Prayer List Please remember those who need your daily prayers. Prayer requests may be sent to [email protected]. The Prayer List can be accessed here.

Please let Peter know if you are attending by emailing him at [email protected]

The celebration of All Saints day is Sunday, Nov 7. You can enter the name of departed loved-ones here or in the 'In Memoriam' book in the Narthex. We will honor their memories in our prayers that day.

Our Prayer and Meal Ministry is in need of updating. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this ministry when someone is sick, returning home from the hospital, birth of a child, etc, or otherwise unable to cook for themselves members of the congregation sign up to provide and deliver meals to that person. You are given the dates, contact information and food allergies/preferences to help with planning.

We are going to divide this ministry up so that people who are unable to provide meals can still sign up to offer prayers without feeling that they are obligated to provide meals.Regardless of whether you are currently signed up for this ministry please sign up here.

After the wildfires last year we developed a resource listing of our members who would be willing to house others temporarily should the need arise. If you would like to add your name and information to the list or if you had your name on the list and need to edit it please complete this form. 

We had a lot of Celebration of Life services here at St. Andrew’s here at St. Andrew’s this past month. Sad and difficult times for all of us. I would like you to think about filling out the Celebration of Life form, provided here. The form asks you things like what kind of music, or what scripture readings you would like at your service. I cannot tell you how helpful that can be, especially for your families. After you fill it out, return it to the church office and it will go in a file, and you can change it whenever you would like. For some folks, this can be difficult and I understand that. If you need help, I am always here. Peter

Between now and November 14 we will be collecting gift cards and food items for the Thanksgiving Food Drive at the Orangewood Foundation. They request that items be placed in a reusable shopping bag. Please bring your items to the Narthex.

The Sacred Ground series will continue with the third session on October 20th from 5-6:30 p.m. This has been a thought provoking series so far on the impact race has on all of us. Please feel free to join us, even if you have missed the first two sessions. If you would like to join us, please let the St. Andrew’s office know. We’ll send out the Zoom link a day or two before the session.

We will be meeting virtually for our book group at 11 AM on Weds. We will be discussing the 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. Noonday Prayer follows the Book Group Meeting.

The Prayer Shawl Ministry meets the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 3:00 p.m., currently via Zoom. Prayer Shawl news goes out monthly to all interested. Some ministry members who cannot attend the monthly meeting knit or crochet shawls and prayer cloths at home. If you are a newcomer to Prayer Shawl, please contact Sharon Brooks at [email protected]. 

The Men's Group meets virtually on the third Saturday of the month. Please contact Peter is you are interested in joining.

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. 

Sacramento-based KCRA3 News has compiled a list of organizations aiding people affected by the disastrous Dixie and Caldor fires in the northern half of California. Generally, organizations request monetary gifts rather than in-kind items. The charities, including the Red Cross, offer many kinds of support, including housing for the displaced, care for animals fleeing the fire, and care for firefighters and other first responders. Learn more here.

On Sunday, August 29, sixteen years after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Ida made landfall in the same region. This Category 4 storm brought flooding and damaging winds that caused a loss of water to hundreds of thousands and a loss of electricity to over 1 million people. Episcopal Relief & Development is working closely with the Diocese of Louisiana and other regional partners in what will be a long-term response. Your generous gift will help alleviate suffering for the most vulnerable residents impacted by Hurricane Ida. Please visit episcopalrelief.org/hurricane-relief to make a gift today.

If you are interested in learning more about this ministry and providing support please click here..

On Saturday, August 14, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the southwest portion of Haiti. This devastating earthquake was followed by Tropical Storm Grace on Monday night and much of Tuesday. More than 1 million people, including more than half a million children, have been impacted by the back-to-back disasters, and the death toll is close to 2000. Episcopal Relief & Development and its partners are responding immediately with direct assistance to vulnerable households in the region, as partners plan long-term recovery. Your generous gift can provide assistance to help people in the wake of these disasters. To assist in these efforts, visit episcopalrelief.org/haiti-relief.

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

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