St. James’ Notes 1 www.stjamesmv.org

St. James’ Episcopal Church at Mount Vernon

A parish church in the Episcopal Diocese

of Virginia and member of the worldwide Anglican

Communion.

November 2015

St. James’ Notes

Empowered by the Holy Spirit to be faithful disciples of Jesus, St. James’ serves as a beacon of God’s love and as a caring Christian family for the community, the nation and the world by seeking to restore all to unity with God and one another and by proclaiming the Good News through worship, witness, education, fellowship and service.

Volume 52, Issue 11

Hot Lunches for Rising Hope A tremendous thank you to everyone at St. James’ who participates in the hot lunch program! To date, we have provided over 800 servings of delicious and nutritious meals to those in need at Rising Hope Mission Church. The people that we serve are even more grateful each time that we arrive. This is only possible through your generous care and support of this program. The folks that we serve know that they are not alone. This program is truly sharing Christ’s love, hope & peace … a spoonful at a time. If you would like to help this ministry monthly or if you just want to sign up to prepare a dish occasionally, please call Marge Katz at (412) 303-7801. Thanks!

Dear People of St. James’,

November is a unique time of year. Warm days and cool evenings, cold soaking rains, the autumn colors in the trees, cozy sweaters and the smell of wood smoke in the air. Fall is here, and with it the season of gratitude and thanks. Halloween trick-or-treats point to the Thanksgiving harvest festival, which announces the beginning of the Christmas season.

St. James’ has so much to be grateful for. We witness to the presence of Jesus in our community, and we touch the lives of our neighbors and the world by our mission and outreach. The fellowship of our church builds us all up for lives of faith and service.

November is the month for our annual Stewardship Campaign. The church is only able to do the good work that it does by the support and commitment of all of its members. We invite everyone to commit your support for the church, by your gifts of your money and your time. When you make a committed pledge, you enable the church to plan responsibly for the coming year.

On Saturday November 7 we will gather for the Stop Hunger Now meal-packing event. Together we will pack enough meals to feed 10,000! My hope is that each of you will not only participate in this, but that you will also invite a friend or neighbor to join in. People are hungry for opportunities to help others, and this is a great opportunity to introduce them to all that St. James’ does.

We have seen a steady stream of visitors, and our Inquirer’s Class is filled with newcomers sharing conversation about our faith and practice. Please hold this group in your prayers, as they bring their gifts to this community we make together.

In all things give thanks!

Charles +

Thanksgiving Evening Prayer

Wednesday November 25, 7:30pm

Thanksgiving Eve

St. James’ Notes 2 www.stjamesmv.org

St. James’

Episcopal Church at Mount Vernon

The Diocese of Virginia

The Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston

Diocesan Bishop

The Rt. Rev. Susan E. Goff Bishop Suffragan

The Rt. Rev. Edwin F. "Ted"

Gulick Jr. Assistant Bishop

The Rev. Charles F. Brock Rector

Staff

Jenny Kennedy Parish Administrator

Alan Moser Director of Music

Vestry

Cheryl Viani

Senior Warden

Mike Morgan Junior Warden and Plant & Property

Marghe Bowker Local & World Outreach

Mark Braden Administration & Finance

Eric Katz Growth & Evangelism

Sara Thompson Publicity & Communications

Mary Jane Van den Berg Parish Family

Francesca Wallace Christian Education

Bill Iber Treasurer

Marge Smith Register

Trustees

Peg Iber

Lib Mueller

Ray Smith

Book Club Our November book is The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. And we meet November 12. For December you can read Nearing Home by Billy Graham and we will meet on December 10. Everyone is invited so please come and join us! We meet at 1:00pm in the Church Library.

Choir Notes

Dear St. James’ Friends,

As we move into November, with its celebrations of Christ the King, All Saints’ Day, and the start of Advent, there is plenty of special music to support worship at St. James’.

On Sunday, November 1, we share the office of Choral Evensong at 4pm, followed by refreshments in Braxton Hall. Evensong is a service of reflection, of allowing oneself to hear God through the readings, psalms, and canticles. It offers to God beauty in language and music, remembering the words of The Book of Common Prayer that “in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength.” Much of the music will be sung by the choir on your behalf, drawing on a rich and diverse choral tradition. For this service, the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis, as well as the Phos hilaron, will be by Sir John Stainer. The anthem is by Stanley Marchant, a 20th century British composer. “The Souls of the Righteous” draws on the words of Wisdom 3:1 as we remember our departed friends and loved ones in this service.

On Sunday, November 15, the offertory anthem will be “All are Welcome”. This was composed by contemporary American composer Marty Haugen and takes the form of a “hymn concertato.” A hymn concertato is a hymn arrangement for choir in which varied treatments of stanzas are written out, all based on a familiar tune, and almost always ending with a verse for the congregation to join on – so bring your best singing voice that day!

Your choir looks forward to participating in worship through song. We always have room for others, whether for a season, or a special service, or for every Sunday.

Soli Deo gloria,

Alan Moser

Bulletin Board

Veterans Day We invite all veterans and active military to wear their military uniforms and medals to church on Sunday November 8 in celebration of Veteran’s Day.

St. James’ Christmas Pageant Children and adults...if you are interested in participating in the St. James’ Christmas Pageant this year, please contact Mike Morgan, Amber

Prigmore or Francesca Rusk-Wallace. Practices will begin shortly! We're looking forward to another great performance this year. The pageant is on Sunday, December 27.

St. James’ Notes 3 www.stjamesmv.org

Heat, Stewardship and The Great Commission

Yes, the heat is on, and, in so many ways. Yes, we need heat in the building now that we are well into the Fall season. And yes, we sometimes need to stroke and pamper the machines that provide us the heat, and yes, they still do break down occasionally. And a final yes, the heat is on to warm our bodies AND to pay for those services. You should have already received a stewardship letter with your pledge commitment card for 2016. Please know that your gifts not only pay for the wonderful services, leadership, renewal, praise, music, and fellowship; but also for those necessary things that allow us to keep the doors open here at St. James’. Stewardship can be defined as “Using the gifts God entrusts to us to do the work God is calling us to do.”

And what about the Great Commission? We have many opportunities coming up for you to reach out to your friends and neighbors to invite them to St. James’. Unfortunately our fall BBQ had to be cancelled due to the weather, but we have an easy opportunity to invite others this coming Saturday, November 7, at our Stop Hunger Now event. Together we will prepare 10,000 meals for the hungry in just two hours! See page 8 for details about how to be a part of this experience. If everyone invites a friend or neighbor we can get the job done! "If the Great Commission is true, our plans are not too big; they are too small." — Pat Morley

Mark your calendars and mention to your friends these other events at St. James’. November 1, 4pm – Choral Evensong, a service of evening prayers, psalms, and canticles. November 7, 10am – Stop Hunger Now November 14, 9:30am – Highway Clean-up November 25, 7:30pm – Thanksgiving Eve Prayer Service December 6, 3:00pm – Special Afternoon Worship Service with Bishop Goff

Thank you for your support and see you all (and your neighbors and friends) on November 7!

Mike Morgan

Junior Warden’s Corner

Blessing of the Animals 2015

On October 4 we welcomed a large crowd of our animal friends to bless them and to give thanks for all the ways in which they bless us.

Pictures by Sara Thompson.

St. James’ Notes 4 www.stjamesmv.org

Mission and Outreach

Mission of the 4th Quarter Christmas Toys for Children Our Annual Christmas Toys for Children collection will provide holiday gifts (toys and books) for needy area children, through UCM (United Community Ministries). Starting on November 8 tags will be available in the gallery to pick up so you can shop for a special boy or girl.

We will collect new toys for children aged infant to teen. See the list of suggestions below. We hope every child will also receive a book. Purchase your gifts and books – please don’t wrap – and bring back to St. James’ by Sunday, December 6, or before.

We will bring the gifts and books over to UCM to use in their Holiday Gift Room where parents get to pick a gift for their own child and wrap it themselves. With our help UCM will provide gifts to over 1000 needy children in our area!

You may also make a monetary donation and appropriate gifts will be purchased for use in UCM’s Holiday Gift Room. Write your check to St. James’ and put “XMAS for children” in the memo line. Thank you!

Suggested Gift Items

For Infants and Toddlers: infant supplies, diaper bags, toddler toys, clothing, snowsuits, blocks, stuffed animals, cloth or board books.

For Children: action figures, dolls, riding toys, educational toys, puzzles, games, art & craft kits, kitchen toys, soccer balls, basketballs, picture books or chapter story books.

For Teenagers: cosmetics, watches, mp3 players, headphones, accessories, gift cards from Target, TJ Maxx, Five Below, Old Navy, Best Buy, young adult books or non-fiction books.

Share Your Crèche!

We are blessed with many remembrances of St. Francis of Assisi. We recently marked his feast day with our annual Blessing of the Animals, and we remember the prayer attributed to him when we pray, “Lord, make us instruments of your peace.” But did you know that he is also credited with creating the first nativity scene? In 1223, being inspired by his recent visit to the Holy Land where he had been shown Jesus’ traditional birthplace, he staged a living nativity scene in order to cultivate the worship of Christ. Since then, nativity scenes both living and models, have been created around the world during the Christmas season.

This year at St. James’, we have an opportunity to share our own nativity scenes, specifically crèches, with our church family. We will come together in one worship service when Bishop Susan Goff visits us on Sunday afternoon, December 6, 3:00pm. Let us bring the nativity scenes we use to decorate our homes for display and sharing that afternoon. They will be placed on display together in the back of the nave before the afternoon service begins, and remain until the end of the reception following the service.

Please let Alan Moser (music@stjamesmv.org) know if you will be bringing a crèche, along with an estimate (your best guess – don’t spend a lot of time measuring and calculating) of the amount of space it will require. You can bring the set as early as 1:30pm before the service to set it up. After the service and reception, take your set home and it will be ready for your own holiday decorating.

St. James’ Notes 5 www.stjamesmv.org

In October 2010, the historic 1881 Chapel at the Virginia Theological Seminary burned to the ground. On October 13, 2015, a new chapel for the seminary was dedicated and consecrated. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori was the celebrant , and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby gave the sermon.

PRAYER LIST

We pray for strength, guidance and healing for: Meghan, Christine, Muriel, Muriel Sue, Esther, Nora, Jenny, Roger, Patricia, Brioni, Wayne, Claude, Mary, Jeff

We pray for the safety and protection of the men and women serving in our Armed Forces, especially those who serve in harm’s way in Afghanistan & Iraq: and all those injured or wounded.

Prayers

We Want to Include You If you don’t see your birthday or anniversary listed here, please let us know so that we can include you. You may email to office@stjamesmv.org or call (703) 780-3081. Thanks!

News from the Diocese

November Birthdays 1 Bill Iber 3 Mary Whitehouse 4 Mike Morgan 10 Gavin Collins 10 Elizabeth Lowman 11 Celso Rodriguez 21 Kathryn Prigmore 22 Don Mansfield 24 Chris Iber 25 Eric Katz

Anniversaries November 15, 1975

Rick & Andy De La Cour

November 20, 1965 Michael & Cheryl Viani

November 22, 2003 Charles & Heidi Brock

Do you want to learn more about your faith? Do you have questions about the Episcopal Church? Are you thinking of joining the church, or getting confirmed? Father Charles will be leading an Inquirer’s Class in preparation for the Bishop’s visit in December. Please let Father Charles know if you are interested. Meeting times will be scheduled with the input of the participants.

Inquirer’s Class

St. James’ Notes 6 www.stjamesmv.org

Schedule of Ministry ~ November 1 to December 6

November 1 November 8 November 15 November 22 November 29 December 6

All Saints' Day Pentecost 8 Pentecost 25 Christ The King Advent 1 Advent 2

Celebrant The Rev. Charles Brock

The Rev. Charles Brock

The Rev. Dr. Ann Ritchie

The Rev. Charles Brock

The Rev. Charles Brock

Bishop Susan Goff

Vestry Person Marghe Bowker Sara Thompson Francesca Wallace Mary Jane Van den Berg Eric Katz Mark Braden

Welcoming Team Ellen Cleary Eric Katz Laurie Do Carmo Ellen Cleary Jane Wosoogh Mike Morgan

Ushers

Ray Smith Marge Smith

Barbara Riley Ben Wossogh

Wayne Johnson Ellen Cleary

Mark Braden McKayla Braden

Bob Blair Mary Blair

Ray Smith Marge Smith Mike Morgan Peg Iber

8:00am 8:00am 8:00am 8:00am 8:00am

Chalice Stan Dawson Paul Vivian David Batcheller Vicky Vivian Agnes Chapman

Lector Agnes Chapman Janet Fallin Vicky Vivian David Batcheller Paul Vivian

Psalm Stan Dawson Paul Vivian David Batcheller Vicky Vivian Agnes Chapman

Prayers Marghe Bowker Sara Thompson Francesca Wallace MJ Van den Berg Eric Katz

10:00am 10:00am 10:00am 10:00am 10:00am

Sunday School

Francesca Wallace Mary Lowe

Eric Katz Marge Katz

Andrew Richard Rosemarie Richard

Mark Braden McKayla Braden

Heidi Brock Stan Dawson

No Sunday School

10:15am 10:15am 10:15am 10:15am 10:15am 3:00pm

Chalice Amber Tussing Marghe Bowker Bob Fitz Mike Morgan Bill Iber Amber Tussing

Lesson 1 Hank Morgan Bob Blair John Thompson James Eustis Sean Wallace Ben Justesen

Psalm Mary Blair Peg Iber Pat Rowell Mark Braden Mary Blair Mary Lowe

Lesson 2 Mary Lowe Amber Tyler Suzanne Synnest-vedt Sara Thompson Mike Morgan Gordon Grant

Prayers Suzanne Synnestvedt Francesca Wallace McKayla Braden Marghe Bowker Bob Fitz Amber Tyler

Sacraments

Wallace Family

Blair Family

Braden Family

Ellen Cleary Anne Patrick

Rodriguez Family

Laurie doCarmo Lib Mueller

Acolyte Ben Justesen Pat Rowell Amber Tussing Sara Thompson Mary Bramely Amber Tyler

Crucifer Zoe Wallace

Nursery Volunteer

Jennifer McDonald

Organist Alan Moser Alan Moser Alan Moser Alan Moser Alan Moser Alan Moser

Counter Nancy Sherick Jane Wosoogh Wayne Johnson Marge Smith Marge Smith Nancy Sherick

Altar Guild Viani Team Viani Team Viani Team Viani Team Viani Team Iber Team

Snack McDonald Family Iber Family Brock Family Special Reception

One 3pm service today.

The schedule for the Thanksgiving Eve Service of Prayer on November 25 at 7:30pm will be emailed to those serving.

St. James’ Notes 7 www.stjamesmv.org

November 2015

EVERY WEEK ~ Ghana Resurrection Methodist Church (GRM)

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

11:30a Class Meeting 12:30p Worship Service 3p Men’s Fellowship

8p Choir 12:30p Youth 1p Leaders 7:30p Bible Study & Prayer

EVERY WEEK at St. James’ Episcopal Church

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

8:00a Holy Eucharist Rite I

9:00 Adult Forum 10:00a Sunday School 10:15a Holy Eucharist Rite II

11:30a Coffee

11a Bible Study

12p Holy Eucharist with Healing 12:30p Lunch 6:30p Choir 8:30p AA Mtg

8:30p AA Mtg

THIS MONTH at St. James’ Episcopal Church

Please always check the online calendar for the most up-to-date event information. Go to our website at www.stjamesmv.org and click on Online Calendar. If you would like to add an event to the calendar, please contact the Parish Office.

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 November All Saints’ Day 4pm Evensong

6:30p Cub Scouts

2 6:30p Cub Scouts

3 6:30p Cub Scouts

4 6:30p Cub Scouts

5 10:30a Rising Hope Lunch Ministry

6 7 10am Stop Hunger Now

8 November Pentecost 24 Proper 27 6:30p Cub Scouts

9 6:30p Cub Scouts

10

7:15p Vestry

11 Office closed for Veterans’ Day

6:30p Cub Scouts

12 10:30a Rising Hope Lunch Ministry 1pm Book Club

13 14 8am Brother-hood Breakfast

9:30am High-way Clean-up

15 November Pentecost 25 Proper 28

16 6:30p Cub Scouts

17 7pm Mt. Vernon Terrace Asso-ciation Meeting

18

19

20 21

22 November Christ The King

23 6:30p Cub Scouts

24 6:30p Cub Scouts

25 7:30pm Thanksgiving Eve Service

26 Thanksgiving Day Office closed

27 Office closed

28

29 November Advent 1

30 1 6:30p Cub Scouts

2 6:30p Cub Scouts

3 10:30a Rising Hope Lunch Ministry

4 5

St. James’ Notes 8 www.stjamesmv.org

Bring your friends and neighbors to help pack over 10,000 meals to feed hungry families throughout the world. On Saturday, November 7, we are looking for at least 50 volunteers and to raise $3,000. Sign up to volunteer and donate at St. James’ Episcopal Church or on the St. James’ website, www.StJamesMV.org

NON-PROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT NO. 14

MOUNT VERNON, VA

St. James’ Episcopal Church Mount Vernon, VA 5614 Old Mill Road Alexandria, VA 22309-3332 703-780-3081 www.stjamesmv.org

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Come help us

Saturday November 7

10:00am to Noon