Called to Worship. Sent to Witness. Led to Welcome. | | |
Preparing for Lent (& Life After Lent)
The Season of Lent, which covers a forty-day period from Ash Wednesday to Easter, is a time of spiritual focus, a time not only to give up things through fasting, but also to make more time for prayer, spiritual reading and reflection, and additional almsgiving (especially to those in greatest need). It is also a time when we are especially called to reflect upon our own sinfulness, our contribution to the brokenness of the world, and our need for redemption.
With Lent beginning in just under a week, I encourage you to spend some time in the intervening days in prayer and reflection about how you want to grow closer to God through the disciplines that you adopt through this coming Lent. Perhaps, you want consider giving up things that distract you or keep you from a deeper relationship with God.
Beyond giving things up, you may want to add a spiritual discipline of more regular prayer or scripture reading, saying Morning or Evening Prayer, or setting aside a certain amount of money every day during Lent to go to a charity that is furthering God's reconciling work.
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Furthermore, this year, I am looking forward to leading a Wednesday Night Lenten Soup Supper Class that, among other things, I hope will help us all prepare for my upcoming four-month sabbatical starting in May. Through my sabbatical, I hope to focus on three spiritual practices — Prayer, Pilgrimage, & Sabbath — and, with this class, I am inviting parishioners to help me in that preparation. Over the course of the five week class, we will consider these practices and how members of the parish might likewise be formed by them during Lent as well as during my upcoming time away.
I hope that you will consider joining us for this study. We will gather in the Parish Hall at 6:30 PM on Wednesday nights (following the 5:30 PM Healing Mass -- starting on February 25) where we will enjoy a soup meal together before getting down to our study. The link to register can be found below.
I look forward to journeying together with you through a Holy Lent in the weeks ahead.
Grace & Peace,
Fr. Gary+
| | Worship & Formation Schedule with Links | | |
Sunday, February 15 - The Last Sunday after the Epiphany
8:30 AM Low Mass, Rite II
9:30 AM Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
10:30 AM Sung High Mass, Rite I (livestream available)
Tuesday, February 17
8:30 AM Morning Prayer, Rite II
4:00 PM Clergy Led Bible Study
6:00 PM Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
Wednesday, February 18 - Ash Wednesday
7:00 AM Low Mass, Rite I, with Imposition of Ashes
12:00 PM Low Mass, Rite I, with Imposition of Ashes
6:30 PM Sung High Mass, Rite I, with Imposition of Ashes
Thursday, February 19
8:30 AM Morning Prayer, Rite II
1:00 PM Low Mass, Rite I, with Imposition of Ashes at Woodlands
Saturday, February 21
1:00 PM Requiem Mass for Dick Stanley
| | Prayer Requests & Resources | |
The following people have been commended
to the prayers of the parish:
| Bambi, Bob, Brian, Charlie, Christi, Chuck, Cleve, Don, 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.
| | Episcopal Church Resources for Lent | | |
1. Living Compass: Living Well Through Lent 2026
Living Compass brings us a Lent Devotional, Living Well Through Lent 2026: Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit In Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind, which can be ordered in print or downloaded in English and Spanish. They also offer a daily email of reflections, one for each day of Lent plus Easter.
2. Gratitude and Reciprocity by United Thank Offering
Each Lent, United Thank Offering offers resources for congregations, families, children, and individuals. Materials for 2026 are inspired by the book The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This book takes a look at how the natural world functions via a gift economy as plants, animals, soil, etc., share what they have for the common good.
3. 2026 Lenten Meditations by Episcopal Relief & Development
Written by Sister Monica Clare, an Episcopal nun, author and unlikely TikTok star, their 2026 meditations offer an invitation to rediscover—or deepen—holy habits of prayer, worship and engagement with Scripture. These "holy habits" provide a path to a life that is given shape, meaning and direction by being rooted in a deeper relationship with God.
4. The Episcopal Church Foundation
The Episcopal Church Foundation has also compiled a list of additional resources to explore.
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2/2 Eva Gosnell
2/2 Lauren Santilli
2/3 Grayson Marlowe
2/4 Peggy Muncie
2/6 Jodi Steffes
2/8 Kelly Gregory
2/9 Harry Bennett
2/9 Sylvia Brock
2/10 Doug Barrett
2/10 Chad Dudley
2/10 Gary Eichelberger
2/13 Inge Stanley
2/15 Michael Roberts
2/18 Margaret Lee Ballenger
2/20 Ken Banks
2/20 Jenny Peer
2/21 Joseph Simpkins-Arganbright
2/22 Bambi Martin
2/22 Sophia Sloan-Praytor
2/24 Todd Gower
2/24 Leslie Leuthold
2/24 Landon Lever
2/25 Scott Chastain
2/25 Nancy Smith
2/26 Patt Fero
2/26 Helen Landmesser
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Vestry Meeting | This Sunday | 12:30 PM
Our monthly vestry meeting will take place in the upstairs of the Parish House following Sunday's 10:30 AM Sung High Mass.
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Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper | Tuesday, February 17 | 6:00 PM | Saint Andrew’s Parish Hall
On Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, we are planning to feast on pancakes (as well as eggs, sausage, orange juice and coffee!) in preparation for entering the penitential season of Lent. Saint Paul United Methodist (who we gathered with for the Blessing of the Animals) will be joining us for this supper. In addition to enjoying pancakes together, the children of Saint Andrew’s and Saint Paul's will assist us with the ceremonial Burning of the Palms and Burying of the Alleluias. (If you still have your palms from last year, you are invited to bring them.) If you are interested in helping, please contact Riley Owens, who is serving as this year’s Shrove Tuesday Supper Coordinator.
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*Clergy-Led Bible Study of Matthew’s Gospel | Tuesdays | 4 PM
Our weekly clergy-led study of Matthew meets Tuesdays at 4 PM. If you have not previously signed up for weekly Bible study, please do so in order to receive the weekly reminders and handouts via e-mail. All are welcome.
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Ash Wednesday Services with Imposition of Ashes February 18 | 7:00 AM, 12 Noon, and 6:30 PM
The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, one of the most solemn days of the church year. Please join us for an Ash Wednesday service as we enter a Holy Lent together and begin the forty day penitential journey to the Cross.
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Requiem Mass for Dick Stanley | Saturday, February 21 | 1 PM
A Requiem Mass will be said for Robert Richard "Dick" Stanley at 1:00 PM on Saturday, February 21, at Saint Andrew's with Committal at the Columbarium immediately afterward followed by a reception in the Parish Hall.
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United Thank Offering & Gratitude Practice | Starting February 18, continuing through Lent
During the season of Lent, Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church Women (ECW) invite the parish to practice gratitude through the United Thank Offering (UTO). Gratitude guides and UTO envelopes and/or boxes will be available starting Shrove Tuesday. Please consider making a UTO offering as part of your Lenten devotion. The UTO Lenten Gratitude Offering will also be collected on Palm Sunday, March 28. All funds will go directly to support the mission and ministry in the Episcopal Church. Next Sunday, February 22, envelopes for the offering will be in your bulletin, or you can pick one up from the Parish Office.
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Coffee and Conversation with Saint Andrew’s Vestry | February 22 | 9:30 and 12:30 | Parish Hall
With the excitement of the arrival of Saint Andrew’s first Associate Rector, the Vestry is hosting a “Coffee and Conversation” following the 8:30 and 10:30 AM services on February 22. Look for vestry members Rusty and Annette at a table in the Parish Hall. They will share a brief overview of Mother Molly’s role in the life of our Parish. In addition, they will provide an update on Father Gary’s upcoming Sabbatical.
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February Youth Gathering | Sunday, February 22 | Parish Hall | 5-7 PM
Join us for our monthly Youth Gathering an evening of fun, games, food, and learning Next Sunday evening, our youth will gather in the Parish Hall from 5 to 7 PM for our monthly gathering. We will play games, eat dinner, and have a lesson This month's gathering will be led by Leigh Randall and Phil Buck.
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Lenten Soup Supper Class | Prayer, Pilgrimage, & Sabbath: Practices for Sabbatical | Wednesdays in Lent | Starting February 25 | 6:30 PM in the Parish Hall
As Father Gary prepares for his four-month sabbatical starting in May, he is inviting parishioners to help him prepare through this Lenten Soup Supper Class. Through his sabbatical, Fr. Gary hopes to focus on three spiritual practices — Prayer, Pilgrimage, & Sabbath — and, with this class, he is inviting parishioners to help him in that preparation. Over the course of the five week class, we will consider these practices and also consider how members of the parish might likewise be formed by these practices during Fr. Gary’s time away.
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Garden Crew | Saturday, February 28 | 9-11 AM
Join our Garden Crew on Saturday, February 28, from 9 to 11 AM, for our monthly gathering as we care for the church grounds and do help get the gardens ready for Spring! Contact Annette Geraghty with any questions.
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Just Faith Study Group | Monday, March 2 | 6-7 PM | Parish Hall
Join us for Session 1 of our Just Faith meetings on Monday, March 2 at 6 PM. A light supper will be provided and to honor your time, we will start and end on time. If you are running a few minutes late, please come on in and join us!
Additional future dates:
- March 16
- April 6
- April 20
If you have any questions or ideas for supporting content, please send them to Anne Kaiser.
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Welcoming Mtr. Molly McGee Short as Our New Associate Rector | Sunday, March 8 | Both Masses
Please plan to join us on Sunday, March 8, as we formally welcome Mtr. Molly as our new Associate Rector at both masses. We will also have a special coffee hour reception following the 10:30 Mass. We look forward to this opportunity to receive Mtr. Molly and her family into the life of Saint Andrew’s!
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New Saint Andrew’s Parish Directory Available
The 125th Anniversary Edition of Saint Andrew’s Parish Directory now available. Please let us know if you have not gotten your copy yet! 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.
| | ECW Low-Country Shrimp Boil & Souper Bowl Luncheon Photos | | |
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
| | Notes Along the Way | To Speak As A Christian and Citizen | | | Come enjoy "Coffee with the Bishop" | EDUSC Launches New Podcast | | | |
Living the Reign | Your Diocesan Newsletter | | | Living the Reign | Your Diocesan Newsletter | Attendees must speak to their Rector or Vicar and fill out the form below to participate. | | | St. Andrew's, Greenville Calls A New Associate Rector | For the past seven years, The Rev. Molly McGee Short has served as the Chaplain at St. Andrew's-Sewanee School, an Episcopal boarding and day School in Sewanee, TN. Molly's spiritual formation first took root as a student at St. Paul's Episcopal school in Mobile, AL. | | | | From Episcopal Relief & Development... | |
Build Holy Habits This Lent | | | |
LETTER FROM THE CEO Dear Project Host Friends and Supporters, February is a month rooted in connection, care, and reflection, and at Project Host, we always welcome any season that celebrates love. This Valentine's Day, we are especially grateful for the compassion and commitment of our volunteers who show up week after week to serve our neighbors. | | | |
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 Lesley Moore or Linda Fitzsimmons.
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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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