St. James
Summer Connection
July/August
St. James Episcopal Church
Amesbury, MA

John A. Satula, Rector



Summer Worship Schedule

Services will continue at 8am and 10am through to the end of July. Beginning August 4th we will move to one service at 9am through to September 1 st .

Holy Eucharist Rite II is on August 4th with Fr. John and August 18th with Rev. Jonathan MacKenzie. Morning Prayer will be held on August 11th and 25th.

Fr. John will be away from the office from August 5th through August 26th.

If there is an emergency please contact our Sr. Warden, Meg Grant at 617-291-4348 or Jr. Warden, Darrell Eifert at 603-997-2513.



The Reverend Michael O. Shirley




The Office of the Bishop has issued the following notice on June 27, 2019.

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We are saddened to inform you of the death of the Rev. Michael O. Shirley in Boston, Mass., on June 23, 2019. Mike served as rector of St. James’s Church in Amesbury from 1986 until 2006, as rector of St. Andrew’s Church in Belmont from 1975 until 1985, and other positions at several churches in the diocese. He was on the Editorial Board of The Episcopal Times from 1991 until 2009, and served as a chaplain to the retired clergy, spouses and survivors of the Diocese of Massachusetts from 2007 until his passing.

The Rite of Passage will be held on Monday, July 15, at 1 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Church in Methuen, Mass. Clergy are invited to vest (cassock, surplice and white stole.)

May the soul of God’s faithful servant departed rest in peace and may light perpetual shine upon him.

Faithfully yours,

The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates
The Rt. Rev. Gayle E. Harris

Condolences may be sent to his family at:

The Shirley Family
28 Amherst Street
Lawrence MA 01843

Memorial donations may be made in Mike's name to:
Heifer International
1 World Avenue
Little Rock AR 72202

A Thanksgiving for the Life of Virginia (Jinny) Bailey Muniz
On Saturday, August 3, 2019 at 2:00pm, there will be a service in Thanksgiving for the Life of Virginia (Jinny) Bailey Muniz.   Virginia was Pam Fenner’s Aunt.
A St. James Outreach Initiative

We survived! Saturday, June 22nd we had a great showing of help along with the First Unitarian Church of Newburyport to participate in the Habitat for Humanity home building in Salisbury.

It was a beautiful day, sunny with a nice breeze to keep us cool. We all dug in with tasks assigned to different groups of us. Two homes are being built at this location. It certainly was an experience of hard hands-on work and laughter but well worth the experience and labor.

Thank you to Donnie, Dion, Linda, Janice, Matt, Meg, Heidi and Rev. John. And special thanks to the children and parents who sent words of encouragement - we read them during our lunch break, and they really helped!

Here are some photos of our St. James workers!
Youth: Count on us to help you with community service hours
- plus support for whatever interests and concerns yo u! Email Linda Davis Siess

We're planning and brainstorming:
2019-2020 classes, mission trips and events, including
  • Breakout Room
  • Nightwatch Crossroads at St John the Divine, NYC
  • Church of the Pilgrims Mission Trip in Washington, DC
  • & more! Are you interested in summer Wednesday evening get-togethers?

Linda represented St James during the Amesbury Block Party on June 27, at the PACT (Partnership for Amesbury Community and Teens) info table - lots of smiles and fun!
Cherub Church
 Join us on 2nd and 4th Tuesdays,
3:30 - 4:15 pm in the Parish Hall

It's worship time for "the young and restless"
and their caregivers: simple and fun prayers,
games, songs, snack, and togetherness!

Join us when your schedule allows, come play!
Questions? Contact Linda at stjames.christianeducation@gmail.com

Here's what our children and youth
have been up to - and what's ahead!



On Sundays in June, children of all ages joined Linda Davis Siess and helpers in the Parish Hall for activities during the first half of services. We worked on a banner for Habitat for Humanity's August 6 fundraiser at Flatbread (Habitat specially invited us to do that!), which fit in nicely with St James' adult participation in the June 22 build.

All summer long, at the back of the sanctuary, there are always fresh activities and materials for children to use and enjoy, while absorbing the rhythms of the church service. (There's a rocking chair, too!) Come to church, we love to worship with you!

"Flat St James" - if you're familiar with the children's book character "Flat Stanley", you can imagine what a Flat St James might be all about: he's an image on stiff paper that you can color in and carry wherever you travel this summer. (There's a basket full of them in church - please take one!) Snap a photo - a saintly selfie! - and send it to our office, or post on social media, to show and tell us: where will Flat St James visit this summer??

Also - check this out!

6 Summer Fun 1/2 Days, 2 locations: Explore the world God has made!
9:00-noon, vegan snack, cost = donation (K - grade 5, space is limited)

Week 1: July 8, 9, 10 , at St Paul's, Newburyport, focuses on planets & stars;
Week 2: July 15, 16, 17 , at St James, is all about plants, animals & the sea!
if you're interested, or register now for your choice of days -
youngsters from both parishes are invited to both churches, to enjoy praise-filled fun!

+++

Planning for the 2019/2020 church school year is underway now - registration for
Godly Play and Weaving God's Promises classes is on September 8, with first classes on September 15. Do you feel a calling to be a teacher, doorkeeper, or mentor?
Do you have comments or questions? Drop a note to Linda Davis Siess!

July Vestry Meeting

St. James' Vestry will meet on July 24th (the fourth Wednesday) at 6:00pm at Fr. John's home.
SAVE THE DATE!
There will be one service on Sunday, September 8th at 10am followed by our Annual Picnic. The service will be held at Moseley Woods in Newburyport.

More information will be forthcoming!
Garden and Lawn Care All Summer Long!
Our gardens have bloomed and the lawn continues to grow! To keep St. James property looking beautiful, we ask if you can volunteer one day a week with lawn and light garden care. Can we count on you? This is also great opportunity for youth to earn volunteer credits as needed for school.

If you are able to help a day or two during the summer months with gardening or lawn care or both, please contact us at stjames.office@verizon.net, call the office at 978-388-0030 or just swing by and help out when you can. Wishing you all a blessed and safe summer!

IT'S TIME TO SIGN UP!


How will you and your friends spend summer?

How about:

hiking, boating, campfires,
swimming, learning, archery,
arts & crafts, worship,
challenge course, dance, theater,
music, camping, and so much more!
 
Registration is open for Summer Camp at Barbara C. Harris Camp & Conference Center.

And be sure to check out the revamped programs for senior campers--Leadership Base; Sports Base, and Outdoor Base.
 
Remember that the sooner you register, the more likely you will get the schedule you want! Scholarship support is available. 

To register or see more information, visit the website at
Our Neighbors' Table

We are collecting non-perishable foods and drinks for the summer months ahead for Our Neighbors' Table. Personal items are always needed also. Items may be left in the basket at the back of the church.
For your convenience, we offer electronic giving to make a one-time donation or to have recurring donations. It's easy - just click the donate button below and donate through a credit card (via PayPal) or through your own PayPal account. You will be directed to the PayPal website to complete the donation, then back to the St. James' website. You will also have the option of specifying whether your donation is a general donation, a specific donation or a donation towards your annual pledge. It's that simple!
Connect with us on Facebook or Instagram!
St. James Episcopal Church
120 Main Street, P.O. Box 25
Amesbury, MA 01913
(978) 388-0030
E-Mail
stjames.frjohn@verizon.net
stjames.office@verizon.net
stjames.christianeducation@gmail.com