Awesome service opportunity; Final Summer Transition Discussion; EfM; Stephen Ministry; more!

You are marked as Christ’s own forever...

Baptism Sundays are always special at St. James’s. And this past Sunday was no exception. There were five baptisms and we were lucky enough to get a picture of all the little ones being baptized with their families and friends. Below are all the names of the baptized children, along with their parents, grandparents and godparents. Congratulations to all!

Lossie Archambault Durham, daughter of Katie and Arch Durham, sister of Tyndall, and granddaughter of Janet and Read Branch, and Helen and Lucian Durham. Lossie’s godparents are Carter and Bradley Backus.

Mason William Hulbert, son of Elizabeth and Ben Hulbert, grandson of Ann Rumble, Mary Louise and Richard Rumble, and Jocelyn and Clay Hulbert. Mason’s godparents are Rachel and Chas Skidmore.

Wolfgang Paul Kalkofen, son of Victoria and Hans Kalkofen, grandson of Paula and George Holm, Dale Kalkofen, and the late Ulrich Kalkofen. Wolfgang’s godparents are Olivia and Bruce Pollock.

Luke Hunter Olson, son of Katherine and Aaron Olson, and Lela and Justin White, brother of Julia White, and grandson of Eddie Oliver, John Ferranti, Louise White, the late Anne Ferranti, and the late Linda and David Olson. Luke’s godparents are Miriam and Jason Niedenberger.

Austin Victoria Pollock, daughter of Olivia and Bruce Pollock, granddaughter of Paula and George Holm, and Tresa and Bill Pollock. Austin’s godparents are Victoria and Hans Kalkofen.

A wonderful and rewarding service opportunity

TOMORROW at Shalom Farms

Join us at Shalom Farms (2676 Venita Rd, Midlothian, VA 23113) this Saturday, July 27, from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. The weather should be cooler than it has been these past weeks.

We won’t know the exact work we’ll be doing until we get there, but it could be harvesting vegetables, or planting, weeding, or other work that helps with the farm operation.

This activity is for all ages, and families and individuals are welcome. We still have spots! You can sign-up here.

We’ll have another morning of service on Saturday, August 17, in case you can’t make it this month.

Shalom Farms is a nonprofit working to build healthy communities by growing and sharing healthy food. The food they grow is distributed through a network of programs and partnerships in communities where access to healthy food is limited.

To learn more about the work of Shalom Farms, go here.

Saturday, July 27

Doer Service Opportunity at Shalom Farms

9 am - 12 pm

2676 Venita Rd, Midlothian, VA 23113

(see above for details)

Thursday, August 1

Brown Bag Book Club via Zoom

Here's what the Brown Bag Book group is reading next.

August 1 — The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See (Fiction)

Contact: Linda Owen

Formation Groups taking a summer break:

Tuesday Men's Bible Study

Living Faith Bible Study

Women's Wisdom Bible Study

Women in Fellowship

Formation Groups Continuing to meet this Summer:

Thursday Men's Breakfast Bible Study

Brown Bag Book Club

Discover why being a Stephen Minister at St. James's might be a calling for you.

Stephen Ministers are lay congregation members trained to provide one-to-one care to those experiencing a difficult time in life, such as grief, divorce, job loss, chronic or terminal illness, or relocation. Stephen Ministers come from all walks of life, but they all share a passion for bringing Christ’s love and care to people during a time of need. Since 1975, more than 600,000 people from more than 13,000 congregations and other organizations have been trained as Stephen Ministers. Stephen Ministers provide care that supplements the pastoral care provided by clergy.

If you think you might be called to this ministry please contact Jeff Herget, Stephen Leader at jeffherget@gmail.com or 410-591-6365.

ARE YOU SENSING A CALL . . . to deepen your faith and nurture your desire to serve others?

Education for Ministry – EfM – is a program of study and reflection in a small group where we explore our relationship with God and with our baptismal call to serve others as lay ministers.

Here’s what one of our EfM graduates has to say: “You’ll come face-to-face with the central questions of existence, examine biblical criticism, and consider who God is and what God means to you. I now pursue these questions independently using the tools and resources I learned. You’ll do so, too.”

We have several spaces available for the coming year. To learn more, contact mentor Jane Dowrick at efmvirginia@gmail.com or 804-334-0117.

More info about EfM can be found here.

Help us tell the story of St. James's.

We’re looking for people to interview for Part IV: St. James’s Racial History ProjectFor the past several years, a team of volunteers has researched and written Parts I and II of St. James’s racial history from 1838 to 1900. Part III, 1900 to 1960 was researched and written by Anne Hayes who was one of St. Paul’s researchers for their racial history. You can find Parts I, II, and III here: doers.org/becoming beloved community/

St. James’s volunteers from our Becoming Beloved Community endeavor are now working on Part IV, 1960 to the present and we need your help with memories of your experiences at St. James’s (or in the community involving St. James'sers) in the 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s. If you were a member of St. James’s during and after the Civil Rights Era, even if you were only a teenager then, and would be willing to help us with this oral history part of the report, please contact Alice Tousignant at alice@hdadvisors.net

Interviews should only take 30 – 60 minutes and will be conducted by Jane Dowrick, Suzanne Hall or Alice Tousignant.