane Fryda and Cindy McCullough.

·         to the Salvation Army for picking up our rummage sale leftovers. 

·         to Kay Styza for providing the birthday cake for our July birthday celebration.

·         to Dave Vrba for weeding around the tomato plants in the garden.

·         to everyone who jumps in and helps get the job done at St. Andrew.  Thank you for all you do!

Birthdays This Month!

NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS

Submissions for the September newsletter are due in the church office by Tuesday, August 22^nd.

“Knowledge is like a garden.  If it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.”  African proverb

ANNIVERSARIES THIS MONTH

RUMMAGE SALE UPDATE

      The St. Andrew Rummage sale was held July 6^th through July 8^th.  A total of $495 was raised and will be matched by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.  One woman found some lace that she has been looking for for over a year.  A job was found for a member of the congregation.  The Salvation Army received 32 boxes of rummage leftovers for their thrift stores.  Many people walked through our building and became aware of us as a congregation.  Sounds like a successful event/fundraiser!  Thank you to everyone who donated items or helped setup, run and clean up for our rummage sale!

A PRAYER FOR VISION

O God, grant us Your vision in our time.

Help us to write it so large

that even a runner can see it.

Make it so compelling that even a cynic will pause,

so convincing that a skeptic

will risk trying to bring hope to others,

And so inspiring that the committed will stand

courageously in faith,

leaving the results to you.

Marian Wright Edelman

HOW DO THEY LEARN?

      One day I was sitting in my office watching the bird feeder outside my window.  Two male and a female house finch were enjoying the safflower seed that Cindy fills it with.  On top of the feeder sat a fourth bird.  He sat there curiously watching the other birds enjoying the seed.  But he looked as if he had never been to a bird feeder before.  I guessed that he was a young bird, new to the world this summer.  His feathers still had a hint of the fluff that is common to baby birds.

      Eventually this young bird made an attempt to fly down to the seed where the other birds were.  But he couldn’t quite figure out how to land on an empty peg.  He tried to land where the other birds were.  After a few attempts, he landed on the ground below the feeder looking for seeds that my have fallen out.  Then he flew up to a branch where he continued to watch the adults eat.

      It was obvious to me that this young bird wanted to be able to eat from the feeder as the adults did.  He tried another time but landed on top of the feeder again.  Watching some more he hopped down to the highest peg on the feeder.  Almost surprised he discovered that he had made it.  Now all he had to figure out was how to get to the food in the feeder.  After several pecks at the outside of the feeder he poked his head in the feeder and pulled out a seed. 

      Our children learn in ways that are similar to all of God’s creation.  Like this young bird, children learn by watching the adults around them.  This is how we learn to act and speak.  This is how we learn some of the basics of being human.

      Faith is one of the most basic things we can teach the children around us.  We can tell them about faith.  We can read to them the bible stories.  But these things only give them knowledge about faith.  In order to teach children and those to whom faith is new, we need to teach by example.  Children are always watching and listening.  As adults we may even be unaware of this attentiveness as a child hides behind his/her parents, but they are watching.

      Knowing this, I invite you to reflect on how you live out your faith.  As a child watches, what important things might he/she learn about the role of God in your life?  We need to be aware of what we are teaching to the children around us.  What they see is often what the world sees. 

      Do your actions speak the word of God? 

      Will they bring people to the food which sustains for life eternal?

Pastor Jane Fryda

AUGUST 20^TH CHILDREN’S CHURCH

Children’s Church is for children age 4 through 6^th grade and will meet on Sunday, August 20^th at 9:30 AM.  Please join us for an educational and fun time!

AUGUST BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

      We will be celebrating August birthdays on Sunday, August 20^th following the worship service.  If you have an August birthday, please plan on remaining after service to celebrate your birthday with the congregation!  May God bless you on your birthday and throughout the year.

DISCOVERING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS WORKSHOP COMING IN SEPTEMBER!

      How do you know where you best fit in?  How can you choose between mission opportunities?  When you know what your spiritual gifts are, the choices become clearer.  Come find out your gifts at a Spiritual Gifts workshop on Wednesday, September 20^th from 6:30 PM until 9:30 PM at St. Andrew.  There will be a signup sheet in late August.  Please signup on the signup sheet or call into the church office and let Cindy McCullough know that you would like to attend.

THANK YOU LETTER

Dear St. Andrew Lutheran Church,

      Thank you for supporting the Food Pantry of Waukesha County.  We are so appreciative of your generosity.  Your contribution on 5/17/2006 will help guarantee that our mission to provide food and other groceries to Waukesha County residents in need will be fulfilled.

      Particularly in this time of economic uncertainty, we find that the Food Pantry has continued to fill a need in the lives of many Waukesha County residents.  Your generosity to the Pantry will ensure that we can continue our strong history of service.

      Each month, over 5,000 people receive food and other household necessities from the Pantry.  We serve many clients who have a strong work history.  Assistance with groceries is often needed because of low wages, the high cost of housing and child care, divorce, or illness.  Many of our other clients struggle with the infirmities of aging or chronic illness; they too require assistance.  A recent remodeling project to expand our service area has enabled us to better serve those who seek assistance through the Pantry.

      We have been tracking the number of families who have not used the Pantry for the last year.  While it is encouraging to note that approximately 1,500 registered families have not needed our assistance this past year, new client registration has increased.  Over $1,000,000 worth of food is needed annually to address the needs of our current client numbers.  Food donations of non-perishable goods such as canned fruits and vegetables, meat products, cereal, baby formula and baby food, disposable diapers, etc. make up almost ¾ of the food distributed each year.  The balance of the food is purchased through monetary donations and small grants.

      It is heartening to know that we can count on our community partners to assist when we are in need of help.

      On behalf of our neighbors in need, thank you for helping to provide food and other necessary groceries!

Sincerely,

Karen L. Tredwell

Executive Director

Food Pantry of Waukesha County

Well, as the treasurer, I pray that if you haven't been to St. Andrew to worship in a while, or if you've been thinking about maybe dropping in again, come by, see us, and while your here, put your hand in your spiritual pocket, and drop some of your faith in the giving plate-it will really help, and give me a little less to worry about, and also show me, once again, that He does answer prayer-let Him answer some prayers through you-No doubt, He loves you, and no doubt, I'll be very grateful because it will help me sleep a little easier-

God be with you and yours

Greg L. Bass

Treasurer

ACOLYTES AND TECH TEAM

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

      Tech Team and Acolytes are needed during the worship service.  The Tech Team volunteer runs the computer during the service advancing to the next slide when needed.  An acolyte lights and extinguishes the candles during the worship service and also assists during communion by collecting the used cups.  Please talk to Cindy McCullough or Pastor Jane if you are interested in volunteering in any of these areas.  A completely new list needs to be created for these areas.  Thank you for all you do in service to St. Andrew.

I’VE LEARNED

“I’ve learned that I have never regretted being too generous, but often regretted not being generous enough.”  Age 76

“I’ve learned that everyone can afford to be generous with praise.  It’s not something available only to the well-to-do.”  Age 76

“I’ve learned that it takes a lot more creativity to find out what’s right than what’s wrong.”  Age 38

Source:  Live and Learn and Pass It On compiled by H. Jackson Brown

WAUKESHA FOOD PANTRY SUNDAY

      Our Waukesha Food Pantry Sunday this month will be August 20^th.  St. Andrew will have a basket near the altar that Sunday for donations to the Food Pantry.  Those who are in need can go to the Food Pantry every two weeks.  Please help us support this vital program by bringing a non-perishable food donation.

LOOSE CHANGE CAN BE PUT TO GOOD USE!

      St. Andrew is continuing to raise funds for Heifer International.  Pastor Jane Fryda found a cow bank that is now sitting on the information table for everyone to place their change in on Sundays.  By thanksgiving, we hope to have enough to buy a Water Buffallo, maybe two!  Please consider placing your loose change in our Heifer Project bank! 

“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows great enthusiasms, great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
-Theodore Roosevelt

LOCAL EVENTS AND MEETINGS

Literacy Council of Greater Waukesha – Please join the Literacy Council of Greater Waukesha in celebrating their 20 years of service to Waukesha County on Wednesday, August 16^th at Retzer Nature Center, W284 S1530 Highway DT, Waukesha, from 6:30 PM until 9:00 PM.  Former Waukesha Mayor Carol Lombardi will emcee and Award-winning children’s book author John Ivanko will be the guest speaker.  Light refreshments will be served.  Cost is $20 per person.  RSVP by August 11^th.  For questions call LCGW at 547-7323.

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN’T LOOKING

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don’t.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, “Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.

TREASURER’S CORNER

God Does Answer Prayer and He does watch over St. Andrew Church. St. Andrew has been through many, many changes, and through prayer our direction has been revealed to us. No doubt all of us have had and needed a second chance in our lives-some of us have been really graced by more than just a second chance. St. Andrew is really the ministry of second chances-a small spiritually blessed and spiritually driven ministry that has lived our own share of second chances. When I see people who have undergone tremendous challenges in their life finding new direction at St. Andrew and through the work of others, they also find new relationships, or renew old relations, and those discoveries renew their lives as well as others, I know I'm in the right place, at the right time, doing the right things.

St. Andrew is living proof of second chances and His overall grace. Every month, as treasurer, I pray for the continuation of our ministry and pray that we receive enough through giving and other sources to continue our ministries. As you can all probably guess, managing the finances at St. Andrew is as much prayer, worry, and not only holding onto, but grabbing your faith with both hands and hanging on for the ride. But as was said many times over the past few years, St. Andrew is the little church that could.

Recently, Pastor Jane spoke about all the things that our small, but active and devoted congregation takes part in. It really is overwhelming when you really see it, stop and think about it, and once again, it proves, He is in everything we do. St. Andrew, while struggling, has become a happy, fun place to be. Everyone wades in and everyone helps.

In no other congregation that I have been a part of, does such a small congregation do as much as is done at St. Andrew. No doubt, if there are people who are looking to go to church and practice their faith without being called upon, St. Andrew is NOT the place for them. However, as I have recognized, witnessed, and in some small ways been a part of, St. Andrew is a place where faith is really practiced, the spirit is really felt if not challenged, and efforts to help those who need second chances in life, often times pay off.