St. Andrew's United Church of Christ

Hello and welcome from St. Andrew’s United Church of Christ in Reading. Thanks for visiting our website. We hope you will find this church snapshot to be helpful and informative. We invite you to visit our church so that we may welcome you in person!

THIS WEEK @ CHURCH

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 26 — OCTOBER 2

Sunday
10:45 AM – Service of Worship


NEWS & NOTES
The Festival of Harvest Home
	The Festival of Harvest Home will be celebrated during the worship service on Sunday, September 24, 2023. With demand remaining high at Food Pantries and the Food Bank, we encourage all in our church family to contribute to our Harvest Home ingathering. Donations of fresh food from your garden or from a local produce stand/market are needed for our Harvest Home Display; all fresh items will be forwarded to Helping Harvest (formerly the Greater Berks Food Bank) for distribution to local pantries and soup kitchens. Non-perishable food items will help replenish our church's emergency assistance food shelf, and gifts received in the Harvest Home offering envelopes support Helping Harvest.
Neighbors in Need Special Offering
	The annual United Church of Christ special offering in support of homeland mission work will be received and celebrated at St. Andrew's Church during the worship service on Sunday, October 8, 2023. One-third of our gifts are dedicated to the work of the Council for American Indian Ministries, which oversees twenty native American U.C.C. congregations in the upper Midwest, as well as one multi-tribal church in Minneapolis. The remaining two-thirds of our gifts support U.C.C. advocacy and outreach efforts, including support for literacy programs, and direct service projects. Members of our St. Andrew's Church family will find a Neighbors in Need offering envelope in their 2023 envelope packets; additional envelopes are available on the literature rack in the church narthex. Checks can also be forwarded to the church office, payable to St. Andrew's U.C.C., with Neighbors in Need on the memo line.
Third Sundays Combined Service of Worship
	With the agreement between Olivet Reformed United Church of Christ and St. Andrew's Church to share Pastor Baal's services, both congregations pledged to create programming to foster interactions between the churches' members. Beginning in 2023, a new outgrowth of that plan is monthly combined Sunday morning worship services. On the third Sunday of each month, St. Andrew's Church members will join in the 9:15 a.m. service of worship at Olivet Reformed U.C.C., 1648 Centre Avenue, Reading, PA 19601, and for a time of fellowship with refreshments following the service. On the third Sunday of the month, there will be no worship service offered at St. Andrew's Church.
Altar Flower and Worship Bulletin Sponsor Information
	The worship bulletin sponsor sign-up sheet for 2023 is posted on the narthex bulletin board. The cost per Sunday or special service remains $5. You can just enter your name to claim any available date, or call the church office, and we'll do it for you! We also invite you to consider sponsoring our weekly altar flowers (or a memorial or honorarium bouquet); the cost for 2023 remains $45.00. If you would be interested in becoming a sponsor for 2023, please contact the church office.
Spirit on Tap
	"Spirit on Tap" is a program to encourage theological discussion, explore alternative viewpoints, and stimulate dialogue around issues of faith and spirituality. Sponsored by area United Church of Christ congregations, Spirit on Tap gatherings are usually held on the fourth Tuesday of the month from September through May (check the schedule for occasional alterations in the routine) at 7 p.m. The location for the 2022 - 2023 season of Spirit on Tap is the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, Reading.
Food Pantry Sunday
	The first Sunday of every month is Food Pantry Sunday. On that day our chest is placed in the church narthex to receive worshipers' gifts of non-perishable food items for our local food pantry. Some foodstuffs are retained for emergency distribution, and the remainder plus monetary gifts are now being forwarded to Helping Harvest (formerly the Greater Berks Food Bank).
Sharing Our Pastor With Olivet Church
	As of January 1, 2020, St. Andrew's Church entered into a shared ministry agreement with Olivet Reformed United Church of Christ, 1648 Centre Avenue, Reading, PA 19601. Pastor Baal serves both congregations, with Olivet Church worshiping on Sunday mornings at 9:15 a.m. St. Andrew's Church provides office support for the Olivet congregation; Olivet Church contributes to the cost of health insurance for the pastor.
Redner's Save-A-Tape Program
	St. Andrew's Church continues to participate in Redner's Markets' Save-A-Tape program, which enables us to receive a 1% rebate contribution from all eligible customer receipts we collect for submission. To participate, you must stop at the Customer Service desk or store office and obtain a Save-A-Tape Card (at no cost, and there are no forms to fill out); then present the card to the Redner's cashier whenever you check out, save your register tape, and place it in the box in the church office. We have earned $200.64 from this program in fiscal year 2020-2021.
Sharing Our Space with Spanish Congregation
	The Consistory has entered into an agreement with Discipulando las Naciones Church allowing the congregation to make use of St. Andrew's Church facilities. This non-denominational congregation conducts Sunday morning worship services as well as Tuesday and Friday evening activities in the downstairs classroom areas.