ST. ANDREW LUTHERAN CHURCH

SON TIMESSummer 2017

A Few of My Favorite Things

Leadership

A Few of My Favorite Things Each and every year, the Lillejord family would gather around the televi-sion and would watch two shows: “The Ten Commandments” and “The Sound of Music.” In those days, with commer-cials, each show lasted about six or seven hours. In spite of the duration, even as a child, I thoroughly enjoyed both movies. I so fondly recall the song about their favorite things. “Raindrops on ros-es and whiskers on kittens. Bright cop-per kettles and warm woolen mittens … These are a few of my favorite things.” Starting June 4, on Sunday morn-ings and on Wednesday evenings, the preacher will be sharing with you his or her “favorite” text, passage, or story, in the Holy Bible. My guess is, a few of them will be expected and familiar. Others, however, will be more unique to the one who is preaching that day. This past week the clergy of St. Andrew gathered around the table and, much like the NFL draft, we each took

our turn and we made our selections. Deep down, I was thinking, “I wonder how man others will pick the texts and stories that I have selected.” Much to my surprise, it only happened two times and, because we all had so many “favor-ite” stories, we just went to the next one on our list. We hope that this will be intriguing to the people of St. Andrew as we all find out a little bit more about what “makes your pastors tick,” if you will. After all, when we gather to hear the word of God, it’s just like the lyrics of that wonderful song—“I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don’t feel so bad.”

See you in worship!

Pastor David LillejordSenior Pastor

In This Issue:Leadership .................................. 1

Stewardship & Evangelism ....2

Congregational Council ..........3

New Member ..............................3

Music Ministry ...........................4

St. Andrew University ..............5

Early Learning ............................7

Children’s Ministry ....................8

Middle School Ministry ...........9

High School Ministry .............10

Prime Timers ............................10

Camp ........................................... 11

Haiti .............................................12

Hospitality .................................13

By the Numbers .......................14

Summer Worship TimesStarting May 28

Sunday Mornings8:45 & 10:00 AM

Wednesday Evenings6:30 PM

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A Few of My Favorite Things Stewardship & Evangelism

Maybe it’s my age, or maybe it’s just me, but I have a hard time narrowing down my favorite things to

just a few. I like a lot of things, but right now I have a new favorite thing. Earlier this year, we had a conversation with the Minne-apolis Area Synod about participating in an initiative with Cross of Peace Lutheran Church in Shakopee. The goal of that initiative is to help them develop a foundational struc-ture that will support growth and vitality for ministry in their community. This initiative is exciting for many reasons. First of all, it is always a welcomed opportunity to be able help someone grow–especially when there is energy and passion from everyone involved in that effort. In late April, Pastor Lillejord and I met with Pastor Stephanie Espinoza and the Council at Cross of Peace and there was an over-whelming sense of support from everyone about working together. St. Andrew has learned a lot about doing good work in the world. This will be an opportunity to share what we have learned with others. This is also exciting because we will all be challenged to grow and learn in this process. While we have many gifts to share with Cross of Peace, they have many to share with us as well. For example, both Pastor Stephanie and her husband

speak fluent Spanish, as do several others in their congrega-tion … and we have our Los Ninos ministry. Maybe we can help each other grow that ministry. Last, but not least, anytime we can help spread the Gospel, it is always a good thing—in fact, it’s a great thing! In the weeks and months ahead, we will help them shape their vision and mission, we will share ideas for more effective ministry and develop a communications plan that will help them strengthen their presence in the community and expand their reach to those looking for a church home. As we think about the season of Pentecost and the send-ing of the apostles out into the world, it seems like a really good time to be starting this new initiative. Who knows where it will lead or what we will discover—but one thing is for sure … this will be good work because it is God’s work. And that, my friends, might just turn this new favorite thing of mine into my most favorite thing.

Pastor Gail BachPastor of Stewardship and Evangelism

Pastor Stephanie Espinoza

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A Few of My Favorite Things Congregational Council

A bible verse that comes to mind when I’m asked of “my favorite things” is Romans 8:26. At a “busy and fun time”

in life, I also felt scared and alone with a difficult pregnancy, a diagnosis for my dad that would take his life, and a home hundreds of miles from established friends and family. At one church service, the response to the Prayers of Intercession was changed from “Lord, hear our prayer” to “The Spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words to express.” Suddenly, tears streamed down my face. That verse, put to music by both the congregation and the choir, touched something in my core. Over the course of the next month, as those prayers were offered, the same thing happened for 3 weeks in a row. I believe my physical response to the spir-it was a gift that helped me move forward. Six months later in a bible study this experience took another turn. I told this

story, and one of my older neighbors blurted out, “I just hated that change! It seemed New Age, and I had no idea why we would say those words. It really bothered me.” About 20 min-

utes later, he looked me in the eye and apologized. By the end of the evening, we were able to laugh, and it was a great moment of learning and a new friend-ship. Absolutely, the power of a bible verse (and the Holy Spirit!) is one of my favorite things!

Kindly,

Kathryn HernkeCongregational Council

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.Romans 8:26

New Member Information SessionSunday, June 4Meeting and welcoming new members is a favorite thing to do at St. Andrew. We will be offering our next New Member Information Session on Sunday, June 4, from 10:15–11:15 AM, in Room 206. This gathering provides an opportunity to ask questions about St. Andrew and to meet others interested in becoming a member of our congregation. We will share a little about our history, our ministry and what we believe as Lutherans. Anyone interested in attending this session can contact Bambi Kuyper at bkuyper@standrewlu.org or Pastor Gail at PastorGail@standrewlu.org.

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Worship & Music“Notes” from the Music Office

My Favorite Thing One of my favorite things as it pertains to our worship life together is … (wait for it) … goosebumps. When a piece of music has just the right message that is timely and touches the heart as it is performed with great pas-sion and skill, it can bring about what I will call “holy goosebumps.” As any Canticle Choir member can tell you (or any of our other choirs and ensembles), what happens in between the time when a new piece is music is first read and when we get to the “goosebumps in worship” stage is a tremendous amount of hard work, dedication, and hours of rehearsal to get there. I am continually grateful to each and every music min-istry participant, whether it’s the kids

and families who commit to Wednes-day night rehearsals, our youth and adult bell ringers who faithfully come ready to work hard week after week, our youth and adult praise band partic-ipants who lead Sunday Night worship and our 10:30 service, our brass players who add such power and color to our hymns, our Canticle Choir who brings heart and vibrancy with their anthems and song leadership, all are serving God with joy and faithfulness. When the Bible talks about our “sacrifice of praise”, I think of all these people who show up early on Sunday mornings to bring their very best to our worship music because it’s their expression of love and praise to God who equips us

with “everything good for doing his will” (Hebrews 13:21). The more I think of it, the more I want to change my answer for what my favorite thing is because the dedication of all of our music ministry partici-pants and music staff, as they pour their energy and their love for God into their music-making, is my favorite thing. When I think about it, it gives me goosebumps.

In Christ’s Service,

Tim GrafDirector of Worshipand Music

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Dr. Lois MalcolmThe Holy Spirit: Creative Power in Our LivesMonday nights, September 25–October 9, 6:30–8:00 PMWho is the Holy Spirit? What does the Bible say about the Holy Spirit? How do we discern the Spirit’s presence and activity—not just in our personal lives, but also in the public realms of history, politics, economics, etc.? Can we actually talk about the Holy Spirit’s presence and activity without sounding like dupes or self-serving fools? These sessions will reflect on these questions in light of Scripture and our everyday experience.

A Few of My Favorite Things

My favorite thing is learning I have always loved learning new things. Whether it is from a podcast, reading the New York Times, something I hear on the radio, or that I research in a book, I am always gathering information, stories, and knowledge (and hopefully some skills). I collect these things like I used to collect Beanie Babies as a kid. At St. Andrew, I have been learning a lot about the young families involved here. As I visit families in their homes before they have a child baptized, we have a great opportunity to talk about life and the challenges of raising kids today. I have heard about the struggles to get kids in worship, the fear that they will be noisy or loud or run around. I affirm to these families that the noise in worship is a sign of the health of this congregation. We continue to build worship settings and learning oppor-tunities for parents and their young children through Wiggle and Wor-ship and our summer pilot series Wee Ones: Stories and Songs (see Children’s ministry page for more information). This Easter, attendance at Wiggle and

Worship grew over 50%, so we are looking at ways to continue to invite young families to worship through the eyes of their little ones. At the end of May (May 23–June 1) I have the privilege to participate in a different sort of learning. With fourteen other pastors from the Minneapolis Area Synod, I will be traveling with Bishop Anne Svennungsen to Leipzig, Germany to participate in their celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. We will be talking with other church leaders, learning about the challenges of being the church this century, and celebrating our reformation heritage at a worship service with over 300,000 peo-ple in Wittenberg. If you would like to

follow along on our journey, you can read our blog, which will be linked on the St. Andrew website. I hope that you engage in learning something new this year, whether it is joining a Wine and the Word group, attending one of our seminary classes, or cracking open that bible on your shelf. God continues to speak to us as we en-gage in learning together, and shapes the way we interact with ourselves and the world.

Pastor Matthew Ian FlemingPastor of Teaching and Young Adults

The Shelter of God’s Promisesby Sheila WalshStarting June 14, 9:30 AMFacilitated by Mary Hanson, this Wednesday morning women’s group during the summer will offer new insights into God’s promises as we walk with him.

What can I do to welcome a young family in worship?1. Smile.2. Thank them for bringing their child(ren).3. Open a door, grab them a bulletin, be your authentic welcoming selves.4. Introduce yourself and ask the kid(s)’ names.5. Thank God for the holy noise caused by these children.

Upcoming St. Andrew University Opportunities

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St. Andrew University

St. Andrew University: Becoming a ‘Favorite Thing’ A year ago, the concept of St. Andrew University was proposed and discussed within the Small Group Leadership Team. Tasked with the commission to “grow,” St. Andrew University began the process of creating new learning and fellowship opportunities through values of inclusivity, authenticity, empowerment, Christ-Centered and fun. Strategically, we sought to offer a wide range of offerings and ask for assessments from participants. What resulted from these efforts has been an evolving program, changed formulas for learning, and expanding participation. Thanks be to God! Key achievements would be the creation of Wine and the Word, a home-based curriculum of videos by St. Andrew pastors and small group sessions with tens of small groups. Our first venture into video media, a

mid-year survey and new technolog-ical equipment helped sharpen the experience. Wine and the Word will resume next fall with new, simplified, and improved program for existing and new groups. Another key achievement has been our relationship with Luther Seminary and its professors. High registration numbers this winter and spring indicate that the participants enjoyed the higher-level speakers especially related to Luther 500 com-memorations. We also strategically trimmed the length of the courses from five to three sessions, hoping to create more registrations. It worked! Finally, Parenting Forum targets parents in the community with rele-vant topics that affect the lives of their children and community. Successful

presentations by notable community leaders like Coach Mike Grant and EP High School Principal Conn McCartan as well as topics like “What’s on Your Kids Phone” and human trafficking have drawn increasingly larger groups of parents. While we continue to strive for excellence and build for the future, we are grateful for your participation in St. Andrew University. Let us together grow in faith and community.

In Christ’s service,

Pastor Peter JohnsonPastor of Service and Small Groups

Prof. Hans Wiersma“The Luther You Thought You Knew”October 11Congratulations, Martin Luther! The Reformation you’ve been credited for starting turns 500 years old this fall (2017). From The 95 Theses to “Here I Stand,” from your marriage to a renegade nun to your penchant for her beer, from your hatred for the Pope to your writings against the Jews, your story is well-known. Or is it? (Note to interested parties: this highly visual presentation will compare the “pop-culture” version of Martin Luther with @RealMartinLuther.)

Early LearningA Few of My Favorite Things

Spring is a busy time of year at St. Andrew Early Learning! While some classrooms are gearing up for summer fun

other classrooms are winding down their classroom time and getting ready for end of the year goodbyes. While we love and enjoy what each new day of school brings, here are a few of our favorite things: April 24–28, 2017 we joined schools from across the nation to celebrate NAEYC Week of the Young Child. Each day had its own theme and gave our teachers a chance to do with it what they wished. • Monday: “Music Monday” . . . through music children

develop math, language and literacy skills. Music was heard throughout the halls of St. Andrew and many class-room even made their own instruments!

• Tuesday: “Tasty Tuesday” . . . cooking together connects math with literacy skills, science and so much more! It also promotes conversations about healthy eating habits.

• Wednesday: “Work Together Wednesday” . . . when chil-dren build together they explore math and science con-cepts and develop their social skills. Classrooms could be found working together to make murals and block cities throughout the building.

• Thursday: “Artsy Thursday” . . . children develop creativ-ity, social skills and fine motor skills with open-ended art projects where they can make choices, use their imagina-tions and create with their hands.

• Friday: “Family Friday” . . . engaging and celebrating families is at the heart of supporting our youngest learn-ers. Our families were greeted with donuts and orange

juice in the morning and well wishes for a fabulous Friday! Classrooms took the time to talk about family traditions and who is in their families.

May 1–5, 2017 we celebrated National Teacher Appreci-ation Week. We are so thankful and blessed to be surrounded each day of the year by such a wonderful and amazing teaching staff that we couldn’t wait to have a week that showed them how much we cared! Together with the families within our program, our teachers enjoyed a week full of fun treats, special flowers, homemade cards and most of all, we enjoyed getting to know our all of our teachers’ favorite things! May 23, 2017 is “Our Night to Shine”. We will enjoy a graduation ceremony together and celebrate with our 53 graduates and their families as they begin their new adven-ture and are off to Kindergarten! Our days are filled with lots of things, but our favorite things are the St. Andrew Early Learning children and their families.

Melanie EggersChildcare Directormeggers@standrewlu.org952.697.7130

Kathi WiemanPreschool Directorkwieman@standrewlu.org952.697.7132

St. Andrew

Preschool & Childcare

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Children’s MinistryA Few of My Favorite Things

VBS and Service Squad We are so excited about Divine Detectives, our June 26–29 VBS (ages 3 ½–2nd grade), Service Squad (3rd–5th grade completed) Adventure. Our theme verse is Joshua 1:9—“I hereby command you, be strong and coura-geous. Do not be frightened or afraid, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” VBS and Service Squad are two of our favorite Children’s Ministry sum-mer activities. Your kids will have a blast detecting and discovering God in the world! Join us to lead a small group of 4–8 kids at VBS or as part of the Service Squad. You’ll even get a t-shirt and cof-fee. Sign up online on the VBS/Service Squad page at standrewlu.org. It will be one of your favorite summer things!

Summer Sundays for Kids and Families Worship with your kids this summer at 8:45 or 10:00 AM, or bring them to Summer Sunday School in the gym where we will have a great sum-mer together! Kids age 4–2nd grade will play, sing, hear a Bible story, do art, and pray. Kids who have completed Grades 3–6 are invited to worship with their families where they can read the lessons, greet, or serve communion – or they can develop leadership skills by helping in Summer Sunday School. Summer Sunday School is from June 11–Aug 20, except July 2. See you in church this summer!

Wee Ones Stories & Songs Summer is a great time to connect with other families. Families with kids ages birth–three (and siblings) are invited to join Pastor Matthew, Arlene Flancher, Director of Children’s Ministry, and special guests, once a week for songs, stories, and time to simply be together with other kids and parents. We will offer Wee Ones Stories and Songs twice each week: Tuesday mornings from 9:00–10:30 AM from June 13–Aug 8 (except July 4) or Wednesday evenings from 5:30–6:30 PM from June 14–August 9 (except July 5). Our morning session will include playtime in the gym from 9:00–9:30, and our evening session will include a pizza dinner from 5:30–6:00 with an opportu-nity to worship at 6:30. Register online. Each 8-week session is $25 per family.

NEW!

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Middle School MinistryA Few of My Favorite Things About St. Andrew Youth

They ask good questions. On our confirmation retreat, I sat down with some girls to eat lunch and was immediately

bombarded by great questions about the Christian faith and how we can contribute to a more peaceful world. “Who all goes to heaven?” “How is Jesus going to come again?” “Can you explain reincarnation?” “Are any religions truly based on hate?” They’re grateful. On our last day of confirmation I was met with many sad faces. I explained that I was leaving cards for each group leader on the table for kids to sign as they wished, and I was incredibly proud as I watched groups fight over pens and the opportunity to be the first one thanking their leader. They’re excited to serve. At our first Mission Camp meeting we went through Trivia about Northern MN, and each kid going was able to share one skill they can use while serving in Hackensack. “I’m good with kids,” “I guess I can talk with people?” “I’m strong and can help fix things.” They’re goofy. Dance parties, handshakes, and funny voices make up some of my favorite moments with these kids. They constantly remind me that there’s a time to be serious, and there’s a time to play baseball with Oreo cookies, pencils, and our mouths.

Lindsay BatesMiddle School Ministry Director

Coming up this summer:

• June 14 S’morin’ Good Time: Bonfire, songs, and s’mores to kick off the summer

• June 18–23 Mission Camp at Spirit in the Pines• June 26–29 Leaders in Training at VBS• July 11 Hyland Day in the Sun: Paddle boarding, hik-

ing, kayaks, and some good old fashioned sand castles• August 3 Eden Prairie Ice Cream Bike Tour: We’ll

meet at church and hit all the local favorite ‘cream spots to settle the debate over the best cone/sundae once and for all

• August 22 Welch Mill Tubing: An old favorite! We’ll tube down Cannon River a few times, and of course grab some ice cream on the way back!

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A Few of My Favorite Things

Prime Timers The Prime Timers are members and friends of St. Andrew, ages 55+, who enjoy fellowship, outings, tours, plays, and luncheons with speakers. We encourage people to invite friends to join our fellowship. Anyone in this age group is welcome to share in any of these activities. Watch for announce-ments in the weekly bulletin, in church e-mail, and sign up in the Prime Timer’s white binder at the Front Desk at church.  Contact Pastor Roger for program suggestions and to be included in his email updates on programs or call him at 612-991-2541. Below are a few upcoming events you won’t want to miss. Join us – you’ll be glad you did!

Pastor Roger SchindelVisitation Pastor

High School Ministry & Prime Timers

We have been having a great spring that has brought many opportunities to get involved here at St. An-

drew. We now look to summer to have more ways to get you involved and grow you in a variety of ways. It may be growing you physically as we look toward our Mission Trip in July to Detroit or the physical strength it takes to be a counselor at camp. It could be mentally as we look for our leadership camp at Spirit in the Pines on June 18–23. Where we will challenge you with low ropes courses, leadership challenges, and other activities that will lead to a new camp experience where we take all the best out of camp that we can. It could also be spiritually as we start our backyard bonfire and wel-

come High Schoolers to come and hangout every other week. Two more dates to keep on your calendar for our graduat-ing class of 2017 will be June 4 which is our Baccalaureate ceremony, as well as August 6 which is our graduates dinner. So join us for some exciting opportunities and make sure you keep your eyes out for emails on more excit-ing things to come.

TJ HelgrenHigh School Ministry Director

A Few of My Favorite Things Spirit in the Pines

The Woods Are Alive With the Sound of Music! The movie “The Sound of Music” takes place in the beautiful Austrian Alps, and Spirit in the Pines has its own unmistakable beauty in the north woods of Minnesota! In both instances there is a manifestation of God’s presence, power and attention to detail in every aspect of creation, including you and me! That realiza-tion of God’s handiwork and love for each of us puts a smile on our face, lightness to our step, and a song in our heart! At camp the woods are alive with the sound of music! The singing begins each morning in the chapel and ends each evening around the campfire with loons joining in the chorus! The “happy” sounds of music and laughter from the campers, counselors, and staff throughout the day are some of my favorite things at camp! “My Favorite Things” is a question we ask campers and counselors alike. Amazing campfire worship leads the list, followed by super-fun games, great food, awesome counselors, water Olympics … and the list goes on. A soon-to-be new favorite is on the horizon … camp is going Gaga! Camp is building a “pit” for Gaga Ball! Other exciting additions this summer include a beautiful new nurse’s cabin, new 80ft dock, decks for Cana & Corinth, and a sand launching area for canoes! We have more counselors than ever before and more campers than ever before! Yet we still have openings at every grade level & for family camp! Go to the church website and reserve your space at camp. Let Spirit in the Pines become one of your favorite things!

Burke HancerDirector of Camping Ministries

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A Few of My Favorite Things Seeds of Support Mission: Haiti

Haitian Bakery Gets Its StartRedemption Lutheran Church Bakes Bread for the First Time Two years ago, Seeds of Support Mission: Haiti heard from the women of Redemption Lutheran Church of Jacmel, Haiti that a bakery employing members of the church and community would be a great blessings for their lives. The recent Spring Break 2017 mission trip brought them a step closer to this reality: the first batch of freshly baked bread. “We worked for six long days getting the bakery ready, building cooling racks, hooking up the gas lines, and other projects,” said Elliott Meier, one of the 18 mission trip participants

and a trained chef known around St. Andrew for his Sunday morning caramel rolls. “When Saturday came, we finally could bake our first batch. But, we needed to travel to Port au Prince at noon. While the bread barely had time to rise properly, it tasted good and people were so excited.” “Accompanying this bakery process has been slow, deliberate and exciting,” says John Kohner, trip leader and member of the Seeds of Support board. “A bakery business is complex. Business plans need to be drafted. People need to be trained to bake and deliver the bread. Good policies and practices

need to be put into place.” While financial assistance is planned to assist in the startup of the operations, says Kohner, “the bakery needs to sustain itself in the future.” Seeds of Support will make its next trip to Jacmel in June to help the process along. Future mission trip participants will witness first-hand the bakery’s development and its effect on the community. Check the St. Andrew website to follow the progress.

Save the DateUpcoming Haiti Mission Trips

• November 25–December 3 Registration Deadline: August 1

• January 20–28, 2018 Registration Deadline: October 1

• Eden Prairie Spring Break 2018 (Dates TBD)

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A Few of My Favorite Things Hospitality Ministry

1,936 Early Learning

Lunches Served Per Month

The Abundant Life at St. Andrew is one of my favorite things! “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.” I Timothy 6:17 Our Heavenly Father wants us to have abundant life now and eternal life in the future! What are a few of my favorite things of the abundant life at St. Andrew:

• Lighting up the church every Sunday morning, but espe-cially on Easter morning just before the sun rises—excited for the volunteers to arrive!

• Hearing the youth musicians that volunteer warming up before church on Sunday nights as I arrive to prepare for worship.

• Watching the Altar Guild volunteers that quietly prepare the worship space with care and dedication each and every worship.

• Watching the Bible Blasters soar into the dining room with glee on Wednesday nights, wondering what adven-tures Mrs. Arlene and her volunteers have taken them on!

• Listening to our amazing weekly volunteer, Cindy, talk to baptism and wedding families across the hall from me. Kind of makes me want to begin again..

• Watching the sun set at Spirit in the Pines while singing and enjoying the campfire that the great youth camp staff and volunteers put on, such a special place!

• Seeing families greet, together, parents serving commu-nion and ushering with their young adults—generations volunteering together!

• Hearing, volunteer Lisa, on Wednesday nights say I have missed spending time serving in this way and connecting with the families of St. Andrew

• The learning, the growth and the awesome volunteer service experiences with my fellow small group friends at St. Andrew

Yes, I love volunteers! They are a few of my favorite things, just ask my colleagues at St. Andrew, who know it is one of the favorite parts of my job! Why you say, because they put their faith in action and it truly warms my heart. Imagine, this past Maundy Thursday through Easter—300 St. Andrew volunteers in action!

Deb BigleyHospitality Coordinator

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1,936 Early Learning

Lunches Served Per Month

72 Youth Participate

in Vocal Choirs

56 lbs of Colored Powder Thrown During

Confirmation Retreat

190 Sunday School Volunteers

346 First-time Campers Last

Year

13 Youth Participate in Bells

3,960 Cookies Eaten by Confirmation

Students

17 Times the Song “Lions” Was Sung in Confirmation

2,860 Early Learning Snacks Served Per

Month

St. Andrew Youth Ministry

By the Numbers

128 Songs Sung in Faith Rocks

990 Early Learning Breakfasts Served Per

Month

56 Baptisms Last Year

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NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTWIN CITIES, MNPERMIT NO. 7179

13600 Technology DriveEden Prairie, MN 55344

952.937.2776 | www.standrewlu.org

Summer Worship TimesStarting May 28

Sunday Mornings8:45 & 10:00 AM

Wednesday Evenings6:30 PM