01/05/24 News and updates from St. James Church

First Things First

Adult Forum restarts this Sunday, January 7. We will kick off the new year with the Year In Review led by Phil Speary.

Join us this Sunday, January 7 for Children's Sunday School and Children's Chapel starting at 9:30 am upstairs in the Kidz Zone. All kids in preschool- 5th grade are welcome. Questions? Contact Chelsea.

Birthdays & Anniversaries - In 2024 we will begin celebrating birthdays and wedding anniversaries on the first Sunday of each month (for the month to come). If your birthday or anniversary is that month, please stand and be recognized in the service.

Message of the Moment

Start the New Year with Prayer

The holiday/winter season is busy. It is busy in many different ways. Unfortunately, this is also the time of year when our prayer lists are the busiest and the need for your prayer is great.

In any of these instances, when you are especially moved, your gift of loving care is needed by way of the provision of meals, a phone call, an encouraging note, a brief visit, or the running of an errand. Our hope is that all for whom we pray know they are not forgotten nor are they alone.

Please pray for:

The soul of Helen Haskin Bousfield; for her family who mourns her, George, George II, Sarah and the many others counted among their loved ones. The funeral for Helen will be at St. James on Saturday, January 20. Assistance with the reception following the service is needed.

The receipt of an unexpected diagnosis for Kelby Accardi-Harrsion. Pray for her as together with Elissa they start figuring out how to live with a health crisis they never saw coming. Pray for their children, Frankie, Rose, and Gianni. If offering to help this family in their home can be part of your ministry, please contact Mother Dawn. motherdawn@stjameswichita.org.

Love and support for Delmar and Mary Klocke. Delmar deals with a serious diagnosis and Mary provides round-the-clock care for him.

The extended effort to restore to health Jeri Moss and her husband, Bill. Please pray for Jeri, Bill, and their family; for strength and better days.

Pray for the love of God to transcend confusion, difficulty of communication, and disease. May Pat Heeren and her family find that the comfort of God surrounds them on every side.

Please pray for Barbara Swain as she heals from surgery for cancer.

F or Judy Thompson as she recovers from a pelvic fracture.

For Vicky Roper who had knee surgery.

For Nancy Carroll in her long recovery; for Barry and their loving family.

For John Osborne in his prolonged infirmity. Please pray for Kate Osborne Crafton, Renee Osborne, and the rest of John's loving family.

As you pray for these beloved members of St. James Church, we thank you. We pray for you also and we ask your prayers for this parish. Share your prayer concerns on REALM or send them to mailto:office@stjameswichita.org

Shepherd of Israel, may Jesus, who is Emmanuel and son of Mary, be more than just a dream in our hearts. With the apostles, prophets, and saints, save us and all for whom we pray; heal us, restore us, and lead us in the way of grace and peace that we may carry your promise into the world. Amen.

O God most holy, in Jesus Christ you have laid a foundation upon which to build our lives: Help to follow your perfect law of love, that we may fulfill it and observe it to the end. Amen.

In this new year, may God keep us ever mindful of the needs of others; protect us from all assaults of evil; and bless all whom we love in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

May the peace of Christ be always with you. Love, Mother Dawn+

The Readings this Week

Click here to go to the Lectionary Page

Click here for a free PDF download of the Book of Common Prayer

The Lessons appointed for the Feast of the Epiphany;

Revised Common Lectionary, Year B

January, February, & March Schedules

Holy Week schedule is not included

5:30 Service Volunteer Schedule

8:30 Service Volunteer Schedule

10:45 Service Volunteer Schedule

Service Volunteers: If you are unable to serve on an assigned date, please request a replacement. Then, other servers can respond to the replacement request - the first person to accept will be given the assignment. You can also click Decline if no one responds to your request, so we know that the position needs to be filled.

Want to know if we need additional volunteers for a specific week? Click one of the service schedules below. If you see a +Add button on a particular serving role, that means someone has declined their assignment, and we still need a volunteer to fill in. You can click +Add to sign up for that spot.

Calendar

Parish News and Updates

Annual Reports

It's time to start writing your annual report for the meeting on January 28. Please send your report to the office no later than January 15.

Old English Tea Meeting

Please join us in the Lounge after the 10:45 am service on Sunday, January 21, as we work on plans for the Old English Tea.

Creation Care

As many of us start looking at seed and plant catalogs and planning for spring, we may want to check out this information about drought resistant plants: https://www.marthastewart.com/drought-resistant-plants-7484957

Nominations to Serve in 2024

Please review the slate of nominations to fill the upcoming vacancies at the 2024 Annual Meeting on January 28, 2024

Senior Warden: Joan Moore

Junior Warden: Danny Blair

Vestry: Ethan Lindsay, Dana Stelter, and Kennedy Compton

Youth Vestry Appointee: Allie Mutzke

Endowment Funds Board: Bert Clark and Luree Lusk

Delegates and Alternates: Randy Harrison, Mary Sloan, Paul Leeker, Joan Moore

Nominating Committee: Kate Miller, Judy Goodpasture, Richard Bowman, Mary Halley and Lise Van-Arsdale Hansen

Community Outreach

Outreach Committee

We are meeting earlier this month - on Tuesday, January 9 at 4:00 p.m. in the lounge. We will be selecting a recipient for the Endowment’s annual charitable gift and planning a Valentine Party for the church. All are welcome.

New Family Resource Center for Wichita. The winter issue of Kansas Children’s Service League features an article about the new Family Resource Center that KCSL is opening at their local office at 1365 N. Custer. As Vicky Roper, KCSL’s Prevent Child Abuse Kansas Director, says, “Family centers help families be successful, reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect, and prevent the need for formal child welfare involvement.” This Wichita center focusing on families in the 67203 zip code area will serve families with children from the prenatal period to age eighteen. Community partners for the Family Resource Center include Child Start, Catholic Charities Wichita, First Metropolitan Community Church, GraceMed, Wichita Workforce Center, and Kansas Legal Services. Congratulations to Vicki Roper and others at KCSL who have worked hard to create this Family Resource Center.

Tabs for Ronald McDonald House

Please notice in the entry area, there is a small cardboard house in which to collect aluminum pull tabs for Ronald McDonald house. They collect these and when they have a good amount, cash them in to help with their services for children and families. The aluminum cans can always go to the Humane Society. There are several cages around town for your bags of cans. Thank you! St James Outreach Committee

Children and Youth

This Sunday, January 7, is Children's Sunday School and Children's Chapel starting at 9:30 am upstairs in the Kidz Zone. All kids in preschool- 5th grade are welcome. Questions? Contact Chelsea.

Volunteers needed!

We need Nursery volunteers! We are looking for those that want to supervise and love on the kiddos in the Nursery at the 8:30 or 10:45 service. You decide how often you'd like to volunteer and when. Safe Church Training is required and provided by the church. Please let Chelsea know if you are interested, formation@stjameswichita.org or call the church office.

The Nursery is open each Sunday from 8:15 am - 12:00 pm and special events for newborns to five years of age.

Prayers

Parish Prayers for the Week of January 7

In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer:

The Scottish Episcopal Church

In the World Council of Churches Cycle of Prayer:

Iran, Iraq, Syria

In the Kansas Cycle of Prayer:

Pray for Church of the Epiphany, Independence

Our seminarian, Maddy Bishop

Those discerning a call to the priesthood:

Paul Leeker, Elizabeth Wenger

Those serving in the military:

Davis Jackson; Will Corkins; Maureen Tanner

Those in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness or any other adversity:

Kelby; Judy T.; Delmar & Mary; Darwin P.; Sam & Beth; Vicky R.; Barbara S.; Jeri & Bill; Hazel S.; Allie N.; Kris S.; Marlene H.; Judy; Greta P.; Larry R.; Jodie & family; Simon family; Nancy C.; Drew H.; Elena S.; Bella P.; Racine; Ann B.; Daimon; Anna; Dick & Judy; Liz; John O. & family; Peer M.; Brianna P.; Sylvester; Sharon & Jerry; Jan M.; Pat; Andy S.; Sue C.; Martha L.; Joseph B.; Joan J.; Jayne P.; Deb H.; Dal H.; Carole U.; Bill & Carolyn R.; Marge R.; Marcia & Lowell; Jerry M.; Gus G.

Those who have recently died:

Helen Haskin Bousfield; Hollis S.

Some who have died in Januarys past:

Sally Bell; Katharine Burns; Eila Daily; Jenny Davis; Russell Duckworth; Paul Edwards; Jimmie Grey; George Harris; John Howell; Joy Johnson; Lorayne King; Rick Kuenneth; Bea Kumberg; Donna Littleton; Samuel Massimini; Carol McEwen; Joan McRae; Ruth Meyer; Aldee (Al) Miller; Matt Mitchell; Doris Moran; Ted Riley; Barbara Ritchie; Caroline Rowley; Dave Rumley; Sonny Watson; Ken Williams

For the sake of privacy, we do not list the last names of those who are on our prayer list because of trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or adversity. We do our best to include last name initials in the event that two parishioners with the same first name exist.

If your prayers have been answered, let us rejoice with you. Please contact the office to let us know we can remove your prayer request. If you have prayers you would like added to the prayer list, please contact the office at office@stjameswichita.org or 316-683-5686.

Loving, Liberating and Life-Giving

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Diocesan News

Zoom Home Retreat

This is a way to have a retreat in the warmth of your own home and with community around the diocese. The retreat begins Sunday, January 28, 7 pm, and continues through Monday at 2 pm. Supporting sacred time at home, Canon Lisa Senuta will guide you through times of spiritual learning, personal reflection, and listening groups. Using the teachings of Brother Lawrence, we will gather at specified times throughout the day. Plan a quiet day at home opening your spiritual heart.

MIQRA - Diocesan Youth Opportunity

Our diocese has an amazing youth program and we want to make sure every child and youth connected to one of our parishes is invited. You may have a child who could benefit, or a niece, nephew, or grandchild!

Middle School and High School can be a tough time for an Episcopalian. Many people haven’t heard of our denomination, and it’s kind of a weird word. Diocesan youth events help our young folks connect with other people their age who are experiencing the same things – something that is often not available in our smaller parishes. Becoming part of the diocesan youth community can help a young person grow in their faith and stay connected to the church through a developmentally tough time. We are an incredibly open, inclusive, welcoming, non-judgmental community where many young people find a home-away-from-home.

Our next event is Miqra (pronounced meek-ruh) and focuses on the Bible. It is a weekend retreat for youth in grades 6-12 that focuses on the Bible and allows teens to discover what’s in it, why we should care, and how to read it.

When: Saturday, January 13, 1 pm – Monday, January 15, 11 am, 2024 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), Students may choose to stay overnight or come just during the day.

Where: Grace Cathedral, Topeka

Fee: $60, scholarships available

Schedule: See schedule here

More information and registration is available online at:

https://edokformation.wordpress.com/miqra/