~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Fishwraphomer

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church

2535 E. Broadway, Pearland, TX 77581
281.485.3843 
www.standrewspearland.org

Sunday
8:00 am:  Rite I with organ
9:15 am:  Christian Education 
10:30 am: Rite II with band

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 13, 2009 Issue 59
In this Issue
Christmas Pageant
Sunday Morning Adult Offerings
Youth
4 Ways to Pray
Hole in Gospel
Parents' Shopping Day
Head Start Christmas
Christmas Cookies
Decorate the Church?
1st Communion
Free Money
Contacts
Christmas Pageant!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our children's ministry will present "The Surprising Christmas Pageant" during a worship service on December 13 at 6:00pm. Please bring your whole family and join us for this wonderful program!
  
- Debbie
Sunday Adult Morning Offerings 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fr. Joe's Class - Room 107 - 9:15 am Sundays
  • Beginning 1/3 - Lectionary Class - Study the Sunday Lessons - no cost
Fr. Jim's+ Class - Room 102 - 9:15 am Sundays
  • Beginning 1/10 - The Episcopal Church (Confirmation) - 2 weeks - no cost
  • Beginning  1/24 - Permission to Speak - DVD series on prayer - 3 weeks - $5
Youth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

homerAre You Extracurricular this year?
Let us know when and where because we would love to come see you! Even if you are not, schedule a lunch hangout with Ryan at your school!
Who: Grades 5-12
What: All Extracurricular Activity Schedules!
When: You tell us!
Misc.: Let us know by emailing Ryan by clicking here.

Diocesan Events
Diocesan Retreats are a great way to grow in faith, meet new people, and have a blast! Ask Ben Foster about it next time you see him! The next weekends are quickly approaching and we want you to be a part of this before your date fills up!

Upcoming  2010 YES and Happening Dates are:
January 22-24, 2010 (Registration Deadline is 12/30/2009)
April 23-25, 2010 (Registration Deadline is 3/21/2010)


A Senior High "Midwinter" Retreat is also scheduled for 12/28-12/30/2009. Ask Ryan for more details!
Farewell to the Rich Family
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
rich2 Well, the are finally moving to Nebraska, despite our prayers that their house would not sell.

Save the date: We will be saying good bye and offering a blessing over them on their last Sunday here, December 20th at 10:30 am
 
4 Ways to Pray
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FreedomSign Here is the promised follow up to the Sermon Series, A Heart for God

I will introduce you to 4 ways to pray that have been around for years. One will suit your style and personality. If these do not work, there will be more.
 
Let me know if you will this workshop, so I can have materials for you.
 
Saturday       January 9th                           9:00 am - 11:15 pm    Room 107
 
Bring a friend.                  Jim+  frjimbo@msn.com

Men 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
dungy Begins January 19th
6:00 am
Donuts and Coffee
DVD Series based on Coach Dungy's new book, Uncommon
6 weeks
$10

Let me reserve you a place            
Jim+ frjimbo@msn.com
Facebook 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
facebook We now have a presence on the popular social networking website, Facebook. If you have a Facebook account, just click on the box to the left to become a fan of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church.
If you do not yet have your own profile on Facebook, you can get started in just minutes.

To go to the St. Andrew's page Click Here
To set up a Facebook account www.facebook.com

Finances as of October 31st
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't know if you are current in your giving?  Contact me at the email address below and I'll be happy to send you a statement.

                       Actual        Budgeted    Difference

Disbursed   $ 325,767    $ 351,078       $ 14,311 under budget

Receipts      $ 326,940    $ 341,260       $ 14,320 under funded

Long Term Debt        $540,380.24

·          Operating bank balance 1/1/2009 was $18,386

You may combine your giving into one check if it is more convenient for you.  Just be sure to mark the breakdown on the memo line so I know how to properly enter it.  All

All undesignated checks go into the operating account to cover general expenses.

Questions?
Beth Bishop

Hole in Gospel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hole

What would happen to our lives,

the life of St. Andrew's,
if we embraced the whole Gospel?
 
Coming Lent 2010
 
Parents' Shopping Day 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
St. Andrew's Workcamp Presents:
 
Parents' Shopping Day and Kids' Christmas Party
 
Here's your chance to do some shopping without the kids!
 
Coming on Saturday, December 12th from 12-6, you can bring your kids to the church for a fun day of games, friends, crafts, a visit from a "special friend" and a spaghetti dinner, then you can go shopping, wrap presents, get a nap, whatever you would like for 6 hours!!!!
 
Cost = $15 per child ($40 family maximum) if registered (and paid) by Sunday December 6th (cost goes up to $20/child after that no family maximum).
 
RSVP NOW and reserve a spot for your child - they don't want to miss out on this fun!!!
 
This event is being offered by our own St. Andrew's Workcampers and their parents - all proceeds help pay for food, building supplies, transportation and lodging on our 2010 trip to fix homes in Greeley, Colorado.
 
Thank you for your support!
Debbie Allensworth
Head Start Christmas Drive 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you to all of you who adopted kids for Christmas for the Head Start Drive!! Your gift may be the only one they receive this year. We who are so lucky have an opportunity to bless others out of your bounty. A generous spirit changes the world for Christ. 

Just to remind you, all the gifts are due back by Monday the 14th. We still have 14 children to adopt. Is God calling you to make their Christmas? If you would like to adopt one of our remaining 14 kids, email me at mneitzey1@comcast.net or call me at 281-221-4035. 

Also, if anyone picked up an ornament for Esperanza Estrada #6 could you please contact me. Have a great week!! 

Thank You, 
Georgia Neitzey
Christmas Cookies 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We want to have cookies, eggnog, milk and cider after the 7 pm Christmas Eve service and before the 10 pm service again this year.
 
Will you help?
 
Bake/buy cookies ____ dozen
 
Bring milk
 
Bring cider
 
Bring eggnog
Bring a crock-pot
 
Help serve    ____ after 7 pm   _____ before 10 pm
 
Email me and let me know.
 
Jim+ 
Parish Work Day 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am late sending this, but I wanted to thank everyone that came out to help at the workday in November.  We have the grounds looking great for Christmas and got some inside work done too.  Thanks to all who shared their tools to help us complete the work.  Special thanks to the scouts that spread 2 large piles of dirt in the front lawn.  St. Andrew's cannot be a success without the members being involved.  Thanks again for your hard work for St. Andrew's. 
Ed Woodward 

Want to help decorate the church? 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ever wondered how the church gets decorated for special services, such as Christmas? 

Have you ever wanted to decorate on a grand scale?

If you are interested in helping the Altar Guild decorate the church, we are meeting Saturday morning, December 19th, at 9:00am.

We would love to have you join us.
Holli Rich
Altar Guild Directress
Church Security 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friends, 
I am saddened to say that one of our cars was broken into and a purse was stolen. This happens at all churches. One would hope that personal items are safe from theft at church but this is not necessarily the case. Churches are just as susceptible to thefts as any place else. I have had thefts at all of the churches I have served and more than once at each. 

Please keep purses and valuables out of sight in your locked car and do not leave purses and valuables unattended even inside the church. 
Jim+ 
Vestry 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Vestry made the following Approvals:

Approved and signed the Vestry and Program Staff Stewardship Statement 2009-2010.

Approved Jeanette Cooper to serve as Eucharistic Visitor.

Approved Joe Donaldson to serve as Eucharistic Minister.

Approved $8,000 for the Diocesan Asking in the 2010 Budget.  This amount is only a percent of what was asked and a nominal increase over year 2009.
First Communion Class Coming Soon 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Who:  Children in 2nd Grade and older who did not already have First Communion
When: Saturday, January 9th   Noon-3 p.m. - Class
             Sunday, January 24th   (during worship) - First Communion
Cost:  $15 per child
 
RSVP now to save your child a spot so we can order enough materials
debbie@standrewspearland.org or 281-485-3843 x16
 
-Debbie
Altar Guild 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am pleased to announce that Beth Williamson will take over as Director of the Altar Guild as Holli Rich steps down to move back to Nebraska. Thanks to both Holli and Beth for this wonderful service on our behalf. Please keep both them and their endeavors in your prayers.

Jim+  
frjimbo@msn.com 
Thanks 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks to Kristin Dodge, Holli Rich and Anne Harland for planning and offering our Advent Event on 1 Advent. It was great fun thanks to their planning and hard work.
Welcome New Members 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David & Christina Hay, and sons Matthew & Brian
 
Ben McCain and Heather
Births 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First Time Grandparents, Todd & Lori Whistler, welcome Kade Alan Skufca, born 12/02/09.
New Blog
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am now putting my devotions and a few other things on a Blog.     click here
Jim+

Christmas Devotions 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friends,
I pray you have a wonderful Advent. Below you will find a Devotion for Christmas time (my friend, Tom Holladay does not keep Advent, God Bless him!).  If you would like a drive time mp3 or an online boost, try it out. It's free. He also has some Bile studies as well.
Bless you. See you Sunday.
Jim+
 
Jim,
We want you to experience the love of Jesus this Christmas more than any other Christmas! I know that for me that means I have to take the time to focus on Him. To help you do that, we're starting a new Christmas devotion for drivetime devotions today (December 1). You can go to www.drivetimedevotions.com and either listen online or download the devotions to your iTunes or phone. It'll take you about five minutes to listen each day, and will prayerfully focus your heart on God's hope, peace and love. Do you ever wonder why we do all that we do during this time of the year?  Who in their right mind would sit down to plan all of this! Can you imagine us saying to one another, "Let's plan one time of the year when we'll have 80% of the parties we'll have all year... if we work it right we'll have to make 8 or 9 in one evening so that we can't enjoy any of them.   And how about this... during that same time of the year let's entirely redecorate our houses inside and out!

Oh... and here's an idea...  let's think of everyone we've ever met and send them a letter. And let's bake as much as we can... when else do you bake? And how about if in the middle of all this we let the kids out of school for two weeks!"  None of these things are bad.... in fact they're all great.   Our problem is there's just too many great things to do during this time of the year.  I sure don't want to give you "one more thing to do." Instead, I hope that these devotions help to focus your heart and mind on the one priority that brings real joy during the Christmas season. These are free and you don't have to be part of the  Saddleback family to listen; so please forward this to a friend who  could use some encouragement!
Free Money
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kroger Support St. Andrew's through your shopping at Kroger. Click this link. Print out the instructions (with bar code) and ask the check out clerk to tie this into you Kroger Card. You just need to have this scanned once. No extra charges. A percentage of your shopping costs will be given to St. Andrew's each time you check out.  Thank you.
Andy's Want Ads
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am selling 4 cordless white cotton canvas fabric roman window shades measuring 34" wide by 64" long. They've never been used and are in their original boxes. I'd like to sell them for $20 each or best offer.
                           - Kristen Dodge, cell#: 713.204.3850
Calendar 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Important Dates Coming Up - Place in your date book 

January 24                 Annual Parish Potluck Lunch - noon
February 7                 38th Anniversary of St. Andrew's
February 16               Shrove Tuesday Dinner - 6 pm
February 17               Ash Wednesday Services (6:00, noon, 7:00)
March 28                     Palm Sunday
April 1                         Maundy Thursday Service - 7 pm
April 2                         Good Friday (Noon & 7:00 pm)
April 3                         Easter BBQ - 6 pm
April 3                         Easter Vigil - 7 pm
April 4                         Easter with Egg Hunt (9 am)
May 1                           Golf Tournament (tentative)
May 16                         Graduate Sunday
June 19                        Isaias Ginson's Ordination @ Cathedral - 10 am
August 22                    Rally Day & BBQ
September 25           Pumpkin Unloading (tentative) - 9 am
October 3                  Parish Elections & Pet Blessing
October 9                  Pumpkin Unloading #2 (tentative) - 9 am
October 15-16          Craft Fair
October 19                Pumpkin Unloading #3 (tentative) - 6 pm
November 24             Thanksgiving Service - 7 pm
December 12            Christmas Pageant - 6 pm
December 24             Christmas Services 7 and 10 pm

Jan Hall 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An update on Jan. She is still in San Antonio and has started rehab. She expects to be released in soon to go home. She welcomes your prayers and, I suspect, assistance once she is home. Her cell is 281.728.0155. 

Jim+ 
Episcorific
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Episcorific is a new E'zine for Episcopalians in their 20's and 30's. Check it out

Epsicorific

RSS feed For the Church Calendar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
rss
We just added a new RSS feed (Really Simple Syndication - Click here) to the online Church calendar Click here.
Now you can use the power of RSS to keep up to date with a list of upcoming events when you subscribe (no fee) to the RSS feed using Outlook, a Web browser or a favorite feed reader, such as Google Reader.
To get started, simply click the RSS icon  on your preview calendar or on your Web browser's toolbar. It works like other RSS feeds.
Contacts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phone: 281.485.3843

Office
Recycling 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cans - Room 114 or the recycle bin next to the drink machine in the Worship Building.
Ink Cartridges - 3 recycle boxes on campus
Eye Glasses - Collection bin in entryway of the Worship Building

Submit Article 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
andys.fishwrap@gmail.com

Office Hours
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday through Thursday
8:00 am - 12 Noon
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
 
Friday
8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Quick Links... 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Join Our Mailing List