February 2023 Cross Currents

C R O S S C U R R E N T S

UPCOMING IN WORSHIP

DESIRING ETERNITY:

A Three-Week Series with Jesus and His prayer in John 17

February 5

Longing for Life | John 17:1-5

February 12

Longing for Holiness | John 17:6-19

February 19

Longing for Unity | John 17:20-25

I AM: A Lenten Sermon Series dwelling in Jesus’ statements of identity in the Gospel of John.

February 22 - Ash Wednesday

Worship Service - 6:30 pm - Sanctuary

Before Abraham Was, I Am | John 8:48-59

February 26

I Am the Bread of Life | John 6

March 5

I Am the Light of the World | John 8

FROM PASTOR PETE

Greetings St. Andrew’s!

A couple months ago, I was trying to explain the Presbyterian process steps of calling an installed pastor to someone in the church. The more I spoke, the more confused they became. While what seemed to me a clear and straightforward explanation about the structures and steps involved, I might as well have been speaking to them in Swahili. Mungu akubariki! (This means God bless you!)

Then I remembered a way to communicate that I first learned when I was leading a Middle School youth ministry: Draw a picture and tell a story! I’ve included here a diagram that I first drew on a post-it note, to explain the structure of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. If we were to think of the church as a bunch of large and small groups, the Congregation would be the largest group. The Congregation has the formal authority and responsibility to approve the calls of installed pastors. But how can the largest group of people possibly make such an important decision? All jokes aside, the Presbyterian answer to any question like this is: by forming a committee!

In a Presbyterian church, there are three groups with the authority to present action items to the Congregation: The Session (those elders elected by the Congregation to faithfully lead the church), the Nominating Committee (whose responsibility it is to nominate members to serve as Elders, Deacons, Trustees, and on the Nominating Committee itself), and a Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC). While the Session and Nominating Committee are teams that exist all the time, a PNC is only organized when a congregation is ready to conduct a formal search for an installed Pastor or Associate Pastor. While many church committees are accountable to the Session, or Trustees, or Deacons, a PNC does its work confidentially and independently, since it only reports to the Congregation.

Specifically, these are the next steps in the transition process at St. Andrew’s:

1. When the Congregational Mission Study is completed sometime in the first quarter of 2023, it will be submitted to the Session and the Presbytery de Cristo for approval. The approved study will be published on the church website for review by the congregation and prospective pastoral applicants.

2. Along with the approval of the Mission Study, will come permission from the presbytery for the Session to call a congregational meeting for the purpose of electing a Pastor Nominating Committee. The Congregational Nominating Committee will present a slate of church members to the Congregation for approval at that time.

3. The PNC, with guidance and support from the Presbytery, will do its work of prayerful discernment to seek the one whom God is calling to serve, ultimately presenting a candidate to the congregation for approval of that call.

But how long will this take?! Let me recommend reflection on the Goldilocks principle. For everyone involved to clearly discern the will and call of God, it will take time. The PNC will likely review a minimum of 75 applications, and conduct zoom and in-person interviews with several candidates. This will take time. Discerning God’s will won’t take too much time, or too little time… it will take just the right amount of time! Meanwhile, we make our desires known to God in prayer, and we pray the prayer that never fails: “Thy will be done!”

The start of February will feature a threeweek sermon series, Desiring Eternity, with a concentration on Jesus’ great prayer in John, chapter 17. We will learn and experience together from Jesus’ most fervent prayer, where He lays out His deepest desires for Himself, His disciples, and all who would believe in Him.

The season of Lent begins on February 22, with Ash Wednesday. We will kick off our Lenten worship and sermon series on the evening of Ash Wednesday, in worship at 6:30 pm in the Sanctuary. This series is called: I Am, and in it we will explore what Jesus has to say about His own identity, reviewing each of the “I Am” statements in the Gospel of John. In learning more about Jesus, we learn more about ourselves, and how Jesus longs to continually transform us into His image. In this season, may you claim Jesus afresh, and in so doing, experience a renovation of the heart!

Counting it all joy, Pastor Pete

SAPC ART GALLERY

CALLING ALL ARTISTS AT ST. ANDREW’S

Have you ever wanted to create an art work and later display it in a gallery? Why not try it now? The Art Committee invites you to display a couple of your original paintings or pictures in the Narthex Art Gallery for a six week show starting February 19. Pictures can be new or from the past and be for sale or just for show. The date for hanging the art work for the show is February 16, between the hours of 8:00 am and 10:00 am, Art Committee members will be at the Gallery, which is located in the Sanctuary at the SW Campus, to put up your art works.

Call or email to let us know if you wish to participate and the size of your art work. Depending on the number of participants you may only be able to show two or three pieces.

All art pieces must be hangable. (i.e., have a wire hanger on the back of the item) Please let us know by February 13 if you are interested. For more information contact, Jo Kramer at 520-888-1852 or artjo41@msn.com.

SAPC TRIP TO ISRAEL MARCH 2024

Exciting News – SAPC is planning a trip to Israel in March of 2024! If you have never been to the Holy Land, this is a great trip to an amazing land. We will travel as a group with experienced local guides to take us around the country. The trip will be 11 days long and our agenda should include Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Masada, Bethlehem, a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, Nazareth, the Mount of Olives, the Holocaust Museum and more. Our trip dates will be March 11-21, 2024. To provide more details about this trip, we will be holding informational meetings starting just after 10:00 am in Alpha on our NE Campus on February 19, March 19, and March 26. If you are interested in this trip, please plan to attend one of these meetings. We are excited about this opportunity and hope you can join us.

STEPHEN MINISTRY

Are you having a hard time seeing God’s activity in your life? God speaks to us in a variety of ways: through His word, through prayer, and through our church community. Sometimes a listening, trusted friend can help you notice the ways that God is reaching out to you and showing you His love and care. Stephen Ministers are a free, confidential resource that can help you recognize God’s activity in your life. For more information visit sapctucson.org/care or call the Church Office, 520297-7201, or Cheryl Smith at 520-271-6591.

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

HOLY MOLIES FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

Holy Molies, our 4th & 5th Grade ministry, and their families are invited to a showing of Wall-E We’ll meet in Room F on February 15 at 6:00 pm, eat pizza and popcorn, and watch the movie. Bring blankets, pillows, and lawn chairs.

VBS SAVE THE DATE: JUNE 12-16, 2023

VBS Registration:

Children and volunteer packets are coming soon! Packets will be mailed out mid to late March. Registration is open March 26-May 19 online at sapctucson.org/vbs.

VBS Planning Committee:

Are you interested in being on the 2023 VBS planning committee? We are starting our journey to VBS in early March (Yes! It’s that early!) The VBS planning committee heads up the other VBS teams: imagination station (science gadgets and experiments), games, Bible adventure (a hands-on way to tell the Bible story), Kid-vid (stories of real kids living out their faith), snacks, preschool, and decorating. Let Heather know if you’re interested in any of these areas at hbrannock@sapctucson.org.

SUPER FRIENDS - A SPECIAL NEED MINISTRY

Our next meeting of Super Friends and parents will be on February 5 at 10:30 am in the Sunday School Rooms. Contact Heather at hbrannock@saptcuson.org with questions or to sign up.

CDM COMMITTEE

Our Children’s Discipleship Ministry committee is looking for some additional members. If you have a passion for helping children learn how much they are loved by God, and are interested in serving on our committee, contact Heather at hbrannock@sapctucson.org to learn more.

LOOKING FOR PRAYER PARTNERS FOR KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN

Having a strong faith foundation is integral for keeping children in church. Prayer Partners are playing a role in establishing this foundation with the children of St. Andrew’s.

For Prayer Partners, adults are paired with a Kindergarten child. Both the adult and the child pray for each other every day and build a relationship with each other. Some partners do this by sending postcards when they travel, calling on each other’s birthdays, and chatting when they see each other at church.

Prayer Partners is a commitment to help build a child up in faith. There are six kindergarteners active in the Sunday School program and each of them needs a partner.

Prayer Partners will meet each other and go through prayer stations together during the 9:00 am Sunday School time on February 19. If you or someone you know would love to be partnered up with a child and pray for them, contact Heather Brannock at hbrannock@sapctucson.org or call her at the Church Office at 520-297-7201. If you had a prayer partner in the past, and would like to pray for an additional child, contact Heather.

YOUTH MINISTRY

SAPC YOUTH

30 HOUR FAMINE

From 8:00 am on February 11 to 12:00 pm on February 12, our Youth Group is participating in World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine. It is not right that thousands of people are dying from hunger each day. We are going without food for 30 hours to raise awareness and money so others can eat. It only takes $40 to help feed a child for a month. Our goal is to raise money for these communities in need and with your help, we can change the world! Here’s how you can help: Pray, and ask God to bless our students as they overcome hunger. Volunteer, come and join us during our famine weekend. Give, just $40 can feed and care for a child for a month. More information and online donation can be found at sapcyouth.com or 30hourfamine.org.

SUPER SIGN-UP SUNDAY

Save the date for Super SignUp Sunday! Every summer during July, both Middle School and High School head to Forest Home Camp in the San Bernardino Mountains. It is an amazing week filled with games, worship, teaching, zip-lining, hiking, blobbing, competitions, night games, friendships, and more! Spaces are limited and go quickly. Super Sign-Up Sunday is your best, and possibly only, chance to get your spot. Make sure to have all of your camp forms and deposit ready. Registration will be open online at 2:00 pm on Sunday, March 5. All of the forms will be available in the Youth Office and online at sapcyouth.com starting at the beginning of February. We can’t wait for you to join us! The dates for summer camp this year are July 2-7!

St. Andrew’s Preschool & Kindergarten

2023-2024 Registration

Dear Church Families,

The 2023-2024 St. Andrew’s Preschool & Kindergarten online registration is now open! Register now to secure your child or family member’s spot!

St. Andrew’s Preschool & Kindergarten is a ministry, provided by St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and governed by the Preschool and Kindergarten Governing Board. As an intentional and supportive community of families and early childhood educators, St. Andrew’s Preschool and Kindergarten invests in children to grow and develop through play and faith formation.

Our admissions process takes place entirely through our all inclusive school app, Brightwheel. In order to receive access to the process, you can fill out the Enrollment Interest Form on our website. You will need to create a Brightwheel account as part of this process. Alternatively, you can email Katie at kvidal@sapctucson.org with your intent to enroll to be invited to join Brightwheel and begin the Admissions Process. To learn more about the school, please visit sapcschool.org.

Please join us in prayer for the families and children who will be joining our school!

ADULT MINISTRY

JESUS THE I AM: A STUDY FOR LENT

Our Adult Discipleship Ministry Team has chosen a Lenten Devotional to go along with the Sermon Series for Lent. Jesus the I AM: A Study for Lent, by Margie Williamson and Benjie Shaw, will be available at the Adult Discipleship Connect Table Sunday’s or in the Church Office during the week. Gather a group and share the Lenten journey together.

BLESS THE LENT WE ACTUALLY HAVE “Lent—which begins on February 22—marks the forty days leading up to Easter. During Lent, we ask God to show us the world as it really is. It is a chance for the whole church to be on the losing team. A time to tell the truth: Life is so beautiful and life is so hard. For everyone. Easter is coming, yes. But for now, we sit in the ashes of our own broken dreams and broken hearts, knowing that God sits here with us too. Together, might we say: bless this Lent.” If you are looking to go deeper this lenten season, Bless the Lent We Actually Have is free downloadable resource to do on your own or with a small group for whatever this season is bringing you—the lovely, the garbage, the difficult, the heartbreaking. Let’s bless it all this Lent. katebowler.com/blessthislent/

BOOK

STUDY – THERE IS STILL ROOM FOR YOU!

You are invited to a book study/conversation group reading through the book Unplanned Grace, by Brittany Smith and Natasha Smith. The authors discuss how “economics, relations, and health affect a woman’s pregnancy decision” and “the value and importance of having empathy for women and men facing unplanned pregnancies.” The group will meet on Mondays from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm beginning on January 23 in the Garden Room on the NE Campus. For more information, contact Rev. Connie Randall at crandall@sapctucson.org.

SAPC ADULTS

SUNDAY CONNECT GROUP

You are invited to join the Sunday Connect Group that meets on Sundays on our NE Campus at 10:45 am in the Fireside Room. They are starting a new study beginning January 29, The Real Heaven, by Chip Ingram. This is a six week Bible study with a video, a study guide, and book. Chip Ingram digs into Scripture to reveal “what our heavenly home will be like, what we’ll do there, what we’ll experience, and how we’re to prepare for eternity today.” Contact Karin Fiore at karinfiore@gmail.com or Lori Seiferth at loriseiferth@gmail.com

HUGS

“HAPPILY UNDER GOD’S SUPERVISION”

HUGS is an SAPC Senior Ministry that meets on Wednesday mornings at 10:30 am for encouragement, connection, and lots of fun. A delicious lunch is served. This is a outreach to the community of Tucson and Oro Valley as well. Contact Cindy Lange at lucinlange@comcast.net or 520-955-3550.

FAITH UNCORKED

Women of all ages are invited to our monthly women’s fellowship on February 17. Being together will encourage each of us, help us with all of our life stuff, and we’ll have FUN! Bring your favorite appetizer and beverage. We’ll meet from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm at a Hostess to be determined. RSVP to Rev. Connie at crandall@sapctucson.org.

ICS LOTSA PASTA DRIVE

Who Is Invited? You! Our community and faith community partners.

What is Lotsa Pasta? Throughout February, ICS (Interfaith Community Services) has set the goal of collecting 5,000 – 1 lb packages of pasta and 5,000 — 24 oz CANS of pasta sauce. Our Faith Communities will compete to see who can collect the most total, most per capita, and the most unique display!

Why Pasta? Pasta is an easy meal to feed an entire family. 1 lb of pasta and a 24 oz can of sauce can feed a family of four for under $4.

When? The entire month of February! We will accept donations for the competition from Wednesday, February 1, to Tuesday, February 28.

How do we get the pasta to ICS? Bring your donations to the Church Office during thhe week or to the ICS Cart on Sunday mornings.

More information? Contact Cindy Lange at lucinlange@comcast.net.

FLOWER TEAM

Would you like to honor a loved one or celebrate an event through flowers?

The St. Andrew’s Flower Team creates a flower arrangement on the first Sunday of each month to be used on the chancel for Worship Services. As a donor, your message would be included in St. Andrew’s weekly email and a pre-service slide! It could be in memory or honor of a loved one, to celebrate an anniversary or birthday, or just because! Following Sunday services, small bud vases are created from the arrangement for the Care Team to share with our ill and homebound members.

To make an online donation and create your message, please select ‘Get Connected’ at the top of the SAPC home page. Then select ‘Music & Worship Ministry – Flowers’ and then click the ‘Sign Up’ button.

For Sundays other than the first Sunday of the month, or for baby bud vases, or if you have questions, please contact Lisa Behr at lkbehr@comcast.net.

Thank you for supporting the flower ministry! New flower team members are always welcome.

HEALTH FACTS AND MYTHS

FROM YOUR FAITH COMMUNITY NURSES

Becoming familiar with scientific topics related to health can help you better understand what you read and hear in order to make wellinformed health decisions.

• Some online sources are useful while others are misleading or inaccurate. Ask who created the site or app and do the claims seem too good to be true?

• The likelihood that the story is correct if it comes from a media outlet that isn’t promoting a point of view or cause.

• Sometimes taking a prescription drug with a dietary supplement makes the drug’s effects too strong and unwanted side effects may occur.

• There is no official definition of the term natural and natural doesn’t always mean safe or a better option for your health.

• Clinical trials and studies with large numbers of people generally get results that are more reliable than those with smaller pools of participants.

• The strongest evidence about whether a treatment is useful and safe consists of results from several studies by different investigators and has been reviewed by the scrutiny of others who are experts in the field.

Reference: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: January 2023

ACE: CHANGE FOR CHILDREN

IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE FOR CHILDREN!

Join us starting on March 12, as we collect our change to support our mission in Zambia, with Alliance for Children

Everywhere (ACE). Last year our goal was to raise $10,000, and we were able to collect $8,644.56 for our two projects. Thank you for helping us!

This year our goal is to raise $10,000 for the Graduation Approach. (see below)

On March 12, ACE will be our Moment for Mission and we will start collecting change at that time through April 2. For those attending in-person worship we will have a table available for you to pick up a basket and

drop off your donations. For those worshiping from home, check donations can be mailed to St. Andrew’s with Change for Children noted on the memo line. If you would like more information about ACE, please feel free in inquire at our table or check out their website at childreneverywhere.org.

THE GRADUATION APPROACH  Breaking Cycles of Poverty in the Ultra Poor

Background: In 20212022, Alliance for Children Everywhere piloted this new enhancement to our already successful Family Preservation & Empowerment Program and saw incredible results. In addition to Monthly Food

DEACON’S BBQ: SAVE THE DATE!

SATURDAY | MARCH 4 | 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Come for good food, music, bounce houses, a dunk tank, and fun! Tickets are on sale starting 2/5 after each service for $8/person or $25/family. Watch for more info soon!

Support, Job Skills Training, and Savings Groups, the Graduation Approach  extends the program with Financial Literacy Training, Business Mentoring, and Seed Capital for  Small Businesses. Through the tweaking of this program, we have seen immediate results in the  number of daily meals per family increasing, school fees for kids being paid, and small businesses  started, maintained and even grown.

The St. Andrew’s Project: In 2023, we would like to scale this program to include 1,000 new families.  With the proposed $10,000 raised from the 2023 C4C campaign, you could empower 50 of the new  families through the program and out of extreme poverty into the beginnings of supporting, sustaining and breaking poverty cycles. This money would go towards monthly food support while in the  program, financial literacy and job skills training, seed capital, and mentoring for starting a small business and maintaining their new endeavor.

Budget: The funds would be used as follows:  $200 per family to go through the program = $10,000 to empower 50 families