Call updates
Pastor Ben Kuerth still deliberates the call to serve as our Pastor for Outreach. Please pray for the Kuerth family throughout the rest of this process.

Mr. Karl Kuschel has received a call to teach 8^th grade at Mt. Lebanon Lutheran School in Milwaukee. Please pray for the Kuschel family as they deliberate which ministry setting makes the most sense right now.

Ms. Heather Schmidt is still deliberating the call to teach 5^th grade at Westside Christian School. She currently serves at St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Franklin, Wisconsin. Please pray for Heather as she determines with prayerful consideration the next phase of her ministry.

Another year is dawning
Below is a perfect prayer for the new year. You might recognize it as a song we sang last Sunday.

Another year is dawning!
Dear Father, let it be,
In working or in waiting,
Another year with thee.
Another year of progress,
Another year of praise,
Another year of proving
Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies,
Of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness
In the shining of thy face.
Another year of leaning
Upon thy loving breast,
Of ever deeper trusting,
Of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service,
Of witness for thy love;
Another year of training
For holier work above.
Another year is dawning!
Dear Father, let it be,
On earth or else in heaven,
Another year for thee!

Construction update
Interior work is coming along. Most of the rooms have now been framed! The next few weeks will be spent installing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing conduits in the walls so drywall can be installed. Below you can see the sanctuary (from where the altar will be) and the multipurpose room.

A Place of Peace giving
Giving can be set up like other offerings. Go to “Give” at the website, and you can set up a one-time or recurring gift. Choose “A Place of Peace” as the “Fund.” If using a check, please put “A Place of Peace” in the memo line. If using St. Andrew offering envelopes, use the designation “Ministry Expansion.”

Even if you didn’t make a formal pledge, you can still give. Every bit helps, as St. Andrew will still carry some debt, and the less debt, the more ministry.

Christmas thank you
“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given!” The miracle of our Savior’s birth is still ringing through the air. Many St. Andrew members showed their thankfulness to Jesus throughout the month of December, including about 70 music team and choir members, many of whom served multiple times. To ALL who served this Christmas season—greeters, ushers, musicians, choirs, AV experts, sound engineers, videographers, artists, decorators, worship folder assemblers, lay readers, counters, and so many more—THANK YOU! All glory to the newborn King!

Taking down Christmas trees
After worship on Sunday, January 4, we will be taking down our Christmas trees and decorations. If you and your family are willing to help with one of the trees, or if you could help take the trees back to storage, please contact Minister of Worship Naomi Laabs.

Matthew series coming January 11
We will be diving back into the Gospel of Matthew again beginning the weekend of January 11. If you already have a Matthew study book, you can dust it off and start bringing it again next weekend. If you lost yours or are new to St. Andrew, we have plenty! They will be in the atrium for the next few weeks, so please feel free to grab a new one to keep.

Worship check-in
If you worship on-site, please fill out the Connection Card attached to your worship folder. Online worshipers, please continue to check in here.

Epiphany worship songs
Preview some of the songs we will use for worship Sunday. Obviously ours won’t sound exactly like this, but listening to the links provided will certainly help you be more comfortable participating in the service.

“As with Gladness Men of Old” by Don Chapman
“King of Kings” by Hillsong
“Joy Has Dawned” by Keith and Kristyn Getty, Stuart Townend
“Come Adore the Humble King” by Matt Papa, Matt Boswell

Grow in Grace
When it comes to knowing and understanding God’s will, Scripture has much to say. Some of what we learn is simple. The rest is quite complex. Join us for a two-week Grow in Grace on January 11 & 18 at 9:30 AM in the sanctuary. Childcare will be available in room 102.

Spring Growth Groups
A whole new assortment of Growth Groups is coming to St. Andrew in January. If you have never joined a St. Andrew Growth Group, make 2026 your year to give it a try. Sign up will begin January 4.

Bible Reading Group
A church-wide Bible reading group will be formed at St. Andrew in 2026. This will be similar to what we did with The Story of God’s Love. Look for details coming soon. In the meantime, develop a habit of regular time in the Word. Here’s a challenge for you. Read through Genesis, one chapter a day. Reach out to Mark Kjenstad with your questions.

Impact
John 1 is a beautiful text for Christmas. It’s about the Word made flesh. As we head into a new year, we have a new guest to introduce. Professor Justin Cloute from Wisconsin Lutheran College is here to discuss the fascinating beginning of John’s Gospel. You can listen to Impact here or by searching for “Kjenstad Impact” wherever you listen to podcasts.

Children’s ministries
Plugged into Jesus is on break. PiJ will return on January 11.

Musikgarten, Spark, and FUEL are off until January 25.

How can you serve?
The One Body, Many Members survey is a tool for you to let St. Andrew know how you might like to serve. Some are recurring; others are situational. The responses have been used successfully many times, allowing lots of members to find new or different ways to serve. As we enter 2026, consider refreshing your survey or completing it for the first time.
One Body, Many Members Survey

Monthly Mission Partner
Our January partner is Institutional Ministries, a WELS organization that ministers to inmates in various ways. Find more information about this ministry at their website.