Saint James the Less Weekly News & Updates | |
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Good morning, friends!
We had a huge weekend last weekend. A noble band (Rock & the Senior Wardens) took the road to the annual Diocesan Convention held in Fredericksburg. It was a powerful weekend looking at Bishop's Stevenson's theme: Love Jesus. Embody Justice. Be Disciples. Bob Hughes, our delegate and current Sr. Warden, John Hoar, our alternate and previous Sr. Warden, and George Spagna, our Regional President and former Sr. Warden, and I traveled up Friday and Saturday.
Meanwhile, back in Ashland, Dale Hill, Nancy Chamlee and SO MANY OTHERS did the annual Stew Cook and Sale. As usual, the "Bishop's Blessed" Brunswick Stew was a resounding success. Deep thanks to all who pulled chicken, ladled stew, and sold it for us. What a huge and fun undertaking. Thankful for you all.
Sunday was our Stewardship Ingathering. Alice Cobb, another former Sr. Warden, guided us again through a successful stewardship campaign. We received and blessed the Pledge Cards, and had a fantastic meal celebrating another faithful year of the parish. If you did not get your pledge cards in Sunday, please do soon so that we can accurately budget for the coming year.
This weekend, going in so many directions, reminded me of how joyful and faithful this community is, and I am so thankful to be a part of it. I leave today for a short Triangle of Hope trip to Kumasi and Cape Coast, Ghana. Our dear friend, Father Nana Kessie will be our host for the week, and I look forward to being with my dear brother in Christ. Please pray for me and our leadership team, and I will be back in the pulpit Sunday the 24th. Reach out to Kasey or the wardens with any issues. Bart will be leading worship and preaching this weekend.
Blessings, dear friends,
Rock+
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Wednesday, November 13, 2024
- 7:30am- Eucharist Rite II (with bagels & coffee to follow)
- 10:30am- Vinyasa Yoga with Lorie (in the pavilion)
Thursday, November 14, 2024
- 6pm-Handbell Choir
- 7pm- Parish Choir
Sunday, November 10, 2024
- 8am- Morning Prayer Rite I (INDOOR)
- 9am- Sunday School (adults and kids)
- 10am- Morning Prayer Rite II
- NO Confirmation Class today
Monday, November 11, 2024
- 10:30am- Good Grief
- 10:30am- Yoga with Lorie
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
- 10am- Book Club (in person and virtual)
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November Calendar:
- 11/17-Youth group 6pm
- 11/27- No Wednesday service
- 11/28 & 11/29-Thanksgiving- Office Closed
December Calendar:
- 12/1- Year C starts, Advent Faire, 6pm Youth group
- 12/8- Bishop Goff visit
- 12/8- Cherub Choir sings 10am
- 12/15- Julie Ericksen Coffee Pot on Ukraine following 10am service
- 12/15- Evensong 5pm, Youth group 6pm
- 12/16-Vestry Christmas Party at December Vestry Meeting at 6:30pm
- 12/22- Rock+ Sunday School with the kids
- Christmas Eve Services 12/24
- 4:30pm- Family Service, Cherub Choir sings
- 10:30pm- Christ Mass
- Christmas Day Service- 12/25 10am
- Christmas- December 25th, 2024- Office Closed
- 12/28- Youth group reunion
- 12/29- Lessons & Carols
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What an amazing weekend! The stew went incredibly smooth thanks to our amazing volunteers. It was the most delicious batch yet! We are so grateful for your service to this community! It was so much fun to be together too.
We also had our Stewardship luncheon following services on Sunday. Keith Herald always spoils us with his fantastic cooking! We are so grateful for our rich connection here at St. James the Less.
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Stew Sales Feedback
Thank you for participating in and supporting our annual Brunswick Stew sales. We hope you had as much fun eating it as we did making it.
We want to hear your feedback so we can keep improving our stew and possible future events. Please fill out this quick survey and let us know your thoughts (your answers will be anonymous).
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Santa Shop Donations
Doing some fall cleaning? Finding beautiful trinkets or wares that you no longer need? Feel free to donate early to the Santa Shop. (During Advent Fair, 12/1, we invite our children to shop in our Santa's Shop for their family members for Christmas gifts, for free) We are in need of donations of items for the shop. We would also love a few Christmas gift bags and tissue paper. Please drop them in the hallway box.
Some examples of items that we would love:
Candles, snow gloves, oven mitts, stationary, pen sets, nativity sets, ornaments, little keepsakes, mugs, pottery, notepads, card games, nice books, etc.
Advent Faire will be December 1st and we would love to be able to prepare well before Thanksgiving to be ready to kick off Advent our favorite way! We look forward to sharing in this wonderful time with our church family!
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Confirmation Class
We will be holding our annual Confirmation Classes on Sunday afternoons 11/3, 11/10, 11/24, and 12/1 from 4:30-6:30pm. There will be no class 11/17. If you would like to join us for Confirmation classes, let us know. We would love to have you come and learn more.
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CHILDREN & YOUTH PROGRAMMING | |
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9am- Nursery & Children's Sunday School
10am- Children's Church
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The Kids Give Back
We have a number of children that love animals and want to find ways to give back to our community. This November the kids will be collecting donations for Loving Acres Farm Sanctuary. This sanctuary rescues animals that would have otherwise been euthanized including Perogi the sheep in a wheelchair or Major Sparklepants the three legged They are in need of towels, crib sheets and old pack and plays. They also have shared an Amazon wish list for their farm. We look forward to delivering these donations to Loving Acres during the Thanksgiving holiday. If you would like to come along, I will share more details soon. Please help us to support this worthy cause and support the passions of our SJTL children.
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The Episcopal Church’s Department of Faith Formation is seeking survey participants ages 18-32 as part of a three-year project to identify the gifts and challenges of Gen Z and ministry with emerging adults. The Episcopal Church Leadership Project (ECLP) aspires to map how best to engage with and equip a new generation of leaders through research, analysis, and experimentation. The survey—available online here—is open until December 2. If you fall within this age range, please click through to participate in the survey and feel free to share the link with your peers. You can select English or Spanish from the top right corner of the first page of the survey. For your convenience, we have also posted both links below.
You may have received this invitation as an identified leader within the context of youth, young adult, and campus ministries even though you no longer fit within the age range we are currently researching. It is our hope that you will share this invitation and survey link with those who you know who do fit the age cohort stated above.
The first phase of data collection of the ECLP, which surveyed parish leaders and Episcopal camp counselors earlier this year, resulted in initial findings that have been posted on our website on the Faith Formation and Young Adult and Campus Ministries pages.
The survey—funded in part by a $100,000 grant from Trinity Church Wall Street—is directed by research company Sacred Playgrounds. Survey results will be compiled into a report—to be shared broadly—that recommends changes to leadership training for those who work with young adults; changes in young adult preparation for leadership in The Episcopal Church, and changes to models for young adult ministry.
Direct questions about the ECLP to project administrator Bronwyn Clark Skov or Young Adult and Campus Ministries officer Shannon Kelly. If you experience technical difficulties with the survey itself, please contact Jacob Sorenson at Sacred Playgrounds here.
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Youth Group Meals
Youth Group is finally back into full swing for the year!! We had a wonderful first session and are looking forward to many more. One of the ways we need help is through meals. Below is a sign up genius for meals for our meetings. Please help us to fill the gaps and show the youth how important they are to our community! Click HERE to sign up. Thank you!
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Sign up to bring meals for the Clinic Volunteers HERE
- Help stock our Emergency Food Pantry (outside the clinic)
- Send in your Pop Tops for McDonald House
- Bring in Hygiene or laundry items for Peter Paul
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Donate to ACES- Click HERE for current needs (we have a box in our hallway)
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Donate to Peter Paul Development Center. (box in our hallway)
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Lord, we lift up this nation struggling with itself these days. Encourage us to faithfulness, righteousness, and compassion for all God’s Children. We lift up Sean, our Presiding Bishop, Mark, Gail & Bud, our Bishops, Rock+, our priest. We pray for Bart, our Seminarian, in his formation. May they be strengthened and encouraged as the work with us to proclaim your Good News in this world. We pray for Joe, our President, Donald, our President elect, Glenn, our Governor, and Steve, our Mayor, and all our elected officials. Guide them to lead us to the common good.
We ask your prayers for peace; for goodwill among nations; and for the well-being of all people. Remembering especially Gus Miller, Erin Yagla, Meghann Batten, Dennis Folsom, Court Warfield, Andrea Alexander McCallum, Andy Newchok, Haden Hopkins, Pam Bowers, Hilda Kelly, Harry Hassell, Bower family, Smith family, Lyde Longaker, Mary Ann Harris, Bob & Mary Lou Brown, Diana Timberlake, Kristi Elles, Pam Gillette, Ruth Beaudry, Tom & Fran Burke, Dennis Ray, Dawn Haase & family, Kimette Cannady, Traci Smith, Alicia Wood, Jenny Bruce, Anna Marie, Dale Halter, Judy Sledd, Floyd Moore, Debra Molter, Clint Rose, Tim Yagla, Ken Perry, Teva Rittenhouse, Jonah Smith, Christen Meacham, Erik Klauss, Bobbi Prentice, Margaret Belyea, and Lee Chambers.
We ask your prayers for the poor, the sick, the hungry, the oppressed, and those in prison. We also ask your prayers for those serving in the diplomatic corps, the military, and as missionaries: Larson Flanagan, Kemper Jones, Greg Ericksen, Matthew Thomas, Philip Morison, James Ashley, Ellie Deas, Andrew Brunson, and Katherine Murphy.
We ask your prayers for those who have died, especially Joy Stevenson & Gracie Kirkpatrick. We ask your prayers for those who grieve.
Our citizens who live in Hanover County, the Board of Supervisors, School Board, and Manager. The print and broadcast media. The churches of metropolitan Richmond: members and clergy. All who live in poverty. All who suffer from mental illness. Our citizens who live in Ashland, Hopewell, Colonial Heights, and Petersburg, the town and city Councils and Managers. All who work in banks and finance; all making financial decisions for greater Richmond. Prisons and jails of metropolitan Richmond: prisoners and staff. All who are unemployed or underemployed. All public servants.
For all those who seek peace in the world and for ourselves, that we may bring about God's Kingdom here on earth. For our enemies, and for those who wish us harm.
Praise God for those in every generation in whom Christ has been honored.
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November 14
Georgia Sehlhorst
Colin Grande
November 16
Todd Chambers
Mason Mills
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November 17
Bebe Luck
Russ Boyle
Ian Hughes
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Weekly E-News Deadline: If you have an announcement to be shared with the parish, please get the information in no later than noon on Monday. | | | | |
