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WEEKLY BULLETIN
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the Episcopal church of st. andrew
second sunday of easter, 12 april 2026
SUNDAY WORSHIP - Join us at 8am for classic worship from the Prayer Book. Choristers will enrich our 10am Eucharist. The service is live-streamed HERE. The Order of Worship for online viewers is HERE. For Episcopalians, Easter is not just a Sunday but a season, so the fun will run until Pentecost (24 May)!
SANCTUARY RENEWAL - The Vestry has approved the final design for the sanctuary and will share the plans between services this Sunday from 9:10 - 9:45 in the parish hall. The session will be videotaped so choir members and others can view a recording. Thanks to everyone who participated in the intensive discernment process. Working with architects and design professionals, our design team spent many hours sifting through colors and fabrics and liturgical furnishings. Choosing chairs for the choir sounds straightforward until you consider the range of suppliers, styles, materials and colors! The design team has sought to honor the simplicity and clarity of the original 1965 design and your thirst for a space that reflects the light, warmth and welcome of the Gospel. The Vestry is delighted with the outcome. We certainly can't please everyone, but we hope that most church members will embrace the plans and look forward to September when the work is scheduled to finish.
Worship from May - August - The survey was instructive! There is not much appetite for Picnic Church and even less for a Contemplative Eucharist. Rather, both 8 & 10 o'clockers want to worship at Old Saint Andrew's Church (our charming summer chapel on King Hill Road), and a considerable number of 10 o'clockers would worship at 8am if there's more music. A minority of church members, however, prefers to worship at 52 Gould Road, perhaps because it's accessible with easy parking. So our pattern of weekend worship will be nice and simple beginning on 3 May and running through August: Sundays at 8 & 10am at OSA and Saturdays at 5pm at 52 Gould Road (in the parish hall or outside on the patio). More details to follow.
You can view the summary survey results HERE. You can also view some of the comments submitted HERE (ideas for picnic church places omitted -- but they've been kept for future reference). Thanks to the 118 people who completed the survey!
Outreach Offering for April - Please support our 2026 Voorhees scholar-intern program. Our April Outreach will raise much of the roughly $20,000 needed to fund our two interns. This cost includes a weekly stipend of $450 (which includes a small food allowance), scholarships of $4,000 each, housing costs for staying at Colby-Sawyer, and travel expenses. Our interns enrich our church community while we provide them with invaluable work experience and growth opportunities. Deandre and Amelia, our 2026 scholar-interns, will help at the church and will work with young children each day at the Colby-Sawyer Youth Recreational Day Camp. Thank you all for making our first three internship summers a success. Let’s do it again, together. Your contribution (marked April Outreach or Voorhees) will be matched by our anonymous donors. You can also give online HERE.
Conversation with the Rev. Mark Pendleton - STAND for Justice and Peace has arranged a Zoom session with the Rev. Mark Pendleton, Rector of Christ Church, Exeter. Mark regularly visits the Stafford County jail in Dover which also holds ICE detainees. This open meeting takes place on Tuesday, 14 April from 7-8pm. Mark will speak about his experience and field questions. The meeting ID is 826 7787 8799; the passcode is 456436. To access the meeting, please click HERE.
STAND for Justice and Peace members have been raising awareness about SB101 which would mandate Open Enrollment for all public schools. The bill is is being considered by both the House and Senate in the state legislature. Jay has penned an Opinion piece for the Union-Leader which argues that SB101 will deepen, not fix, school inequality. We'll see whether it's published.
The next STAND for Justice and Peace meeting is scheduled for Monday, 27 April at 12:30 in the parish hall.
Iona-Bound - Thirty pilgrims from St. Andrew's will soon be bound for Iona, a small island off the west coast of Scotland, where in 563 St. Columba founded a Celtic monastery. Led by the Rev'd Jennifer McCracken and organized by Alison Seward, the pilgrimage and retreat will run from 17-25 April. Many participants head over early or stay after to enjoy the British Isles on their own.
George MacLeod, the founder of the Iona Community, called the island a "thin place" where earth and heaven come close together. There is a small village community and a few shops, but most of Iona remains as it was in Columba’s time -- beaches of silver sand, the clear blue-green sea, heather-covered hills, rugged cliffs and caves. There are seals, otters, and a range of birds and flowers.
Without the distractions of modern life, Iona is a place where one can rediscover a simplicity of life, a unity with nature and the Creator. Pilgrims will enjoy a time apart from one’s normal activities, a week spent focusing on one’s spiritual life.
We wish our pilgrims traveling mercies and pray that Iona will be for each of them a place of relaxation and renewal.
Outreach Offering for April - In June, our 2026 Voorhees scholar-interns will join us for the fourth year of our summer partnership with Voorhees University, a small HBCU in rural South Carolina. Amelia Hunt from Kingston, Jamaica and Deandre Hield from The Bahamas will be with us for eight weeks. Amelia serves as freshman class president and is interested in cybersecurity. Deandre, who will graduate in December, majors in business administration and hopes to work in the real estate and construction industries. We need your generous help to fund this internship program, which brings new energy and diversity to our community. Your contribution (marked April Outreach or Voorhees) will be matched by our anonymous donors. You can also give online HERE.
Community Work Opportunities -
Can you lend a hand this Sunday in Cleveland Hall to help fill hygiene bags (details below)?
St. Andrew's is one of the sponsors of the Food Security Summit on Saturday, 18 April at Kearsarge Regional High School, but as far as we can make out, no one from St. Andrew's has signed up to attend. Click here to register and join the over 100 registered attendees!
On Saturday, 2 May there is a town-wide street cleanup in New London from 8am - 2pm. Meet in the municipal lot across from Tracy Library (rain date: 3 May).
Congregational Care - Our Congregational Care Committee helps ensure that parishioners' needs are being met. We aim to draw our congregation together as a village, with newcomers welcomed, and existing members valued. We try to make sure that no one is overlooked, and we need your help. If you are new, please fill out a pew response card, and join us for coffee hour so we can get to know you! If you are heading off for a lovely vacation, please let Shelly know, and tell us about your adventures when you return :). If you need assistance, or can’t make it to services, please reach out. If you have concerns about someone else, please let Shelly know. We all work together to make sure everyone knows they are loved. The Congregational Care Committee is chaired by Claire Pace; of your clergy, Jay is involved, but Jennifer takes the lead.
Immigrant Justice
Local Food Insecurity - Our ongoing work to reduce food insecurity in the Kearsarge/Sunapee area:
St. Andrew’s is committed to caring for our neighbors by engaging with local organizations to reduce food insecurity in our region. While the immediate crisis of the loss of SNAP and WIC benefits have lessened, food insecurity remains prominent in our local community. Food pantries continue to see an increased need and families still need our support. KNP has gathered a group of public health clinicians, food pantry leaders, and faith communities, to raise awareness of the ongoing need and finding ways to meet that need. St Andrew’s has signed on to help. Please read the letter to the Kearsarge/ Sunapee community HERE and an opportunity to further engage to attend a summit HERE.
Childcare at St. Andrew's - At its October meeting, the Vestry approved moving forward to permit a childcare center in the church basement to be operated independently by Candace Smith, who currently runs a small childcare center out of her home in Wilmot. Church representatives have met with Candace on several occasions, and we feel she would be an ideal person to lead this effort. The center would serve up to 12 children ages 0-4 in Classrooms 1 and 2 downstairs. St. Andrew's would provide space for this modestly sized center, and we envision attractive volunteer opportunities to interact with the children, to raise funds for infrastructure needs and scholarships to assist needy families, and to address other challenges.
As many of you know, the Kearsarge region suffers from a severe shortage of high quality, affordable childcare options. Along with the center that Liz Niehaus is currently constructing nearby on Main Street for up to 36 children, our 12-child center could make a material positive difference on an intractable community problem that plagues many families.
There would be an impact on Thrift Shop which currently uses Classroom 1 for men's clothing, but Jackie Thompson and Betsy Dexter are graciously willing to adapt, and we'll make extra space for Thrift storage in the cupboards downstairs.
Since the subject was broached at our Annual Meeting nearly three years ago, St. Andrew's has sought to address this issue. Support for improved childcare fits squarely within our overall impressive community Outreach efforts at St. Andrew's. We currently are addressing the licensing and approval processes before a center would be ready to open. Jim Mathias and Paul Catsos are working with Candace on licensing processes and overseeing the work to prepare the space and properly document our relationship with Candace. All being well, we hope the childcare center will be ready to open sometime in 2026.
Craft Group - All are welcome on Tuesday mornings 9:30-11:30 to join our Craft Group. No experience necessary! Stop by to enjoy fellowship time! On vacation after St. Nicholas Fair
Faith & Issues - Faith & Issues meets on Saturday mornings at 9am on Zoom. Please email the Rev. Dr. Katrina Wagner HERE if you are interested and she'll send you the Zoom link.
Year's Mind to Remember Our Loved Ones - Each Sunday, toward the end of the Prayers of the People, we remember by name our loved ones prior to the anniversary of their death. Called the Year's Mind, it is the church's way of giving thanks for their lives, to pray for their souls, and to ask God to comfort those who still grieve. If you would like to add family members to the Year's Mind, there's a sign-up sheet on the narthex shelf.
Congregational Care Committee - Every church seeks to care for its members, but sometimes people fall through the cracks. This happened last year when one of our members had an injury and missed church for months but never received so much as a phone call from the rector or other church member. The Congregational Care Committee (CCC) was formed to ensure this never happens again. Two of CCC members regularly attend the 8 o'clock Eucharist, sit on different sides of church, and will take note and make inquiries if someone misses church for several weeks, informing Jay and Shelly if they are ill and would welcome a visit. Two other CCC members will do the same at 10am, and both sets of volunteers will also make a note of newcomers as well.
If you are ill or know someone who is, please call the office to speak with Shelly who will relay the information to Jay. The CCC will work with Jay to coordinate our support, but the care itself can be delivered by any church member. This often happens naturally through friendships. Any and all church members can be part of this ministry. Please make our Lenten workshops a priority. If you would like to be part of the Congregational Care Committee, please call or email Shelly.
Opportunities abound at St. Andrew's to deepen your faith.
Bits & Bobs -
Jennifer's and Jay's email and texts: From time to time, scammers create a fraudulent email address similar to Jay's and send out "phishing emails" and texts that impersonate Jay and ask people to reply to the email. Please do not respond. I have two email addresses: [email protected] and [email protected]. If you receive an email asking for a favor, or if the tone strikes you as a bit strange, please check the email address of the sender. And please know that I will not ask for favors, gift vouchers, or money via email. If you are in the slightest doubt, please do not respond to the email and call the office instead.
Monday Meditation at 6pm in the sanctuary. A snippet of scripture and a bit of music lead into 20 minutes of silent prayer.
Prayer List - Sandy, Ann Bailey, Neisja, Bennett Gray, Janet, David S., Serrette Beauvoir, Mary M., Mary, Claudia, Sharon A., Sydney Kunz, Jenny Norton, John, and Nancy Rowley.
The full prayer list is read aloud at the Healing Eucharist on Thursdays at Noon. Names will be rotated in the Sunday bulletin throughout the month.
Pray for the repose of the souls of the recently departed.
We remember with thanksgiving those who died at this time in years past thanksgiving Joan Fellows, Susan Matthews, Eric Malm, Anne Thompson, Susan Mayer, Priscilla Roberts, Emily Bristol, and Bruce Carlson.
Are You Caring for Someone with Dementia? Good Day Respite is a day program run by Lake Sunapee VNA that supports adults with mild to moderate memory loss and their caregivers. A Licensed Nursing Assistant oversees the program, which meets throughout the year on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Kearsarge Community Presbyterian Church in New London. Participants are dropped off by their caregivers at 10am and enjoy discussion, games, lunch, crafts, entertainment, and more. Volunteers help facilitate these activities, all of which provide stimulation and socialization for the program participants until their caregivers return to pick them up at 3pm. During the program’s five hours, caregivers of the participants have time for errands, activities, and a much-needed break, knowing their loved ones are in a safe and enjoyable place. The program fee is $50 per day, and scholarships are available for those in need. If you are caring for an individual with dementia, Lake Sunapee VNA can help you determine if the program is right for you. For more information or to set up a time to visit the program, call 603-526-4077.
Feeling Called? Jay spoke about our calling to serve God. If you would like to help lead our worship, our Verger Anne Hall would love to hear from you ([email protected]). There are openings for ushers, acolytes, lectors and chalice bearers. Training is provided. If you would like to learn how to craft the Prayers of the People for Sunday morning worship and take a turn composing them every few months, please be in touch with Jay ([email protected]).
Christian Formation - Opportunities abound at St. Andrew's and in the wider Episcopal Church to deepen your faith.
Interviews with Jim, Gardner and Claire - Click on their names to learn more about Clare Bennett, Gardner Yenawine and the Rev'd Jim Ransom from interviews conducted by Tatanya and Tayshawn, our Voorhees Scholar-Interns. For the next six weeks, Tatanya and Tayshawn will serve as counselors at the New London Outing Club Summer Camp. It will be a fun but demanding job, so please keep them in your prayers. We'll see Tayshawn and Tatanya on Sunday mornings, at Thursday cook-outs, and around town. Previous Scholar-Interns stayed with church families, whereas T&T are staying in dorm rooms at Colby-Sawyer College and are responsible for their own meals. Hint: gift cards are available at the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information Center (across from New London Inn) that can be used at almost all local eateries.
Invitation to Craft Group on Tuesdays - Please join us Tuesdays at 9:30 in the parish hall after winter break. You might:
Openings on Our Altar Guild - St. Andrew's Altar Guild always welcomes new members. If you are looking for a quiet way to be more involved in church activities, please contact JoAnn Hicks or Becky Rylander.
Our Thrift Shop is looking for a few good volunteers to help a couple of hours per week and is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10am - 1pm.. Please contact Jackie Thompson if you can help (603.526.8979)
SANCTUARY RENEWAL - The Vestry has approved the final design for the sanctuary and will share the plans between services this Sunday from 9:10 - 9:45 in the parish hall. The session will be videotaped so choir members and others can view a recording. Thanks to everyone who participated in the intensive discernment process. Working with architects and design professionals, our design team spent many hours sifting through colors and fabrics and liturgical furnishings. Choosing chairs for the choir sounds straightforward until you consider the range of suppliers, styles, materials and colors! The design team has sought to honor the simplicity and clarity of the original 1965 design and your thirst for a space that reflects the light, warmth and welcome of the Gospel. The Vestry is delighted with the outcome. We certainly can't please everyone, but we hope that most church members will embrace the plans and look forward to September when the work is scheduled to finish.
Worship from May - August - The survey was instructive! There is not much appetite for Picnic Church and even less for a Contemplative Eucharist. Rather, both 8 & 10 o'clockers want to worship at Old Saint Andrew's Church (our charming summer chapel on King Hill Road), and a considerable number of 10 o'clockers would worship at 8am if there's more music. A minority of church members, however, prefers to worship at 52 Gould Road, perhaps because it's accessible with easy parking. So our pattern of weekend worship will be nice and simple beginning on 3 May and running through August: Sundays at 8 & 10am at OSA and Saturdays at 5pm at 52 Gould Road (in the parish hall or outside on the patio). More details to follow.
You can view the summary survey results HERE. You can also view some of the comments submitted HERE (ideas for picnic church places omitted -- but they've been kept for future reference). Thanks to the 118 people who completed the survey!
Outreach Offering for April - Please support our 2026 Voorhees scholar-intern program. Our April Outreach will raise much of the roughly $20,000 needed to fund our two interns. This cost includes a weekly stipend of $450 (which includes a small food allowance), scholarships of $4,000 each, housing costs for staying at Colby-Sawyer, and travel expenses. Our interns enrich our church community while we provide them with invaluable work experience and growth opportunities. Deandre and Amelia, our 2026 scholar-interns, will help at the church and will work with young children each day at the Colby-Sawyer Youth Recreational Day Camp. Thank you all for making our first three internship summers a success. Let’s do it again, together. Your contribution (marked April Outreach or Voorhees) will be matched by our anonymous donors. You can also give online HERE.
Conversation with the Rev. Mark Pendleton - STAND for Justice and Peace has arranged a Zoom session with the Rev. Mark Pendleton, Rector of Christ Church, Exeter. Mark regularly visits the Stafford County jail in Dover which also holds ICE detainees. This open meeting takes place on Tuesday, 14 April from 7-8pm. Mark will speak about his experience and field questions. The meeting ID is 826 7787 8799; the passcode is 456436. To access the meeting, please click HERE.
STAND for Justice and Peace members have been raising awareness about SB101 which would mandate Open Enrollment for all public schools. The bill is is being considered by both the House and Senate in the state legislature. Jay has penned an Opinion piece for the Union-Leader which argues that SB101 will deepen, not fix, school inequality. We'll see whether it's published.
The next STAND for Justice and Peace meeting is scheduled for Monday, 27 April at 12:30 in the parish hall.
Iona-Bound - Thirty pilgrims from St. Andrew's will soon be bound for Iona, a small island off the west coast of Scotland, where in 563 St. Columba founded a Celtic monastery. Led by the Rev'd Jennifer McCracken and organized by Alison Seward, the pilgrimage and retreat will run from 17-25 April. Many participants head over early or stay after to enjoy the British Isles on their own.
George MacLeod, the founder of the Iona Community, called the island a "thin place" where earth and heaven come close together. There is a small village community and a few shops, but most of Iona remains as it was in Columba’s time -- beaches of silver sand, the clear blue-green sea, heather-covered hills, rugged cliffs and caves. There are seals, otters, and a range of birds and flowers.
Without the distractions of modern life, Iona is a place where one can rediscover a simplicity of life, a unity with nature and the Creator. Pilgrims will enjoy a time apart from one’s normal activities, a week spent focusing on one’s spiritual life.
We wish our pilgrims traveling mercies and pray that Iona will be for each of them a place of relaxation and renewal.
Outreach Offering for April - In June, our 2026 Voorhees scholar-interns will join us for the fourth year of our summer partnership with Voorhees University, a small HBCU in rural South Carolina. Amelia Hunt from Kingston, Jamaica and Deandre Hield from The Bahamas will be with us for eight weeks. Amelia serves as freshman class president and is interested in cybersecurity. Deandre, who will graduate in December, majors in business administration and hopes to work in the real estate and construction industries. We need your generous help to fund this internship program, which brings new energy and diversity to our community. Your contribution (marked April Outreach or Voorhees) will be matched by our anonymous donors. You can also give online HERE.
Community Work Opportunities -
Can you lend a hand this Sunday in Cleveland Hall to help fill hygiene bags (details below)?
St. Andrew's is one of the sponsors of the Food Security Summit on Saturday, 18 April at Kearsarge Regional High School, but as far as we can make out, no one from St. Andrew's has signed up to attend. Click here to register and join the over 100 registered attendees!
On Saturday, 2 May there is a town-wide street cleanup in New London from 8am - 2pm. Meet in the municipal lot across from Tracy Library (rain date: 3 May).
Congregational Care - Our Congregational Care Committee helps ensure that parishioners' needs are being met. We aim to draw our congregation together as a village, with newcomers welcomed, and existing members valued. We try to make sure that no one is overlooked, and we need your help. If you are new, please fill out a pew response card, and join us for coffee hour so we can get to know you! If you are heading off for a lovely vacation, please let Shelly know, and tell us about your adventures when you return :). If you need assistance, or can’t make it to services, please reach out. If you have concerns about someone else, please let Shelly know. We all work together to make sure everyone knows they are loved. The Congregational Care Committee is chaired by Claire Pace; of your clergy, Jay is involved, but Jennifer takes the lead.
Immigrant Justice
- The St. Andrew’s affiliated group working on immigrant justice has a new name: STAND for Justice and Peace.
- Vigil - Join us for prayers around the flag at the Vigil for Our Nation on Thursdays from 5:00-5:30 pm on our parking lot adjoining the Town Common. No signs or slogans, just silent prayer and a bit of singing.
Local Food Insecurity - Our ongoing work to reduce food insecurity in the Kearsarge/Sunapee area:
St. Andrew’s is committed to caring for our neighbors by engaging with local organizations to reduce food insecurity in our region. While the immediate crisis of the loss of SNAP and WIC benefits have lessened, food insecurity remains prominent in our local community. Food pantries continue to see an increased need and families still need our support. KNP has gathered a group of public health clinicians, food pantry leaders, and faith communities, to raise awareness of the ongoing need and finding ways to meet that need. St Andrew’s has signed on to help. Please read the letter to the Kearsarge/ Sunapee community HERE and an opportunity to further engage to attend a summit HERE.
Childcare at St. Andrew's - At its October meeting, the Vestry approved moving forward to permit a childcare center in the church basement to be operated independently by Candace Smith, who currently runs a small childcare center out of her home in Wilmot. Church representatives have met with Candace on several occasions, and we feel she would be an ideal person to lead this effort. The center would serve up to 12 children ages 0-4 in Classrooms 1 and 2 downstairs. St. Andrew's would provide space for this modestly sized center, and we envision attractive volunteer opportunities to interact with the children, to raise funds for infrastructure needs and scholarships to assist needy families, and to address other challenges.
As many of you know, the Kearsarge region suffers from a severe shortage of high quality, affordable childcare options. Along with the center that Liz Niehaus is currently constructing nearby on Main Street for up to 36 children, our 12-child center could make a material positive difference on an intractable community problem that plagues many families.
There would be an impact on Thrift Shop which currently uses Classroom 1 for men's clothing, but Jackie Thompson and Betsy Dexter are graciously willing to adapt, and we'll make extra space for Thrift storage in the cupboards downstairs.
Since the subject was broached at our Annual Meeting nearly three years ago, St. Andrew's has sought to address this issue. Support for improved childcare fits squarely within our overall impressive community Outreach efforts at St. Andrew's. We currently are addressing the licensing and approval processes before a center would be ready to open. Jim Mathias and Paul Catsos are working with Candace on licensing processes and overseeing the work to prepare the space and properly document our relationship with Candace. All being well, we hope the childcare center will be ready to open sometime in 2026.
Craft Group - All are welcome on Tuesday mornings 9:30-11:30 to join our Craft Group. No experience necessary! Stop by to enjoy fellowship time! On vacation after St. Nicholas Fair
Faith & Issues - Faith & Issues meets on Saturday mornings at 9am on Zoom. Please email the Rev. Dr. Katrina Wagner HERE if you are interested and she'll send you the Zoom link.
Year's Mind to Remember Our Loved Ones - Each Sunday, toward the end of the Prayers of the People, we remember by name our loved ones prior to the anniversary of their death. Called the Year's Mind, it is the church's way of giving thanks for their lives, to pray for their souls, and to ask God to comfort those who still grieve. If you would like to add family members to the Year's Mind, there's a sign-up sheet on the narthex shelf.
Congregational Care Committee - Every church seeks to care for its members, but sometimes people fall through the cracks. This happened last year when one of our members had an injury and missed church for months but never received so much as a phone call from the rector or other church member. The Congregational Care Committee (CCC) was formed to ensure this never happens again. Two of CCC members regularly attend the 8 o'clock Eucharist, sit on different sides of church, and will take note and make inquiries if someone misses church for several weeks, informing Jay and Shelly if they are ill and would welcome a visit. Two other CCC members will do the same at 10am, and both sets of volunteers will also make a note of newcomers as well.
If you are ill or know someone who is, please call the office to speak with Shelly who will relay the information to Jay. The CCC will work with Jay to coordinate our support, but the care itself can be delivered by any church member. This often happens naturally through friendships. Any and all church members can be part of this ministry. Please make our Lenten workshops a priority. If you would like to be part of the Congregational Care Committee, please call or email Shelly.
Opportunities abound at St. Andrew's to deepen your faith.
- Jay concluded a recent Eucharist with a blessing from Saint Clare and was asked to share it more widely: Go forth without fear, for your Creator has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. With swift pace, light step, and unswerving feet, go in peace to follow the good road, and may God’s blessing be with you always. Amen.
- Faith & Issues meets via Zoom on Saturday mornings from 9:00 - 10:30. The Rev'd Katrina Wagner convenes and coordinates the group. You can contact her at [email protected] if you are interested in learning more about the group and the next book they'll be reading.
- The brainchild of Alison Seward, our "Composing a Life" book group first met in January 2023. Composing a Life will meet to discuss Joan Chittester's The Time Is Now at 10am on Monday, 23 February and at 4pm on Wednesday, 25 February.
- If you are unable to join us for Midday Prayer at 12 noon in church on weekdays, a group meets online with those in church. Please contact Anne Hall ([email protected]) for the Zoom link.
- There are many online prayer tools, but for brevity and quality, Jay highly recommends this 12-minute daily offering: pray-as-you-go.org for your phone or computer.
- The Lectionary Page sets out the Bible passages read in worship on Sundays and other holy days HERE.
Bits & Bobs -
- Jared Goldfarb will teach in-person this Tuesday from 4-5pm in the parish hall. Please read up through Exodus 13. If you missed last week's Zoom session, we are very sorry; your rector failed to record it.
- Our Vigil for the Nation on Thursdays from 5:00-5:30 pm now takes place around the flag on the Town Common. When we started in February, candles made sense in the dusk, but now we just bring ourselves and our prayers.
- The funeral for Marilyn Luurtsema's son Frank Butkus will be hosted by St. Andrew's on Saturday, 18 April at 12pm with a reception following in the parish hall.
- The 4th Annual Beach Cricket Game for the Diocese of New Hampshire will take place on Sunday, 12 July at 2:30pm at Rye Beach. Join Bishop Rob and Episcopalians of all ages for two hours of fun at low tide. "You ain't fully Anglican til you've bowled an over!"
- Thanks to Tom Tuthill for re-introducing St. Andrew's to Lent Madness. Desmond Tutu made it to the finals as Tom hoped, but the Golden Halo went to Constance and her companions. In September 1878, Sister Constance, Sister Thecla, Sister Ruth, Sister Frances, and priests Reverend Charles Carroll Parsons and Reverend Louis S. Schuyler of St. Mary's Cathedral in Memphis stayed in Memphis, TN during a devastating yellow fever epidemic. They cared for the sick at great personal cost and eventually several died from the disease. Known as the Martyrs of Memphis, they are remembered as patrons for healthcare workers, especially for their work during crises.
- Join us at the Food Security Summit on Saturday, 18 April to uncover the latest food security data for the Kearsarge Region and learn how food access coalitions like FEED Kearsarge are shifting the needle from emergency response to systemic change for long term community wellbeing! The day will include panel discussions with local leaders, breakout discussion, an exhibitor fair with helpful resources, and refreshments and lunch provided! Register HERE.
- Having divided up our coffee hour host responsibilities so that others bake, we still require more hosts! Please be in touch with Rosie Best if you can help at 8am and John and Lou Moses if you can take a turn as coffee hour host at 10am.
- If you are unable to make it to church and would like to receive the Eucharist at home, please call the office to let us know. We have wonderful and caring Eucharistic Visitors who would delight in bringing Holy Communion to you!
- We are offering a subsidized pilgrimage and retreat to Taizé, France for St. Andrew's young people aged 15-30 (or younger if accompanied by a parent). Flying into and out of Geneva, we'll also do some hiking in the Swiss Alps. We reached out to young people in June and asked them to respond by today. To date we have eight people on board. Details about the trip in June 2026 are HERE.
- Since the COVID pandemic, we've had two gatherings for Midday Prayer -- one in church and one online. We've brought these two congregations together via a hybrid service in church where roughly half the congregation joins us via Zoom. If you'd like the Zoom link, lease email Anne Hall at [email protected]. The Order of Worship for the "Christmas season" that runs until Lent is HERE. The lectionary (which gives the daily Psalm and Gospel readings) is HERE. Of course, you can also say Midday Prayer at home on your own. Centered on scripture, the service includes a period of shared silent prayer.
- Jay's day off is Wednesday. Jennifer works 3/4 time and takes Tuesdays and Fridays off.
- Please make a point of putting on your name tag before worship. Among other things, it allows us to greet each other by name at the Peace. If you don't have a name tag, there's a sign up sheet by the kitchen door. Thanks
- Jay presides at worship services at 11:00 am at Woodcrest Village on the first Tuesday of alternate months.
Jennifer's and Jay's email and texts: From time to time, scammers create a fraudulent email address similar to Jay's and send out "phishing emails" and texts that impersonate Jay and ask people to reply to the email. Please do not respond. I have two email addresses: [email protected] and [email protected]. If you receive an email asking for a favor, or if the tone strikes you as a bit strange, please check the email address of the sender. And please know that I will not ask for favors, gift vouchers, or money via email. If you are in the slightest doubt, please do not respond to the email and call the office instead.
Monday Meditation at 6pm in the sanctuary. A snippet of scripture and a bit of music lead into 20 minutes of silent prayer.
Prayer List - Sandy, Ann Bailey, Neisja, Bennett Gray, Janet, David S., Serrette Beauvoir, Mary M., Mary, Claudia, Sharon A., Sydney Kunz, Jenny Norton, John, and Nancy Rowley.
The full prayer list is read aloud at the Healing Eucharist on Thursdays at Noon. Names will be rotated in the Sunday bulletin throughout the month.
Pray for the repose of the souls of the recently departed.
We remember with thanksgiving those who died at this time in years past thanksgiving Joan Fellows, Susan Matthews, Eric Malm, Anne Thompson, Susan Mayer, Priscilla Roberts, Emily Bristol, and Bruce Carlson.
Are You Caring for Someone with Dementia? Good Day Respite is a day program run by Lake Sunapee VNA that supports adults with mild to moderate memory loss and their caregivers. A Licensed Nursing Assistant oversees the program, which meets throughout the year on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Kearsarge Community Presbyterian Church in New London. Participants are dropped off by their caregivers at 10am and enjoy discussion, games, lunch, crafts, entertainment, and more. Volunteers help facilitate these activities, all of which provide stimulation and socialization for the program participants until their caregivers return to pick them up at 3pm. During the program’s five hours, caregivers of the participants have time for errands, activities, and a much-needed break, knowing their loved ones are in a safe and enjoyable place. The program fee is $50 per day, and scholarships are available for those in need. If you are caring for an individual with dementia, Lake Sunapee VNA can help you determine if the program is right for you. For more information or to set up a time to visit the program, call 603-526-4077.
Feeling Called? Jay spoke about our calling to serve God. If you would like to help lead our worship, our Verger Anne Hall would love to hear from you ([email protected]). There are openings for ushers, acolytes, lectors and chalice bearers. Training is provided. If you would like to learn how to craft the Prayers of the People for Sunday morning worship and take a turn composing them every few months, please be in touch with Jay ([email protected]).
Christian Formation - Opportunities abound at St. Andrew's and in the wider Episcopal Church to deepen your faith.
- Faith & Issues meets via Zoom on Saturday mornings from 9:00 - 10:30. The Rev'd Katrina Wagner convenes and coordinates the group. You can contact her at [email protected] if you are interested in learning more about the group. They are taking a break over the summer and will meet again in September.
- If you are unable to join us for Midday Prayer at 12 noon in church on weekdays, a group meets online with those in church. Please contact Anne Hall ([email protected]) for the Zoom link.
- There are many online prayer tools, but for brevity and quality, Jay highly recommends this 12-minute daily offering: pray-as-you-go.org for your phone or computer.
- The Rev'd Celeste Hemingson offers a weekly Bible study on Zoom that looks at the upcoming Sunday readings. You can contact Celeste at [email protected].
- The Lectionary Page sets out the Bible passages read in worship on Sundays and other holy days HERE.
Interviews with Jim, Gardner and Claire - Click on their names to learn more about Clare Bennett, Gardner Yenawine and the Rev'd Jim Ransom from interviews conducted by Tatanya and Tayshawn, our Voorhees Scholar-Interns. For the next six weeks, Tatanya and Tayshawn will serve as counselors at the New London Outing Club Summer Camp. It will be a fun but demanding job, so please keep them in your prayers. We'll see Tayshawn and Tatanya on Sunday mornings, at Thursday cook-outs, and around town. Previous Scholar-Interns stayed with church families, whereas T&T are staying in dorm rooms at Colby-Sawyer College and are responsible for their own meals. Hint: gift cards are available at the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information Center (across from New London Inn) that can be used at almost all local eateries.
Invitation to Craft Group on Tuesdays - Please join us Tuesdays at 9:30 in the parish hall after winter break. You might:
- work on a project to sell at our Summer Fair or St. Nicholas Fair;
- work on you own project;
- see what others are creating and maybe try something new (one week clay earrings were made using a pasta machine!)
- enjoy lively conversation
- The coffee will be on!
Openings on Our Altar Guild - St. Andrew's Altar Guild always welcomes new members. If you are looking for a quiet way to be more involved in church activities, please contact JoAnn Hicks or Becky Rylander.
Our Thrift Shop is looking for a few good volunteers to help a couple of hours per week and is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10am - 1pm.. Please contact Jackie Thompson if you can help (603.526.8979)
