VOLUNTEER
Service Opportunities at St. Andrew’s!
There are so many ways to get involved at St. Andrew’s — whether you are serving at worship, at other on-campus events, in the community, or with our local and global partners. We couldn’t do what we do without the many people who provide passion and talent. Be part of it! Take a look at the opportunities below and reach out to the contact person listed. We are so grateful for your support.
Serve at St. Andrew’s
Contact: Carrin Mahmood, Director of Hospitality, cmahmood@saintandrews.org
Many people make worship happen here at St. Andrew’s. From those who greet at the front door to those who make sure that the coffee is hot to those who ensure there is enough wine and bread for communion – we are so grateful.
Are you interested in being on the rotation of hospitality volunteers? It’s a great way to meet other St. Andrew’s members and use your gifts to serve this community. Please feel free to inquire about any of the below service opportunities without committing – we’re glad to talk through what these roles look like more specifically and discern together what might be a good fit for you!
Greeters – Are you and your family looking for a way to get involved? One easy way is to sign up as a family to greet on Saturday evening or Sunday morning! Families arrive 30 minutes before the service to open doors and welcome people to worship. SIGN UP HERE FOR ALL BUILDINGS, ALL SERVICES
Parking Lot Hosts – Valet park cars or give people a little more help getting from the lot to the Sanctuary. SIGN UP HERE.
First Responders – We invite you to join our growing First Response Team! Make a difference in the lives of our members and keep our gathering space safe and healthy.
Brew Master – Sanctuary – Make coffee for post-worship fellowship. SIGN UP HERE.
Coffee Host – Great Hall – contact clundell@saintandrews.org
Ushers – You’re invited to join a rotating team to welcome guests and manage offering.
- Sanctuary Ushers – SIGN UP HERE
- Great Hall Ushers – contact clundell@saintandrews.org
Job Description:
- Be part of a team that meets to usher once every 5 weeks
- Arrive 30 minutes prior to the service you typically attend
- Greet people as they enter
- Pass the offering plate from aisle to aisle after the sermon
- Dismiss people row by row for communion.
- A lead usher or Worship Coordinator is always available for questions and training.
- You may sit with your family once the service starts and just get up for offering and communion
- To usher Contact Carrin Mahmood at cmahmood@saintandrews.org or 651-762-9119 to be put on a team or for more information
Communion Servers – Sanctuary – contact rshrankler@saintandrews.org
Communion Servers – Great Hall – contact clundell@saintandrews.org
Communion
Job Description:
- Be part of a team that serves Communion once every 5 weeks
- Attend your regular worship service
- Check-in with the Communion Coordinator or Worship Coordinator upon arrival to find out which communion station you will be serving at.
- After the Pastor gives the words of institution (The words explaining communion) go to your assigned communion station and serve either bread or wine
- The Communion Coordinator, or Worship Coordinator is always available for questions or training
- To serve Communion contact Randy Shrankler at Rshrankler@saintandrews.org to be put on a team or for more information
Do you have a medical background/first responder experience and have the interest in serving as a medical responder during worship once a month? Our Medical Response (MR) Team could use you! Even if you don’t have the experience, we will train you! Our medical responders get trained in CPR and the use of AEDS, as well as learn the St. Andrew’s facility protocol for health events or emergencies on church premises. We ask that MR team members commit to being present and ready to respond during at least one service every 4-5 weeks, but we also accept members who prefer an “on call” status as backup. MR team members are used both at the Great Hall and Sanctuary during worship. This may be a great opportunity to care for your fellow congregants!
Contact: Jocelyn Gorham, Faith Community Nurse, jgorham@saintandrews.org, 651.762.9106.
Wednesday Night Dinner – Sanctuary Fellowship Hall: Wednesday night is church night! We serve a delicious home-cooked meal for children, adults and families participating in Wednesday programs (including kids and adult choirs, Confirmation, and LIFEU) and anyone looking for a break from cooking. Join our volunteer teams that prepare the meal, setup and serve, or clean up. It’s a fun, exciting way to be part of bringing our church family together. All shifts occur in the Sanctuary Fellowship Hall.
Do you like to cook? Share your culinary gifts by helping to prepare the Thursday Community Meal. Review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you! (Please note: Until Easter 2023, the preparation for the Thursday Community Meal will take place on Tuesday afternoon.)
Sign up to prep the Community Meal
If you’d like to be part of a rotating team that serves the Community Meal on Thursdays, contact Lauren Kroschel at 651-762-9158.
Funeral Support
Contact; Lisa Gundtner, Director of Funeral Ministries – lgrundtner@saintandrews.org
Funerals are one of the most significant ministries that we do as Christian faith communities and one of the most important places where we extend generous hospitality to those gathered. As families come together to grieve, to remember, and to renew their trust in God’s enduring promises, it’s important that we have robust and clear hospitality provided to ease their burdens and share Christ’s love.
Funeral volunteer tasks include greeting, ushering, and hosting the check-in table, and other duties. The time commitment is usually 2 1/2 hours, sometimes less. We can be very flexible with people’s availability – you would be added to an email list and can volunteer as you are available.
Community Resource Center (CRC)
Contact(s): Lauren Kroschel, 651.762.9158
See the Community Resource Center Get Involved page for more information on serving — hosting at our Family Shelter, welcoming guests at the CRC, cooking and preparing meals, driving the van and more.
Children, Youth, & Family Ministry
Contact: youth@saintandrews.org
Our children’s and youth ministries are strengthened by church members who serve our young people — and are blessed in return! We have a number of ways for adults to be involved, with these three primary ministry opportunities:
Sunday School Children’s Education: Our children’s education ministry that occurs during weekend worship services requires 25 volunteers each week! Lead a class one or more times a month, choosing the grade level and worship service hour you prefer. Volunteers lead about 30 minutes of classroom activities and discussion that follows a staff-led large group opening. Lessons are provided in advance and ready-to-go supplies are available in each classroom. Confirmation students are often available as classroom assistants.
Wednesday Night Alive: Each Wednesday our Youth and Sports Center is transformed into a community youth center! We rely on 6-8 volunteers each week to provide a safe, welcoming place for youth by being present and assisting with pizza and snack sales, games and activity space, or open gym time. Current volunteers include retirees, middle-aged couples, young adults, parents with babies – anyone who wants to invest in relationships with youth. Shifts of 2-3 hours are available between 2:45-7 p.m., either weekly or once per month.
Confirmation: More than 325 middle school youth are part of our three-year Confirmation journey of learning and faith discovery. In addition to large group sessions, youth gather in small groups with an adult guide who serves as a facilitator and mentor to dive deeper into the topic and guide the conversation. Guides have a blast and grow in their own faith, too! The commitment is for 14-16 weekly gatherings through the year, with Sunday afternoon or Wednesday evening options. Substitutes are also needed.
Environmental Stewardship Team (EST)
Contact: Betsy Thorson, bthorsondvm@gmail.com
The Environmental Stewardship Team is looking for new members that have a heart for the environment. Our goals are to: Inspire, Educate, Encourage and Act – to improve our care of God’s Creation. We want to make a difference in our own lives, at SALC, and in our neighborhood, city and beyond. We would love to have more people join us in becoming better stewards of the earth and all creation. Our meetings are once monthly, on the third Monday, at 7 PM. They usually last 60 – 90 minutes. We currently meet via Zoom. Anyone interested could email Betsy at: bthorsondvm@gmail.com.
Garden Ministry
Contacts: Terri Franzwa, tlfranzwa@gmail.com and Theresa Schrankler, tmschrankler@gmail.com
Our work is to plan and tend gardens and planters so that our outdoor spaces are appealing and in keeping with our church’s mission and values. We care for creation and want members and visitors to feel welcome and at peace. The Facilities Dept. is in charge of landscaping and we work closely with them. We are grateful for all the help we can get. All skill levels and physical abilities are needed.
Care Visitation Ministry (CVM) is a group of trained volunteers who have the gift of visiting with people on a 1:1 basis in their homes. CVM members visit, pray, offer communion and follow-up with our attendees, helping them to stay connected to St. Andrew’s when for a variety of reasons that might be difficult. This ministry is for all age groups – those who are struggling with illness or those who simply desire the benefits of a visit from a faithful volunteer.
The CVM team includes pastors, our parish nurse, and many trained volunteers. This is not home health care, but a home-based ministry for health education and spiritual support. It’s a comprehensive faith and health approach to serving each other as Christ intended. Contact: Pastor Brian Norsman, bnorsman@saintandrews.org
Our Prayer Shawl Ministry gives volunteers the opportunity to use their gifts to create prayer shawls (knit or crochet) for people in need in our community. Work can be done remotely, with guidance from our Prayer Shawl ministry lead Candy Mayou(651.426.2188).
Details, patterns and the history and mission of this ministry are available here: http://shawlministry.com/
Serve With Our Partners
Habitat for Humanity
https://www.saintandrews.org/serve/local-missions/habitat-for-humanity/
Contact: David Engh – drengh@gmail.com
Habitat for Humanity is a great way to put your faith into action! 2021 is the 30th year that St. Andrew’s has helped a family achieve home ownership. Volunteers play a huge role in the success Habitat for Humanity. St. Andrew’s gathers groups to help with building and repairing homes. No prior experience needed – there are lots of different important roles to fill.
Lutheran World Relief
At St. Andrew’s, we are all about loving and supporting our community, especially people in need of safer, more dignified shelter and those facing homelessness. Over the years, our work with the Community Resource Center, Habitat for Humanity and Mission Jamaica has allowed us to bring the love of Jesus Christ to people in need of a place to live.
Now we have an opportunity to do even more of this work globally, by expanding our partnership with Lutheran World Relief (LWR). LWR has a long history of caring for those affected by natural disasters and humanitarian crises — not only providing supplies for recovery and rebuilding, for providing hope for the future.
We invite you to be part of LWR’s ministry and help rebuild homes for people around the world. Donations of all size are welcome: $25 provides a tarp, $100 provides a repair kit, and $500 rebuilds an entire home. Click here to make an online financial donation.
