Stewardship

Stewardship Message
Housecleaning
“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away, see everything has become new!” Romans 5:17
Lent has traditionally been a time for cleaning house; in fact the practice of “Spring Cleaning” may be related to the religious practice
of clearing the kitchen of fat on Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday. Shrove Tuesday is meant to be only the beginning of a time of taking
stock in every part of our lives. In Lent we are called to consider not only the excesses of our material existence that need to be
purged, but also anything in our spirits or minds that needs reassessment and clearing out.
Instead of understanding Lent as a grim and joyless period, we might remember Paul’s encouragement and see Lent as a time of
becoming new. As a person who has moved from one house to another often in her life, I know that before you enter the new house,
you need to clean out the old one, decide what is to be kept and what is to be discarded, and discern what new items you might need
to acquire for a new situation in life.
This Lent, then, we are offered the cleansing opportunity of examining our lives on every level, both material and spiritual. Where are
the excesses we need to clear out? What do we need to reassess about priorities, relationships, possessions and time management in
order to be ready to live into a resurrection discipleship? On Easter, when the risen Christ calls us to new life, what might be weighing
us down and keeping

Stewardship Message
In Faith and in Doubt
(for after Easter)
“Eight days later…” John 20:26
The disciples told Thomas the unbelievable news that Jesus, whom they had all seen crucified, was alive! And, of course, Thomas did not
believe it! He might have thought his friends delusional or mad with grief. He might have thought that some colossally cruel practical joke
had been played on them by the authorities. Whatever he thought, clearly he could not buy what they were selling. So he might have left
them, sadly and with great despair.
But we are told that a week later he was still hanging out with them. A week! Even though they were ecstatic with joy and he was deep in
disbelief, he stayed with the community, and they remained available to him. Then Jesus appeared again and the one who doubted found
faith.
Thank God Thomas had a place and a group of people with whom he could abide in the night of doubt and sadness. They carried him
through until his relationship with Jesus was restored and strengthened. Is not that still the role of the church? We maintain our buildings
and hold our worship services and prayer meetings and Bible Studies and community events and host support groups of all kinds so that we
can hold each other in faith and in doubt. We are there for each other and for our neighbors in all circumstances of life and spirit. We give
time, talent and treasure to the church not to support an institution but to nurture a community of believers and doubters faithing each
other into stronger relationships with Jesus, just as those disciples did with Thomas. As Eastertide continues, remember how the church
held you when you were in a Thomas week in your life

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From being rebuilt from the fire in the early 1900’s to being renovated and reinvigorated in the early 2000’s St. James Church continues to
strive to meet the needs of its family.  It is our generations turn.

You have all had input into recognizing and planning what our goals are in refurbishing our physical plant, but we also have to plan for
our day to day vision of who we are and what our vision is.  We at St. James have a vision of building our Christian Community.  We are
reaching out and expanding our hospitality to each of our family members through our café and newcomers committee, we are
reaching out to our community through expanded programs in outreach, we are supporting our children with three youth groups, a
junior choir, and a dynamic education program.  We are increasing our staff and their duties and upgrading office equipment. We are
striving for excellence in all that we do so we can continue that heritage that we have been so blessed to inherit.

St. James’ is committed to providing programs that assist us in our daily lives in living more rewarding and fulfilled lives.  These
programs are of vital importance to us individually and to the existence of the Church as a whole.

Our goals are ambitious but obtainable.  So were those of the St. James’ generation that preceded us.  Please be generous and help
us to see our vision come to fruitfulness.  

Dominion belongs to God.  To us is given the blessing and privilege of being good stewards of God's dominion


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Our Stewardship goal is to make people
mindful of the many Blessings God has
given us, and to in turn give back to the
Church and others less fortunate than
ourselves.