St. Andrews Church

Our Story

THE BEGINNING.  We didn’t know it at the time, but when six of us started getting together weekly in the Spring of 2006, we were the beginning of Saint Andrew’s Christian Church. We talked and talked and talked about just one question: “what is church?” We all called ourselves Christians and yet, what we realized was that we all shared a huge amount of uncertainty about how to answer that question.

There were already plenty of churches out there. And yet, for many different reasons, here we were, in search of a sanctuary of our own. For many, our experience of church had left us wanting. We all knew that church could be more than it had been, but we didn’t know what this new sanctuary would look like. One thing we felt certain of: why pour money into a building when our church could be everywhere, spiritually and physically.

OUR METHOD.  We started by slowly reading through the book of Matthew from the Bible, and, after practically every story, ended our time by asking, “what does this story say about church; about what church is; about what church is supposed to be?”

Our times led to some good discussions—and maybe even some good answers. But more than any particular answer, what we were feeling compelled by was a need for something different in our spiritual lives. “What we need,” we all felt, “is a place, a church, where we can have these sorts of honest conversations with God—and to be able to invite others into the dialogue.”

MORE QUESTIONS.  Six months later, we retreated into the mountains of Vermont to Jay Peak and spent two days seeking God and searching for a way to articulate this abstract notion of a new and different church. What would it look like? When and where would it meet? Why would it meet at all? It was an exciting time. And it was during this time that it became clear that we would, someday, see our dream become a reality.

One of the key conclusions from this weekend was the idea that our church would be about asking the big questions of life and faith. In other words, our church wouldn’t be driven by any particular idea or set of ideas—but rather by the quest itself; the question would be the key component to our small group discussion times and even to our worship services. A hard question enables you to go much further than an easy answer will permit.

GROWTH.  Through the end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007, our little group began to grow: our core group of 6 became 8, and then 12, and then 15. And our Thursday night discussion group became 3 groups, meeting in places like Muddy Waters, Waterfront Park, and Burlington Bay to talk about life and faith. And we also added a monthly service thanks to the wonderful people at First Baptist Church in Burlington who have opened their space to us.

A NEW PHASE.  In the Fall of 2007, we are moving into a new phase in the life of our church. This September 16, we will celebrate our fall kick-off and begin offering worship services on a weekly basis. We hope this new phase will lead us to an even richer experience in our spiritual and emotional lives, and that many people in Burlington and the surrounding area will, as we have, find a place where they can pursue a relationship with God in a way they never have before.

We’re thrilled if you choose to worship with us. We’re thrilled if we can be a part of God touching your heart, and all the places in your life that most need His love. We invite you to join us in this journey, where we’re still wrestling with the question, “what is church?” The only difference is, we like to think we’re not just talking about our answers anymore – we’re living them.