Change in Worship for January 2, 2022
This Sunday there will only be one in-person worship service at 10:30 am. It will be livestreamed on Facebook. Out of an abundance of caution we will not have any congregational singing this week.
A reminder of our Covid mitigation measures:
- mandatory mask use – masks should be well fitted and cover both mouth and nose
- increased ventilation through open doors and windows – dress warmly
- socially distanced seating – extra chairs have been added to allow people to spread out
Please, do not come to church if you have been exposed, you feel sick, or have any respiratory symptoms (runny/stuffed-up nose, cough, sore throat). Seek medical attention, and worship with us instead on Facebook.
We anticipate going back to two services on 1/9/22, but please be on the lookout for further information as we will continue to adapt as needed amidst the latest Covid surge.
Kristin+
Vestry
Happy New Year everybody! Your vestry members hope the year ahead exceeds all your expectations.
Bishop Ihloff will visit our parish in a month or two. No, I’m not going to mention the exact date yet because it’s already changed several times and I wouldn’t be shocked if it changes again. Apologies to those suffering whiplash from the challenging scheduling process. 😉 Bishop Ihloff will schedule a discussion with the Vestry. If you have topics you’d like raised, please share them with someone on the vestry in the weeks ahead.
As reported last month, we are still working on finalizing the Church budget. In theory, budgeting is a prioritization process where we fund our goals and visions as we set forth on a new year. Deep down, that’s still true, but it’s surprising how many of the costs our parish incurs are required with little room for discussion. Mortgages, insurance, utilities, phone bills, cleaning bills etc. all have to be paid even though they’re at least one step removed from “building a community of love through our mission of encountering Christ everywhere and engaging in God’s mission of reconciliation in the world”. We’ll finalize the budget in January. We thank you all for your generous giving. Vestry members will call a couple dozen people that pledged for the year 2021 but not for 2022 to see if we can reduce our current projected shortfall.
Several vestry members are completing their service (the normal term is three years) and we’ve invited parishioners to fill these slots beginning later in January, 2022. We’re a healthier congregation when the vestry gets new representatives bringing new points of view. Thank-you for considering service.
Finally, the vestry is working out implementation details on the diocesan Covid vaccination directive. We want to establish an approach that protects our community and is fair to our employees. We’re not there yet, but we’re making good progress on this.
Announcements
Notice of Annual Meeting
The 2022 St. James’ Episcopal Church Annual Meeting will be Sunday, January 30, 2022. Details coming soon.
Vestry Nominations
This year we have 4 members of the Vestry whose terms are expiring: Ty Conlon, Bill Ellis, Andrew Gobien, and Steve Stowell. We thank them for their years of leadership and service to the congregation, and we look forward to recognizing them at the Annual Meeting.
The Vestry Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the following candidates who will stand for election at the 2022 Annual Meeting: Jim Bullington, Annie Horrigan, Gabby Markham, and Cheri McClanahan.
Holiday Sunday School Schedule
There will be no Sunday School classes on December 26th or January 2nd.
Kristin+ on Vacation
Kristin+ will be out of the office from Monday, December 27 through Saturday, January 1. Please contract her via cell phone for pastoral emergencies.
Lectionary Readings for this Sunday:
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:
Kathryn Grumbach
Melissa Guessford
Marilyn Hancock
A member of the Daughters of the King will be contacting you this week for special prayer requests.