Dear Friends,
It has been a great joy to once again worship with many of you at St. Andrew in recent weeks, as we remember others of you who continue to worship online. It is now my joy to share our schedule of services for Holy Week and Easter Sunday and to announce an increase in our worship attendance capacity.
WORSHIP – Beginning next Sunday, March 21, St. Andrew will welcome up to 125 attendees at each of our three Sunday services. This higher number reflects the significant decrease in COVID-19 transmission and positivity rates in our area, and is still within Phase 1 Montgomery County guidelines. All precautions, including pre-registration, masks and safe distancing will remain in place until further notice. REGISTER HERE.
HOLY COMMUNION – Please note that Holy Communion on Monday evenings has now shifted to one brief celebration at 5:30 pm for up to 25 attendees. The next opportunity will be on Monday, March 22. Our prayerful hope is that an abbreviated Monday evening worship service will eventually be re-introduced. REGISTER HERE.
HOLY WEEK – When you click below to see our in-person and online worship schedule for Holy Week, you’ll notice that we are adding a service at 12:30 pm on Easter Sunday. This later service will be held outdoors, weather permitting. Some chairs will be available, but feel free to bring your own folding chair or plan to stand for this brief celebration service. While Holy Communion will be served at our indoor services only, everyone attending at 12:30 outdoors will have the opportunity to join in singing Easter praises! And, while our total Easter capacity this year represents only a fraction of what is typical for Easter at St. Andrew, we nevertheless give thanks for these significant steps forward in the context of necessary measures to protect our health and safety. Get details HERE.
COMMON GROUND – Allow me to further invite you to participate in the spring session of Common Ground Online beginning on April 14. Click HERE to get details and register for exciting new opportunities to learn, explore, and grow in your faith.
Our congregation’s caring and careful responses will continue as our nation emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, and further adjustments will be made as circumstances change, hopefully for the better. To that end, I invite your prayers for our staff, congregational leaders, and all fellow members and friends of our church family.
Finally, Pastor Gonzalez and I once again express our thanks to our Lord and to all of you for your patience and commitment to our life together in Christ, and we look forward to worshiping with more and more of you in the weeks and months to come.
The Lord be with you +
In Christ, your brother,
Mark Hricko
Pastor