“If people are hungry, let them come and eat… the gospel doesn’t need a coalition devoted to keeping the wrong people out. It needs a family of sinners, saved by grace, committed to tearing down the walls, throwing open the doors, and shouting, ‘Welcome! There’s bread and wine. Come eat with us and talk.’ This isn’t a kingdom for the worthy; it’s a kingdom for the hungry.”
St. Andrew’s is a community of hungry people, striving to feed both body and soul while making a place at the table for all.
What do we hunger for?
We Hunger for COMMUNITY.
We celebrate the sense of “home” and “open arms” found at St. Andrew’s. Yet we know that being community is never a given, but always a process. We strive to be an authentic and diverse community, caring deeply for one another and healing hurts when they arise. We hunger to be a model of what it means to communicate across differences, valuing the perspective and dignity of each person, and doing the sometimes hard work of being both authentic and loving.
We Hunger for ACTION AND JUSTICE.
Living out our baptismal vows to “strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being,” St. Andrew’s puts our faith in action by addressing both physical and social needs. Our church has a long tradition of addressing food insecurity (including a nationally-recognized food program), as well as focusing on affordable housing and education by working closely with community partners. We continually deepen our commitment to social justice, learning, self-change, and advocacy to contend with internalized and structural inequities. We celebrate our interfaith partnerships with other faith communities in the area, and continue to seek ways to be agents of God’s healing and justice in the world.
We Hunger for SPIRITUAL FORMATION.
We hunger for a rich spiritual life for all ages. We value liturgies that welcome all and embody an “open table” of love for every blessed child of God while lifting and uniting our souls through music. We value sermons that stimulate both our intellects and hearts, and give us practical ways to live every day with the love of Jesus. We give thanks for our children and for the programs that shape their faith—Godly Play, Rite 13, and Journey 2 Adulthood (J2A).
We Hunger for SACRED BEAUTY.
Our hunger for sacred beauty is fed by what surrounds us—our musical life together and the community created through it, the faces of companions on our journey, our historic campus on Lake Afton in the heart of Yardley, and our weekly poetry group forging friendships and inspiring new works across the country. And we continually yearn for new ways to bring forth the sacramental beauty in our collective worship, our community, and in each person.
We Hunger for ABUNDANT LIFE.
We hunger for the abundant life promised by Jesus in John’s gospel, a life that turns five loaves and two fish into a feast for five thousand. And we know that Christ taught that abundance is felt most in what we give and how we care for others. We hunger to engage in God’s mission in ways that challenge and transform us.
