Vestry
You might have noticed some visitors that attended our October 27th service – BUCKETS! Yes, we had buckets out to catch the drips coming from the sanctuary ceiling. Fortunately, this has been remedied. Jim Bullington and his company stripped the old caulk from around the windows on the west side of the portico and re-caulked everything. While up on the roof, they also assisted in lifting the HVAC units and replaced the rotten 2 X 6 boards that were there. A wind storm also pulled some of our siding off the south side of the building. Jim replaced this siding and a soffet panel that had broken off some time ago. These repairs cost a little over $1500.
While it is nice to have these repairs completed, there are a few more projects coming up that will require additional costs and volunteers. One of these projects involves clearing the brush in the Storm Water Management Area. Please see Ty Conlon if you can help with this project.
I am so grateful to those that help keep our building safe for us to worship in and through prayer, I have faith that we will be able to manage our future expenses.
Happy Thanksgiving! Jeannie Pellicier, Senior Warden
Thrift Shop
Happy Thanksgiving from St. James’ Thrift Shop!
Our Children’s Secret Santa Shop was a great success! We had 104 customers and 50 children visit the Santa Shop. I received several messages through Facebook thanking St. James’, saying the kids could not stop talking about it. We look forward to next year. This one will be hard to top.
We will be having a Black Friday Mega sale on the 29th of this month. The Shop is loaded with holiday décor, Christmas trees and ornaments. The shop is just everything Christmas. Are you having an ugly sweater party? We have many to choose from.
Please stop in and say hello, shop a little and just enjoy the many treasures you will find. Volunteers are always needed, so if you have some time please come in and volunteer. Whether shopping or donating you are giving!
Thrift with purpose! Sandy – St. James’ Thrift Shop Manager
Boy Scouts
While this week is Thanksgiving, it also marks Troop 829’s three-month anniversary. It this short amount of time we have grown from six to 10 scouts. The scouts have been having fun bonding, learning new abilities and challenging themselves.
In September, we participated in the Patriot Day ceremony at Pine Grove Chapel. We also had our first camp out where the scouts focused on getting to know each other as a unit and went over rank requirements. A couple of the boys also worked on outdoor cooking requirements, the result of which was some very tasty food. It was a first for me to eat pupusas let alone watch them being made and cooked in the outdoors by one of our scouts.
Scouting allows youth to learn leadership and be challenged in ways that they learn and excel. In October, this new troop was asked to step up and participate and co-lead a scouting camporee that teaches the older cub scouts (Webelos). They planned their teaching activities and the food they were going to eat. At the end of the event they stayed at the campsite an extra evening and had a campfire and again worked on some of their rank requirements. Stairway to Heaven was played by one of the youths on his guitar by firelight.
A couple of weeks ago we traveled to a scout reservation in northern Virginia where the troop got to participate in activities like climbing and archery. We invited some Webelos and parents to participate with us. One scout took the lead and planned and cooked for over 20 people. The troop all took shifts helping as assistant cooks or cleaning.
This past Friday we had our inaugural Court of Honor. Troops hold these 3-4 times a year to celebrate their accomplishments. Five scouts in our troop have earned a new rank. Our 10 scouts earned a total of 35 merit badges and 31 special awards. Our charter was officially presented to us by our Unit Commissioner, Ken Brown and Mayor Patrick Rockinberg attended and spoke to the history of scouting in Mount Airy.
Scouting is a great program that challenges youth to get out of their comfort zone, get away from screens and into the outdoors. It has been an honor to watch these youth take on challenges successfully these last three months and have an incredible amount of fun in the process. They have become close friends in the process. I personally want to thank the St. James’ community for welcoming the scouting program and I look forward to watching these scouts make St. James’ proud by them giving back and becoming leaders in the community.
Yours in Service and Scouting,
Bill Cunnane
Troop 829 Scoutmaster
WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Parish Administrator Hours for the week of December 1, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10-4.
Kristin† Away Kristin† will be away from Wednesday, November 27 through Saturday, November 30. If you have a pastoral emergency please contact Senior Warden Jeannie Pellicier.
Bake Sale Donations Needed Our Youth Group will once again be hosting the bake table during Quartermania. If you can donate baked goodies please have them at the church before 6:00 pm on Friday, December 6. Your help is very much appreciated!
High School Service Project Hi, my name is Caroline Pellicier. I am doing a service project for my high school. For my service project, I am sewing bibs and donating them to Rock Creek School in Frederick. I am asking for donations of the materials that I need to make the bibs. The materials that I need are: brand new bandannas, and brand new hand towels. I will be collecting donations until Sunday, December 22nd. There will be a labeled bin in the Narthex to put any donations in. Thank you for helping me with my project!
Scarves and Shawls For Sale Again This Year A new collection of soft and colorful handmade scarves and shawls knit by Lucy Winston will be available to buy on Sundays starting in November. They have all been made with yarn purchased from local farms and shops. Half of the proceeds will go to St. James’ which amounted to $400 last year. Think Christmas gifts!
Christmas is only a month away believe it or not, and St. James’ is once again supporting the foster kids of Carroll County Social Services (CCSS) for Christmas. We were given the names of 12 children who are the most needy. They range in age from 10 months to 19 years of age. We are also supporting 10 men and 10 women from Pleasant View Nursing home. The Christmas angels will be on the tree by November 30. The gifts should be to church no later than Sunday, December 16 and will be delivered to (CCSS) on Friday, December 20.
Speaking of Christmas, the Conlon family has donated a new and larger tree with beautiful decorations forthe entire parish to enjoy! Thank you to the Conlon’s!
If you have any questions or need clarification about the gifts for Christmas, please ask or email Cheryl Windsor or Karen Larrimore. Karen and Cheryl looked up a lot of the items on Amazon. Don’t forget to use Amazon Smile by clocking on the graphic above!
Blessings, The Outreach Committee
Fellowship with Makers Several people have expressed a desire to get together with other makers while creating their goodies. Knitters, crocheters, scrapbookers, cardmakers, quilters or anyone who partakes in a hobby of making things are welcome to join us in fellowship. There will be a sign-up sheet in the narthex where you can let us know your preferred days and times as well as how often you’d like to meet. Call Cheryl Windsor for questions.
Prayer Rotation Please join the Daughters of the King in praying for each parishioner in rotation during 2018 by taking this notice home and by posting it where it will remind you pray to on a daily basis for the needs and blessing of:
Gail Crum, Bill and Chris Cunnane (Connor, Ajay), Paul Danna and Mary Hutchins-DannaA member of the Daughters of the King will be contacting you this week for special prayer requests.
This Week's Commemorations (A Great Cloud of Witnesses, 2019, Church Publishing Group)
