THE GREETERApril 2016

FROM THE RECTOR

Happy Easter! The season of Lent is finally over, the birds are chirping, the flowers are beginning to bloom and the trees are budding. After a long winter, Easter, which generally falls during springtime, is a reminder that death does not have the final word. In Jesus, we have resurrection and new life. Christmas and Easter are both similar in that many people regard them as single days rather than a season. Easter Day is just the beginning of the season called Eastertide. And so, Easter Day may have passed, but the season of Easter continues until the Day of Pentecost, which this year falls on May 15th. With this in mind, keep your ears and eyes open to the continuing revelation of Jesus’s resurrection. Look around you and within you. See Jesus anew. He is alive and his work continues!

Switching subjects, I want to give the parish an update on our continuing search for an assistant rector. You may recall from previous communications that we are collaboratively working with All Saints church, which is also looking for an assistant. Earlier in March we brought out a couple to interview and to show them the city of Omaha. The interviews went well and on Maundy Thursday, the rector of All Saints, Marisa, and I called the couple and have officially offered them the positions at our parishes. They have been completely honest with us during this process and let us know that they have one more interview to complete in another city, which they feel obligated to keep. After they interview there, they will be in a position to let us know whether or not they will accept our offer. At this point, there is nothing we can do but to pray for them and to wait. I should know something by the end of the first week of April. Should the offer be accepted, I will be able to share more details about who they are, their respective backgrounds, and who would be the assistant at St. Andrew’s.

Fr. John

MINISTRY NEWS

OMAHA GIVESOmaha’s fourth annual 24-hour charitable giving challenge is set for Friday, May 25. St. Andrew’s has been approved as a participant. If you give to St. Andrew’s through this link https://www.omahagives24.org/ click on Non-profits, and search for St. Andrew’s on May 25, your donation (or payment of your pledge) will go further as additional funds will be added to every donation given this day. You can even schedule your gift to be given ahead of time to ensure you don’t forget on May 25

ALTAR GUILD REMINDERS AND THANK YOUSThe next Altar Guild meetings will be held on Wednesday, April 6 and on May 4, at 9:30 in the chapel followed by the meeting in the conference room.  At the May meeting, we will sign up for altar duty through mid-September so please bring your calendars with you. The Altar Guild shares coffee duty with the Nearly New Shop on April 24, June 5, August 7.Thanks to St. Andrew’s “wine angels.”  Due to their generosity, St. Andrew’s is supplied with all of its communion wine.Thanks to Altar Guild members and "Friends of the Altar Guild" for your work during the season of Lent and especially during Holy Week .

FRIENDS OF THE CHOIRThe Friends of the Choir is a new organization at St. Andrews that was formed this year. It is dedicated to supporting the growth and development of the Adult Choir and related musical needs in the traditional worship service at St. Andrews Episcopal Church. Music is an important means of forming and expressing faith in the liturgy. It is an attempt to adorn the liturgy with beauty, to make living the Christian life more attractive, to give us a brief foretaste of the heavenly beauty that we will experience at the end of the ages. In his book Living Beauty, Alejandro Garcia-Rivera says, “A liturgy given not so much for the sake of the Church but for the sake of the world must attract the world to what is lifted up. In other words, it must be something of great Beauty.” We seek to embody this approach in all that we do, with the goal of enhancing the beauty of our liturgy and of our lives.

Current projects that need support include:(1) Commissioning a new anthem from noted American choral composer René Clausen in memory of our dear friend and chorister Ingrid Van Blerk(2) Raising support for our annual “Lessons and Carols” service(3) Purchasing anthems for the choir to sing on Sunday mornings(4) Raising support for our annual choir retreat at the St. Benedict Center in Schuyler(5) Hiring a trumpeter-in-residence to play at seven significant liturgies throughout the year

Your tax deductible donation will help the Friends support these ongoing programmatic needs. Please consider becoming a friend of the choir today by sending a check to St. Andrews with your donation for the Friends of the Choir organization noted in the subject line. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Michael Bauer, organist/choirmaster at St. Andrews:mbauer@ku.edu 402-541-3080.

EASTER SEASON CHOIRA Special Opportunity for You to ConsiderThe adult choir will be singing at the 10:30 service from Easter day through May 22nd (Trinity Sunday). For anyone who would like to sing for a limited time with the choir, this might be a good opportunity to join us. We hold rehearsals on Thursday evenings from 7:30-9:00 and Sunday mornings at 9:00. If you are a former choir member who would like to experience singing again for a sort time or a high school student who wants to find out what singing is all about, feel free to simply come to any of our rehearsals. If you are a new member or someone who has gone to St. Andrews for many years and always wanted to try singing, consider joining with us for this one season with no further commitment required. The choir is a wonderful community of people who support one another, laugh, pray, and enjoy the process of creating beauty for our worship services. We hope that some of you might take advantage of this offer. No musical skills are required. We will teach you how to sing and help you to learn more about music as you have fun and serve the parish and God through your efforts. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Michael Bauer, organist/choirmaster at St. Andrews at mbauer@ku.edu or 402-541-3080.

DIAPER SHOWEROur Annual Diaper Shower will be held in Engle Hall, Saturday afternoon on April 23rd from 2-4pm.  We ask that you bring a bag or box of disposable diapers.  In the past this has been a festive and fun party with desserts and savories and a great way to welcome our newest members that are here and yet to come. Questions? Call Sarah 402-660-7649

JOIN THE FUN CLUBJoin the St. Andrew's Fun Club for a unique gathering in April:APRIL 15, 2016"Celebrating being over 55"Garden Cafe in the Rockbrook Center5:30 p.m. Appetizers and Beverages6:30 p.m. Entertainer Mary Maxwell (Omaha's own funny lady)Space is limited, so you need to buy a ticket ($5 for one or $8 for two) They will be available the next two Sundays or you can RSVP to Loree MacNeill at rognloree@live.com

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOLSave the date. Vacation Bible School and Marketplace 29 AD will be held at St. Andrew’s Sunday, June 12-Tuesday, June 14. Supper is at 5:30 with programming from 6:00pm-8:00pm each evening. Please register with Sarah at sarah@standrewsomaha.org or 402-660-7649. Cost is $15 per child with a maximum of $30 per family. We hope you join us for the fun and educational event.

CAMP CANTERBURYRegistration will be open for Camp Canterbury beginning May 1. Camp is for youth all across the diocese entering 4th-12th grade. Camp Canterbury is located at Camp Calvin Crest near Fremont, NE. and will be held July 18-22. More information can be found at campcanterbury.episcopal-ne.org.

A WORD TO THE CHURCHThe House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church, meeting in retreat, unanimously approved the following Word To The Church.Holy Week 2016"We reject the idolatrous notion that we can ensure the safety of some by sacrificing the hopes of others.”

On Good Friday the ruling political forces of the day tortured and executed an innocent man. They sacrificed the weak and the blameless to protect their own status and power. On the third day Jesus was raised from the dead, revealing not only their injustice but also unmasking the lie that might makes right.

In a country still living under the shadow of the lynching tree, we are troubled by the violent forces being released by this season’s political rhetoric. Americans are turning against their neighbors, particularly those on the margins of society. They seek to secure their own safety and security at the expense of others. There is legitimate reason to fear where this rhetoric and the actions arising from it might take us.

In this moment, we resemble God’s children wandering in the wilderness. We, like they, are struggling to find our way. They turned from following God and worshiped a golden calf constructed from their own wealth. The current rhetoric is leading us to construct a modern false idol out of power and privilege. We reject the idolatrous notion that we can ensure the safety of some by sacrificing the hopes of others. No matter where we fall on the political spectrum, we must respect the dignity of every human being and we must seek the common good above all else.

We call for prayer for our country that a spirit of reconciliation will prevail and we will not betray our true selves.

The Episcopal Church House of Bishops met in retreat March 11 – 15 at Camp Allen Conference Center in Navasota, TX.

OUTREACH NEWS

YOUTH EMERGENCY SERVICES (YES)During the entire month of April, we will have a collection of summer clothing for Youth Emergency Services. Clothing is needed for teens, young adults, infants & preschool children. Clothing can be placed in the black bins in Engle Hall. Monetary donations are also very welcome & greatly appreciated. Checks may be written to St. Andrew’s with YES noted on the memo line. Cash donations should also be designated for YES.Thank you for your help.

DEAN FRICKE FOOD PANTRYDue to a rise in the cost of food and a substantial decrease in the monetary donations the pantry has received this year, the Dean Fricke Food Pantry needs your help to provide food for the poor and needy. The non-perishable food items that each church collects for the pantry is only a small portion of what is needed for this mission. The majority of the food we use to fill our sacks comes from the Food Bank for the Heartland. If food is collected and donated to the Food Bank of the Heartland, it can be purchased by us at 16 cents a pound. For example, a can of Progresso soup at a retail store could cost between $1.00 and $1.50. That same can could be purchased through the Food Bank of the Heartland for 16 cents. By making a financial donation to the Dean Fricke Food Pantry, it can purchase up to 5 times the amount of food.Please consider making a financial donation today. This is a vital ministry here in Omaha. Most churches will have donation envelopes available but if not, please send your donation to the address below.

The Dean Fricke Memorial Episcopal Food PantryTrinity Cathedral113 North 18th StreetOmaha, NE 68102

POP TABS FOR RONALD MCDONALD HOUSEWe are collecting the aluminum tabs from aluminum cans again. Please save these, bring them with you to church, and place them in the jar that will soon be in Engle Hall. These will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House in memory of Lou Gates.

BY REQUEST FUNDRAISERSAVE THE DATE! The 4th Annual “By Request Only” Fundraiser for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and St. Andrew’s outreach ministry will be on Friday,

September 16th at Lauritzen Gardens. Please mark your calendars and make plans to join us for a fun evening of music and dancing. Last year’s event raised double the amount from the previous year, and over half of the folks in attendance were from the wider Omaha community. They outnumbered the attendance from our own church. Very exciting and proof positive we are gaining steam year-by-year! Save the date - and let’s make 2016 the best year yet!

ST MONICA’S GUILD THANKS YOUThe Ladies of St. Monica's Guild would like to extend a big thank you to the St. Andrew's community for your continued support of our Welcome Bag project.  Thanks to your generosity, we were able to deliver 25 new Welcome Bags to the St. Monica's Home in Lincoln.  These women are so grateful for your support and these bags, which provide them with basic hygiene items.  Many of these women arrive at the St. Monica's Home for substance abuse treatment with only the clothes on their backs, and the comfort of having these basic needs met is such a blessing.  Because of the people of St. Andrew's, St. Monica's home has been able to help a total of 239 women with the gift of one of these bags.  We will continue our project into the future, and have begun collecting

items for a delivery in June.  We are accepting donations of new bath towels and washcloths, full size suave or similar shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, and deodorant.  We also include toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, feminine products, and journals in the handmade bags.  Any donations can be brought to a St. Monica's meeting or left in the bin outside the office.  Thank you again for your incredible generosity!

GREETINGS FROM THE FINANCIAL OFFICEHere at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church there are many things to be grateful for and the generosity of the many people involved in so many different ways is certainly near the top of the list. Generosity of spirit, time, talents, and financial gifts.The problem is that last one leaves us very vulnerable in many ways. I think we are exceedingly fortunate that nothing obvious has occurred to any of the financial contributions that have been given to St. Andrews to fulfill the church’s various missions, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need to take precautions. I came across an article that I would like to share some of for your consideration. It is titled “4 Tips to Prevent Fraud at Faith-Based Organizations.” The biggest problem that churches face is skimming – when money disappears before it ever gets logged into the books. It is the counting and depositing process where fraud can occur most easily. Fortunately St. Andrew’s has very reasonable and thoughtful cash handling policies in place that are for the protection of all those who handle – or -- donate cash or checks to the church. I share these with you as a reminder for those times you find yourself in charge of handling donations. It all boils down to one simple statement: ENSURE THAT AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE ARE WITH THE MONEY AT ALL TIMES. While this sounds like common sense, it has to be followed without exception if it is going to work. The control is not effective if one person takes the money from the collection plate to a place of counting or the safe after worship. It is not effective if one person goes to copy the checks or ask a question of the Financial Administrator and leaves the other person with the cash. It is not effective if one person takes the money to the bank before leaving an accounting of the cash and checks for a third person to record in the books. All of this is why we require two signatures on the Usher count sheets and the Weekly deposit count sheets.Please do not take this as an admonishment to those who handle money in the many different programs here at St. Andrew’s. I have the greatest respect for all of you in the St. Andrew’s community and the gifts you bring to this Church. I just want you to understand why we have the policies concerning counting money that we do and to ask that you carefully follow them.

Peace,Ginny WinsorFinancial Administrator

If you would like a full copy of the article mention above, please contact me at ginny@standrewsomaha.org or 402-391-1950.

FROM THE DESKCelebrating the Resurrection at Easter and through Eastertide is also a great reminder that Easter and Spring are a time of rejoice, renewal and rejuvenation. Sometimes this manifests itself in looking at ways to improve ourselves, our lifestyles, and make changes. The big change coming for me this Spring is that I am moving into a new house. This will lead to some spring cleaning as I decide what I do and do not need to pack and unpack, and where it will live in the new home. It also leads me to think and consider what is and isn’t important to me and living a fulfilling life. It is a good time to get rid of not only the physical junk, but also the things that may be weighing you down emotionally. I wish all of you a rejuvenating spring.

Articles for the next edition of The Greeter will be due April 25.

Erin Sloan

APRIL Birthdays and Anniversaries

Matt Aguilar 4/1 Beau Malnack 4/1

Cindy Frieling 4/2 Amanda Olson 4/3

Denise Telford 4/4 Rick Kollar 4/5

Samantha McHugh 4/7 Darlene Gottschalk 4/9 Bob Clark 4/10

Ian Haakinson 4/10 Kate Engle 4/11 Christina Harter 4/12

Noah Haakinson 4/12 Colin Achelpohl 4/12 Vivian Rome Bryan 4/12

Kathy Upton 4/15 Carrie Wagner 4/15 Tommy Pugsley 4/17

Margaret Coffey 4/19 Yvonne Wagner 4/20 Liz Bourne 4/20

Andy Hawekotte 4/20 Jon Siner 4/22 Tim Witty 4/22

Tudor Lewis 4/22 Aaron Adams 4/22 Linda Kay-Einerson 4/23

Melissa Ditsch 4/23 Elizabeth Nelson 4/23 David Cole 4/24

Joe Jackson 4/26 Missy Kozak-Freed 4/27 Lia Sagert 4/27

James Ruegge 4/30 Bonnie Erickson 4/30 Aileen Henry 4/30

Maddie Dornan 4/30 Mae and Rob Ahrendsen 4/6

Tim and Noreen Witty 4/12 Frank and Liz Hudson 4/15

Fred II and Margo Trofholz 4/20 Gene and Sue Hillman 4/20

John and Oneda Burns 4/23 Donald and Donna Burril 4/24

Bruce and Lisa Moritz 4/24 Ken Cratty and Colleen Messec 4/29

Chris and Patty Kircher 4/30

Ministry ScheduleApril 10 April 17 April 24 May 1

Acolytes9:00 Connor Smith Audrey Coonce Hannah Coonce TBD

10:30 Laura DodgeJohn Dodge

Josh GottschalkNathan Gottschalk

Ron Dunic TBD

Altar GuildS Polly Goecke Sue Hillman Carolyn Curtis/

Jane HooverAdah Earle

E Liz Bourne TBD Terrie Saunders Gretchen Gottschalk

L Jan Buhr/Betty White

Mina Witherspoon/ Mary Schreiber

Betty White Aileen Henry

Healing Prayer

7:45 Lois Westfall Lois Westfall Lois Westfall Lois Westfall9:00 Karen Ekholm Lance Baker Andy Hawekotte Andy Hawekotte10:30 TBD Anne Gambal Cricket Foley TBDLay Readers7:45 Ron Dunic Jordan Hankins Keith Ross Lois Westfall9:00 Camille Culp

Ben BryanMelissa PeelerDon Peeler

Jenny ElseTaryn Smith

Cathy RifeDavid Adcock

10:30 Bert Van BlerkClaire Atkins

Kelly BourneWilhelmina Dabrah

Kaitlan PettifordTara O’Shea

Ken WestLee Hammond

Ushers7:45 John Mabry John Mabry John Mabry John Mabry9:00 Steve and

Lauren WhiteLinda Kay-Einerson, Burke Smith, Isabelle Adcock

Jonathan Gray Roger RoweMatt Dornan

Don PeelerBarb Jackson

10:30 Lee HammondD.J. O’SheaRon Dunic

Ken CrattyDave and Anne Gambal

Charley and Nancy PugsleyScott Nelson

Lee HammondD.J. O’SheaRon Dunic

Greeters7:45 Laraine Crane John Mabry Laraine Crane John Mabry9:00 Dana Coonce Monty and Tish

HalsteadTom and Jean Sitzman

Todd and Cathy Engle

10:30 Kelly and Liz Bourne

Crickey Foley Janice Nelson TBD

Lay ReadersLiturgy Team

Vestry/FinanceDaughters of the King

Altar GuildNearly New Shop

Parish LifeGreeters

February Vestry Minutes: (November-January are available upon request)

St. Andrew’s Episcopal ChurchMinutes for February 16, 2016

Attending: Ben Bryan, Jerry Boyles, Andy Hawekotte, D.J. O’Shea, Don Peeler, Nancy Ponec, John Schaefer, Shaun Rife, James Schreiber, Joel VanderVeen, Lois Westfall and Sue Woodson.

John Schaefer opened the meeting with Prayer at 7:04.

Welcome of our new Vestry members – Joel, Sue and Jim were introduced to the current members of the vestry to be sure that all knew one another.

Election of Clerk of the Vestry:Andy moved and Lois seconded that D.J. O’Shea be elected to serve as Clerk of the Vestry. The vote was unanimous.

Election of the Treasurer:Shaun moved and Jim seconded that Gordon Foley be elected treasurer of the Vestry. The vote was unanimous.

Minutes of the November 17, December 15, 2015, and the January 26, 2016 meetings were unavailable.

Previous actions of the vestry that current members need to be aware of going forward and expectations of vestry members. John explained the actions the Vestry had taken regarding setting aside funds for the Assistant Clergy member and the search under way. He also explained that part of being a member of the Vestry meant that you are expected to attend services, pledge and contribute to the ongoing activities of the church and can have no more than 3 absences at Vestry meetings.

Financial Report:In the absence of Treasurer Gordon Foley, Financial Administrator Ginny Winsor reported on the Financial Reports. Because there are new members in attendance, Ginny went into more detail than normal, explaining what each report shows and how the information was determined. She encouraged questions to be asked and offered private tutoring sessions for those who feel totally lost or afraid to ask questions in a group setting. These reports are the first of our Pledge year but the second of our fiscal year.

The first two page report - “People, Programs and Property Report” - shows the month of January had a positive bottom line for the month $27,283.08. The Operating Cash Fund Balance stands at $103,308.76; the Capital Cash Fund Balance is $0.00; and the Special Fund Balance is at $164,987.26 making total cash on hand $268,296.02.

Our Operating Pledges for 2016 stand at 117 families totaling $523,618. The budget is $495,524.00 so we should be well over budget at the end of the year.

D.J. moved and Don seconded the acceptance of the Financial Reports. The vote was unanimous.

Rector Report:John reminded everyone he would be in far western Nebraska with Ernesto Medina leading workshops on Racism. Ruth Tomlinson will be preaching on Saturday at 5:00 and Claire Atkins will preach the Sunday services.

The report on the Assistant priest search is very encouraging. So far 5 candidates have been identified and after preliminary conversations, those have been winnowed down to 3, including a married couple. Marissa at All Saints is in agreement with our search committee.

Senior Warden Report:Andy reported that those in attendance at the Project Resource training sessions in Grand Island were very excited about the information they received. It is year round stewardship activities and comes out of a program out of Colorado.

Junior Warden Report:Nancy has completed hand writing Thank You letters to all who have pledged to St. Andrew’s Operating Fund in 2016. Andy and John will also sign all the letters and they will be mailed in the next few days.

New BusinessJohn requested permission to purchase two new computers to replace the oldest ones in the church. Erin’s at the front desk will be a new tower and Ginny’s (Finance) will be a lap top. Neither can be updated to Windows 10. They will cost around $2,500 and the money can be taken from the Miscellaneous Reserved Fund which has over $3,000.

Lois moved and Jerry seconded to allow John to make these purchases. The vote was unanimous.

Nancy moved and Jim seconded to allow John to spend up to $2,500 and to take the money out of the Office Equipment budget line.

John asked the Vestry to consider a bid he was given on a new copier for the office after he received a cold call from another company for other equipment. The company we have been working with (that we like) on a machine (that we like) came back offering us a brand new machine NOW at a lower cost than we are currently paying off and a much lower per copy cost than we are currently paying. Also, the printer on Erin’s desk will be ours when we have paid it off.

Shaun moved and Sue seconded that we accept the bid on the new copier. The vote was unanimous.

The Vestry retreat will be on Saturday, April 9, from 9:00 until 3:00.

Old BusinessPhil Pierce did his magic and sat down with the folks from the city and quietly explained a few things and they came back with a new offer. The offer is now $14,075.00. The new trees will be guaranteed for 2 years and the sprinkler system will be included.

Lois moved and Shaun seconded that the city’s adjusted offer be accepted. The vote was unanimous.

Jim and Jerry will get information and bids on widening the Pacific Street entrance.

Other New Business:None

Committee Reports:

Other Business:There was no other old business discussed...

Andy closed the meeting with prayer at 9:31

Respectfully Submitted,Ginny Winsor