Ministry in 2012

Since the beginning of 2012, St. James has been hard at work doing ministry. In January, our Social Ministry Committee began working hard to build a food pantry in the back of our fellowship hall with much more shelving than our former food pantry and a bigger space to hold more canned goods for the many needy people in our community.

In a related effort, our Youth had a lock-in and collected 970 canned goods to help fill our bigger food pantry, which was close to empty. Our youth also had a bake sale, soup sale, and loose change collection, which helped them to raise money which would enable us to continue to keep our food pantry full.

Our church is continually collecting canned goods to feed the hungry people in our area. If you have any canned goods that you would like to donate, please drop them off in our office during our open hours Mon-Thurs, 9AM-2PM. May God continue to work through the Food Pantry Ministry here at St. James as we share the love of Christ with all who are in need.

Lutheran Groups at St. James

On January 30, the Lutheran Men in Mission had their quarterly Saxe-Gotha Conference Gathering here at St. James. Wow! What a crowd we had. We welcomed guest speaker, Doug Haugen.

Our Women of the ELCA also met that evening, and made plans for the many different ways in which they will serve people in our congregation and in the community this year. One of those ways is through their annual dinner they provide free of charge to USC students, which will take place in February.

Our Lutheran Girls met on January 14. Their focus this month was on the story of Queen Esther. They had a class in makeup that was based on the story of Esther, and they also received charm bracelets that had charms for each of the skills they have learned this past year.

What fun it is to be Lutheran, and to work and learn together as we share the good news of Jesus Christ in this world!

St. Nicholas Day Blessing

On December 6, we invited all kids to the church to celebrate St. Nicholas Day at St. James. This included an interactive worship service especially for children. St. Nicholas, (also known as Santa Claus), even made an appearance as well. Each child came forward for a blessing, and cookies and hot chocolate were provided afterwards! 

St. James' Christmas Cantata

Come and hear our handbell ringers, Christmas choir, and instrumentalists as we present the story of Christ's birth!

Preparing for Christmas

Advent has been a busy time at St. James! In addition to our Christmas Cantata,

our St. Nicholas Service and Blessing of The Children,

and our Christmas Decoration Giveaway to those in need in our community,

we have also spent time decorating the trees and setting up the sanctuary in preparation for Christmas Day!

All are invited to join us for worship this Christmas. Our Christmas Eve Candlelight service will be at 6:30PM, and our Christmas Morning Worship Service will be on December 25 at 9:30AM.

Occupy Church

This Sunday, December 4, at 4PM, we are holding an event open to the community called "Occupy Church." During this event, we will gather around God's Word in a service of worship to pray for God to guide us as disciples and as Christians of this nation. Everyone is invited: no matter your age, denomination, or political affiliation. Our service will begin outside on the front lawn (weather permitting). Come on out and occupy the church with us!

Christmas Decor For Those In Need

Are you in need of free Christmas ornaments and seasonal decorations this year? Be sure to stop by St. James at 9AM on Saturday, December 3. Our Saturday Sisters are sharing the joy of the upcoming Christmas season as they give away their gently-used Christmas and seasonal decor to those who are in need in our community.

Or, perhaps you have your own gently-used Christmas and seasonal decor that you might be able to donate to a family in need of some Christmas cheer this year. The economy is not good for many in our community, so share your wealth by donating seasonal items that you no longer use. As you decorate over the Thanksgiving Holidays, put some items aside to share with those who are less fortunate than you and drop them off at the church on the morning of our Christmas Decor Giveaway.