Emily Bagwell's Ordination and Other Big Events at Annual Conference
 
On Wednesday night, June 14, at the Classic Center Theater in Athens, Georgia, the North Georgia Conference worship service for Licensing, Commissioning and Ordination begins at 7:30.  At that service, Emily Bagwell will be ordained an elder in full connection in the United Methodist Church by our Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson.  Also, our former Director of Student Ministries, Emily Kirby, will be commissioned a provisional member of the North Georgia Conference. You are invited to come to the worship service that night in Athens. If you drive or carpool to the Classic Center, the address is 300 N Thomas Street, Athens, GA 30601. Please be in touch with one of our delegates to Conference so we can arrange to sit together.  Leon Folsom and Leslee Evans are our two delegates and we have 3 district at large delegates from our church: Janet Folsom, Bob and Verdery Cunningham.  You will need to be in the theater by 7 to make sure you are seated with the St James group.
 
Also on Wednesday are other Annual Conference events that might be of interest and that you are welcome to come and be a part.  At 10:30 the retiring clergy give speeches and many delegates understand this as one of the highlights of the Conference. At 2 pm there is a memorial service for clergy who have died this year including Dr. Bill Hinson. At 5 pm there is a Laity Dinner for $20 and I will be happy to get tickets for anyone who wants to go, if you let me know by June 6. We will go from the Laity Dinner to the Theater for the Ordination Service by 6:45.
 
Emily Bagwell became a provisional member of the North Georgia Conference 4 years ago.  She has been under the care and supervision of the Conference since that time with monthly meetings, assignments, preparation and evaluation to make sure that she was prepared to be a clergy in full connection in our Conference and for the United Methodist Church.  There have been two "high stakes" evaluation times when she prepared paperwork and was interviewed and approved.  Becoming a clergy in the United Methodist Church is not just the decision of the individual. The church evaluates each candidate carefully and over a period of time to make sure they will thrive and be fruitful as clergy. But there is more going on. I have told some of you about an experience of a youth minister at a former church whose sermons were more of "let me tell you what meaningful and interesting things our youth have done."  Then he preached a sermon in which I was moved.  It had more depth and spiritual meaning. My image was that he was holding the hot coals of the living God before us. I remarked to a colleague that the sermon was really different.  She said, "Well you know what happened, don't you?"  "What is that?" I asked.  "He has been ordained." 
 
I believe all of us recognize that Emily has many gifts for being clergy.  I also believe that the Spirit moves in our lives in mysterious and wondrous ways. I hope that many of you will be able to come to Athens that day.  It is a grand experience of our Methodist connection.
 
And thanks for being the church!
John
                                           
Carnation Sale -  The Belief in Action Committee will sponsor the Father's Day carnation sale starting Sunday, June 4 . Proceeds will benefit ongoing mission opportunities through St. James including the Costa Rica Mission trip, Youth mission trips, Habitat for Humanity, Rex's Helping Hands and more. Please stop by the table in the Narthex and purchase carnations in honor or memory of your loved ones. The names will be listed in a booklet on Father's day. The deadline is June 11th and the cost is $4 per stem.
 
Community Food Trucks -  Grab a chair or blanket and bring your family and friends to join us every Sunday from 5-8 p.m.!
Interested in being more involved? The Table Core Team invites you to sign up to help on any  Sunday night that is convenient for you.  We need folks to help with set-up or  clean-up and to keep things running smoothly during the event. Sign up by clicking on the food trucks banner on the home page of the St. James website or by clicking this link: Food Truck Help Sign-Up 

VBS Training -  Youth participating in Vacation Bible School are invited to attend this training session in the youth room on Thursday, June 1 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Please plan to be there if you are available!

KidsHope Mentoring  - As we contemplate the Easter season and new life, a possibility of turning belief into action is an involvement in the Kids Hope USA program. As individuals, we can offer "new life" hope to young children by being a needed special friend. One hour per week during the school year with one child can change a life.  The St. James Kids Hope USA program is connected to Woodward Elementary ten minutes from church. Training and support is provided. Please contact Emily Bagwell for information.
 
Habitat for Humanity Build - St. James and our nine partner churches began this year's Habitat for Humanity project on Saturday, May 6 and will conclude on Saturday, June 24.Please prayerfully consider how you might participate. For more information, contact Jim Branan at James.M.Branan@gmail.com or by phone at 404-538-4867.

 
BELIEF IN ACTION

Rex's Helping Hands for Christ (RHHFC) is a St. James UMC group that does light construction and repairs for folks in our community who are not able to afford it. We focus on areas of accessibility (wheelchair ramps) and safety. We are always looking for volunteers who want to join our team and come out for a day of fellowship, visiting with the recipient and a little bit of building.  NO EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY. Like Habitat for Humanity, we'll train you. Nothing we're doing is difficult, dangerous or physically challenging. Our kids do more on their summer mission trips than we do for a Rex project. At the end of the day on these projects we receive more blessings than we give. 
 
Shepherd Center and Citizen's Advocacy of Atlanta and DeKalb are two organizations that regularly refer folks to us. One of the local Lowes stores has provided us with a generous discount on materials when we have a project. 
 
Last fall we built two ramps. The first was for Cheri. She had recently purchased a small house and needed to be able to drive her wheelchair to her car. Because of limited space in the carport, we had to build a 6 foot landing  that was level with the entry threshold with a 7 foot ramp parallel to the house leading to another landing that was about 12 feet long. This led to another 7 foot ramp leading down to a 25 foot landing that's attached to the side of the carport's driveway and gives Cheri plenty of room to maneuver her wheelchair and get in her car. It got to be a lot of ramps and landings but it changed Cheri's life. She said her prayers were answered.
 
The second ramp built by RHHFC last fall was for Sherman. He lives in a rental house with another wheelchair bound tenant. The homeowner had put up a ramp for them but it was much too steep and ended in the front lawn. 
 
We had a great Team Rex group for this build. This ramp was so straight-forward compared to Cheri's ramp that we knocked it out in one day. We anchored the 5 foot landing to the front step and supported the other side with posts and cement blocks. The ramp was about 8 feet long and ran right on top of the existing sidewalk. As with the other ramps we make sure it has more support and strength than will ever be needed. Sherman said it was the best Christmas present he could have imagined.

Eric Eidbo
 

  

WPT will resume on September 13 at 10 a.m. Possible book choices: What We Talk About When We Talk About God by Rob Bell; Why did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road ? by Brian McLaren; Hallelujah Anyway by Anne Lamott; and My Utmost by Macy Halford.
 

WNS has concluded for the season. Have a great summer!
 




Patricia Evans--The Oaks, Carrollton
Billy Mears--Christian City Rehabilitation Center
Barbara Mitchell --Sunrise at Buckhead
Lawrence Montgomery--Piedmont Hospital
Dot Moore--Hospice at Home
Linda Stephens --Briarwood Health and Rehabilitation Center on LaVista 

    Additional concerns are listed outside the church office and in the Narthex.


Congratulations  - to our Assistant Director of Youth Ministry, Emily Porter, and her husband Bill Porter, on the birth of their first child, Anna Laurien Porter, on Wednesday, May 24. Emily and Anna are doing great!




   
2017 Summer Camps at St. James -  Join us this summer for one of our exciting camps at St. James UMC. We are offering over 20 different camps this summer from Camp Dogwood, Vacation Bible School, and Kindermusik to Club Sci Kids, Drama, Art, Basketball, Soccer, and more! Complete details and registration are available on our website: www.stjamesatlanta.org/summer   Space is limited, so register now!



Sunday School  -  May 28 is the final Children's  Sunday  School for the 2016-2017 school year. During the Sunday school hour this summer, potty trained children aged 3 years through 6th grade are invited to our summer program "Coloring Compassion" in room 109.  Children's  Sunday  School will resume on Promotion Sunday, August 20.

Vacation Bible School  -  June 5-9  from  9:30-12:30 p.m .

Email Newsletter  - To receive the weekly St. James Kids, e-mail childrensministry@stjamesatlanta.org .
 
 
Director of Music Ministries  - St. James welcomes our new Director of Music Ministries, Michael Ervin, who will start full-time at the church on Thursday, June 1. 



Sunday School  - The last Youth Sunday School class for the summer is on May 28, 9:45 a.m.
A joint Adult  Sunday  School class option will be meeting in 305/309 throughout the summer. Please feel free to join us for conversation and fellowship. 
 
Sunday Night Youth (SNY)  - 6:00 p.m. in the youth room. No SNY on May 28 (Memorial Day).
 
Emily's Ordination Outing  -  On June 14, 2017 the Youth are invited to witness Emily's ordination ceremony and have some extra fun beforehand! We will be visiting  Escape the Space  to see if we can make our way out of an escape room and are going to be eating over around UGA. The cost will be $35 per person. Please register so we know how many to plan for:
 
Middle School Mission Trip  -  July 14-16, 2017 .  Our middle schoolers (current 6th, 7th, and 8th graders) will be working downtown at Restoration Atlanta (a part of City of Refuge) with homeless women and children. The cost is $200 per person. Registration is now open and the deadline to sign up is Thursday, June 1. Please visit: www.stjamesumcyouth.org under "upcoming events" to sign-up.
 




Sunday, May 28
Sunday, June 4
"Why Look Up?"
Dr. John Simmons
Acts 1:6-14 
 
Altar Flowers - Given to the Glory of God in loving memory of Paul Webb by his wife, Gwyn.
"The Church Begins"
Dr. John Simmons
Acts 2:1-21
 
 Altar Flowers - Given to the Glory of God in loving memory of John Holt by his wife, Roseann, and their children. 





In Memory of Eleanor Caraker
 ~ Gene & Pat Bowles
  
 


Sundays
Early Worship Service                   8:45 a.m.
Sunday School                               9:45 a.m.
*concludes for the summer on 5.28
Late Worship Service                   10:55 a.m.
Community Food Trucks              5:00 p.m.
Sunday Night Youth                      6:00 p.m.
*will not meet on 5.28

Mondays
Men's Prayer Group                       7:00 a.m

Tuesdays
Men's Fellowship Breakfast           7:00 a.m.
Toastmasters                                   6:45 p.m.

Wednesdays
Yoga - Aged to Perfection              2:00 p.m.
Yoga - Absolute Beginner               6:30 p.m.
Chancel Choir                                  7:30 p.m.
Yoga - Yoga for Life                        7:30 p.m.

Thursdays

Fridays


Staff Directory

 Senior Pastor                                          Associate Pastor 
     Rev. Dr. John Simmons                            Rev. Emily Bagwell                        Director of Activities Ministry            Director of Family Ministries    
      Allen Whittaker                                       Erin Reed Cooper
 Asst. Director of Student Ministry       Children's Ministry, Interim
     Emily Porter                                            Meredith Howell
 Director of Preschool                             Director of Music Ministry           
      Susan Viers                                               Michael Ervin (June 1)
 Organist                                                  Business Administrator
     Craig Smith                                              Shannan Wassel
 Facilities Manager                                 Office Coordinator 
     Stan Malone                                             Dawn Terrizzi                                
 Ministry Intern
Matthew Johnson 

Church Office          404.261.3121
Hours  8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Preschool Office     404.237.7354
Hours  8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
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