SUNDAY FEB. 5. February See you there! Tuesday, February :30pm Shrove Pancake Supper. Deliver to Addressee or Current Occupant

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1 February 2017 St. James Episcopal Church 9 Williams Street Clinton, NY Non Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE P A I D Clinton, NY Permit No. 24 Deliver to Addressee or Current Occupant Leave returnable cans and bottles in the boxes in the SUNDAY FEB. 5 Tuesday, February :30pm Shrove Pancake Supper Pancakes, eggs, sausage, maple syrup, coffee, tea and juice $7 per person/$20 max per family Hosted and served by St. James Youth s Please come to dinner, bring a canned good and support the Country Pantry! See you there!

2 St. James Episcopal Church N E W S L E T T E R February 2017 St. James Episcopal Church 9 Williams Street Clinton, New York office@stjamesclinton.org REGULAR SERVICES: Saturday, 4pm Sunday, 9:30am, nursery provided Church office hours: Mon. - Fri. 9-12pm Staff: Minister of Music: Richard Lloyd Sexton: Mujo Salkic Administrative Assistant: Tacie Languein Godly Play Director: Sharon Pick Vestry: vestry@stjamesclinton.org Senior Warden: John Pick Junior Warden: Pat Davis Kathy Collett John Crossley Chris Fox Randy Grant Sue Hecklau Deb Lucas Terry Neil Sharon Pick Randy Wilson Treasurer: Jan Wilson Webmistress: Patricia Jue Newsletter: Pat Evans Leadership Chairs: Communications: Kathy Collett Fellowship: Terry Neil Finance: Mike Baldwin Investment: Craig Heuss Outreach: Pat Evans Property Management: Sharon Williams Search: Karen Anderson & Randy Wilson Worship: Kathy Collett Youth: Rahel Elmer Reger EF St. James is a community where we come together in Christ to develop spiritually; find opportunities for outreach; receive comfort when in need; and engage in sacred experiences through our liturgy, music, fellowship, and mutual ministry. 2

3 Vestry News The 2017 Vestry met for the first time on January 18th. As is usually the case with the first meeting of the year, this was mainly a "get to know everyone/make assignments" meeting. With that in mind, we: Welcomed new Vestry members Terry Neil, John Crossley, Randy Wilson and Junior Warden Pat Davis. Made assignments for representatives to various church groups. Signed up for coffee hour months. Received a report from the search committee that face to face interviews with finalists have taken place and references are being contacted. As I attended my first Vestry meeting as your Senior Warden, I must admit that I was initially overcome by the enormity of serving in this capacity in our second full year without a rector. However, my initial anxiety was quickly replaced with a feeling of confidence as I thought of where we've been and how far we've come as a congregation. As a wise man said some time ago, St. James' is currently "a ship without a rudder." While this will remain true until we call a rector, we are a ship that is well afloat and full of talented passengers! As Patty Fox did in her last article in December, I feel the need to thank the many groups and people who have helped get us to this point. First of all, I'd like to thank Patty for the guidance she has provided the church during this past year, as well as the guidance she has provided me. This hasn't been an easy year, but St. James' has continued to thrive, thanks to her leadership. Next I'd like to thank the "outgoing Vestry members" for their service and leadership, as well as the incoming Vestry members and Junior Warden for their willingness to step forward and serve. I won't attempt to name all of the leadership groups at St. James' who continue to make this a vibrant, living church that prospective rectors are drawn to, but thank you to all. Thank you to the Search Committee, which has accepted the monumental challenge presented to them and have transformed into a group of "friends for life" in the process. Thank you to all of the part-time paid and volunteer staff who get all of the "nuts and bolts" work of the church done. Finally, despite all of our strengths, I will continue to be "stressed" by the responsibility of serving as your Warden. Through all of this, my wife Sharon deals with all of my anxieties on a daily basis and continues to provide understanding, love, and support. Thank you Sharon and thank all of you is going to be a great year for St. James'! John Pick Worship Currently we are celebrating the Season of Epiphany. This year, the season started on January 6th and it ends March 1st, on Ash Wednesday. The word "epiphany" means "making God manifest." It marks the manifestation of Jesus to the Gentiles. It reminds us that while Jesus was a Jew and spoke largely to Jewish crowds during his life on Earth, he also spoke to non- Jews. We are reminded that God s love is available to all, and in kind, we should open our hearts to all. At the end of this month, before we enter the solemn season of Lent, we will gather to enjoy pancakes at the Shrove Tuesday supper. Celebrating and feasting, while using up eggs, milk, and butter, is a form of hospitality. "Hospitality is key in cultivating authentic, Christ-centered community," writes Assistant Professor of Theology, Diana Dudoit Raiche. "Scripture is filled with messages about hospitality: 'We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth' [3 John 1:8] For it is written 'Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it,' [Heb 13:2]" and the list goes on. Come enjoy sausages and pancakes (awash in maple syrup), invite others, and bring some non-perishable food for the Country Pantry. Ash Wednesday Services Wednesday, March 1, 7pm The Service of Imposition of Ashes and Holy Eucharist is open to the community. During the service, our priest places ashes on our foreheads in the sign of the cross. The ashes represent our repentance as we enter the season of Lent. In case you are wondering, the ashes are from palms that were burned after being blessed at previous Palm Sunday services. Some choose to fast on Ash Wednesday. Fasting has a number of purposes, but in the Bible its chief purpose is to reinforce prayer. If you decide to fast on Ash Wednesday, or eat more modestly as part of your Lenten observance, consider donating the money you would have spent on food to a local organization that helps feed those in need. Lenten Series St. James' will host this year's Clinton Ecumenical Lenten Series. A video entitled "Renegade Gospel" by Mike Slaughter will be presented and discussed on Wednesday evenings during Lent. We will meet at 6:00pm beginning on Wednesday, March 8th for "discussion, socializing and soup" in the St. James' parish hall and continue on March 15th, 22nd, 29th and April 5th. Please join us for this wonderful ministry. 3

4 Youth Youth Events Sunday, February 5th, was Souper Bowl Sunday. Watch next month for total canned goods and dollars collected and donated to the Country Pantry. Tuesday, February 28th, will be the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper. Come one, come all! Pancakes with maple syrup, sausage, eggs, and applesauce served from 5-6:30 pm. Cost of a meal is $7 per person, with a maximum of $20 per family. Proceeds from this dinner will be donated to our partners in Haiti. See you there! St. Mary's Open Gym St. Mary s is offering Open Gym again and invites all to join in this fun activity. Elementary kids (K-5) are invited on Tuesday, February 21 from 6-8 pm, while middle schoolers have the same opportunity on Wednesday, February 8 from 7:30 to 8:30 pm. Please remember that children in 2nd grade and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Don t forget to buy your gourmet coffee from Haiti in the SJ kitchen Children s Ministry During this preparation time for the Easter season, we are discovering the wonderful stories Jesus taught so long ago. Each Parable teaches us only one or two important lessons. They are quite simple and often can be surprising. We will also become familiar with the Twelve Apostles in the coming weeks. They were Jesus' special friends. Our Godly Play group also shares a feast together weekly and time for creative art and storybook reading too! Come and join us Sunday mornings beginning at 9:15am. Sharon Pick Community News The annual Chocolate Lover s Sale will be held at Stone Presbyterian Church, 8 So. Park Row, Clinton on Saturday, February 11th from 10am to 2pm. Plenty of delicious homemade chocolate goodies (including pies) will be available for your pleasure! The proceeds from this sale will go to support Hope House in Utica, a place where needy folks in the Utica area can go to have a hot, nutritious meal served with a smile by various groups of area volunteers. Come and help us celebrate Valentine s Day by purchasing something chocolate-y for yourself or a loved one. You won t regret it! On Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, nine St. James youth and nine of their friends and seven adults all enjoyed a beautiful day of tubing fun and friendship at Woods Valley. The sky was clear and the conditions were fast on the tubing slopes, as many of the slides included groups of 6 youths tethered together in their tubes, and yelling in delight the whole way down. The adults enjoyed those multitube slides as well. Many thanks to the adults who transported everyone, and to the nice staff at Woods Valley for making this a great winter holiday outing!

5 Search Committee We thought we would update you on the process we have undergone for the past 20 months here at St. James and inform you of where we are to date. Your search committee has put in countless hours and we appreciate your patience and your prayers for our beloved St. James. Our journey began with a committee of 14 parishioners. We have since, whittled down to 11 members. (Mike Baldwin, Libby Beardsell, Pat Davis, Ben Fehlner, Blair Jones, Charlotte Jones, Deb Lucas, Terry Neil, John Pick, Randy Wilson and myself). Under the direction of Judy Fried and The Rev. Kathy Corley we held healing and information sessions for all who wished to attend. We created an online survey, which you all responded to in tremendous numbers! With the help of many folks we created our online Parish Profile. We answered a variety of questions for the Diocese and our position was posted for applications. Initially, we received 6 applicants who were interested in our position. After reviewing their documents we selected 4 applicants who we chose to conduct Skype interviews with. These interviews gave us an opportunity to have most of our committee together, conversing with each applicant, so we all heard the same thing. Following the Skype interviews we asked 3 candidates to come to Clinton to visit. Their visits included touring the church and the rectory, a shared meal with the committee, a second interview session, and we asked each applicant to lead us in Compline and preach for us. At this time, we have narrowed the 3 finalists down to the one we unanimously feel is the best fit for St. James. We are inviting this candidate back to Clinton to meet with the Vestry and Bishop DeDe. After that meeting, the Vestry will decide whether to call this candidate to be our next Rector. If they decide to make the call, and the candidate accepts the call, we will move on to the next phase of transitioning and prepare to welcome our next Rector to St. James. Just a personal note from one of the Co-Chairs of the group - this has been a long and often times challenging process, but I have thoroughly enjoyed working with this group. We have come to know and love each other in a way that could not have happened had it not been for the work we have done together. It has been a deeply moving experience and I am extremely grateful to have lived it with them. We have been diligent and prayerful and done our best to find a match that is exciting for the future of this parish. We hope that you will all agree. Peace, Karen Anderson Fellowship Spring is on the way and so is the next Parish Potluck! It is tentatively planned for Saturday, March 25th, 5:30 PM. Mark your calendars and save the date! Co-chairs are needed for this gathering to coordinate set up and clean up. Terry Neil Wine & Cheese Gathering We will have a fellowship gathering following Saturday's Worship Service on February 18. All are welcome! Join us for some wine and simple hors d'oeuvres. If you'd like to bring finger food to share, it will be appreciated, but it's not necessary. A sign-up sheet is at the back of the church. Day School News During February we focus on Animals In Winter and a favorite theme is Valentine Bears. Jan Brett is a children s author/illustrator we really enjoy during this time; her books The Mitten, The Hat and Valentine Bears are great stories featuring animals in winter. The climber is a fun addition to the classroom during January and February also; it can be many things including a cave or a bunk bed! We continue to do activities and projects that improve the students reading and math readiness skills as well as their fine motor skills. The class has grown a lot since September and we continue to enjoy their enthusiasm and creativity. We are very excited that the St. James Day School students artwork has been featured in the Kirkland Town Library Art Show and their Snowman Collages have been enjoyed by many! Reminder: Registration for has started. If you know of anyone who may want information please sjdayschool@gmail.com or put a note in the Day School mailbox or leave a phone message with the person s name and and phone number. Thanks! Cindy Wirene Outreach The Medinas are asking our help on behalf of a clothing drive organized by the Norwich Congregational Church. They are collecting summer-style clothing and shoes for children from infants to age 14, to be taken to the Dominican Republic. There is a box in the parish hall for donations. For more information check: DR Projects.org creeladr. org or Jackie Medina. 5 Epiphany party entertainers

6 February 2017 The YMCA's before and after school program meets in the Parish Hall on school days from 6:30-9am and 3:30-6pm. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Souper Bowl Sunday 6 7 6:30 pm Tapestry 8 10:30am Handiwork 9 6:30pm PM Meeting Youth Trip to The Country Pantry :30pm Tapestry 15 5pm Vestry Meeting 16 9:00am Fiber Arts Guild pm Women's Spirituality 21 6:30pm Tapestry 22 6pm Mohawk Valley Dog Training Club :30pm Youth :30pm Tapestry Youth / Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper February Altar Guild: Pat Evans, Wendy Weber February Server Schedule Date Acolytes Nursery Lectors Eucharistic Ministers Ushers/Greeters Sat. Feb. 4 Sharon Pick John Pick Sharon Pick Sun. Feb. 5 Louis Pinto Emma & Alison Mary O'Neill Brian Collett Karen Anderson Henry Fehlner Peto Mike Baldwin Wendy Seifried Sat. Feb. 11 Matt Weber Wendy Weber Matt Weber Sun. Feb. 12 Margaret Jones Emma Davis Lorna Grant Kathy Collett Don Neil Mia Davis Charlotte Jones Rahel Reger Chris Evans Sat. Feb. 18 Patty Fox Chris Fox Patty Fox Sun. Feb. 19 Gigi & Nick Pat Evans Karen Anderson Cynthia & John Pinto Bill Kistner Crossley Sat. Feb. 25 Sharon Pick John Pick Sharon Pick Sun. Feb. 26 Sydney Evans Jackie Medina Brian Collett Karen Anderson Anna Reger Barbara Swetman Wendy Seifried Wed. Mar. 1 Sharon Williams Randy Wilson Matt Weber Sat. Mar. 4 Matt Weber Patricia Jue Matt & Wendy Weber Sun. Mar. 5 Liam Schmalz Emma Davis Mary O'Neill Mary Lou Iles Ben Fehlner Louis Pinto Sophia Pinto Mike Baldwin Werner Schmalz Please pray for the families of: February Cycle of Prayer Feb. 6 Feb. 13 Feb. 20 Feb. 27 Claire Burns, John & Bonnie Buschmann, Alistair & Colleen Campbell, Eleanor Carmen, Louise Charbonneau & Richard Lloyd, Ann Clarke Bruce & Sondra Coe, Brian & Kathy Collett, Marsha & Tim Collett, Joan & Dick Compson, Fran Conway, Bud & Peggy Cratty Dan & Kate D'Angelo, Jim & Beth Davis, Irma Davis, Patricia Davis, Alicia Davoli, Andrew & Bonnie Dawes Helen Dick, Don Drumm, Ann Dunham, Diek & LaDonna Elliot, Bruce & Sharon Evans, Chris & Carrie Evans