Christmas Blessing

May Almighty God, who sent his Son to take our nature upon him, bless you in this holy season, scatter the darkness of sin, and brighten your heart with the light of his holiness. Amen.

May God, who sent his angels to proclaim the glad news of the Savior’s birth, fill you with joy, and make you heralds of the Gospel. Amen

May God, who in the Word made flesh joined heaven to earth and earth to heaven, give you his peace and favor. Amen.

And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you forever. Amen.

The Green Bishop

This Episcopal bishop's activism reflects an increasing involvement in environmental issues by religious organizations. Read more...

http://www.cbf.org/site/News2?abbr=SB_MD_&page=NewsArticle&id=38233

Upcoming Youth Events

With the birth of our Savior just around the corner, December is a month chalked full of events! Please mark your calendars now for these upcoming activities!

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING FOR THOSE IN NEED~ December 7th

All youth from 6th-12th grades are invited to join us on our annual Christmas shopping spree on Dec. 7th at 12:00. We will meet at the church for lunch followed by shopping!

LUNCH WITH SANTA~December 13th

Lunch with Santa will take place in the parish hall from 12:30-2:30. All children are welcome! Sign-up sheets can be found throughout the Christian Education building!

CHRISTMAS CAROLING~December 21st

Please join us for our annual Christmas caroling extravaganza! We will meet at the church following the 11:00 service for lunch followed by caroling! Everyone is invited!!

WINTER JUBILEE~December 28th-30th

Attention 6th-12th graders: Winter Jubilee is just around the corner. The diocesan retreat will take place at the Bishop Claggett Center. Cost is $125 (scholarships are available). Registration forms are outside of Amanda's office. Sign up today! If you have any questions please contact Amanda at amanda@stjameslothian.com

Salvation Army Carol Sing - December 10, 2008

Salvation Army Carol Sing will be held on December 10 beginning with fellowship at 6 p.m., pot-luck supper at 6:30 p.m., and carol sing at 7:30 p.m. A free-will offering will be received and the toys presented.

Women’s Monthly Breakfast - December 13, 2008

The Women’s Monthly Breakfast will meet again on December 13 at 8:30. Bring something to do (or not) and join us. Any contribution to breakfast is welcome, but not necessary. Store-bought is encouraged. Contact: Linda Stewart – 443-203-6774.

Men’s Monthly Breakfast - December 20, 2008

The Men’s Monthly Breakfast will meet again on December 20 at 7:30 a.m. in the parish hall. The meal is free and there’s always good conversation. All men of the parish are invited.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” at Southern HS - December 5 & 6, 2008

Southern High School is putting on “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Friday, December 5 at 7 p.m. and on Saturday, December 6 at 2 and 7 p.m.

Observing Veterans Day at 9 AM Service - November 15, 2008

"We are going to observe Veterans Day at the nine o'clock service this Sunday, November 15th. All Veterans are welcome to the service which will feature patriotic hymns, and coffee hour immediately following. American flags will be placed on the graves of veterans resting in our cemetery."

If anyone has any questions they can call Claire Pickart or JoEllen Kelly.

Young Adult Group Singers

The “Young Adult Group,” singers from Friendship United Methodist Church, will be here this Sunday to sing at the 9 and 11 a.m. services. We have enjoyed their music in the past and are looking forward to enjoying them today.

January Shell Submissions

Shell Information, needs to be sent to cpickart@verizon.net by December 15. PLEASE NOTE: The next “Shell” will be for the month of January.

Safeway Stores Club Card Program

St. James' Church is now enrolled in the Safeway Stores Club Card program. All you have to do is designate St. James' as your recipient, and each month Safeway will donate a portion of your purchases directly to our Christian Education programs.

St. James' designation code is 1036858.

Three ways to sign up:

1) Bring your Safeway Club Card to church on Sunday: registration forms will be available during coffee hour,

2) Register at the customer service counter at your local Safeway store, or

3) Do it on-line: Go to Register. Enter the designation code--1036858 Fill in name, address, phone number, and Club Card number.

Once you have designated St. James' as your recipient, Safeway will donate up to 3% of your purchases to our Christian Education programs. This is an easy way to provide extra financial support for our classes and Youth Group activities during our Year of Christian Education.

St. James' Web Site Calendar Help Needed!

Webmaster Douglas Ellmore would like some help with managing the Google calendar on the St. James' Web site. It is a pretty easy task if you know how to use email and surf the web, you can help with this online ministry.

The task requires reading the weekly bulletin and updating the online Google Calendar entries, then taking the monthly calendar from the Shell and updating the online Google Calendar. This takes about 1 hour per week. A training session can be provided, but is likely not needed. Yes, it is that easy!!!!

If you can help, please contact Douglas Ellmore, Sr. via email at doug@ellmore.net.

St. Stephen’s Holiday Bazaar and Silent Auction

St. Stephen’s Holiday Bazaar and Silent Auction will be held Saturday November 15th, 2008 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Crafts and holiday decorations, theme baskets, baked goods, etc. Lunch (chicken salad sandwiches, chili dogs, etc.).

Silent Auction items include: Toby’s Dinner Theater ticket, Kilarney Restaurant certificate, Ravens memorabilia, Jasper’s Restaurant certificate, etc.

Goodness Gracious

GOODNESS GRACIOUS will be taking place from January 5th to February 9th. We will be studying “JOY” from the Book of PHILIPPIANS. (The joy God has for us is more than a feeling of pleasure. It is characterized by an inner well of strength. It is a joy that cannot be shaken by our circumstances, regardless of how difficult they may become.)

Format: I will do some teaching, use lots of personal input (from my somewhat colorful background), for illustration of various principles. We will learn a lot from each other, by group participation, and discussion. The object, though, is to search and find what God offers us through His goodness and grace. And it’s all surprisingly relevant, humorous, helpful and practical for facing those everyday situations.

Time: Monday 12-2 p.m. and Monday 7-9 p.m. (if there are enough participants).

Course Material: This will be ordered at the close of the registration period (Dec. 7th), and handed out January 5th at an informal “kick off.”

Please contact: Nan Lewis to register or ask questions. 410-867-6059 or nanwlewis@gmail.com.

Annual Meeting - January 11, 2009

The Annual Meeting of our parish will be held on Sunday, January 11, 2009. In preparation for this meeting, we will be holding Leadership Exploration Workshops on Saturday, November 22, from 10 a.m. until 12 noon in the library and also on Monday, November 24, from 7:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. You can attend either one or the other. Anyone who wishes to explore a possible calling to serve God either now or in the future as a Vestry member, Committee chair, Convention delegate or officer of the Vestry is invited to come to one of the workshops. We are asking you to RSVP so that we may have materials and refreshments for you. You may speak to any of the clergy or to one of the members of the Vestry who is rotating off (K. Donald Arthur, Susanne H. Smith, and Linda B. Stewart) for information or to RSVP.