October 9, 2007 Volume 31, No. 08
Inside this Issue:
The
next Loaves & Fishes deadline is Monday, November 12,
2007, at 9:00 a.m. Please forward your submissions to Janine Carmichael at janine@ stjamesleesburg.org or
drop them off in the Church Office.
Victory Celebration:
Get into the Spirit!
St. James' Victory Celebration
Sunday, October 28, 5:00-7:30 p.m.
Ida Lee Recreation Center, Leesburg
Share a frighteningly fun night with fellow
parishioners as we go batty over our bountiful Annual Giving Campaign harvest
and throw a Victory Celebration, featuring a festive Halloween theme.
Our youngest members will be bedazzled by REPTILES
ALIVE! – a 50-minute presentation showcasing some of
the world’s best creepy-crawlies. Middle
and High Schoolers can scare up a little
competition on the walleyball and basketball courts,
so bring athletic shoes to get your heads in the game. Grown-ups,
we'll be viewing a video montage, gabbing, and getting howl-worthy reports on
our campaign progress. Rest easy, parents of babies and toddlers, there will be
a professionally-staffed nursery for your little ones.
Kindly bring a potluck dish
to our monstrously popular buffet table.
Costumes for kids are strongly encouraged (Hint:
There'll be table-to-table trick-or-treating for youngsters in Halloween garb).
Help is needed for this spooktacular
event. To volunteer, give Jan Joseph a
shriek at the Church Office at (703)777-1124.
Carve October 28 into your family calendar, and RSVP
to the Church Office at (703)-777-1124 or email to info@stjamesleesburg.org.
Celebrating victory with our St. James’ community is
sure to be a scream….see you there!
Dear
friends,
One
of the three key goals stated in our vision document is to “inspire, equip and
engage” each parishioner as disciples of Christ. One of
our most inspiring shared experiences at St. James’ is Sunday morning worship,
and a key part of that worship experience is our music. Through our music
ministries, more than 50 adults and children share their talents, grow in
Christ, and develop a sense of wonder and joy in the gift of music.
The
role of the music ministry is to provide leadership in worship and prayer
during Sunday services and special occasions throughout the year. The team of
music ministers includes professional and lay parishioners who contribute their
time and talent to God in song and music.
Over
the past several years, the 9:00 service has seen tremendous growth in
attendance– it now averages over 220 worshippers, close to half of those are
children and youth. We have begun to work on a vision for the 9:00 service that
aims to develop a music program that is commensurate with that growth.
We
have been blessed with a wonderful team of music ministry leaders, and we
envision our 9:00 music team, consisting of the music ministers listed on the
opposite page, working together to:
·
Plan
regular 9:00 services
·
Coordinate,
for any given Sunday, all music during the 9:00 service
·
Recommend
(in consultation with the rector and the 11:15 Minister of Music, where
appropriate) hymns and service music
·
Arrange
for organ, piano, other accompanying music
·
Plan
and execute music during the annual Shrine Mont retreat
·
Explore
the development of summer children and
youth music camps, choir festivals or other programs
Director of the Children’s Music Ministry (Grades
1-5) (Dr. Pat Avery) will
lead and grow our children’s music program, including directing the Children’s
Choir; integrating music programs into Children’s Chapel and Sunday School; and
planning and executing Holy Week children’s services as well as our traditional
Christmas pageants. Dr. Pat also serves
as the organist/accompanist for the 9:00 service, supporting all facets of our
program.
Director of the Youth Music Ministry (Grades 6-8 and
9-12) (TBD) will
develop and carry out a Middle School and High School youth music program
(vocal and instrumental), as well as plan and execute music for
“Youth Sunday” services.
Director of the Corner Chorale (Dr. Stephan
Knobloch)
oversees, develops, and leads the Adult Music Ministry offered at the 9:00
service.
These
individuals report directly to the rector, working closely with Dr. Steven
Cooksey as needed and as part of the overall St. James’ music program.
We
look forward to seeing growth in our 9:00 music ministries, and you can
certainly be a part of this exciting program: our Children’s Choir meets at
5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, and the Corner Chorale rehearses from 8:30-10:30 a.m.
on Saturdays — and they always welcome new members! Keep an eye out, too, as
our new Middle School and High School music program develops!
In
faith,
Mary
Frances Forcier
Senior
Warden
As many of you know, on Friday,
October 5, Fr. John had a terrible tragedy in his family back in Indiana. His niece, Susan Elizabeth Moulder, was killed in an apparent murder-suicide by her
fiancé, Jason Creed Broadwater. Fr. John
was to have officiated at Susan and Jason’s wedding on Saturday, October
27. He is with his sister and the rest
of his family in Indiana where he officiated at Susan’s funeral on Thursday,
October 11.
Fr. John is in a great deal of
pain, and asks your prayers during this terrible time.
Get connected with St. James’, learn more about the Episcopal Church, and membership at St. James’
Have you
been attending St. James’ for a while but have not yet become a member?
Were
you raised in another denomination, and want to learn more about the Episcopal
Church?
Have
you been a member of another Episcopal parish and are thinking about
transferring your membership to St. James’?
Or
perhaps you’ve been looking for an opportunity to “dig deeper” and take the
next step in your faith journey—to get more connected with St. James’?
If so,
your timing is good, because we’ve recently revamped our welcome and membership
process, to include five
simple steps.
Five
steps toward getting connected and/or becoming a member:
1)
Attend services
The
first step in becoming involved in any church is to worship there, and to ask
yourself if it is the kind of place you could make your spiritual home. We conduct three different services each
Sunday – at 7:45 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 11:15 a.m. For more information about our
services, go to
the St. James’ website (www.stjamesleesburg.org).
2)
Come to a Newcomer Coffee and Newcomer Orientation
Newcomer
Coffees, hosted by our Newcomers’
Committee, are an informal, relaxed time to meet the clergy and leaders of St.
James’. The next Newcomer Coffee will be held at 10:10 a.m. in the Janney Parlor (in the Janney
House on Cornwall Street, where the Church
Office is located) on
November 4.
Newcomer
Orientations give you a brief introduction to
St. James’. Attend one of these, and you’ll have an opportunity to ask
questions, meet other newcomers,
and have a brief tour of the buildings in which we worship and gather. Newcomer Orientation will be held on November 11, from 10:10 to 11:00 a.m. in the Old School
Building, which
is located across the street from our Parish Hall, at the corner of Wirt and North Streets.
Participation
in a Newcomer
Orientation
is asked of all those who intend to attend our “Discovering St. James’” and “Exploring the Episcopal Church” classes.
3)
Accept an invitation from one of our clergy to meet with you one-on-one (or as
the case may be, as a couple or family)
If
you’ve attended services for a while and have attended a Newcomer Coffee and
Orientation, and would like to explore St. James’ further, the next step is to
meet with Fr. John, Rev. Kate, or Pastor Mary in person, in a one-on-one
conversation. This is the single best way we can get to know you and welcome
you. It is a great opportunity to ask questions you might have. And it helps
begin to identify ways in which your interests, background, and passions might
intersect with the church’s vision, needs, and mission.
4)
Attend “Discovering St.
James’”
After
meeting with the clergy, if you are interested in learning more about St.
James’, we invite you to attend “Discovering
St. James’,”
a three-part class taught by Fr. John and
Rev. Kate. This informal, lively class is designed to introduce you to the
unique features of St. James’, and – through our exploration of The Book of Common Prayer – will help you develop a greater
appreciation for what goes on each Sunday morning in worship.
Discovering
St. James’ is held on three consecutive Sundays in the fall,
and is repeated in the spring.
The next Discovering St. James’ class will be held Sunday, November 11, 18 and December 2. The class meets in the Old School Building at the corner of Wirt and North Streets,
from 10:15 to 12:45
p.m. Childcare is available.
After
attending the Discovering
St. James’ class:
·
If
you are already a
baptized and confirmed Episcopalian and you simply wish to transfer your membership to St.
James’, you are welcome to do so. Kay Gregg, our Parish Registrar, will help
arrange for a letter of transfer, pledge card, and other paperwork.
·
If
you are an adult* and are baptized**
but have never been confirmed (i.e., made an adult, public affirmation of your faith),
and you want to be confirmed as an Episcopalian, OR
·
If
you have been baptized
and confirmed in another denomination but you want to be received into
the Episcopal Church, OR
·
If
you are already a baptized and confirmed Episcopalian but wish to reaffirm the commitment you made earlier in
life, THEN
5) Attend “Exploring the Episcopal Church”
This
three-part class is taught by Fr. John and Rev. Kate, and prepares you (if you
so choose) to be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church at the time of
the Bishop’s annual visit to St. James’ next spring.
The next
Exploring the
Episcopal Church
class will be held next spring; dates and times will
be announced at a later date.
Also:
coming in January
Beginning
the Christian Journey
This
class is designed for those adults* who have never been baptized, or who were baptized as a baby or young child but have had
little or no experience of church since childhood. In addition, this class is for those who have been “out of the faith” for a while and
who simply want to learn (or re-learn) the basics of Christian life and
practice. Beginning
the Christian Journey
is an eight-part class that will begin in January, 2008 (dates and times to be
announced), and is an excellent introduction (or re-introduction) to the basics
of Christian faith and life.
Adults
who have never been baptized and who wish to be, are,
after completion of this class, offered the opportunity to be baptized at the
Great Vigil of Easter, our Easter Sunday sunrise service. In 2008, Easter falls on Sunday, March 23.
*For
purposes of these classes, “adult” is defined as 18 years of age, or older. Separate baptism preparation programs are
offered for parents who wish to have their infants or children baptized, and
for youth (12-17) who wish to be confirmed or
baptized. Please contact the Church Office for details.
**If
you have never been
baptized,
but wish to explore this opportunity, then please see “Beginning the Christian
Journey,” above.
by the Rev. Mary Davila
Baptism Preparation Program
St. James’ is pleased to offer a brand new Baptism Preparation Program for
parents and godparents of young children. We have set dates through May 2008,
and we encourage you to pick up one of our baptism brochures for more
information. That brochure is also available on the St. James’ website. We also encourage families who are expecting
the birth of a child to attend the baptism preparation classes at any time. You
need not wait until the baby is born. To
register for a baptism, or to ask questions, please contact Pastor Mary or Rev.
Kate at (703)777-1124.
Sixth and Seventh Grade Weekend at Shrine Mont November 9-11! This is an awesome weekend trip to the mountains.
We meet up with youth from all over the Diocese for two days and nights of
games, fellowship, music, praying, and playing. The cost is $120, and as always,
scholarships are available. Please see Pastor Mary to sign up.
Pizza with a
Purpose continues!
We’re taking an in depth look at the Gospel of Matthew… the miracles,
healings, teachings, passion, etc. We make Bible Study really fun
through games, skits, and music. We also have a few outreach offerings planned
for those who come to PwaP.
A bit about PwaP: Some youth who come to PwaP also come to Youth Group on Sunday. Some youth who
come on Sunday do not come on Wednesday. Sunday Youth Group tends to focused on
community building, outreach, and fellowship, whereas PwaP
is more overtly faith based. Both have a spiritual component, but we do more
Bible Study on Wednesday nights. Wednesday night has become its own small group
and is a great alternative or addition to Sunday Youth Group gatherings.
The “regular” times for Youth Group, starting
September 23, are:
¨
Middle School: 4:30-6:00 p.m. at St. James’
¨
Senior High: 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Shankles’ house
Saturday, October 20: Senior High Campout 8:00 p.m. at the Rust Farm in
Leesburg, concluding at 8:00 am on Sunday morning. Please call Pastor Mary to sign up. You can
definitely bring a friend…just speak to Pastor Mary in advance.