March 2024 Cross Currents

CROSS CURRENTS

ISSUE 02 | MARCH 2024

PALM SUNDAY WORSHIP

Sunday, March 24, 2024

7:30 am | Communion Service

9:00 am | Contemporary Service

10:45 am | Traditional Service Hosanna in the Highest! Join us on Palm Sunday at any one of our three regularly scheduled services and celebrate Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

MAUNDY THURSDAY WORSHIP

Thursday, March 28, 2024

7:00 pm | In-Person & Online Worship with us as we remember the day in which Jesus broke bread, prayed in the Garden, and yielded to His unjust arrest. Join us for this powerful time of worship, led by our Contemporary Worship Team In-Person or Online.

GOOD FRIDAY WORSHIP

Friday, March 29, 2024

7:00 pm | In-Person & Online

Our Good Friday service will walk through the last days of Christ through the Crucifixion. This contemplative Traditional Service of music and readings will be led by our Chancel Choir and Orchestra In-Person and Online.

FROM PASTOR JOHN

Hello St. Andrew’s!

Our family can’t wait for the “official” convergence of our paths on March 11! I trust your Lent has been a meaningful one as we continue to draw closer to the cross of Christ on Good Friday and anticipate the empty tomb of resurrection on Easter Sunday.

New beginnings are an exciting and vital time to pave the way for a great future together as church and pastor. The scene in Matthew 18 keeps coming to my mind where Jesus calls a child whom He put among the disciples, saying, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

I look forward to coming to you as a beginner, a newbie if you will. Although I’ve been in Tucson for over a decade and a half, it’s been primarily on the East side. I’m looking forward to learning all about not only St. Andrew’s, but Oro Valley. Experts have it all figured out, but novices are open and learning. And this is fitting for us all because the word disciple means “one who learns.” We look forward to learning your names, getting to know you, and discovering what new things God has in store for us as we follow Christ together in our yet unwritten chapter. Our family is so looking forward to rejoicing in and celebrating with you all that’s to come in our relationship together!

See you soon!

Pastor John

WELCOME PASTOR JOHN

We invite you to join us in welcoming Pastor John Tittle as the new Pastor/Head of Staff of SAPC, along with his family. On Sunday, March 17, we will be having one 10:00 am Worship Service, followed by an 11:00 am Fiesta Lunch on the SW Patio, catered by El Molinito. To assist in planning for numbers, we ask that you would RSVP for the lunch portion. We want to make sure there is enough food for everyone! Scan the QR code below, visit sapctucson.org, or contact the Church Office to let us know you will be attending. For questions, contact Sandy Kreamer at sandrakreamer@gmail.com

RSVP HERE

PALM SUNDAY CONCERT

You are invited to the 11th Annual Palm Sunday Concert, featuring the St. Andrew’s Chancel Choir, Orchestra, Wittman Ringers, Flute and Clarinet Choirs. This year, the program features Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs as well as selections from the other ensembles.

You won’t want to miss this exciting program Sunday, March 24, at 3:00 pm in the SW Sanctuary.

ORGAN CONCERT

Carolyn K. Smith, SAPC’s Organist, has been invited to give a recital in a prestigious concert series at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, featuring a magnificent mechanical Baroque-style instrument (which uses no electricity except for the blower and the light!). She will be performing a variety of 17th century arrangements of pre-Bach hymns, some of which are still known today, plus a few Baroque dances and toccatas. The audience will also have an opportunity to sing! You are invited to come enjoy this beautiful concert by our very talented organist on Sunday, April 14, at 3:00 pm. (3738 Old Sabino Canyon Road, Tucson, AZ 85750) A freewill offering will be taken.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

EASTER DECORATING

On Saturday, March 30, at 9:00 am we will be decorating the Sanctuary and Chapel for Easter. There will be plenty to do and we can use many hands! If you would like to help out, please contact Debi Kromer at dskromer@comcast.net.

SPRING WORK DAY

The Physical Resources Committee invites you to join us for our Spring Work Day on Saturday, March 16, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm (or come when you can). Help us spruce up for Palm Sunday and Easter weekends. The majority of the work is landscape related. We hope you can join us as we fellowship together in our labor for the Lord at SAPC. For questions, contact Greg Jester at jester.greg68@gmail.com

SERVICE WORSHIP

SAVE THE DATE for Serve Our City on April 20-21, 2024! Collaborate with the Body of Christ as we prepare to bless our community and share Christ’s love through a variety of service projects across Tucson! This Serve Our City event will have a priority focus on teacher/ staff appreciation for our schools. Now is the time to show them the love of Christ! The sign up genius will be available later in March! We look forward to serving with you!!

WE NEED YOUR HELP

To learn more about volunteer needs and opportunities at SAPC, visit sapctucson.org/volunteer.

PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN

Last month, all Preschool and Kindergarten students received a visit from the Oro Valley Police Department. Students rotated through stations where they learned:

• how and why to call 911 from police officers

• how police dogs use their smell for searching

• what police officer wears on their uniform

• what an undercover police car looks like from the inside and the outside

Thank you to Officer Snyder, from OVPD, for arranging this community event for our students. It was so much fun to see our students learn about how our police officers help and serve in our community!

YOUTH MINISTRY

30 HOUR FAMINE

Thank you, St. Andrew’s, for all of your support during our 30 Hour Famine in February. Together we raised over $2,500 to support World Vision and their effort to provide food and care across the world, and Fresh Start in their effort to provide everybody with a new beginning through implementing sustainable services, support, resources and restorative justice.

MOONLIGHT DINNER

SUPER SIGN-UP SUNDAY

Every summer during July, both Middle School and High School students 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.

Registration will be open online at 2:00 pm on Sunday, March 3. We can’t wait for you to join us! The dates for summer camp this year are July 7-12 and the cost is $580 per camper. Sibling discounts and scholarships are available! Visit sapcyouth.com to learn more about camp and Super Sign-Up!

Save the date for the Moonlight Dinner and Auction, the biggest youth fundraiser of the year! Funds raised go to Youth Missions, Youth Scholarships, and our Youth Intern Program. It is a huge event and we need your help to make it happen. The Moonlight Dinner and Auction will be Saturday, April 27, starting at 6:00 pm in Friendship Hall. Please save the date and consider how you can volunteer or support the event! Tickets will go on sale at the end of March!

DONATIONS NEEDED! We are currently accepting donations to be auctioned off. Some of the popular items in the past have been timeshares, dinner parties, service projects, sports memorabilia, large diamonds, and private yachts. ;) Please consider donating and attending our fun event! If you have questions, please contact Tim Christian at tchristian@sapctucson.org

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

CHILDREN’S CHOIR RETURNS

The SAPC Children’s Choir will be returning under the direction of Chancel Choir members, Betty Allen and Fran Wachsman! Betty and Fran have a great deal of experience teaching music to children, and they feel God’s calling to lead the Children’s Choir. Rehearsals will be on Sunday mornings from 8:45 am - 9:15 am in Room F, beginning on March 3. Children ages four through fifth grade are invited to participate. We are so excited to be able to continue the long tradition of having children leading worship through music!

SUPER FRIENDS - A SPECIAL NEEDS MINISTRY

Our next meeting of Super Friends and parents will be on March 3 at 10:30 am in the Sunday School rooms. Contact Heather at hbrannock@sapctucson.org with questions or to sign up.

VBS 2024

Registration opens March 24 for kids and volunteers! To register, visit sapctucson.org/kids/vbs. Join us for an underwater adventure at Scuba VBS June 10-14!

At Scuba VBS, kids explore what it means to have a friendship with a real, loving, trustworthy God-- a friendship that lasts forever! Get ready for a week full of faith discoveries, memorable music, and epic adventures that help kids grow in faith! VBS is open to any child who has completed preschool through completing 5th grade. Preschoolers must have a birthday before September 1, 2020.

ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT

SAPC Kids is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, March 24, at 10:30 am on the NE Campus. Everyone is invited! Bring your own bag or basket and let the hunt begin!

DONATIONS & VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:

We are in need of plastic eggs, small toys, and candy donations (no chocolate please). We hide over 1,000 Easter eggs every year! It takes many volunteers to make this event possible. Please contact Heather at hbrannock@sapctucson.org if you would like to volunteer to help hide eggs. Thank you for your support of Children’s Ministry!

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 five 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 April 14. 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.

SAPC ART GALLERY

In March, two members of the Narthex Gallery Committee will exhibit their works of art.

JO KRAMER

Jo will display mostly pastel paintings of her work along with some recent experiments in water color and gauache. She wants to emphasize the benefits of studying and emulating the styles of successful artists that one admires in order to improve techniques and perspective. In addition, taking classes from time to time is quite valuable.

NANNETTE PIERSON

How the Light Gets In I have worked in many mediums over the years, but most of what you will see in this show is poetry and photography, the two mediums I have worked in the longest. I couldn’t tell you when I started writing. I received my first working camera, a drop and load 110 with a disposable square flash that plugged into the top, for my 8th birthday as a gift from my great grandparents, Ralph and Ann Backman. Most of the photos from that first roll are of cats and stuffed animals in

the snow. I’ve been hooked on the idea of capturing what I see since. This show is not about perfection, but progress in the visions we create as artists and the healing this work creates. It is mostly rough work. Art is its own language, usually some tactile form of therapy that allows the artist to process the emotional, unspoken recesses of the mind. Sometimes art is merely documenting the exceptional and mundane of every day. Or at least, that’s what is for me. Art should ask questions, invoke thoughts, and take us on journeys we would otherwise not endeavor. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into my process.

CALL FOR ART COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Do you like art? Do you know any artists? Have you always thought of serving on an SAPC committee, but are worried about the time commitment? Look no further and come join our St. Andrew’s Narthex Gallery Art Committee! You do not need to be a St. Andrew’s member to serve. We meet three to four times a year with a break in the summer. For more info, contact Art or Jo Kramer at lakeco2@gmail.com

FROM YOUR FAITH COMMUNITY NURSES THE “SILVER LINING” OF CAREGIVING

Caregiver is defined as someone who tends to the needs of another person. This often means providing assistance with an illness, injury or disability. This may negatively impact the caregiver’s emotional, mental and physical well-being However, studies revealed that even though caregivers reported higher levels of stress and depressive symptoms, they had better scores on cognitive function, memory, and verbal abilities.

The psychological “silver lining” may be attributed to the following:

• Emotional satisfaction

• Increased connectiveness

• Increased meaning and purpose in life

• Opportunities for personal growth

We don’t know why some caregiver’s experience positive outcomes while others do not. Perhaps negative outcomes are related to financial resources, availability to adequate health care, or lack of social support. St. Andrew’s Faith Community Nurses have a wealth of resources to share and can be contacted through the Church Office.

Reference: PCOA Never Too Late Nov. / Dec. 2023, Dr. Lee Ryan, Professor and Head of Psychology Dept. U of AZ

STEPHEN MINISTRY

Are you a caregiver? Are you trying to find ways to meet your needs and take care of others? Give yourself the gift of a Stephen Minister; someone to come alongside you to listen, to pray for and with you and to encourage you. For more information visit sapctucson.org/care or call the Church Office, 520-297-7201, or Cheryl Smith at 520-271-6591

MOMENT FOR MISSION HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Habitat for Humanity Tucson is grateful for a generous partnership with St. Andrew’s spanning over 30 years. This congregation has been a vital partner in seeking a more just and compassionate world by building homes, community, and hope. As of this year, your volunteering, giving, and praying has helped build 500 homes and changed the lives of countless Southern Arizona families.

Habitat Tucson offers an innovative solution to the affordable housing crisis by building and repairing homes in partnership with the community and local families. Habitat for Humanity’s guiding philosophy is summed up in the phrase “a handup, not a handout.” It values inclusiveness, win/ win partnerships, respect for the dignity of each person, and a commitment to deliver a strong return on the community’s investment in our work. The newly inaugurated CHUCK (Connie Hillman Urban Construction Knowledge) Center, the construction of which SAPC helped sponsor, leverages modular wall panel innovation to accelerate affordable housing while providing education to train and repopulate skilled construction in Southern Arizona. The HabiStore on Grant Road supports affordable housing solutions through local donations, shopping (“where every sale bangs a nail”), and volunteerism.

To learn more, volunteer, give, or donate goods, visit HabitatTucson.org or get in touch with Fred Barney. He’ll tell you all about it!

Habitat Tucson is a qualifying charitable organization (QCO) with the Arizona Tax Credit. The maximum QCO credit donation amount for 2023 is $421 for single, married filing separately or head of household; $841 married filing jointly. For 2024 it is $470 and $938 respectively.

CAFÉ JUSTO

Did you enjoy Pastor Mark Adams’ sermon about Frontera de Cristo and our mission on the southern border? He spoke about Café Justo, as an effort to help with the root cause of migration, allowing people to make a living on their own land. St. Andrew’s only serves Café Justo coffee and we sell it each Sunday. Taste a cup of this mountain grown, patio roasted café. Stop by the coffee cart to buy a bag to take home. Questions? Contact Sandy Kreamer at sandrakreamer@gmail.com.

EASTER FLOWERS

If you would like to place a blooming plant in one of our Easter Worship services, in honor or in memory of a loved one, you can sign up by visiting sapctucson.org or contacting the Church Office. The cost will be $25. You may select whether you would like the plant to be placed in the Chapel for the 7:30 am service or in the Sanctuary. The plants in the Chapel may be taken home following the 7:30 am Worship service and the plants in the Sanctuary may be taken home after the Traditional Worship Service. Remaining plants may be picked up in the Church Office on Tuesday, April 2. Some of the leftover plants may be brought to Care Centers or given out at the next HUGS meeting on Wednesday, April 3.

EASTER BASKETS

Please come join us and put together Easter Baskets for those on our care list and/or for a neighbor in need! Drop by anytime between 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm on March 13 in Alpha on the NE Campus. The only items we need are homemade cookies and delivery volunteers for the following week! Please RSVP to RuthAnn, Local Outreach Director, at rsmithrud@sapctucson.org. Thank you for adding joy to someone’s life!

FINANCIAL UPDATE

YEAR TO DATE TITHING RECEIPTS

As of January 31, 2024

Thank you for your support of our ministries. Please contact Brad in the Business Office at 520-297-7201 if you have questions.