Bold Women

This past Sunday was Women of the ELCA Sunday, when the women of our church helped to lead the worship service. Part of the service included an offering of 21 blankets and shawls. These handmade items were knitted and crocheted by St. James' own "Stitchers for Christ," a group of ladies who gather together on the third Thursday of every month at 7PM. These shawls and blankets were blessed by Pastor Andrea, and will soon be sent out to people in need of comfort and solace, joy and celebration. We pray that all who receive these handmade gifts will see the shawls and blankets as signs of God's unconditional love, in which they are covered forever.

Spread The Love

Happy Valentine's Day from the God Rockz group at St. James! They had fun decorating boxes for our shut-ins this week. With our congregation's help this Sunday, they are filling these boxes with treats and valentines to remind them of how much God loves them. "We love because God first loved us." 1 John 4:19

God's Mission

Go! Share God’s Peace! Make Disciples!
This is our mission statement for 2009. We're excited about all the things that God is going to do in and through St. James to impact our community and the world in this new year. We're thrilled about some new ministries that have begun here recently, including a Prayer Shawl Ministry as well as a monthly mobile food pantry with Harvest Hope Food Bank. This spring, we're also hoping to start a Co-Ed Softball League, and we are looking forward to being a part of Operation Inasmuch with the SC Synod. God is active in this place, and we are heeding God's call to go forth and make disciples, baptizing, and sharing God's love with all the world.

Perfect Attendance

Congratulations to our Sunday School Perfect Attendance Award recipients for the month of January. Actually, our Kids' Sunday School at St. James is a reward in and of itself. Each week, our elementary and middle schoolers meet at different stations. Whether they are in the Musical Playhouse, Creation Station, Biblemax Theater, or Divinity Diner, as pictured here, they have fun learning Bible stories together. This past month, they focused on 3 women of faith from the New Testament: Lydia, Dorcas, and Priscilla. Since Lydia was a maker of purple cloth, we spent lots of time making (and tasting) purple foods. We encourage you to bring your elementary and middle schoolers to our church to join in all the fun.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, from St. James Lutheran Church! We thank God for a blessed 2008 and look forward with hope to see what God will do in our midst in 2009! This year, we are excited about a new way of reaching the needy people in our community. Starting in mid-January, a mobile food pantry, set up by Harvest Hope Food Bank, will be available at our church. Harvest Hope is an organization that supplies food to many important service agenices in our area, including Lexington Interfaith Community Services. They receive donations of food from all over the midlands and need help passing them out so that they're not wasted. This year, the members of St. James are going to help Harvest Hope distribute food to those who are hungry in our area. Recipients of these food donations must sign up at our church office by January 9th. "Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' " Matthew 25:34-36

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!

Join St. James as we worship the Christ Child and celebrate his birth on Wednesday, December 24th, at 6PM. We will have a Family Christmas Eve Service with Lessons and Carols. Come along and bring your family and friends!

Come, Lord Jesus!

Checking out the lights at Riverbanks Zoo is just one of the many activities that the people of St. James have been doing these past few weeks, as we've been lighting our candles to watch for the Messiah. We've held Christmas parties for the Lutheran Men in Mission, Women of the ELCA, Saturday Sisters, and the NE Age Sunday School Class. Our OWLS enjoyed a fun night out as they went light looking around town, and our young people have created ornaments for our shut-ins, as well as Christmas cards and cookies for the college students. That's not to mention all the muisic that has been filling our halls! In addition to our Adult and High School Christmas Carol Sunday School Class this month, the handbell players, the God Rockz kids, the kids' choir, and the adult choir have all been lifting their voices and bells each Sunday in excitement as we look for our Lord's return.