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Coming up:
Loaves & Fishes RI
November 9 & 10
10:30 am

FFF Pageant Casting
November 10

Veteran's Day
November 11
*office closed

Loaves & Fishes RI
November 20
4:30 pm

Happy Thanksgiving

November 28
*office closed

Advent Workshop
December 8
November 7, 2019
Mission of the Month - November


Mission of the Month
November

This November we continue our tradition of supporting Bags of Hope.  This incredible ministry offers local children in foster care a personalized duffle bag full of special items!  To participate, just stop by the community room at church and choose an ornament with the name of the children who you will be purchasing bags for. The cost is $25 per ornament. Checks should be made out to St. James Lutheran Church and mark "Bags of Hope" on the memo line.  Click here for more information about this ministry.  Please see Rachel McBride with any questions!
 
We invite you to make a contribution on any of the Sundays in November. 
Orphan Sunday

Family Faith Formation - Pageant Casting
Casting for our annual Christmas Pageant will take place next Sunday, November 10 between the early and late service.  

Save the Date:  The Pageant will take place on Sunday, December 22 at the 9 am Contemporary Service. 
Pastor Andrew - Vacation
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Pastor Andrew will be on vacation from Monday, November 11 through Sunday November 24.  He will return to the office on Monday, November 25.  

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Advent Worship:  An Invitation to Share

Our worship during Advent will take a slightly different shape this year as we explore three themes together:
 
Advent 1:  "Do Less"
Advent 2:  "Hold on to Hope"
Advent 3:  "Experience Wonder"
 
With that in mind, we are inviting you to share a few things that will help bring these themes to life.
 
December 1-Doing Less:  We will share in an interactive exercise in worship to help center ourselves at the beginning of this season of wonder.
 
**December 8-People of Hope:  Identify someone who embodies what it means to be a person of hope.  This can be someone you know/have known or not.  Please share a photo of this person and a brief (1-2 sentence) reflection that communicates how/why they inspire hope.
 
**December 15-Inspiring Wonder:  Identify something that inspires wonder for you.  This could be something in nature, something creative, something from art/music/etc., something from a culture that is not your own.  Feel free to be creative and share photos, verses, etc.-anything that communicates why what you have chosen inspires wonder for you.
 
December 22-Children's Pageant:  We will close our Advent worship with a special presentation of the story of Jesus' birth.
 
**Please send your submissions for 12/8 and 12/15 to Pastor Andrew at asimon@stjames-ri.org by December 2.  We will compile images, reflections, etc. into unique presentations for Sunday worship during Advent.  If you have questions, or need help with images, etc. feel free to speak with Pastor Andrew any time.  
 
Thank you in advance for sharing!
 
Peace,
 
Pastor Andrew
Sunday Adult Bible Study

Each Sunday from 10:15-10:45 am, you are invited to join our Adult Sunday School class as we continue the study of developing The 9  Arts of Spiritual Conversation.   T hese 9 Arts are meant to help us connect better and deeper with those around us that we come into contact everyday. 

The 9 Arts of Spiritual Conversations:
 
1. Noticing those around me and paying close attention to what God might be doing in their lives. 

2. Praying for those I meet in my day-to-day life and asking God to show me what he wants me to do to bless them. 

3. Listening with genuine care, interest, and empathy as l interact with others without editoriaiizing or offering my own unsolicited opinions. 

4. Asking Questions that arise from genuine curiosity, drawing others out with great questions, seeking to understand more than to be understood. 

5. Loving others authentically because I personally know God's love and see them with His eyes. 

6. Welcoming people by valuing their presence so that they feel that they belong. 

7. Facilitating good discussions in a group setting so that every person feels honored and respected, even when they believe differently from me. 

8. Serving Together by gathering people to serve and know God and each other better through service. 

9. Sharing my own story, learning others' stories, and expressing God's story of forgiveness through Jesus in a way that is respectful and meaningful. 

All are welcome to join our conversation!
Save the Date:  Advent Workshop


Our annual Advent Workshop will take place on Sunday, December 8.  

Stay tuned for more details!

Big Brothers Big Sisters RI :  Our Partnership


For the past several years we have partnered with Big Brother Big Sisters of Rhode Island (BBBSRI).  We have served as a collection site for donated clothing and household goods.  These items are then sold and the proceeds go to help support the BBBSRI vision that all youth achieve their full potential.  This is achieved  through the creation and support of one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.  In return for serving as a collection site, St. James also receives a portion of the proceeds collected from donated goods which supports our ongoing mission programs here at church.
Annual Senior Holiday Luncheon
Winter Worship Sign Up!
     
 
Click on the link above to access the Winter 2019 - 2020 Worship Volunteer Sign-up!!

Anyone can sign up for any of the worship volunteer roles. It's easy to do! Just click on the link above and follow the Signup.com directions. If you prefer, there is also a paper & pencil sign-up sheet in the community room.  Just fill in your name and the email address where you want your reminder to go!  

We always welcome new volunteers!  
Attention Thrivent Members!

Please remember to designate your choice dollars to St. James.  Also see Pastor Andrew or George Bowen for ideas on the use of your actions cards ASAP!

Church Office Hours

Monday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Thursday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm

*unless otherwise noted on monthly calendar
St. James Lutheran Church | | pastor@stjames-ri.org | http://stjames-ri.org

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