Yes, it seems way too early, but the first Sunday of Advent is Nov. 30th so St. Andrews’ members will get busy this weekend to be ready.

On Saturday, Nov. 22nd, as part of the monthly workday, volunteers will meet in the youth lounge at 11 a.m. to coordinate getting decorations out of the closets and staging them in the youth lounge.  On Sunday, Nov. 23rd, volunteers will gather right after church to hang the wreaths and the greenery for the first Sunday.

On the following three Sundays, Nov. 30th, Dec. 7th, Dec 14th, volunteers will meet immediately after church to add more elements to the Advent decorations.

The final stage will be on Wednesday, Dec. 17th, at 6 p.m. following our Wednesday night dinner (WOW), when the adults help the kids decorate the Christmas tree with the St. Andrews Chrismons.  If you wonder what Chrismons are, come that night, have a great dinner and find out what Chrismons are and their history at St. Andrews.  Stay to help our kids decorate the tree.  It’s one of the best experiences of Advent and Christmas.

Some devoted workers meet once a month on the third Saturday to make sure everything is fixed and our yard and landscape are neat.  Sometimes the tasks run behind deadlines, but this wonderful group keeps our school and church in good shape.

Nov. 20th is the next work day, and you can have a chance to rake leaves or make small repairs.  One group is meeting at 11 a.m. in the youth lounge to get the Advent decorations out of the closets and ready to hang.  This is mainly manual labor so if you like non-stressful work, meet this group Saturday.

You will be surprised how much goes into keeping everything going, and you’ll also learn a lot about home repairs from some of these experts.

Crismons Monday November 17th– all women of St Andrews are invited to participate in making this year’s Crismons. We will meet in the church library at 6:30 pm next Monday. Please join us!

The new Chrismons are given as gifts to the children on Christmas Eve at the family service, and the old ones are used to decorate the sanctuary tree during a WOW event in December.

Chrismons are a St. Andrews tradition dating from 1991.  They are not “normal” Christmas ornaments and have a rich history and tradition.  Click Draft for Chrismon Program 11=28-12 for some St. Andrews history about Chrismons.

Though we are always giving thanks to God this WOW will be focused around an activity called DIGITAL THANKS, with opportunities to share your thanks to God through photos and video. These may be used in Worship.  A catered meal from Los Hermanos, Cost is $8 adults $3 for children no more than $25 per family.

Fair traded coffee, tea and chocolate are now on sale. Check out the new coffee blends, chocolate bars and sing serve containers. Order for the holidays to share and to enjoy. Brochures are in the church narthex and online from Mary Evans. Please place orders by November 9th.  Email the office at office@standrewspresbyterian.org to ask for contact information for Mary Evans.

These products make great Christmas gits..hint, hint.

The Outreach Ministry will host an educational seminar on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on November 13 at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary. Designed to help people who have questions about the law, this meeting is free and open to the public. The seminar will focus on practical issues: how to find out if you qualify for government subsidy on your premium payments, how much the assistance can lower your deductible and copays, which companies will offer insurance for 2015, how to compare the different plans, what information you must provide to apply for health insurance, what to expect when filing your tax return, what improvements have been made to the website. There will be time for questions. The seminar will be presented by Paul Ellingson, a church member and a state-licensed financial services advisor with more than 10 years experience in health insurance, and who is certified under the ACA. Registration is not required but any questions may be directed to SAPCoutreach@gmail.com.

Join us this Wednesday (November 12th) at 6pm for our Potluck Fellowship Dinner and our Packing Party. Bring items to put in the boxes, bring boxes/containers to be packed, old wrapping paper, and money to donate to send the boxes to the children. This is fun for all ages.

Operation Christmas Child Promo

The cost per box is $7.  Bring wrapping paper and old or new shoe boxes.  Check the promo sheet for appropriate gifts to buy.  The last two years have been so great.  Families get to complete a mission/outreach together and have fun at the same time.

Put these on your Wednesday schedule for WOW. We always have fun, eating, being together, studying or just doing some wonderful activity. Be part of this intergenerational community.

Nov 19- Digital Thanks. An intergenerational activity of giving thanks. Creating photos together & adding a two word description of something for which they are thankful. This will be shown as media presentation sometime in service on the following Sunday. Dinner will be catered by Los Hermanos

Dec 10- Advent Workshop. Learn more about advent and create together some pieces to take home or to give away for the Advent/Christmas Season. Potluck Dinner

Dec 17- Christmas Carols and Crismon Decorating of the Tree. We will sing, decorate, and fellowship together. Dinner will be catered by Greater Good BBQ

Jan 7- Church Family Game Night and Potluck

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