Saint Andrew's

 

Dear Friends:

 

Welcome to St. Andrew’s United Church!

The information in this package is for families and individuals new to the church. We hope it will give you an idea about our approach to Faith Formation (Church School, adult groups, etc.), involvement of children and youth in worship and church life, significant events in our church calendar, and how you can become involved in church programs.

We recognize that many people are new to the United Church of Canada and may not be familiar with United Church history and background. The United Church website, http://www.united-church.ca provides a good starting point for learning more. We encourage your questions and comments about the church as we are all in a process of learning about being a church community. There is also a handout available that provides information on how we worship together on Sunday mornings.

We hope you find this information useful. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions, or if you have suggestions. We look forward to worshipping, learning and building a community together!

 

You can download a printable version of this page here

 

How the church organizes its work:

The church organizes its work through a number of committees that have specific responsibilities. A listing of some of the committees is given below. For further information about the tasks and program activities of these committees please speak to a staff person or ask for a copy of the church’s Annual Report, which includes descriptions of the committees and their work. These reports are available from the church office. Please contact the church office for the names of contact people for each committee. (Committees: Christian Development, Outreach Committee, Visitation Committee, Ministry and Personnel, Church Council, United Church Women, Worship and Music.)

Russell Daye Lead Minister

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Martha Martin Minister of Education

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Dale Chisholm Pastoral Care Minister

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Tammy James Church Secretary

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Kevin Parks, Music Director

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Sharing our gifts and talents

 

There are many opportunities to become involved in the life and work of St. Andrew’s. Some ways you can contribute to church educational & social activities are:

- assisting in a three week rotation in Church School

- volunteering in the nursery on Sunday mornings

- helping to organize special events

- participating in one of the adult studies or discussion groups

- providing music leadership in the Church School

- volunteering with one of the many outreach projects in which St. Andrew’s is involved

- becoming a choir member or sharing your gifts of music (contact Kevin Parks, Music Director)

Please contact the Minister of Education if you are interested in any of the above opportunities, or if you have other interests or experiences to offer.

All parents registering their children for our church school program will be asked to to assist with at least one three week rotation during the year.

The church also depends on the financial support of families and individuals. Your contributions support a wide range of activities and programs in our local church, our local community, in other parts of Canada and around the world. Church envelopes are available to each family so that you can make regular donations to the church and receive an income tax receipt for your donation. Please call the church office if you would like to receive church envelopes.

 

Intergenerational/All-ages Services

 

Periodically during the year there are intergenerational or all-ages worship services. This means that all members of the congregation, from the youngest to the oldest, are present for the whole service.

The planning of the service is coordinated by the Minister of Education, and can involve Church School teachers, children and youth, and other interested members of the congregation. We try to provide a worship experience that is meaningful for all ages.

There will inevitably be times when some of our younger members are more interested in those around them than in what is happening at the front, and at these times those of us who have been there are reminded of how active, curious, and delightful small children can be.

We encourage parents to relax during these times, and make use of the family centre at the back of the church, which is equipped with activity packs and books for our younger members.

We are all reminded that Jesus welcomed and celebrated small children in his midst.

 

Opportunities for growth, fellowship, and learning at St. Andrew’s …

For children and youth:

 

Sunday School - Sunday mornings at 10:30 am; Sunday School for ages 4 to grade 5; supervised nursery care; youth conversations for grades 6 and up; some of our youth help lead the Sunday School and nursery

Confirmation classes for youth in grades 7 and up; begins in January, 2013 and will run for approximately 8 weeks.

All parents registering their children for our church school program are asked to assist with at least one three week rotation during the year.

 

For adults:

 

Retreat Days: quiet days of conversation, bible study, and spiritual practice, offered monthly. Check the website for dates.

Bible studies, Unbinding the Gospel, Sunday learning series: Check the website for details and dates and times.

Spiritual Guidance: Spiritual guidance sessions can be arranged either individually or in a group with Martha Martin, a graduate of the Atlantic Jubilee Program in Spiritual Deepening and Spiritual Guidance.

Membership/Baptism: classes are offered when requested.

 

For families of all shapes and sizes:

 

Advent Potluck lunch: Join us as we mark the beginning of Advent. Sunday December 2, after worship, 11:45 am – 12:30 pm. Other community events: community birthday party, pizza and movie nights, bowling, skating: watch for announcements

Pancake Supper: (Feb. 12/13); hosted by the university students.

All ages choir: prepares music for worship services throughout the year

 

For university students:

 

Tuesday suppers - Join Martha Martin (who is also the United Church of Canada Chaplain at Dalhousie) for a free supper, lively conversation, and new friendships, every Tuesday evening during the academic year;

5:30-7 pm. All students welcome. Begins Sept. 11/12

 

For more information about any of these programs, contact Martha Martin, Minister of Education, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Church School Program

St. Andrew’s United Church uses the Workshop Rotation Model for its curriculum. Here is an excerpt from the website www.rotation.org:

“Here's the Workshop Rotation Model in a nutshell: Teach major Bible stories and concepts through kid-friendly multimedia workshops: an Art workshop, Drama, Music, Games, A-V, Puppets, Storytelling, Computers, and any other educational media you can get your hands on. Teach the same Bible story in all of the workshops for (several) weeks rotating the kids to a different workshop each week. And here comes the extremely teacher friendly part: Keep the same teacher in each workshop … teaching the same lesson each week (with some age appropriate adjustments) to each new class coming in. The results … are astounding. ‘The kids love it, the teachers love it, and we can't ever imagine going back to the old way.’

Here's why it works: The Workshop Rotation Model concentrates on the major stories of the Bible over and over again … The model's philosophy recognizes that kids not only love repetition, but they need it to develop a lasting memory and understanding of content. The multi-intelligences (creative methods) approach in the model isn't a fad or merely kid-friendly, it is calculated to take advantage of our student's God-given thirst for multi-modal learning.”

The children begin each week with the whole congregation and leave the worship service after a story time. They then gather together in the Church Hall, and go to the workshop for their age group.