Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!

As the family of St. Andrew's, let us thank our Heavenly Father as we welcome our new Presbyter, Rev. Dr. Dexter S. Maben, Mrs. Sangeetha Maben, and their sons, Deron Maben and Deshawn Maben, to our beautiful 154 year old church with its rich history. May we uphold him and his family in our prayers, and as he starts his ministry amongst us, be partners with him and work together in our Lord's vineyard.

Our Lord is at work to fulfill His will and purpose for our church. May we march forward in faith that His hand will continue to guide us.

Secretary, Treasurer, and Members of the Pastorate Committee

The tomb is empty, Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Death is defeated, Love is celebrated. We are a Resurrection Community. Life is a journey, of new beginnings, new hopes and new visions.

Even as I start to pen a few words, I realized, a new folder is being opened in my Computer, St. Andrew's, symbolic of a new chapter and a new phase. St. Andrew's Church is special because, my parents were married here, ours followed, and our second child was baptized here. Friendships, Connections and Relationships are special, but now to be your Presbyter is very humbling and feel much honored and equally responsible.

It is very hard to get my thoughts together, as much as I struggle to get my act together, preparing to bid farewell to the people of God at Shaffer Memorial Church. The fact is change and growth occurs slowly and steadily. The early Christians referred to their new faith as "The Way." A "way" is a journey, and not a destination. The Resurrection and post-Resurrection experiences point to life-affirming and life-changing experiences that provided an opportunity to encounter Christ. Journeys of people changed course and they were able to see life differently, perceptions and perspectives were altered. Imagine when Thomas touched Jesus, signaling the real presence of God (John 20:24-29). Even while celebrating Easter, we heard about the pain and suffering of the people of God in Sri Lanka. Just when that country was returning to normalcy, hate and prejudice is celebrated in the name of Religion, Ethnicity and Culture. It once again reminds us of St. Paul's words to the Corinthian Church, ".who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18). We live in a culture that celebrates artifice. All around us the mantra seems to be success, perfection and achievement, the temptation to imitate. Embracing one another in love is the need of the hour, a mandate of our Lord.

My sincere gratitude to God for the ministry and witness of Rev. Jessie Ranjan, and wishing her God's blessings as she journeys on at Kothanur CSI Church. We as a family look forward to meeting you all in person, as we journey together in Christ.

May the Lord go with us as we journey together...