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A HOLY MOMENT OF THE WEEK Send yours to goodnews@saintjamesgi.net
Making poppers to share Christmas joy with our friends at Spirit of Hope soup kitchen. |
Use The GOLD Form in your bulletin to dedicate the Flowers and Music of Christmas for your loved ones. and turn in TODAY. To donate online go to www.saintjamesgi.net/contribute and click “Holiday and Special Music Fund.” Then email office@saintjamesgi.net and let us know how you would like your memorial or thanksgiving to read. Names and thanksgivings will be in all Christmas bulletins through the season.
Enjoy Our Bach Cantata This Sunday during the 10AM service! Note: other aspects of the service are slightly abridged this morning to account for the presence of this magnificent piece of music. Featuring the St. James Choir, chamber orchestra, soprano Jill Robinson, and tenor Christopher Wolf presenting Bach’s Cantata “Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland” BWV 61.
A Winter Clothing Drive for Men organized by our Men’s group is now in gear. Saint James is collecting warm winter clothing (coats, scarves, sweaters, gloves, mittens and blue jeans) for those less fortunate. Clothing will be delivered to Spirit of Hope for distribution after Dec. 18. A collection box will be located outside the office. Thanks in advance for your usual and abundant generosity. If you have nothing in your closet to donate, you are more than welcome to purchase a new item to donate!
Christmas Services
A Blue Christmas Service (for those feeling blue during this season) will be held on Wednesday night, December 21, at 7pm in the chapel.
A Family Christmas Service will be held on Saturday, December 24, at 4pm in the main sanctuary. Come early if your children will be in the pageant.
A Festival Christmas Service will be held on Saturday, December 24, at 11pm, preceeded by 30 minutes of carol singing at 10:30pm.
One Service on Christmas Day will be held on Sunday, December 25, at 10am in the chapel.
ECW Cookbooks Make Great Gifts! Pick one (or several!) up today after worship for only $20. In addition to delicious recipes the book contains beautiful pictures, prayers, and more. Saint James mugs are also available for $5.
Baptisms Sunday, January 8th is a day of Baptism in all Episcopal Churches. To inquire about a baptism, speak to Fr. Phil or call the church office.
Donation Deadlines for 2016 In keeping with policy, all funds actually received at the church in 2016 will be reported as 2016gifts. Funds received in 2017, regardless of the postmark or date on the check, will be reported as 2017 gifts. Electronic giving can be accomplished by going to the church’s website, and clicking on the word Donate (www.sainbtjamesgi.net). E-donations for 2016 can be made up to the last hour of December 31.
Ministry Area Reports are due on Monday, January 16 to be included in our parish Annual Report. If you are the leader of any ministry, club, guild, organization or group, please submit a report on your doings in 2016 to office@saintjamesgi.net
The Office Will Be Closed the week between Christmas and New Year’s.
United Thank Offering – UTO – Little Blue Boxes – It is not too late to participate in UTO. Set in a prominent place in your home your little blue box is a reminder to express your gratitude in a concrete way for the many blessings in your life by dropping coins or cash in the box. UTO raises between 2.5 – 3 million dollars each year to support grants, missions and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. Through our prayers and thankful giving we reach out in the world to bring hope and improve lives. Please note that our “ingathering” or box collection will take place on January 22nd. Thank you, Wendy Kiblawi 248-476-0265
Why? Why? Why? A sermon in January will be dedicated to answering your questions about anything having to do with Religion, Bible, Worship, Tradition, Spirituality, Practice, etc. Send questions to goodnews@saintjamesgi.net or submit a question anonymously by passing it under the rector’s door. The more questions the better!
A Note From The Treasurer Please remember to bring up to date your plan of financial support for this year, 2016. If possible, a little over that plan would make a big difference for those who can. Please also consider the Special Music Fund and the Special Flower Fund that help make our Christmas services so beautiful.
Check the Coat Racks and take home anything that belongs to your family!
A Children’s Choir (K-5) meets on Sundays after the 10am service. Talk to Jill Robinson (robinsonjill25@yahoo.com) or Bobby to find out more.
ECW Annual Retreat Will Be January 19-21 in Clarkston. Information and registration forms can be found on the table in the hallway. This year’s theme is Stirring Up the Spirit. The lead presenter is The Rev. Beth Taylor.
Group Studies of many kinds are offered through Saint James. On Sunday mornings we gather at 9:05am in the Fireplace Room for an open Bible Study. On Thursday mornings we meet at 10:30am in the library to discuss short readings from luminaries like Ghandi. On Wednesday mornings we have a 10:15am service of Holy Communion in the chapel. On Wednesday evenings the WOW (Women on Wednesday) group meets in members’ homes for book studies. Contact the office for more information on any of these open studies.
Beginner’s Belly Dance is taking a break and will resume on January 4, 2017.
Fr. Phil’s Open Office Hours are every Tuesday from 4:30-6:30pm.
SERVING THIS WEEK
THESE ROLES ARE ALWAYS OPEN to new participants.
To join a team contact the office at goodnews@saintjamesgi.net
| December 18 | |
| Altar Guild | Michael Glover, Blanche Hutchison, Meren James |
| 8am 1st lesson reader | Meren James |
| 8am Eucharistic Minister | Tom Colewell |
| 10 am 1st lesson reader | Larry Crabree |
| 10am 2nd lesson & chalice | Jane Colwell |
| 10am prayers & chalice | Jim Holubka |
| Ushers | Dave & Judy Christie, Walt Denson, Chuck Kurth |
| Greeters | Anthony Baker, Natalia Morris |
| 10 am Crucifer | TBA |
| 10am Acolytes | Charlotte Glover, Max Bearden |
| Prayer Team | Maria Turner, Amy Kohair |
SAINT JAMES WISH LIST
Below are some things that St. James would love to have, but the budget does not allow them at this time. If one of these items speaks to your heart, please make a donation toward the purchase. All partial gifts will be gratefully accepted and put toward the total cost. Also, if you see or think of something that should be on this list, please let us know.
- Needed: wish list items!
Thank you, thank you, and thank you!
🎵 🎶 🎶🎵 MUSIC NOTES 🎵🎶🎶 🎵
Choir season is up and running, and it’s never too late to join! The choir and the bell choir are doing some very exciting music this year. Please let me know if you plan to attend! The St. James Bell Choir rehearses Thursdays at 6:30PM, and the St. James Adult Choir rehearses Thursdays at 7:30PM. The children’s choir meets after the 10AM service. All are welcome! If you have reservations about joining that I can smooth over, or even just want to chat and learn some more about music, I’m always happy to talk! I’m easily reached at music@saintjamesgi.net.
This morning’s musical point of interest: Today the St. James Choir, orchestra, and soloists present Bach’s Cantata BWV 61, “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland”. One of Bach’s most popular cantatas for advent, it was written during a period in Bach’s life where he was literally composing a new cantata every week (by hand!) for his churches in Weimar. The opening melody was a popular Lutheran Hymn tune at the time, and throughout the first movement Bach shows off his penchant for beautifully written, engaging, and complex melodic lines. Throughout the work, Bach takes texts from prominent Germanic sacred poets and sets them to music, delivering an advent message of hopeful expectation. By the end of the piece, it is clear that, in Bach’s mind, Christmas is nigh, as he sets the text to a rousing harmonization of “How Brightly Shines the Morning Star”.
Stay tuned for upcoming music events in the area:
Dec. 24: Come enjoy our Christmas Eve services with intimate special music. Robert Ragoonanan will present music on the organ and on the oboe, and will sing 17th century American carols accompanied by Emma Rankine, cello, at the 4 and 11pm services. The 11pm service will also feature a hymn sing with the St. James Choir starting at 10:30pm, and music from the bell choir. Bring a family member, friend, or neighbor!
CELEBRATIONS & PRAYERS
We Celebrate Birthdays This Week
| Drew Haddix (12/18) | Yvette Johnson (12/20) | Melanie Jones (12/21) | |
| Desmond Blanton (12/23) | Andrea Kalafut (12/24) | Merri Lewis (12/25) |
We Celebrate Anniversaries This Week
| Charlotte & Lester Campeau (12/18) | Sharon & Phil Metz (12/24) |
Please Pray This Week For Healing
| Lee | Jerry Zavadil | Maureen Kohn | |
| Jerry | John Kurth | Nancy Clark | |
| Pete Fernandes | Jean Fernandes | Andrew Brunell | |
| Philip Metz, Sr. | Misty Peake | Mary | |
| Allison Bell | Charles | Michael Stoddart | |
| Joan Klose | Jackson Bruce Beidler | Annie Krueger | |
| Tamara Howes | Karen Brock | Teddy Cleaver |
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 AJ Allen, J.B. Faistenhammer, Buckley Neal, Brett Ready, Dr. Bettina Sauter, and Alexander Turin.
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.