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Share the Trouble, and Double the Joy!

A Neighborly Welcome from our Priest

Rev. Jonathan Sams

I enjoy serving as your priest-in-charge. I do not take lightly the trust placed in me. The St. Andrew vestry, and all of you, and assure you that I will, as we promise at every baptism, “do all in my power to support you in your life in Christ.” In my case, that means calling upon whatever I have learned in 50 years of ordained ministry, but also to be prepared to be ambushed by God in ways I never dreamed of.

The Vestry welcomes you to St. Andrew’s! We are a friendly, inviting church who put a lot of emphasis on outreach and supporting each other through all the good times and trials of our lives. We also support the community with a lot of our outreach ministries-for example we regularly collect food to give to Open Door, there are a number of people who volunteer at the Baldwin Center, the Waterford Senior Center, and we regularly collect pet supplies that are then taken to the Oakland County Animal Shelter. See the Ministries tab for a complete list of all the wonderful works people here are involved in. One of our favorite mottoes is “Give of your time, talents, and treasure”. The people here at St. Andrew’s don’t just attend a Sunday service, they live their faith inside and outside of the church. As our former deacon, Marlyn always said at the end of the mass, “The Mass is ended- our service continues”. If you’re looking for a church, we encourage you to come visit us, and make the journey with us. To all of our current members, we thank you for all your hard work and support!

Mission

Our Mission, Vision and Values guide everything we do at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Waterford.

Mission

Our mission is to go forth into the world and in the name of Christ, share its trouble and double its joy. Rooted in the loving ministry of Jesus we endeavor to follow in his footsteps to sustain a legacy of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being, regardless of age, position in society, spiritual needs, physical health or personal identity. We also understand our mission as inclusive of all God’s creation, especially animals who have been abused or neglected.

Vision

We envision a strong, vibrant Episcopal ministry in Waterford which is sustainable and committed to welcoming and reaching out to individuals throughout their life cycle. We envision advocating for a compassionate and just society through our actions and our words, dedicating ourselves to a spiritually centered, holistic approach to meeting the needs of our community.

Values

Service of the poor: Generosity of spirit, especially for persons most in need
Reverence: Respect and compassion for the dignity and diversity of life
Integrity: Inspiring trust through personal interactions in which our walk should match our talk.
Wisdom: Integrating tolerance, excellence and stewardship
Dedication: Affirming the hope and joy of our ministry to help heal those in need

Strategic Goals

Each year the Priest-in-charge and Vestry will collaborate and agree upon by a majority vote, a set of strategic goals for the current calendar year. Strategic Goals and their implementation are to be consistent with the Mission, Vision and Values of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.

Projects and/or Activities

Each approved strategic goal will have a corresponding list of projects and/or activities to accomplish said strategic goal. Projects/activities will be prioritized, approved (if both fiscal and time resources permit) and assigned a project/activity lead person. Such lead person may be a Vestry member, or a designated volunteer who will report to a designated Vestry member. Lead or designated Vestry persons will make routine progress reports at regular or special Vestry meetings.