THE GREETER

September 2017

Vision Statement We are a Christ centered community,

joyfully making a difference by…. Worshipping, Loving, Welcoming, Including, Supporting

FROM THE ASSOCIATE RECTOR

We all know that attendance in mainline churches has been in steady decline over the last 20 years. There are many reasons for this but knowing why people aren’t making faith practice a priority doesn’t change the fact that there are fewer people in the pews at weekend services. What that means for us, as a congregation, is that we need to do a better job of inviting, welcoming and connecting the folks who do walk through our doors, those seeking knowledge of God and a relationship with Jesus Christ. In the Episcopal Church we like to think of ourselves as welcoming. We do a decent job of providing hospitality to those who visit us. However, the relationship doesn’t really begin until we connect with newcomers and invite them into our groups, our ministries and our life as a community. To that end, the Vestry has approved beginning a new program titled Invite*Welcome*Connect. The founder, Mary Parmer, piloted this program in the Diocese of Texas in 2010. Since then she has provided education and training in 39 other dioceses in The Episcopal Church on how to invite people to a faith experience, how to effectively welcome them and the best methods for incorporating new followers into existing programs and activities. In partnership with The Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska, St. Andrew’s is hosting, for the entire diocese, an Invite*Welcome*Connect summit at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Lincoln March 2nd and 3rd. The health and wellness of our congregation is the responsibility of all members. We invite all members of this congregation to participate in this summit. We are pleased to announce that Sharon Kryger has agreed to chair this initiative, and we are in process of recruiting others to join in leading this important ministry. The team is forming now and will meet in September to organize and to develop initial strategies. If you are interested in joining this cutting-edge ministry, please see Sharon, Nancy Ponec, Lee Hammond, Fr. John or Rev. Diane. No one has to do a lot if everyone does a little! More information on Invite*Welcome*Connect can be found on their website http://www.invitewelcomeconnect.com. Please pray for the success of this ministry that is vital to the growth, stability and health of St. Andrew’s.

Invite * Welcome * Connect is a transformational ministry that equips and empowers congregations and individuals to cultivate intentional practices of evangelism, hospitality, and connectedness rooted in the Gospel imperative to, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). The work is designed

to accommodate congregations of all sizes and crosses all social and economic boundaries. The assessment tools, surveys, checklists and all ministry materials are designed to be adapted based on the

interests and needs of a particular locale.

MINISTRY NEWS COFFEE AND CONVERSATION SUMMER HIATUS Wednesday morning "Coffee and Chat" at the Village Grinder is suspended until after Labor Day. However, Diane+ is available for conversation on an individual basis. Please email her (diane@standrewsomaha.org) or call the church office (391-1950) to make an appointment that is mutually convenient. Watch the announcements for when the "Coffee and Chat" will resume in the fall. ALTAR GUILD DATES September meeting--September 6 at 9:30 in the chapel October meeting--October 4 at 9:30 in the chapel Coffee Hour--October 8 NEED A RIDE? The Caring Community is happy to share that Laraine Crane has agreed to serve as coordinator for anyone who needs a ride to St. Andrew's for worship, other church events, or even to a doctor. Please contact Laraine directly as she will know her availability and route. Other volunteers are needed and welcome. Many thanks to Laraine for leading this important work. Please call Laraine Crane at 402-333-6030 to join the St. A's Trusty Ride Squad. Fun Fun Fun FUN CLUB Events Round-up for Sunday school and the annual picnic Sunday, SEPTEMBER 10 following the 9:00 service and through the noon hour. Enjoy games, races, inflatables (Bounce House and Obstacle Course) and the tug of war between the Senior Choir and the Vestry. Free Food provided by Perk's BBQ and Kona Ice. Truly fun for all ages! Gathering, Tuesday September 12 @ Charleston's 76th and Dodge 5-7 p.m. Just show up and have a nice conversation and appetizers with your church friends. *** Note gatherings this year will be scheduled on the 2nd Tuesday of each month except thru Advent and Lent.

MORNING PRAYER SERVICES AT ST. ANDREW'S The Rev. Tony Anderson is offering Morning Prayer Services in the chapel at 8:30 a.m. Mondays-Thursdays. This is a meaningful, but quick service that shouldn't last more than 20 minutes. Read on for more information on this ministry from The Rev. Tony. Daily Morning Prayer One very meaningful piece of my own spiritual formation while at seminary, especially during my first year there, was attending the office of Morning Prayer each day in the seminary chapel. Morning Prayer in the form that we now have it in our Book of Common

Prayer has a long a rich history, going back to the development of the Divine Office, developed in the fourth and fifth centuries by monastic communities. The Divine Office or Hours became a fixed set of six prayer services, focused around the recitation of the Psalms, throughout day. Private individual prayer of the Divine Office was considered obligatory for the clergy as early as the 5th Century. This obligation was first laid out in the canons of the English Church in the 11th Century. During the time of the English Reformation the Office was condensed to Morning and Evening Prayer, and to this day it is still an obligation of English clergy to pray these two Offices daily. The Episcopal Church in the U.S., never too keen on the idea of “obligations,” has never held this expectation of the clergy or the laity, and while some parishes, especially in larger metropolitan areas, may offer daily Morning and Evening Prayer, the focus of corporate worship has primarily been on Sunday mornings. Many Episcopalians who grew-up in the church before the introduction of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, with its renewed emphasis on the weekly celebration of Eucharist on Sundays, can remember a time when the Office of Morning Prayer was the norm on Sunday mornings. In some parishes this would have been followed by the Lord’s Supper every week, but in many, if not most places, Eucharist would have been limited to once a month or less. While I think that the united liturgies of the word and table as we have them in our current

service of Holy Eucharist are a blessing for our congregation’s Sunday morning worship, the down side is that fewer Episcopalians are familiar with the riches of the Office of Morning Prayer than in previous generations. So, in an effort to maintain a spiritual practice that has been important to my own prayer life, and in hopes of sharing that practice with others at St. Andrew’s who may be interested, I would like to invite all who are interested to join me in the chapel at 8:30 AM, Mondays through Thursdays, for the service of Morning Prayer. This simple prayer service, when not accompanied with music, usually only takes about 15-20 minutes, and it is a wonderful way to begin each day. I do hope that you will consider coming when you have the time. Blessings, Tony+

THE REV. STEVE KARCHER ORDINATION Please join us in celebrating The Rev. Steve’s ordination to the priesthood Thursday, September 14 at 7pm. Childcare will be provided. If you wish to contribute to his monetary gift, you can write a check with “Steve Ordination” in the memo line, or, if you prefer to give cash, please put it in an envelope and mark it “Steve Ordination” on the outside with you name.

ECLIPSE BBQ A good time was had by those that came by to view The Eclipse and revel in God’s Creation. A Collect for the Eclipse written by Archdeacon Betsy Bennett: O God, the Creator of a cosmos beyond our imagining, you reveal yourself to us in wonders great and small. Help us to recognize your presence in the wonder of total darkness in the middle of a bright summer day. We recall the darkness that came over the land when your Son was crucified, and we recall the light of Easter morning that followed. May this midday darkness of the eclipse and the light that returns remind us that your light always lies ahead of every sort of darkness, and your bright mornings follow every sort of night. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. Amen.

St. Andrew’s Round Up Sunday September 10th, 2017

Musical Offerings at the 9:00 and 10:30 Service

Practice and Pizza!! Thursday, September 7th

6:15 – 7:00

Come join us for some intergenerational drumming and singing! If you were part of our Vacation Bible School this year, your children participated in a drum circle community. We’d like to include the children and adults in our first musical offering on Round Up Sunday. A short practice will be held at St. Andrew’s on Thursday, September 7th. Children of all ages are invited!

Dinner will be provided.

ORGAN RECITAL On Labor Day evening, Sept. 4th at 6:00 p.m., Michael Bauer and his wife, Marie Rubis Bauer, will be presenting organ recitals at Saint Cecilia Catholic Cathedral (701 N 40th St, Omaha, NE 68131). They will perform these recitals at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris during September. All are welcome to come to Saint Cecilia to hear these recitals. Admission is free.

Being Community: With Br. James Dowd, OHC

Men’s Retreat Monk-in-residence

St. Andrew’s Church Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska

Saturday, September 23rd

9:00 am to 3:00 PM (lunch provided) St. Andrew’s Church

925 South 84th Street, Omaha

Given the pace of our lives, the demands of career (or retirement!) and the needs of our

families, it seems more difficult than ever to commit to a life in Christian community.

And yet, that is what Christ calls us to – repeatedly - throughout the Gospels.

On Saturday, September 23rd, Br. James Dowd will present a retreat for the men of St. Andrew’s that will focus

on living more fully into our Christian community, learning to pray, work, and recreate as community for the

purpose of continuing to build a beloved community in this parish.

Br. James has practiced living in community for many years as a Benedictine monk and he will share his wealth

of knowledge and experience with us.

If you have any questions, please contact St. Andrew’s at 402-391-1950.

Do you know what WE did last summer? In case you think church is “quiet” over the summer months, below are the highlights of life at St. Andrew’s while the Rector was on sabbatical. (Shhhhh, don’t tell him!)

Partnering with St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, we hosted a successful Vacation Bible School titled,

“God’s Good Creation.” We had over 50 children in attendance and we were assisted by 26 adults!

That’s a great ratio for success!

Welcomed The Rev. Tony Anderson and his family – Amy, Timmy, Natalie and Chloe - to St. Andrew’s

as Bishop’s Society Curate and celebrated his ordination to the Sacred Order of Priests.

Contracted with a professional cleaning company to clean the church property weekly. They completed

a thorough “deep clean” in July and have begun their weekly cleanings. Our Sexton, Fred, is still here!

He will continue to provide daily attention to cleaning needs, like the restrooms, trash cans and

sweeping high traffic areas.

The Long Range Planning Committee met twice and has outlined long term capital improvements and

repairs so that we may be better stewards of our building.

More than 40 people attended an “Eclipse Barbecue Picnic” on August 21st. The Rev. Tony Anderson,

served as grill master. A grand time was had by all and no retinal damage occurred.

Fifteen people – give or take - read and discussed “The Story” this summer in two study groups.

New chairs and a new rug were purchased for the front office to replace the chairs and rug that were

very worn. They were donated to the Odds ‘n’ Ends sale where they, apparently, sold!

Began removal of the old boiler and laying of a slab for a new heating system. The system will include

electronic controls for heating and cooling. The new system should, at peak efficiency, reduce our

heating costs by about half and will provide more efficient heating and cooling in the building.

Conducted a very successful Odds ‘n’ Ends sale which, as of this publication date, netted over $7300!

Proceeds will support Outreach Ministry of St. Andrew’s, including Habitat for Humanity, Omaha Street

School and St. Anne’s Orphanage in South Africa, among others.

Sadly, we said goodbye to six of our members who died; Ken Cratty, Hugh Johnson, Janeen Kennedy,

Rich Richardson, Ann Smythe, Nancy Tritsch, and our good friend, Arthur Frederiksen. May their

souls, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

And more ….

CHI HEALTH VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY Chi Health Creighton University Medical Center Bergan Mercy Volunteer Services is in need of volunteers to fill positions of Eucharistic Ministers, Volunteer Companions, Welcome Desks, Music Ministry, and Teen Volunteers. If this sounds like something you are interested in doing, please call their Volunteer office at 402-398-6199 of contact them via e-mail at CUMCBerganVolunteerTeam@alegent.org END OF SUMMER PICNIC What's your favorite summer food? Make/bring a dish to share and come for a final summer picnic on Thursday, September 21st, the last full day of summer! We will gather "on the green" beginning about 11:30 and will share food and fellowship until about 1:00. We will provide beverages, plates, utensils, etc. If your favorite food requires a grill, we can fire it up! Join us for more outdoor fun on the 21st!

OUTREACH NEWS

ODDS N ENDS/RUMMAGE SALE This year’s sale was a great success! The final result will be calculated & shared with everyone at a later date. There will still be monies coming in from the more valuable items that will be sold on eBay & other sources. The total proceeds will make this our best sale ever, all of which will be given to Habitat for Humanity & other charities yet to be determined. A huge Thank You to everyone who donated items & those who worked before, during & after the sale. BY REQUEST ONLY 2017 FIFTH AND FINAL September 8, 2017 will be our fifth and final year for our annual By Request Only Benefit Concert at Lauritzen Gardens for St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church outreach and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Nebraska. We are looking forward to a huge turnout in celebration of our final year! Our headliners, Billy McGuigan (Rave On, A Buddy Holly Review, Yesterday & Today Beatles Review) and Jimmy Weber (Heartland of America Band, Nashville Touring Artist and previous lead guitar of our own St. Andrew’s Contemporary Worship Band) will return with Tara Vaughan on Keys/Vocals, Matthew McGuigan on Bass/Vocals, and Adam Stoltenberg on drums. Corporate Tables are available at $1000/table, which includes 10 concert tickets and entrance to the VIP Pre-Concert Reception. Individual tickets to the VIP Reception & Premium Concert Seating are available at $100 each.

HURRICANE HARVY Episcopal Relief & Development urges prayers for communities along the US Gulf Coast dealing with the impact of Hurricane Harvey. Please donate to the Hurricane Harvey Response Fund and visit the organization's website for more information about relief and recovery efforts. http://www.episcopalrelief.org/hurricane-harvey-response

or pick up a mail-in form at the back of the church or chapel.

General Admission tickets to the concert only are $25. Tickets are on sale and are available online at www.brownpapertickets.com (then search for By Request); as well as on Sunday mornings between services from 10-10:30 AM. If you're unable to join us and would like to make a donation - stop by the church office and grab a number from our current Envelope Fundraiser for this event. 1. Take a post-it note with a number (or take a few!) of the contribution that you wish

to make. Total the numbers. For example: #34 = $34 contribution or #3, #16, and #20 = $39 contribution. (Ideas: Total you kids’ ages, your grandkids’ ages, your favorite number, your old football jersey number, your favorite lottery numbers, etc.) 2. Write your name next to the number on each post-it note you take, and put them in the red basket. 3. Take the envelopes with the correlation number(s)—staple them together if you have more than one. 4. Put your total check or cash donation in the envelope, then place the envelope in the red basket of in the collection plate on Sunday. That’s it! *Please make checks payable to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church with “By Request Only” on the memo line. For more information, contact Susie Thorne, susie@standrewsomaha.org or Ron Dunic, ronald.dunic@gmail.com. Sponsors and Donations are welcome! Thank you for your support! By Request Committee: Susie Thorne, Ron Dunic, Sharon Kryger, Jean Sitzman, Ginny Winsor

ST MONICA’S GUILD KICK-OFF LUNCHEON The ladies of St. Monica’s Guild will have their fall kick-off luncheon at noon on Wednesday, September 20th. We will be meeting at the church, and would love to see all of our returning members, as well as some new faces.

St. Monica’s women meet the third Wednesday of the month, from September through May, for lunch, fellowship, and some good works as well. Our hostesses arrange a program for each monthly meeting which cover many subjects, are informative, and often a lot of fun. All women of St. Andrew’s are invited to join and guests are welcome anytime. Please consider joining us! If you have any questions, or you would like to attend, please contact Amy Urban at najurban@hotmail.com or 402-319-8676, so that we know how much food to prepare.

REFUGEE FAMILY SPONSORSHIP OUTREACH PROJECT UPDATE After a period of discernment and consultation with the Outreach Committee and other members of the congregation, St. Andrew’s has agreed to partner with Lutheran Family Services to sponsor a refugee family moving to Omaha. We have just found out that the family we will be sponsoring is coming from Afghanistan, where the father worked as an interpreter for U.S. forces there. The family consists of a father, mother, and six children!

As of right now we do not know their arrival date, but we are told it could be within the next 2-4 weeks. A group of parishioners met on Monday, August 28th to get up to speed on what this ministry will entail and to begin planning for the family’s arrival. As sponsors we are agreeing to make the following commitments to our family:

1. We will furnish an apartment with all the things the family will need. Most often these families have been living in refugee camps for quite some time and may arrive with little more than the clothes on their backs. We have already purchased some furnishings and kitchen items from the Odds and Ends Sale, but we will be needing to purchase or ask for donations of additional furnishings, clothes, bedding, towels, bathroom supplies, cleaning supplies, etc. Shelia Karpf has started a spread sheet tracking what we have and what we still need and will gladly email it to anyone who’s interested. We will also be stocking

DEAN FRICKE FOOD PANTRY Summer is rapidly coming to an end and our sights are set on everything starting up again this fall. Hunger in Omaha does not take a break with the summer. Any non-perishable food item is needed but most especially macaroni and cheese and cookies are most difficult to obtain lately. We always appreciate those food donations, but monetary donations are also welcome and will actually enable us to purchase more food from the Food Bank for the Heartland. Donations can be made using the envelopes in the food pantry shopping cart. A most heartfelt thanks to all who continue to fill the shopping cart each week.

the family’s pantry and refrigerator with culturally appropriate food items, a list of which we will receive from Lutheran Family Services.

2. A group from St. Andrew’s will meet the family at the airport when they arrive and will drive them to their new apartment.

3. Someone (or a group) from the church will visit the family once a week for the first 3-6 months that they are here to help them get acclimated to their new city and culture. This may include sharing a meal with them, helping them with shopping, teaching them various things about our society and U.S. culture, or simply a brief visit over a cup of tea or coffee.

Depending on what we find out from Lutheran Family Services, we may have a month or more to finish preparing for our family’s arrival or we may only have a couple of weeks! If you have any furnishings or other items that you’d be interested in donating, or if you are interested in finding out more about the many ways that you can be involved in this new ministry please feel free to contact Diane+, Tony+, Dari or Stu Dornan, Beth Summers, or Shelia Karpf.

NEBRASKA YOUTH MISSION TEAM TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC JUNE 20-27 The purpose of the 2017 Nebraska Youth DR Mission was to find God, and His Son, Jesus Christ in the unexpected places, to share His Holy Love, to build lasting relationships with our brothers and sisters in the DR, and to paint a church, pre-school, local homes, and surrounding security wall. We also offered two music programs to children of the community, moisture sealed the church and school roof, and completed classroom and roof construction at the school.

Team members also brought gifts of requested supplies to Padre Daniel, Padre Salvador and Missionary Charlie Nakash for their work in their communities. These gifts included clothing, school supplies, medical

and dental supplies, and laptop computers. Suitcases which carried the supplies were also left behind to be used as closets in the community.

Our first full day in the Dominican Republic, June 22nd, was spent painting and sealing the roof of the church and school. We conducted a music program for the children of the community. Tickets were passed out to 55 children for “Moana” which we projected in the evening.

June 23rd was a perfect day. We visited with graduating students at the Buen Samartino Pre-School, and continued to build upon the work that had been done there in April 2017 by the St. Andrew’s Adult Mission Team. We crossed the beautifully rich farm land which lies between Jarabacoa and San Francisco de Macoras. We presented gifts of laptop computers to Padre Salvador and gifts for the children at the pre-school. Our friends, William Gabriel Rojas and Antigua Tavares were perfect hosts while we were in San Francisco. We were given a ‘rock star’ tour of the Cacao Plantation by Juan Carlos with each of us tasting the 3 types of raw cacao seeds, processed seeds, and the heavenly final product. Each missioner helped make their own very special chocolate bar.

We then traveled a short distance to the Salcedo home of the Mirabal Sisters. Walking the same grounds upon which the sisters lived was a powerful experience. Seeing their personal affects and hearing the stories of their struggle and sacrifice for freedom of the DR was far more emotional than we might have expected. We will never forget this day together visiting these special places to experience and learn of the cultural and historical significance of the DR. William gave us a tour of the City Centro, and a news reporter interviewed William and several of our team regarding our mission calling for a segment that was aired on San Francisco television. Following a perfect lunch in San Francisco, we returned to camp tired, fulfilled, and ready for the

most wonderful time of reflection. We spent almost two hours that night on the balcony singing and silently celebrating all that we had experience on this beautiful day.

June 24th was our day of great realization. We realized we still had much to do, and only a few remaining days to complete our projects. This is really all we needed to set determined sights right to work. On this day we completed most of the remaining painting. We completed the roof moisture sealing project. We conducted our second music program for community children. We had time to share in friendship and spend quality time with the folks in the community of El Pedregal. It is truly the people with whom we work that make this mission ministry so special. This is the reason we shared and celebrated together on this night with a most special community fiesta. A dinner with music and dancing did as it was supposed to do…it brought us together to celebrate both our similarities and differences. Music was a very important part of this mission. We sang often, and our team sang beautifully this night. They also danced, laughed and…yes cried…as friends said goodbye for the evening. Glennys Polanco Peralta, and her cousins, traveled from Santiago to join us this night. She has done this for every Nebraska Youth Mission. She is a loving member of the Nebraska Youth Mission Team and we thank her for her deep love and the rich blessings she has so generously given to us.

Sunday may likely be the most wonderful day of them all. We were ready for church, and to see how beautiful it was with a fresh coat of paint. We were anxious to share in worship and celebration with our Dominican family. Padre Samuel asked our team to share several songs during our church service, and our team wonderfully complied to the joy of our hosts. Music is love, and His Holy Love was definitely shared on this special morning. After church, the community lingered, and we shared fellowship in the streets and homes of the community…not unlike we do in our home parishes here in Nebraska. The more time we spend in the DR, the more we understand just how similar we all are. Circumstances may be very different, but the hearts we share are all very much the same.

This day only continued to get better. After lunch our team traveled with many members of the community to a place that feels sacred to our team, the waterfalls!!! Our team enjoyed recreation and fellowship at the falls with the community. Padre Daniel and Deacon Aurianne agreed to assist in a re-affirmation of our baptismal covenant at this special place. There was no way we could imagine how powerful and emotional this would be. A man not known to our group even joined the circle to recommit his life to Jesus Christ. Jim and I watched this from the top of the falls. In this moment, one could certainly feel His Holy presence. This is among the most awesome things we have ever been blessed to witness. Thank you to all who gave themselves freely to Jesus on this glorious day!!!

Our day ended playing volleyball, having a wonderful dinner, and sharing our final evening at the camp together on the balcony. Again, we gave thanks, we talked, we sang, we cried. We cried the same tears we do every year on our final night in camp. These are tears of joy, and love, and hope… that all that we have done and experienced this week might continue to grow into changes in our lives that will sustain us always in whatever we will do. We are certain God has answered this prayer!!!

June 26th found our team still energized and motivated to do more. We rose early this day for two reasons, to pack, but also to share ourselves further with the community. We had been asked to paint cartoon characters at the homes of two people very important to our mission as they facilitated pretty much anything we had asked. Leidy helped with complicated communications. Saida helped gather children for our music programs and our movie night. We painted cartoon characters on the walls of the bedrooms of their children. Because this was our last morning in camp, we went to work early to get these projects completed as much as we could. We also took this morning to thank our many friends, and present gifts to those who had made our stay perfect. We also visited the homes of friends, and spent our final hours together in wonderful fellowship. Our mission experiences are becoming more of a family reunion-like experience than one might expect a mission trip to be. Our projects are very important, but in all important ways, they are secondary to the time we spend

in fellowship with the community. We may someday forget the project work, but we will never forget the people with whom we have formed relationships.

After lunch, we took one last walk in the community. It was then it became clear our time together with our El Pedregal friends in 2017 was coming to a fast end. We quietly made the last walk from the community across the camp to load our bus. While we felt sad, our friends bid us the same farewell as their welcome 5 days earlier. Because of this, we know we will be greeted and welcomed the same way each time we might visit in the future. Our ride back to Santo Domingo was as quiet as it always is. Some of us were in deep thought, others slept. We were all satisfied and fulfilled by all that we had shared and experienced together. We arrived at Hostal San Francisco de Asisi mid-afternoon, and met Missionary Charlie Nakast. Charlie led us on a walk to the historic Colonial Zone where we enjoyed a couple hours of shopping and experiencing a Dominican Republic much different than we had experienced in the mountains. We returned to the Hostal and prepared for our dinner with another mission team from the Diocese of SW Florida. We enjoyed a wonderful meal together. After dinner, our team met with Charlie and shared our week’s experience with him. After that, it was bed time in a real bed, in an air-conditioned room with a television, but we all missed camp. The next morning, we ate breakfast at Villar Brothers, and then took a walk along the Malecon. We enjoyed our final hour in the DR at the water’s edge. It was a beautiful morning to spend together at the sea.

We return home able to give the assurance that the Nebraska Youth Mission Team is well known and loved in many communities in the DR. We can also give an assurance that we have found a second ‘home’ in the DR with family anxiously awaiting our return. We have learned that our mission team can accomplish many, many important things…in addition to painting. Every day in the DR, we felt and observed a deeper loving relationship…one that we will not soon forget, and will share always. We look forward to all the wonderful places God shall lead us from here. It is difficult to find the words which explain the impact this experience has had on each of our hearts. “Con Mucho Amor” explains it the best.

Acknowledgements

It is with much gratitude for the many blessings of God, and the support of the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska, St. Andrews-Omaha, Trinity Cathedral-Omaha, St. Matthews-Lincoln, St. Matthews- Alliance, Christ Church – Sidney, Hannah Jensen-Hastings, and the Episcopal Church of the Dominican Republic, that the 2017 Nebraska Youth DR Mission Team (the Team) provides this report.

The Team is grateful to Missionaries Karen Carroll and Charlie Nakash, Padre Daniel Samuel, Deacon Aurianne Rosier, and Padre Salvador Almonte of the Episcopal Church of the Dominican Republic for making all the arrangements and providing the necessary direction for this successful mission. The Team also is grateful to William Gabriel Rojas and Antigua Santos Tavares for being perfect hosts while we visited San Francisco de Macoras.

The Team also gratefully acknowledges the partnership of time, talent and treasure generously shared with us by the worshipping and educational communities of Monte de laTransfiguracion in El Pedrgal, and Buen Samartino in San Francisco de Macoras, DR, without whom the wonderful success of the projects and fellowship would not have occurred.

CRAFTS FOR OUTREACH Noreen Witty has been making crafts to sell this fall to raise money for various Outreach ministries, and now you can help! We meet Thursday mornings at 9:30am in Engle Hall. Join us, have fun, and make crafts to benefit others.

WELCOME BACK ARDIE AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ardie Vickery came to church on 8/6, her 96th birthday, for the first time since breaking her hip on the way to Bible Study early last spring. We celebrated her birthday and her return! FROM THE DESK One exciting note, I am getting married September 3, to a wonderful man by the name of Shane Rhian, so when you start to see the name Erin Rhian (pronounced Ryan) instead of Erin Sloan, it is still me! We will be back to regular office hours beginning September 5.

Mondays -Thursdays 9am-4pm and Fridays 9am-12pm. Erin has been putting together the Electronic Newsletter each week while Fr. John is on sabbatical, so if you would like to have something included please send it to her at erin@standrewsomaha.org Have a Great Labor Day! Articles for the next edition of the Greeter are due Tuesday, September 26 for the October edition. NOTES FROM YOUR CURATE, THE REV TONY ANDERSON Ordination Success! My path towards ordination to the priesthood began almost six years ago to the day that I was ordained! At times it seemed that the day would never come, and yet looking back now I can hardly believe how quickly the time has passed! Thank-you to everyone who came out Thursday evening, August 10 for my ordination. It meant so much to me to have so many of you there! In the one month that I’ve been here I have been continually impressed and grateful for all the ways that this congregation has made me and my family feel welcome and loved, and Thursday was one more example of that. While I want to thank all of you who were there and all who have held me in your prayers, I also want to recognize everyone who had a part to play in the service itself. The list is a long one, and I’ve done my best not to leave anyone off, so here it goes! Special thanks to: Erin Sloan for all the work of preparing the bulletins; Michael Bauer, Kaitlin Pettiford, Margo Trofholz, and the whole St. Andrew’s choir for the wonderful music; Terry Saunders and other members of the Altar Guild for all their preparations; Mina Witherspoon for the beautiful flower arrangements; Jim Hutchison, Charley Pugsley, Shaun Rife, Burke Smith and Lee Hammond for ushering; Camille Culp and Lisa Aguilar for bringing up the gifts at the offertory; Tim Pierce and Amy Anderson for the Scripture readings; Jordan Hankins, Keith Ross, Lois Westfall, and Timmy and Natalie Anderson for serving as acolytes; Steve Karcher for serving as Deacon; Fr. John Schaefer for taking a break from his sabbatical to be a presenter, and Nancy Ponec for also serving as a presenter; Cindy Dornbush, Camille Culp, Lisa Hammond, Sarah Black, Nancy Pugsley, BeBe Miller, Liz Orrick, Dan Dornbush, Laraine Crane, Lisa Aguilar, Kim Johansson, Dana Karcher, and anyone else who helped to plan, set-up and clean-up after the amazing reception afterward; and especially the Amazing Rev. Diane Pike for all her support and encouragement over the past month! I’ve tried not to miss anyone in this list, but if I have I am sorry, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you again to all who helped mark the beginning of my Priestly ministry in such a meaningful way! Blessings, Tony+

Our New Boiler!

Proposed Schedule:

August 21 – 25; extend the existing concrete boiler pad

August 30; disconnect old boiler and beginning dismantling and removal

(expect some noise during this process)

Mid-September; we will be without hot water for approximately one week

(date determined by when the new boiler and water heater arrive)

End of October; expected completion date

Why are we doing this?

Our existing boiler is on its very last leg and we certainly don’t want it to fail us

during the winter months

Our new boiler will be 40% to 50% more efficient than what we currently have

and will decrease energy usage and greenhouse emissions

Along with new HVAC controls, we will be able to monitor and adjust the air

temperature in individual areas of the church efficiently, precisely and

economically

Heating and cooling individual areas of the church for special events and

occupancy will no longer be a challenge for us – hurrah!

For more information, talk to Jim Saunders, Lee Hammond, or Bill Ponec.

SEPTEMBER Birthdays and Anniversaries

Mary Ann Jernstrom 9/1 Liam O’Shea 9/1 CJ Ahrendsen 9/1 Hank Austin 9/2 Dari Dornan 9/3 Richard Huffman 9/3 Jasper White 9/3 Dave Brown 9/4 Cheryl Baumgartner 9/6 Jack Sagert 9/6 Joseph Whittaker 9/6 Frank Hudson 9/7 Charles Adcock 9/9 Jonathan Gray 9/9 Collin Kauth-Fisher 9/9 Josephine Sanderford 9/10 Sheryl Hill 9/11 Brendan Kauth-Fisher 9/11 Jeremy Stewart 9/11 Carolyn Curtis 9/12 Jeanie Lyda 9/12 Aaleya Matthews 9/13 Amy Sanderford 9/13 Natalie Anderson 9/14 Mark Ahrens 9/15 Holden Anderson 9/16 Janet Cosgrove 9/16 Joel VanderVeen 9/16 Peg Dahlke 9/17 Connor Malnack 9/17 Cathy Rife 9/17 Becky Spencer 9/18 Rob Ahrendsen 9/20 Jan Pierce 9/20 Noreen Witty 9/22 Phyllis Lee 9/25 Richard Vinci 9/25 Larry Lee 9/26 Valerie St. Pierre Smith 9/26 Diane Fleming 9/29 Natasha Larson 9/30

Stu and Dari Dornan 9/1 Jim and Cathy Johnson 9/1 Ron and Sue Menter 9/1 Steve and Lauren White 9/1 Bill and Martha Jane Matthews 9/2 Charley IV and Melody Pugsley 9/2 Jay and Roxi Adams 9/3 Joel and Leslie VanderVeen 9/3 Darrell and Cheryl Huss 9/4 Nate III and Meg Dodge 9/6

James and Heather Murray 9/11 D.J. and Tara O’Shea 9/14

Mike and Rhonda Markoff 9/17 Scott and Wendy Zoludek 9/18

Andrew Fisher & Kathleen Kauth 9/18 Doug and Karen LeClair 9/20 Dave and Caeli Brown 9/21 Travis and Sarah Frink 9/22 Ted and Diane Fleming 9/23 *Are we missing your birthday or anniversary? E-mail Erin in the office at erin@standrewsomaha.org to add you or your family members to the list.

September Ministry Schedule

September 10 September 17 September 24 October 1 October 8

Acolytes

9:00 Anna Kay Sitzman Theo Puls

Paige Rife

Lauren Sitzman

TBD

TBD

10:30 James Henry Liam O’Shea

Nathan Gottschalk

John Dodge Laura Dodge

TBD

TBD

Altar Guild

S Jane Hoover Polly Goecke TBD TBD TBD

E Gretchen Gottschalk

Terrie Saunders TBD TBD TBD

L Mina Witherspoon/Mary Schreiber

Aileen Henry/ Betty White

TBD TBD TBD

Healing Prayer

7:45 Lois Westfall Lois Westfall Lois Westfall Lois Westfall Lois Westfall

9:00 Andy Hawekotte/ Jamie Baker

Andy Hawekotte/ Karen Ekholm

Lance Baker/ Nancy Ponec

Jamie Baker/ Andy Hawekotte

Andy Hawekotte/ Karen Ekholm

10:30 Janice Nelson Janice Nelson Janice Nelson Janice Nelson Janice Nelson

Lay Readers

7:45 Keith Ross Keith Ross Lois Westfall TBD TBD

9:00 Cathy Rife Ben Bryan

Karen Conrad Beth Summers

Kim Hawekote Jenny Else

TBD TBD

10:30 Tara O’Shea Andy Ketterson

Benji Pettiford Bert Van Blerk

Kaitlan Pettiford Lee Hammond

TBD TBD

Ushers

7:45 John Mabry John Mabry John Mabry John Mabry John Mabry

9:00 Stephen Haakinson Andy Hawekotte Dan Coonce

Don Peeler Barb Jackson

Kim Johansen Liz Orrick Karen Quintana

Shaun Rife Susan Menter

Steve and Lauren White

10:30 Charley and Nancy Pugsley Scott Nelson

Lee Hammond D.J. O’Shea Ron Dunic

Charley and Nancy Pugsley Dave and Anne Gambal

TBD

TBD

Greeters

7:45 Laraine Crane John Mabry Laraine Crane John Mabry Laraine Crane

9:00 Dana Coonce TBD TBD TBD TBD

10:30 Kelly and Liz Bourne

TBD TBD TBD TBD

Caring Community Daughters of the King

Lay Readers Liturgy Team

St. Monica’s ECW Board

Ushers Outreach

Altar Guild Nearly New Shop

Approved July Vestry Minutes St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

Minutes for July 18, 2017 Attending: Roxi Adams, The Rev. Tony Anderson, Ben Bryan, Lee Hammond, The Rev. Diane Pike, Nancy Ponec, Shaun Rife, Eric Rodawig, Jim Schreiber, Lauren White, Sue Woodson Guests: Michael Bauer, Dari Dornan, Ron Dunic, Eric Manley, and George Nauman Opening Prayer and reflection: Diane opened with prayer. New Business: Michael Bauer and the members of the Organ Committee presented a report on their work to date. They have completed Phase I: Education Phase. In this phase they studied the Biblical and Theological Foundations of Music and Organs in the Church; Organ Building; Evaluation of Options open to St. Andrew’s. A report was prepared for the Vestry with their recommendation for action and asked for permission to move on to the Second Phase of the process. Their recommendation is to investigate purchasing a new pipe organ. They also expressed their appreciation to the anonymous donor who has funded the Search Process. After much discussion, Lee moved and Shaun seconded moving on to Phase II. The vote was 8 in favor and 1 abstention. Michael requested the Vestry consider funding a section leader for the choir. He would like to build from the one current section leader to a total of four over the next three years beginning this August. The cost is $3,000 per year per Section Leader. Michael requested the Vestry fund this amount for the 2017-18 year. The Vestry decided to Table this decision until August to gather more information. Approval of the Vestry June 20 minutes: The minutes for the June 20, 2017, meeting of the Vestry was reviewed for accuracy.

Jim moved and Sue seconded that the minutes be approved. The vote was unanimous. Finance Report:

The finance reports for June were given by Jim. The month showed us with a small negative balance for the month, but several large payments had been made during the month, catching up on some payments missed in the past due to Ginny’s absence. One final set of catch-up payments, including payments to the clergy pension funds, were made in July so next month’s balance will be accurate YTD.

The Finance Committee recommended to the Vestry that the church purchase two new boilers and building HVAC

Controls for several reasons. The biggest reason is that the current systems do not adequately control the heating and cooling levels in the building and it needs to be done for the comfort of our parishioners. Also the current system and boiler are very old, outdated and inefficient.

Shaun moved and Ben seconded that the Vestry accept the boiler (Grunwald 2017) and HVAC Sensor Controls

(Engineered Controls 2017) recommended by the Finance Committee. The vote was unanimous. The method of funding the $92,000+ project was Tabled until the August meeting.

Rector Report: John is gone on his sabbatical from June 5 – September 5, 2017.

Associate Rector Report: Diane asked that the minutes reflect her deep appreciation that the St. Andrew’s community pulled together this past weekend to bring appropriate liturgy to three funerals and luncheons/receptions. People filled needed roles as ushers, torch bearers, readers, coordinating rifle men, and other tasks as needed without being asked. This reflects on the positive type of community we have here. The Vestry members commented positively on the way Diane handled a very challenging weekend filled with many needs. Her homilies were fresh and new for each service. Senior Warden Report:

Long Range Planning committee has begun meeting and is looking at the three areas they feel need their attention. These are Ministry & Mission, Endowment and House and Grounds. They are working off the Chart of Dreams identified two years ago by the Parish and find some have been accomplished, some are in progress and some are awaiting better definition of what is needed to meet those dreams.

Junior Warden Report: Lee reported on the House & Grounds Committee work so far. The committee has been expanded to three individuals – Jim Saunders, Lee Hammond, and Bill Ponec. They are looking at a care design for the whole structure. The first step in that process, handled by Jim Schreiber, has been soliciting bids for a thorough deep cleaning of the facility and then hiring a cleaning service to handle the care and cleaning of the church that our Sexton cannot do alone. Working with the Sexton and the woman that ECW hires to clean the kitchen monthly, the Committee and Jim Schreiber will make sure that the Cleaning Service will cover what is needed to be done daily, weekly, and monthly to keep the facility in good shape. New Business: Nancy presented the “By Request Only” Fundraising Proposal that Susie Thorne presented to the Vestry in writing. After discussion, Lauren moved and Sue seconded that the Proposal be allowed. The Vote was to approve. Old Business: Jim Schreiber presented the information he received and general impressions of the three companies that submitted bids for the cleaning service. All three had been recommended by the Bureau of Better Business. His recommendation was that Vanguard be hired for the deep cleaning process, followed by the monthly cleaning contract. The Vestry felt the offered contract should be changed to a one-year agreement but could be accepted as an up to three-year contract. Then it should be let out for bids again, with Vanguard being considered as one of the bids if their service was as expected. Nancy moved and Eric seconded that Vanguard be offered an up to a three-year contract. The vote was unanimous in favor of the motion. Committee Reports: None Other Business: The report on attendance for June was given. Closing Prayer: Nancy closed the meeting with prayer. Respectfully submitted,

Ministry Leaders at St. Andrew’s Acolyte Coordinator Dan Sitzman (402-556-5344) dsitzman@cox.net

Adult Formation The Rev. Diane Pike

Altar Flowers Mina Witherspoon (402-965-9795) spoonmina@yahoo.com

Altar Guild Terrie Saunders (402-592-0242) tsaund217@cox.net

Building and Grounds Jim Saunders 402-592-0242 jsaun1970@cox.net

Caring Community Nancy Ponec (402-331-2575) /Karen Ekholm

Daughters of the King Melissa Peeler (402-572-7556) melpeeler@hotmail.com

Dominican Republic Mission Trips Don (402-572-7556) dpeeler@cox.net and Melissa Peeler

Episcopal Church Women Dari Dornan (402-490-4886) daridornan@yahoo.com

Episcopal Men’s Fellowship and Outreach Joe Engle (402-551-0909) jmeascoman@cox.net

Flower keepers Bebe Miller (402-391-6879) don63bebe@msn.com /Carolyn Fleming (402-390-6082) carolyn812@cox.net

Food Pantry Noreen Witty (402-289-3882) nwitty@cox.net

Fun Club and Wedding Coordinator Loree MacNeill (402-933-1236) rognloree@live.com

Habitat for Humanity, Recycling, Tree Care Phil Pierce (402-253-2860) foresterphil@gmail.com

Lawn care Tim Witty (402-289-3882) twitty@cox.net

Lay Eucharistic Visitors Nancy Ponec (402-331-2575) Ponec3@cox.net

Lay Readers Ron Dunic (402-596-2921) ronald.dunic@gmail.com

Nearly New Shop Denise Benson (402-393-5888) NearlyNewShopomaha@gmail.com

Pine Ridge Mission Trip Shaun and Cathy Rife (402-516-5502) catann25@hotmail.com

Prayer Shawls Margaret Schaefer (402-397-5859) mschaefer63@gmail.com

Prayer Team Karen Ekholm (402-393-2625) kekholm1@cox.net

Reception Teams Camille Culp (402-320-3104) camille.culp@gmail.com /Lisa Hammond (402-250-0286) lisaartstudio@centurylink.net

St. Monica’s Guild Amy Urban (402-319-8676) najurban@hotmail.com

Ushers Dave Gambal (402-571-7487) dgambal@cox.net /Jim Hutchison

Welcoming and Incorporating Andy Hawekotte (402-321-6026) ahawekotte@cox.net

Youth Group Steven and Lauren White (402-216-8584) say@standrewsomaha.org