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 MAY 30 — JUNE 5

Friday
10:00 AM – PSE Conference Spring Meeting at West Chester University
Saturday
10:00 AM – PSE Conference Spring Meeting at West Chester University
Sunday
10:45 AM – Service of Worship


NEWS & NOTES
Special Offering - Phoebe Homes
	Phoebe Homes, a United Church of Christ related institution, operates a network of facilities throughout the region that ministers to the aged and infirm. Each year on Mother's Day, we lift up and celebrate their ministry on our behalf. Additionally, we receive a special offering, the proceeds of which help to support residents of the Phoebe Health Care Center at Phoebe-Berks, Wernersville, who have exhausted their personal funds. A special Phoebe Homes offering envelope is included in the 2023 offering envelope boxed sets.
Ascension Day Worship Service
	Ascension Day is Thursday, May 18, 2023. A community worship service will be held at 6:00 p.m. at Olivet Reformed United Church of Christ, 1648 Centre Ave., Reading. The Service of Word and Sacrament will be co-sponsored by St. Andrew's Church and Olivet Church. Please join us for worship and for a time of fellowship with refreshments following the worship service.
Special Offering: Strengthen the Church
	The Strengthen the Church special offering of the United Church of Christ is received at St. Andrew's Church in conjunction with our annual congregational meeting. For those in our church family: please use the special offering envelope that was included with your 2023 envelope package to offer your gifts in support of growing the ministers and ministries of our United Church of Christ. As always, special offering envelopes are available in the rack in the church narthex for worshipers' convenience.
Annual Congregational Meeting
	The annual meeting of St. Andrew's United Church of Christ will convene on Sunday, June 25, 2023, following an abbreviated 10:45 a.m. worship service. Congregants present for the meeting will review events of 2022 - 2023, elect Consistory members, and adopt a budget for fiscal year 2023 - 2024. At the conclusion of the meeting newly-elected Consistory Members will be installed in office for their terms.
"Third Sunday" Combined Worship Services
	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 afternoon worship services as well as Tuesday and Friday evening activities in the downstairs classroom areas.