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Reflection: A statement taken from “Reclaiming Jesus”
WE BELIEVE how we treat the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick, and the prisoner is how we treat Christ himself. Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 4:18. What does CARE believe, as individuals and as a group? Members talked about living out this belief in our community – the challenges and rewards. Old Business: The teams are smaller, the R@T program continues to be strong and we are averaging between 45 and 60 guests each month. Backpack Ministries – There was discussion about an appeal in the fall to sponsor a Backpack Child as a way of building our funds for the program and directly connecting our members. Women’s Build – $81,000 has been raised that surpasses their goal. There are 35 on the team from St. James. Dedication should be in late September. African Team Ministries (4/29 & 5/6) – The program has changed dramatically and is no longer through the National Episcopal Church. They are in the process of phasing out the program. LEOS – LEOS continues to become more stable with the hiring of Phil Mattheis and some assistants who are covering the night shift. The St. James group is now doing 2.5 hour shifts. New Business: Dental Care – Helping Hands & Health Department John Francis from Helping Hands received a $10,000 grant for the dental clinic. Helping Hands patients will be served first, then if there is space they will take emergency as long as the money holds out, but the money is depleting quickly. One patient had 17 teeth pulled. They have not had to advertise – only word of mouth. We are encouraged that First Baptist Church of Lenoir, under the leadership of Will Wakefield who is a member there as well as Director of Social Services, will be helping to boost this ministry that became dormant after Ron Stilwell’s death. St. James will continue to follow this ministry and will help as needed. Fair Trade Coffee – The church has purchased a commercial Bunn coffee-maker with pre-measured packets. We will be using the Fair Trade Coffee and Susan wondered if this was something we should offer to the congregation. St. James has sold coffee before but stopped when the coffee became available at the Arts Council, and managing the sales, as well as the outdated coffee became unmanageable. Visit the Nat’l Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, D.C. or Nat’l Memorial for Peace & Justice in Montgomery, Alabama A parishioner shared her desire to have a joint study/project with our African American friends and visit one of the memorials as a group. Presently, group passes are not available for the Museum of African American History, but her hope is to plant a seed among CARE members and see what may perk up. Closing: The committee read together the prayer from Ephesians 3:14-21. Next Meeting: October 29th 7:00 pm The menu was a twist on the usual hot chicken and rice casserole to make a cool dish using ranch dressing instead of the usual mushroom soup. This was accompanied by green beans, cantaloupe, bread, cake and ice cream. Food Lion provided so many cakes and cupcakes we had loads left over to take to the women's shelter. We served 51 guests with 39 take outs. Thank you to everyone who helped with our meal!
Two parishioners volunteered at our build site this week and shared photos of Habitat's Women Build. helped with measuring and cutting siding, and also sprayed foam insulation around doors, windows and outlets. All the exterior siding is now up and work will begin next week on insulation batting inside before putting up sheet rock. Team 4 hosted June's Room at The Table, serving hot dogs with all the fixings, chips, and a choice of chili, pinto or green beans. Dessert was a choice of an assortment of healthy fruit provided and prepared by a parishioner, or cake and ice cream. Those big slices of cantaloupe were especially popular!
37 persons were fed at the meal, and 37 take outs provided. The hammers were swinging on Saturday, May 12th at the Habitat Women's build! A group of about 30 volunteers, including seven members of our team, worked together to build the outside walls on one house and paint the inside of another house. It was very exciting to watch the progress. Work will continue through the summer with opportunities for volunteers to work on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 8:00 to 12:00. Team members are encouraged to register as a volunteer on the Habitat website. (this is in addition to signing up as fundraiser) You can choose your days and will receive emails from Theresa at Habitat to keep you up on the latest information. The dates for June will be available for sign ups. What a difference we can make working together! May's Room at the Table was on an unseasonably hot Saturday afternoon, and guest attendance was down slightly; we had 43 guests, with only one child. The menu was chicken BBQ, baked beans, slaw, macaroni and cheese, peaches, chips and for dessert we had cake and ice cream. At the end of the meal, one of the guests asked to play the piano for us. She played hymns and other popular songs and we all enjoyed listening to her. There is always something wonderful and unexpected that happens at our Room meals! Parishioners volunteering at our meal.
Reflection: “The poor will always be with you.” What is Jesus saying to you in your faith journey? What is Jesus saying to St. James in our faith journey? After reading Scripture about the crowd wanting Jesus to stay and keep healing those around him, but he kept moving forward to the next city and also Mary Magdalene using the expensive oil on Jesus, members reflected on their own mission work, why they did it and continue to do it and what Jesus may be saying to us now.
Old Business: Room at the Table teams have been updated. There is no need for a captain’s meeting at this time. Backpack Ministries: The Backpack Ministry have what they need to finish for 2018. The school system will take care of students in the summer at different school sites. 40% of the offering for the Mark Presentation will be designated to the Backpack Ministry. Rise Against Hunger: We had 95 participants for our Rise Against Hunger event and are grateful to the Fire Department and their help unloading and loading and for the planning committee. There was a general feeling among committee members that we would like to partner with St. Paul’s with a future project, but may not do the Packaging of Meals in 2019. Distributing Dignity 18, 324 items were collected for the Shelter Home and Yokefellow. They are very appreciative. Women’s Build – Episco-gals – The first build day is May 12th. There are 5 members of the team who have already signed up. Also, on May 5th is a training day at Lenoir Builder’s Supply. Members sign up for the training day through the volunteer website. There will also be a gathering on May 8th at Lowe’s Hardware. Members are encouraged to attend and wear their shirts. New Business: African Team Ministries (April 29, May 6th) Susan shared with the committee a resource supported by the Episcopal Church that works as an intermediary between African and American churches, providing funding for orphan and refugee relief missions and evangelism in East Africa. They raise funds through a bazaar at church, selling jewelry and crafts made by people in the areas of Africa where they work. The items will be displayed in the Atrium on April 29th and May 6th. We will use the honor system, although CARE members may come and help where it is needed. Next Meeting: Monday, July 30th, 10:00 am |
YOU ARE THERE!
Welcome to St. James' YOU ARE THERE! newsletter. On these pages you will find articles about parish fellowship, projects and events. Feel free to browse through our archives. Archives
November 2018
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St. James Episcopal Church
806 College Avenue, SW Lenoir, NC 28645 828-754-3712 Sunday Services 8:00am - Holy Eucharist - no music 9:10am- Adult Forum (Sept-May) 10:30am - Holy Eucharist with music Four times a year (on "5th Sundays") we offer Morning Prayer instead of Eucharist at both morning services. |
