Community

Dear friends, I’m happy to announce that St. Andrew’s has formed a membership committee. We know the joy and comfort that worshiping and serving Jesus Christ together brings us. We are excited to share those feelings with the larger community. We have a specific goal to grow our membership. If we achieve an increase in attendance, as well, we will be doubly blessed. Three basic strategies…

Two weeks ago today I got a phone call from a friend who serves as pastor of a church on the East Coast. About an hour into our conversation, my friend shared something to me that wasn’t much of a surprise. He was considering leaving the ministry. The pressure was getting to him and he…

My sister Paula is a runner. She and her husband Michael travel around the country to participate in track and field events. This weekend they were in Eugene, Oregon at the 2023 Hayward Classic. Paula did pretty good; she won first place in her age group in the 800 meter. But her triumph was overshadowed…

One of the trends that characterize the last 40 years of religious life in the United States is the decline in mainline denominations. In order to understand why that is important one has to understand what a denomination is and what purpose they serve. Mainline Protestant denominations are autonomous branches of the Christian Communion such…

The Piano As many of you know, St. Andrew’s is the new home of a beautiful, nine-foot, Steinway concert piano. The piano belongs to the Santa Barbara Music Club, which is an organization that hosts free concerts around town. The piano represents a new partnership between our church and the SB Music Club. They appreciate…