Saint James Episcopal Church

Parish Announcements

stjamesadmin — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:00:48 +0000

Parish Summer Picnic
Our Summer Picnic will be held on Sunday June 23rd at the Amesbury Town Park starting at 11:30am! We will meet at the Playground area and set up tents, grills and tables. There will plenty of activities for all to join in the fun.
If you are able, please bring your own table and chairs or blanket, as well as food and drinks. Grills will be available for cooking hot dogs, hamburgers, or other meats you bring for grilling. If you like, please bring a side-dish to share with others.
We will need grills, tents, and extra tables and chairs. If you have any of these and are able to bring them to the picnic for our use, please contact Jim Chapman at 978-388-4891 or jimdchapman@comcast.net and let him know for planning purposes.
Let’s show the St. James Spirit by designing your own St. James T-Shirt and wearing it to the picnic! We also plan to have material at the picnic for those who want to decorate their own St. James T-Shirt on the spot! If you have any questions, please be sure to let us know on Sunday during Announcements! Rain Date will be Sunday, September 15th!

Youth Ministry -Mission Trip Fundraiser
Luke and Adam Janik will be participating in the Amesbury Days Town Wide Yard Sale here at St. James on Saturday, June 29th from 8 to 12pm.
All proceeds will go directly to help fund their Youth Leaders’ Mission Trip to El Salvador.
If you have quality items that you can donate, please contact Cindy Janik at janik5@comcast.net, (603-772-5442) or (603)686-9545 by Thursday, June 27th.

Update: Clergy Search Process
The executive committee met with our Diocesan Search Consultant, Carol Kingston, in May to go over the first steps in the search process. The Vestry will appoint a search committee of 8-12 people within the next week or two. The committee will then meet with Carol who will guide them through the process. The committee will be responsible for preparing a brief parish profile, identify qualities we seek, prepare for recruitment, receive and evaluate applications, interview and recommend a prospective rector to the vestry.

We will keep you informed as we make progress via our weekly announcements and monthly newsletter.

From your Sr. Warden,
Jim Chapman

Gardeners Wanted!
Still looking to fill in a few more weeks to help with our gardening needs. We are looking for volunteers to help one day a week with lawn and garden maintenance
beginning this week! Please sign up today so we can plan!
If you are able to help a day or two, please contact us at stjames.clergy@verizon.net or call the office at 978-388-0030.
Pair up with a friend or another family!
More hands make for light work!

We Are Cleaning Out Our Closets!
If you are a user of closet space here at St. James, we invite you to support the St. James Yard Sale on Saturday, June 29th from 8 to 12pm in the front of our church and along the side walkway. Plan to come early to set-up and stay later to clean-up.
This has been a great opportunity for us to clean out closets, drawers and other spaces of likely Yard Sale items that are hanging around St. James!
Since this is an Amesbury Town wide Yard Sale, there will be plenty of people walking around looking for some bargains and this is a great opportunity for us to clean out what we don’t need!
Let us know if you will join us. Send us an e-mail at stjames.clergy@verizon.net, call us at 978-388-0030 or speak with Barbara Gould who is helping to coordinate.

Family Camp Project
St. James’ Pre-Confirmation teacher, Kim Potts is attending Barbara C. Harris Family Camp this summer and her project is to make recycled Peace Journals. For her project, Kim needs cereal boxes and large fancy buttons.

So, please bring your empty cereal boxes and, if you have large buttons and want to donate them, please bring those also.

Kim’s goal is to collect at least 60 boxes and as many large buttons as possible. She will be collecting these items starting this week through to Sunday June 23rd.

Our Neighbors’ Table
During the months of May through July, we will be collecting Peanut Butter, canned Chicken/Tuna or healthy snacks such as popcorn, granola bars, peanut butter crackers, etc. Personal items are always needed such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, powder, mouthwash, soap, shampoo, etc.

Check Us Out on Facebook:
St. James Episcopal Church, Amesbury, MA
And be sure to “Like” us!

Christian Education for Children and Youth

stjamesadmin — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:28:35 +0000

St. James Episcopal Church, 120 Main Street, Amesbury, MA, Montessori – based Christian Education “Godly Play” program will begin on Sunday, September 9, 2012 at 10am. Each Sunday your pre-school thru 4th grade child will learn about the Christian Faith and participate in fun and educational activities.

Our Pre-confirmation classes begin the same date and are for children in 5^th to 8^th grades.

Nursery Care is available from 9:30 until end of service.

If you are interested in Confirmation classes for grade 9 and up, please contact the church.

For additional information please check our website at www.stjamesamesbury.org or call the Parish Office at 978-388-0030.

What is Godly Play?

Godly Play teaches children the art of using Christian language – parable, sacred story, silence and liturgical action – helping them become more fully aware of the mystery of God’s presence in their lives.When Christian language is learned by the Godly Play approach, it is learned as a means to know God and to make meaning of our lives. This approach is quite different from the traditional model in which the teacher tells the children what they need to know. Godly Play is not about things that are that simple. It is not just about learning lessons or keeping children entertained. It is about locating each lesson in the whole system of Christian language and involving the creative process to discover the depths of meaning in them. It’s about understanding how each of the stories of God’s people connects with the child’s own experience and relationship with God. Godly Play respects the innate spirituality of children and encourages curiosity and imagination in experiencing the mystery and joy of God.The goal of Godly Play is to show how to be open to the Holy Spirit, The Creator, and the Redeemer all at once and all the time in every place. To achieve this goal is to help children become deeply rooted as Christians and yet at the same time use this powerful language and community to be open and creative.Godly Play is a creative and imaginative approach to Christian nurture.Godly Play is based on long established, tried and tested approaches.

Godly Play encourages participants to make meaning for themselves by inviting them into stories and providing the opportunity for them to connect the stories with their personal experience.

Godly Play is a non-coercive way to encourage people to move into larger dimensions of belief and faith through wondering questions and open-ended response time.

Godly Play values process, openness and discovery.

Godly Play is a way of preparing children to join in the worship and life of their congregations as they develop a deeper understanding of stories, symbols and rites.

Although it was originally developed as a resource for children, Godly Play is now being used with a wide range of age groups in a diversity of settings.

Pre-Confirmation Lesson Plan 2012-2013

stjamesadmin — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:21:49 +0000

September 9: First Class – Youth Meeting

September 16: Lay Assistant Duty

September 23: Class – Open House

September 30: No Class – Jeanne Geiger Walk with Youth Group.

October 7: No Class. Celebration of St. Francis – Blessing of the Animals

October 14: Lay Assistant Duty

October 21: Class – Youth Meeting

October 28: Class

November 4: Class – Presenting Saint Lesson in Church

November 11: Lay Assistant Duty

November 18: Class with Youth Meeting

November 25: No Class – Holiday Break

December 2: Lay Assistant Duty

December 16: Class with Pageant Rehearsal

December 23: No Class – Holiday Break

December 24: Christmas Pageant – 4PM Service

December 30: No Class – Holiday Break

Godly Play – Christian Education Lesson Plan 2012-2013

stjamesadmin — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 14:16:22 +0000

September 9: Circle of the Church

September 16: Story of Moses

September 23: Ten Best Ways

September 30: Jeanne Geiger Walk Project (no class)

October 7: Celebration of St. Francis – Blessing of the Animals

October 14: Second Part of Creation “Falling Apart”

October 21: The Great Family

October 28: The Story of Daniel

November 4: All Saints

November 11: The Prophets

November 18: Books of the Bible

November 25: No Classes – Holiday

December 2: Advent 1 and The Holy Family

December 9: Advent 1, 2 and St. Nicholas

December 16: Advent 1, 2, 3 & 4 with Christmas Pageant Practice

December 23: No Class – Vacation Break

December 24: Christmas Pageant in Church

December 30: No Class – Vacation Break

January 6: Epiphany

January 13: Holy Baptism

January 20: Parable of the Good Shepherd

January 27: Parable of the Good Samaritan

February 3: Parable of the Sower

February 10: Parable of the Leaven

February 17: No Godly Play Class – Holiday

February 24: The Mystery of Easter & Crosses

March 3: The Faces of Easter 1,2, & 3

March 10: The Faces of Easter 4, 5, 6 & 7

March 17: Jesus and the Twelve Disciples

March 24: No Godly Play Class – Palm Sunday

March 31: No Godly Play Class – Easter

April 7: Parable of the Mustard Seed

April 14: No Godly Play – Massachusetts School Break

April 21: Good Shepherd and world Communion

April 28: Circle of the Holy Eucharist

May 5: Symbols of the Holy Eucharist

May 12: No Godly Play – Celebration of Mother’s Day

May 19: Mystery of Pentecost

May 26: No Class – Holiday

June 2: TBD

June 9: TBD

June 16: Story of Abraham

June 23: Church Picnic – More details forthcoming.

Youth Group Events

stjamesadmin — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:16:40 +0000

2013 – Events for our Youth Group. All are invited to join in the fun. For more information pertaining to dates/times or other questions, please contact our Christian Education Director, Jen Collins at stjames.christianed@verizon.net.

January 12th – Cosmic Bowling at Leo Super Bowl in Amesbury

February 9th – cancelled due to weather conditions. Game Night & Potluck Dinner at St. James Amesbury, Parish Hall will be rescheduled.

February 12th – Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Supper) at St. James Amesbury, Parish Hall

March 30th – Lucy Love Bus Helicopter Egg Drop – Palooza – 4 to 5pm

April 5th – 30 Hour Famine at Community of Hope in Newburyport, MA

May 4th 6-9pm – Talent Show Fundraiser (no talent needed, just have some fun) and pasta dinner fundraiser. At St. James Amesbury, Parish Hall.

May (date TBD) – “Camp Give Back Day” at Barbara C. Harris Camp.

May (TBD) – Meter Rock event.

June (date TBD) – Camping Trip to Pawtuckaway.

July Week 1 and 2 – Summer Camp at Barbara C. Harris

August (date TBD) – Movie night and Picnic.

Women of Faith

stjamesadmin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:09:55 +0000

Women of Faith -Women of all ages are invited to join this monthly meeting of women interested in growing deeper in faith through Bible study and reflection.

The Women of Faith is on summer respite and will resume in September. Watch for future announcements pertaining to days and times we will begin meeting.

If you have any questions regarding the Women of Faith, please contact the office at 978-388-0038 or via e-mail at stjames.clergy@verizon.net.

Men’s Group at St. James

stjamesadmin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:35:14 +0000

The Men’s Group at St. James Episcopal Church in Amesbury meets each week to read aloud and discuss appointed selections in the Holy Bible and related resources. We learn about the circumstances of biblical events, their significance, and the people involved.

Currently the focus is upon appointed readings from the Revised Common Lectionary, which is the Protestant Christian Worship Schedule of Bible readings that takes into account daily services and the liturgical year’s observances of festivals and seasons.

At present our Saturday morning meetings involve the readings appointed for the following day’s church services. It is 9:00 AM that seems to work best for us. To study on a Saturday what will be delivered by lay readers during the next day’s Sunday’s worship services, then expanded upon selectively by the Reverend Dee Woodard in her homily, seems to us a fulfilling, triple-exposure learning sequence.

We encourage all men of St. James in Amesbury to join the group. You’ll like it! The customary meeting place is the St. James Parish’s Chandler Hall though lately we’ve hosted meetings at members’ homes. Call Arthur Yarranton at 978-346-4749 (arthuryarranton@yahoo.com) or Mort Gilbert at 978-388-3831 (mortgilbert@comcst.net), if transportation is needed or for further information pertaining to meet schedule. Regardless of location, morning beverages and baked treats are in the offing.

St. James Office Hours

stjamesadmin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:15:41 +0000

Office hours normally are Monday and Tuesday from 10am – 3pm. however, it is best to call the office or send us an e-mail to schedule a convenient time.

The office will be closed on Monday holidays and will be opened on the following Wednesday.

To contact us, please send e-mail to stjames.clergy@verizon.net or call the office at 978-388-0030 and we will respond as soon as possible.