St. Andrew’s will once again collect backpacks and school supplies for the Orangewood Foundation. There is not a specific shopping list this year, but all backpacks and school supplies appropriate for high school/college students will be appreciated. Gift cards are always welcome, and donations may also be made online. Supplies and gift cards may be left in the narthex on August 1 and 8, or dropped in the parking lot on Monday, August 9 between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Your donations will assist current and former foster youth as they prepare for independent adulthood.

Mark your calendars as we gather together for the Fall Gala on September 18, 2021 beginning at 5:00. This year we will celebrate with passed appetizers and a sit-down dinner at Andrei’s. The ticket price will be $75.00. It will be a treat after our long months of semi-isolation. Our silent auction was a lot of fun and very successful on-line so we will offer a hybrid event this year with the silent auction online and the live auction taking place at Andrei’s. This year 20% of the net proceeds will go to the St. Andrew’s Children’s Center. The items that are most sought after are personal, for example dinners or other get togethers and this year they should be even more prized. Of course, we always appreciate our grand prizes for the live auction. Please send a description of your item, a picture and the value to Catherine Sharbaugh at [email protected].

We are looking for someone to lead the Alternative Christmas Event. If you are interested or want to learn more about this please contact Debbie Calkins or the office.

The Peace & Justice Committee invites you to participate in the Episcopal Church’s Sacred Ground series, a film-based dialogue series on race and faith. This year, our newly formed committee is focused on educating ourselves and interested others in our congregation in peace and justice issues in our community. This series is one way in which we will do that. We also plan to invite guest speakers from different organizations starting in the fall. The second session will be on 9/15 from 5-6:30 p.m. If you didn’t make the first session, you an still participate.

• Sacred Ground is a sensitive, prayerful resource that creates space for difficult but respectful and transformative dialogue on race and racism.

• It invites participants to walk back through history in order to peel away the layers that brought us to today, reflecting on family histories and stories, as well as important narratives that shape the collective American story.

• It holds as a guiding star the vision of beloved community – where all people are honored and protected and nurtured as beloved children of God, where we weep at one another’s pain and seek one another’s flourishing. 

Everyone is welcome to participate. We ask you to watch the video and read the recommended documents prior to the discussion sessions, but if you can’t finish the pre-work, please feel free to join us anyway. Please click on this link to sign up for the Zoom discussion sessions and we will send out the invitation a day or two before we meet.

Here is the link to the materials we’ll be discussing. https://www.episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground/welcome

The case-sensitive password is: ThisIsSacredGround 

The Peace and Justice Committee will also be sponsoring a Zoom meeting with Irvine’s Mayor Khan on October 4 from 5:30-6 p.m. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear from the mayor about our local peace and justice issues. 

In his recent letter to the Diocese, Bishop Taylor has asked us to pray that vaccination rates will pick up. If you have not been vaccinated and are looking for a vaccine site near you, you may use this link and simply type in your zip code: https://www.vaccines.gov.

Orange County has the third largest Asian population in the country and Irvine has the largest number in the county. The rise in hate crimes against those of Asian heritage is alarming and unacceptable and we can do our part to stop such acts. California Penal Code 422.55 defines a hate crime as a criminal act committed, in whole or in part, because of one or more of the following actual or perceived characteristics of the victim. This includes:

The City of Irvine has created a portal to report hate crimes. If you become aware of a possible hate crime, you can call the Irvine Police Department to report it or complete the report on the portal: https://records.cityofirvine.org/OnBaseWebClientStdUF/UnityForm.aspx?key=UFKey

Upcoming Food Bank dates are July 12 and 26, August 9 and 23, September 8 (Wednesday) and 15.

The book group will be on hiatus during July and August. We will resume on Wednesday, September 1 at 11:00 am. At that time we will begin discussing of our next book, The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham. The book is widely available.If you would like to be part of this group, please contact the office and we will add you to the group. Newcomers are welcome.

Please remember those who need your daily prayers. Prayer requests may be sent to [email protected].

The Prayer List can be accessed here.

Auditions will be held in August, by appointment only; our regular rehearsals take place on Tuesday evenings in Newport Beach. Proof of COVID vaccination will be required for the 2021-22 season.

Click here to download our audition flyer. Visit our website to learn more or schedule an audition, and feel free to contact us at [email protected] with questions or audition requests. We welcome experienced singers of all ages and backgrounds, and we can’t wait to expand our musical family and get back to doing what we love!

Virtual Centering Prayer: In a time of uncertainty, it can be challenging to find time for quiet and reflection. All are welcome to join Stillpoint in a half hour of Centering Prayer any weeknight from 5:30-6. A link and more information on the practice is available at stillpointca.org/still-points.  

If you know of someone in our church family who is sick, in the hospital or in need of pastoral care please notify the office or clergy.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the office via phone 949-559-4699 or by email [email protected].

The Rev. Peter Browning, Vicar

Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church