St. Andrew's United Methodist Church is in Baton Rouge's Shenandoah Subdivision, across from St. Michael Archangel High School. Its motto, Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors. frames a church known for two contrasting Sunday services: New Life Contemporary Worship at 9:00 a.m. and Traditional Worship at 11:00 a.m. The mission is to create a Spirit-filled home for sharing the story of God's work in lives, to bring others to Christ in innovative ways, and to nurture the church family.
Two Sunday Worship Styles at 9:00 and 11:00
At St. Andrew's, worship is a vital element of church life, with the aim of drawing people into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. New Life Contemporary Worship begins at 9:00 a.m. with upbeat, engaging music led by a praise band using guitars, banjos and drums. Typical dress is jeans, polos or business casual. Traditional Worship at 11:00 a.m. centers on hymns, with New Kingdom Singers appearing at 9:45 and the Chancel Choir leading at 11:00. Dress for this service ranges from dressy jeans to suits and ties. Both services are held in the main sanctuary and can be watched on YouTube. Messages can also be revisited through the sermon archive.
Parking, Welcome, and Holy Communion
Coming from the west on Monitor Avenue, the church will be on the right. Visitors arriving from Antioch can use the west parking lot just past the stop sign. Designated visitor parking is available in both the east and west lots. The bell tower above the sanctuary entrance makes the building easy to identify. Inside, the narthex serves as the lobby, with a Welcome Center host who helps visitors find their way. Ushers at the sanctuary doors can provide a worship guide and help with seating. There are no saved seats. Behind the sanctuary, past the Memorial Garden, are the Education Building and Administration Building.
Children of every age are welcome in worship, and rocking chairs are available for parents with babies. The 9:00 and 11:00 services each include a special Children's Message. Children in kindergarten through second grade may then join Children's Church, while children in grades three through six are encouraged to remain with their families.
On the first Sunday of every month and on special days such as Easter, St. Andrew's observes Open Communion. Anyone who yearns for a closer relationship with Christ may receive it; a person does not have to be a United Methodist, attend a preparatory class or be baptized. The pastor gives an overview for anyone participating for the first time. The church uses unfermented grape juice so children and those who do not drink alcohol can fully participate.
From Six Weeks Through Sixth Grade
St. Andrews follows and mandates Safe Sanctuaries in all programs with children and youth. Two professionally staffed nurseries serve worship: one for babies and one for toddlers. Parents receive a silent pager so nursery staff can reach them immediately. The broader nursery ministry serves children from six weeks through four years and meets in Room 101 of the Education Building.
Children's small groups meet from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. and are organized by age from potty-trained three-year-olds through sixth grade. Birth through kindergarten uses First Look curriculum centered on God Made Me, God Loves Me, and Jesus Wants To Be My Friend Forever. Grades one through five use 252 KIDS, emphasizing wise choices, trusting God no matter what, and treating others as you would want to be treated. During both worship services, Children's Church uses Bible stories, activities, crafts and games. On Communion Sundays, children return to the sanctuary and sit with their families.
Adult Learning Groups for Every Season
Adult Sunday School begins at 10:00 a.m., with learning groups meeting in the Education Building, Administration Building and Sanctuary. Its named classes cover different ages and interests:
- Koinonia: Open to career and retired adults of any age, with popular literature, Christian-life videos and scripture study.
- Agape: Primarily for Gen-X singles and couples who select Bible-based and topical curricula together.
- Remnants: For Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers, focusing on Bible study and topics chosen by the class.
- Bible Talk: Open to all ages and centered on the Revised Common Lectionary.
- Dallas Fiandt Fellowship Class: A traditional-style class primarily for empty nesters and people in the third chapter of life.
- Sisters: A study group for women focused on spiritual growth.
- Fellowship Class: A traditional class for empty nesters that uses the Adult Bible Studies curriculum.
- Transitions: For men and women, singles and couples from age 22 through 39 and older, using topical books, video studies and scripture-based studies.
Other regular gatherings give adults more ways to connect. Men meet for Tuesday breakfast and devotions from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m., a Friday morning reunion group, and a Thursday Happy Hour Bible Study. Ladies of St. Andrew's meets monthly for fellowship and projects supporting women and children. ReFit combines low-impact aerobic and strength exercise with dance on Mondays and Thursdays from 5:15 to 6:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. St. Andrew's Book Club usually gathers on Tuesdays at a local restaurant. Disciple Bible Study can run 15 to 32 weeks, yearly classes cover Methodist history, doctrine, organization and theology, and several covenant groups meet on a regular basis.
STAY Youth Fellowship
STAY Youth Fellowship, also known as United Methodist Youth Fellowship, is built around the transformation of teenagers through faith. It encourages a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, a safe and welcoming place where young people are accepted and loved, leadership development, connection with the United Methodist and larger Christian community, and Christian outreach. Seventh- and eighth-grade Sunday School meets at 10:00 a.m. in the Friendship Building, as do grades nine through twelve. UMYF meets there from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. every Sunday. Katy Caughman serves as the youth ministry lay leader.
Praise Bands, Choirs, and Music Ministry
The Music Ministry seeks to bring glory to God by refining musical skills and offering its best in worship. Its guiding words, written by John Wesley, are: Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature.
The musical groups include the praise band, the Chancel Choir, a formal choir, a bell choir and a youth band. The praise band leads the 9:00 a.m. contemporary service, while the Chancel Choir leads the 11:00 a.m. traditional service. The praise band rehearses Mondays in the sanctuary, and the youth band gathers Sunday afternoons. Libby Shackelford serves as the music ministry contact and worship staff liaison.
Preschool and Camp Can Do
St. Andrew's Preschool extends the church's ministry to the spiritual, educational and early developmental needs of area preschool children and their families. It provides a caring, Christian-enriched learning experience and works to strengthen its partnership with parents. Children may enroll from six months, by September 30, through Pre-K. The school operates from the end of August through mid-May, Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with early drop-off and late pickup extending the day from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Some infant classes meet only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while other classes have broader weekly schedules.
The Abeka curriculum is used for two-year-olds through Pre-K. All classes have weekly physical education and music, and two-year-olds through Pre-K attend chapel on Wednesdays. Three-year-olds and Pre-K students also take STEM and life skills classes. Camp Can Do is the church's summer day camp for children, operating Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. during summer.
Mission Work Beyond the Campus
Missions at St. Andrew's is shared across age groups, committees and the congregation rather than confined to one team. Local work includes HOPE Ministries food distribution, Adopt-A-School partnerships with Southeast Middle and Woodlawn Middle Schools, Open Air Ministries, UMCOR, the Methodist Children's Home and the OWL Center.
Men from the church help distribute and repack food for HOPE Ministries on the first Friday of each month, or the fifth Friday in months with five Fridays. The gathering begins at 8:15 a.m. in the church parking lot, followed by service from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Open Air Ministries gathers on the fourth Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and travels with Pastor Joseph Moore to worship and serve people experiencing homelessness. The congregation also supports Kairos ministry at Angola and the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, mission work in Cambodia and Guatemala, and partners with Compassion International, Heifer International and UMCOR. Ladies of St. Andrew's supports Open Air Ministries and the Children's Home, assembles UMCOR kits, makes gift bags for children at HOPE Ministries and collects socks for people who are homeless. Karen Agnew serves as the missions contact.
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
St. Andrew's call is to live faith by reaching beyond its church campus to serve others and by growing through worship and study. Five core values shape that call: belief in Jesus Christ, the conviction that all people are children of God, service to God through service to others, joyful worship, and cherishing God's gifts. Pastor Drew Sutton and the church's ministry leaders carry that mission through worship, learning, care for children, music and outreach. For St. Andrew's in Baton Rouge, open hearts, open minds and open doors describe a church organized around joyful worship, study across generations, care for children and service beyond its Monitor Avenue campus.