2018 Holiday Food Baskets, November 17

St. James' Parish and Friendship United Methodist Church will be distributing groceries for 70 Thanksgiving dinners to be given to needy families in our community on Saturday, November 17 from 7-11 AM. This is a great family service opportunity! Youth should plan to participate from 8:30-10:30 AM. Donations of frozen turkeys (10-12 pounds) are needed as well as cash contributions to purchase the other food items for the Thanksgiving baskets. Frozen turkeys need to be placed in the St James' Parish freezers no later than Wednesday, November 14 so we will know how many additional will need to be purchased. For additional information, or to volunteer to help, please contact Cindy Carrier at bccarrier@comcast.net.

All Saints Sunday Prayers for the Deceased, November 4

On All Saints Sunday (November 4), St. James' Parish will have a combined 10 AM service which will combine several liturgical elements important for that day and our common life as a community of faith. We will observe the culmination of the Stewardship Campaign with the Pledge ingathering – an opportunity for each person or family to place their pledge card on the altar; we will reaffirm our own Baptismal Covenants (in lieu of the Nicene Creed); and we will use Eucharistic Prayer D, which incorporates the Prayers of the People within the Eucharistic Prayer.

One feature of that will be the reading of the Necrology, or remembrance of those of our extended community who have died since the last All Saints Sunday, November 5, 2017. Please notify the church office of the full Christian Name of your friend or family member whom you would like to be included by Monday, October 29.

Workshop: Congregational Life Cycle, October 28 and November 3

Congregations, like individuals and organizations, experience different stages of the Life Cycle, and evolve different cultures and behaviors at each step. We will explore two different Life Cycle models, both of which have proven to be very valuable in thinking about congregational life, and (especially) the type of leadership that is necessary at different places in the life cycle. Saturday's session will start at 9 AM and be done by noon; Sunday's session will start at 2 PM and be done by 5 PM.

Parish Leadership Workshop, November 14

The 2019 Annual Parish Celebration will be held on January 27. At that time, three members will be rotating off the Vestry and will be replaced with new parishioners. There is also at least one partial term vacancy on the Vestry. In addition to a Vestry Open House at the November 19 meeting, a Leadership Workshop has been scheduled in order to provide information to those who might be interested in learning more about what it is like to serve in a leadership position on the Vestry or as the parish representative to the Southern Maryland Regional Council or the Diocesan Convention.

The workshop will be held in the Parish Library on Wednesday, November 14 at 7:00 PM, with an additional session scheduled in response to demand. Interested persons need attend only one of these sessions. Please give prayerful thought to a call to serve. For additional information, or to register for one of the workshops. please contact the Rev. John Keydel at jkeydel@gmail.com or 410-867-2838.

Workshop: Congregational Size & Culture, October 20 and October 21

The first Perspectives on Congregational Life workshop on Saturday, October 20 and Sunday, October 21 will address the topic of Congregational Size & Culture - the well proven observation that different sized congregations develop different kinds of culture, and we will explore many of the implications of these different sizes and cultures. Saturday's session will start at 9 AM and be done by noon; Sunday's session will start at 2 PM and be done by 5 PM.

Flu Shot Clinic, October 28

St. James' Parish wants you to stay healthy this winter and will offer the opportunity to get your flu shot on Sunday, October 28 between 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM. We urge you to take advantage of this opportunity by signing up on the Parish Life Bulletin Board or calling the Parish office. We need a ballpark figure so that CVS knows how much serum to bring. With a Medicare card or most health insurances, the shot will be free. Standard and Senior (65+) doses will be available.

Blessing of the Animals, October 7

There will be a Blessing of the Animals service Sunday, October 7 at 4:00 PM near the labyrinth at St. James' Church. Everyone and their pets are welcome to attend! Please remember that all pets should be either on a leash or in a carrier.