Don’t have a place to worship this Sunday?  Come join us at Boone Hall for our community Easter celebration.

The St. Andrew’s worship band starts things off at 8:30 am with music under the big tent. The gates to Boone Hall open at 7:30 am and our service begins promptly at 9 am. The service will end by 10:15 am.

Everything will be provided for you during your time with us on Easter. Chairs are provided. Childcare is available. We’ll even provide you with insect repellant in case the bugs are flying.

For more information go here.

Friends,

Thank you for the massive outpouring of support these past few days with regard to our zoning status.

I wanted to give all of you a quick update.  We had a good meeting with the Mayor and Councilman John Burn this morning.  At the Mayor’s request, our rezoning request will be deferred to the May Town Council meeting.  The calls and emails that have been made to Council members have been very effective.  I am deeply appreciative of your help. I’ll keep you posted on further developments over the next few weeks.

In the meantime, I pray you have a joyous celebration of Easter – and if you have no church home, I’d love to have you join us at Boone Hall this Sunday at 9.00 am to celebrate THE day that changed the world.

In Christ,

Steve

Dear Friends,

St. Andrew’s needs your help.

In 2009 the Town of Mt. Pleasant ratified a “Comprehensive Plan” that has since served as the blueprint for growth and development for our community.  As a part of that plan, a new category of zoning was created.  This category, known as Public Institutional (PI 1), identifies all those buildings that serve the public good as eligible for inclusion. This includes government buildings, schools, hospitals and churches, which were specifically identified by the Town of Mt. Pleasant as those entities eligible for rezoning.  Not only were these entities eligible but the Town Planning Commission specifically recommended that such entities, including churches, pursue PI 1 status for the benefit of the wider community.

In a recent meeting with the Town planners they suggested that St. Andrew’s apply to change our zoning from Residential to Public Institutional (PI 1).  Their rationale for this suggestion is that a zoning designation of PI 1 allows St. Andrew’s, and every other public institution, to work directly with Town officials as we explore solutions to the problems created by our limited and antiquated building space (i.e., we need to rebuild the Day School, children’s and youth areas, etc).  Under our current zoning classification we have to apply for a zoning variance for each and every alteration we may wish to make.  Recognizing the protracted, expensive and difficult process imposed on public institutions to make changes to their facilities due to being zoned as residential, the Town created the new PI 1 Zoning status and, as stated above, recommended that we apply.  St. Andrew’s was happy to comply with the Town’s request.  As a part of that process public input was sought.  At our hearing last week with the Town Planning Commission we received a favorable vote by  a 6-3 margin.

The next step was to appear before the Planning Committee of the Town Council, which we did yesterday.  Though we enjoyed much local support from our kind neighbors, one family did attend to speak against our request.  They cited a concern over growing traffic problems as well as the desire to have public input in future building projects that St. Andrew’s may undertake.  As to the first concern, the matter of traffic is not an issue in a rezoning request.  As to the second concern, not only out of neighborly courtesy but also as a legal requirement there will always be public input in any future building projects that St. Andrew’s may undertake.  First, we must submit a traffic impact assessment and secondly we will have to appear before the Old Village Historic District Commission.  Both of those steps require public input.

Considering the above, we were surprised and disappointed when the Town Council Planning Committee voted to deny our request 3 -1.  After all, we did pursue the rezoning of our property at the Town’s suggestion.  We fear that the precedent set by this decision will have a negative impact not just on St. Andrew’s, but on every church in Mount Pleasant.  This concern is also shared by other local churches who sent representatives to speak on our behalf.

What can you do?

Our Town Council meets this coming Tuesday, April 10 at 6.00 p.m.  Town Council has the final responsibility for deciding this matter.  You can do at least four things to help us:

1. You can pray.  It seems as if some have adopted an unsympathetic posture towards church growth.  But often it is growing churches who have the resources to enrich the local community with medical clinics, day schools and community outreach/assistance programs all of which St. Andrew’s is privileged to provide for the Town of Mount Pleasant.  Pray that we might continue to do so.
2. You can attend the meeting and speak on our behalf.  Having Mt. Pleasant residents present and participating in Town Council meetings is always beneficial for our elected officials.
3. You can call, or email, our Mayor and Town Council members and express your support.  This, in fact, is an exceptionally helpful way you can participate in this process.  In your communication, you should be courteous, you should note that you are a Mt. Pleasant resident and you should ask the Town Council to support our rezoning classification from Residential to Public Institutional.
4. Lastly, you can forward this information to all of your friends who attend a church in Mt. Pleasant and ask for their verbal support as well.  If the Town Council acts against their own recommendations, set forth in their own Comprehensive Plan, there will be negative ramifications for every church in Mt. Pleasant.  There is no reason that churches, having been specifically identified by the Town’s 2009 Comprehensive Plan as eligible for Public Institutional zoning, should now be denied.

Thank you for your prayerful consideration and your action on our behalf.  It is appreciated.

Yours in Christ,

Steve

Please note that there is one – and the same – phone number and email address for both the Mayor and all Town Council Members.  The phone number is, 843.884.8517, and the email address is, councilclk@tompsc.com

Mayor
Billy Swails

Town Council Members
John Burn
Elton Carrier
Ken Glasson
Chris Nickels
Chris O’Neal
Linda Page
Craig Rhyne
Thomasena Stokes-Marshall

As you know, Rob Sturdy joined our staff this past January with a primary purpose of developing our school of theology.  Our threefold aim is to 1. equip men and women to live distinctively Christian lives in the marketplace; 2. To train and equip church planters; 3. To offer degreed course work for men and women who seek to pursue full-time Christian ministry.  To that end, over these past few months, Rob has worked to develop our partnerships with SPTC, Trinity Seminary, Ashley Null as well as other academic institutions/academics.

I am pleased to announce that the first part of our threefold aim will kick off in September 2012 with the development of The Ridley Institute.

This is Nicholas Ridley.

Nicholas Ridley was born in the year 1500 in Tynedale, Northumberland in England. Ridley lived in tumultuous times. When Ridley was only 17 years old, Martin Luther published his own famous 95 Theses in Wittenberg, Germany, ushering in the Protestant Reformation.

Luther’s simple message was Tetelestai which is Greek for “It is finished.” You see, after hundreds of years of being told that you must earn God’s love through works, Luther rediscovered the teaching of the Bible, that God already loves you, and sent His Son to die for you and take away the sin that separates you from God (1 John 4.10). This wonderful gift is received by faith, not by works so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2.8-9).

The effect this Gospel had was so beautifully stated by H. Bonar, the Scottish Puritan who wrote

“On the word Tetelestai, ‘it is finished,’ as on a heavenly resting place, weary souls sat down and were refreshed. The voice from the cross did not summon us to do, but to be satisfied in what was done. Millions of bruised consciences there found healing and peace.”

Ridley discovered this “heavenly resting place” for himself in 1529 and boldly proclaimed the Gospel in England as the Bishop of London until 1553. In 1553, Ridley was imprisoned by “Bloody Mary” for refusing to renounce his Gospel convictions. As was common in that day, Ridley was sentenced to be burnt alive for holding the Gospel faith.

On October 16, 1555, Ridley was tied to the stake with his friend, cousin, and fellow laborer for the Gospel, Hugh Latimer. Ridley, for fear of the pain he was about to endure began to tremble greatly. Latimer comforted him with these words:

“Be of good cheer, Ridley, and play the man! We shall this day, by God’s grace, light up such a candle in England, as I trust, will never be put out.”

Lighting the Fire Today

Master Ridley lit such fire in his own day and the question we propose to you now is how might you light such a fire in your own day? You may not be called to lose your life as Ridley did, but each generation of Christians is nevertheless called to give their life away.

The aim of the Ridley Institute is to honor Nicholas Ridley’s dying thought, that through God’s grace his labors and suffering might light a Gospel flame that would never be extinguished. The Institute seeks to spread the flame of the Gospel by recruiting, equipping, and deploying the very finest Christian leaders formed in the Gospel centrality of the Anglican Tradition.

Where do I fit in?

You can participate in the Ridley Institute in one of three ways:

1.  Taste and See: Twice a year the Ridley Institute will offer 10-week introductory courses in Theology open to the general public. Our core courses are Biblical Theology, Systematic Theology, Worldview, and the Christian Life.

2.  Take a Certificate Course: Beginning in the Fall of 2012, individuals will have the opportunity to acquire a Certificate in Christian Leadership for the Marketplace. Our certificate course is an intellectually and spiritually rigorous nine month course aimed at equipping Marketplace leaders to succeed in business and influence the city with the Gospel.

3.  Become a Ridley Fellow: Ridley Fellows receive monthly training in theology, Christian spirituality, and small group leadership dynamics. Ridley Fellows assist Institute faculty in administering the core courses offered by the Ridley Institute.

The Certificate Course

Beginning in the Fall of 2012, the Ridley Institute will launch our first certificate course. The Certificate for Christian Leadership in the Marketplace is aimed at Marketplace Leaders who seek to be better equipped to influence the marketplace through successful business practices married with sound Christian theology and spirituality. The Certificate for Christian Leadership in the Marketplace takes place over two semesters and will require five hours of on site participation per week. The Certificate in Christina Leadership in the Marketplace consists of:

• Four Core Courses: Biblical Theology, Systematic Theology, Worldview, Spirituality
• Leadership Training: Intro to Christian Leadership (Fall Semester), Leading for Influence in the Marketplace (Spring Semester)
• Ministry Experience: Participants will receive real world ministry experience by participating in evangelistic and prayer initiatives of St. Andrew’s
• Learning Huddle: Each participant will be expected to participate in a Learning Huddle for theological reflection and prayer.

Taste and See Courses

Fall 2012 – Winter 2013

Fall 2012: Systematic Theology
Systematic Theology is the study of Christian Theology around fairly standard categories such as the God, Revelation, Salvation, the Church, etc.

Winter 2013: Christian Spirituality
This ten-week course will focus on how Christians come to faith and sustain and mature in their faith through the power of the Holy Spirit and the continued proclamation of the Gospel.

For His Glory,
Steve

The Economist has a great article about the emerging dominance of evangelicals within the Church of England.  The article notes that “mainstream” parishes (read traditional) in the CofE continue their massive decline while parishes such as St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, HTB and All Souls Langham Place not only grow but also have a reach far beyond their parish boundaries and are flooding the seminaries with their converts.

The article also highlights one of my hopes for the ACNA – specifically, that we embrace more clearly, more firmly, and more confidently the faith and doctrine of our Anglican Reformers.  One tangible reason for this hope I have is that when one looks at the flagship parishes (who, like those parishes mentioned above, also have a reach far beyond traditional parish boundaries, are aggressively committed to church planting, and who are raising up hundreds of young church leaders) within the ACNA (as well as PEAR/AMiA) one sees committed Reformation Anglicans (reformed and evangelical) occupying the pulpits.

Here’s a clip from the Economist article:

A handful of big evangelically-minded parishes now exercise huge influence, far beyond their immediate patch. Saint Helen’s in Bishopsgate reaches out to workers in London’s financial district; it has “planted” a dozen new communities in other places, using an American model of religious expansion. Holy Trinity, Brompton has exported a charismatic brand of Christianity via the Alpha course. Meanwhile All Souls in Langham Place, which shares a neighbourhood with department stores, broadcasters and arty bohemians, radiates forth a more sober brand of evangelism. What all these churches have in common is a reluctance to do the Church of England’s traditional job of marrying, baptising or burying people who have no real religious commitment. That is a break with Anglicanism’s familiar role as the undemanding “default mode” of faith for a secular country.

The Church of England’s own number-crunchers confirm the picture of falling attendance at Sunday services in mainstream churches. They say the decline is counterbalanced by the number of people who drop into church on weekdays or are drawn in by “fresh expressions” of faith—ministries in places of work or recreation. Another bright point, they point out, is the steady number of people being ordained, around 500 each year. Of the 515 people accepted as candidates for ordination in 2010, fully 108 were under 30, up from 74 the previous year. Compare that with the Catholic church in France, which ordained only 83 priests in 2010.

Yet many of the budding clerics—perhaps a third—are firm evangelicals. There is no mistaking the rising profile and confidence of training institutions like Wycliffe Hall in Oxford, a conservative evangelical outfit with strong American links; or Oak Hill in north London, where Archbishop Rowan Williams, the thoughtful, moderate head of the church, has often been denounced as a dangerous backslider.

Read the rest.

Providing a Safe Environment for our Children

I’m guessing you have been as disturbed as I have over these past few months as we’ve seen horrifying stories of child abuse play out on both local and national levels.  As a church that has given so much time and energy to the development and practice of healing ministries (especially healing prayer) we know all too well the damaging and destructive nature of sin committed against these children.

As a proactive response St. Andrew’s hosted a parents meeting this fall to educate and equip our families.  We also took the opportunity to review our practices and training.  For well over a decade St Andrew’s has required background checks and training in child/youth protection for all of our staff and for our volunteers who work with children.  But, I’m aware that new and better training and practices are always being developed.

Working with a variety of people and agencies we initiated a thorough review of our practices and training.  The good news is that the evaluation showed we did pretty well – affirmed by the fact we’ve never, thanks be to God, had an incident occur at the Day School or in our Children’s/Youth Ministry.  The better news is that there were opportunities to improve both training and practice.

So, over the past few months we have initiated several improvements.  Specifically, with regard to training we have:

• Invited Darkness to Light in to train/retrain 35 staff and volunteers who work with our children and youth.
• We have reviewed our employee handbook and clarified reporting procedures for our staff.

Additionally, we evaluated our practices and our facilities and discovered opportunities to improve those areas as well. Specifically, we have:

• Installed automatic locks on the inside doors leading into the Deep End from the downstairs lobby.
• Installed a lock on the stairwell door at the far end of the Deep End hallway (near the doors leading out to the playground).
• Arranged for a new, streamlined security check-in system for children participating in the Deep End.
• Arranged for video security cameras to be installed on both the Deep End and Youth Ministry hallways.
• Arranged for the uniformed police officer who directs traffic before and after the service to patrol more of the building, especially noting the Deep End and youth hallways and entrances.
• Relocated a Deep End staff person to a check-in location at the inside entrance to the Deep End.  The staff person will remain stationed at the entry doors for the entire service.

As a part of our revamped security the doors to the Deep End hallway (at both ends) will be locked and will remain locked on Sunday mornings beginning March 31.

Katie Arndt, our Children’s Ministry Leader, will be communicating specific information regarding new procedures to our parents and other primary childcare providers, repeatedly, over the next few weeks.

Our children are a treasure entrusted to us by our Lord.  Your ongoing assistance in ensuring St. Andrew’s to be a safe place for our children to grow in the knowledge and love of the Lord is appreciated.

Blessed by our Men’s and Women’s Leadership

Over the past month the men and women have had the opportunity to gather for their respective retreats.  +Terrell Glenn, our former rector, returned to lead the men as they focused on the theme, “Be Present.”  The weekend included teaching, ministry and an opportunity for 80+ men to have a mini hike experience at Brookgreen Gardens.

The women gathered again at Hilton Head for their retreat entitled, “Knowing You.”  They were led by our own Dwight Huthwaite.  They, too, had opportunities for teaching, workshops and ministry.

What has impressed me most, though, is the overall level of excellence our men’s and women’s ministries have attained.  That is directly attributable to Cassie Dodds and Kurtz Smith.  It’s hard to believe that before they stepped into their roles as staff ministry leaders neither were employed by a church.  Cassie was a stay-at-home mom and Kurtz was a business owner.  Both, though, said “yes” to the adventure of connecting men and women to the presence and power of Jesus Christ.  The consequence is that we not only have thriving ministries but also, literally, hundreds of men and women have been trained and released into ministry and leadership.

I hope you’ll join me in expressing your gratitude to both Cassie and Kurtz for their fine and faithful leadership.  Many of us have not had church experiences outside of St. Andrew’s.  Let me tell you, we are blessed – at many levels.

Easter

As you know, Easter at St. Andrew’s is a special event; from the beauty of the old church to the excitement of our service at Boone Hall.  Well, Easter is right around the corner.

One “tradition” that has developed at St. Andrew’s over the years is the practice of inviting the spiritually disconnected people in our lives to join us in the celebration of Jesus’ victory over sin and death.

Soon you will be seeing signs going up around town, as well as postcards being mailed to households.  These are opportunities for you to draw attention to the One Day that changed the world and initiate a conversation that could, literally, alter the eternal destination of someone’s life.

Easter, particularly at Boone Hall, is also an opportunity to serve our community.  Depending on the weather, we could have as many as 4500 people from around the Charleston area attending this service.  Think about that, 4500 people coming to our doorstep.

We need a few hundred volunteers.

We need folks to set up, park, greet, usher, pray, and decorate.

Will you help make the day ready for them?

In the family,

Steve

Ran into Whole Foods to pick up a few things and I noticed that their already high prices had gone up a bit more (due to the rising cost of gas, I was told – by the way, the same product made by a different company was $1.50 cheaper at Trader Joe’s).  Annoyed, I picked up a couple of items and headed to the check-out counter.  I noticed the clerk eye-balling Sammy and me and she says/asks, “You’re at that St. Andrew’s Church, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

“Yeah, I thought so. I’ve seen you in the Faith and Values section of the paper (the Post & Courier) a few times.  And, I see you in here from time to time.  I live at the far end of the Old Village and I often ride my bike past your church.  There sure are a lot of people at your church.  Doesn’t matter when I ride by, there’s always a lot of cars . . . I notice that the people . . . when they leave are in a good way.  They seem happy.  They say, “hi” to me.  They’re not driving like they can’t wait to get out of there.  There’s a lot of churches around the Old Village.  Yours is different.  I see you come in here with your wife sometimes, or one of your sons.  You seem happy.  I see people shopping hug you or wave to you.  You’re a nice man – you must have a really nice church.”

“We have a wonderful church.  Filled with wonderful people.  But best of all, Jesus is at St. Andrew’s.  He’s what makes it wonderful.  I’d love to have you come by sometime and meet him.”

“I’m not sure I’m the church-going type.  But maybe I will.  You’re a nice man and you’re church sure seems like a good place.  Have a good weekend.”

She was right on one count, St. Andrew’s is a really nice church.  And, of course, we do have a wonderful Saviour.  But, how’s that for an attitude adjustment of a “nice man” (Romans 7.24-25) and the uncovering of the sin beneath my sin?

Yes, that’s my boy.

A Danish TV crew was at SAMP this morning, both the 9 & 10.45 am services. They did a profile story one of our members.  The story is to about integrating faith and life and how faith can influence a voting decision.

The station is a European CNN and CBS affiliate.  The story will be a part of their prime-time newscast and will be seen across Northern Europe.

They were interesting folks.  And, they were fascinated about the general faithfulness of Americans and as noted above, the significant role faith plays in the American electorate.