Weekly News & Updates

March 19, 2026

Thursday, March 19:

6pm-Handbell rehearsal
7pm-Parish Choir rehearsal

Sunday, March 22:

8:00am Holy Eucharist Rite I
9:00am - Adult and Children's Formation
10:00am Holy Eucharist Rite II
6pm- Youth Group

Monday, March 23:

10am Good Grief Group (library)
7pm- Dream Group (4th Quarter room)

Wednesday, March 25:

7:30am- Holy Eucharist (bagels and coffee after)
12pm- Lenten Lunch (Parish Hall)- LAST ONE
6:00-9:00pm: St. James the Less Free Clinic

Parish Updates

This past Sunday was filled with goodness and connection. Acts 2:42- "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

The kids packed bags for the students at Peter Paul ministry and helped tidy our property as we prepare for Easter. They are learning firsthand about acts of service as an act of faith.

Our wonderful Food Outreach ministry packed 279 backpacks on Thursday March 12! We are so grateful for them and the goodness they put in our community!

Contemplative Service- TONIGHT-Sunday, March 22nd at 5pm. Escape the noise of daily life and find quiet rest in God. Featuring silent reflection, gentle music, Scripture, and readings, this service offers a peaceful space to deepen your connection with God and yourself.

Join Us This upcoming Wednesday for our LAST Lenten Lunch!

It has been wonderful gathering together each week, and we’d love for you to join us for our final one! Our Lenten Wednesday lunch series has been a fantastic time of fellowship and breaking bread together.

This is our last Lenten Lunch and we would love it if you could join us Wednesday at noon in our Parish Hall, March 25th.

Come nourish your body and spirit with us. No reservation needed—just bring your appetite!

We would love your help stuffing Easter Eggs for Easter! If you are available on Wednesday, March 25th, join us in the Parish Hall at 8:30am, following the 7:30 Eucharist Service. All the items will be ready to stuff. Thanks so much in advance for helping us have the best Easter in town!

Holy Week Schedule

March

29th- Palm Sunday

April

2nd- 6pm Maundy Thursday service
3rd- 6pm-Good Friday service
5th- Easter Sunday
6am-Great Vigil of Easter, with baptisms -and Ukrops breakfast pizza & festive toast to the newly baptized immediately following the service
8am-Holy Eucharist, Rite I
9am- Egg Hiding
10am- Holy Eucharist, Rite II, with baptisms
11am-Easter Egg Hunt
6th & 7th- Parish Office closed

Join us for the traditional Maundy Thursday liturgy, beginning at 6pm, and then for an evening of fulfilling Jesus’ commandment to SERVE others:

Please bring perishable goods to the church office any time between Palm Sunday through Thursday of Holy Week and place them in the box in the hallway outside the office. After the Maundy Thursday worship service, we will move to the Parish Hall and sort, packaging, and then deliver the food to neighbors in need.

Easter Egg Hunt

We will have our annual Easter Egg Hunt after the 10am service on April 5th. This year we have added a special section for our teenagers! There will be games, eggs and special golden eggs just for our older kids with awesome prizes! You won't want to miss this!

NEW CLASSES IN THE 4th QUARTER! SIGN UP SOON!

All are welcome and wanted! (no matter your age)

The 4th Quarter is a program at SJtL that promotes active engagement of our senior members who have lots of energy for learning, connecting with others and remaining involved with the world around them. Currently, the Good Grief meetings, Dream Group and Journaling classes are sponsored by the 4th Quarter. We’re excited to offer FOUR new classes in April (with more to follow:) Please contact Kasey to sign up ahead for classes: All classes meet in the 4th Quarter room downstairs.

CREATE AN INDOOR SUCCULENT GARDEN April 16 at 10:30 a.m.

Each student will be provided with all materials needed to create a beautiful

tabletop garden of succulent plants that require little water or maintenance.

Class is led by Linda Bruce, a hydroponic garden expert, AKA as the former

“Lettuce Lady” at the Farmer’s Market. Price for all materials: $20. Make checks payable to “Linda Bruce”. Garden gloves optional. Contact Jenny Bruce with questions. (Scholarships available)

MENS’ BOOK CLUB

If you’re a reader who is looking for a setting where you can share ideas with

others after you read, Tom Hubbard is facilitating a book group for you. Potential books may focus on the classics, history, biographies, religion, etc. Let us know if you are interested. The group will determine the ongoing meeting dates and times. Contact Jenny Bruce with questions.

HOUSEHOLD FINANCES 101 April 30 at 10:30 a.m.

If you have questions about setting up automatic bill payments, making a

monthly bill paying schedule, or other issues with basic monthly finances, this

may be the class for you! Linda will provide a clear, easy way to get your bill

paying into a manageable procedure that even those who have never had to do

this before can follow. Contact Jenny Bruce with questions.

KNIT ONE, PURL TWO! May 12 and 19 10:30am-12:30pm

If you've always wanted to learn to knit, our knitting class, led by a friend of the church, Becci Pfister, is the class for you! The first class will teach you how to cast on and knit, and the second one will focus on the purl stitch and casting off. Please bring one skein of bulky or chunky yarn, and a pair of needles to match (it will say what size yarn to use on the label.) The instructor recommends "wooden or bamboo needles." Questions: contact Jenny Bruce

Yoga in our Pavilion on Thursday evenings

Please join Wendy Philips for an evening of outdoor, all levels, slow flow yoga on Thursdays at 6pm in the Pavilion. She will begin this Thursday, March 3/19, at 6pm in the outdoor Pavilion at St James the Less Episcopal Church. All are welcome! Cost is $15 cash or Venmo @Wendy-Phillips-90

St. James the Less Free Clinic Volunteer Meals

Every Wednesday the volunteers of the St. James the Less Free Clinic use their time, energy, talents and gifts on behalf of those that need it most in our community. It is a gift that we can provide dinner for them before they see patients. If you would like to sign up to bring a meal, click here. We are grateful for your care and support of this important ministry!

2026 Easter Flowers

As our tradition goes, we honor loved ones with the flowers in the service on Easter morning. If you would like to dedicate Easter Flowers in a loved ones name, please email the office with the name of the beloved(s). They can be "in the memory of" or "in thanksgiving of". The cost is $25. They will be assorted types of Easter/Spring flowers. It will be so beautiful to see our sanctuary filled with flowers representing our love of our cherished saints.

Prayers

Lord God, encourage us to faithfulness, righteousness, and compassion for all God’s children. We lift up Sean, our Presiding Bishop, Mark, Gail & Bud, our Bishops, and John, our Priest in Charge. May they be strengthened and encouraged as they work with us to proclaim your Good News in this world. We pray for Donald, our President, Abigail, our Governor, and Steve, our Mayor, and all our elected officials. Guide them to lead us to the common good.

We pray for members of our community, friends and loved ones who are ill, especially, Gus, Erin, Meghann, Haden, Hilda, the Smith family, Mary Lou, Pam, Alicia, Judy, Erik, Steve, Margaret, Patty, Jennifer, Susan, Dearing, Jason, Mike, Melissa, Amy, Martin, Cara, Sharon, Sandi, Jack, Winnie, Michael, Addison, Kim, Pat, Julie, Ray, Heather, Kelly, Jack, Dale, Mark, George, & Cleve.

We pray for the poor, the sick, the hungry, the oppressed, and those in prison. We ask your prayers for those serving in the diplomatic corps, the military, and as missionaries: Larson, Greg, Matthew, James, Ellie, Andrew, Katherine and Duke.

We pray for those who have died, especially Ginger Brooking. We ask your prayers for those who grieve their missing loved ones. Praise God for those in every generation in whom Christ has been honored.