Elizabeth Ministry
Mary Ann McLean 215-860-3790
Diane Dowler 609-439-1278

Are you a mom or a would-be-mom that would like to connect to
other moms or would-be-moms within Saint Andrew Parish? Then
the Elizabeth Ministry is the group for you. The Elizabeth Ministry
strives to support women and their families during the joys,
challenges and sorrows of the childbearing years and beyond.
We offer peer support, mentoring, spiritual nourishment, community nvolvement, and educational and inspirational resources. Come join us!
Click here to check out Elizabeth Ministry International.

Playgroup
Please join us every Wednesday during the school year, 10:00-11:30AM, Olde Church, lower level. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Ann McLean, 215-860-3790 or
Diane Dowler, 609-439-1278.

Faith Sharing Opportunities
Many of us hope for a time when we can grow in our faith. Many women at Saint Andrew have found that meeting with other moms who are dealing with the same life issues provides a good foundation for exploring not just parenting issues but faith issues too. The Elizabeth Ministry provides many opportunities to grow in your faith, wherever you are in your faith journey. Here’s a summary of our faith sharing opportunities:

Small Faith Groups 
We have two groups, daytime and evening, where Moms gather for socializing, discussion and refreshments at the homes of group members. New members are always welcome! 
The schedule of locations rotates, so please contact Terry McCullough for upcoming locations.

• Evening sessions are once a month, 7:30-9:30PM and are usually moms only (with joyful exceptions made for infants!) Details on the day for the evening session will be coming soon. For the 2010 calendar year, evening session will use God’s Word is Alive, a book of reflections with discussion questions on the upcoming Sunday readings. 
• Daytime sessions are every other Thursday, 10:00-11:30AM and is currently watching the complete Matthew Kelly series, including discussion questions. Each session can provide insight without having seen the previous ones.

Retreats
Elizabeth Ministry members enjoy each other so much, we try to get away for a weekend together each year to attend a retreat. With so many members, we don’t always make it to the same retreat, but many gather the first weekend in February at the St. Rafaela Center in Havertown, http://www.straphaelacenter.org/home/index.php. The benefit to devoting Friday night through Sunday mid-day to prayer and reflection is tremendous. 

• In addition, Sr. Jean Liston, our parish contact and spiritual mentor, conducts an Advent service annually for us. This is a wonderful opportunity to focus on Christ and prepare for Christmas through spiritual exercise.

Parenting Young Children from a Spiritual Perspective
Join our discussion group to talk about topics regarding parenting from a spiritual perspective. We meet the first Sunday of the month, 7:30-9:00PM, Olde Church, Lower Level. For information, contact Lynda DiFiori, 215-968-2031 or Kelli Gauker, 215-968-0909.