Christmas Baskets, December 17th

Christmas is just around the corner and we need your help with preparing baskets for the needy. We will be providing food for 75 south county residents on Saturday morning, December 17. There are three ways in which your help is needed: 1) Donate a 10-20 pound turkey by Thursday, Dec. 13; 2) help us pack and distribute 75 meals between 7-11a.m. on Sat, Dec. 17; and/or 3) make a monetary donation that will help the Outreach Committee acquire all the "fixings" for a great Christmas feast. If you have questions or need more information, please contact Linda Rines (Linda.Rines@comcast.net) or Shay Hall (HallShay@aol.com). Thanks in advance for your generosity of time, talent and treasure!

Partners In Care - Volunteers Needed

Partners In Care, a local community non-profit organization, has been helping older adults remain independent in their own homes since 1993. The demand for services is increasing and additional volunteers are needed. Drivers are needed to transport members to doctors’ appointments and grocery stores, and help with errands. Handymen, office workers, computer technicians, and workers for the upscale-resale boutique are also needed. Just two hours per month can make a difference to a person in need. It often provides relief to caregivers, and can be a rewarding experience. Partners In Care is a unique service-exchange program where members volunteer their time and may receive services when needed. Call 410-544-4800 to obtain a volunteer application and make a reservation for the next volunteer orientation.

Salvation Army Stockings, Available November 6th

Salvation Army Stockings will once again be available during the Sunday services beginning on November 6th. St. James’ Parishioners will be filling 150 red mesh stockings - and we need YOUR help!

A list of suggested items for stuffing the stockings will also be available. Ideas include: small toys, hygiene items, or school supplies. Please do not wrap the items (they will just have to be unwrapped before they can be given to the children). And don’t forget to label your stocking (or bag!) so we know for whom it is intended (boy, age 6-8 years; girl, age 10-12 years, etc).

Please remember that stockings must be returned to the church no later than Sunday, December 4th. For more information, please contact Nola or Nicole Meyers at noreme@verizon.net.

Thanks to your generosity, these stockings make a huge difference in the lives of many, many children. Thank you for supporting this important ministry!

Holiday Food Baskets

The Outreach Committee will coordinate distribution of Holiday meals on Saturday, November 19th from 8 - 11 a.m. and again on a Saturday in December. Please contact Linda Rines at Linda.Rines@comcast.net if you can help! Donations of frozen turkeys are needed as well as cash contributions to purchase the other food items for the baskets.

Thanks for supporting this St. James' Parish ministry and helping to provide holiday meals to those members of our community in need.

Christmas Pageant 2011

It's that time again to begin preparations for this year's Christmas pageant! The pageant will be held on Sunday, December 18th at the 9 a.m. service. If you are interested in sharing your time, gifts, and talents in making this year's Christmas pageant the event to remember, please e-mail Amanda at amanda@stjameslothian.com. All children are invited to sign up outside of Amanda's office. Rehearsals will begin this month!

Altar Guild Training, November 12th

The Altar Guild at St. James' Church needs your help! Members of the Altar Guild prepare and maintain the altar for the weekly services. We currently need volunteers for the months of March, June, September, October, and November.

Please join us on November 12th at 8:30 a.m. for a training/refresher session that will be held in St. James' Church. Please give this prayerful consideration. For more information, contact Paula Davis at pkay621@aol.com.

St. James' Cooks II

St. James' Cooks II is currently looking for some of your favorite recipes to share. We will keep the recipes from the first St. James' Cooks and spice it up with some new dishes. If you would like to share a few recipes with us, we promise to publish it. Please submit the recipe(s) along with your name or the person's name who will be given credit for it to Nola Meyers or e-mail her at noreme@verizon.net. Proceeds of the sale of the new cookbooks will benefit the Outreach Committee. Deadline for submission is Sunday, November 27th.

New College Ministry

Beginning in November we will be collecting goodies for Care packages for all our college students from St. James' Parish. If you would like to contribute to this ministry, please e-mail amanda@stjameslothian.com. If you have a student in college, please send their address to Taylor Milbradt at tayfm@aol.com. Thanks for your support.

WSJP flower arranging demonstration, November 20th

Ladies! Mark your calendars for the Women of St. James’ Parish meeting on November 20 after the 11:00 service. Sande Wolf will present a flower arranging demonstration for the women present. Everyone in attendance will make a small arrangement to take home just in time for the holidays! Since we will need to know how many to provide supplies for, please e-mail Peggy Horn or Wendy Crawford to let us know to expect you.

Come to the Adult Forum, 10am Sundays

Come to the Adult Forum, 10 a.m. each Sunday in the Library for a stimulating discussion at the moment centered on Francis Collins' book, "Belief." Last week we discussed a selection from Desmond Tutu, on a subject dealing with evil and suffering, especially in the context of South Africa; this week we will be discussing a selection from Elie Wiesel. Come put your toe in the water and just listen or...join in the discussion. Contact Dean Lewis for more information - deanlewis47@gmail.com.

Advent Conspiracy study, beginning November 22nd

The story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists. And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?

*What if Christmas became a world-changing event again?*

Welcome to Advent Conspiracy. A four week study that will take place Tuesday evenings begin November 22 from 7-8:30pm. To sign up please e-mail Amanda+ at amanda@stjameslothian.com by November 8th.

It's Time to Update the Parish Photo Directory!

Join us this fall as we update the faces of St. James' and St. Mark's! All parishoners are invited to the parish all on

• Sunday, October 16th from 10am-1pm
• Sunday, October 23rd from 10am-1pm

to have your photo taken for the new directory (no vendors involved - we're doing our own directory in-house!). Having an updated Photo Directory not only helps in our efforts to be more welcoming, it also helps parishioners connect with one another.

Planning for the End of Life

On September 18th, The Rev. Charles Cloughen from the Diocese of Maryland preached at St. James' and St. Mark's on end-of-life planning/preparedness. You can access the Diocese of Maryland's guide/workbook Planning for the End of Life at the following link: www.ang-md.org/forms/planning-for-the-end-of-life.pdf.

Blessing of the Animals – October 2nd

There will be a “Blessing of the Animals” service on October 2nd at 4:00 p.m. at the parish. Everyone and their pets are welcome to attend! Please remember that all pets should be either on a leash or in a carrier.

Foyer Groups Now Forming at St. James' Parish

Foyer Groups are a fun and easy way for parishioners to gather together on a regular but informal basis for purely social reasons – to enjoy one another’s company, to strengthen bonds of community, to meet new members and just to get to know other people who share a common interest in Grace but with whom they might not otherwise interact. Foyer Groups provide a means to develop new friendships and deepen old ones and are a way to make our parish feel smaller and warmer.

There is no program or presentation – just casual fellowship and a refreshing meal. Groups are made up of singles, couples, young people, retired folks - a cross section of the parish - and meet once a month in the home of one of the members of the group. The focus is on Christian fellowship, a refreshing meal and relaxed conversation. The groups are put together randomly so that everyone has the opportunity to get to know others in the parish who may be outside their normal circle of acquaintance.

The St. James’ Parish Foyer Groups are now being formed and will begin meeting in October. For more information, or to sign up for a Foyer Group, please click here.