An important health message from the Rector:
Dear Parish Family,
This comes with my prayers and blessings to you as we start the New Year together
at St. James’s.
With the recent surge in local COVID cases, I want to reassure you that we will continue to offer in-person worship services.
The Vestry and I do ask that you keep the following guidelines in mind when attending services at St. James’s.
1. Masks are required indoors for all public worship services.
2. Moving forward every other pew will be marked off so worshipers can be socially distant.
3. Unless there is a compelling health reason, we encourage our church members to get vaccinated.
4. If for any reason you do not feel comfortable attending in-person worship, please stay at home and watch our services online.
Thank you again for all that you do to help us create a safe and healthy worship environment for our church members.
Blessings in Christ
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Monday, January 3rd
Community Yoga on Zoom:
Yoga for Mobility & Stability: 2:30 pm (suitable for beginners)
Vinyasa Yoga: 4 pm
Tuesday, January 4th
Tuesday Men’s Bible Study on Zoom: 7:30 am
Tuesday Readers: 7pm
Education for Ministry (EfM) on Zoom: 6 pm
Wednesday, January 5th
Living Faith Bible Study: 10 am
Thursday, January 6th
Brown Bag Book Group: 12 noon
Valentine Hall
Book: Thick and Other Essays by Tressie Cottom
The parish office is closed Friday, December 24th through Sunday, January 2nd and
will reopen at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, January 3rd.
For pastoral emergencies, please call our pastoral emergency line, (804) 762-0501
or our clergy members’ cell phone numbers.
The Rev. Dr. John McCard, (404) 408-8241
The Rev. Hilary Streever, (276) 451-8809
The Rev. Dr. Robert Friend, (804) 310-5713
Lay Chaplain Blake Singer, (423) 298-4907
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This week's eChimes features |
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- Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend at St. James's
- Making a gift stock
- Follow the Holy Family and Wise Men on Social Media
- Hello/Goodbye party
- Year-end pledging update
- Newcomers, let's get to know each other.
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- The Good Book Club
- Winter/Spring Adult Learning
- 5pm worship service is returning.
- Snowfest winter retreat is back!
- Be a front desk volunteer at the church
- Prayers of the People
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Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend
at St. James’s
The 17th annual Evensong
Honoring and remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in music and words.
Sunday, January 16th at 5 pm
St. James’s Sanctuary
Featuring St. James’s Choirs and The Norfolk State University Choir.
Seats are limited.
A Public Reading
Monday, January 17th at 10 am
Dr. King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail
The Steps of St. James’s (no ticket required)
Multiple readers bringing his moving letter to the streets of Richmond
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Making a gift of stock to the church
Thanks to everyone who has given stocks–or plans to give stocks–as a gift to the church. Please note that when the gift comes to us, there is generally no name attached. So we’re requesting that you advise us of the gift ahead of time so we can be on the lookout for it.
We have several gifts right now with no name attached. One is Target and one is Vanguard. If you have given stock to the church recently, please email or call us to let us know.
Contact either ....
At the end of the year we have a lot of stock transfers and we want to make sure you are getting credit for it.
To know more about making a Gift of Stock, go here.
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Follow the Holy Family and
the Wise Men on Social Media
Las Posadas is a wonderful old tradition that found its way to St. James's last Christmas. Simply put, the Holy Family and the wise men travel from the home of one St. James'ser to another during the 12 days following Christmas.
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Hello/Goodbye Party
On Sunday, January 9, between the services, we’ll be holding a Hello/Goodbye party. We’ll be saying Good Bye to Mary Beth Abplanalp, our outgoing Director of Youth Ministry, and saying Hello to Katie Ricard, our new interim Director of Youth Ministry. We’ll also be recognizing Mary Beth for her remarkable efforts–and successes–here at St. James’s.
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Year-end Pledging Update.
We know many of you prefer to wait until the end of the year to both give to St. James’s and to make your pledge. Well, it’s December 31, your final chance to make a contribution in 2021, and we want to show you how close we are to reaching our pledge goal. Please—if you haven’t yet pledged–take a minute to make your 2022 pledge.
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More than ever, we’re all in this together. More than ever, the powerful community that is our church has meaning. More than ever, your connection to St. James’s is essential.
Thank you if you’ve already given. Thank you if you plan to give.
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Let’s Get to Know Each Other.
Newcomers Classes, January 12 & 16
Valentine Hall
Are you new to St. James’s? We can’t wait to get to know you better. Please accept our invitation to come to our Newcomers classes– two back-to-back sessions – the first on Wednesday evening from 6 to 7 pm followed by another on Sunday morning from 10:15 to 11 am. You’ll enjoy fellowship, worship, and learn the basics about Christian life & membership here at St. James’s. The next Newcomers Class is scheduled for May 4 & 8, 2022.
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The Good Book Club Returns
Start the new year with a renewed spiritual practice of reading God’s Word. This year the Good Book Club will dive into the first twenty chapters of Exodus from Epiphany, January 6, to Shrove Tuesday, March 1. For those who want to keep reading, we’ll offer a daily reading guide. That reading period will conclude on Easter.
Check out the Good Book Club Podcast with daily readings and reflections, available wherever you download your podcasts.
Other resources from Forward Movement and partners are offered to enhance your reading experience, and to learn with others, including children can be found at Good Book Resources.
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The Winter/Spring Adult Learning schedule is out!
You can click here to see the amazing range of opportunities to deepen your faith, strengthen friendships, and see your life and world in a whole new way. From Sunday Small groups to Wednesday Night Gatherings and everything in between, there’s so much to see and learn. Click here.
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The 5pm Worship Service
The 5 o’clock service (soon to have a new name) will return January 23rd.
Stayed tuned for more details.
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A Winter Retreat
for 6th-12th graders
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We’re looking for Small Group leaders.
Our Sunday Small Groups have been a popular and meaningful Adult Learning program this fall. Participants have found the topics and the small group setting to be engaging and compelling. As we look ahead to the winter and spring, we’re looking for folks to host or lead a Small group.
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Be A Front Desk Volunteer
If you’re looking for a way to serve St. James’s, may we suggest volunteering to be a receptionist in the church office. You’ll answer the phone, greet and direct visitors, sign for packages, and generally be a warm and welcoming face. For more information about volunteering, contact Gina Young at (804)335-1779 ext. 315 or gyoung@doers.org. Thank you!
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Parishioners who have passed away recently:
Dr. James Latane Ware
passed away on Sunday, December 26th
Jennifer Ryan Ball
passed away today, December 31st
We commend them to God’s love.
If you would like information on how to reach out to the loved ones of the deceased, please do not hesitate to contact the church office at 804-355-1779.
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Click here to see the names of those we're remembering in our prayers this week.
We do our best to keep this list current, but if you want your name added or removed, please contact Mary Brown or call her at 804-355-1779, ext. 313.
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St. James’s Episcopal Church | DOERS.ORG | (804) 355-1779
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