Call returned
Dear Members of St. Andrew,

A few weeks ago, God saw fit to extend me a call to serve as Worship Operations Director at 922 Ministries in Appleton. This has allowed me to have many exciting conversations with leaders and members at both 922 and St. Andrew over the last weeks. It is truly remarkable the great things God is doing through both of these ministries.

After much time in prayer and thoughtful deliberation, the Spirit has shown me that there is still a lot of exciting work to be done in Madison and so I have returned the call to 922 Ministries and am thrilled to be continuing my ministry among you at St. Andrew. I am extremely humbled and very grateful for your prayers, your kind words, and all of your encouragement and support as I wrestled with these two calls before me. There are a lot of exciting unknowns ahead of us at St. Andrew—a new pastor, a new building—but thankfully God is always the same. He’s been with St. Andrew throughout our first 50 years, and he will continue to bless the work he puts before us.

Serving with you,
Naomi Laabs

St. Andrew 50^th anniversary
Last weekend we celebrated St. Andrew reaching the half century mark. What a blessing! Many of the pieces of St. Andrew’s history are still available for browsing in the atrium, including the St. Andrew Ministry Moments booklets that are yours to keep. You can also view the slide show of all the photos collected for the occasion.

Construction update
Steel studs continue to go in and should be finished next week. You can start to see where doors and windows will be in the building! It won’t be long until the walls are completely enclosed.

The finishing touches are still being made to Parmenter Street. It is open on weekends and evenings. If you come during the weekdays, please be mindful that they may need to do some minor work yet.

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.

Thanksgiving series | God Is at Hand
Beginning November 9, we are doing a four-part Thanksgiving series, leading up to the holiday, taking time to pause and acknowledge the countless blessings God pours into our lives each day. It’s easy to get caught up in routines and overlook his hand at work. Through this series, we’ll learn to see God’s activity in every moment, person, and circumstance.

The series begins with Genesis 8:15-21, prompting us to reflect on the importance of thanking God for a significant moment. In the weeks that follow, we’ll give thanks for the people God places in our lives (Philippians 1:3-11) and for the fruits of faith we see around us (Colossians 1:3–14). Finally, on Thanksgiving, we’ll gather to celebrate the greatest gift of all, God’s grace in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 1:12-17). Each week will include an activity to help you reflect on how God’s hand is at work in your life.

Take a look at the Scripture ahead of time to prepare for the activities as we open our eyes, hearts, and voices in gratitude to God!

Save the date | Koiné Christmas concert
We are excited to announce that the Christian band Koiné will be coming to St. Andrew on Saturday, December 6 to present their “Emmanuel Lux” Christmas concert featuring our very own music intern, Atticus Lawrenz, on drums. Mark your calendars and watch for more information as details are being finalized.

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.

“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” arr. by Paul Marino
“Oh, Church Arise (Arise Shine)” by Keith & Kristyn Getty, Chris Tomlin
“My Worth Is Not in What I Own” by Graham Kendrick, Keith & Kristyn Getty
“Yet Not I but through Christ in Me” by CityAlight

St. Andrew library
Check out these new books in the St. Andrew library:

More Than Meh by Missionary Matthew Doebler | If you’re ready to trade “meh” for the meaningful life God intends for you, this short book can help.

Taboo by Pastor Mike Novotny | This popular book is a resource for Biblical truth on challenging topics that are dominating culture.

These books and all St. Andrew library books may be checked out anytime. Use the green binder for self-checkout.

It’s Alzheimer’s
If you would like a booklet that was written to provide Biblical help and support for caregivers and families of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, please contact Minister for Nurture Mark Kjenstad.

Small Talk podcast
“Let the little children come to me.” Livy talks about these precious words of Jesus on a new episode of Small Talk. Listen to Small Talk here or search for “Kamin Small Talk” wherever you listen to podcasts.

Impact podcast
There were thousands upon thousands of sacrifices offered by the Old Testament people of God. And then Jesus came. He offered himself as a sacrifice. His was the “once and for all” sacrifice. Pastor Greg Lyon is our guest for Hebrews 7, which explains Jesus’ work as our great high priest. You can listen to Impact here or by searching for “Kjenstad Impact” wherever you listen to podcasts.

LifeBoat this Sunday
LifeBoat returns Sunday, November 2. LifeBoat is a middle school ministry with the goals of helping grow their relationship with Jesus and helping strengthen their Christian friendships through games, lessons from Scripture, and worship music. LifeBoat meets on the 1^st and 3^rd Sundays in the gym from 5:00 – 7:00 PM. Parents, if you would like to help with supervision go here. To help with a snack donation, go here for more details.

Service opportunity for friendly people
We are creating two new teams of people to connect with our guests in worship. If you like meeting new people, conversing in person, or even connecting via email or text, this is a great opportunity for you. Contact Pastor Clinton to get involved.

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these”
We will be collecting warm clothing and other items to donate to people being released from jail in the winter. Please place donations on the designated table in the atrium.

New or gently used winter apparel that is clean, rip-free, and stain-free:

• Men’s and women’s winter coats, size L – 4XL
• Pants, sweatpants, and athletic pants, size M – 3XL
• Shirts, sweaters and sweatshirts, size M – 3XL
• Hats, scarves, blankets, gloves, shoes, and boots of all sizes

In their original packaging:

• Socks
• Men’s and women’s underwear
• Toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, and shampoo

Monthly Mission Partner
Our November partner is Kingdom Workers, a national nonprofit organization whose goal is to address the physical and spiritual concerns of communities. They are perhaps best known for two programs: Builders for Christ and Jesus Cares. Find more information about Kingdom Workers at kingdomworkers.com.