From the Rector – The View from the Mountaintop
People say that walking on water is a miracle, but to me, walking peacefully on the earth is the real miracle. ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Last Sunday we had our first prayer hike at Sugarloaf Mountain. The weather held out and we enjoyed the lush forest (and it’s offering of wine berries) on the assent to the summit. Once there we paused to take in the astounding views and to reflect and pray together. Using the above quote we shared where we’d 
experienced God’s presence, where we saw miracles, and how we will walk in peace in our daily lives. It was a holy and joyful experience filled with conversation and silence, with sweat and deep breaths, before we made our way back down the mountain. Our surprise treat at the end was ice cream sandwiches supplied by hike leader Jeannie, a sweet and cool way to end our time together.
Our next hike will be 8/25 at the C&O Canal. This hike will be different in that it will be level, following the canal path. It will be a great opportunity for families (it’s stroller friendly) and others who are up for a walk rather than a hike over uneven ground. And once again, through our presence with one another and our prayer, we will find holy ground and God among us in the midst of God’s creation. I hope you will plan to join us.
Yours in God’s peace,
Kristin+
Outreach
Thank you so much for the outpouring of your support to the children of the Mt. Airy area through the breakfast and lunch items. We will continue to collect those items until the first week in August. Again, thank you for your generosity.The Outreach Committee wanted to let every church member know that we feel extremely passionate about collecting snack items for our wonderful young adults who are entering their first year of college or their last. These “care packages” as we like to call them, show these kids that they are special to us and we want them to know their church family cares about them and thinks about them often. So, beginning the first week of September we will be collecting snack items for our college kids. We plan to mail them in mid-October so look for more info in the bulletin of items we will be collecting. And parents, please provide your child’s school address to Laura as soon as you know it. Thank you again!
Blessings,
The Outreach Committee
Finance and Stewardship
Summer has arrived – and the time for St. James’ annual reminder to PLEASE keep monthly pledges paid on time. We all have monthly bills to pay and St. James’ is no exception! Utility and payroll invoices arrive every month – and the monthly pledges pay these bills. The summer is a good time to consider using your bank’s Bill Pay system. Many parishioners have set up their recurring pledge payment for automatic monthly delivery to St. James’. Just pick the date you want the money to arrive every month – and let the bank write the check and put it in the mail. Have a fun summer everyone!
WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Office Schedule for the week of July 14 Monday through Thursday 10-4.
Kristin+ Away Kristin+ will be for continuing education from Friday, July 19 through Saturday, July 27. Please contact Senior Warden, Jeannie Pellicier if a pastoral emergency arises.
St. James’ Thrift Shop Work Day Mark you calendars! After the service on July 28, we will head down to the Thrift Shop to help Sandy with a few projects. Stay for as long or as little as you can—lots of hands will make the load lighter! Pizza will be provided for lunch. Be sure to wear clothes that you can dirty. Please sign up in the Narthex if you are available to help. 
What kind of VBS do YOU want next summer? We are excited to begin planning for re-launching a traditional Vacation Bible School here at St. James’ next summer. As we start looking a different programs, we first want to know what YOU want from a VBS. To this end, for the next month or so there will be a poster set out during coffee hour where you can vote. The options include: a week long weekday VBS for children (from 9am – 2 pm / option of extended care if needed), a week long weeknight family VBS (5:30-8:30 pm OR 5-9 pm with dinner included), or a single weekend whole parish inter-generational VBS (Sat 10-4, Sun 11-4). Other ideas are also welcome, please email them to Kristin+. Everyone is welcome to vote, and we *especially* hope folks with children in their lives will share their hopes as we work to create something new and enriching. Exciting News – Scouts are coming to St. James’! Last Sunday we shared the news that St. James’ is becoming a new Charter Organization for the Boy Scouts of America. Click here to see all the information.
Got Old Towels? Got Old Blankets? Got Old Sheets? The Outreach Committee is holding a drive to collect old towels, blankets and sheets to donate to local animal rescue facilities. As you go through your closets and drawers look for items you could give us to help keep rescued dogs and cats comfortable. We will put a box at St. James’ to collect your donations. Thanks from the Out reach Committee!