Commissions

At St. Andrew's, we believe that our faith calls us to continue Jesus' servant ministry in our communities by witnessing to God's reconciling love. We believe that the ministers of the Church include not only the deacons, priests, and bishops, but also all lay persons--adults and children alike. Most important, we believe that by welcoming everyone into our church family and by working together as a faith community, we can make a difference in the world--to bring in the Kingdom of God, to build up the body of Christ, and to glorify God's holy name.

We believe that active participation in the life of our parish and of our communities offers each person a tremendous opportunity to live exactly as Christ called us to live. There are as many ways to serve as there are needs for service. We do hope that you will join with us in this important work.

Buildings and Grounds

Ensure that the important spaces of St. Andrew’s Church have proper attention, maintenance, and oversight so that that future generations will have the opportunity to benefit from the spiritual inspiration, community spirit, and love of today. We invite all members of the parish to join our spring and fall clean up days, to help our gardening guild, and to serve in our menders group for those small maintenance tasks that need handiness. In support of our Diocesan Commitment to Creation Care, we prioritize energy conservation to reflect our values of good stewardship as well as protecting God’s creation.

Membership Commission

The Membership Commission is now a part of our Come And See framework. As a group, this commission works to develop and implement programs to encourage membership growth in the parish and to welcome newcomers.

Outreach Commission

Our Outreach Commission oversees activities that reach beyond the parish and address human needs, including identifying outreach opportunities, recommending the allocation of the annual outreach budget, and encouraging time and talent involvement by members in outreach activities. We presently support Esperanza Academy, Habitat for Humanity - North Central Massachusetts, Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry, Massachusetts Council of Churches, and Partners In Health.

Visit the outreach page to learn more about our initiatives

Parish Life Commission

Our Parish Life Commission works to promote a spirit of fellowship among parish members, newcomers, visitors, and guests, including coordinating the weekly coffee hours, planning for parish-wide events, receptions, picnics, and potlucks throughout the year as well as assists with organizing our benefit concert receptions.

Pastoral Care Commission

Discern and respond actively to a wide variety of parishioner needs in a respectful and compassionate way, including supporting families during illnesses, deaths, and other difficult situations by providing food, transportation, and visitation, and delivering Sunday flowers to the ill or homebound.

Stewardship Commission

Oversee stewardship and finances within the parish, including fostering year-round stewardship, conducting the annual "estimate of giving" campaign and "time and talent" survey, recommending the annual budget, recommending/managing insurance coverage, managing the reserve investment accounts, and coordinating endowment, memorial, and capital fund raising.

Worship Commission

Work with the pastoral staff in developing the communal prayer and worship life of the parish, including providing opportunities for continual spiritual growth, recruiting acolytes, lectors, and liturgical ministers, and providing feedback on any liturgical concerns of parishioners.

Parish Historian

The Parish Historian and assistants research and record the past and present history of the parish or mission with which they are affiliated and record the events, developments, statistics and other contemporary data that give evidence of the changing life of the congregation as it exists in the larger community. Historians collect, describe and conserve the documentary and pictorial archives of their parish and encourage the preservation and recording of the artistic elements of workshop and liturgy including church architecture, sculpture, ceremonial legal instruments, relevant printed and published materials, and other valuable and historical appointments.