Jane, Kyle and Eliza Schurter will be traveling to China in just a few weeks to bring home the newest addition to the family, Finnian Schurter!

St. Andrew Lutheran Church of Arvada has been an ardent supporter of the Schurter’s, and they thank everyone who has been part of the incredible journey that first brought Eliza into their lives, and now a son.

They are posting updates on Finnian on their family website and you can follow their journey at: www.schurterfamily.com

It was such a pleasure to see people find a bargain and to help them with items they wanted and needed.  People came and bought a microwave… a TV… baby clothes… a chair… roller blades… a bicycle… books… a loveseat. 

The proceeds, almost $1,000, will go primarily to the Chinese orphanage from whom the Schurter family is adopting their son.  25-percent will remain here to go toward seed money for roof repairs.

The Schurters are deeply grateful for all the support the St. Andrew family has shared.  On their behalf, thank you.

The Seder meal is a way to celebrate and remember the Passover night, when God rescued the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. 

Moses said, “You shall observe this rite as a perpetual ordinance for you and your children.  When you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this observance.  And when your children ask you, “What do you mean by this observance?” you shall say, “It is the passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt, when he struck down the Egyptians but spared our houses.”  And the people bowed and worshiped.        -Exodus 12:24-37

A big thank you to Karen Stine for all of the preparations, the Pardee family and Brian Hoffmeier for leading the meal, and all those who helped clean up.

Along the way we also enjoyed some old traditions, such as the progressive supper starting at the home of yours truly.  The gang then headed for the Stine’s home for salads and the main course, and we ended at the Hase’s for dessert and karaoke!  It was a memorable night.

We also tried a new tradition in having a Seder supper held on Maundy Thursday.  Forty-eight people enjoyed food, tradition, and lessons.  It was so well received; expect a repeat in the year to come.

Other events to be proud of included our annual vacation bible school where children from our congregation and the community came for a week of bible stories, songs, fellowship, and a fantastic game show where all came out a winner!

Another fun experience was the “Daughter” event.  We donned our aprons (or our blue jeans), shared salads, sandwiches and stories about “the good old days.” Thanks to Carol Bingham and all who helped organize this event.

St. Andrew has also taken steps to reach out and connect via the world wide web and increased use of email to our congregation members.  We updated our website www.standrewarvada.org and created a web log (blog) www.standrewarvada.com.  In the future we will continue to explore internet options including social media.  (Are you on Facebook?)

The September anniversary celebration was great and now it’s time to focus on “what’s next.”  What’s ahead to celebrate?  In what other ways can we bring congregation  members together in fellowship?  How can we reach out and minister in our neighborhood?  What can we look forward to in the coming year?  What should we hope for and dream about for St. Andrew?

We continue to care for the church and each other and I encourage each and every one of you to participate some how in the coming year.  We are always grateful for worship assistants.  Come show the choir what you’ve got.  Attend a Senior Saints event.  Consider joining council or taking on the role of Financial Secretary.  It takes all of us to keep this family known as St. Andrew thriving.  Get involved, whatever that is.

There were a few books left over, so the remainder of the books were donated to the Arvada Food Bank and the Mt. View Juvenile Detention Center.  Thank you to Julie and Joe Cunningham for delivering the donated books! 

Looking for a church is no different, so it is important to have an effective, dynamic presence on the Internet. We want people to be able to find us, not only when they are coming to visit on Sunday morning, but also when they are online searching.

The new web site will also have lots of information for members, including current bulletin announcements and monthly newsletters.
Check out the new web site at www.standrewarvada.org!

Vacation Bible School

June 15-19, 2009 8:45 am-11:30 am

For more information or to sign up……………

Oberts and Korabs have been members since 1961!

Shared Memories

Bud and Barb Obert
Marv and Ilene Korab

The Oberts and the Korabs had visited the new mission church called St. Andrew in 1961 and attended services there. Pastor Richard Englund then made a home visit to each of them. This made an impression on both couples, and they joined shortly after.

At the time, St. Andrew had a membership of 64 families, most of whom were young. “Sunday School was full of children everywhere.” There was one church service at 10:00, and Sunday School was held at 9:00. Some classes were held in the small church. Others were taught in the parsonage basement, and others met at John and Ethel Erickson’s home on Newland Street.

Communion was only offered on the first Sunday of each month. Both Barb and Ilene recall that the ladies wore hats and gloves. An item in the bulletin one week state, “We do ask that the ladies receive the elements in the ungloved hand.”

In 1961, the congregation parked along 66th Avenue. There was not a center aisle when entering the Sanctuary, but members came from both sides. The choir loft was centered in the back of the Sanctuary. Bathrooms were located where the Sacristy and Parament rooms are. The kitchen was located in the northwest corner of the building, and Altar Guild and coffee fellowship hour share the space.

As the congregation continued to grow, Bud worked with John Erickson to remove the walls that had enclosed the area for Sunday School classes. After that, the altar was removed, and the free-standing altar that we have now was built. Brothers Buck and Virg Rust did the brick work with Glen Lilja moving the mud and bricks to do the job.

Other major projects followed: building the Education Wing; moving the Pastor’s and secretary’s offices; building a choir loft; replacing the roof on the Sanctuary which involved Marv; working with J.C. Pippin on various projects; remodeling Obert Hall; and drilling the outside well. Remember the red “Well Fund” envelopes?

Special memories includes: Dan Klingens and the family camping group, Mike Pelkey and the blood drives, the Teen Center after school in the 1970s, the Gleaning Project in the early 1990s, and working the Rockies games from 1995 to 2005.

St. Andrew has been the home church for both the Oberts and the Korabs since they joined. It is the center of their religious and spiritual life. “There are a lot of caring people here, and our hope is that the church will thrive in the future.’

By Julie Cunningham
Photo by Joe Cunningham

Lascots are long, longtime members of St. Andrew.  Their history goes back to the very beginnins of the new church.  Jean’s parents, three sisters, grandmother and two aunts were also members.

As St. Andrew was to be a satellite of Augustana Lutheran Church in Denver, the family was pleased to have a neighborhood church closer to their new home on Reed Street.  Before this, the family had been driving to attend services at St. Andrew from their home at 43rd and Sheridan.

Social life. “Social outlet” is how Jean describes what the church meant to his family.  It was the source of friends for the family.  The church was the base.  Diane used the word “support” when she talked about St. Andrew.  This generation of the Lascot family and their three children have been members since the children were born.  “Everyone here has been a part of raising our children,” she said.  “The kids have been here from their baptisms through confirmation.”

Confirmation is an honored tradition in the Lascot family.  When Drew is confirmed, three generations will have been confirmed at St. Andrew: Jean’s two aunts in 1958, Jean in 1969, and Kevin, Erin and Drew.  Community is important to Erin.  She is glad to have grown up in a small church where everyone has always known her and knows who she is.

Other memories for Jean include the “train” of kids that would go back and forth between the church and the parsonage, where Sunday School was held.  He also remembers fun times at church Camp Eden, sneaking out of the dorm at night, thinking that no one would know what they were up to, but finding out the next day that they had gotten away with nothing!

Thanks to the people of St. Andrew from Erin and Diane!  They both give thanks for the caring and giving ways of our members.  The future is important to the Lascots, too.  Their hope is that St. Andrew will grow again, be a home to new families and be as meaningful to others as it has been to their charter member family.

By Julie Cunningham
Photo by Joe Cunningham

Klingens Family Charter Members

For charter member Grace Klingens, it all began with a knock on the front door in 1957.  Grace and her husband Dan, who worked for the phone company, had just been transferred from Chicago to Colorado.

The woman who knocked on Grace’s door was from Augustana Lutheran Church in Denver.  She was conducting a survey to see if anyone in the neighborhood would be interested in attending a new Lutheran church to be built in the area.  This was possible thanks to a donation of land from the Badey family.  The Badeys had contacted Dr. Paul Noren of Augustana with a tithing of four acres of land for a mission church.

Grace and family said they would be interested in joining such a church.  The Klingens soon found themselves on the steering committee!  Other families in that group included the Willners, Palmquists, Hamiltons and the Smarts.

Starting in 1958, the steering committee met once a month.  Jim Anderson, a seminary intern, led the group.  Grace recalls that he suggested the mission church be called St. Andrew, after one of his favorite apostles.  Also, this was a mission church and Andrew was strong in missionary work.  She also remembers that St. Andrew was crucified, upside-down, on a cross and that is why our church uses his symbol of the cross.

The first service was held at Secrest Cottage School at 66th and Lamar.  The steering committee was hoping there might as many as 20 in attendance.  The number was 52!  As the small congregation grew, services were held at Secrest Elementary School.  Organization of the church, groundbreaking and dedication of the church site took place on September 13, 1959.  By that time there were about fifty adults and fifty-one children who signed the charter roll.

Originally, the front entrance to the church faced 66th Avenue, which is why the address is 6774 W. 66th Avenue.  The doors of the building were special as they were given in memory of a child of the church, Larry Carsens.  The door handles were shaped like shepherd’s crooks to remind us that a shepherd always take care of his flock.

Among the many other things that Grace has documented about the history of St. Andrew are important dates, donations of time and talent, including the first altar, candlesicks, paraments and the outside planter and sign, which were built with the help of fellow charter member, Glenn Lilja.

By Julie Cunningham