Youth Confirmation Classes

Youth Confirmation classes will begin Monday, September 30th from 7:00pm-8:00pm and will be held monthly until June 2014. On Sunday, June 22, 2014 Bishop Eugene T. Sutton will be making a visitation to St. James' and will officiate the Rite of Confirmation for those youth who have completed the Confirmation class. The curriculum will be My Faith, My Life: A Teen's Guide to the Episcopal Church. Each youth will receive their own copy. The class will follow the format of a book club. Each month we will review and discuss one chapter.

If your teenager (10th -12th grade) would like to participate in the Rite of Confirmation, please contact Dawn+ at dawncampbell@stjameslothian.com or (410)867-2838, before September 30th.

Blessing Backpacks - Don't forget yours!

On Sunday, August 18th at the 10:00am service (the Sunday before school starts for Calvert County) the backpacks of children, youth, and college students can be brought up to the altar at the end of the service for a blessing. Each backpack will receive a laminated tag showing that it has been blessed. This has now been expanded to include adults, so bring your briefcase, laptop bag, etc.

Update from Linda in Ghana

Linda Rines from our parish is currently on a mission trip through Ghanaian Mothers' Hope. Please read her August 6th blog post to learn more about her experience and this important mission.

Sunday School Registration

Sunday school begins September 8th after the 9:00am service!! On-line registration is available! Click here to register on-line. Click here to fill out a digital registration form that can be printed and mailed, or dropped off to Dawn+.

Flowers in St. James' Church

Deale Florist has closed. For years they have been arranging most of our flowers for the altar and the organ. We have been using Floral Expressions in Owings. There has been some interest in us arranging the flowers ourselves at St. James' Church. Lillie Barrett is looking for 8 individuals, who might be interested in this project. If you are willing to consider this, please contact Lillie at 301-855-7829.

Outreach Pig Roast - Save the Date

Outreach is having a Pig Roast! Mark your calendars for Saturday, Sept 14th from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. We need help with advertising, making the coleslaw the day before, crock-pots with baked beans, cornbread bakers, setting up and cleaning up. If you can help in any way, please contact Nola Meyers at noreme@verizon.net or Shay Hall at hallshay@aol.com.

Breakfast Club, Wednesdays at Mt. Zion UMC

Breakfast Club is doing fantastic! A group of 4-6 meets every Wednesday evening at Mt. Zion to pack approximately 200 bagged breakfasts for 3 local mobile home park kids. This helps to feed them during the summer when they are out of school. For more information, please contact Nola Meyers at noreme@verizon.net or Shay Hall at hallshay@aol.com.

Library Committee Trip to Newport & Block Island, RI, September 30-October 3, 2013

The Library Committee is sponsoring a trip to Newport & Block Island, Rhode Island, on September 30-October 3, 2013. The travel package includes:

* 3 nights lodging
* 3 breakfasts and dinners
* Block Island Ferry & bus tour of Block Island
* Newport Harbor Cruise
* Tours of 2 Guilded-age Mansions
* Much much more

Cost is $575.00 per person (double occupancy). For more information and reservations please contact Lillie Barrett at 301-855-7829.

Cemetery Presentations Postponed

The Cemetery Presentations to the congregation that were planned for this coming weekend have been postponed until later this summer. If you have questions they can be directed to the Cemetery Committee - cemetery@stjameslothian.com.

EFM at St. James’ and Christ Church

Education for Ministry (EfM) this year was a wonderful joint group with both St. James' Parish and Christ Church, West River, students and mentors. In addition to studying the Old and New Testaments, Old Church History, and Modern Theology, we ate together every week and supported each other in our daily lives.

EfM will begin again in the fall. For more information about EfM, please contact Marjie Mack at mmack3108@comcast.net.

Note Reading Course

Anyone seriously interested in the Annual Note Reading Course (5 weeks, 2 evenings per week, all work done in class, $10 for workbook) should contact St. James' Parish Music Director, Michael Ryan at mryansings@verizon.net. Class begins in mid July.

The Annual Brunch, June 9

The Annual Brunch will be held on Sunday, June 9, in the Parish Hall after the 10 o'clock service. June 9th is the first Sunday in the summer schedule when the two services at St. James' are combined. It is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a wonderful brunch and share in fellowship. The brunch is our way of thanking the Parish for all you do throughout the year. This event is complimentary. - The Women of St. James' Parish.

Summer Choir starting June 9th

It’s time for SUMMER CHOIR! Show up in church at 9 a.m. for rehearsal and you pass the audition! Bring your kids and house guests.

The Summer Choir sings at the 10 AM Service - traditional music on the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Sundays, and praise music on the 3rd Sunday.

Everyone is welcome to participate!

The St. James' Parish Book Club, Summer Reading!

The St. James' Parish Book Club meets on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 7:30 PM.

• On Wednesday, June 19th, Defending Jacob, by William Landay, will be discussed in the home of Maureen Pritchard.
• On Wednesday, July 17th, Same Kind of Different As Me, by Ron Hall, will be discussed in the home of Adrianne Day.
• The 3rd annual co-ed book club meeting will be held in August (date and book to be determined).

Light snacks and beverages will be served along with good company and lively discussions. New members and suggestions for books to read are welcome. For additional information, please contact Edlu Thom-Harper at edlu.thom@comcast.net

Clothing Ministry Donations

Please remember that clean, gently-used SUMMER clothes and shoes are needed for the St. James' Parish clothing mission. Items can be dropped off downstairs in the Christian Education Building. For more information, please contact Taylor Milbradt at tayfm@aol.com.