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Weekly News from St. James' Episcopal Church | Leesburg, Virginia
September 27, 2024
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Watch the service live at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning or at your leisure at a later time. | |
5th Sunday Family Service
September 29 | 10 a.m.
On the few 5th Sundays this program year, we are introducing a change to our worship at 10:00 a.m. that will feature children and youth as worship leaders. We'll move the altar table down to the crossing and sing memorable and beloved music. Children and youth are invited to be active participants during the whole service and there will be no separate Children's Chapel. Please join us for what promises to be a beautiful service for all ages!
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Nursery and Children’s Chapel
(No Children's Chapel this Sunday--see above)
Children are always welcome in worship! If needed, Nursery care is available beginning at 8:45. The Nursery is located through the front left doors of the sanctuary. Go through the Parish Hall and up the stairs – the Nursery is around the corner from the kitchen. All children under 10 are welcome to come up for a short children’s sermon, followed by Children’s Chapel in the Parish Hall. Children’s Chapel is for ages 4 to 10; however, ages 3 and under are welcome to attend Children's Chapel with a guardian. We will celebrate God’s love through music and a brief activity before rejoining our families to take part in the Eucharist.
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Wednesday Worship (October 2)
11:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist
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Children's Formation Registration is Open!
Register on Realm.
Teachers needed! To best serve multiple age groups, we would love a team of regular teachers. Reach out to Jess Eastridge if interested in teaching.
Calling all Children's Chapel Assistants
There are 16 Sundays between now and Christmas and many hands make light work. As partners with Children's Formation Minister, Jess Eastridge, no weekly preparation is required of Children's Chapel Assistants. Help welcome and support families and visitors in this essential ministry. To volunteer and then receive access to the schedule, let us know more about you.
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YOUP is for Youth Group
All 6th through 12th graders are invited to join Youp (a portmanteau of "Youth"+"Group") led by fantastic team of couples and parents. If you are interested in getting your student involved, let us know.
We hope to have enough to split into Middle School and High School groups. We offer a variety of formation and fellowship opportunities throughout the school year (often accompanied by pizza!) Take the YOUP survey.
Youth Confirmation Class
Sundays at 9 a.m.
In preparation for the bishop's visit on October 13th, Youth Confirmation class for students 8th grade and up meets on Sunday at 9 a.m. in the Youth Room (downstairs of Parish House). Please let Rev. Marybeth know if you would like your student to participate.
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Adult Forum: Exploring Our Episcopal Identity
Sundays, Sept. 8-Oct. 6 | 9 a.m., Parish Hall (live streamed)
Whether you’re seeking to be confirmed, received into the church or are a lifelong Episcopalian, this class is designed to deepen your understanding and appreciation of what it means to be part of the Episcopal Church. Led by Fr. Chad.
Learn more and register here.
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Rector's Bible Study
Wednesdays | 10 a.m. | Janney Parlor
Join Fr. Chad for this lectionary-based Bible study where we will discuss the upcoming scripture lessons for each Sunday.
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Men's Service Ministry Book Study
All men of St. James are invited to join a weekly MSM meeting at 7 p.m. Mondays in the lower level of the Parish House. The group is now studying the Gospel of John. For additional info or should you have questions, please email Mike Scott.
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Reaching Out to Our College Students--Addresses needed
This fall, the St. James’ Card Ministry will mail cards to our college students (grad and undergrad) to remind them that we are thinking about them and praying for them as they pursue their studies during the academic year. In order to make this happen, we need their families to provide us with their students' mailing address. Please send addresses to Ready Snodgrass, our Parish Administrator, at your earliest convenience. Cards will be mailed late September/early October.
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Sacred Soil Society
We're on a break till mid-October! More to come as Fall sets in. Stay tuned!
Upcoming Workdays:
- Wed., 10/16, 1-3 pm
- Sat., 10/19, 10-12 pm
- Thurs., 10/24, 3-5 pm
- Sat., 11/2, 12-2 pm
You're always welcome to join us. We'll show you all you need to do to help out. Questions? Contact Pamela McGraw.
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Serving at St. James'
There are many ways you can serve at St. James', both in the local community and in our parish. There are several roles available to serve on Sunday mornings (acolytes, coffee hour hosts, etc.). You can join one of the many ministries that bring us together as a church family, and you can participate in outreach to our wider community through St. James'.
You can sign up for more than one. You can also “try out” a ministry and see how it goes. Don’t worry: we’ll train you. And if it’s not a good fit, we’ll help you find a ministry that is.
Click the link below to see a listing of all the serving opportunities at St. James', and let us know which ones might be a good fit for you.
If you have questions about any of these ministries, contact info@stjamesleesburg.org.
Thank you for your interest in serving this community of faith!
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Oktoberfest
Sunday, September 29 | 11 a.m.
Join us for this annual favorite hosted by the St. James' Men's Service Ministry including traditional German fare and attire. Bring a dish to share and invite your friends and neighbors!
A-L: side dish
M-Z: dessert
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You're Invited to Join a St. James' Foyer Group!
Foyer Groups are small groups of parishioners who meet monthly during a six-month period for simple meals and conversation.
There’s no agenda or formal program. Members simply get to know each other as part of our community of faith. It's the perfect way to get to know folks you might not otherwise have had the chance to interact with.
The Fall/Winter Session runs from October-March. To sign up, email Carol Chapman or Donna and Mike Cash, or call the Parish Office (703-777-1124), no later than Sunday, September 29.
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Women's Ministry Group Fall Retreat
Saturday, October 26 | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | SJEC
Rev. Marybeth Sanders-Wilson will lead our time together, which will be shaped by engaging with Ruth Haley Barton's book Invitation to Retreat. Everyone is welcome.
This retreat is free, but please register via Realm (link below). Questions? Call Cindy Helba (703-447-1614).
Register here.
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St. James' Preschool
Providing children with a creative learning experience in a Christian atmosphere of love and acceptance since 1972.
- Registrations now open for age 2-PreK-SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE FOR 2024-2025!
- Now hiring assistant teachers!
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Volunteer Substitutes Needed!
Do you love working with kids? Are you looking for some volunteer opportunities around the church? Consider volunteering at our preschool! St. James’ Preschool is looking for volunteers to assist in the classroom as an assistant teacher/floater substitute for our 2024-2025 school year. We welcome candidates who have experience working with young children. If you are interested in volunteering in a fun, loving, Christian environment with preschoolers, please contact Janet Stayrook or Kim Carren, Co-Directors, at (703) 777-8439 or email us at jstayrook@stjamesleesburg.org and kcarren@stjamesleesburg.org.
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Blessing of the Animals
Saturday, October 5 | 10 a.m. | Parking Lot
We will join St. Gabriel's to offer a Blessing of the Animals service in honor of the feast of St. Francis. All parishioners and friends are encouraged to bring pets--please be sure to have them on leashes and/or appropriate carriers. We will accepting donations for Loudoun County Animal Shelter (see list of needs below).
LCAS Donations List
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Treasurer’s Update – August 2024
We continue to perform better than our budget for 2024. As we discussed during the annual meeting, our approved 2024 budget was a deficit budget, with an expected deficit of ($91,384), our goal is to manage expenditures to achieve as close as possible to no deficit. As of the end of August, we are performing $48,198 better than budget. While this variance is not quite as positive as it was in June, it is consistent with the dip in giving that usually occurs in the summer months. Thank you all for your ongoing generous support and if you can help us bring our deficit down, we would greatly appreciate that.
Want to know more? If you are interested in a more detailed look at our budget, monthly, and year-to-date financial performance, or you have any other questions, I would be happy to answer them.
For more information on how to give, please visit our website: https://www.stjamesleesburg.org/give or reach out to me (Stacy Cleveland) at Treasurer@stjamesleesburg.org.
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Shrine Mont Memories
Last weekend, 36 St. James' folks gathered at the Shrine Mont retreat center to create community and grow in faith together. It looks like everyone had a great time! We hope you'll consider joining the retreat next year to grow closer to your family of faith.
Did you attend Shrine Mont and take any pictures from the weekend? If so, please add them to our shared album using this link. The pictures will help future retreat attendees know what they can expect since words alone can't capture the experience. If you would like to see the shared album you are welcome to view it! If you need help adding to this album, please see Sarah Bauer.
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St. James' Wins 2024 Joint Architectural Review Board Award!
The JARB Awards program is an effort between Leesburg, Purcellville, Middleburg, and Loudoun County to honor exemplary historic preservation projects in our locally designated historic districts.
At the Board's gathering on September 19, our recent signage project was recognized for Historic District Design Excellence!
Thanks to all who contributed to this beautiful signage project, which welcomes visitors to our campus, helps them find their way, and complements our historic setting.
Click here to read more.
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Toward Becoming a More Inclusive and Welcoming Parish
Improving Nave Accessibility
During an information session held on September 1, The St. James’ Accessibility Committee shared plans to make our church seating more accessible to members and visitors who use walkers and wheelchairs.
This will involve reconfiguring a few of our pews to accommodate mobility equipment. The diagrams below show the proposed changes from multiple views. We are excited to implement these changes for practical use and as a witness to our commitment to inclusion.
Click here to view the information session on YouTube.
We are committed to honoring the historic beauty of our worship space while also striving to be welcoming and inclusive to all who enter our doors. If you have questions about this project, please send them to info@stjamesleesburg.org.
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Those Requesting Prayers This Week: Kerry Baker, *John Riley, The Porter family, Ralph Dale, Dwayne Traylor, *Harold Neely, and *Rachelle Graves.
Those on Our Long-Term Prayer List: Brayan Cruz, Jefferson Zapata, *Michael Dowling, Darrell Ackman, Kaleb Cortes, Peter Schweitzer, *Charlotte Woods, Joan Douglas, Brad Douglas, Sr, *Joan Corderman, Martha Burton Huie, Skip Hovsmith, Adam Gedney, Stephanie Kreuger, Tony Beltrano, Pat, Ethan Stoller, Bob Menas, *The Murphy Family, Gale Hudson, Emily, *Keith Castilon, Mary Ellen Hurley, *Barbara Roark, *Fran Smith, Nicholas Rodney, Ed, *Scott Clark, *Pam Mossburg, Virginia Laughlin, and *Alice Lynn.
Those who have died: James Muse and Arthur Guari
Those Who Need Our Prayers:
All those impacted by acts of violence, those affected by COVID-19, the Holy Land, the people of Ukraine and those involved in the Ukraine war, those who are unemployed or underemployed, those serving in the armed forces at home and abroad.
Diocesan Cycle of Prayer: Virginia's Continuing Care Communities within the Diocese and their Residents and Staff
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: The Anglican Church in Kenya
Do You Need Prayer or Care?
"In case of illness, the minister of the congregation is to be notified." (BCP p. 453)
Make a prayer request here.
Call the Church Office | Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
(703)777-1124 ext 1 | info@stjamesleesburg.org
After Hours Pastoral Care Line | (202)750-4247
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Prayer List Changes
The clergy and Pastoral Associates of the Parish have been considering ways to deepen the prayer life of St. James’. Our parish prayer list is a vital part of our corporate and individual prayers. We also know there are many in need of prayer who are known to God alone.
One of the ways we hope to hold our St. James’ family in prayer is to denote St. James’ congregants using and asterisk in our printed list. This way, whether on the short-term or long-term, those praying in worship will be able to hold those closest to us in mind. We will always continue to pray for friends and family.
Though we only name a few names out loud, please use the long-term list in your personal prayers. Many who reside on the list are our home bound folks we send communion to. They are a part of us. Please check our weekly email each week for suggested prayers and our diocesan and Anglican prayer cycles. For questions or suggestions, please reach out to Rev. Marybeth.
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Click the image to view our full weekly calendar | |
Fall At-A-Glance
Get a bird's eye view of (almost) everything going on at St. James' this fall. Keep up with the weekly e-Pistle for additions and updates!
View the fall brochure
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