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A HOLY MOMENT OF THE WEEK Send yours to goodnews@saintjamesgi.net
The Christmas Renewal turned into a whirlwind of spontaneous, joyful dancing! |
Christmas Service Times are 4 pm for the Pageant Service and 11 pm. Come at 10:30pm for an optional 30 minutes of carol-singing celebration. Our Christmas Day service is held in the Chapel at 10 am.
Help Make Holiday Poppers Today after the 10am worship. Kids, high school youth and parents are invited to help. Small candy, toilet paper rolls, ribbon and wrapping paper donations are still welcome. These poppers will be shared with the homeless through the Spirit of Hope soup kitchen!
A Winter Clothing Drive is being sponsored by the Men’s Ministry Team of Saint James’ for the Spirit of Hope Community. Coats, sweaters, gloves and jeans are greatly appreciated. There will be boxes set up in the hallway to receive your donations. Clothing will be delivered to Spirit of Hope on December 17th.
A Mitten Tree has been set up outside the sanctuary to receive mittens and gloves which will be taken to Spirit of Hope later this week.
Calling All Youth to be part of our annual Christmas Pageant at the 4:00 service on Christmas Eve. There is a place for everyone—angels, shepherds, Mary, Joseph, narrator, various animals, etc. Please contact Mrs. Crysler (734-673-3990) if you want to be a part of this heartwarming experience.
The Vestry is the name of the elected leadership body of each Episcopal Church. Our vestry consists of 12 persons who together guide the program, budget and vision of the church. A strong vestry is a diverse vestry consisting of people of different ages, experience, and expertise. Please talk to Fr. Phil to learn more.
Questions You’ve Always Wondered About will be the sole topic of a sermon or two in January. Please send your questions to goodnews@saintjamesgi.net or submit a question anonymously by passing it under the rector’s door. The more questions the better!
Many Pledge Cards have been returned, and many of you have accepted the challenge to increase your pledge of support by 10% this year. THANK YOU! If you have not yet let our treasurer know what you intend to give to Saint James’ next year, please go to http://www.saintjamesgi.net/pledge or find a pledge card in the church and place it in the Treasurer’s box in the hallway. We are crafting next year’s budget, and so need as accurate an estimate as possible as to what our shared resources for mission will be in 2016.
Walk Down Easy Street with your giving by making automatic, electronic payments to the mission of Saint James’. Have you ever gotten to the last 3 months of the year and realized you were behind on your pledge to the church? Were there checks you forgot to write on the Sundays you missed church? Do you want some peace of mind? Try electronic giving for a carefree drive along Easy Street. Find an instruction booklet outside the treasurer’s office or go to saintjamesgi.net/give on the internet. Tech support is available by email, text or phone to Curt Crysler-734-552-4245, ccrysler@solowp.com.
The Outdoor Christmas Lights are a new addition, thanks to our Senior High Youth Group, who conceived the layout and strung the lights. Thank you, teens! The LED lights are very low wattage. They will remain up through the new year.
Prayer is Powerful, and the 10am Prayer Team is looking for more individuals to help with this important ministry. Please prayerfully consider if this might be a way for you to serve. Contact Herman Rugel at 250-3375 for more information.
The Collection Drums are filling with socks. The Saint James family has shown great compassion for the homeless in Detroit by placing new or gently used pairs of socks in the If Feet Could Talk collection drums. God bless all of you who have already donated or plan to do so in the coming weeks. Your act of kindness will make a difference in the life of another human being.
Volunteers Are Always Needed To Host The Coffee Hour. There is not a “special committee” to do this. Coffee hour happens only if everyone takes a turn making the coffee and bringing simple refreshments. See Joan Hemsworth if you have any questions (734-675-8191).
Weekly Open Bible Studies are held every Sunday Morning in the Fireplace Room at 9:05 am. Join in any time!
Coffee and Fellowship follow the 10am Service every Sunday in Galloway Hall.
Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/saintjamesgi for updates.
Fr. Phil’s Open Office Hours are every Tuesday from 4:30-6:30pm.
A Weekday Eucharist focused on the life of a saint is held every Wed. at 10:15am.
MUSIC NOTES
A Weekly Series by Daniel Susan, our Minister of Music
John the Baptist is back and the Gospel says he “proclaimed the good news”, but much of today’s Gospel doesn’t sound so good. “Brood of vipers”? …”every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Some good news! Yet the day is traditionally named “Rejoice” Sunday, “Gaudete” in Latin, after the first word in the ancient Introit. We will hear those very words in the second reading. It seems a divided message that sounds like what my parents might say: “straighten up and fly right, but SMILE”. “O come. O come Emmanuel” covers those poles well. Each verse begins with one of the “Great O” antiphons, naming God in various ways with prayers for our expected savior and sung to the basic chant tune. Then the “refrain” follows with more explicit joy as we sing “Rejoice!” At the 10 AM Eucharist the other hymns bring a dance-like joy yet still contain a message of warning (the Law) side-by-side with joy and rejoicing (the Good News). Once the organ was introduced into the liturgy around 1000, it was not used during Advent and Lent except for Gaudete Sunday, and the Lenten equivalent, Laetare Sunday; Laetare also means “rejoice”. It seems that in the midst of a reflective season, Mother Church wants to remind us of her message: Straighten up and fly right, but SMILE!
SERVING THIS WEEK
Email goodnews@saintjamesgi.net if you want to serve in one of these capacities.
| December 13 | |
| Altar Guild | Sue Hartley, Blanche Hutchison, Nancy Clark |
| 8am 1st lesson reader | Margaret Horvath |
| 8am Eucharistic Minister | Tom Coleman |
| 10 am 1st lesson reader | Lynn Blanks |
| 10am 2nd lesson & chalice | Ken Bearden |
| 10am prayers & chalice | Todd Rankine |
| Ushers | Walt Denson, Lynn & Paul Blanks, Jack Hartley |
| Greeters | Lynn & Paul Blanks |
| 10 am Crucifer | Andrew Johnson |
| 10am Acolytes | Mitch Lewis, Landon Johnson |
Angel List
Suggestions for above and beyond regular giving
Does your ministry area have needs beyond the budget? Do you have a vision for something that could make a difference to church or the mission of God?
Send needs with a cost amount to goodnews@saintjamesgi.net.
Maybe an angel will bring you Good News!
- Life-sized wooden creche for Mary, Joseph, and Jesus $350 + labor
- Freebridge billboard for a month $1600
- Christmas lights installed on the church front lawn $750+
- New plexiglass on the chapel’s Evangelist’s window $12,000
- Island-wide mailing $3,000
- Area rug for Sunday School classroom $150
- Ornamental weeping pine for Memorial Garden $225
*All items are run by the wardens before being listed.
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Featured member/family of the week Can you help?
WE WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE A WEEKLY WRITE-UP OF A SAINT JAMES HOUSEHOLD IN THIS SPACE. COULD YOU HELP COORDINATE THIS? CONTACT THE OFFICE AT 676-1727 or office@saintjamesgi.net
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CELEBRATIONS & PRAYERS
Birthdays This Week
| Pam Keller (12/14) | Amanda Phillips (12/15) | Steven DePaul (12/16) | |
| Matthew Drake (12/16) | Hannah Thomas (12/16) | Randi Mammo (12/17) | |
| Drew Haddix (12/18) | Yvette Johnson (12/20) |
Wedding Anniversaries
| Charlotte & Lester Campeau (12/18) |
Healing prayers for:
| Lee | Jerry Zavadil | Dorothy Galloway Crooks | |
| Jerry | John Kurth | Marsha Childress | |
| Pete Fernandes | Jean Fernandes | Andrew Brunell | |
| Philip Metz, Sr | Van Johns | Nancy Volk | |
| Michael Gratz | Charles | Carol Tyler Gacioch | |
| Michelle Mills | Judy Williams |
Pray for the infirm & homebound
| Joe Rogers | Sally Frisch |
Pray for those serving in The Church For leaders of the worldwide church, for Philip our priest, members of our vestry, heads of our guilds & committees, and the staff and lay leaders of this congregation; for those engaged in mission work, for Jamie Treadwell in England, Todd and Patsy McGregor & family in Kenya, El Hogar in Honduras, and the Spirit of Hope Soup Kitchen in Detroit.
Pray for those serving in the military Drew, Jimmy Adams, AJ Allen, Billie Ray Brewer, John Chambers, J.B. Faistenhammer, Cristopher Gernand, Devon Goyert, Steven Grzywa Jr., Matt Hertl, Keith Johnson, Laura Levillier, Blake Liddle, Ken Matthews, Buckley Neal, PJ Ramsey, Brett Ready, Ronald Riling, Christopher Rodgers, Kristina Rodgers, Bettina Sauter, Jonathan Southerland, Jeff Speer, and Travis Tam.
To ensure our Lists are current petitions for healing are listed for 4 weeks per submission. Names may be re-submitted any number of times to office@saintjamesgi.net.