This is the work of Lent. It is work that we are called to engage in individually, but also and always as a community.

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1 The Shell February, 2016 St. James Episcopal Church 1307 North Main St. Mount Airy, MD From the Rector Observing a Holy Lent: Creating a Life of Prayer Dear St. James Parish Family, The holy season of Lent is nearly upon us. Yes, it is early this year! Ash Wednesday is February 10 th, which means Easter will be March 27 th. But before we get to the empty tomb, we must first encounter ashes on our journey to the cross. One of my favorite prayers is the Invitation to Observe a Holy Lent from the Ash Wednesday service. Found on page of the Book of Common Prayer, it concludes with this statement: I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word. This is the work of Lent. It is work that we are called to engage in individually, but also and always as a community. For this reason, we will be having a Monday Night Lenten Forum from 7:00-8:30 pm for the five Mondays of Lent beginning on February 15. The theme of the forum will be Creating a Life of Prayer. C.S. Lewis wrote, I pray because I can t help myself. I pray because I m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time waking and sleeping. It does not change God, it changes me. Or as one of my seminary professors once said, you have to learn to pray somewhere, some of the time, before you can prayer everywhere, all of the time. And so it is we will explore, learn about and practice together five different ways of praying. We will close with a simple Compline service ending by 8:30 pm. Come to as many of the Mondays as you can, but know that each gathering will be a standalone session. (continued)

2 Page 2 The Shell, February, /15: Lectio Divina the practice of sacred reading 2/22: Centering Prayer Christian contemplative prayer 2/29: Praying with our Bodies labyrinths, walking meditation & movement prayer 3/7: Ignatian Contemplation prayer to grow deeper in intimacy with God 3/14: The Anglican Rosary includes making your own rosary In addition there will be Lenten devotional materials for the whole family available to pick up beginning on Ash Wednesday. These will include a Family Lenten Calendar with activities, Episcopal Relief & Development s Lenten Meditations booklet, a sticker-a-day journey through Lent for kids, and Lenten reflection pamphlets from C.S. Lewis & Henri Nouwen. I will also put out special Lent coloring and activity sheets every Sunday (for everyone, not just kids!), and our Sunday School classes will have a set of large Lenten coloring posters that will be used in many ways: their classes, set out on Sundays for anyone to color, sent home with families, who knows! We will hang them around the sanctuary as they are completed. And finally, one last thing. Because even in Lent whimsy is important. Have you heard of Lent Madness? It s sort of like March Madness, only with saints. For real. Click the links below to learn more and to see this year s saintly scorecard bracket, but the elevator pitch is that much like the NCAA tourney bracket, Lent Madness is tourney in which all of us get to vote for different saints each round until the winner is crowned with the Golden Halo. It s a great way to learn more about saints of the church and have some fun along the way. I will be making copies of the bracket for those who would like to play along, you can sign up to receive the daily with info about the saints and a link to vote play along at home and at the end of Lent bring your bracket back to share with everyone else! Lent is a big season, and so it is we enter into its abundance every year, returning again to the road that takes us to the cross, and yes the empty tomb. I very much look forward to journeying with all of you this year. In Peace, Kristin+

3 The Shell, February, 2016 Page 3 Saint James Episcopal Church Sunday School SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS 9:30-10:15 a.m. lower level Preschool through high school After such a mild beginning to winter, who would have thought that January would end with the Blizzard of 2016? We can t wait to hear the many stories our Sunday School students will be telling us about their snow experiences. Some of our Sunday School activities have been rescheduled. The breakfast-in-a-bag group outreach project continues and we thank you for your donations of granola bars, juice boxes, fruit cups, and paper products. The completed breakfast bags will be delivered to Shepherd s Staff in Westminster and distributed by them. February 7 th is the last Sunday before Lent when we will bury our alleluias and concentrate on our Lenten outreach project, A is for Africa. Mite boxes/jars will be distributed to each child/family to be mindful of those less fortunate. Our shared coin donations will be of great benefit to our school friends in Africa. It is also a meaningful way to give thanks for our many blessings. Perhaps your family can come up with a cleaver way in which to add coins to your mite box. We are still in need of some craft supplies for our many Sunday School activities. Your generous donations are extremely helpful: Glues Sticks, Scotch Tape, Masking Tape, Package Tape (clear) and staples and staplers (that open for bulletin board use). In thanksgiving for our volunteer teachers Bible Stories for Preschoolers Yvette Allen (and parent volunteers) Kindergarten 2 nd Grades Betsy Davis 3 rd 5 th Grades Addie Straus, Susan Straus 6 th 12 th Grades Joan Fader, Peter Sabonis 4 th Sunday Fun Group Events Nancy Nanavaty Children s Music Jon Fader

4 Page 4 The Shell, February, 2016 Hello from St. James Nursery School Board: When you find yourself in the position to help someone, be happy and feel blessed because God is answering that person s prayer through you. Remember: Our purpose on earth is not to get lost in the dark but to be a light to others, so that they may find way through us. God bless you.. By Alberto Casing This winter was a little late arriving but we are in full swing now. Please remember to bundle up your little ones for these chilly winter days. Lots of fun happenings took place in January which included PJ Days, Mr. Fader playing his banjo and singing with our 2 year old class, Cinderella s Winter Ball puppet show presented by Carroll County Library, bookmobile visits and Chapel times, to name a few. Alice (the Hedgehog) the newest member to arrive in Red Room has been a great hit with the children. The children continue to grow and learn so many interesting and fun facts. St. James Nursery School Facebook page displays many wonderful pictures daily - Thank you Pat Castle! Our Nursery School participates in Starfall which is a children's website that teaches basic English reading and writing skills. The website teaches children how to read by using games and phonics. The programs methodology motivates children in an atmosphere of imagination and play. It is a great and fun learning tool for the children. Our teachers and staff continue to attend continuing education courses throughout the year keeping abreast of the newest developments in pre-school learning. Where you start your child s journey to their academic learning path can make all the difference in the world. St. James Nursery School is known to build confidence and motivate educational success in preschool children. Working at their own pace our pre-school children build their academic learning abilities through participating in creative art, math, science, music and natural play projects. Also important the children gain knowledge on how to share and get along with others prior to entering elementary school. (Continued)

5 The Shell, February, 2016 Page 5 Registration for 2016 and 2017 has begun. Registration for in-house families began on January 26th, alumni church members begins on February 8th, and public registration begins on February 9th - please let friends and neighbors with small children know about our wonderful pre-school. Registration forms are available in the school s office or online at stjamesnurseryschool.com. To view milestones, beautiful photos, etc. remember to visit St. James' Nursery School on Facebook. Nursery School entrance has a beautiful snowman crafted by Ashely Conlon (picture on Facebook). Thank you Ashley. Liturgy of Lament & Remembrance On Sunday, February 7 th we will gather at St. James for a service of healing and hope for those who have experienced loss through miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, placing a child for adoption, having a failed adoption placement, or inability to conceive. This liturgy is designed to offer a space for grieving and healing through prayer, hearing God's word, anointing, and sharing of stories. Everyone who has experienced these losses--both women and men--are invited to participate. Whether your loss is a recent hurt or something that has been with you for decades, this liturgy will provide a place and time to enter into memory, grieving, prayer and conversation with God, and hopefully a spirit of healing. If you know someone for whom this service would be meaningful please share this information with them and invite them to come. Please contact Kristin+ (rector@stjamesmtairy.org / ) with any questions. Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper... Join us on Tuesday, February 9 th from 5:30-7:00 for an amazing parish feast as we prepare to enter the holy season of Lent! There will be pancakes and sausages galore, activities for children, and the night will end with the burning of last years palms to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday. Donation will $6.00 at the door. Don t miss out on the celebration!

6 Page 6 The Shell, February, 2016 Ash Wednesday Service... Set aside time to enter the holy season of Lent with the simple yet profound service of Ash Wednesday including the Imposition of Ashes. We will offer one service at 7:00 pm on February 10 th. Lenten Lunches at Calvary United Methodist Church Mark your calendars now to Tuesday Lenten Lunches! Beginning February 16 th and continuing each Tuesday through March 15 th, this ecumenical lunch from Noon to 1:00 pm features a light meal and a devotional led by different local churches each week. St. James will provide the lunch and devotional on March 1 st. Arts on the Hill at St. James... We invite all in our community to join us at St. James Episcopal Church for Arts on the Hill, a series of liturgical and musical events in Information about this series, which will be updated as the season gets underway, is available at All are welcome at this celebration of the gift of the arts, and we look forward to sharing in this universal language of love with our friends in the community. Sunday, February 7: Liturgy of Lament and Remembrance, 7:00 PM Sunday, March 6: Mt. Airy Net Benefit Concert, 4:00 PM Sunday, April 3: The Frederick Symphony Orchestra Woodwind Quintet, 4:00 PM Friday, May 13: Caribbean Carnival, featuring The Catonsville Steel Drum Band (co-sponsored by the St. James Nursery School), 6:30 PM

7 The Shell, February, 2016 Page 7 The Great Dishwasher Project - Where Your Money Won t Go Down the Drain As many of you know, since early fall our dishwasher has been broken and, because of its age, cannot be repaired. Since St. James' has a strong commitment to use washable china and silverware rather than disposable products, the Vestry voted to set aside the proceeds of the last Quartermania to go toward purchasing and installing a new dishwasher. To that end Quartermania raised $1550 toward our goal of $7000. At our January Vestry meeting we discussed the necessity of getting a new dishwasher sooner rather than later, and thus The Great Dishwasher Project Where Your Money Won t Go Down the Drain! was hatched. Doing some quick math we realized that if every family/pledging unit was willing to give the equivalent of $5-$10 a month, or a total gift of $60-$120 dollars, we could raise the funds needed. The Vestry and Kristin+ are the first ones to have stepped up to the plate and have pledged $1595. We now have $3145 toward our goal! We ask that you please pray about how you can support this important project that will allow us to wash dishes efficiently. This will enable us to provide hospitality and create space for fellowship through parish dinners and feasts. To support the purchase of the new dishwasher you can drop a check in the Sunday plate or mail one to the church office, writing dishwasher in the memo line. Going Forward: Luck of the Pot and Parish Feasts Throughout the time of transition, the monthly Luck of the Pot dinner gatherings became a great way for the St. James family to come together in fellowship and strengthen community ties. The Youth Group hosted a fabulous Luck of the Pot in October shortly after Kristin+ arrived and then we took a break until the new year because of the holidays. In conversation at the last Vestry meeting, Vestry members and Kristin+ celebrated all that the Luck of the Pot gatherings have meant to St. James and also discerned a new path going forward. Instead of monthly meals we will be focusing on 4-6 parish feasts throughout the year, the first of which will be Shrove Tuesday. Others that rose up are the Memorial Day cookout, the parish celebration of the Feast of St. James in July, and a Stewardship Celebration dinner in October. If you have ideas for other feasts let us know!

8 Page 8 The Shell, February, 2016 February Birthdays!!! 1 Jeff Peterson 3 Kali Nanavaty 4 Dianne Hadermann 5 Linda Webb 6 Edward Lee, V 9 Don Windsor 10 Jim Bullington Nancy Nanavaty 10 Luke Wellen 13 Bobby Davis 21 Bryan Kerr 22 Yvette Allen Lucy Winston 23 Meredith Carr 24 Carey Staley Susan Straus 25 Huong Nguyen-Pham Blix Winston 27 Cory DelRegno Mike Hackworth Liam Snyder 28 Natalie DelRegno Tonya Lee February Wedding Anniversaries!!! 2/27/65 Joan & Jon Fader 2/27/45 Mary & Louis Pfefferkorn February Memorials: In Memory Of Joseph Gooding & Rob Putnam on their February birthdays

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