MINISTRIES OF ST. ANDREW'S
Here at St. Andrew's our laity are supported and empowered to reveal Christ through personal ministry. Numerous opportunities for participation exist, including work and fellowship.
ACOLYTES
Acolytes are lay servers who assist the priests in leading the liturgy during services. Primarily youth from 2nd grade through high school are encouraged to participate in our Sunday services as acolytes. Training is provided, and a rotational schedule established to allow as wide a participation as possible. Please contact David Fairbanks for more information.
ALTAR GUILD
The Altar Guild joyfully prepares for the worship of the Church as directed by the clergy and oversees the suitable appointing and furnishing of the altar. In addition, members of the Guild provide for the care and maintenance of the vestments, linens, and other objects of the liturgy as well as have general oversight of the proper cleaning of the sacramental areas of the church. New members are always welcome! For more information, please contact Dean Paxton.
BLACK BELT BIBLE STUDY
For over ten years, a very special group of men and women have met on Friday mornings for 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. in St. Catherine's Room to study the Bible, pray and fellowship. Open to both men and women, the group includes participants from other denominations, as well as Episcopalians, who have a desire to learn more about the Bible, particularly from an Anglican point-of-view. The group studies the various gospels, letters and other New Testament books. All adults are invited! Contact Patsy Masterman, Facilitator, or just show up!
BREAKFAST GUILD
Food, fellowship, and fun are the heart of the Breakfast Guild, an informal group of parishioners who gather on a rotational schedule to provide breakfast for parishioners in the Parish Hall between the 8:00 and the 10:30 Sunday services. If you love to cook or support fellowship, then Breakfast Guild is for you! Contact Don Paxton.
CHILDREN'S CHAPEL
Children’s Chapel is an exciting liturgy of the word service organized each Sunday just for the benefit of our youngest parishioners. Incorporating scripture readings, puppetry, felt board storytelling, songs, and much more, Children’s Chapel always welcomes new volunteers high school age or older who wish to serve the children of the Parish. For more information, please contact Marcy McKay.
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
St. Andrew’s offers a wide variety of Christian Formation/Education classes for parishioners. Volunteers willing to be trained and to lead or assist Sunday school and weekday classes are always welcome. For more information about current classes, please look under the Christian Formation tab to the left or call Marcy McKay .
DAUGHTERS OF THE KING
The Daughters of the King is an religious order for lay and ordained women who are communicants of the Episcopal Church, churches in communion with it, or churches in the Historic Episcopate. Members undertake a Rule of Life, incorporating the Rule of Service and the Rule of Prayer. Daughters of the King dedicate themselves to life-long prayer, particularly intercessory prayer, on behalf of the needs of the parish and its members and loved ones. Daughters of the King meets monthly in two groups.
The Morning Group meets at 10:00 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month in the St. Catherine Room. Contact Evelyn Wells.
The Evening Group meets at 7:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month in the St. Gregory Room. For more information, please contact Sally Manning.
EDUCATION FOR MINISTRY (EFM)
The Education for Ministry course is a four year program of Bible study, church history, theology and ethics. Begun over 30 years ago for the laity by the School of Theology at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN, the program has graduated over 10,000 active students around the world. The group meets once a week through a nine month period.
"We are a group of folks from every walk of life meeting each week to study, discuss and grow. EfM is teaching me to think theologically, is deepening my faith and my understanding of our Christian heritage. It's giving me a new confidence in discerning and carrying out whatever my ministry might be." ---An EfM student
FRIDAY MEN'S FELLOWSHIP GROUP
An informal fellowship of men meets every Friday at noon for prayer and brown-bag lunch. On the first Friday of each month, the group celebrates Holy Eucharist led by one of the clergy. On other Fridays, the group prays the Noonday Prayers, the Great Litany from the "Book of Common Prayer", or other timely and appropriate services. The group welcomes gentlemen of all ages to share lunch, fellowship, and conversation at this time each week. Contact Tim Stickley, Men's Prayer Group member.
GARDENING GUILD
Members of the Gardening Guild meet monthly to plan for and undertake the care of the grounds of St. Andrew’s Church. From designing flowerbeds to planting and maintaining the beautiful container gardens that grace our walkway from Lowndes Hall to the Nave, Gardening Guild members enjoy sharing and caring for God’s gift of our natural world. Members of all ages are welcome. For more information, please contact Sally Manning.
GATHERING OF THE SAINTS
These informal dinners are held on the last Friday of each month, either at the home of a parishioner or in the Parish Hall or on the Parish Veranda. The purpose of these traditional parish monthly dinner parties is community-building, fellowship and the breaking of bread together. Parishioners sign up to attend and to bring food. A sign-up chart is available in the back of the Nave. Most of the dinner parties are covered-dish, with the hosts providing the location and the guests bringing the food and drinks. The coordinator sends out invitations and coordinates details with the hosts. If you would like to either attend or host a "Gathering", please contact Sally Manning.
GREETER MINISTRY
The Greeter Ministry is for anyone who loves to meet new people and help make visitors and new members feel at home here at St. Andrew’s. Greeters serve according to a rotational schedule and welcome all visitors and parishioners to St. Andrew’s and help them feel at home during our services. Volunteers of all ages are always welcome. Please contact Sally Manning for more information about becoming a member of the Greeters Ministry or MJ Coats , to place your name on the schedule.
LAY EUCHARISTIC MINISTER/VISITORS
Serving as lay assistants to the ordained clergy at all Eucharistic services, Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEM's) administer the chalice to the people during the communion service, as well as occasionally give the bread or "Body of Christ", as needed. LEM’s receive hands-on training from our clergy and may also serve as Lectors or Lay Readers (reading one of the Old or New Testament lessons during the service) or lead prayers and Psalms. Some LEM's who receive special training take the sacramental bread and wine to shut-in parishioners as pastoral visiting LEM's (Lay Eucharistic Visitors). If you feel called to participate in the liturgical life of the parish as a lay eucharistic minister, please contact the Rev. Jo Roberts Mann .
LIBRARY MINISTRY
St. Andrew’s hosts a well-stocked library for all parishioners interested in learning more about the Bible, theology, the Episcopal church, and other topics related to our liturgical and spiritual life. Volunteers are always needed to help care for the library and its materials. Please contact the Parish Office for more information.
MORNING PRAYER AT MARY E. BIVINS NURSING HOME
Parishioners at St. Andrew’s delight in organizing and leading a monthly morning prayer service for the residents of the Mary E. Bivins Nursing Home here in Amarillo. New members of our morning prayer group are always welcome to assist in this heartwarming outreach. If you would like to help, please contact Pat Knight.
MUSIC MINISTRIES
Opportunities to participate in music ministries at St. Andrew’s abound! St. Andrew’s boasts both a choral choir and a hand-bell choir and provides opportunities for musical parishioners to provide instrumental or choral music during our morning Sunday services and monthly Evensongs. For more information about these ministries, please contact Margaret Lacy.
In addition, musicians of all ages are always welcome at our contemporary family service at 6:00 p.m. on Sundays. If you play the guitar, mandolin, drums, flute, tambourine, or any other instrument and would like to help with the music at this service, please contact the Parish Office.
NEEDLEPOINT COMMITTEE
Members of the parish who love to create works of art though needlework are encouraged to join our Needlepoint Committee. The committee has recently completed the creation of needlepoint kneelers for our sanctuary space.
For more information, please contact Cathy Fairbanks.
NURSERY COMMITTEE
Open to all members of the parish who love children, the Nursery Committee provides the oversight and develops the program for our children’s nursery. Volunteers are also needed to assist paid nursery staff. Please contact Suzie Limas or Marcy McKay for more information about how you can be involved in the lives of the youngest St. Andrew’s parishioners.
OBLATION BEARERS
Oblation bearers are lay members who are representative of the community and who, on a rotating schedule, bring forward at the time of the offertory the bread and wine to be served for the Eucharist. Equally appropriate for single individuals as for whole families, service as oblation bearers is open to any interested member of the parish. Please contact the Rev. Jo Roberts Mann for more information.
OFFICE SUPPORT
The parish office is the nerve center of our parish community, and the assistance of parishioners in ensuring its smooth operations is always appreciated. Volunteers are needed on a regular basis to assist in the mailings of the parish, the answering of the office telephone, management of our church web site, and many other duties. For more information, please contact the Parish Office.
OUTREACH MINISTRIES
St. Andrew’s reaches out to its neighbors across the community through a variety of ministries. Amarillo Habitat for Humanity, Another Chance House, Catholic Family Service, Downtown Women's Center, Episcopal Relief and Development, High Plains Food Bank, The Hunger Project, Meals on Wheels, Ronald McDonald House and Tyler Resource Center are but a few of the organizations served and supported by St. Andrew's. If you would like to assist with any of our outreach ministries, please contact Barbara Whitton or the Rev. Chris Wrampelmeier.
PARISH LIFE COMMITTEE
Planning, organizing and presenting the many celebrations of our communal parish life, the Parish Life Committee is responsible for various fellowship special events throughout the church year. These events include our annual Easter luncheon, Thanksgiving dinner, and many other parish-wide receptions, luncheons and dinner gatherings. If you have the gift of hospitality and love to organize events, the Parish Life Committee is the place for you. Please contact Barbara Whitton for more information on how you can participate.
PARISH NURSING MINISTRY
More info to come. Please contact Sheila Scott for more information.
SOUL FOOD MINISTRY
From baptisms to illnesses to funerals, the needs brought by human events in the life of the parish are lovingly and caringly met by the members of the Soul Food Ministry. Volunteers provide meals and other support for our parish families as the need arises. Please contact Barbara Whitton if you are willing to provide an occasional meal, friendship, and support to others in our parish community.
USHERS
Ushers assist in greeting the people of the community attending our services and provide all attendees with service leaflets and other publications necessary for the particular service. In addition, ushers help people find seats, assist latecomers, receive and present the money offerings of the parish, and direct the people on the way to the altar for communion. Essential to the orderly flow of the service, the ministry of the ushers is a joy and delight to those who participate. For more information on receiving training and becoming an usher, please contact Mike Abdoo.
TAI CHI
The gentle movements of Tai Chi will help loosen our bodies and focus our minds. With Tai Chi we bring forth that energy, which, the Gospel suggests is essential for entering "the kingdom of heaven". St. Andrew's hosts a Tai Chi class on Monday evenings at 5:30 pm in St Clare's room downstairs in Lowndes Hall. Please contact Mary Emeny for more information.
YOGA FOR EASE OF MOVEMENT
Class is held on Thursday evenings at 5:30 in St. Alban's Room, downstairs in Lowndes Hall. Combining various yoga masters' teachings, these classes seek to integrate the mind, body and spirit of the whole person. All adults are welcome! For more information, contact Angela Lamb.
QUICK LINKS
NEWSFLASH
COMMUNITY
"We seek to be a centre of attentiveness to the living God and a place of challenge and reconciliation."
- St. Oswalds, Durham, England