Summer is here and that means VBS!!  Vacation Bible School has been a long standing tradition at Saint Andrew.  So long that I remember attending when I was a child.  My favorite part was watching the donations for the Heifer Project rise from honey bees, to chickens, to pigs and finally a cow!  A lot has changed since then, but Vacation Bible School has remained a strong part of the life of the children at Saint Andrew.  

   This year the theme for VBS is "God's Love in Action" and our verse for the week is Acts 17:28, "In God we live, move, and exist."  Through the stories of Moses, Solomon's Temple, the Healing of Bartimaeus, and the Empty Tomb the children will learn that God wants us to Move, Act, Care, Follow and Share with the people around us.  

   The children's morning will be filled with learning as they rotate through Bible, Art, Music, Science, Snack and Gym.  All of these classes reinforce the theme for the day.  We have wonderful adult volunteers who teach the classes and, every year we have a great turnout from the youth of Saint Andrew who show up to help.  I don't know who has more fun, the children or the youth!  On Friday,we will celebrate a great week with a VBS swim party at Civic Center Pool!  

   One of the ways that the children and youth will be moving, acting, caring, following and sharing, will be by supporting our mission for the week.  We will be collecting peanut butter, cases of water, clothing and gift cards to donate to The Cumberland Presbyterian Children's Home.  So, we invite you to participate in our week by reading the stories above, thinking about how you move, act, care, follow and share in God's call on your life, and of course, through prayer.  Please pray for our week, that the children will learn, that the adults and youth will inspire, and that everyone will leave feeling empowered to show God's love to all the people they encounter.

Highlights of the May Session Meeting
At the May meeting of the Session they:
*    heard and approved moving statements of faith presented by the young people in the 2015 confirmation class.
*    expressed thanks and appreciation to the confirmation class leaders, Karen Jones and Todd Cook, and to the mentors of each confirmand.
*    approved the April Treasurer's Report which showed a deficit of $21, 803. The report reflected a drop in pledges that were paid in April.
*    learned that the diaconate delivered 62 bags of gifts to Giving HOPE for the Mothers being served by them.
*    heard that a Session Mission Advisory Resource Team (SMART), which was established to help coordinate the work of the Session and church committees, has had its first meeting.
*    was in informed that 52 church directories are being distributed to homebound members of the congregation by the Membership Committee. 

   After the success and fun of last summer's "coffee hour" after Sunday worship, we will do it again this summer! Each Sunday different groups will provide some treats for you to share. If possible, please use disposable plates/dishes for the treats.  If the plate/dish is not disposable, you may pick it up in the Narthex workroom later, so please make sure your name is on it. Extras will be frozen for later use and not wasted.

June 21 - D, E, F  June 28 - G  July 5 - H  July 12 - I,J,K,L July 19 - M

July 26 - N,O,P    August 2 - Q,R   August 9 - S   August 16 - T,U,V  August 23 - W,X,Y,Z     August 31 - Memb. Committee

Officer Nominating Forms Due June 21
   Nominations are now being accepted for elders and deacons for the class of 2018. Nominees can be submitted via the form that will be included in the bulletin. Simply drop the form in the green box in the church office by June 21.  

Denton Association of Christian Women
   The Denton Association of Christian Women will meet Tuesday, June 30 at Mt. Pilgrim CME, 339 Robertson from 9:30am until 11:00am. Susan Franks will share with us the Hearts for Home ministry in Denton.  All women of the church are invited.  Please contact Linda Heilig, 381-9934 for questions or more information. 

Message from Mission Committee
   The Mission Committee is excited for Alan Baroody as he prepares for his journey to Lebanon to lead workshops on "Pastoring During Times of War and Crisis" for the Near East School of Theology.  He is leading workshops in conjunction with Dr. Laurie Krause from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance for clergy and lay-leaders from the Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon. Their topics will focus on "Compassion Fatigue: How to Stay Healthy and Minister in an Environment Where Fear and Threat Are Constants and Clergy Are Emotionally Traumatized."
   The committee sees this as an exciting and challenging trip with many important positive ramifications for the region, the Presbytery, and St. Andrew. We fully support Dr. Baroody's trip and ask the congregation to keep him and Dr. Krause in their prayers as they travel in a very unstable part of the world.  I am sure that he will have numerous presentations for us when he returns and perhaps give us guidance on ways that we can help in the region. 

Help With the Apple Tree Project
   The Community Outreach Committee is sponsoring the Apple Tree Project at Saint Andrew to help needy children be ready for the start of school for 2015-16.  This citywide project coordinated by Interfaith Ministries is a program for the community to help low-income Denton ISD children receive school supplies, shoes, and school clothing for the start of school.  The Apple Tree Project will begin on June 7 and continue through July 19 at Saint Andrew.  You can help in 2 ways: (1) by donating money through your offering directed on your envelope to the Interfaith Ministries Apple Tree Project or (2) by choosing a child's name from the apple tree in the Narthex and buying 2 sets of clothing for him or her. 

Name Tags
   It's never too late to order a name tag. Although there will not be anyone taking orders for name tags at church, you can order one anytime by contacting Lynn Carrico at lwcarrico@verizon.net. 

Second Annual Men's Cake Bake
   Sunday, July 19, in the Narthex following the 10am worship service.
All men are encouraged to bring a cake by 9am that morning for judging.  Awards will be given to Best Decorated, Best Tasting, Most Unusual and Grand Prize Winner. 

Volunteers Needed
   Interfaith Ministries of Denton, Inc. is looking for volunteers to help with screening and assistance to working families. Available hours are 1:00-3:30pm, Tuesdays and 9:00-11:30 am, and 1:00-3:30pm Fridays. For more information, contact Interfaith Ministries at (940) 566-5927.