Summertime is a great opportunity to put your faith into action and St. James's has lots to offer including a Middle School Mini-Mission and a High School Youth Mission Trip. Join us in Valentine Hall for a summer-themed presentation for youth and parents about mission trips, volunteer opportunities, Shrine Mont summer camps and much more. If you've been on a mission trip before, be sure to bring and wear your t-shirt so others know to ask you about your experience. There will even be a raffle drawing too - the winner will receive a $50 gift from the Youth Ministry to go toward the cost of participation is whichever summer program you choose.

Youth in 6th-12th grade have the chance to lead the 9:00 and 11:15 worship services. It's a great opportunity to celebrate our youth and let them experience another side of worship. Youth will serve as readers, lectors, officiant, preachers, acolytes, ushers, and more! To get involved, fill out a sign-up sheet by Jan. 29 posted around church and available here. You can also email your sign-up request to Mary Beth. Be sure to attend the Youth Ministry Reception at 10:15 a.m. hosted by our 9th grade confirmands in Valentine Hall on Youth Sunday too.

During both the 9:00 and 11:15 a.m. services on February 5, we invite all graduating high school seniors and their parents to participate in a special blessing. The church will present each graduate with a gift and pray for your entire family as you prepare for a season of transition and embark on the next stage of your journey into adulthood. To assist our planning, please RSVP by January 29 via email to Mary Beth at [email protected] and include which service you'd like to attend (9:00 or 11:15). All graduating seniors are welcome and encouraged to participate, regardless of recent church involvement.

It's a winter youth retreat for 6 ^th-12 ^th graders at Shrine Mont where we'll enjoy games, worship, and having fun hanging out with other youth and adults from church. On Saturday, we'll hit the slopes to go skiing, snowboarding, or snow tubing. We'll stay in Hillside, Stidley, and St. Andrew's cottages at Shrine Mont and go to nearby Bryce Resort. It's Friday at 4:00 p.m. through Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Cost is $175 per person (covers transportation, lodging, equipment rental, lift tickets, and food). Advance registration is required and all the details are there. Scholarships are available by contacting Mary Beth Abplanalp. Final Registration Deadline - February 13, 2017.  Register here!

CARITAS will host families with children and we like to do their laundry a couple of times during the week. Volunteers go to the laundromat and wash and try each family's clothing, but we need tons of quarters for the washers and driers. The Senior Youth Fellowship will be collecting quarters. Look for collection jars on the third floor each Sunday and drop in your quarters to help!

Financial Education Program Generation Change has begun.

Be sure to ask Mary Pollard, Rachel Page, Eliza Goggins, John Fitzgerald, Harrison Clark, Jackie Milley, and their parents about their experience so far at Generation Change. This 4-week program equips 10^th-12^th graders with the knowledge and skills to manage their money in healthy, generous, and spiritually grounded ways as they prepare for increased independence in the years ahead. We're having a great time so far, and we're already planning to offer it again in the future. If you're interested in joining next time, contact the facilitators Scott Hurt or Mary Beth Abplanalp.