St. Andrew’s United Church of Cairo

Women of the congregation are welcome to enjoy a time of refreshment and renewal with God and with one another.  A Women’s Retreat is being planned for March 5 – 7 at Anafora, the Coptic Retreat Center on the Alexandria Road.  “Grounding Ourselves” is the theme and will focus on ways in which we ground ourselves for healthy living as women in Cairo.  A modest cost will be involved to attend; please contact Danna Gobel or Michele Johnson if you are interested in attending.

The first annual Bible Congress entitled “Paul’s Letter to the Church in Egypt” is being held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Zamalek on Friday, February 26, 2010.  A variety of lectures by various presenters in different languages will provide a unique educational experience.  Pastor Peter will be presenting a talk on being an expatriate Christian in Egypt from 3:30 to 4:15.  Registration fees are a suggested donation ranging from 5 LE to 50 LE.  See Pastor Peter for promotional brochures.

Wondering what your purpose is as a faithful person living in Egypt?  You are invited to attend an adult learning and fellowship group each Friday at noon at St. Andrew’s.  This Friday, we will continue our study, looking at the book of Acts, chapter 3, for ways God has called faithful people into purposeful lives.

Friday Group alternates between two formats.  The first is a Bible Study on the Book of Acts, discovering anew the ways God leads people into faith.  On alternate weeks, speakers share their faith journeys, especially their spiritual motivation for living out their faith in daily life.

Dear Friends,

Lent is a time of renewed spiritual disciplines, turning again to God who always welcomes a deeper relationship with his beloved children.

Within our Egyptian location, we are mindful of the ancient church’s desert traditions.  Throughout history, faithful Christians in Egypt have opted for the quiet spiritual disciplines of the desert.

American poet and author Kathleen Norris writes the following about desert monasticism:  “A healthy ascetic discipline asks you to rejoice in these gifts of deprivation, to learn from them, and to care less for amenities than for that which replenishes from a deeper source.”

May the deeper source of hope, God’s love in Christ, dwell with you richly this season.

Peace,

Pastor Peter

You are invited to enjoy a night of classical music at St. Andrew’s.  We welcome Janice Grey for her second annual piano recital on Friday, February 19th at 7:30 pm in the sanctuary.  She will be playing pieces by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and Rachmaninov.  Also on the program is a piece by Bela Bartok called Romanian Dances.  A free will offering will be given to support the programs St. Andrew’s Refugee Services (StARS).  A reception will follow the recital.

Part of the three week study tour from Luther College included a visit to St. Andrew's Church and Refugee Services.

At St. Andrews has the opportunity to welcome frequent groups from different parts of the world.

First, it is a privilege to share what it is that we do, because our work as a church and as Refugee Services are good and faithful programs in the heart of the city.  The stories are very important human stories and can often pull at the hearts of the visitors.  Oftentimes, they see their partnership with us through their church in ways that they were not aware before.

It is also our responsibility to share what we do with visitors.  It gives us strength to share this good work.  Also, without their partnership with us, including volunteering and funding partnerships, we would not be able to do the programs we do.

If your person or group is looking to visit Cairo, we welcome you with open arms.  If you are a member of the congregation, thanks for your meaningful hospitality.

Annual Meeting Scheduled for this Friday, January 29 at 11 am
Immediately following our regularly scheduled worship this Friday morning, all members of St. Andrew’s are invited to attend the 2010 Annual Meeting of the congregation.  The primary goals of the meeting are to receive a report on the ministry of the church during 2009 and to adopt a 2010 budget.  Thanks in advance for your participation.

Friday Group Study Continues
You are invited to attend an adult learning and fellowship group each Frday at noon.  Friday Group alternates between two formats.  The first is a Bible Study on the Book of Acts, discovering anew the ways God leads people into faith.   Alternate weeks, speakers are invited to share faith journeys, especially their spiritual motivation for living out their faith in daily life.  All are welcome.  This week we will be discussing Acts 2.

St. Andrew’s to Welcome Paul Schick, Intern Pastor
St. Andrew’s is pleased to announce that Paul Schick will join us as an intern pastor beginning in August of 2010.  Paul is currently a student at Wartburg Seminary in Iowa (USA).  We look forward to the opportunity to welcoming him and his wife Stephanie to our congregation.  More information will follow.

Dear Friends,

This past week, a 15 cm section of the stone step leading into our sanctuary broke off.  It is not a major repair issue.  But, the wearing out of the main threshold of our church’s sanctuary can be an intriguing symbol.

I wonder what kinds of people have crossed the threshold of our building.  After all, we have over 100 years of history in our sanctuary.  Of course, there is no way to calculate the actual amount of people.  There is no way to calculate which country is represented the most.  We have no way of knowing what percentage of the people were native English-speakers or claim another native tongue.  We may be Presbyterians, Lutherans, Mennonites or Quakers, but we cannot know for certain which denomination is the most common throughout our history.

Of course, we believe that these national, denominational and linguistic distinctions are not so important.  Evidence of this understanding comes from Galatians, where the people of faith are no longer Jew or Greek, slave nor free, male or female; for all of us are one in Christ Jesus.

Of the people who cross the threshold today, there are many things we have in common.  We are all people of faith, regardless of our background.  We desire faithful fellowship together in the heart of a very large city.  As mainly expats living away from home, we have needs for a supportive community of faith where the promise of God’s presence is proclaimed.  We want to engage in meaningful programs for people in special need, and we find these programs within Refugee Services.  Let us continue to step over the threshold together, to share in all that God is offering in our community of faith.

In Welcome,

Pastor Peter

January 6, 2010

Dear Friends,

This week I made a trip out of town for an overnight at Anafora, the Coptic retreat center on the road to Alexandria.  It was a time of relative quiet and calm, and has become a good place for personal and devotional reflection.

The New Year comes following the birth of Jesus at Christmas.  Trusting that God is with us, it is an opportunity to look ahead contemplatively.  For us at St. Andrew’s, what does God have in store for us as a church?  What kind of new people will we meet within our community this year?  What opportunities will present themselves to us for learning and service?

Thank you for your presence within the life of our congregation.  May God open new doors for us this coming year.

Peace,
Pastor Peter

Friday Group to Begin on January 15
You are invited to attend a new adult learning and fellowship group meeting each Friday after church from 12 pm until 1:30.  Friday Group will alternate between two formats.  The first will be a Bible Study on the Book of Acts, discovering anew the ways God leads people of faith into purposeful daily life.  Other weeks, speakers will be invited to share faith journeys and experiences, especially their spiritual motivation for living out their faith in daily life.  All are welcome.  Please speak to Jacob Chew, Erin Odgers or Pastor Peter if you have any questions.

Book Exchange January 15
Is your bookshelf full and you have nothing new to read?  We will hold an informal book exchange during fellowship after the Friday, January 15 service.  Bring a book or two that you don’t mind exchanging with other members.  Contact Michele Johnson with any questions.

Church (Sunday) School Resumes January 15
With Christmas vacation from school, Sunday School also is on break.  We will resume gathering during our Friday worship services for ages pre-kindergarten to 5th grade on Friday, January 15.

2010 Habitat for Humanity Project — One Volunteer Spot Remains
Habitat for Humanity Egypt will be sponsoring a special building project during the weekend of February 19-20 in which members of St. Andrew’s and the American University in Cairo are invited to participate.  We will travel to the El Minya area and will be working to help families improve their housing.  Past work has included painting, roofing, masonry, and transporting materials to work sites.  Each volunteer will be required to pay 1100 LE to cover the costs of transportation, housing, and meals during the 2-day trip.  The maximum team size for volunteers is 12 people and there is one spot remaining. The deadline for registration and payment of fees is early January, so sign up now!  If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the church office at pastor@standrewschurchcairo.com.

Dear Friends,

As we enter the final few days before Christmas, our waiting enters into a newer level of suspense.  The birth of Jesus is coming, but he has not arrived just yet.

The book Songs in Waiting:  Spiritual Reflections of Christ’s Birth written by Paul-Gordon Chandler reminds me that suspenseful waiting is part of Middle Eastern literature.  Consider the classic Arabian Nights Entertainments (often called 1001 Arabian Nights) which captures the imagination of many around the world.  Its pages tell of the Emperor Shahriar, who is convinced that all women are treacherous.  He vows to marry a new woman every day and execute her the next morning.

One day, a young Arab woman named Scheherazade is selected to marry the emperor.  To delay her inevitable execution she tells the emperor a story of interlinking tales for 1,001 nights, and his curiosity keeps Scheherazade’s death at bay.  (She tells stories like Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Sinbad the Sailor, King of the Black Isles, and Aladdin).  Each of the stories is filled with surprise, leaving the emperor eagerly anticipating the next day’s story, until he eventually falls in love with the clever storyteller.

I hope that our own waiting is filled with wonder and hopeful expectation.  The Prince of Peace is coming.

Faithfully,
Pastor Peter

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Services
St. Andrew’s English-speaking congregation will celebrate Christmas Eve on December 24th with a Service of Lessons and Carols with Holy Communion.  We begin our celebrations with a variety of Christmas music from around the world at 6:30 pm.  The worship service will begin at 7 pm.  On Christmas Day, Pastor Peter will be preaching and presiding in English at the Sudanese congregations’ service that begins at 10 am.  All are welcome.

Fellowship on Christmas Eve; All Are Welcome
Following our Christmas Eve service, a time for festive fellowship will be held in the Guild Hall.  You are welcome to bring holiday goodies with you to share as we celebrate Christmas together.

Festival Choir Rehearsal on Christmas Eve
Thanks to all the members of the Festival Choir for enhancing our worship this holiday season!  Please arrive for rehearsal at 6 pm on Christmas Eve so that we can practice our songs before worship.

Christmas Eve Offering
It is customary for St. Andrew’s to give our Christmas Eve offering to service organizations working on behalf of people in need in our community.  The Church Council will provide leadership in the disbursements of funds during the month of January.  Last year, gifts were distributed to Presbyterian families of the bus accident in Menya, St. Mary’s Orphanage in Maadi, and to Father Salib in the villages of Alama and Sabah in Shubra El Kheima.  Please give generously.