Greetings from your search committee for an interim pastor,

   We would like to begin by expressing our deepest gratitude to Lisa Patterson for taking on the responsibilities of acting head of staff.  She is doing a great job and that has helped us in our search.  We have extended her term for another month, to get us to the start date of our interim pastor.

   As the moderator, I would like to thank Darhyl Ramsey, Kirsten Brown, Richard Sale and Karen Jones for their work with me.  It is a privilege to serve with each of them.  We have spent several months reviewing information and interviewing candidates.  The three final candidates were all qualified and that afforded us the luxury of choosing the one that had the most to offer Saint Andrew.  The diversity of our group made for an easy choice.

   The Reverend Dr. Alan Baroody will join us, as a full-time interim pastor, on November 1, 2014.  He was ordained in June, 1977, as a member of Savannah Presbytery.  He received his Master of Theology degree in 1978, and his Doctor of Ministry, Family Systems degree in 1987.  He has held two interim pastor positions, two pastor positions and an associate pastor position.  He has mixed this with personal counseling, as counselor and Executive Director of counseling centers.

   Alan was given information from our session regarding the immediate needs of Saint Andrew.  He is excited about helping the church, and its members, through this difficult time of transition.  Please join us in prayerful anticipation of his arrival.

Curtis Wells

Red Cross Blood Drive
Saturday, September 20, Rec Center, 9am-2pm
Sign-up in the Narthex. Walk-ins are welcome.

Ladies' Tuesday Afternoon Study Begins
   The Ladies' Afternoon Study Group will begin one week later than initially planned. Please mark your calendars and join the group on Tuesday, September 23 at 1:30pm in Room 206. They will be studying Bill Hybels' book and video, Too Busy Not to Pray.

   We will receive the Peacemaking Offering during worship on World Communion Sunday. This annual offering is allocated using the apportionment of 25% for local use, 25% divided between Grace Presbytery and Synod of the Sun, and 50% for the General Assembly Mission Council for its peacemaking efforts. Please plan to give generously to this special offering on October 5. Thank You!

   On World Communion Sunday, October 5, we will hold a church-wide International Food Pot Luck Luncheon in Fellowship Hall immediately after church.  Explore your culinary creativity or bring the foreign (or American) food you enjoy the most, from appetizers to desserts.  We will have the warming ovens turned on before worship so you can place your dishes in there to keep warm.  We will also have extra plugs available for crock pots.  Cool dishes can be put in the refrigerator, and we will have volunteers to receive food and assist.  Coffee, tea, and water will be served.  We know you will all be hungry and ready to eat a wonderful meal after church that day, so put October 5 on your calendar for an international feast!

Plastic Bag and Plastic Bottle Drive Update
   Our Daily Bread greatly appreciates your generosity with donations of plastic bags and plastic bottles this summer. However, storage is limited. Please hold your donations until further notice.

Diaper Drive
   Community Outreach Committee calls on congregation members to help with the annual St. Andrew Diaper Drive.  From September through October, the committee asks for donations of infant and toddler diapers or pull-up adult diapers.  The diapers will benefit both Interfaith Ministries' diaper program and also some Our Daily Bread clients.  Diapers should be placed in the 2 collections boxes by the soda machines outside of Fellowship Hall.

Please Don't Be Invisible!  Wear Your Name Tag!
    During this time of transition, there are many reasons it would be helpful if everyone made a new commitment to wear their name tag.  Not only new pastors or personnel would like to know our names and put them together with our faces, but so would visitors!  Name tags help new members feel more at home and a part of the church community, and name tags make it easier for visitors to be identified and feel more comfortable.  So please brush aside your aversions to wearing name tags, and help us to be more welcoming to all!  The Membership Committee thanks everyone for the many smiles, hospitality, and name tags!

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