"Messy Church" Children's Worship! February 19th at 4PM

     Have you ever felt like it's just too hard to get your little kids up for church on Sunday morning? Have you worried that they might get, uh, "boisterous" at an inopportune moment? Well, this is the service for you!
     We'll gather in the Ticknor Parish Hall at 4PM for a high-energy, raucous worship service directed directly at our children. They'll be allowed to wiggle as much as they need, and will be invited to learn and engage with the stories of Scripture and with our worship in an age-appropriate way. Our kids have rich spiritual lives: this is a chance for them to explore their own relationships with God. We hope to see you there!

The St. James' Parish Amazing Grays Valentine's Day Luncheon!

     Come celebrate Valentine’s Day with the Amazing Grays! We will gather for lunch on Tuesday, February 14th at 11:30AM in the Ticknor Parish Hall. Come and enjoy good food and good fellowship. Please call the church office to sign up so we know how many to prepare for. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone!
     We continue to serve as Resource for those seniors who are at home and need a little extra help or encouragement. We are grateful for all those who have joined us in this meaningful ministry. If you (or a senior you know) are in need of a little help, please contact us! We can always use more volunteers to make phone calls, send cards, run errands, or provide technical help for accessing worship services. For additional information, please contact Michelle Doran+ at michellesdoran@gmail.com.

Souper Bowl Sunday - February 12th

     On Sunday, February 12th, millions of Americans will tune in to the Super Bowl football game. There will be parties with abundant food, friendship and fellowship. At the same time, there will be other people worrying about staying warm or finding shelter and a warm meal. Please join young people around the country as they demonstrate God's love by loving their neighbors through the Souper Bowl of Caring.
     St. James’ Parish Youth will be standing at the doors after the 10AM service collecting monetary donations to purchase food for the SCAN food pantry. Please support their efforts - Thank you!

Worship and Annual Meeting, January 29th

     St. James' will be having one combined service on Sunday, January 29 at St. James' at 10:00am (no service at St. Mark's) after which will follow our Annual Parish Meeting and Celebration.
     We will conduct the meeting in the Sanctuary followed by a potluck luncheon in Ticknor Hall. Please plan to come to ratify the nomination of the Vestry Candidates, Deborah Tolliver, Earl Buffaloe, and D. Court Garretson. We will be discussing the Parish accomplishments in 2022 and presenting the budget for 2023.

St. James' Caregivers, January 28th

The first meeting of the St. James' Caregivers group will be held on Saturday, January 28 at 8:30 am. We will meet via Zoom (the link was included in the weekly update email). Anyone in need of support is invited. If you have any questions, please email Deacon Michelle at michellesdoran@gmail.com.

Adult Forum, Sundays Following 10AM Worship Service

Join us in the Parish Library for the Adult Forum after worship and coffee hour on Sunday Mornings. This will look different in different weeks: sometimes, we will have a guest speaker; sometimes, it will be a reception or event; sometimes, it will be a short class or book study that stretches over a few weeks; sometimes, it will be a Bible study on that Sunday's lectionary texts. Regardless of what we're doing, it will be a wonderful opportunity for us to gather together, to spend time together, and to grow in our faith together.

Stain Glass Window Update

The first window is completed and will be reinstalled the week of January 23rd. At that time, they will remove the 2 windows at the altar (St. James and St. Paul) but they will not return until after Easter.

Wafer Making, January 12

Wafer making will be held in the kitchen on Thursday, January 12, 2023, at 9:00 am. New wafers for the New Year 2023! All are welcome to come and help in this ministry. Please contact Kim Parker at manydogs@verizon.net for more information.

Prayer Shawl Ministry Resumes! January 11th

    Join us Wednesday, January 11, 2023, from 6-8 p.m. in the Library for lots of fun and fellowship as we restart this wonderful ministry! Both experienced and beginners are welcome!
    Regular weekly meetings will be held in the new year on Wednesdays from 6-8 p.m. in the Library beginning on January 11th. Everyone is welcome to enjoy fellowship as you knit or crochet these shawls covered in your love and prayers.
    Please do not be intimidated if you think you cannot knit or crochet! Just join us, and we will be happy to help you learn the basics – and then we can then move on to more intricate patterns if anyone chooses to. We will have very easy patterns to follow, and several shawls as examples for you to look over. The supplies you will need are very few... just knitting needles or crochet hooks and three skeins of yarn in the color of your choice. The size of the needles/hooks will determine the size of shawl you want to make. The normal size to begin with knitting needles would be a "9" and crochet hook would be a "J." The yarn type is really up to you. A good choice to begin with is Lion Brand Homespun (it is a little chunky and hides any little errors). And, the most important advice we can give you is for you to give yourself permission to make errors, because we all do!
    For more information about the meetings, or if you would like a shawl (for yourself or to give to someone else), please contact Jeanie at jeanielescallett@gmail.com.

Schedule Change Notes

Morning Prayer, Tuesday Bible Study, and Tuesday Afternoon Prayer Service are all on hold until late January 2023. Also, there will be no 8:00AM service at St. Mark's on January 1st.

Wedding Watch Event, December 30

You are cordially invited to attend the wedding (via Zoom) of Joseph Lenow and Rhody Mastin, on Friday, December 30 at 4:30pm in the evening in Ticknor Parish Hall. A covered dish dinner to follow the service. Please bring your favorite holiday entree, salad, or dessert. Any questions please contact Lillie Barrett at garylillie502@gmail.com.

Don't Forget Your Pledges!

As we prepare our final budget for next year, we're finding that our number of pledges from across the parish is not where we're used to being at this time of the year. If you plan to support the ministries of our church next year, please remember to submit your pledges as soon as you're able (and remember that even if you're set up for a monthly recurring payment, we need a new pledge for 2023)! Without these commitments, we're not able to plan ahead for our ministries in the coming year—and we've got some great things planned. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to our parish staff, and remember that you're able to adjust your pledge at any point in the coming year if your ability to contribute changes. Thanks for your support!

Outreach Committee - Thank You

The Outreach Committee wishes to thank everyone who generously gave their time and treasure for the Christmas dinner distribution last Saturday so that others would have a blessed holiday. We had a great turn out of volunteers and were able to feed over 260 people including 90 children.

Greening the Church, December 22nd at 10 AM

Please join us and help decorate St. James’ Church for Christmas! We need everyone’s help, and you’ll have lots of fun! For additional information, please contact Lillie Barrett at garylillie502@gmail.com.

Brunch with St. Nick, December 10

This year, we once again welcome St. Nick back to our parish for Brunch with St. Nick! On Saturday, December 10 at 10AM, we'll be gathering to hear about the real Santa Claus and celebrate this festive season with crafts, games, and of course food! For more information, contact Sharon McGlaughlin at sharon.mcglaughlin1692@gmail.com.