By Dan Hester

I want to continue to invite people to come to my Tuesday night study. We meet on Tuesday nights from 7pm to 8pm in room #4. You are always welcome to jump in wherever we are in a study. We are studying the Gospel of John right now and will pick up with chapter 6 when we resume meeting on Nov. 5. (We're currently taking a couple of weeks off.)

The building entrance we use is off to the left side of the main entrance. We usually have around 20 people in attendance. I try to start promptly at 7pm and end a few minutes before 8pm. If you're late, come on in; we won't make a big fuss.

Most people bring a Bible with them. There are also Bibles in the classroom for you to use. No outside reading is required during this study; but, if you long for some I can give you recommendations. So come on out. I'll look forward to seeing you.

By Dan Hester

Montclaire Elementary School uses the Family Life Center from time to time to hold school programs. Their school building does not have the capacity to hold a large group of students and their families. Most recently, MES held their graduation in our facility.

A few months ago the music program held a concert here. The picture shown here was taken at a rehearsal. I asked Montclaire's music teacher, Jessica Dawalt, to share some of her thoughts on what using our building means to their program. The show was for two grade levels and involved 150 students. Without the space our FLC provided, the program would have been limited in the number of performers, the number of people who could attend, as well as simple visibility and enjoyment.

Ms. Dawalt wrote:

"Our students loved being at the church. Comments came forth about the size of the room, the beautiful stage lighting, having side rooms to enter the stage from, and they loved having a sound system. The head set mics for our 3 actors were a hit. What a blessing for them to see and use the latest technology. This certainly aligns with the 21st century skills the state of NC desires for our students" Ms. Dawalt finished her letter by saying, "Not only impacting their education, Montclaire students have received the message from their community that they are valuable, loved, and celebrated for their hard work and achievements."

I wanted to share this experience with the congregation. This kind of ministry happens as a result of the generosity of St. Andrew's members. The next time you think that our budget merely keeps the lights on, remember the pride these elementary students felt, and how it was facilitated by the body of Christ at St. Andrew's UMC.  

By Dan Hester

Our first ever Community Christmas Tree Lighting was a blast. The weather was wonderful. The turnout was terrific. And the sense of it was something of a street fair. 

Several aspects of the event made it memorable for me. To start, so many people involved themselves in the event. Seeing so many people working on making their corner of the event work; seeing so many people do their part so that the whole came together gave me a feeling of joy. 

The animals were worth every rental penny we paid. The children were mesmerized by the animals. As soon as the trailer arrived, children literally jumped on the trailer and couldn't wait to see the animals. I think the adults liked them too, just not as many of them posed for cute pictures. Even the llama who was loosed at the end (thanks Facebook pictures) added a great story for those of us who were there to tell those who couldn't be there. 

But, by far my favorite part occurred just before we lit the tree. I was blabbing on a bit providing anticipation and ceremony to the actual lighting when something unscripted came out of my mouth. I said a word of appreciation for our neighbors who were in attendance because they were the ones for whom we were doing all of this. As soon as I said it, the church members present broke into applause. That heartfelt and spontaneous gesture of hospitality by our congregation was my early Christmas present. Thank you. 

By Dan Hester

Thanks for checking out the new web site. We created it to address multiple ideas. One aspect of the old site was that contributing to the site was cumbersome. This site will make it easier for staff and other contributors to edit content and tailor their pages to what is currently happening. 

Another reason for the change is current thinking about how web sites function for churches. Typically a web site is a church's front door. People who might visit us generally check the web site before they step foot on the property. So I hope you will find that our site is geared toward guests and not members. 

We're trying to keep the site relatively simple. Due to gearing the site towards visitors, we're not trying to provide complete information. Do more than six people really want to know that the study group for changing bathroom fixtures is meeting on Thursday? Hundreds of buttons and switches and options on a site may be good for CNN, but it can be overwhelming and confusing for someone who just wants to know a little about who we are. 

Hopefully this site will always be a work in progress. Let me now proclaim that the site is now and ever shall be imperfect. Nonetheless, the staff is excited about the possibilities it holds, the issues it addresses, and the conversations it can start. Check back often. Give us your feedback whether you are a guest or a member, and keep St. Andrew's UMC in your prayers.