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Vestry Minute

As members of your vestry shared during announcements on Sunday, the Vestry has been meeting very recently with the Bishop, the Canon, and a mediator, to move forward with issues concerning Rock and the Congregation. We feel that things are coming to a conclusion very soon. Based on our meeting with the Bishop last Monday evening (June 21), he heard the concerns expressed by the Vestry.

While Bishop Stevenson sees challenges ahead, he has not made a decision yet, and will meet very soon with Rock, or may already have done so. He will meet with the Wardens soon after, and render his decision.

We appreciate everyone’s continuing patience and prayers. 

Here is the list of the current vestry if you want to reach out and talk.

Jim Allen, Sr. Warden

George Field, Jr. Warden

There are two new email addresses.

wardens@stjamestheless.church

vestry@stjamestheless.church

Chenery Fund

The Christopher T. Chenery Fund was established in 1973 to honor Mr. Chenery, a former parishioner, and owner of horse racing’s triple crown winner, Secretariat. The committee’s current (2025) members are George Spagna (Chair), Ginny Meyer, Melissa Roberts, Lara Brown, Joanne Robb, Patty Smith, Kris Allen, Margaret Belyea and Chandler Deas. Bobbie

Street, who has been handling correspondence and notifying recipients of grants awarded, has agreed to continue this role even after she officially left the committee!

The committee considers requests for funding and consists of parishioners appointed by the Vestry and Rector, each serving a three-year term. The interest income generated from the fund is available for funding charities, outreach programs and parishioners’ participation in retreats, conferences, camps and classes designed to promote Christian spiritual growth.

2025 distributions are approximately $27,400 – all expenditures are approved by the Vestry.

The Fund also tithes to the Building Fund, the church operating budget, reinvestment to principle, and makes annual contributions to the Rector’s Discretionary Fund. Invested funds are administered by Diocesan Trustees of the Funds.

In 2024 we supported several campers and participants in the annual Shrine Mont retreat and made contributions to our parish food ministry. Other recipients included the YMCA, Habitat for Humanity, the Wings of Hope Ranch, the Hanover Churches Network, and CJs Thumbs Up Foundation. A special award was sent to Episcopal Relief and Development for hurricane relief.

Do you have someone going to summer camp at Shrine Mont? We can provide 75% towards the fee for first-time campers and 50% for repeat campers. Are you planning to attend our fall retreat at Shrine Mont? We can support 50% of that cost. Are you participating in a mission trip? We can support that, too.

Application forms are found in the upper left mail folder across from the office.

If you have questions feel free to reach out to George Spagna or any of the committee members.

We are currently searching for our new nursery staff for the program year. Please reach out to Miriam with any questions and share the flyer below with anyone interested (11th grade and above are eligible for this paid position). Thank you so much!

Please join us for Blessing of the Backpacks on August 17th during the 10am service! Help us send our school aged members into the new school year with love and blessings. During this service, we are asking for donations to the Backpack Program! Please bring individually wrapped snack items, crackers, fruit snacks, and granola bars. We will also be collecting a special offering for this fantastic program!! Come ready to learn more and start the school year off right! 

Help us to get the much needed supplies for our ever growing program by clicking HERE. Please make sure to include who sent it so we can properly thank you!!! Snacks, crafts and so much more to choose from. Thank you all for your continued support!!!

WEDNESDAY WIT

• 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
• Donate to ACES- Click HERE for current needs (we have a box in our hallway)
• Donate to Peter Paul Development Center. (box in our hallway)

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, John+ and Rock+, our priests. We pray for Bart, our Seminarian, in his formation. 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, Glenn, our Governor, and Steve, our Mayor, and all our elected officials. Guide them to lead us to the common good. 

We remember before you all who are restricted by poverty or oppression, all who cannot fulfil their calling due to illness or circumstance. We pray for all who are afraid to commit themselves to anyone. We pray for members of our community, friends and loved ones who are ill, especially, Gus Miller, Erin Yagla, Meghann Batten, Haden Hopkins, Hilda Kelly, the Smith family, Mary Ann Harris, Mary Lou Brown, Pam Gillette, Ruth Beaudry, Dawn Haase & Family, Kimette Cannady, Alicia Wood, Anna Marie, Judy Sledd, Floyd Moore, Tim Yagla, Erik Klauss, Steve Crain, Jessica Wingo, Margaret Belyea, Calvin Stanley, Lee Chambers, Patty Smith, Douglas and Karen Bower, Ginger Brooking, Jennifer Fewell Gardner, Charlie Bonner, Christen Meacham, Susan Arthur, Dearing Gardner, Jason Robb, Paul Schofield, Teva Rittenhouse, Mattie Ham, Jerry Peart, Mike Littlefield, Melissa Deas and John Hodges.

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. We ask your prayers for those who grieve their missing loved ones.  

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.

July 30

Rachel Easter

Richard Grosse

July 31

Jim Haase

Karen Davies

August 1

Katie Wagner

• Prayer List- Prayers of the People
• Giving Online- Click here to give online or text "GIVE2THELESS" at 73256 from your phone.
• Ask for prayer-Send in your prayer request (please acknowledge if the prayer is private or for our Parish list)
• The Collect Collective- Daily short prayer with Father Rock
• List of Local Food Pantries- Click here for a complete list of local food pantries.
• Fall Line Farms- A wonderful organization that supports local farmers. Click here to order food so you can pick it up here at SJTL on Thursdays.
• Self- Guided Ways Of Worship Brochure- It has wonderful ways of engaging with your own space (and the spaces around the church) to find the Holy, already present, within them.
• Father Rock's Blog- Access reading of all of Father Rock's Homilies.
• Blessings & Dressings- A copy of the SJTL Cookbook 
• End of Life Planning Kit- Help with estate planning from the Episcopal Church Foundation.
• Diocesan Creation Care Website- Creation Care Task Force

Saint James the Less Episcopal Church

125 Beverly Road

Ashland, VA 23005

(804) 798-6336

Staff: (click on the name to email them)

The Rev. Rock Higgins, tssf Rector

Reggie Long- Organist/Music Director

Miriam Smith- Christian Formation- Children & Youth Director

Dawn Baker- Interim Parish Administrator

Office Hours: Monday 9am-2pm, Wednesday 9am-2pm and Friday 9am-12pm