Fire pit fellowship returns!

Join us for our fall fire pit fellowship! What better way to spend a crisp autumn evening than gathering around an open fire with hot cocoa and s’mores with friends old and new! We’ll gather on Sunday, Oct. 26 and Sunday, Nov. 23 at 4:00 PM in front of the River Road entrance. Drop by, hang out, and bring a friend!

Cookies needed for KAIROS Prison Ministry

The Kairos Prison Ministry team at Nottoway Correctional Center is preparing for its 47th weekend from October 30 to November 2 and needs cookies. Each Kairos team member needs to bring 100 dozen cookies for the residents of Nottoway.  They cannot have any coatings such as sugar or icing, or contain any type of fruits or nuts.  They can be baked in advance and frozen, but please don’t freeze them before they completely cool or they will be prone to crumbling. There are tubs of pre-made cookie dough in the church freezer. Please take one (or more!) to bake at home or here in the church kitchen. If you'd like to bake cookies in the church kitchen, please call the office to schedule a time. Cookies should be dropped off at the church no later than Tuesday, Oct. 28. Thank you!

Halloween in Hilton is coming!

We are continuing the tradition again this year! Halloween in Hilton is a HUGE night of fun, with literally thousands of children, from all over the city, trick-or-treating up and down Main Street and throughout the village. St. Andrew’s will be giving out little rubber duckies again this year—they are a big hit with the kids! You can help make this possible by making a donation toward the purchase of the ducks. Checks can be made payable to St. Andrew’s with “Halloween” on the memo line. In addition to the little duckies, St. Andrew’s also provides a welcome rest stop for families—with water and bathrooms available. If you’d like to volunteer to help out on Halloween night, please contact the church office. 

Turkey and cranberry time

Once again St. Andrew’s has volunteered to assist our partner school, Sedgefield Elementary in providing 100 school families a Thanksgiving basket. Our goal is to provide 75 frozen turkeys (10-15 lbs), and 75 cans of cranberry sauce. (Other sponsors will be providing corn, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, stuffing and green beans.)  All food must be collected and at the school by November 19. You can drop your items off at church—there’s a box in the Main Street lobby for cranberry sauce and turkeys will be stored in our freezer.  The last drop-off date at St. Andrew’s is November 18.  We will cut off the drive once we reach our goal.  

Lackey Grant applications due Nov. 22

Applications are now being accepted for Lackey Fund Grants. The deadline to apply is November 22. If you are involved with organizations who could benefit from Lackey Funds, you can find more information and an application on our website here  (click on “Outreach Ministries”). 

Donate tube socks and gloves

St. Vincent’s, host of the Downtown Christmas Parties, has expressed a need that has already arisen for tube socks and warm gloves for folks of all ages. Anklet style socks are not warm enough and flimsy gloves don’t last.  If you would like to donate gloves and/or tube socks on or before December 9, please bring them to the Village Room. 

Mark your calendar: Help fill bags

On Tuesday, December 9, you are invited to come to the Parish Hall at 10:00 am to help fill the 300 snack/gift bags for the Downtown Christmas Parties.  One or two volunteers with pick-up trucks would be greatly appreciated.

Coming in November!

Nov. 2—Pledge Ingathering Sunday

Nov. 5—Mid-week Holy Eucharist and Healing Service, 11 AM

Nov. 6—Service at The Chesapeake, 2 PM

Nov. 16—St. Andrew Day Celebration, 10:30 AM

Nov. 23—Advent Wreath Workshop, 12 PM

Nov. 23—Fire Pit Fellowship, 4 PM

Nov. 24-28—Building CLOSED for floor waxing

Nov. 26—Thanksgiving Service, 11 AM

Thursday Morning Bible Study

meets weekly at 10 AM

The Thursday Morning Bible Study will resume meeting on September 4 at 10 AM in the parish library. All are welcome and invited to join us each week as we discuss the lectionary readings for the coming Sunday.

Thursday Night Bible Study

Thursdays Sept. 4 through Oct. 30 at 7 PM

Back by popular demand! The Thursday night Bible study will resume in the church library beginning on September 4 at 7:00 pm with a study of the first eight chapters of the book of Acts. This study will give participants insights into the immediate post-Jesus foundations of the church and spread of the gospel, and provide a model for those who continue(d) to follow Jesus without his physical presence, something of an early church for a modern day perspective. Do come join us!

Adult Forum: Unplug the Christmas Machine

Sundays, Oct. 19 & 26, 9:15 AM in the parish hall

Christmas in October?  Ugh, it's not even Halloween yet!  Yes, but if we want to have time to take a deeper look into our Christmas practices to see where we can stem the commercialism of the season to make it more holy, we need to plan ahead.  Based on a workshop entitled Unplug the Christmas Machine by Jo Robinson and Jean Staeheli, we will do just that in the adult forum on October 19 and 26.  There we will reflect on Christmases past, identify Christmas values, and create an ideal Christmas, leading to a plan that combines traditions and practices that will "guide [participants] into a more loving, spiritual Christmas celebration."

Fire Pit Fellowship

October 26, 4:00 PM

Join us for our fall fire pit fellowship! What better way to spend a crisp autumn evening than gathering around an open fire with hot cocoa and s’mores with friends old and new! We’ll gather on Sunday, Oct. 26 (and again Sunday, Nov. 23) at 4:00 PM in front of the River Road entrance. Drop by, hang out, and bring a friend!

Halloween in Hilton

October 31

It's the best scene on Halloween! Hilton enjoys thousands of trick-or-treaters every Halloween night. St. Andrew's gets in on the fun, giving out a special treat to the trick-or-treaters and providing restrooms and water for kids and weary adults. Come see us!

Peninsula Angel Quilters quilt show

Oct. 31 & Nov. 1

The Peninsula Angel Quilters invite you to their fall quilt show. Quilts made by members of the group will be on display in the basement hallway from Oct. 27-Nov. 1. The display will feature twin-size quilts that will be donated to Camp Mickey Kidz ‘n Grief Camp. Additionally, from 8 AM to 8 PM on Friday, Oct. 31 and Saturday, Nov. 1, there will be a Sewcial, fabric vendor, vintage quilt sale, and sewing machine repair on site. The quilt show, fabric vendor, and machine repair will be free to enter (Please enter through the River Road playground and follow the signs). There is a $20 suggested donation for the Sewcial. Vintage quilts will be sold for $300 each, cash only. This event is open to everyone! You do not have to attend the Sewcial to shop and ooh and ahh over the beautiful quilts! We hope that you will be able to participate Oct. 31-Nov. 1, or will be able to come see the quilts while they are on display (You can check them out on Sunday or during office hours on weekdays). 

Adult Forum: The Saints

November 2, 9:15 AM

On All Saints Sunday (Nov. 2), join us in the Forum for a discussion of the saints.  How does someone become a saint, what is the purpose of canonization, and how are saints viewed differently since our Episcopal tradition split from the Catholic Church during the Reformation?

Mid-week Holy Eucharist

November 5, 11:00 AM

Our next mid-week service of Holy Eucharist and Healing will be on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 11 AM. Please join us!

Service at The Chesapeake

November 6, 2:00 PM

There will be a service of Holy Eucharist at The Chesapeake on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 2 PM. Please join us. All are welcome!

St. Andrew Day Celebration

November 16, 10:30 AM

On Sunday, November 16 we will celebrate the Feast of St. Andrew, our parish’s patron saint. Andrew is the patron saint of, among other things: fishermen, Greece, Russia, Barbados, Ukraine, and Scotland.  That’s why Scotland's flag has an X-shaped cross on it.  Our Episcopal Church shield also includes an X-shaped cross because the first American bishop was consecrated in Scotland (not England!). Our St. Andrew’s celebration will include a bagpipe parade, starting at 10:15 at the River Road doors; and a festive coffee hour following the 10:30 service.  In honor of St. Andrew’s Day, please wear plaid (tartans are great if you have one!); or red, the color of martyrdom.  Our bagpiper will be Bob Ewing, father of Becky Fulcher!

Advent Wreath Workshop

November 23, 11:45 AM

Join us after the 10:30 service on Sunday, Nov., 23, in the parish hall where each household will make an Advent wreath to take home. This activity will be suitable for all ages, and you are encouraged to participate whether or not there are small children in your home. Having an Advent wreath helps guide home prayer and adds to the joyful anticipation of Christmas. While all the materials for the wreaths will be provided, we are accepting donations to offset costs. If you have evergreens in your yard—fir, cedar, holly, etc—and can donate clippings, or a pair of labeled clippers to lend, please bring them to church

Fire Pit Fellowship

November 23 at 4:00 PM

Join us for our fall fire pit fellowship! What better way to spend a crisp autumn evening than gathering around an open fire with hot cocoa and s’mores with friends old and new! We’ll gather on Sunday, Nov. 23, at 4:00 PM in front of the River Road entrance. Drop by, hang out, and bring a friend!

Thanksgiving Service 

November 26, 11:00 AM

As you prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, what better way to begin than with worship? Join us on Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 11:00 AM for Holy Eucharist.

Fill gift bags for Downtown Christmas Parties

December 9, 10:00 AM

You are invited to come to the Parish Hall to help fill the 300 snack/gift bags for the Downtown Christmas Parties.  One or two volunteers with pick-up trucks would be greatly appreciated.