Life's Journey
Baptism
We welcome your expression of interest in Holy Baptism at St. Andrews, whether for yourself, for your child, or for your infant. Preparation for baptism includes meeting with one of our clergy and exploring the meaning of Holy Baptism for you. During the meeting we will discuss Holy Baptism, it’s meaning, and the role of sponsors or godparents.
Please call one of the parish clergy at 760-753-3017 to explore your questions and hopes for Holy Baptism.
– The Rev. Wesley Hills, Rector
Baptism Application click here.
Weddings
If you are reading this, chances are you have made one of the biggest decisions of your life—the decision to marry. If so, congratulations! In marriage, a man and a woman commit themselves to a lifelong union “in heart, body, and mind … intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God’s will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord.” Marriage is a sacrament administered to one another by the couple; it is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. The sacramental nature of marriage involves infinitely more than the wedding ceremony in which a marriage is solemnized. “Therefore marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 423)
If you are considering holding the celebration and blessing of your marriage at St. Andrews, you should begin your counseling and planning with either the Rector, Father Wesley Hills or Pastoral Associate, Father Larry Hart. The Church is concerned that the sacrament of Holy Matrimony be administered faithfully and reverently. Either Fr. Wes or Fr. Larry at St. Andrews will emphasize this understanding in pre-marital instruction sessions. The goal is to help a couple reflect upon who they are and the direction of their life together. In pre-marital sessions new beginnings are anticipated and the opportunity is taken to talk about the practical matters of married life in the context of Christian faith and practice. Additional sessions may be required. A meeting with the organist is also essential for planning purposes.
Proper preparation normally takes six months or longer. More time must be allowed when a prior marriage has ended in divorce, as an application for the consent of the Bishop for re-marriage must be prepared, filed, considered, and acted upon. This process is a positive one; it is intended to help couples avoid repeating patterns and decisions that are detrimental to a healthy marriage. It is a priest’s duty to refuse to officiate when, in his or her judgment, a couple does not intend to, or is unable to enter the lifelong union of Holy Matrimony demonstrating the “heart, mind and will to accomplish this union” and proposing “to seek the help of God thereto.”
Although most weddings at St. Andrews are those of parish members and their families, we also provide wedding services for couples living in the area who plan to join our church, who are members of an Episcopal congregation elsewhere, or who are actively involved in another Christian community. The Episcopal Church requires that at least one of the parties has been baptized.
Please call our office at (760) 753-3017 to set up an appointment and to learn more about weddings at St. Andrews. You’ll probably have questions about many things, including flowers, music, and photography. We look forward to answering your questions and assisting you in planning a wedding day that expresses beautifully and clearly the love and aspirations you share as you begin a lifelong marriage. Again, congratulations!
– The Rev. Wesley Hills, Rector
Wedding Brochure and information sheet click here.
Confirmation
Confirmation at St. Andrew's is a way that people of any age can come
"to make a public affirmation of their faith and commitment to
the responsibilities of their Baptism, and to receive the laying on of
hands by the bishop" (BCP, p. 412).
Our current confirmation class
consists of fourteen 6th and 7th graders who are going through the Confirm
not Conform program. Classes began in February 2011 and will continue
through Confirmation weekend on October 23, 2011. Each student has a mentor
that attends a few classes with them and is asked to attend all field trips
(4 total). Field trips have included attending services at a megachurch and
Jewish Synagogue, as well
as serving the hungry at Fr. Joe's
Village.
There is also a Parent Class that takes place during the time
the students are in class that takes them through the same curriculum which
helps build them up through discussion and community so they can better
engage their children. All Parishioners are welcomed and invited to
attend.
If you are interested in being a mentor for our 2012 class or
would like more information, please contact Brenda Johnston at brenda@standrewsepiscopal.org.
Memorial Services and Funerals
When a loved one dies, the St. Andrews clergy are available to support and comfort family and friends and to help plan a service of celebration of life in witness to the promise within Christ’s Easter victory over death. By family preference, the committal may either follow the memorial service directly or be held at a later date, whether at a cemetery or in the columbarium on the St. Andrews campus. Complete information about our columbarium— a memorial garden with niches for cremated remains — is available, click here.
For those of us who can still take the opportunity to plan our own memorial service or funeral, we can within its design make our own desires known in advance. Our planning can be a wonderful final gift to those we love when they must later carry out these arrangements.
St. Andrew’s church and clergy are here to help all the people of God and the community, in times of peace and in times of need.
Final Arragements Brochure click here
