The Shell Newsletter April 23, 2020

Vestry

On Tuesday, April 21 the Vestry met via Zoom for our monthly mtg. If you were not aware, the Vestry voted to authorize Treasurer, Jane Barger, to apply for a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program as part of the CARES Act. Because of Jane’s early action on this, we were granted the loan which will allow St. James to pay wages to employees of the Church, Nursery School and Thrift Shop for 8 weeks. The loan will be forgiven if we adhere to the stated regulations of the program for the use of the loan proceeds. Thank You Jane!!

And thank you to our parishioners, who have faithfully sent their pledges in each month. This allows St. James to continue to pay our bills and keep up our maintenance contracts.

We hope you are finding time to listen to the Sunday morning service and join in Zoom Coffee Hour. Grace Groups are another way to stay connected. I am learning that many of the members in my groups are starting gardens. It’s great hearing how we are staying busy. Please remember to pray for the members in your group!

Jeannie Pellicier, Senior Warden

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At Home Worship/Formation

Virtual Worship

• Join us for Zoom Morning Prayer at 9:30 am followed by Coffee Hour this Sunday, or watch the livestream on YouTube.  A printable bulletin is available here.  A children’s worship bulletin is available here.

• Virtual Compline services on Facebook are Monday through Friday at 8:30 pm.  You do not need to have a Facebook account to “attend” – just click here to participate.  While your at our Facebook page be sure to “follow” and turn on notifications so you will be alerted when we go live or post updated information.  Compline order of service

Resources:

For a complete listing of resources visit our At Home Worship/Formation page.

• • • Compline order of service
    • The popular daily devotion Forward Day by Day is posted each day online, and it too is available as a podcast.
    • Lectionary Readings for the Third Sunday of Easter:  Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35

    • Next Week's Commemorations (A Great Cloud of Witnesses, 2020)

      Apr 26	Robert Hunt, Priest and First Chaplain at Jamestown, 1607
      Apr 27	Christina Rossetti, Poet, 1894
      Apr 29	Catherine of Siena, 1380
      Apr 30	Sarah Josephine Buell Hale, Editor and Prophetic Witness, 1879
      May 1	Saint Philip and Saint James, Apostles
      May 2	Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, 373

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Blood Drive

Our semi-annual American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held on May 7, 2020 from 2 to 7 pm.  We believe this is an essential use of our building and, after conferring with diocesan staff, have decided to continue with this opportunity to donate the vital resource of blood.

To supplement the Red Cross staff our congregation usually provides several volunteers throughout the day to check in donors and hand out refreshments.  Our volunteers are generally retired folks who are in the vulnerable population and have been directed to stay at home due to Covid-19.

We are asking if younger people would volunteer to staff this blood drive in place of the senior citizen regulars.

Again, this would mean sitting at a table to check in donors and direct them to a waiting area. After donation you would offer donors a bottled drink or packaged snack provided by the Red Cross. You would not be needed for the setting up or taking down of tables and chairs.

The Red Cross will be taking extra safety measures at this blood drive. Temperatures of all staff and donors will be taken before permitting people to be in the building. Gloves and masks will be provided to staff and donors. Hand sanitizer will be available. The 6 foot social distancing practice will be followed. After registration donors may wait in their cars and then be called on their cell phones to come back in the building when the Red Cross is ready to start their donation process.

Please contact Bryant Dulany at wbdulany@hotmail.com or 410-596-4227 if you can volunteer or would like to donate blood.

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WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Parish Administrator Hours for the week of April 26, as needed from home.

Easter Zoom Bible Study   Join the Way of Love 50 Day Bible Challenge.  Using the book of the same name,  we are reading individually during the week, and gathering on Zoom Mondays at 7:00 pm to pray, reflect, and discuss the previous week’s readings together.  This week we’ll discuss the LEARN chapter.  Please email Kristin+ at rector@stjamesmtairy.org to receive the Zoom information.

Prayer Rotation Please join the Daughters of the King in praying for each parishioner in rotation during 2020 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: