Celebrating a Milestone & Two Baptisms

Dear Friends,

We had a wonderful annual meeting this past Sunday. If you weren’t able to be there, the great, big, exciting, wonderful news we announced was that near the end of last year, St. Andrew’s entirely paid off our mortgage debt. We are a debt free parish!

This is an enormous accomplishment. As I wrote in my remarks for the meeting, this milestone “is the sort of thing that we wanted to celebrate together, which is why we saved the news for this annual meeting. And we celebrate it together because it is a thing we did together.” Thank you for your faithfulness and generosity.

It puts us in a wonderful position headed into our capital campaign to build our sanctuary. To celebrate and mark this accomplishment, those who were there wrote our names on the front doors in white paint pen; if you weren’t able to be there Sunday, you’ll have the opportunity this week as well.

You can read the full 2025 Annual Report online, including my State of the Church address, Peter Stringer’s treasurer’s report, and lots and lots of ministry reports.

While we don’t have any announcements that are quite that huge, this Sunday is exciting too. We are baptizing two new members of Christ’s body! We are also going to welcome Fr. Drew Crowson, who is the planting pastor of Advent Church in Celina, a new Episcopal Church start. Fr. Drew is engaging, warm, and funny and has a call for this important work. Between the services, he will be speaking in the Great Hall about the church planting effort (to be clear, Waymakers and JIF are also happening Sunday; this is a 3rd adult option).

Growing churches have a heart not only for their own growth, but for the growth of the church beyond their own walls. I’m thrilled to have him here, to hear what the diocese is doing in Celina, and how we can be a part. God is up to good things all over the place!

In Christ,
Fr. Andrew