“Follow me and I will make you fishers of people.” Matthew 4:19
From the very beginning, St. Andrew has been shaped by a story that begins near the water. Our congregation takes its name and inspiration from the calling of the first disciples by the Sea of Galilee—especially Simon and Andrew, whom Jesus meets while they are casting their nets (Matthew 4:18–25). Jesus steps into the ordinary work of their lives and says a simple, unsettling, yet hope-filled word: “Follow me and I will make you fishers of people.” That invitation and challenge—to trust, to leave what is familiar, to join God’s work in the world—has been echoing through the life of this congregation ever since.
Over the past months, our Vision Team has been at work learning more deeply about our congregation’s history—listening to stories, tracing milestones, and reflecting on how God’s faithfulness has shaped who we are today. That work will come to life in a special worship service on Sunday, January 25th.
On that day, we will pause together as a congregation to reflect on our shared history, to name and celebrate the many ways God has been faithful to us both personally and as a congregation, to recognize God’s presence and activity among us today, and to take a step of faith by entrusting our future to God’s vision and purpose for St. Andrew Lutheran Church. On that Sunday, we will gather for worship in the Youth Activity Center rather than in the sanctuary. This will allow us to share a video and display a congregational history timeline that helps tell the story of St. Andrew’s 57 years of ministry.
This will not simply be a service about the past. It will be an act of hope. Like Simon and Andrew standing at the water’s edge, we will listen again for Christ’s call and trust that the One who has led us this far will continue to guide us into what comes next.
The same Jesus who has been faithful to this congregation for 57 years continues to say to us today, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of people.” With gratitude for where we have been and trust in the One who goes before us, we step into this new year together.
