Upcoming Campaign of Kindness Collections:

• Sunday, April 10  Teddy Bear Sunday - collecting NEW stuffed toys for the children at Shriner's Hospital for Children
• Sunday, April 17  T-shirt Sunday - collecting used t-shirts for Open Arms which employs refugee women in the Austin area who create one-of-a-kind products from repurposed t-shirts 
• Sunday, April 24 (Easter)  VIsion Sunday - collecting new and gently used reading glasses for the poor and homeless served by Episcopal Homeless Intiative

Shoes for Soles for Souls: We collected 366 pairs of shoes - WOW!!

Undie Sunday was also a BIG Success: We collected 694 pairs of underwear, socks and t-shirts for the homeless community in Houston served by Lord of the Streets!!

The men's underwear collection BARELY beat out the women's 194-192 so men have the 2011 UNDIE BRAGGING RIGHTS.

2011 is the Year of Connection for St. Andrew's. 2010 was the Year of Outreach, where we focused on reaching those in the community who needed God help and love. This year, we will Connect.

·        Connect with God

·        Connect with Our Neighbor

·        Connect with One Another

·        Connect Our Neighbor to God 

Why? Because God asks us to be deliberate in pursuit of each. In fact, all of God's Law can be summed up in Connection.

God - "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment."    Matthew 22:37-38 (NIV)

Neighbor - 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (Where our neighbor is defined as all those around us and not just those we like or are close to)    Matthew 22:38(NIV)

One Another - There are over 80 "one another" passages in the Bible, urging us to strengthen our Connection with other Followers of Christ - church members

In fact, we cannot separate these Connections. They are intertwined.

            'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of

            these brothers and sisters ofmine, you did for me.'     

                                                               Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and   

sister.                                         1 John 4:21 (NIV)

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.                      Hebrews 13:2 (NIV)

Dedicate your year and yourself to being Connected.

Episcopalians in the News

In order to read about fellow parishioners, get great ideas for ministry from other congregations or receive notice of upcoming conferences and events (like Episcopal Night with the Astros), you may do one or all of the following:

Visit our website:

www.epicenter.org

Subscribe to the bi-weekly e-newsletter:

Please email Luke Blount at lblount@epicenter.org to receive the e-newsletter. The email newsletter includes important news and events from around the Diocese of Texas that used to be included in the Texas Episcopalian newspaper, but is now delivered online.

Visit our online version of the quarterly Diolog magazine:

www.omagdigital.com/publication/?i=62992.

Visit our articles page and calendar: www.epicenter.org/articles and www.epicenter.org/events.

Subscribe to our RSS news feed:

www.epicenter.org/mediafiles/articles.xml.

Find us on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/texasdiocese.

Follow us on Twitter:

www.twitter.com/texasdiocese or www.twitter.com/texasbishop.  

Follow the Bishop's blogs:

www.texasbishop.blogspot.com and www.hitchhikingthebible.blogspot.com.

This past Sunday, we surpassed Palm Sunday in attendance with our First Sunday morning Healing Service. Thank you for being open to and supporting this. Many people were moved. Over 90% of those present came up for the laying on of hands and anointing.

We even transmitted the service over Skype so parents and siblings could be present to support their loved one.

Would love feedback, positive or not. We will consider doing this again. Maybe on Sunday, maybe mid-week.

Let us know any time you are in need of prayer.

Jim+

frjimbo@msn.com

Well, the Elite 8 is now down to the Final 4. Be here in Houston, host of the 2011 Final Four, Sunday 4/10/11 to vote two ministries into the Championship match. Completion has been good; however, the Sunday Breakfast Club has been accused in a "bacon for play" alumni scheme. They are currently under investigation.

In this week's action:

Pumpkin Patch humiliated Cinderella "Head Start Christmas," 90 to10. The Patch will face the Band in the Final Four. The Band pulled of an upset victory over the Campaign of Kindness 52-46. It was a bittersweet win, leaving the Band feeling somewhat guilty for beating up on a mid-level conference foe dedicated to charity.

In the other bracket, The Church Has Left the Building trounced the Staff, 62-40, with the Staff vowing to opt out of TCHLTB play in the future for running up the score. TCHLTB will meet the Breakfast Club who beat the Acolytes, 58-44, after feeding them 100 pounds of pancakes, slowing their game down considerably.

Match up's for the Final Four on 4/10/11

Pumpkin Patch vs. The Band (take the Band and 25 points)

Breakfast Club vs. The Church Has Left The Building (even) 

It's that time of year again - we're planning our annual Easter Egg Hunt and I am looking for some helpers and a lot of candy!

If you would like to help with the egg hunt, here are the opportunities we have for you:

Egg Stuffing (group stuffing at noon on Sunday, April 10th) (take home stuffing available April 11-17)

Planning and shopping - we have 4 egg hunts covering ages 0-109 so there is a lot to do and I would love some help - this would start ASAP

Egg Hunt Set Up - on Saturday, April 23rd from 4:30-5:30 (egg hunts start at 5:30) - we need lots of help hiding eggs and setting up the prize table (about 15-20 people)

And for EVERYONE:

Please bring NON-CHOCOLATE candy for the egg huntj. We will be collecting candy Sunday, April 10^th.

Egg Hunt, BBQ and Easter Vigil Schedule:

SATURDAY, APRIL 23rd

5:30 p.m. Egg Hunts for all ages (don't be late!)

6 p.m.      BBQ Dinner & Potluck  (we provide the meat, you

                bring a side dish or dessert)

7 p.m.     East Vigil (First service of Easter - bring a Bell!)

If you have any questions or would like to join our Egg Hunt Team, please contact me at debbie@standrewspearland.org or 281-485-3843.

Vacation Bible School - Save the Date!    

The next annual Vacation Bible School will be held July 11-15, 2011.

Katie Cordes  

cordesgotmail@sbcglobal.net 

Vacation Bible School

G'day St. Andrew's Family,

I am sending this out to all of you to see who in our congregation is planning on or would like to assist and volunteer with our vacation bible school this year?

I am looking for adults and youth (students going into the 6th grade next fall and up) who would like to participate in this energetic and exciting time. VBS will run from Monday, July 11th to Friday July 15th. The participants are dropped off at 9am and are picked up by noon. - If you are unable to assist the whole week, but are available select days, that is not a problem. Let me know when you are available and I will put it on my calendar.

If you have volunteered in the past and would like to again, please let me know what you would be interested in doing. We have positions for crew leaders and station leaders. (Crew stays with their kids for the whole week, moving from station to station; whereas a station leader sees all the kids throughout the week and stays in their area).

If you are interested please e-mail me at muppetaus@yahoo.com.au or call 281-484-7373 (hm) or 832-867-0042 (cell).  Please let me know when you contact me if you have previously had safe-guarding. The church office staff will look at records to ensure that it is still current, or if we need to have you safe-guarded.

Thank you for your consideration and your prayers for this important fellowship at St. Andrew's.

Bethany Donaldson

Sadie Many is currently a 3rd grader at Magnolia Elementary in Pearland.  She is a avid reader, loves to swim, and has a large collection of Littlest Pet Shop animals.  She wants to be a dolphin trainer, author, and/or a veterinarian when she grows up.  She has an annoying little sister, who she loves, and a Chihuahua named Chico. 

Sadie was diagnosed with high risk T-Cell Lymphoma in January of this year.  Her treatment plan is almost 2.5 years.  She has already received blood transfusions three times and received blood platelets once, and will undoubtedly need more. 

Our family, and many others, appreciate this gift of yours to benefit Sadie and others just like her.

March 28-April 11

Visit any of Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center's, Neighborhood Donor Centers and credit your donation to Group Code P742FS20.

To determine if you live in The Blood Centers' service region, visit www.giveblood.org and click on "Where to Donate."  For more information, please contact Debbie Weir at (713) 504-3490 for assistance.

Fusion (Youth) News 

YES is a weekend retreat for youth 7-9th grade that affirms God's love for us and allows you to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in a unique way.

Happening is a weekend retreat for youth 10 -12th grade that encourages participation in one's own parish and youth group and helps answer many of today's questions of how Christianity is relevant to youth today.

YES and Happening dates for this school year:

April 29 - May 1

For more information, go to www.epicenter.org

You can find forms for registration here: Registration Forms

Jenn Neitzey

Finances - January 31st, 2011

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    $ 30,535         $ 35,994           $ 5,659 under budget

Receipts      $ 33,779         $ 38,281            $ 4,502 over funded

Long Term Debt $381,124.26

Operating bank balance 1/1/2011 was $23,843.47

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 undesignated checks go into operating to cover general budgeted disbursements.

Questions?

Beth Bishop bookkeeper@standrewspearland.org

Facebook

We now have a presence on the popular social networking website, Facebook. If you have a Facebook account, just click on the links below to become a fan of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church.

To set up a Facebook account www.facebook.com 

To go to the St. Andrew's page Click Here    

Renew your Kroger Card and Support St. Andrew's 

Support St. Andrew's through your shopping at Kroger.

Click this link.