WHO WE ARE
Friendly and fun, we are a joyous mix of generations, family formations, and faith backgrounds and experience. We are faithful (and flawed) people who come together to be in the presence of the God we know in Christ Jesus, to be in space that allows us to be who we are, to try to make sense of our lives and the world around us, and to share the ways we see God in the people and world around us.
St. Andrew Evangelical Lutheran Church is a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Lutherans are Christians, which means we believe we know God best through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We believe in the God we know in three ways: God, Creator of all that is, God among us, Jesus Christ; God, Holy Spirit. We are centered in our faith and belief through worship around Word and Sacrament, the ways God meets us through Scripture, Communion (a Holy Meal), Baptism, and the faithful people with whom we live and serve. Want to know more about Luther and Lutherans or about our beliefs.
A BRIEF HISTORY
St. Andrew Evangelical Lutheran Church was formed in 1985, the coming together of two Bristol Lutheran parishes: Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church and Covenant Lutheran Church.
Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded in 1948, when the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) anticipated growth in the area and established a small mission church in the northeast section of the city of Bristol, CT. By 1960 the congregation had grown and needed space, and the cornerstone was laid at 1125 Stafford Avenue, our present location, for a much larger space and sanctuary.
In the 1970’s, differences in traditions and theological interpretations caused a rift within the LCMS. Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran among others voted to leave LCMS and affiliate with the American Evangelical Lutheran Church (AELC).
With similar concerns, parishioners from a local LCMS church left their parish and formed Covenant Lutheran Church, an independent church. This congregation worshipped in local schools and other places, then was invited by Bethlehem to use its sanctuary for services as a separate congregation. In 1985, the two congregations merged to form St. Andrew Evangelical Lutheran Church.
St. Andrew joined the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), which was the successor to AELC. The ELCA is presently the largest Lutheran church body in America, with approximately 5 million baptized members. St. Andrew is a member of the New England Synod of the ELCA.
Today St. Andrew’s congregation is a joyous mix of families with generations of members with Lutheran roots, and new friends with various faith backgrounds, and those with no previous church experience. We offer many ways for people to engage their faith through worship, music, arts, study, service, good food and conversation, intergenerational learning, and more.
NEW HERE? COME AS YOU ARE, AND WELCOME!
If you’re joining us for Sunday worship* for the first time, please arrive a few minutes early to find your seat. A greeter and usually a few members of our congregation will be in the Narthex (main entrance), side entrance, or kitchen setting up for coffee hour to greet you, hand you a bulletin for the service, explain any current COVID protocols, and point you to our sanctuary. Bathrooms are also located off the Narthex and down the Sunday School hall, and hand sanitizer is available. As we recover from the pandemic, you can expect to see some people masked and some not. We have extras if you prefer to wear one but forget yours. As for dress code, it’s come as you are. We’ve seen shorts in winter next to gentlemen in suits! You’ll be handed a bulletin and are welcome to sit where you like. No assigned seats here, unless you see a pew or two blocked off for the choir.
Take a moment to peruse our bulletin. You’ll find the service order for the day, complete with page and hymn numbers if you’d like to follow along in our hymnals. Most, if not all, of what you need is in the bulletin. Then sit back and enjoy Deacon Gwynne’s prelude, always a beautiful and contemplative way to begin our worship together.
All people are invited to come forward for communion or blessing if so moved. If your need is to receive in your seat, please let an usher or greeter know on your way in, and Pastor Swenson will be happy to accommodate you. In order to accommodate personal health needs, we offer a gluten free wafer option and your choice of wine or grape juice. Currently, we are sharing the peace through sign language peace signs. So don’t be surprised if no one reaches out a hand but instead you’re being flashed lots of peace signals! We understand that everyone has different comfort levels in this time of recovery, and respect each individual’s space preferences.
After the blessing and final hymn, we hope you’ll stay a moment to say hello. Our exits are informal, and we do like to chat with each other and Pastor Swenson on our way out the door and/or during our weekly post-service coffee/fellowship hour. There’s nothing like some baked goods to sweeten conversation with our neighbors!
If you have any other questions on what to expect at a SAELC service, please do not hesitate to contact the church office at churchoffice@standrewct.org or (860) 583-5809. You can also view past services on our Facebook and YouTube pages.
*Sunday Worship begins at 9:30am. Please note time changes for special services such as Holy Week and Easter.