There are some new changes being made to our website.

• New feeds and a video from the PC(USA) are now available on the right hand of the homepage.
• You can now read or listen to the weekly lectionary texts and hear updates on PC(USA)mission.
• A weekly calender of church events is being created and will be placed on the left side of the homepage.
• A new page with information on Giving to St. Andrews will be added soon, with access to financial tools and calculators.
• Sermons from Welcoming Wednesdays have been uploaded, at your request.

I appreciate your support and patience as I continue working to make this website a place where everyone can stay in touch with St. Andrews.

We will see you all next month!  God bless–  Shelaine & Kyle

“A man has made at least a start at understanding the meaning of life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit.”

What sorts of trees are you planting at this stage of your life?  How can you create a legacy that will live on in the ministry of St. Andrews?

I want to thank everyone whose hard work made this summer series possible.  In particular, I want to thank those people who cooked and cleaned, those who planned and organized, those who led Gathering games and children’s activities, those folks who played music and preached.

It’s been a joy to explore with you the idea of a mid-week service.  The planning team will consider how we can build on this idea next summer.

Please join the St. Andrews family as we celebrate the life of Marcia Wilbor, who, along with her husband Tom, was a faithful church member and good friend to many.  The Memorial Service will be held this Wednesday, July 21 2010 in the sanctuary.  Revs. Kyle Segars and Terry Bard will be officiating.

What is a Kirkin of the Tartans?
The word Kirk means Church and the Tartan has served as a symbol of one’s family, or in Scottish lingo, one’s clan.  Even as we keep the traditional title, we could also call this service a Blessing of the Families.

Who Can Participate in a Kirkin?
EVERYONE!! While it has its origins in the history of Scottish Presbyterians, our Kirkin’ is a Christian worship service open to all. It is a time we celebrate God’s gift of family. Families in our congregation hail from countries around the globe, and we celebrate the ways God unites us as Christians from a variety of church traditions.  While Presbyterians continue to celebrate our church’s Scottish heritage, the majority of Presbyterian families now do not claim Scottish ancestry.  We can find Kirkin’ services celebrated in churches and at festivals and Highland games around the country.

What Do I Bring to a Kirkin?
If possible, please bring a small piece of fabric to represent your family.  Some people may indeed bring a tartan.  Other families have brought a special tie or quilt, a grandfather’s handkerchief, a grandmother’s crocheted linen.  My family will bring a flannel baby blanket that was shared by both our children.  What “tartan” might represent your family this Sunday?  If you’re not sure, or if you forget one, we will have small tartan pieces available at the service.

What Will I Do at the Kirkin?
When you arrive, you will be asked to add your family name (or names) to a list, which will be read during the service.  When your family name(s) is called, you are invited to bring your “tartan” forward to the table for a blessing.  We ask God’s blessing not on the tartan itself, but on the generations of family it represents.  We give thanks for the ways God nurtures us through family.

What is the History of the Kirkin?
According to a blend of history and legend, the Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan has its origins in the 18th century.  After Scottish patriots were defeated in the battle of Culloden in 1745, the British Parliament passed the Parliamentary Act of 1746 which banned the kilt and every other tartan garment in an effort to destroy Highland Clan identity.  Not easily deterred, defiant Scots secretly carried remnants of their tartans to church.  The ministers would then add a blessing into the service for the tartans and the clans they represented.  In Washington DC, this service has been held in the National Cathedral for many years.  However the annual service began a decade earlier.  In 1941, as the war in Europe was escalating, former Saint Andrew’s Society president, Dr. Peter Marshall, who served as the chaplain for the Senate, initiated the Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan in this country.  For the first 9 years the service was held at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church.  In 1950 the service began to be held in various Presbyterians churches in Washington DC and in 1954 was moved to the Cathedral where the service has been held ever since.   For a more complete history, I urge you to visit www.scottishtartans.org/kirkin.htm.

Advent House Ministries of Lansing has partnered with the Michigan Historical Museum to give voice to the homeless and impoverished by chronicling their life stories through writing, poetry, music, art and photography. The exhibit “Your Story and Mine: A Community of Hope” is dedicated to the founder of Advent House Ministries, Pam Fulton, and her legacy of hope. Advent House hopes to foster a greater understanding of homelessness, its causes and potential cures through this exhibit which will travel throughout the state of Michigan. The exhibit will open with a program in the McGuire Room of the Traverse City Library on August 7, from 2:00-4:00. It will remain on display there in the Adult Services Area for two to three weeks.

For more information about the exhibit or Advent House Ministries go to: http://www.adventhouse.com/