46th Annual Congregational Meeting

On Sunday, January 22, we held our 46th Annual Congregational Meeting, with 85 voting members present in person and online.

• We elected three new members to our congregation council: Jordan Butler, LoriAnn Gillick, and Dave King. Congratulations, and welcome to the council!

• President-elect Joy Altmann expressed our gratitude towards the members going off council: President Jim Smiley, John Kirk, and Juli Hermanson. We are grateful for their great work and leadership, they will be missed!

• Our Treasurer, Sara Ross, presented the 2022 Financials. Thanks to the great generosity and responsiveness of our congregation, our church fund finished the year above budget, a wonderful blessing given the economic headwinds last year. Our camp and preschool ministries underperformed in 2022, due to lower than expected enrollment in both programs, and higher costs, especially food, for camp. We moved $124,000 from our reserves into our operating fund to balance the budget. We approved the Treasurer’s report.

• The Chair of our Finance Committee, Steve Moen, spoke about the restricted funds and the general reserves of St. Andrew, as well as the work of the Finance Committee. He also read the statement of the Financial Review Committee.

• The 2023 Key Aims were presented and approved. They center around Worship, Connectivity, Growth and Hope. These Key Aims will serve as a guide to our leaders and staff throughout the year as they plan programs and activities. The Key Aims also determine the focus areas of the 2023 Budget.

• Our Sr. Director of Church Operations, Meggy Wagner, presented the 2023 Budget. The main investments in 2023 are in our staff budget, with all key program positions now filled with experienced leaders in their field, as well as in worship, especially music. The budget is balanced by improved financial contributions from other ministries, especially childcare and camp, based on enrollment trends and tuition increases in line with competition. We approved the 2023 Budget.

Thank you to everyone who attended this important meeting about St. Andrew’s business, and to all who have supported our ministries this past year. We are blessed by God through each and every one of you!

Finding your niche

Thank you to the dozens and dozens of volunteers who assisted is so many ways to ensure that St. Andrew was welcoming, beautiful, and inspiring for Christmas! There were over 3,000 people who attended in person and hundreds more who experienced the beauty and splendor online. Many hands made the work lighter, more enjoyable, and made a real difference in people’s lives! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

The need for volunteer help and leadership never ends.The after Christmas clean up and storage takes several weeks. Wednesday night catered meals can always use help in the kitchen or serving. Sunday morning coffee and rolls could use a couple more couples to spread out the rotation and share the fun. Volunteer ushers for both services are wanted so that there could be 4 usher teams rotating monthly instead of three. Greeters for each service are needed to make everyone feel at home as soon as they enter the doors! Communion assistants are always needed for the first and third Sundays. The Alter Guild needs to be started up again with volunteers who will organize and care for the worship needs during communion, baptisms, and special worship services. The funeral committee is always looking for those who can provide food as well as those who can assist in the preparation and serving during a funeral. Volunteers will be needed to set up Easter flowers in the sanctuary and fellowship hall much like the poinsettias were—and the list goes on. If you are interested in any of these volunteer opportunities or others, please go to the St. Andrew website and search volunteers. If you have any questions please call or email me, Burke Hancer at 952-697-7118, or bhancer@ standrewlu.org.

Are you handy or helpful or want to be? Do you know how to use a screwdriver? If you answered “yes” to any of the previous questions, have I got a deal for you! There is a group of men who meet most weeks doing a variety of things around the church that keeps St. Andrew going forward. Setting up or taking down Christmas trees—check. Organize areas, move stuff around—check. Put together furniture, toys, or ?—check. Paint, weed, change lights—you get the idea. There is always a need to broaden the list of men and women interested and available to volunteer in these ways. Often the work happens during a Monday or Wednesday morning. Please contact Burke Hancer if interested. I’m always willing to chat and get to know folks over a cup of coffee!

Being a member of a large congregation like St. Andrew is wonderful. Yet in a large church it also can take a little more time and effort to find your niche. Sometimes a person can feel lost and disconnected within the church for a variety of reasons. A person can also find a place within the church that fills their cup and provides purpose. Sometimes the difference between being lost and found is as thin as a Bible page, or as broad as a genuine smile and hug. The many volunteer opportunities and activities offered at St. Andrew are here to help you find your niche with friends yet to be met.

The key to hospitality remains simple but poignant—be kind and care. “Welcome! It’s nice to see you. How are you doing today? What is your name? Would you like to join us?” We all have a part to play in helping each other find God’s love at St. Andrew through our genuine warmth, compassion, appreciation and hospitality. I look forward to seeing you at church!

Burke Hancer Safety & Facilities Director

Easter Flowers

St. Andrew has had a long tradition of filling our chancel and other areas with beautiful and inspiring flowers for Easter. You will once again have the opportunity to purchase and dedicate Easter lilies, tulips, or mums. Look for more details about cost, color options, and how to order in the near future through our weekly emails, our website, and on the church monitors.