St. Andrews Presbyterian Church
Services: Summer schedule is 10 a.m. worship. Beginning Sept. 11, worship begins at 8:45 and 11 a.m.
Worship style: Traditional but flexible
Average Sunday attendance: 150 in summer, 180 in school year
Minister: Dave Kivett
Denomination affiliation: Presbyterian Church USA
Address: 4882 LaVista Road, Tucker
Phone: 770-938-2833
Website: www.standrewspresbyterian.org
History
The church was formed in response to interest by a group that consisted mostly of young mothers. The first service was held in the Tucker Elementary School cafeteria on July 24, 1960. A preschool established in the mid-'60s has expanded to include an extended-day program and after-school care, and now is called St. Andrews School with 200 children enrolled.
Pastor’s path
Kivett felt a call to ministry pretty soon after attending church camp as a youth. “My best friend told me church camp was a great place to meet girls, so I went,” said the pastor. “I was really impressed by the sense of community.”
The pastor earned a bachelor of business administration and a major in economics from Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. He immediately enrolled in Union Theological Seminary in Richmond and graduated in 1987 with a doctor of ministry.
He served churches in Bowling Green, Ky., and Reidsville, N.C., before coming to St. Andrews in 2002.
Ministries
St. Andrews School offers preschool classes for children as young as 6 months, as well as extended care and an after-school program that picks up children from local elementary schools and brings them back to the church.
“We provide a great ministry for families in the community, with quality affordable child care in a Christian context,” said Kivett. “That doesn't mean that we try to make little Presbyterians out of them. We respect all faith traditions.”
An outing to watch a Gwinnett Braves game this month will include parents of the school children and church members, an example of the close relationship between members of the church and school.
Kivett estimated the building is used by more than 200 people a day, between the school and AA meetings, which are held twice weekly.
Several community initiatives grew out of the church. “We like to start things in partnership with other churches. We want our report card to say, ‘Plays well with others,’ ” Kivett said.
The pastor was instrumental in forming NETworks, a cooperative Christian ministry of churches, groups, businesses and individuals committed to meet urgent needs related especially to housing and utilities.
Church members cook and serve food for men at the Druid Hills Night Shelter, and supply canned and dry goods, as well as volunteers, for the NETworks food pantry.
The Initiative for Affordable Housing, DeKalb, co-founded by St. Andrews, helps people in need find housing. St. Andrews has joined with eight area churches to give resettlement assistance to refugee families through Six Star Refugee Partnership.
Kivett said he’s always looking for other things to do with community churches -- in the spring, St. Andrews and First Baptist joined for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services.
A back-to-school carnival, set for 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 13, will offer visitors a petting zoo, face painting, balloon animals and someone who will juggle and breathe fire.
Thoughts from the pastor
The title of a recent renovation campaign, “Extending this home of peace and welcome,” illustrates the pastor’s desire for St. Andrews.
“We want to do what we can and put out the welcome mat for all God’s children. We believe the church should represent the community and look like the community. We are not a church full of like-minded people. We think we are enriched by our differences.”
