CALENDAR & SCHEDULES | St. James533

SERVICE SCHEDULE AT ST. JAMES’

Sunday - 10am - Holy Eucharist

Masks and social distancing are required, and contact tracing will be taken.

April 11 - June 27, 2021

Ministry Schedules

(click below)

2020-08-10 - August-October 2020.pdf

A NOTE FROM THE OFFICE

Week 57 of "work from home" has been...that's all I can say. I have discovered I have a floater that is giving my eye trouble with my retina and will be seeing a specialist on Monday. That has me a bit nervous. The good news, my computer is fully updated and working again and the sun is finally shining after a dull week. I really need to have coffee on the deck soaking up the sun. The vestry will be meeting Sunday night via ZOOM finally. Our Covid-19 numbers are still climbing in Chippewa County. We all need to be diligent so we can get back to some sort of normalcy. Stay healthy and remember to mask up, stay six feet apart socially distance, and get the vaccine when you can.

St. James services are Sundays at 10 a.m. We are in Phase II of the re-entry plan. This is the same plan we were under back in July 2020. You can find the re-entry plan here

Our next virtual coffee hour will be Tuesday, April 20 at 7:00 p.m. There are two ways to join the coffee hour. To join by computer, go to https://zoom.us/ and click on join a meeting. The Meeting ID: 906 439 5320 and the Passcode: Saints. You can also dial by phone using the number +1 646 876 9923. The Meeting ID: 906 439 5320 and the Passcode: 346963. If you need more help in connecting, please do not hesitate to call someone on the team or vestry.

The Diocese of Northern Michigan has a live service Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/EpiscopalDioceseofNorthernMichigan The service is available for viewing any other time on their YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGV-u4HHBVutJkJU3BHvMFA The National Church also offers a Sunday Service at 11 a.m. on their website www.cathedral.org/worship/service

It is important that you remember, pledges are still needed to keep the church operating. If you would like to keep your pledge up to date and are not comfortable attending services at this time, you can mail checks to either the church (church mail is forwarded to my home) or directly to my home address, 508 Sheridan Drive, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783.

St. James’ main concern is that you all stay safe and healthy. Please remember to wash your hands, wear a mask, and socially distance.

If you have questions or concerns or need pastoral care, please do not hesitate to contact the church, Vestry, or MST."

The church will continue to be closed to everyone. No one is to be in the building any other time. I will continue to work from home and will check the answering machine on regular basis.

Dave will continue to do a daily check on the building and I will continue to check the answering machine.daily, so feel free to call the church, (906) 632-2451, and leave a message.

If you would like to include any family news in the weekly newsletter, let me know by Friday morning. Pictures are welcome as well. It would be great to keep up on family news.

Hopefully you get a chance to use the "Prayers of the People" and "St. James Prayer List" in your prayers. If you want to add someone to the prayer list, email the church, stjames533@gmail.com or call the church (906) 632-2451 and leave a message. You can find the prayer list and the weekly prayers of the people below.

I am still in the process of changing computer programs for our membership and finances (something our auditors suggested). If you have changed phone numbers or email addresses recently, please email the church, stjames533@gmai l.com with the changes. This also includes changes or additions for birthdates, anniversaries, family info. This has been more involved than I expected, but it is slowly getting done.

The diocese sends out emails with links to services and diocesan news. You can sign up for their UPCHAT information by contacting Jane Cisluycis.

Stay Healthy,

---Pam

Announcements

To place items in the weekly bulletin, weekly newsletter, or on the website, contact the office by phone or email.

ALL EVENTS ARE CANCELED AT ST. JAMES UNTIL FURTHER DIRECTIVE FROM THE EPISCOPAL MICHIGAN BISHOPS.

Office hours are suspended until further notice. The answering machine is on and will be checked on a daily basis.

Many thanks to those who contribute returnable cans and bottles to our recycling container at the church. Contributions really add up during the year and the proceeds go towards helping area families purchase gifts and food during the holidays. Please remember to remove all caps from bottles and make sure that the bottles you leave are clean and returnable for a deposit refund. Susan Harries would like help taking the cans and bottles back to stores so that they don't pile up near the trash receptacle. If you can help with this project, please contact Susan at (906) 322-1793 as to the procedure to follow to document the number of bottles and amount of money taken in.

Please update your email address with St. James:’ stjames533@gmail.com

To keep Up-To-Date on Happenings around St. James & the Sault, go here and click on the link to sign up for the weekly newsletter. To add news, the office needs it by 11am Friday.

Rainbow Recovery (RR) and the group “One Day At A Time of Alcoholics Anonymous” (ODAAT-AA) meet virtually until further notice. Call Mike D. (906) 259-0203 with any questions.

The “Soo Women's Recovery Group” is canceled until further notice. Call Brenda at (906) 259-2976 for more information.

RE-ENTRY DIRECTIVES

The following directives for Phase II have come from the Bishops of Michigan with additional directives from St. James’ Vestry and the Ministry Support Team. Please remember these directives are put in place for your protection.

Masks and social distancing will be mandatory.
Pews unavailable for seating will be roped off.
The parking lot door will be the only entrance and exit.
Households must sit together.
Congregants will dismiss one pew at a time and in an orderly way to ensure social distancing.
There will be no receiving line following a service.
There is no nursery or in-person Sunday school or coffee hour following a service.
Please remember non-contact greetings only and to refrain from shaking hands and hugging.
People are to leave the building rather than mingling in-person

The following decisions will be in place when the doors open to help keep the traffic flow to a minimum.

An usher will be available to assist in social distancing.
The usher will keep an attendance list of attendees for contact tracing.
A hand sanitizer station will be at the back of the church.
Individually wrapped disposable masks will be provided for those that do not have one.
The Sunday offering plate will be at the back of the church to drop your offering in as you enter.
Bulletins will be on the back table for you to keep or dispose of after the service.
The reader scheduled for the Sunday readings will sit in the front pew in front of the lectern on the south end.
The same reader will also read the Prayers of the People.
The kitchen is currently unavailable.
Washrooms have been sanitized but wipes are available in the washrooms to wipe down things before using (if it makes you feel more comfortable). DO NOT FLUSH WIPES.

If there is an outbreak in Chippewa County, St. James might need to reclose. Therefore, please call the church office, (906) 632-2451, before attending to see if the service has been canceled. You can also check the website, or St. James Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/stjames533

If at any time your health changes due to COVID-19, please notify Rev. Bob Aldrich, (906) 632-8598. Fr. Bob is our contact person with the Chippewa County Health Department. All calls will be confidential.

If there is anything, we can do to provide virtual worship services or pastoral care, please do not hesitate to let us know. Call the office, (906) 632-2451, and someone will get back to you.

The Diocese of Northern Michigan has a live service Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. on their Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/EpiscopalDioceseofNorthernMichigan The service is available for viewing any other time on their YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGV-u4HHBVutJkJU3BHvMFA The National Church also offers a Sunday Service at 11 a.m. on their website www.cathedral.org/worship/service

Click here for "Bishops Directives for Re-Entry"

ADDITIONAL EUCHARIST DIRECTIVES FROM BISHOP RAY

There will not be a deacon or acolyte.
A Priest will be the only one behind the Altar.
No communicating of the cup to the congregation.
No singing.
Folks will be asked to come up to the Priest for communion, social distancing themselves.
Doors will be open for ventilation
Fans cannot be on.
Presider will sanitize hands before the Great Thanksgiving and immediately afterwards i.e. before they communicate folks with the bread.
The Priest will not touch the hands as they drop the host into folks hands
If they should touch someone's hands, they are to sanitize.
EVERYONE WILL WEAR MASKS UNTIL THEY GET TO THEIR SEAT, THEN THEY CAN REMOVE THE MASK TO PLACE THE HOST IN THEIR MOUTH AND THEN REMASK.

ST. JAMES’ CHURCH DISCRETIONARY FUND

The Vestry and the Ministry Support Team have been in conversation regarding St. James’ Discretionary Fund.

The Discretionary Fund has always relied on the ECW, weddings, funerals, and donations for its funding. As those are now not as frequent, it was suggested to designate funds collected on the fourth Sunday of each month to be placed in the Discretionary Fund. These funds will be used by our Priests in order to assist others in time of need or crisis.

A collection plate will be placed by the font on the fourth Sunday of the month for donations to help the members of St. James to “Reach Out and Celebrate the Love of Christ.”

“Discretionary Fund” envelopes for loose offering will be next to the collection plate. If you would like to place a check in the Discretionary plate instead of cash, make it out to St. James Church and remember to put “Discretionary Fund” on the memo line.

Thank you for helping achieve our goal.