THE WEEKLY NEWS OF ST. JAMES'S
December 18, 2019
advent nameplate
Christmas Services at St. James's
Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

Tues day, December 24 
4:00 p.m.
Festival Eucharist
Cherub Choir and Children's Choir 
6:00 p.m.
Festival Eucharist
West Gallery Choir & Youth Choir 
10:30 p.m.
Choral Prelude
Handel: Messiah (Part I)
Parish Choir and Strings 
11:00 p.m.
Festival Eucharist
Parish Choir
Wednesday, December 25
10:00 a.m.
Holy Eucharist, Rite II

 
Quick Calendars

  This Month  

Sunday at 5:00 p.m.
Christmas Pageant! 
The Christmas Pageant
Need a Great Gift? 

The 2019 Christmas Cross is still available! This great St. James's Christmas tradition is an annual work of love by Children's Center board members and friends. The crosses are available for a donation of $30 each. Each cross you purchase covers the cost of a hot lunch for one of our children for two weeks. Get yours at the Children's Center table on the corner of Birch and Franklin between Sunday services on Dec. 22. Or place your order by email today!
Invite * Welcome * Connect: Connect

Connect = Belonging. Connection is giving meaning to membership and discovering the gifts of the people. Connection helps both the newcomer and the longtime member answer these questions: Where do I fit in? Can I make friends in this church? Is there room for me relationally? Does this church need me? Can I find a place to belong and serve? Am I safe here? We will be discussing these questions and more in the coming months, as we embark on a new ministry - Invite * Welcome * Connect. Stay tuned for more information, and if you'd like to check it out yourself, visit , visit IWC here.
Vestry Nominations Open

The Vestry of St. James's seeks nominations for its next member class. The Canons of the Diocese provide that any lay person, 16 years of age or older, who is a confirmed communicant in good standing, shall be eligible for election to the Vestry. A "communicant in good standing" is a member of our church who has received Holy Communion in the Episcopal Church at least three times during the preceding year and "who for the previous year has been faithful in corporate worship, unless for good cause prevented, and has been faithful in working, praying and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of God."

Please submit your recommendations no later than Friday, December 20, as the committee will meet in early January. You may recommend more than one person, and it is not necessary to obtain his or her permission. If you are interested in serving on the vestry, please let us know.  Please send names of those you wish to be considered by the Nominations Committee to Trey Sibley or Michael Smith. 
Evolutions

Two people you know are making some changes. Maggi Tinsley has completed her role of filling in to support Communications these past several months. Maggi takes with her this week our gratitude for her faithful and effective work on behalf of the St. James's family. See you in the pews, Maggi!

Our Formation Ministry continues to thrive and is evolving with current reality. To reflect these changes, our formation efforts are now divided into Children's, Youth and Adult ministries. In order to bring clarity to her role in Youth Ministry, Mary Beth Abplanalp's title has been amended to Director of Youth Ministry. Becky Page and Hilary Streever continue their roles with Children's Formation and Adult Formation, respectively.
Mardi Gras logo
It's not too soon to begin planning our 2020 Mardi Gras for Missions! We are seeking co-chairs for this wonderful parish event that annually includes food, drink, and auctions. If you're called to help St. James's laissez le bon temps rouler, please contact the Rev. Dr. John McCard.

Call for Art for the WomanKind Art Exhibition

In celebration of our God-given creativity, we invite artists to submit work on the WomanKind theme of Fearless Women of Faith. This call for entries is open to all artists. Please read the  Prospectus and use the online  Entry Form to submit your work by Feb. 5, 2020, available at womankindrichmond.com/art-exhibition/. An opening reception will be held on March 5, 6-8 p.m. in the Michaux House Lower Level; the exhibition remains on view through March 21. Learn more about o ur biennial weekend for women and register online at womankindrichmond.com.



 
Loaves and Fishes
 
When Jesus and his disciples realized that the multitude needed food, they had only five loaves and a few fishes. So Jesus blessed this food and passed it around, and the food increased to feed everyone. Surely it was a miracle, but possibly each person saw the baskets coming around and shared some of what they had brought. 
 
This is a lot like Stewardship. If everyone makes a contribution, the baskets are filled and all are fed. As of Monday, total pledge income is $1,936,000. So far, we have 548 gift commitments from our parish with a goal of 650. We give because that is how we live in community. No pledge is too small - our church is fueled by many who give what they are able. Together we sustain the vital ministries of St. James's. Pledge here. 

Mobile Payments

Text  DOERS to 77977. Pushpay will reply with a link to make your payment. You can give one time or make a recurring gift. With the support of every member, we continue to be this extraordinary church. Thank you!

Be Ye Doers of the Word and Not Hearers Only
St James's Church
804-355-1779
communications@doers.org
www.doers.org
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