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We are approaching one of the busiest times of the year in the Christian calendar and the St. James Community.  In January, we had our Annual Meeting, electing a new warden and three new vestry people.  ECW had its first meeting of the new year with three new women elected to the board. ECW also hosted its second comfort food dinner, serving 93 people a delicious pot roast meal.   Rev. Kim Rossi put on a beautiful service for Haitian relief that included Episcopal churches in the deanery as well as representatives from area churches.  If you were there you heard the magnificent joint choirs singing.  The last event of the month, on our “Blue Moon Sunday” featured a book study of Mitch Albom’s book Have a Little Faith conducted by Terry McGuire.  Several parishioners helped Father Ron as he prepared to leave for his new home in Tennessee.  The Pastoral Care committee had several prayer shawls blessed by Fr. Birdsall on January 31st.  We sent one home with him for his wife.

        February will bring Ash Wednesday on the 17^th.  There will be two services that day with the imposition of ashes, one at 12 noon and one at 7 pm.  Our pre-Lenten activity is a pancake dinner on Shrove Tuesday, the 16^th, served by our young people.  Our famous Lenten fish fries begin on Friday, the 19^th.  For six weeks the members of St. James will be supporting the fish fries, whether actively in the kitchen or dining hall, or by donating items to the bakers, or by coming in to eat.  We are always looking for helpers for these fish fries.  We know we have a real need in the dining room on the 19th.  If you can help, please see Anne Ortwein.

        Everyone has been a good sport about coming to church and enduring the cooler temperatures.  We are happy to see it hasn't kept you away.  We have seen a wide variety of interesting hat styles to accompany the cooler building. 

        Committees are working diligently to find new ways to raise money to help us reach into the future.  At the same time, we want to make sure our spiritual needs are met.  If you have any suggestions, we would love to hear them.  You can contact any vestryperson or leave a message with Barb in the office.   

        From the above you can see that there is a lot going on here at St. James.  We will continue to have supply priests for the month of February while we discern our needs for the future.  Your Vestry and search committee are working very hard to find a leader who will help us to continue to feed and be fed in the love and works of Jesus Christ.  We are going forward in faith; we invite you all to come with us.

        This is a parish that works well together and plays well together.  I want to thank you for the faith you have put in me to be your new warden.  I look forward to serving you in the future.

Cathy Judkins

Senior Warden