What do we have in common with sheep, gates, and Jesus? Come this Sunday to find out as Katie preaches from John 10:110 and Psalm 23!

We reflected on the Parable of the Sower focusing on how good soil in our youth ministry creates spaces where young people feel welcomed, have a sense of truly belonging, and their presence and contributions matter. The progression from welcome to belonging and then mattering represents a spiritual journey that mirrors how seeds themselves grow by literally swelling up and bursting open through God's power.

As we meditate on Mark 4: 1-9 try one of these practices this week:

1. Notice someone: Intentionally greet someone at church (or in your community) who might feel overlooked. Learn their name and something about them.
2. Express appreciation: Send a text, email, or note to someone who has been a "seed planter" in your life, someone who invested in you.
3. Examine your soil: Reflect on what kind of "soil" you are right now. What distractions, worries, or hardness might be preventing growth? What would help you become more receptive?

by Rene Sasser

We are excited to announce that a preschool family has offered to have a spring afternoon at the brewery for St. Andrews-Covenant Preschool. Their daughter is in our 2 year old class, and her dad Mike is the founder of Flytrap Brewing.

On Saturday, May 2, please join us from 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm at the tap-room at 319 Walnut Street. Wheelz Pizza will also have a food truck on site. Come grab a drink and spend some time with friends. They have even generously agreed to donate a percentage of sales to the preschool that day. So, spread the word - family, friends, neighbors, potential students - all are welcome!

Maddox Andrew Peterson, son of Erik Van Peterson and Lindsey Meredith Peterson received Christian Baptism on March 29, 2026 at SACPC during the 11:00 service.

In baptism, we promise to guide and nurture these children by word and deed, love, and prayer encouraging them to know and love Jesus Christ and to be His faithful disciple.

by Susan Dykes

Click the link below to view the financial updates for March. 

by Carol Query

SACPC members and friends are invited to participate in the preparation of casseroles for the clients of the Domestic Violence Shelter during the months of April, May, and June. Aluminum casserole pans and tops are available in the mailroom under the white cabinet beside the freezer. Instructions for making the casseroles at home and then delivering them back to the church on Sundays can be found in the DVSS notebook.  For additional information, please contact Carol Query at 910-470-3127 or at caroldq63@gmail.com.

by Sue McCaffray

Whether you are a Sunday school regular or Sunday school drop-in, please join us for 4 Sundays in June, 10-11 in the Living Faith classroom for a combined class for adults and youth taught by our staff members. We will use a book by Amy-Jill Levine to look at some of Jesus's most beloved parables with fresh eyes. It's fun! Hope to see you there.

by Kent Anderson

Nominations for next year's church officers are NOW OPEN. Nominations can be made online or via a Nomination form found on the back of our pews, as well as various locations in the church. Forms can be placed in the offering plates or turned into the church office. Please submit nominations by May 26.

Join us on Friday, April 24th at 7:00 pm to experience an immersive Storytelling performance on the life and legend of Saint Sebastian: saint, soldier and martyr. Davide Bardi and Paola Balbi, are the Artistic Directors of Raccontamiunastoria (Tell Me A Story). They will perform three times over the weekend of April 24 - 26. These events are FREE and open to the public.

One of our block neighbors, Let It Grow (in the Sisson house), has planned a native plant sale for the afternoon of Sunday, April 26th in the block parking lot.  Vendors will be native plant nurseries, local herbalists, arborists and other plant related items.  Let It Grow plans to donate half of their vendor fees to our church’s Earth Care Team.  

On the same day, the yoga studio is holding an artisan market. Please plan to come out for this event in support of our block renters and your church’s Earth Care Team.

Are you a young adult, young family, or have parents with school aged children? If yes, we want to help connect you to other young people and families taking the same walk as you are. We’re excited to invite all young adults and young families to meet at Beat Street on April 26 at 4:00 pm! Whether you’re new to the church or have been around for a while, this is a great chance to meet new people, connect, and get involved in the SACPC community.

So if you are interested in being involved in creating this new group of young adults and families, please contact Rev. Lucas at .

Join us at the New and Prospective Members Meet & Greet!

*Get connected with other members
*Ask questions
*Finger foods

RSVP with Rev. Parker Lucas.

Grab some friends and head to Chipotle on Wednesday, May 6 from 5-9. A percentage of sales from our diners that night will be donated to the preschool. If you order online please use code: KG72RK6. Contact René Sasser for more information.

May’s Bible study will be led by Beth Cherry. The theme is "The Road to Emmaus."  Jesus did not abandon his followers; we are not alone, for the Spirit of God is with us.  Main Scripture passage is Luke 24:13-35. Same lesson each day.

Get ready for an electrifying night with the Benny Hill Jazz Quartet as part of our concert series! With over 30 years of experience, Benny has captivated audiences, drawing inspiration from legendary artists like John Coltrane and Charlie Parker, while infusing his performances with a distinct and vibrant style. Benny’s improvisations on the alto saxophone are not only reminiscent of the jazz greats but also reflect his unique artistry. Don’t miss the chance to enjoy the captivating sounds of the Benny Hill Jazz Quartet!

Our high school seniors will be leading worship at both services on Sunday, May 31st.  Please join us to celebrate them.

Join your church family for our Fifth Sunday Breakfast on May 31 in Brown Hall between worship services. It's been a long time! We will recognize all of our teachers and enjoy our time together.

On April 19, the Wilmington Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) held a Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza event in the SACPC choir loft and dining room. The AGO sponsors Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza for piano students who are eight to eighteen years old. The purpose is to give the students a chance to see what a pipe organ is like.

We hosted eight students and their parents, which is great. Some of the children attend a church with no organ, so it was nice that they could see the beautiful SACPC Casavant organ. We had six AGO members present. The organists explained and demonstrated the organ, and explained how playing the organ is different from playing the piano.

Students are always encouraged to play the organ at PPP events. Sara Bryant, SACPC organist, sat on the bench with them to set up sounds they wanted. They all had different approaches. One boy announced that he would play “Liebestraum" with the melody played with his feet, and he impressively got through the first phrase. One girl wanted trumpet on one manual, chimes on another, and flutes on the third. She made up an abstract piece that was quite amazing. Another boy had worked out how to play the beginning of the Bach Halloween piece, the prelude in D minor, and he had a good time playing that very loudly. All eight students played the organ, and several had to be asked to leave the bench by their parents to give someone else a turn.

After everyone had played, a pizza lunch was served in the dining room.

It is wonderful that SACPC was willing to host Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza! 

We will be raising money in April to help our partners in Brazil—the staff and members of the Petropolis Presbyterian Church—build a boat to use in their ministry to communities along the Paraguay River. This partnership is 25 years old, and over the years, we have sent a half dozen teams to Brazil to work with them in this vital ministry.

The Petropolis Church received a large grant to help build the boat, but still needs about $30,000 to complete the vessel. After it is finished, they will no longer need to rent one to use in this important outreach. Pastor Nonato Santos recently visited with us to talk with us about this critical piece of their ministry.  He is also visiting friends in Florida and Texas to solicit funds.

Donations can be made online or by placing a check designated for the Brazil partnership in the offerings on Sundays in April.

We still have openings for four more people to go on our mission trip to western North Carolina from May 3-9. We would love for you to join us. Please contact Gary Smith or Parker Lucas for more details or to sign up.

Our May collection of items for local ministries will be for our neighbor, The Carousel Center. The Center provides a "one-stop shop" of services for children who have suffered abuse. Everything from intakes, interviews with law enforcement, medical examinations, and counseling is available under one roof, thus limiting the trauma retelling their story causes. We'll be collecting the following items to provide snacks for the children:

Single serving pre-packaged (no peanut ingredients please) of: popcorn, chips, pretzels, animal crackers, granola bars, dried fruit packs; microwaveable single serve lunches such as mac-n-cheese, chicken noodle soup, oodles of noodles and Juicy-Juice boxes to drink.  

Thank you for helping to feed these precious children.

Get ready for CAMP FUSION 2026: Road Trip: On the Go with God. Registration is now open! This one-of-a-kind experience combines the elements of VBS, music, creative arts, and mission work! Space is limited so register early. Needs based scholarships available.

Grades K - 5th Full Day
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Completed Grades K - 5th
Registration: $120/per child
(includes camp T-Shirt, snack & lunch)

Preschool Half Day
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Ages 3 years old (potty trained) - Have not completed kindergarten
Registration: $50/per child
(includes camp T-Shirt & snack)

If you have any questions please contact Lynn Warner.

Third time's the charm? We are planning a night out at Surf's Up Mini Golf in Carolina Beach and MAYBE the weather won't interfere this time! Sunday, April 26th meet at the church at 6:30 to carpool or meet at the location at 7pm. Friends are welcome - no cost to participants but MUST SIGN UP IN ADVANCE!   Sign up will close on Thursday April 23rd

Last D-Group before summer!

Middle and high school students gather for fellowship, Bible study and our small group ministry every other Wednesday night. "Doors open" at 6:30pm - Programming begins at 7:00 pm.

PLEASE NOTE: You may make a non-refundable 50% deposit on this trip to reserve your spot. Full balance must be paid no later than May 1st!! We will be taking a group of high school students to the Montreat Youth Conference June 14th-20th. Spots are limited and will be open to members of our Youth Group initially, and then open to friends, if space allows. Trip cost is: $600/person.

We will be taking a group to the Middle School Conference at Massanetta Springs. This trip is for CURRENT 6th - 8th grade students. Registration will initially be opened to members of our youth group, and then open to friends, as space allows. Trip cost: $400/person.

Buddy our Eastern Redbud tree has been planted!  The Earth Care team invites everyone to visit and stand in awe of this new addition to our church campus.  Many thanks to Tommy Wallace of Coastal Interiorscapes for finding and delivering the tree, to John Bohbrink for helping get Buddy set up in the sanctuary and also for supervising the planting of our new tree.  Planting team was Joan and Bob Gray, Shelley and Ed Hobson, and John.

The Earth Care Team would like to thank Cindy Litzinger for securing permission from Carolyn Winfrey Gillette to use the lyrics from her hymn O God, You Made The Trees.  This was the last hymn sung in the 11.00am Earth Care Worship Service on April 12.  The words beautifully reflected the message from our speaker, Emily Donovan.

The Earth Care Team led us during both worship services this past Sunday where we celebrated all God's creation--especially trees. The congregation reaffirmed our commitment to be a certified Earth Care Congregation and invited a special guest, a native red bud tree, to worship with us. This tree will be planted at the corner of 15th & Market streets as an act of good stewardship towards restoring lost tree canopy on our property. We also learned about the divine importance of our local tree canopy and ways we can become more involved in preserving and restoring lost canopy in our area.

Please contact Shelley Hobson or Gwen Behen if you wish to join the Earth Care Team

Thank you for contributing to the work and love of Jesus through St. Andrews-Covenant Presbyterian Church. Your gifts enable us to stay Faithfully Present in Our Community by providing beneficial programs and spiritual events that lift up, motivate, and provide joy!

Financial updates will be provided each month.  If you have any questions, please contact Susan Dykes, Financial Administrator, 910-762-9693x207, sdykes@sacpc.org; or our Church Treasurer, Ed Hobson, treasurer@sacpc.org.

Click here to access the complete CareLine.

Prayer requests: Click here to tell us about your need.

Hospitalizations: Please here to email Rev. Harrington and Rev. Lucas or call the church office at 910.762.9693 to leave a message.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:  Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:4-6

The life of Bob Martenis, who passed away in January.  There will be a service of remembrance for Bob in the sanctuary following the 11:00 am service on April 26.

Jerry Owens, who is recovering from a successful surgery he had last Thursday, April 16.

Safe travels to Paola Balbi and Davide Bardi, Italian performers traveling the US and performing this week. They will be leading the Word Made Alive biblical storytelling event on April 24 at 7:00 pm.

Billy Purdom (Navy War College, Newport, Rhode Island), Brennan Litzinger (Fort Bliss, Texas), Mikayla Reifert (Tinker AFB in Oklahoma), Bradley Garrett (Coast Guard, Elizabeth City)

April 21: Becky Barefoot, Kay Hein, Linda Smith
April 22: Jeff Denlinger, Amy Smith
April 23: Margo Hurd
April 24: Zina Burney, Martha Futch, Kate Smith
April 25: Brian Lanier, Anita Lowry
April 26: Bill Rudisill
April 27: Elizabeth Galloway, Sarah Parks
April 28: Catheryn Thomas, Anna Williams

View our most recent Session Reports.