Called to Worship. Sent to Witness. Led to Welcome. | | |
"To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is the Messiah, the Lord!"
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Thank you to everyone who has helped make our celebration of the Nativity such a festive and joyous experience! May we be inspired to share this Good News through our continued worship, witness, and welcome in the year ahead!
Grace & Peace,
Fr. Gary+
| | A Christmas Message from Our Diocesan Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Daniel Richards ... | | A Christmas Message from Our Presiding Bishop, The Most Rev. Sean Rowe ... | A Christmas Message from Presiding Bishop Rowe | Dear People of God in The Episcopal Church ... | | | | Worship & Formation Schedule with Links | | |
Sunday, December 28 - The First Sunday After Christmas Day
8:30 AM Low Mass, Rite II
10:30 AM Sung High Mass, Rite I (livestream available)
Note: NO SUNDAY FORMATION OFFERINGS
Tuesday, December 30
8:30 AM Morning Prayer, Rite II
Wednesday, December 31 - Feast of the Holy Name (observed)
Mtr. Lee Ann Tolzmann presiding
5:30 PM Healing Mass, Rite II
Thursday, January 1
NO MORNING PRAYER
| | Prayer Requests & Resources | |
The following people have been commended
to the prayers of the parish:
| Bob, Brian, Carol, Charlie, Chuck, Dick, Don, Esley, Jane, Jerry, Jim, Jodi, Joyce, Karen, Kristen, Lyra, Margaret Lee, Margaret, Marvin, Mary, Nancy, Patt, Robin, Shawn, Sylvia, Terry, Theresa, Tom, and Wade | | |
To add someone to the Parish Prayer List, please contact the office.
To add someone to the Daughters of the King prayer list, please e-mail dok@standrewsgreenville.org
There is also wooden box in the Narthex where you can fill out prayer cards.
The Daughters will add your names to their prayers.
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12/1 Cooper Banks
12/4 Wade Owens
12/5 Ellen Mays
12/5 Mary Lou Merkt
12/5 David Tolzmann
12/6 Tracey Welborn
12/7 Leona Muhleman
12/7 Shawn Simpkins-Arganbright
12/7 Tyler Proctor
12/7 Nicholas Seminoff
12/8 Eliza Brooks
12/9 Marla Thorburn
12/12 Kevin Connaughton
12/14 Caroline Brooks
12/14 Mike Fitzsimmons
12/15 Roger Davis
12/16 Liam Boswell
12/16 Roberta Putman
12/18 Lamar Lehman
12/19 Banks Gregory
12/19 Gary Shamlin
12/20 Ruben Sogomonian
12/23 Deirdre Young
12/26 Michael Comer
12/26 Richard Hall
12/27 Lendy Rhodes
12/28 Bennett Cochrane
12/28 Doug Montjoy
12/28 Ellie Hall
12/29 Ethan Cashwell
12/29 Dennis Crenshaw
12/30 Lillian Lever
12/31 Maggy Hinds
12/31 Liam Rhodes
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Christmas and New Years Schedule Adjustments:
Changes in Weekly Parish Offerings:
- No 8:30 AM Morning Prayer on Christmas Day & New Years Day
- No Catechesis of the Good Shepherd on December 28
Parish Office Christmas Season Schedule:
- Closed on Christmas Day & New Year’s Day
- Regular Hours (9 AM to 2 PM) with Staff 12/26
- Limited Hours (9 AM to 1 PM) with Volunteers on 12/30 and 12/31
- Regular Hours (9 AM to 2 PM, Tuesday-Friday) with Staff resume again on 1/2
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Year End Giving to Saint Andrew’s
As you wrap up your charitable giving for the calendar year 2025, please consider a year-end gift to Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church. You may record a one-time online gift via the “Donate” link found on our website. You can also make a 2024 tax year donation by placing it in the offering plate today, by sending it by U.S. mail with a 2025 postmark, or by hand-delivering it to the parish office before the end of the year. (If the office is closed, you may place an envelope in the mailbox on Markley Street.)
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Ordo Kalendars
The 2025 Ordo Kalendars are available in the Parish Office for $5 each. Reserve yours today by emailing office@standrewsgreenville.org or calling 864-235-5884.
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Second Sunday of Christmas | January 4 | Guest Preacher, Andrew Raines
We are delighted that Andrew Raines, who is our Candidate for Ordination, will be back with us on January 4 as our guest preacher. Every week, we pray for Andrew, our parishioner in the ordination process, and we are delighted to have Andrew with us next Sunday. This past May, Andrew graduated from Duke Divinity School and, over the summer, Andrew and his fiancé, Brett, moved to Oxford, England, where Andrew began doctoral studies. We are currently anticipating that Andrew will be ordained to the transitional diaconate this coming summer—and will provide further details to the parish once that plan is confirmed by the Bishop. Please join us in welcoming Andrew to our pulpit next week!
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Saint Andrew’s Book Club | Sunday, January 4 | 1 PM | Parish Hall
We will discuss On Beauty by Zadie Smith. Readers are asked to bring a book for future meeting consideration. All are welcome. Please RSVP to Kay Friddle.
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The Feast of the Epiphany | Sung High Mass with Blessing of the Chalk | Tuesday, January 6 | 6:30 PM
The Feast of Epiphany, one of the Principal Feasts of the Church Year, is when we remember the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child. At our evening mass, we will include the Blessing of the Chalk, an Epiphany tradition.
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Invitation for Saint Andrew's Parishioners
to Taylor Edmonds & John Siegel Wedding
February 7, 2026 | 2 PM
(RSVP by January 7)
Saint Andrew's parishioners, Taylor Edmonds and John Siegel, will be getting married at Saint Andrew’s on Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 2 PM. There will be a reception with cake and light refreshments following the ceremony in the Parish Hall. All are welcome. To ensure an accurate headcount for the reception, please talk to Taylor or John by Wednesday, January 7 or send them an e-mail.
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The Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord (Baptismal Opportunity) | Sunday, January 11
The Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, where we remember Our Lord’s baptism by John in the River Jordan, is one of the four feast days that our prayer book designates as “especially appropriate” for Holy Baptism. Although we currently do not have any baptisms planned for the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord this year, we will join in the Renewal of Baptismal Vows in the midst of our those masses. Anyone desiring to be baptized or to have a child baptized, please speak with or e-mail Fr. Gary ASAP.
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An Invitation to Join the Just Faith Study Group - A New Parish Offering Introductory Session on Sunday, January 11 | 12:30 PM | Parish Hall Library
As conversations continue in our congregation regarding weighty matters that rightly feel too large for any of us individually to handle — wars and disasters, polarization, increase in Greenville’s homelessness, lack of food for our neighbors and more, many of us are drawn to the heartfelt question: “As Christians, what do we do? Can we do anything that really matters?”
So, with Father Gary’s encouragement, we have committed to launch and lead a study group beginning to address these questions using the Just Faith Ministries curriculum: "Through the Wilderness: Healing for a Weary World.” According to its mission statement Just Faith seeks to create "transformative programs that inspire action to address the root causes of injustice while serving with love.” Moreover, at Saint Andrew’s, in our Statement of Core Values, we have recognized that, "as a parish in the Anglo-Catholic tradition, our commitment to social justice should be as central to our identity as our commitment to ancient practices of worship.”
The purpose of the group will be to share concerns, information, and to learn more around the larger picture of social justice in and around Greenville. Our first gathering will be on Sunday, January 11 at 12:30 in the Parish Hall library. (If anyone who wants to attend has difficulty with the stairs, please let us know, and we will evaluate other options for meeting.) This first meeting will provide a simple overview of the curriculum and a warm welcome to further get to know one another.
The course lasts four sessions and the cadence of the schedule (weekly, bi-weekly etc. ) will be decided during our first conversation. And from there, who knows where our learnings and our prayers will lead us? Regardless, we believe we must start somewhere.
If you are the least bit interested in learning more, please join us on Sunday, January 11 at 12:30 and RSVP online or by e-mailing Jenny Peer or myself (Anne Kaiser) — so that we can have enough goodies for all. You are also welcome to email either of us with questions.
Blessings to all,
Anne Kaiser, Team Leader for GOAL Justice
Jenny Peer, Co-Chair of the Mission & Outreach Committee
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Clergy-Led Bible Study of Matthew’s Gospel | Starting January 13 | Tuesdays | 4 PM
For the past year, our Bible study worked our way through Genesis, the first book of Old Testament, and, next year, we will turn to the first book of the New Testament, Matthew’s Gospel. This focus is especially appropriate given that, over the course of this church year, our Sunday Gospel readings will be primarily from Matthew’s Gospel, which has been described by scholars as “a training manual for disciples.” Fr. Gary will be leading this study once again, and we will start on Tuesday, January 13. If you have not previously signed up for the weekly Bible study, please do so in order to receive the weekly reminders and handouts via e-mail. We look forward to reflecting together on the essential training that Matthew provides!
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Episcopal Church Women | Low-Country Shrimp Boil Fundraiser | Friday, January 23 | 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM | Parish Hall
Our ECW will be hosting an “all you can eat” shrimp boil fundraiser. Advance tickets are required, and registration will be available beginning Sunday. The cost is $25 per person. Children 12 & under are free ($75 max per family). Non-seafood options/Brunswick Stew will be available. BYO-cooler with beverages. Deadline for ticket purchases will be Tuesday, January 20.
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Election of 2026 Parish Officers
We are pleased to announce that, at this month's vestry meeting, Leigh Randall was re-elected Senior Warden, Annette Geraghty was elected Junior Warden, and Anne Culbreath was elected Clerk. Stephen Fairley was elected to a one-year term as Finance Committee Chair, and Jamie Hinds was elected to another one-year term as Treasurer. Rusty Infinger, Ellen Mays, and Lendy Rhodes began their service as new vestry members. We are so thankful for all of their willingness to serve. We also want to express our gratitude to our three outgoing members, Phil Buck, Lee Gray, and Jenny Peer!
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New Saint Andrew’s Parish Directory Available
The 125th Anniversary Edition of Saint Andrew’s Parish Directory now available. You can pick up one per household from the Parish Office.
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Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for 3-to-9-Year- Olds | Continues This Sunday | 9:30 AM | The Atrium (upstairs in the Parish Hall)
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd — an approach to Christian formation that builds upon Montessori methods of learning — continues each week. Please note that we will not meet Sunday, December 28.
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Coffee Hour
Volunteers Needed!
Please consider volunteering to assist with refreshments and set up for our coffee hour fellowship following the 10:30 AM Mass. A sign up sheet can be found on the “Welcome” bulletin board in the Parish Hall or online at the link below.
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UPDATED: Parking at Saint Andrew's
For detailed parking instructions, click here.
***PLEASE NOTE - West End Baptist Church, which owns the parking lot around Saint Andrew's, has reduced the parking lot area available on Sundays to the area closer to South Main Street--with the back part of the parking lot (against Rhett Street) no longer available. As a result, please enter the parking lot via South Main Street. The map linked below has been updated to reflect that change.***
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Note: You need a parking decal to park in the designated lots. They can be found on the shelf to the left of the doors as you exit the church.
| Sunday Altar Flower and Presence Candle Dedications | |
On Sundays, we have the opportunity to offer a special dedication of the altar flowers or presence candle in honor, memory, or celebration of loved ones. The cost to the church for altar flowers is now $100 per Sunday, so we are suggesting that donations for dedicating altar flowers be in the range of $50 to $100 to help us cover those costs. The suggested donation for a presence candle dedication is $10.
If you would like to sign up for a Sunday, please see the sign up sheet on the bulletin in the Parish Hall or click on the button below. You may place a check in the offering plate with "Altar Flowers" or "Presence Candle" noted in the memo.
We will continue to only have Altar Flowers if someone has signed up and paid for the arrangements. As a result, we will need to know by the Tuesday prior to the upcoming Sunday if you would like to sign up.
Also note that, during the upcoming penitential Season of Advent, we will only have flowers on the altar on the Third Sunday ("Gaudete Sunday").
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Invitation to Submit Future Parishioner Postings ...
If you have news of important milestones or work that you would like to share with the parish, please let us know!
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News from the Wider Church
and from Our Ministry Partners
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Notes Along the Way | A Christmas Message from Bishop Richards | | | |
Living the Reign | Your Diocesan Newsletter | Episcopal Cursillo Ministry Committee (ECMC) at the national conference in St. Louis recently. Scotty+ was appointed as National Spiritual Director for ECMC and will consult with the Episcopal Cursillo Leaders Workshop Committee. Janet was elected as Secretary, and is part of the Leadership and Communications Teams. | | | | From Diocesan Missionaries, Cameron & Roberto Vivanco, in Ecuador ... | |
Merry Christmas and End of Year | Dear Friends, Merry Christmas from Ecuador! So much to share, but so much to do this time of year, so we will keep it short. - Gratitude and Hope: Support raising is a never ending task. It is also a source of great gratitude for all who make the ministry here in Ecuador possible! | | | |
Altar Guild Volunteers Needed
The Altar Guild is currently looking for people who may be interested in serving with them. If you are interested, or have questions, please reach out to Doug Barrett.
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Choir | Rehearsal on Sundays at 9:30 AM
We are always seeking additional volunteers for the Saint Andrew’s choir, which currently gathers on Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM (and not on Wednesday evenings) to prepare the music for the 10:30 mass. This more limited time commitment provides an excellent opportunity for prospective new members to “try us out.” If you have questions, contact the Parish Office—or just show up on Sunday morning!
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Volunteers Needed
Feed Thy Neighbor
Founded in 2010, Feed Thy Neighbor is a cooperative effort of the Episcopal community in Greenville. Parish volunteers from Saint Andrew’s, St. Peter’s, St. James, and Christ Church feed the hungry each Saturday from 7:30 to 8:30 AM. We are seeking volunteers to help serve and clean up. Please contact the office if you would like to volunteer: office@standrewsgreenville.org.
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