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From the Rector
The College for Congregational Development
Tomorrow I head out for a week+ to launch The College for Congregational Development in the Diocese of Maryland. As many of you know, since May 2019 I have served as the Director of this new initiative for leadership development in our diocese. We had to postpone launching the program last June because of Covid and so are excited to finally get up and running this summer.
Over the next few days trainers from five different states will be converging on the Claggett Center to set up and prepare, and on Sunday we’ll welcome 29 participants from five different dioceses. We will spend next week diving deep into congregational development, equipping lay leaders and clergy with tools to develop their congregations into more faithful, healthy, and effective communities of faith.
This is work that I am passionate about, and that is necessary now more than ever. One of the things we focus on in The College is how to effectively lead through change. What has this last year been other than one long exercise in change? And as we look ahead, it is clear that the Church is going to continue to need to change to keep pace with the world around us.
Please keep all of our trainers and participants, including St. James’ member Kathy McKaig-Rak, in prayer over the coming week, and I’ll see you on the flip side on June 13 – likely both tired and exhilarated!
Yours in God’s peace,
Kristin+
Sunday Worship Information
INDOOR HOLY EUCHARIST
Reserve Your Seats for 8:30 Worship
or watch the service livestreamed on Facebook
Based on Diocesan guidelines and the size of our sanctuary our max capacity for this service will be 40 people. This means that if you would like to attend the 8:30 am service you will need to sign up in advance. The link to sign up will be in the Shell Newsletter every week and on the website homepage about half way down.
To read our COVID Protocols click here.
NOTE: If you are assigned to serve as an usher, reader, or on altar guild you do NOT need to sign up for any date at which you are serving.
CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SEATS
OUTOOR HOLY EUCHARIST WITH MUSIC
Join us this Sunday for Holy Eucharist with music
in the Memorial Garden at 10:30 am
- We ask that folks wear masks when coming and going to outdoor services, but you are welcome to unmask when seated if you wish.
- There is no sign up for attending the 10:30 am outdoor worship
Formation
SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS
It was a joy to see so many Sunday School students and families at our Closing Ceremony in the Memorial Garden on May 23rd. All of our students, preschool through high school, received Certificates of Participation as well as take-home treats. In addition, Rev. Kristin+ offered a prayer for six St. James’ members who are graduating high school seniors this year, two of which have been in our Sunday School program since they were very young. Tyler DelRegno and Whitney Winkler. Tyler will be heading to the University of Maryland and Whitney to Frostburg State University. We wish all of our 2021 graduates well as they begin their new journey.
During Lent we continued the custom of saving coins in our mite boxes. It is exciting to announce that $545.00 was collected, which will be matched by St. James’ Outreach to benefit the school children for the A is for Africa outreach project. The donation will be presented to Mary Anne & Rick Smith, our local A is for Africa representatives, on June 13th during the 10:30 outdoor worship service. We hope to see you then.
As our parish families begin to make plans for summer activities and vacations, you will be in our thoughts and prayers. After experiencing a year of changes and challenges, we are looking forward to a more normal schedule in September. Have a wonderful summer and please stay in touch.
Sunday School Teaching Team
Yvette Allen, Betsy Davis
Natalie DelRegno, Joan Fader
Choir/Music
This past Sunday was the first time we’ve been able to experience music together in the same communal space in nearly fifteen months. While we weren’t able to sing this week (as we continue to observe the full set of precautions for indoor worship while we wrap up the orange phase of COVID restrictions), the experience of being physically together to worship in our sanctuary with familiar tunes was truly moving for me, and I hope for you as well.
It’s easy to forget that music is a process—it’s not the abstract sounds to which we listen, but the act of engagement and participation through combined listening, playing, singing, clapping, smiling, crying, humming, whistling, pondering and more. While sharing recordings over Zoom church was a pretty good simulation of the final product of music-making, nothing compares to creating music in the same room with one another, and I, for one, couldn’t be more excited to make music together in whatever indoor and outdoor iterations the future holds.
Fingers crossed for beautiful weather each and every week, and looking forward to musicing together again very soon!
Take care,
Richard Drehoff Jr.
music@stjamesmtairy.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Kristin+ Away
Kristin+ will be out of the office from June 3 through June 12 for The College for Congregational Development. If you have a pastoral emergency please call her cell phone.
The Rev. Joanna White, Canon for Pastoral Services, Diocese of Maryland, will be our guest celebrant on June 6. Joanna serves as the chaplain for clergy, diocesan staff, and their families. Joanna graduated from Yale Divinity School and was ordained by the Diocese of New York. Prior to that she studied nursing at Wesley College in Dover, Delaware and obtained a degree in criminal justice while practicing psychiatric nursing. Joanna holds additional master’s degrees in Community Health from Long Island University and Spirituality and Pastoral Care from Loyola University. She has served as rector of three parishes and done combined parish ministry and chaplaincy work, as well as work in recovery services. Joanna lives in Annapolis and has three children and four granddaughters. She has 2 grand-dogs and one ungrateful grand-cat who requested to be added to the family listing.
A is for Africa Lenten Mite Box Presentation
On June 13th during our outdoor worship service, our Lenten mite box outreach donation for A is for Africa will be presented to Mary Anne & Rick Smith, local representatives. We are pleased to announce donations amounting $545.00 which will be matched by our St. James’ Outreach Committee. Please plan to attend at 10:30 a.m. for outdoor worship for this meaningful presentation.
Lectionary Readings for the Second Sunday after Pentecost:
Next Week’s Commemorations:
Prayer Rotation
Please join the Daughters of the King in praying for each parishioner in rotation during 2021 by taking this notice home and by posting it where it will remind you pray to on a daily basis for the needs and blessings of:
James and Simone Mauro (Cameron, Michael)
Tim and Cheri McClanahan (Bryce, Trevor)
James and Jane McKeever (Katie)
A member of the Daughters of the King will be contacting you this week for special prayer requests.
