Welcome to our newsletter.

We hope this information keeps you connected to our church family. 

Thursday, November 27, 2025 - There will be no evening prayer tonight.

We will be printing fewer bulletins in an effort to reduce our carbon footprint. We realize that using a device to read the bulletin may be a daunting task, but we have several congregants who are ready to help if you need it. If we are able to purchase less paper over time, we will donate the savings to our outreach efforts. If you don’t have a device to use, but are willing to share a bulletin with your neighbor, that helps us reach our goal too.

Pastoral Care

Sunday School News

Day care for infants and children 4 yrs old and younger during the 10 a.m. service will be provided by Samira Sameni, a preschool teacher at our Saint Andrew’s Children’s Center. Sunday School is designed for children in grades K-6 and is led by Tammy Smecker-Hane during the 10 a.m. service. Drop off for both is in the Kangaroo Room of the Children’s Center, whose entrance is located in the far left-hand corner of the courtyard (follow the sign). We will bring the children to you in church during the Announcements.

This week, Sunday School children will learn about Advent and Mary’s visit by Angel Gabriel to bring her some surprising news and Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth, who gives birth to John the Baptist. We also are beginning to assign roles and fit children into costumes for the Christmas Pageant on Christmas Eve (Wed, Dec 24, 5pm). If you cannot be at church in the next few weeks and your children want to be in the Pageant, please email Tammy and give her two or three options for whom each child wants to portray so we can have costumes and props ready for them. As usual, visiting grandchildren, nieces and nephews are welcome to join in the Pageant, too, just email Tammy their names and ages as soon as possible. Also email Tammy If you have any general questions about Sunday School.

Youth Group Information

Youth Group is designed for youths ages 12 and up and is led by Hank Caprini during the 10 a.m. service. Youth group meets in the second Children's Center courtyard, whose entrance is visible from the church entrance on the left side of the Children's Center building. The children will be brought to church during the Announcements.

If youths who are acolyting or in the choir wish to join the Youth Group for the latter part of the meeting, they should leave the church after the Gospel reading.

This week in the Youth Group we will be talking about Advent. This Sunday we are officially entering the Advent season, the big countdown to the birth of Jesus! The idea of advent exists in popular culture through advent calendars, which are very fun, but there are many more traditions that the church observes during this time of year. We'll be discussing some of these so that we can keep an eye out for them as we progress towards Jesus's birthday.

Welcome Steven Van Wye

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Steven Van Wye as our new Minister of Music. Steven is delighted to join the community at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. He has spent many years serving in church music across Southern California, including St. Luke’s Long Beach, The Immaculata in San Diego, Newport Harbor Lutheran, and Holy Family Cathedral. He loves building welcoming choirs, choosing music that helps people pray, and creating liturgies that bring the whole community together.



A lifelong musician, Steven is also a teacher and a published composer, and he holds a Ph.D. in Music from UCLA. He looks forward to making music with the people of St. Andrew’s and helping the parish continue to grow in joy, beauty, and faith.

Stewardship 2026 - Tell Out My Soul

This year our stewardship campaign - Tell Out My Soul - has reached the point where we ask you to prayerfully consider how you can support the ministries, worship, and outreach of St. Andrew's. Each of us hears this call differently, just as each of us has been blessed by God differently. How will you determine how you will share your gifts with God’s people in the world? Before you fill out the pledge card, we invite you to pray, discuss, and discern how God is calling you to share your gifts. Whether it is increasing your annual pledge, volunteering your talents, or getting involved in a new ministry, all of us have an integral role to play in the life of St. Andrew’s.

If you wish to pledge online, you can do so by clicking here.

Please consider this proportional giving chart as you determine what is right for you and your household.

United Thank Offering

If you have not yet turned in your filled UTO Box, you have until Sunday, Nov 30, to put it in the plate so it is included our Ingathering for this year to fund groups promoting justice and bridging divides in communities both in the USA and across the world. You can still turn boxes in later, but it will go toward our UTO offering for next year. If you want to donate by check please make it out to Saint Andrew’s Church with “UTO” on the memo line. Or you can donate directly to UTO online by clicking here.

For more information about UTO, please visit their website by clicking here.

Adopt-a-Family Outreach

As part of our Annual Adopt-a-Family Outreach, we will be providing gifts for 5 families associated with our Children's Center. Click here to see the list of items we are requesting. There are clothing items, toys, books, and gift cards for groceries or department stores to select from. Once you have selected the gift you would like to donate, please enter your name and address on the form.

All gifts need to be returned to St. Andrew's by December 14th so that we can ensure that the gifts are distributed to the families before Christmas. Please wrap the gifts and provide a tag on the gift that designates the family number & boy/girl and age. You may give gift cards to Carolyn Ybarra or put them in the offertory plate. If you have any questions, please contact Carolyn Ybarra.



Christmas Flowers

If you would like to donate toward Christmas flowers, please fill out a flower envelope and put it in the offertory. The envelopes are in the pews and in the narthex.

Attention!!! Outreach News

The food pantries in our communities are emptying out quickly. The volunteers cannot keep the shelves stocked to feed those in need.

THE NEED IS GREAT!  WE CANNOT WAIT!

In lieu of the government holding funds for SNAP, there will be an ongoing collection of non-perishable food items for those in need. Here are some suggested items to consider…

Canned items like soups, tuna, chicken, fruits and vegetables; cooking oil; peanut butter and jelly; bagged rice and beans; pasta and sauce; pancake mix and syrup; flour and sugar; mustard, mayo and ketchup; salt and pepper.

Please bring your donated items and leave them in the back of the church in the yellow bin.

Thank you for your ongoing support for those in need. If you have any questions, please contact Grace.

“We are truly God’s outreaching hands in the world.”



Woodbridge Manor - December 1

Woodbridge Manor volunteers will meet on December 1 at 10:30 a.m. We need empty 1 dozen cardboard egg cartons (not plastic) and small plastic fruit boxes (like the ones blueberries raspberries come in). These may be brought to church and left in the Narthex. For more information contact Catherine Sharbaugh.

Bible Study - December 1

Matthew: Prophecy Fulfilled

Come learn about the Bible with us! Whether you're brand new to Bible study or a longtime student of God's word, bring your questions and your hearts. We'll learn, laugh, and grow closer to Jesus and one another!

• Who: Brooke Pauley leads the discussion
• When: Mondays 7:30pm beginning December 1st
• Where: The Children's Center
• What: We'll start in the Gospel of Matthew

Come with your questions, stay for the knowledge and the community!!



Grief Support Group - December 2

The Grief Support Group will meet for support (and coffee) at The Lost Bean at 4632 Barranca Pkwy, in the Woodbridge Shopping Center just down the street from Saint Andrew’s on December 2 at 2 p.m.

Book Group - December 3

Hello book group! 

I hope everyone is keeping well and dry! In case you weren't able to join us for Book Group on Wednesday, we wrapped up our wonderful book, Chasing Hope (thanks, Bev, for that recommendation!) which means it's time to start our next.

This book is called A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans. (Gentlemen, you will still get so much out of this book, I promise!) In it, our author explores the gender norms of the Bible--and how we read Scripture and follow Jesus today.  A note to my Kindle Unlimited subscribers: this title is part of that subscription! 

We agreed to read the introduction and the first two chapters.  We will see you on Sunday, and on Wednesday! It's a joy to be together! 

God's peace, 

Brooke 

The Virtual Book Group meets weekly on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. followed by noonday prayer. Scroll down to Events and Activities on our website homepage for the new reading. To be added to the Zoom invitation please contact the office.



Alternative Gift Fair - December 7 & December 14

Leave room in your Christmas shopping for the Alternative Gift Fair at Saint Andrew’s on Sunday, Dec 7 and Sunday, Dec 14! We’ll have beautiful hand-crafted items from Concern America that are made by craftsmen in Guatemala, Mexico and Colombia and provide health care, clean water, education and income generation to impoverished communities. You can also buy their products on-line by clicking here. We also will give you the opportunity to donate to Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) in the name of a friend or relative, and you’ll receive a Christmas card to give to them to acknowledge the gift. ERD partners with locally-led organizations around the world to advance lasting change in communities impacted by injustice, poverty, disaster and climate change. ERD focuses on four interconnected priorities: early childhood development, women and girls, climate resilience and disaster response. For example, you can purchase chickens for a family to raise as food or to supplement their income or buy mosquito nets for a family in need. You can also make your purchase on-line by clicking here. Checks, credit cards or cash can be used for Alternative Gift Fair purchases. If you have questions, please email Tammy Smecker-Hane. 

Wintering

Orange County Women's Chorus

December 6 and December 7

Kathy Baldasari, Mary Langsdorf, and Ellen Quandahl invite you to Wintering, on December 6 and 7 at St. Wilfrid of York Episcopal Church, Huntington Beach.

"....we live through a thousand winters in our lives—some big, some small." 

—Katherine May, Wintering

Winter is a season of stillness and rebirth, and we're illuminating the darkest month of the year with songs about wood smoke and northern lights, creatures that hibernate and birds that sing at midnight, rest and dreams and rejuvenation. Come hear Vincent Persichetti's haunting Winter Cantata and much more!

CONCERT VENUE AND TICKET INFORMATION

The concerts will take place at St. Wilfrid of York Episcopal Church, 18631 Chapel Lane, Huntington Beach.

Single tickets* are $35 for adults; $30 for seniors; $15 for students

*Ticketing fees of $2, $1.75, and $1.50, respectively, applied at purchase.

Purchase a season subscription for the best pricing and other benefits! For more information, visit the OCWC website.

Women’s Advent Gathering - December 11

On Thursday, December 11 at 5:00 p.m. we will be gathering in the church for a program led by Brooke Pauley and then share a potluck together. If possible, please bring your favorite dish or dessert to share! Please click here to R.S.V.P.



Please contact Brooke Pauley or 949-514-7917 if you have any questions. Hope you can make it.



A Look Ahead.........

NOVEMBER

·     11/30 – Advent Begins

DECEMBER

·     12/ 7 – Alternative Gift Fair

·     12/11 – Women’s Advent Gathering – 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

·     12/14 – Alternative Gift Fair

·     12/20 – Blue Christmas 5 p.m.

·     12/21 – Advent 4, Greening of the Church

·     12/24 – Wednesday-Christmas Eve–5pm Holy Eucharist with

Choir / Children’s Pageant

·     12/25 – Thursday - Christmas Day (Service: 10 a.m. Said Holy Eucharist)

JANUARY

·        1/4 – De-greening of the Church



FEBRUARY

·         2/1 – Annual Meeting



You Can Donate Using Zelle

If you wish to make regular payments on your pledge or even if you want to make a one-time donation to the Church, you can do so through your bank by using Zelle. The advantage of using Zelle is that there are no transaction charges for either you or for the Church and you do not need to write a check each time to mail or deliver to the Church. If you wish to set up a payment through Zelle from your bank account, the destination of your payment is office@standrewsirvine.org and the payee is St. Andrew’s. If you haven’t made a donation through Zelle before, you can use the QR code to get started. If you have questions please contact Kim at the office to assist you.

Pray for Peace in the Holy Land

The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor asks us to pray for peace and keep in our hearts the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and its archbishop, the Rt. Rev. Hosam Naoum. Bishop Taylor has written to him on our diocese’s behalf and invites us to make a gift to the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, which supports the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. Archbishop Naoum calls on all to unite in prayer for reconciliation.

Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church | 949-559-4699

The Very Rev. Peter Browning, Rector

office@standrewsirvine.org | www.standrewsirvine.org

 Office Administration Hours:

 In-office: Monday and Thursday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

 Remote: Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.