Fall Dinner - We Need YOUR Support!

St. James' Parish will hold the annual Fall Oyster and Country Ham Dinner and Festival on Saturday, October 19, from 1-5 PM. The menu will once again feature fried oysters, country and honey-baked ham, potatoes au gratin, homemade coleslaw, green beans, rolls and biscuits. The event will also feature a bake shoppe, garden shoppe, antique car show, attic treasure sales, and a book stall.

Sponsored by The Women of St. James' Parish, the dinner is one of the largest fundraisers for the Parish with the proceeds supporting the WSJP's generous financial pledge to the parish. Please donate your time and talents to support the event. Financial donations to help offset the cost of food for the dinners are appreciated and can be given to Lillie Barrett or Lesa Easer. We also need donations of baked goods, attic treasure items, plants, books and DVDs (see announcement in the newsletter for details).

For more information, to volunteer to help, or to make a financial donation, please contact Lesa Eser at lesaeser@gmail.com or Lillie Barrett at garylillie502@gmail.com.

Messiah Sing-Along - Sponsors Needed!

Sponsors are now being sought for our 33rd Annual Messiah Sing-Along to be held 4 PM on Sunday, November 24. Our sponsors make it possible for all donations collected at the Sing-Along and the December Salvation Army Carol Sing to be added to our parish-wide Thanksgiving Offering, all of which is donated to the Salvation Army in support of their ministries in the community. Sponsors will be recognized in the printed program. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact St. James' Parish Music Director, Marie Harrison, at stjameslothianmusic@gmail.com.

Desserts for the South County Concert Assoc.

St. James' Parish Outreach Committee will be serving refreshments during intermission at the South County Concert Assoc. on Saturday, September 14th.  We are asking for homemade dessert donations which can be left in the St. James' Parish kitchen by 1:00 PM on Saturday, September 14 and labeled SCCA. For more information about this fundraiser please contact Lucy Arthur at donlucyarthur@verizon.net.

AED/CPR Class at St. James'

An AED/CPR class conducted by a certified instructor from AAMC will be offered on Wednesday, September 18 at 1:00 PM at St. James' Church. With emphasis on hands-on floor and tabletop learning, this $55.00 class gives you skills needed to save a life. Learn adult and child/infant CPR and more. For more information and to register, please call the parish office at 410-867-2838.

Search Committee Update: Survey Feedback Sunday, September 15

Thanks to everyone who took the time to fill out the St. James' Parish Survey! The members of the Search Committee have been analyzing the feedback received from you, the members of our parish. This data as well as other parish information will be used to develop a written Parish Profile – a comprehensive look at the life of our church, how we perceive our church home and our places in it, who we are as the Body of Christ, and who we believe God is calling us to be.

The committee is looking forward to sharing a summary of the survey results after the 10 AM service on Sunday, September 15. We look forward to seeing you there!

Come Sing With Us!

The St. James' Parish Choir is comprised of volunteer adult singers. No special musical ability or great singing voice is required to participate in the choir! Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to come together for fun, fellowship, worship, discipleship and ministry - oh, and we sing, too! The Choir enjoys singing both traditional and spirit-filled contemporary praise music that blesses them and lifts up the congregation! Beginning Wednesday, September 4, rehearsals will be held every Wednesdays at 7:30 PM, and on Sunday mornings at 9 AM in St. James' Church prior to the 10 AM service. For more information about Choir activities, please contact Parish Music Director, Marie Harrison, at stjameslothianmusic@gmail.com.

Sunday Church School Online Registration Now Open

Online registration for St. James' Sunday School for the 2019-20 school year is now open at stjameslothian.com/cf_registration.

Reading Camp South County Rocked!

Once again Reading Camp was held at, and supported by, St. James' Parish, as well as other individual and corporate donors! Despite the unexpected absence of Paula Davis (you were missed!), Nancy Horkan and the rest of the staff admirably rose to the occasion and put on a wonderful and meaningful camp for almost 40 children! Our kitchen crew was superb, always serving meals and snacks on time and being such cheerful role models! Whether you donated funds, food, or books, prayed for the campers and staff, volunteered your time as a book buddy, classroom teacher, teen helper, or contributed in some other way, you are appreciated! Please check out the photos of this amazing program on our FaceBook page: facebook.com/pg/ReadingCampSouthCounty/photos/.

St. James' Book Club's Upcoming Reads

St. James' Book Club upcoming reads:

September - "The Tattooist of Auschwitz: A Novel" by Heather Morris
October - "The Tuscan Child" by Rhys Bowen
November - "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty
December - "Three From Gallilee" by Marjorie Holmes

We generally meet on the third Tuesday of the month. Please join us for lively discussions and great fellowship. Contact edlu.th@comcast.net for more information.

July Community Assistance

In July, our Community Assistance team was able to help four clients prevent evictions. We also provided funds for 100 gallons of fuel oil and referred another client to Community Action for their energy assistance program. We thank you for your continued support as we try to help our neighbors in need.

Safeguarding God's Children Workshop, July 22

This training is being offered at St. James' on Monday, July 22, from 7:00-9:00 PM for Reading Camp volunteers and all volunteers who work with children and youth. Any parishioner is welcome to attend since this workshop provides participants with the information, they need to protect the children they know and care for in their personal lives and in the ministries in which they serve. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Nancy Horkan at nhorkan@comcast.com no later than July 17 so that we will know how many handouts to prepare.

Amazing Grays

The results are in! The newly formed St. James' Seniors' group is now officially called the Amazing Grays. Our next luncheon will be on Thursday, August 22 at 11:30. Join us for conversation and singing as we celebrate Christmas in August with cool songs for a hot time. All are welcome. Please RSVP to the church office before August 15 so we know how many to prepare for.

Lay Visitation Program

The Lay Eucharistic Ministry provides the Eucharist and a time for listening and sharing with home-bound or nursing home-bound parishioners who can no longer attend regular services at our parish churches. If you have someone to add to the visitation list, please contact John Verdon at jtverdon@msn.com.

Outreach Committee - Breakfast Club Ministry

In 2011 Mt. Zion UMC began its Breakfast Club Ministry for the purpose of providing bagged breakfast meals to children in southern Anne Arundel County. These children attend Lothian and Tracy's elementary schools, and often the only meals they get during their day is through the free or reduced breakfasts and lunches provided at their school. We are excited that The Breakfast Club has now become a ministry of six churches in our community. Last year, we bagged over 10,000 breakfasts, and the need continues to grow! We anticipate feeding children Monday through Friday for nine weeks, beginning June 17 and continuing until August 16.

Funding for the Breakfast Club Ministry comes from special church offerings, personal and business donations, and church monetary donations. All donations are appreciated, and we are praying that you see this as an important ministry to which God is calling us. For more information, to volunteer to help pack lunches or assist with scheduling volunteers, or to make a financial donation, please contact Nola Meyers at noreme@verizon.net.

Come Sing With Us!

The St. James' Parish Choir is comprised of volunteer adult singers. No special musical ability or great singing voice is required to participate in the choir. The Choir enjoys singing both traditional and spirit-filled contemporary praise music! Beginning Sunday, June 9, and continuing throughout the Summer, rehearsals will be held on Sunday mornings at 9 AM in St. James' Church prior to the 10 AM service. For more information about Choir activities, please contact Parish Music Director, Marie Harrison, at stringsandivory@gmail.com.