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Freedom, anyone?

Every year I get to celebrate Independence Day two times. As an American citizen, I join with other Americans celebrating the independence of my adopted country on the 4th of July. But also as a person born on the island of Jamaica, I celebrate with other Jamaicans the independence from Britain on the 6th of August. Therefore, at least twice a year I am reminded of the price of freedom, which was paid by the blood of both my American and Jamaican forebears.

Freedom is not free, as many people have stated, and that is true. But what is freedom, really? Let’s think first about what freedom is not. Freedom is not being allowed to do whatever I want to do. Freedom is not the same as “anything goes” either.

Freedom is strongly tied, in my opinion, to relationship. It is the freedom to be who God created you to be, connected to other people. We are not created to be lone wolves, because even wolves need connection with others from time to time. We are born to live in community.

God created us to live in freedom, where we are affirmed for the persons we are as God made us. We are also to ensure that others live with the same freedom to love, live in peace and safety, and have the opportunities to use their God-given talents and gifts. I am free because you are free. 

So wherever and whenever we celebrate independence, let us keep in mind that God seeks for us to show love, engage compassionately and raise up and encourage each other.

Peace,

(The Rev.) Lorna H. Williams

Sundays in July

8:00 Holy Eucharist, Rite One

9:15 Adult Forum- Canoeing the Mountains

(except July 7)

10:30 Holy Eucharist, Rite Two

Children's Chapel

11:30 Lemonade and cookies outside

Service participants/weekly calendars

July 7

July 14

July 21

July 28

Scripture Readings

July 7

July 14

July 21

July 28

July Christian Formation

Anne and John Away 

Anne and John will be away on vacation July 1 through July 13 visiting Herbst relatives in Tennessee and then spending about five days in North Carolina. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel and know that you will be in ours.

Youth Mission Trip Summer 2019

The Youth Mission Trip will be Monday July 8 through Thursday July 11. On Monday we will be at THRIVE Peninsula and from Tuesday to Thursday we will be at Serve the City volunteer sites.  This is a program by the City of Newport News to serve the residents of the city.  

Our youth missioners are: Trinity Ellis, Andrews Horton, Rachel Klinger, Susan Sale, and Vanessa Smock. Our adult missioners are Corky Brooks, Tonia Graves, the Rev. Lorna Williams, and Matthew Williamson. We would love it if you would choose the name of a participant on the mission trip and pray for that person each day, July 8 through 11.  We will share our mission trip experiences in church at both services on July 14.

July 21 Baptisms of Jason Carney and Nicole Emmelhainz-Carney

Newcomers Nicole and Jason Carney will be baptized at the 10:30 service on Sunday, July 21. Plan to be present to welcome them into the household of God!

Leadership Caucus

There will be a Leadership Caucus on Sunday, July 21 in the Parish Hall immediately following the 10:30 AM service. All parish leaders are asked to attend.

And Coming in August - Adult Forum: Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?

The votes are in! This August, John Herbst will be leading the Adult Form in a series of conversations about biblical responses to the Problem of Evil. Over four weeks, we will discuss 8-10 Bible passages that try to answer the question, "why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?"  Stay tuned for more!

Our love and sympathy are extended

to the family and friends of

Jean Frances Morton McCoy

who died June 12, 2019

Read Mrs. McCoy's obituary

Mary Jean Wilson

who died June 18, 2019

Martha Mantelle Thomas Bradley

who died June 26, 2019

Martha's funeral will be

Sunday afternoon, June 30 at 2:00 

Read Mrs. Bradley's obituary

Let light perpetual shine on them, O Lord.

Congratulations on the birth of

Lilian Annette Jeffery

born June 15, 2019

daughter of Matt and Suzanne Jeffery

granddaughter of Ellen Edwards

Slate of Candidates for the 11th Bishop of Our Diocese

The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Southern Virginia is pleased to announce the following slate of candidates for the election of the 11th Bishop of our diocese: The Rev. Canon John T.W. Harmon, The Rev. Susan B. Haynes, The Rev. Canon Victoria Heard and The Rev. Sven L. vanBaars. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, our brothers and sisters on the Nominating and Search Committee have diligently performed the work of their charge. They have brought to us a slate of priests who have the gifts identified in our Diocesan profile as those we sought for the future of our life together in Christ. These candidates also bring a variety of experience to our election process. We ask that you keep them, their families, and the communities they currently serve in your prayers in the days and weeks to come. 

To read the biographical information on each candidate click here.

Hilton Area Churches Blood Drive

July 18, 2019

2:30 PM to 6:30 PM

Trinity Lutheran Church

6807 Huntington Avenue

Deep Roots, Wild Branches: Re-missioning the Church from the Outside In

Saturday, July 27, 10 AM to 4 PM at St. Andrew's, Newport News  

The God who "makes all things new" is up to something. Amid a Christian landscape that looks and feels like a desert of decline, new oases of the Spirit are springing forth. Congregations are cultivating "fresh expressions" of church and experiencing forms of revitalization. Revitalization occurs through re-missioning from the outside in, when the whole people of God join what the Spirit is up to in our neighborhoods and networks. For more information and registration for this diocesan-sponsored day of interactive learning, sharing tools, and practical processes, click here.

100 Years of Hospitality at St. Andrew’s: Give us your input!

During the last 100 years St. Andrew’s has been blessed with a legacy of hospitality provided by hundreds of women and men planning events and creating a welcoming sense of community.

Through our monthly St. Andrew’s: Year 100 publication, we want to officially recognize these sometimes invisible parishioners as they worked behind the scenes for the benefit of us all. In order to credit all the parishioners who invited, decorated, cooked, grilled, scrubbed, baked, shopped, or served at events that have created our welcome and inclusive atmosphere, we need their names and a list of favorite events to publish. (Don’t forget your mothers, grandmothers, aunts and neighbors.) Click here for a printable form to fill out and return. Paper copies are in the information rack outside of the church office.

The Rector’s Discretionary Fund: How Does It Work?

Where Does the Money Come From?

According to our Canons (church laws), every parish is to set aside money for “such pious and charitable uses as the Rector… shall determine”. St. Andrew’s budgets $900 per year for the Rector’s Discretionary Fund. If I receive a check for conducting a funeral or baptism, I put that money into the discretionary fund. Couples getting married at St. Andrew’s are encouraged to make a gift to the discretionary fund as an act of gratitude to God for the blessing of their mutual joy. Parishioners occasionally make individual gifts to the discretionary fund, as well.

Where Does the Money Go?

Discretionary funds may only be spent to help people experiencing financial hardship. Sometimes the money helps parishioners; other times it helps community members or folks in other parts of the world. Thus far in 2019, I have allocated discretionary money for Food Lion gift cards for a family whose primary breadwinner was injured and unable to work; for travel assistance for stranded asylum seekers in California; for transportation and housing for victims of a violent crime; for Bibles; and for assistance with utility bills. I also contributed to the discretionary fund of a sister priest on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota when her people were overwhelmed by floods, and I donated to the newly-formed pension fund for Cuban Episcopal priests, who make about $50 per month and have no other retirement plan.  

Every time I authorize a disbursement from the discretionary fund, I am reminded of the communal nature of ministry. The only way that I am able to assist people in such difficult circumstances is through the generosity of this parish and the individuals who contribute to the fund. In God’s name and with each other’s collaboration, we are able to make a tangible difference in the lives of many people in some of their darkest hours. It is a joy and a privilege, as well as a holy responsibility, to be in charge of the Rector’s Discretionary Fund.  --Anne

Newport News Four Oaks Day Service Center (Homeless Day Service Center)

Hampton Roads Jobs For Life will be conducting classes at the Day Center. We are in need of folks who can give at least two(2) hours a week to mentor...walk beside individuals to help them regain their dignity through work as they transition through their life challenges.

Also, on the third (3rd) Friday of each month at 11:30 AM, starting July 19, we will he hosting a Ministry - Getting to Know One Another Luncheon. We need volunteers to just come and get to know folks...to listen and build relationships...not offer advice unless asked for. The Center is located at 7401 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, VA 23607.

If you are interested in either opportunity, contact Charles Cheek at [email protected]

Guide to Ministries

Our Guide to Ministries booklet is a reference guide to the many ministries and activities of our parish as well as the role of our various teams who lead and support the life of the parish. Copies of the booklet are available in the information rack outside the church office.

Name Tags

Do you know everyone you see when you are at St. Andrew’s? Can you call them by name? Does everyone know your name? To help with these questions, we have St. Andrew’s names tags. To get yours fill out a name tag request form on the welcome card in the pews. And then, most importantly, remember to wear your name tag each week. There are magnetic boards in the Main Street Lobby and the narthex where you can leave your name tag before you depart so it will be here waiting for you when you return.

Memorial Garden and St. Nicholas Chapel

On the Main Street side of the church, we have the St. Andrew’s Memorial Garden where ashes of parishioners, or their family members, are interred. A contract for the interment is included in our Funeral Customary.  Copies of the Funeral Customary are in the information rack outside the church office.

Since there are no makers placed in the garden, there is a Tree of Remembrance in St. Nicholas Chapel. The names of those who have been interred in the Memorial Garden, along with their dates of birth and death, are engraved on the leaves of the tree. St. Nicholas Chapel is open at all times for those who would like a quiet place for prayer and reflection.

Sharing Your Talents

From time to time we have a need for those who read and speak in a foreign language, such as on Pentecost Sunday. Accordingly, we are developing a list of names of those who would be willing to participate in services where there may be the opportunity for foreign languages. To have your name added to the list, please send Bill Wilds ( [email protected]) an email with your name and the language(s) you speak. 

Parish Life Report from Vestry Liaisons 

Bob Wharton and I are the vestry liaisons for Parish Life here at St. Andrew’s. Parish Life includes many sub-committees and probably affects just about every church member. Since this is our 100th year anniversary, there has been a lot going on…and there have been a large number of volunteers who have put in many hours to help make the anniversary celebrations as well as Parish Life in general a success! Our sub-committees include: fellowship/social activities, book groups, parish meals, Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, the summertime lemonade and cookies volunteers, the outdoor service, Fishermen, hospitality, and the Easter Egg Hunt. If you would like to become more involved in Parish Life at St. Andrew’s and make new friends, these groups are always looking for new members so please volunteer! Thank you to all who continue to make these groups so successful.    -Betsy Jones

Outreach Opportunity in Newport News -- The Feeding Program at St. Augustine's

In light of the recent closure of St. Paul's and the end of its steadfast outreach in downtown Newport News, many of us may wonder who or what can fill that void and help meet the needs of the community. Perhaps one of the organizations poised to do just that is the Saturday Lunch Program of St. Augustine's Episcopal Church. From the church's website, "A concerned group of parishioners met in 1988 to solicit ideas regarding a program to feed the hungry in the East End area. It was decided that there was a great need and that the congregation would fund this effort." Twelve hungry people attended the first Saturday event in 1988; however, on an average Saturday in 2019, it serves nutritious meals to between 80 to 100 people.  

Now, St. Augustine's is asking us for the kind of support and generosity it has come to rely on in the last 30 years. There are several ways we can help them continue to feed the hungry in our city:  

As we at St. Andrew's continue to discern God's plan for our own building and its future use in our community, I hope we might remember in our prayers the people of St. Augustine's whose decades-old feeding program depends on the support of many in order to fulfill critical needs for some of the most vulnerable in our city. - Lindsey Nicolai

St. Paul’s

Episcopal Church

Invites everyone to come

Last Sunday service

July 14 at 10:30 am

Closing service

Saturday July 20

11:00 am

Vacation Bible School- Calling all Children! It's time to register!

We are going to have two VBS Mini Days – Joyous July on Tuesday, July 16 and Awesome August on Thursday, August 22! More details about these two fun days will be forthcoming. However, if you would like to help with crafts, games, music, refreshments on either or both of these days, please contact the Rev. Lorna Williams ([email protected] or 595-0371) at your earliest convenience. If you would like to download the form, click here to register your child. Click here to register as a volunteer. Paper copies are also available in the rack outside of the office.

Family Recipes

There is still time for you to share old family recipes with us to be included in the newsletters for the remainder of our 100th anniversary year. You may email them to Bill Wilds ( [email protected]) or bring them to church.  

By chance, do you have any other day school or Holiday House recipe books that we haven’t already been using? Hopefully, at the end of the year, we would like to put together a 100th anniversary recipe booklet.