Vision and Annual Plan
A few months ago, we asked for feedback to our proposed Vision for St. Andrew and received a ton of thoughtful responses and questions. We have incorporated that information into this presentation of where, under God, we seek to go. Scroll through it and check it out here. Wherever you see an icon with four arrows or a “deck” of pictures, you can click on it to find more. The Vision, along with the Annual Plan for Ministry, will be presented at the Annual Plan Celebration at 9:30 AM on Sunday, June 4. Come and hear ministry leaders highlight exciting opportunities for our ministry. The proposed Annual Plan for Ministry is being finalized now and will be available by the end of May.

New in the St. Andrew family
The following are being welcomed into membership this weekend: (pictured below, left to right) Christian Delaney, Dylan and Amanda Delaney (not related to Christian at all!), Hilary Kirikov and her twin sons Lukas and Nikolas, Grant Laurent, Eileen Newby, Robert and Beth Ramos, their son Raul Ramos, Tyler and Krista Simmons and their children Noah and Heidi, and Darren Huempfner. Be sure to greet them and extend your warmest St. Andrew welcome to our newest brothers and sisters.

Save the date for Koiné
As you make your summer plans, mark your calendars for Sunday, July 23. The worship band Koiné, who is celebrating 20 years of making music in 2023, is coming to St. Andrew as part of their anniversary tour. Koiné will serve as the music team for both Sunday services, and then they will put on an afternoon concert that will include music from some of St. Andrew’s finest. It will be a fun day you won’t want to miss!

Would you like to help plan this fun event? Contact Minister of Worship Naomi Laabs or Pastor Clinton to join the team.

Upcoming festival services
Just like we have a calendar year, the Christian Church has a church year that begins with the season of Advent. This church year is split into two parts—the festival half where we focus on the birth, life, and death of Jesus, and the non-festival half which focuses on the life of the Church. The festival half, which we are in now, closes with three special services that are coming up soon:

• The ascension of Jesus into heaven (May 18/21)
• The sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (May 25/28)
• The celebration of the Trinity: Father, Son, Spirit (June 1/4)

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.

Weekend worship songs
Preview some of the songs we will use for worship this weekend. 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.

“Glorious Day” by Casting Crowns
“Alleluia, Sing to Jesus” arranged by Jeff Bennett
“Hymn of Heaven” by Phil Wickham
“I Am Not My Own” by Skye Peterson

Grow in Grace
One week to go with our “Heavy Questions.”  We will learn how Scripture answers these questions: Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble (Job 2:10)? What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them (James 2:14)? Join us for this nurture opportunity on Sunday at 9:30 in the sanctuary. Childcare will be available in the gym.

Summer Growth Groups
The foundational nurture ministry of St. Andrew is Growth Groups. Growth Groups provide you a wonderful opportunity to grow in faith and grow in Christian friendship. The summer semester is June 11 – July 30, and sign-up has begun. Click here to check out the summer lineup and find a group that works for you. Sign-up sheets are also in the atrium.

Moms’ Group
Moms with little ones like spending time with other moms with little ones. That is why a group of St. Andrew moms started a moms’ group. They are getting together with their children every other Tuesday this summer beginning May 30. To join the group, send an email to St. Andrew Staff Minister for Nurture Mark Kjenstad.

St. Andrew Sports Camp
God’s Champions is the theme for this summer’s St. Andrew Sports Camp. The camp is July 10 – 13 from 8:30 – 11:30 AM for 4K – grade 6 in the 2023-2024 school year. Registration is now open! Click here to register.

Impact
We are waiting for life with Jesus in heaven. Peter tells us how to live as we wait. Listen to that and more with Pastor Greg Lyon from Wisconsin Lutheran College. You can find our St. Andrew podcast Impact here or wherever you listen to podcasts by searching “Kjenstad Impact.”

PowerHour
One more week to go for PowerHour, a ministry to children 3 and under. We will close the year this Friday. To learn more about PowerHour at St. Andrew, click here.

God’s Champions service opportunities
St. Andrew Sports Camp is July 10 – 13. It presents many opportunities to have a lot of fun by serving.

• Assistant coaches will help head coaches run drills and enhance campers’ skills.
• Team managers will keep their group on schedule and ensure their positive participation in each activity.
• Athletic trainers will be on call to tend to any minor injuries or illnesses that occur.
• Concessions managers will prep and distribute snacks at halftime.
• Spirit team will manage and implement God’s Champion décor for the camp.

Many of these opportunities are perfect for high school or college students. Many of these opportunities do not require any sports knowledge or skill. All these opportunities serve the God who gives us the victory and makes us champions. Contact Pastor Clinton or Mark Kjenstad to get involved.

Letter of thanks received
Thank you, St. Andrew, for the generous donation of over $4,600! We genuinely appreciate your continuous support and couldn’t do what we do without help from our community. Your help means the world to us, and we truly appreciate it.

Jill Bradshaw, MOM
Middleton Outreach Ministries was our February Monthly Mission Partner.

First Group begins May 22
Are you interested in learning more about Christianity? Maybe even joining the St. Andrew family? In this group, you will gain an overview of the Bible, see the difference God’s powerful Word makes in our lives, and get your questions answered. The next session will be on Mondays at 6:30 PM beginning May 22. Contact Pastor Clinton for more information or to discuss a time that works for you.

Monthly Mission Partner
May’s Monthly Mission Partner is Divine Savior Church in Sienna, Texas. Sienna is just one campus of Divine Savior, the rest of which are in Florida. It is a growing community outside of Houston, and, like St. Andrew, operates a school as a big part of its ministry. St. Andrew had intended to partner with Divine Savior in June for one of its mission trips, but unfortunately had to cancel that trip. We still hope to send a team in subsequent years. For more information about Divine Savior, visit their website or see the video below.