Rooted in Faith. Growing in Love.
Serving with Purpose.
For five decades, our church has welcomed all and lived out love in tangible ways. Children have grown up here. Students have explored meaningful questions here. Adults have formed relationships that sustain them through seasons of joy and loss. Neighbors have encountered compassion and community here. Faith and hope are nurtured through every season of life.
As we enter this anniversary season, we do so with a clear sense of purpose. We are launching Faith That Welcomes. Love That Reaches. — an invitation that names both who we are and how we are called to live. This appeal is an invitation to make our shared calling possible, not only for today but for generations to come.
Now is a time to imagine what more God might do among us.
Together, we have the opportunity to strengthen the foundations that support our wide-open welcome, enhance the experience of campers and families at Spirit in the Pines, and deepen our partnerships as we respond to the needs of our wider community.
Much of what is needed to sustain our ministry is unseen: boilers, HVAC systems, windows, technology, and essential infrastructure that keep our building safe, accessible, and open — both in person and online. Other improvements will be more visible, including new family restrooms and enhanced kitchen spaces that help families feel at home. At camp, both visible upgrades to housing and gathering spaces and critical underground utility improvements are needed to support the ministry for years to come. We also recognize that our calling extends beyond our walls. The needs of our community continue to grow, inviting us to partner with others and share Christ’s love in tangible and meaningful ways.
In the weeks ahead, you will have many opportunities to learn more about our Anniversary Appeal, and the financial goals we hope to achieve through congregational commitments over the next three years. We invite you to prayerfully consider how God may be calling you to participate in Faith That Welcomes. Love That Reaches. as we start to write our next fifty years of history.
Learn more about our Anniversary Appeal
Over the next six weeks, we will hear from members of our congregation that have found a church home, and a community, at St. Andrew. Their stories of faith, growth and generosity are not unique. Instead, they remind us that we belong to something larger than ourselves.
The doors at St. Andrew have been wide open and welcoming all for 50 years. Imagine what we can do together as we prepare to carry that legacy forward, tending the seen and unseen foundations that will allow our shared ministry to flourish.
Meet Jamie Efnor. She grew up at St. Andrew – from church school, to church camp, to marriage to baptizing her own three kids here. Jamie’s is a three-generation story of faith, family and community: “I feel like I’ve lived a whole life here at this church and I still have so much more ahead of me!”
An excerpt from Ross Gilbertson’s story in the Faith and Generosity booklet
“When I imagine St. Andrew in the years ahead, my hope is that future generations experience what our family has experienced—a welcoming community where faith grows naturally through relationships, service, and shared purpose. I hope that children and youth continue to find places where they feel known, valued, and inspired to live out their faith in daily life, and that adults continue to find opportunities to serve, learn, and support one another through every stage of life. Most of all, I hope St. Andrew remains a place where people discover that faith is not something we live alone, but something we live together—encouraging one another, serving others, and trusting that God is at work in our midst.”
Loving and gracious God, we thank you for fifty years of blessings at St. Andrew, where you have grounded us in your abiding love. As we look to the years ahead, lead us by your Holy Spirit, and root in us a joy-filled faith.
Bless our efforts to grow in love that reaches, open our eyes to the needs of our neighbors, and move us to serve with purpose. Inspire us to welcome and nurture the faith of youth among us, as we raise up a new generation of servant leaders. Give us wisdom, hope, and trust in your plan, and stir in us generous and willing hearts.
To you, Lord, who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine– we place the future of St. Andrew into your mighty hands.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
