Adult Choir Rehearsals Resume

St. James' Parish offers two adult choirs – the Chancel Choir and the Celebration Choir – both are comprised of volunteer singers. No special musical ability or great singing voice is required to participate in the choirs! Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to come together for fun, fellowship, worship, discipleship and ministry - oh, and they sing, too!

The Chancel Choir sings at the 11 AM service and features traditional music. The Celebration Choir sings at the 9 AM service choosing more contemporary praise music. Fall Choir rehearsals will resume on Wednesday, September 6 at 7 PM (Celebration Choir) and Thursday, September 7 at 7:30 PM (Chancel Choir). For more information about choir activities, please contact Parish Music Director, Michael Ryan at mryansings@verizon.net.

Save the date: Bishop Knudsen visiting St. James' on September 17

On Sunday, September 17th we will have one service only at 10:00 AM in St. James' Church. The Rt. Rev. Chilton R. Knudsen, Assistant Bishop of our Diocese, will be with us. Our Parish will celebrate the 325th anniversary of the Act of Establishment and the 225th anniversary of our Seventh Rector’s, the Rev. Thomas John Claggett, D.D., consecration as the first Episcopal Bishop of Maryland and the first to be consecrated on American soil. Come and celebrate!

Blessing of backpacks (and briefcases and calendars)!

As the new school year approaches we invite all those who are preparing for the start of school to join us on September 3rd for a special blessing. Whether you are a student, teacher, administrator, or any of the many important roles that keep our schools running we invite you to bring your backpacks, briefcases, calendars, or lunchboxes to receive a blessing during our 10:00 AM service.

Episcopal Diocese Night at Camden Yards, August 4

Enjoy an evening of baseball, fellowship and old-fashioned fun at Camden Yards with friends, neighbors and church members on August 4th. Game starts at 7:05 p.m.! Orioles vs. Detroit Tigers. Tickets now on sale for our annual diocesan baseball outing. All are welcome! Invite other parishioners, newcomers, friends, relatives, neighbors and anyone else who would enjoy an afternoon of baseball. To reserve seats with the St. James' Parish group, please contact Marjie Mack at mmack3108@comcast.net.

Women's Bible Study, Starting July 29

The Women's Bible Study will begin to meet again starting July 29, at 8:30 AM in the Parish Library. Associate Rector Anne L. Nicholson will lead a discussion of Barbara Brown Taylor's book Learning to Walk in the Dark. Learning to Walk in the Dark provides a way to find spirituality in those times when we don't have all the answers. Through darkness we find courage, we understand the world in new ways, and we feel God's presence around us, guiding us through things seen and unseen. Often, it is while we are in the dark that we grow the most. We hope you can join us for our first meeting to discuss the introduction and first chapter of the book.

Library Committee Sponsored Trip - Panama Canal

The St. James' Parish Library Committee is sponsoring a Panama Canal Cruise, February 5-16, 2018. The 11 night trip includes: round trip flight Baltimore-Miami, all meals on board the Norwegian Jade, and much more. Ports of call include: Cartagena, Colombia; Colon, Panama; Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Harvest Caye, Belize; Costa Maya, Mexico; Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Deposit due by September 20. For further details, view the trip flier - goo.gl/2AaU38, or contact Lillie Barrett.

Article: Standing with Standing Rock taught Episcopalians about solidarity

episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2017/06/22/standing-with-standing-rock-taught-episcopalians-about-solidarity/

Spring Dinner Follow-up

Many thanks to all of the helping hands & support throughout the dinner planning and execution. There were 365 dinners served (143 carry-out). Overall profit cleared was $5479.25.

Library Committee Sponsored Trip - Christmas in New York City

The St. James' Parish Library Committee is sponsoring a trip to New York City, December 4-6. The trip includes 2 nights lodging, 2 breakfasts, the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular (featuring the Rockettes), a backstage tour of Radio City Music Hall, a guided tour of Lower Manhattan, motorcoach transportation, and much more. For further details, view the trip flier - goo.gl/4x0UxO, or contact Lillie Barrett.

2017 Reading Camp - We Need YOUR Help!

It is time to assemble our team for the 2017 year. Camp will be held July 31 - August 4 at St. James' Parish. We need several kinds of volunteers. To run the instructional groups, we need teachers current or retired. We also need adults who were not teachers, and we need several teenagers. If you helped last year and are able and willing to help again, please let us know. If you didn’t help but wish to join the team, WELCOME! For more information, please contact Paula Davis at southcounty.md.readingcamp@gmail.com.

Summer Note Reading Course

Anyone seriously interested in the annual Note Reading Course should contact St. James' Parish Music Director, Michael Ryan, at mryansings@verizon.net by June 30 to register. The class begins in mid July and is held for 5 weeks, 2 evenings per week. All work is done in class and the workbook is available for $10.

Sing with the Summer Choir!

Music is an important part of our worship experience, and we make every effort to provide it to our congregations during the summer months. Beginning on June 11th, just show up in church at 9 AM on any given Sunday and practice an anthem to sing for the Service at 10 a.m. Everyone is invited to participate - either on a regular or a one-time basis. This is a great time to try singing in the choir... and, it's fun! Music is selected depending on the group we have on each Sunday. Everyone is welcome to participate!

St. James' Parish Community Yard Sale, June 3

St. James' is hosting a community yard sale on June 3 from 8 AM - 1 PM. Rain or Shine! Spaces will be in the lower parking lot and rent for $25 (10 x 10 foot spot with a table). The deadline for renting a space is May 28th (or until they are all rented). All rental space fees will benefit the work of the St. James' Parish Community Outreach Fund.

St. James' Parish will also have a table, and your donations are welcome! Items should be in good and usable condition (please no clothes, shoes, or electronics) and can be dropped off in the Library. Books are welcome but limited to 10 per donation. Please box and mark the items "yard sale." Proceeds from the St. James' Parish table will benefit the Community Assistance Fund.

For additional information, to register and submit payment, or to volunteer, please contact Ashley at Artemis914@aol.com.

The Breakfast Club - How You Can Help

The Breakfast Club is in their 7th year of feeding local children meals during the summer. Last year we fed over 200 kids daily throughout the summer. This is a community event and all are welcome to help. St. James' has been involved in packing a day's worth of meals on Wednesday evenings during the summer. We also have donated funds to help support this ministry. In addition to packing, they need drivers to deliver the food to Patuxent and Lyon's Creek Mobile Parks. If you are interested in helping with either packing or delivering, please contact Nola Meyers at noreme@verizon.net.

The Great St. James' Parish Bake-Off

Open to All Age Groups, this fun baking competition needs you! Bring your home-made-from-scratch cookies, cakes, pies and bread items to St. James' Parish on Saturday June 10th. Items will be judged by area chefs based on originality, appearance, and taste, and then auctioned at the annual Parish Picnic on June 11. For more information, please contact Lesa Eser at lesaeser@gmail.com, or Lillie Barret at garylillie502@gmail.com.