Wednesday, October 30, 2024

For just over three years, Rev. Marty kept us connected to church life, theological insights, and the beauty and complexity of being alive through his weekly reflections. The staff at St. Andrew’s have decided to continue this tradition. Now, more than ever, during this time of transition, it’s important to stay open with the congregation and connect with you all.

I have the privilege of writing the first staff reflection, just following our third annual Candy Jam held on Sunday evening. Throughout October, you may have heard during services or through our e-blasts that the church was accepting donations of candy, chocolate, and chips for this event.

As boxes of treats poured into my office, I often heard people exclaim, “You have so much!” or simply “Wow.” And we truly did have a tremendous outpouring of donations. I give thanks to God for the incredible generosity of our congregation here at St. Andrew’s. For those who appreciate numbers, here’s a bit of math: on Sunday afternoon, before everything began, we counted around 4,300 pieces of candy. We divided that by the number of themed stations we had set up and the number of registered attendees, then calculated how much candy each child would be allowed. Needless to say, an emergency candy run was required just an hour before the event!

It’s a blessing that, in only three years, this event has grown to the point where we had over 300 children pass through our church halls, simply trick-or-treating. When we include parents, caregivers, and friends, we welcomed over 500 people. These were mostly community members, many of whom may never have stepped inside our church otherwise. While some may wonder why a church would host a Halloween event, let’s remember that this is outreach—it’s about giving back to the community and offering a joyful experience to children who just want to be children.

Some of you may remember our mega-event in December 2006, "Bethlehem Village." Large, family run events like that have stayed with me, and it brings me great joy to recreate those memories for a new generation. Who knows—perhaps Bethlehem Village 2.0 lies in our future…

None of this would be possible without the help of our volunteers. You are essential to the success of these events. From candy runners and booth hosts to photographers, those who helped with setup and teardown, and Ann-Marie, who played the organ—thank you!

I look forward to connecting with you all again through these musings in the very near future.

Take good care,
Andrew Hight | Family Ministry Coordinator