The Announcements

Adult Forum: Adult Forum takes a break today, next Sunday, December 30, and Sunday, January 6 (Annual Meeting). Please join us for coffee hour in the Parish Hall today at 10:10 a.m.

Sunday School: is on break, and will resume on Sunday, January 6.

St. James’ Youth Groups are also on break, and will resume on Sunday, January 6.

Christmas Eve Services

3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Children’s Service with Holy Eucharist

7:30 p.m. Festive Holy Eucharist

10:00 p.m. Music Prelude

11:00 p.m. Festive Holy Eucharist

Christmas Day

10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist

St. James’ snow policy is simple—We never cancel services.  However, you should always use your best judgment, and never take a weather-related risk to get here.

Pizza With a Purpose will not meet this week, December 26, and will resume on Wednesday, January 2.

Friday Morning Prayer will also take a break on Friday, December 28, and will resume on Friday, January 4.

Parish Meeting & Vestry Elections:  Our Annual Meeting with Vestry members election will be held on Sunday, January 6, at 10:00 a.m. in the Nave. In addition to electing leaders who will serve the parish for the next three years, we’ll be celebrating accomplishments of the past year, and unveiling exciting plans for 2008 and beyond.

First Night Leesburg:  St. James’ Sanctuary and Parish Hall are two of the many performance sites for First Night in downtown Leesburg. First Night is an annual family-oriented, alcohol-free New Year’s celebration organized by the Bluemont Concert Series. If you are interested in volunteering on December 31 for a one-hour shift between 6:00 p.m. and 11:45 p.m., or for more information, contact Dottie Brannock through the Church Office at (703)777-1124.

Start out the New Year with a new family portrait for the Church Directory! We have arranged to have Lifetouch take our family portraits on January 2, 3, 4, and 5, 2008, in the Parish Hall. You may reserve your picture date and time by accessing the link on our home page www.stjamesleesburg.org. Contact Lollie Shankle through the Church Office at (703)777-1124 for more information.

Burning of the Greens:  “Twelfth Night,” or Epiphany, is the night of our annual Burning of the Greens — bring your Christmas Tree and other greens on Sunday, January 6, at 5:00 p.m., to the Hatch Farm for a gigantic bonfire celebrating the Light of Christ coming into the world. Please bring cookies to share.

Service of Holy Eucharist and Fellowship to Support Pastoral Care Ministries on Saturday, January 12:  Members of the Healing, Intercessory Prayer, and Pastoral Associates ministries do so much to care for the St. James’ community.  To nourish them in word and sacrament beyond the Sunday worship experience, and to give them additional sustenance for the work God has given them to do, we will hold a special Saturday Eucharist on Saturday, January 12, at 1:00 p.m. preceded by a period of fellowship beginning at 11:45 a.m.  All are welcome.  Please contact Rev. Kate if you expect to attend so we can plan accordingly.

Saturday Night St. Gabriel’s Service at St. James’:  St. Gabriel’s Saturday Night service continues with a “pre-launch” service on January 19 at 5:30 p.m. in the St. James’ Nave.  Weekly services will begin February 2. Please contact Faye Wenger through the St. Gabriel’s church office at (703)779-3616 for more information.

Middle School Youth Group will head to the mountains of West Virginia for its annual ski trip on February 1-3. Cost is $140, and we will stay at the home of Ken & Bonnie Getty (and rent one additional condo). Please contact Pastor Mary to sign up.

Interested in getting a new Contemplative Prayer Group going?  Traditionally called contemplative prayer, centering prayer is a method of prayer which prepares us to receive the gift of God’s presence by consenting to God’s presence and action within, furthers the development of contemplative prayer by quieting our faculties to cooperate with the gift of God’s presence, and emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God.  Contact Henry Stribling through the Church Office at (703)777-1124 for more information.

St. James’ Preschool currently has openings for children in the 3-year-old program.  Contact the Preschool office at (703) 777-8439 for more information.

Now Hiring:  The Nursery is now hiring dependable adults to work in the nursery during the 9:00 and 11:15 Sunday services. Schedule can be flexible and pay is terrific.  Contact Dawn Stejbach through the Church Office at (703)777-1124.

Last week’s attendance:

Your Christmas Offering

(the non-pledge offering received during services on Christmas Eve)

St. James’ will continue a longstanding custom of donating 100% of your Christmas offering* to various outreach causes.  Monies received on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day have been designated to extend our outreach at the international, national/regional, and local levels.  The following are summaries of the mission of each of the causes benefiting from your contribution.

International

Provide St. James’ youth with a new opportunity to engage in hands-on outreach:  Next summer, ten members of St. James’ will travel to Uganda on a youth mission trip as part of Solar Light for Africa’s effort to bring light to villagers via solar panels.

National

Continue to support rebuilding efforts in New Orleans:  St. James’ parishioner Pete Nunnally will be funded in his work as a full time volunteer in the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, providing relief and hope to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Provide home repair for the working poor:  St. James’ youth will once again travel to Appalachia next summer as missioners participating in Towel Ministry, a youth-oriented ministry of the Diocese of Western North Carolina that specializes in housing repair and refurbishment for the elderly and handicapped.

Local

Ease the burden of local homelessness: support St. James’ work with the Good Shepherd Alliance (GSA) to assist the homeless in securing a permanent, stable living situation in the community.

Support someone to turn to in a time of trouble: The Information and Referral Help Line call specialists of Loudoun Cares compassionately and efficiently links Loudoun residents in need with the social service agencies and programs that can best service them.  St. James’ provides funding to support this invaluable ministry.

Bring refreshment and peace to those in jail:  Provide the highly readable daily Bible called The Message/Remix-Pause to inmates at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.

*All checks and cash received at the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services will be considered part of the Christmas Offering and will go to support the above causes, unless otherwise indicated. If you intend to make a payment on your pledge, please write “pledge” in the memo field of your check indicating that it should go to your pledge payment for 2007.