In our current circumstances, it can be hard to feel a "real" part of Sunday morning worship. I did get great feedback this week about having the worship service online. It was a source of comfort and normalcy for many. What a joy to hear! 

In order to add to the "normal" feeling of things, we want to see your faces during worship! Here is how you can help us make that happen: 

Be looking for God at work in the world around you. Click the button below to submit a written testimony OR you can text a video testimony to 412.219.2503.

Also, we need worship leaders. You can sign up using the link below to be a worship leader for the next few weeks. Choose a piece of the liturgy you'd like to do and which week. You can sign up for multiple pieces, but try to spread yourself out over a couple weeks so everyone gets a chance. I will email you any readings, prayers, etc that are a part of that portion of the service, as well as how to get the file to me once recorded.. You just set up your phone or computer to video yourself and read the part, then send it to me. I'll do the rest!

Thanks for your creativity and cooperation, friends!

Blessings, 
​Pastor Charissa

Here is the link to the video Pastor Charissa referenced in this morning’s sermon.

​Friends, 
Please join me in praying for and grieving with the Kestner family. We received word yesterday of Bill's unexpected death. Bill was a long time member of St. Andrew's, a great friend to those around him, and a talented trumpet player. 

This is a particularly difficult time to deal with the loss of a loved one. Please hold The Kestners in your prayers as they navigate this. Bill's family is large and scattered. Because of travel restrictions and restrictions on group gatherings, a memorial service will be held at the church at a later date. 

Blessings, 
Pastor Charissa

Many of us are feeling helpless during this time of "social distancing". Some of us are helpers with less outlet to help than normal. Some of us rely on helpers who aren't able to help as much. Some of us just want to do more, knowing what a toll the quarantine is taking on some people. Student Pastor Rebecca found a great article this week that lists some ways you can help and find help during the next few weeks. 

In the interest of protecting the medically vulnerable in our community, we have decided to move all activities online for the remainder of March. While there are some people who do not have access to the internet, this is a better option than canceling everything altogether. Regular attenders can expect lots of phone calls, emails, and text messages from Pastor Charissa in the next weeks and we're game for hearing your ideas for keeping community alive and well while we are all going stir crazy during "social distancing". 

Here's what is still happening and how to access it:

Dear ones, 

As promised, I have been keeping an eye on the coronavirus situation. Yesterday, the World Health Organization officially labeled this a pandemic, which means it's spread to enough of the world that it's a global problem. Several countries in Europe have locked down - Ireland is the most recent - and the US has stopped all air travel between the US and Europe. This afternoon, Governor Wolf of Pennsylvania strongly urged cancelation of group gatherings over 250 people, and encouraged faith communities to proceed with caution for all gatherings. 

As of right now, there are still no confirmed cases of it in our county, but other organizations are starting to limit group gatherings. Our church family includes a very vulnerable population of people. We have many people who fall into the high risk age category, as well as members with cardiovascular concerns. Therefore, I want to assure you, my beloved church family, that I am taking this seriously. If you are in one of those high risk categories, please exercise caution. 

The ministerium has unanimously decided it's in the best interest of our congregants to cancel the remaining Sunday evening Lent dinners and prayer services. We do not do this lightly, but the risks involved with that number of people sharing a kitchen and food together in close proximity are too great to ignore. 

I am keeping an eye on the situation and will let you know if we decide to cancel any other activities. As of right now, there are no other cancelations. We may choose to cancel mid-week activities like yoga, so please keep an eye on the church website and on your email for further updates. 

Should group gathering restrictions/recommendations continue into April, we will be using an online meeting format for our book study. This will be accessible online or by calling in by phone. I understand that not everyone is tech savvy/has internet access, but this is a free way to try to maintain as much community as possible in case of quarantines/isolation policies, etc. I am happy to help people work through any technological difficulties they may have with this set up. 

We are fast tracking getting live-streaming available for Sunday worship. We hope that it will be ready by this Sunday morning. For now, that will be as a back up so that those who choose to stay home can still have an option for participation. Again, I know that not everyone has access to or knows how to navigate YouTube or the church website, but a large portion of our folks do. If restrictions are put into place for group gatherings, Rebecca and I will still lead worship from the sanctuary with online streaming. 

As of now, I do not plan to cancel in-person worship - including our Holy Week services - unless there is a serious escalation in the current situation. I trust that we are all adults who can decide to stay home if sick or compromised in some way. We will continue our no handshakes policy. Also, I'm not afraid to gently ask someone to go home and rest if they show up for church with a cough or fever. I will not play around when it comes to the health and safety of our church family. 

I am putting together a pastoral care action team to assist if there are restrictions and/or an outbreak in our area. Rebecca and I plan to make phone calls and visits during any movement restrictions to check in on people we normally get to see weekly. We are looking into ways to make sure our more limited members have access to groceries, etc. If you are interested in helping grocery shop for someone, visit members, make calls, or other pastoral help, please let me know ASAP so I can have you on that list. Now, more than ever, we need to be checking in on one another and making sure everyone's needs are met. If you know of a friend or neighbor who needs help at this time, please let us know so we can reach out to them. 

I will keep you all posted if anything changes and I plan on sending out at least weekly updates to help alleviate worry and operate with as much transparency as possible. 

Thank you each for all you do!

Blessings,
Pastor Charissa

I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening) by Sarah Stewart Holland & Beth Silvers
“A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations”

Wednesdays, April 22-June 24 (10 weeks)
We will meet on Wednesday mornings at 11 and Wednesday evenings at 7. Choose the time that works best for you. We will choose location based on numbers from each congregation for each time. Please fill out the form below to note your interest and preferences. book is $10 if the church orders for you. It is also available on Amazon and Audible.

From Amazon: More than ever, politics seems driven by conflict and anger. People sitting together in pews every Sunday have started to feel like strangers, loved ones at the dinner table like enemies. Toxic political dialogue, hate-filled rants on social media, and agenda-driven news stories have become the new norm. It’s exhausting, and it’s too much.

In I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening), two working moms from opposite ends of the political spectrum contend that there is a better way. They believe that we can

• choose to respect the dignity of every person,
• choose to recognize that issues are nuanced and can’t be reduced to political talking points,
• choose to listen in order to understand,
• choose gentleness and patience.

Sarah from the left and Beth from the right invite those looking for something better than the status quo to pull up a chair and listen to the principles, insights, and practical tools they have learned hosting their fast-growing podcast Pantsuit Politics. As impossible as it might seem, people from opposing political perspectives truly can have calm, grace-­filled conversations with one another—by putting relationship before policy and understanding before argument.