Announcements

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

WORSHIP FORMAT CHANGE:

 

Due to the increase in covid-19 numbers statewide, and in the interest of safety and protecting each other, worship will be 100% online beginning December 20^th.  This includes Christmas Eve.  Worship services will continue to be live-streamed at their scheduled times.  We do not know at this time how long we will need to do this.  Roz Presby, Dr. Beth Trez, and our talented music crew will continue leading us in worship.

 

What You Need to Know!

  

• Bulletins will continue to be emailed, and the screen will be used

 

• Live-streaming will still be available on Facebook-live. You can watch on Facebook without having an account, but if you want to comment or say hello, you need to have a Facebook account.  https://www.facebook.com/St-James-Presbyterian-168774449809850/

 

• We still have extra Hymnals available to take home and keep for anyone who wants to have the music available to follow.  They are on a table in the narthex, or we can deliver one to you. 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT SMALL GROUP – The Wednesday night small group will embark on a new study of the Old Testament prophets.  Sound a little dry?  Not so!  Old Testament prophets were concerned with many of the same issues we have today:  social justice, obedience and hope for the future, to name a few.  The study is called “The Prophets Still Speak” and explores how what the prophets proclaimed to the people of their time still has urgency and importance for our time.

We will kick off the study on January 13, 2021 at 7 p.m. via Zoom.  Contact Steve Grubb at stevengrubb@comcast.net if you want to be added to the Zoom invite list.  There will be a limited number of study guides in the narthex prior to the thirteenth.  Hope you can join!

 YOUTH – Do have a desire on your heart to serve God?  Are you looking for ways you can share the love of Christ?  Would you like to make a positive impact on the youth of our church and potentially future generations?  If your answer to any of these questions is yes, please contact Barb Rowe, Sue Foster, Jeff Johns, or Roz.

THANK YOU – Thank you everyone for the prayers, cards, visits and phone calls during this long period of illness for Wallace.  They were very much appreciated.  Susanna Grissinger

SAINT JAMES STEWARDSHIP UPDATE- Hopefully all members have received a communication on the churches 2021 budget and stewardship drive. As noted in the mailed information, the world has been changed by the pandemic but the mission and work of the church continues by the grace of God.  This is an exciting time in planning for a new year and seeing the ongoing work being done by our PNC in the search for a new permanent pastor.  The stewardship committee would like to keep you updated on the progress of the campaign.   To date we have received 24 pledges returned and are asking that all members respond no matter if they can pledge or not at this time.   We are a church community which requires that we be “about the work that God has provided for us to do here in central PA.”   In this view the ” time and talent” portion of the stewardship campaign is as important as the financial portion of the pledge. Again we celebrate the commitments received to date and look forward to everyone’s participation.

 MISSION OPPORTUNITY – The November New Hope Food Drive was successful in in meeting the 400 lbs goal so thank you for your generosity…But  as you may have heard food banks across the county are seeing large increases in customers as the Covid pandemic continues to disrupt  families economic well- being.   The mission and outreach committee would like to extend the effort of support to the New Hope Ministry with an ongoing food drive through the year end as our main holiday mission event.   Clearly the Christian message is one of love and hope and what better way to share this message but through the love shown by this effort. Thank you 

OFFERING ENVELOPES – The 2021 offering envelopes are out and available for pickup in the narthex.  The church will be open on Wednesday from 9-3 when Roz is in the office.  If you can’t make it in to pick them up we will have them delivered to you later in December….but we are trying to save on postage costs so if you can pick them up it would be much appreciated.

SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATE – St. James is currently improving our social media usage in order to let everyone know all of the amazing things that happen at and through St. James! If you haven’t yet, please follow us on Facebook and our newly created Instagram! (St.James_Presby)  We will be posting about everything that is happening around the church and this should allow you (as a member of St. James) to stay fairly well informed with your faith family! Other communication will still be sent out (emails, bulletins, announcements, etc.) but this will allow you to stay connected in another way without checking your email! Please follow us if you’re able!