|
Rector,
Curate and Staff, St. Andrew Parish Church
Services
for Christmas 2003 
Thoughts on Advent
Advent is a wonderful time of year, a time of expectancy
and hope, a time of lighting candles and opening advent calendars, a time
when we wait for light to come out of the darkness again, a time when
we are reminded of the importance of light coming into our world in the
birth of Jesus at Bethlehem two thousand years ago.
(A candle of hope by Garth Hewitt, 1999, page 12)
Back to Top 
Special Christmas Service
Shut-In Services
On Sunday, December 28 at 11:30 a.m. there will be a special Christmas
Service for those who are unable to attend Services on a regular basis
because of physical challenges, health or difficulties with attending
a long Service. On this day we structure the Service to accommodate these
persons. We are inviting members to assist in bringing other members out
to this Service and to suggest that should you know anyone who may wish
to attend, to invite and assist them to come. Given the renewed focus
on the Visitation programme we are expecting that our Parish Groups will
pay special attention to this.
Back to Top
Welcome
Assistant
Curate
We welcome Rev. Robert McLean as our new Assistant Curate effective December
15, 2003. We are particularly fortunate in having this addition
to our staff. Mr. McLean was ordained a Deacon at the Ordination
Service at St. Andrew's on St. Andrew's Day, November 30, 2003.
Back to Top
Annual Business Retreat
The Annual Business Retreat took place on Saturday, November
8, 2003. It was attended by members of the Church Committee, Chairpersons
of Outreach Projects and Parish groups. The Agenda included reports from
Outreach Projects - Moreton Park Cottages, St. Andrew Settlement, St.
Andrew Care Centre and the SAPC Home for Girls.
The focus this year was on Youth Ministry and the challenges for 2004.
Guest speakers were Miss Sasha Lumsden, Divisional Director of the Education
and Youth Department of the Diocese (and a member of SAPC) and Rev. Garth
Minott, Anglican Warden at the United Theological College. In order to
increase participation in the discussion of this topic representatives
of SAPC youth groups (Sunday School, Home for Girls, AYF, etc.) were invited
to be present in addition to the Heads of these groups within the Church.
The ensuing discussion and suggestions were valuable and are presented
below.
Youth Ministry - challenges for 2004
Presentation by Sasha Lumsden at the Annual Business Retreat 2003 (edited
version)
Youth Ministry is a broad and far reaching topic and integral to the
ministry of the church. The St. Andrew Parish Church community recognizes
the importance of youth and young adults in the life of the church. If
this were not the case, room would not have been made for Rev. Garth Minott
and I to be able to share with you on this occasion. We must consider
whether the St. Andrew Parish Church community can be considered a community
that:
- Welcomes young people
- Embraces young people
- Nurtures their faith in God
There are three aspects which we as a community could tackle in our journey
to become a youth friendly congregation, as we plan for the year 2004
- facilitating our youth, informing our youth and making room for our
youth.
1. Facilitating our youth / young adults
- Parents as Evangelists - Many of us in this room today, would
not be here if our parents had not at some point in time told us we
had no choice. Parents must see themselves as the first people who
put Jesus and service to Him on the priority list of the young Christian.
As parents the effort must be made to facilitate the child's involvement
in youth ministry programmes through providing encouragement (sometimes
force), transportation (sometimes to the whole group), food (sometimes
to the whole group), permission to miss one or two extra lesson classes
(academic and spiritual growth, not one or the other). Parents should
be the unofficial youth coordinators in the congregation…it should
be their duty to know about the youth ministry programmes available.
A series of one day workshops - also to share testimonies of parents
who have successfully guided their children through church to the
point where they are still involved today - could be useful.
- Our clergy and church workers also need to be facilitators
- ready and willing to pass on relevant and available information
to the relevant persons. The clergy especially have major influence
and can use this to encourage young people and their parents in the
combined ministry to youth.
2. Informing our youth
- Youth News Insert - A short, colorful pamphlet on a particular
issue is easier to read than an entire book. In teaching our youth
we need to be aware of successful methods of imparting information.
This could be a project for our SAPC Christian Education Committee
- to prepare regular pamphlets on issues relevant to our youth. This
could include a short message from the Rector/Priest-in-charge with
information on youth happenings.
3. Making room for our youth
- The meeting places of our youth should be youth friendly. It would
be wonderful if our young people felt that their church meeting spot
was a home away from home.
- Room can also be made in our worship. It would be good for room
to be made for the young people at a principal service - monthly or
on a 5th Sunday - where the service spoke to them and where they played
some role in the planning of the service, and also were involved.
This is the way in which we can give our youth experiences that could
help them make decisions for ministry later in life…never knowing
about the other side of a Sunday morning service makes the option
of a vocation in ministry foreign. Bishop Gregory's research…
We will be known by our fruits. Who are the young people that represent
us in today's Jamaica? Are we proud of them? Are they able to share
their faith with others, not only in an academic way, but in ways
that call others to Christ? Have we done our best to plant seeds,
water, give the necessary food, shade, protection and give direction
to the young fruits in our congregation? What does the witness or
lack thereof of our Anglican youth in our society say about us.
Youth Ministry is not only the way to save our Church from sure
decline and extinction, it is the way to carry out our mandate to
spread the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ to the next generation.
I fear that the youths apparent indifference to the message of salvation
is not an endictment on the message, but on the message carriers.
Is this a youth friendly community? A community that:
- Welcomes young people,
- Embraces young people and
- Nurtures their faith in God.
In his presentation, Fr. Garth Minott, referred to Youth Ministry as
a Ministry of Reconciliation.
- Who is involved - Everyone. It is important to bridge the gap
and engage in dialogue. Programmes should take place in collaboration
with young people.
- When are we engaged - Anytime - but especially in the context
of liturgy. Liturgy must mean something to them and this involves education.
- Where is youth ministry to be exercised? Any place. Young people
need role models. Possibilities are offered anywhere. It is important
to announce the good news of reconciliation.
Participation from the young visitors was vibrant and positive and there
were several useful suggestions.
- Ministry within our outreach programmes is critical and we need to
do more. Ministry is more important than tea parties.
- It is important to re-examine mentoring and voluntarism; to listen
to the needs of young persons
- The young people are working on a youth page.
- The young people need more responsibility
- The need was expressed for formal training in youth ministry.
- Greater involvement by church members was seen as important.
- Young persons were admonished to laugh and have fun together.
- The Chairman requested the Christian Education Committee and the Youth
Committee to meet and prepare a forum for our young people.
Retreat Issues
In the reports coming out of the Outreach projects a common need was
for greater assistance and involvement by members of the church. The value
of spiritual development and the need for counseling skills was emphasized.
There is need for members of the laity to recognize that this area of
work is not limited to the clergy.
Areas of need for laity involvement
- Girls Home - counseling skills, spiritual development, weekend
family life,
- St. Andrew Settlement - spiritual development in the community,
- St. Andrew Care Centre - visits from members of the Church,
mentors for the boys, encouragement for the staff.
Additional suggestions include - volunteers to assist the remedial teacher;
mentors who would undergo training prior to being matched and who will
have support group meetings; men to offer themselves to conduct devotions
and give motivational talks to the boys; volunteer music teachers.
Back to Top
Landmark Palm Tree
On Saturday, November 8, 2003 the palm tree close to the belfry had to
be removed. This was done because an area of weakness had developed in
the trunk and it was feared that in the event of a heavy wind the tree
could collapse and cause damage or injury. The decision to remove the
tree was made on expert advice.
The tree was 101 feet tall and very likely greater than 100 years old.
A brief history of the Parish Church of St. Andrew by Frank Cundall, published
in 1931, contains a photograph showing the tree when it was very little
taller than the roof of the Church. A later photograph on the cover of
the publication Commemorating the Tercentenary Year 1664-1964 shows the
tree with the lower foliage on level with the top of the belfry. This
palm tree was a landmark and it is regrettable that it had to be removed.
Back to Top
Personal Mention
MISS IVY REMEMBERS
Mrs. Ivy Stewart, affectionately known as 'Miss Ivy', is in Church every
Sunday. If you do not see her at St Andrew's, where she has been a member
for over 30 years, then she is at St Jude's, Stony Hill, with her daughter
Pam and son-in-law Roy (R Anthony) Williams. What's unusual about being
in Church every Sunday? Nothing, except that Miss Ivy will celebrate her
100th birthday on December 21, 2003.
On meeting Miss Ivy one is immediately struck by her cheerful smile and
kind disposition. Although she has lost her sight she is grateful to God
for her long life and good health. Her memory is good and in discussion
she was able to recall some quite humorous incidents from her childhood
days.
The seventh of nine children, Ivy Myers as she was, grew up as a Moravian
in Brinkley, near Lititz in St Elizabeth. In 1935 she married William
Stewart and went to live in Manchester. As there was no Moravian Church
in the area she and the children attended St. Patrick's Church, Providence,
where she served in many capacities including Superintendent of the Sunday
school, organist and choir director. Her husband rode his horse to the
nearest Moravian Church. A trained teacher, Miss Ivy spent over 30 years
not only in several schools in her beloved St Elizabeth and Manchester,
but also in the Canal Zone in Panama where she spent around nine years
before her marriage.
After a long life of service to others, Miss Ivy is now content to live
quietly and enjoy the company of her children - she had 6, but 2 have
died - 11 grand and 8 great-grand children as well as good friends. She
attributes her long life to the simplicity of her life and to her trust
in God. It is therefore not surprising that one of her favourite hymns
is "What a friend we have in Jesus". We congratulate her on
achieving her century and wish her every blessing.
Interview and report by John Aarons.
Back to Top
Church Hall History
The first reference which has been found to a hall for the Church is
contained in the St Andrew Parish Church Report for 1907. It said that
the "Church Hall was seriously damaged in the earthquake, just before
the Hall was shingled and repaired". This building was the old Boys
School which was on the site of the recently demolished (2002) Half Way
Tree Primary School at 4 Hope Road. Cundall says that "for many years
the old Boys School served the purpose of a church hall"
In 1924 the buildings housing the old Boys and Girls School were demolished
and the materials used in the construction of a new building to house
a combined school on the site of the old Boys School. The Old Girls School
was further up Hope Road and the site was sold to a Mr. Archibald McInnis
for £125 and the proceeds used to help fund the new building. The
corner stone of the new building was laid on 14 August 1924 and the school
opened on 16 January 1924. The Church had decided to add a second floor
to the building to serve as a Church Hall and in September 1924 the Diocesan
Council approved a loan of £350 "towards building a Church
Hall at the second floor of the new school at a cost of around £700."
The new Church Hall was opened on 18 February 1925.
The new Church Hall however did not win favour from everyone. Mr. S.
R. Cargill, a Church Warden, wrote the Rector, Canon Lovell, on 17 November
1925 stating that "I am disappointed at the so called Church Hall,
it does not fill my eye at all, it is simply a loft on top of the school
building". The Minutes of the Church Committee for July 22, 1926
records that he "referred to the unseemly noise of the entertainment
held recently in the Church Hall by the All Saints Platoon of the Church
Lads Brigade. The Rector expressed surprise that such a thing had happened,
and promised to write to the Rev. W. G. Brown, Rector of All Saints on
the matter".
The Church Hall was used for meetings of church groups and social functions.
It was also rented out for functions at a modest fee of 10 shillings.
However as the school expanded, the area had to be used for school purposes
and could no longer be used as a hall. The Toc H Hall which was on the
other side of the Hope Road began to be used for church meetings and functions.
In 1953 a decision was taken to build a new church hall behind the Rectory
at 4 Hope Road with an entrance on Ellesmere Road. It was hoped to open
the building on St Andrews Day, but the Governor was not available. It
was therefore opened on December 8, 1953.
Report by John Aarons
Back to Top
Annual Congregational Meeting
The ACM will be held on Sunday, January 25, 2004 at 9:30 a.m. This is
an opportunity for members to participate in the discussions related to
the Mission and activities of this Parish Church. The members are the
Church and each member has a ministry and a responsibility to be involved
in the process of mission and reconciliation. At this Meeting members
of the Church Committee are elected as are our representatives to Synod.
There will be discussion on the Annual Report and reports on the financial
status at the end of 2003 and budget for 2004.
Annual Reports should be submitted by Parish and Outreach Groups who
are asked to note the special requirements for presentation. These should
be submitted to the Church Office by January 9, 2004 (for inclusion in
the Annual Report to the Annual Congregational Meeting). The reports may
preferably be e-mailed or sent on diskette. They should:
- State Group/Project Mission
- State how far the Group/Project has carried out the Mission of the
Church
- List activities for 2003
- Present programme for 2004*
- List Board/Executive members and date of last Election/Appointment
of Officers
- For Parish Groups - Indicate the number of members and the number
of new members over the past 12-month period.
*Activity schedules/programmes for the year 2004 are required
for the Church diary to ensure that events are appropriately spaced on
the Church calendar throughout the year.
Back to Top
Church Calendar 2003
| Gift Day |
December 16 |
| Christmas Day |
December 25 |
Looking ahead to 2004
| Annual Meeting |
January 25 |
| Evening of Elegance |
February 21 |
| Ash Wednesday |
February 25 |
| Youth Retreat |
February 27-28 |
| Adult Retreat |
March 5-7 |
| Palm Sunday |
April 4 |
| Confirmation |
April 4 |
| Easter Day |
April 11 |
----Published by the St. Andrew Parish
Church, Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands----
|
