O n Sunday, June 4th we celebrate the

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1 Volume 9, Issue 6 June 2017 Look Inside For... Page 2 Bishop Committee Reports V.I.P. Page 3 hank You s First Fruits Community Outreach Page 4 Vacation Bible School Page 5 CFFA Adult Bible Classes Page 6 Youth Group in Action VBS Help Needed Chapel Rock Family Camp Page 7 Fellowship Opportunities Discretionary Fund Appeal Deacon s Corner Page 8 Library News Native American Ministry Helping Our Neighbor Acolyte Schedule Page 9 Children & Family Ministries O n Sunday, June 4th we celebrate the Day of Pentecost, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. he story s found in the Book of Acts chapter 2, where we hear how the Holy Spirit appears amongst the gathered community with a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and rests on each one in the form of divided tongues, as of fire. he story gives us two clues as to how the Holy Spirit has been made manifest in the world in a tangible way. he first is that the Spirit s coming is like the sound of a strong wind. he story also describes the tongues as of fire, which is received as the gift of voice. here s another reference to a tangible form of the Holy Spirit. At Jesus baptism the Holy Spirit descends like a dove. As we read in Mark 1:10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. hese outward and visible signs are a perfect balance to the inward and spiritual grace of God conferred upon followers of Jesus as we too receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in faith. Much of the Spirit s transforming work is only made visible in and to the world by our transformed lives. So let s take a closer look at this remarkable third person of the Holy rinity, who comes like the wind, who burns away the dross of our lives like refining fire, and who s as gentle as a dove in guiding us into all truth. I n the opening lines of the creation story from Genesis chapter 1, we read about wind from God that swept over the face of the waters. he Hebrew word is ruwach and can be translated as wind, breath, mind, or spirit. It carries the connotation of being the energy of life. In various passages throughout the New estament, the Greek word for Holy Spirit is pneuma, meaning of the wind, breath, spirit, rational spirit, life-giving spirit, or the soul. One of the many roles of the Holy Spirit is certainly to breathe life into each of us, and into our ministries to the glory of God s name. I Come, Holy Spirit, Come! n Proverbs chapter 8 we read all about the Holy Spirit s creative power and her delight in humanity. And as we read recently from John 14 and other Scriptures, the Holy Spirit fulfills additional vital roles in our lives for our spiritual growth including being our advocate, comforter, healer, counsellor, strengthener, helper, as well as the One who guides us into all truth. As the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit is our constant companion, literally one who comes alongside us, lifting our prayers to God in Christ Jesus when we cannot find the words. aking the time to reflect on how we align our thoughts and hearts with God and how we listen and obey the indwelling Spirit amongst us, reveals the power behind the symbols as we live in the integrity of our faith. he power of the Holy Spirit is like a burning flame, clarifying and purifying the thoughts of our hearts and minds, clearing away the dross and distractions of the world and helping us to stay focused. he power of the Holy Spirit is like the gentle breeze prompting us to move in a specific direction, or like a violent wind stopping us in our tracks, blowing us back onto the right path, or helping us realize it s time to take cover or refocus our hearts and minds on God in Christ Jesus or our spiritual lives. he wind also blows wherever God directs, and is our source of creativity, playfulness, and great joy. Who hasn t blown across a dandelion in seed and watched the wind catch them? he power of the Holy Spirit is also the dove, commonly known as a symbol of peace. Living in peace creates and opens space for immeasurable possibilities in all our relationships. It frees us from the need to compete with others, and helps us to lose our judgmentalism and other biases. hrough the gift of the Holy Spirit, we all have access to the power of God s goodness and love. Come, Holy Spirit, come! Susan +

2 Page 2 reasurer s Update he Bishop's Commi ee is elected by St. James to represent you and, along with the clergy, to have oversight over the work of the church. However, along with oversight comes responsibility. his is especially true of financial responsibility. he Bishop's Commi ee acts much like the trustees of any nonprofit body in that they make sure that they are custodians of the financial support given to St. James by parishioners. his support must be u lized in accordance with the church s mission.* All things come of hee, O Lord; and of hine own have we given hee. 1 Chronicles 29:14 January 1 through March 31, 2017 Actual Budgeted Income $83, $57, Expense $65, $61, Surplus / (Deficit) $17, $-4, Diocesan Support $2, $2, Net Income $20, $-2, Regarding the above chart, we aligned the financial summary with the Episcopal Church Manual of Business Methods in Church Affairs and thus changed to a quarterly view. We show first quarter summary financials this month and will show second quarter financials in the July newsle er. We pray if you have ques ons about the church financials, you ask us and/or your Bishop's Commi ee members, and support us in our important work. In Christ, Ann Marie Bartholomew (abellamybartholomew@hotmail.com) Mary Hovden (maryhovden@gmail.com) Co-reasurers *Por ons from Bishop Smith s May E-Pistle From the Senior Warden As we celebrate Memorial Day, let us not think of it as only a BBQ inspired 3-day weekend. his is a weekend where we like to go to one of the lakes or to go camping. Let us remember that Memorial Day is set aside and dedicated to pay tribute to those who have given our country the greatest sacrifice that they could. heir lives. For myself, I am including all of our service men and women who have died quietly and or homeless from the side effects of war. hose who have died homeless and from mental illness possibly from PSD, raumatic Brain Injuries or chemicals like Agent Orange and those that are being linked to Gulf War Syndrome. While we remember and pay our respects, let us also pay attention to those who are quietly in the process of providing the greatest sacrifice and do what we can to give them the support and resources that they need. From my heart, thank you to all who are serving and have served. My deepest respect goes out those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. So, while we remember and pay our respects let us be safe. enjoy our families. Peace, Bob Klassen When the grass looks greener on the other side, it is the Holy Spirit telling you to water the grass you are standing on. - Eugene Cho

3 Page 3 he St. James Ladies ea was wildly successful again this year!! his year the ea brought in almost $2,400 for our St. James outreach projects. Lovely tables and table decorations, beautiful baskets, yummy tea sandwiches and delicious desserts all added to the picture-perfect afternoon for over 100 ladies. Of course, this did not just happen. Months of planning and hard work went into pulling off the flawless day. As always, many thanks go to the men and women of St James for giving of their time, talent and treasure. Credit goes to our two founders of the Ladies ea, Ruth Flinn and Barbara Meyer. Ruth and Barbara were ably assisted by Diana Bowie and Eileen Flock. Credit also goes to Mary Hovden, ara Papaccio and Ellie Kenyon, for their help in organizing the tea. he ea would not have been as successful without the willing hands of the people who set up and tore down the tables and chairs under the direction of Larry Kenyon and members of the 8:30 and 10:30 services. Special thanks go to the men behind the scene, our Men in the Kitchen, Jesse Briggs, Gerry Carlston, McKee Lundburg, Larry Kenyon, Steve Wilmot, Rich Board (Larry Kenyon s friend from Wisconsin),, Don Oswald, Jim Disney, Chris Papaccio, Bob Klassen and our Boy Scouts. And we thank the Ladies Who Made the Delicious Sandwiches and Desserts and our Raffle icket Sellers, Lissa Lundburg, Vicki Harris, Carol Paulk, Careen Henry, Pam idd, Jackie Disney, Rosemary Kurtz, ara Papaccio, Ellie Keyon, Becky Sawyer, Debbie Green as well as Jill Leatherman, and Denise Boyd. Special thanks to all who stepped-up to the plate after the tea to help clean-up in the kitchen, tear down the tables and replace all the tables, table tops and chairs so that the Sanctuary looked lovely for the 8:30 and 10:30 services the next day. It truly can be said that it akes a Church Community and we are oh so grateful to ours here at St. James. We are also very grateful to everyone who contributed to our Bloom into May with Godly Play fall stories campaign. We met our goal and will now be able to purchase the fall stories for our Godly Play program. hank you one and all for making this possible. Look for the hank You Poster, from the children who participate in Godly Play, in the church. he greatness of community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members, a heart of grace and a soul generated by love. -- Coretta Scott King First Fruits Sunday, June 4th! We celebrate the first Sunday of each month as First Fruits Sunday. hanks to all who already bring in non-perishable food items. Your gifts make a difference. his is a great way to put our faith into action, and to continue our Lord s mission to care for, and feed our hungry neighbors. Upcoming dates are: July 14 August 11 September 8th St. James Monthly Outreach to our hungry neighbors is at the UMOM Watkins St. Shelter. here are 10 spots available each month. Please sign up for our next service evening beginning at 5pm and ending about 6:00pm on Friday, June 9th. he Watkins shelter is located at: 1120 W. Watkins St. Phoenix, AZ Anyone who is 13 years and up is welcome to be part of the team. Also, please remember that if you sign up you are committing to show up, otherwise we ll be short staffed. If you sign up and can t come please arrange for a replacement.

4 Page 4 Vacation Bible School Come travel up river to a land of misty waterfalls! Sunday, June 11 hursday, June 15 6:00 8:45 pm Registration Forms Available in the Narthex! SonQuest Rainforest VBS is offered free to St James members and to the outside community. Invite your kid s friends and families! You can also get registration forms online at

5 Page 5 Christian Formation For All (CFFA) We continue our study of Hunger in the Bible! Our model is based on the four major compass points of well-being: physical hunger (strength), spiritual hunger (soul), emotional hunger (heart), and vocational hunger (mind). Within each area, we are studying topical Biblical passages and stories from both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New estaments. o conclude the study, we will also explore worldly hungers, and how Jesus reveals God s will for authentic living. he more we know, the easier it is to choose God s way to satisfy all our hungers. As part of our formation for living faithfully, and continuing the vital practices of faithful living that empower us to share the good news of Jesus Christ, please join the conversation between services at 9:45am each Sunday in the library/chapel behind the sanctuary. Come hungry, no Bible study experience is required. As always the risen Lord will meet us where we are. Everyone is welcome and invited to share thoughts and ideas as the Spirit moves us. Susan + Other CFFA Opportunities Youth Confirmation Classes will continue on Sunday June 4th after the 10:30 worship service. he confirmation class will include exploring our faith tradition, Scripture, the Creeds, our Baptismal Covenant, loving God and loving our neighbors, and an opportunity to participate in outreach/service to others. Why We Do What We Do is the adult confirmation, reaffirmation and reception class for adults looking to learn more about the Episcopal faith tradition, and literally why we do what we do. We continue our class on Sunday, June 11th after the 10:30 service. Centering Prayer for spiritual health is a wonderful spiritual discipline that increases our peace and focus, our sense of God s presence in our lives, and our ability to deal with life! All are welcome and invited! Centering prayer is at 3:15-3:45pm 3:45pm on Wednesday afternoons. Women In the Word Wednesday s 4:00 pm Room 5 hursday s 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm Room 4 All Men Welcome!

6 Page 6 reasure Hunter s June 18th 12pm-1:45pm EYC Jr & SrJune 18th 12pm-2pm Help Needed As we are getting to the end of the school year it means that we are getting closer to VBS. Volunteers Needed!! Crew leaders and assistant crew leaders Meals needed for Volunteers Wednesday Items needed for VBS Command small wire hooks 90 hooks total. (see picture) Fresh fruit (40 children) Sunday -Strawberries Monday watermelon uesday-oranges Wednesday apples hursday-grapes Unplug and Reconnect July 6-9 Family Camp is an opportunity to use your family vacation time to unplug from the busyness of daily life and reconnect with your children and with the God who made you a family. It is challenging in this over-programmed, screen-filled culture to take the time out to be present to the people in our families. Chapel Rock is a place where screens are put away and there is space and time to listen to God and to each other. We will experience prayer, music, free time exploring the beauty of Prescott, and old-fashioned camp fun, like arts and crafts, a campfire, the ropes course, and games. Invest in your family, and come join us! Register at

7 Page 7 Please join the ladies for dinner the second uesday of each month as we travel the world. We just went to Italy and on June 13th at 6:00 pm we re headed to Greece at zikii Pita Grill, 7510 S. Priest Drive, empe (NW side of Elliott & Priest). hen on July 11th we re going to Mexico at La Casa de Juana, 1805 E. Elliott, empe (SE side of Elliott & McClintock west of the cinemas). At last heading back on August 8th to the USA at B L D, 1920 W. Germann, Chandler (NE side of W Germann & S Dobson). Please take this journey with us and bring your friends. St James Bookies June s book is he Letter by Kathryn Hughes. We will meet Sunday, June 25th, after the 10:30 service at he Paradise Bakery in the Chandler Pavilions. Join Us for Lunch!! hursday, June 22nd 11:15 am Biscuit s 4623 E. Elliot Road, Phoenix (SW corner 48th & Elliot) Pastor s Discretionary Fund: From time to time, I need your help in order to continue to help people in our community. his is all part of our outreach ministry. All monies in the discretionary fund are used exclusively to help individuals and families in need. For those who can spare or share some funds, your help is much appreciated. hank you! Pastor Susan + HO! High temperatures are coming. Some of us can run away. Others, not so much. And any case we have to deal with it! We all have a choice. We can suffer, be miserable, make others miserable. Or we can find some way to divert ourselves: movies, ea ng out, reading a spectacularly good book, or shopping. You can fill in your mental vaca on for yourself. And I'm sure some of these will work some of the me. BU! Not all the me. So get crea ve: a sugges on? Pick out something from the literature and resources of the Episcopal Church. Not all of them will be incredible, but if you persist I believe you will find one that is. Perhaps some church music or spirituals or modern music. he thread that is through all these is a deliberate focus on your rela onship with God. Just one something for a hot summer month! Blessings - Deacon Pat

8 Page 8 We have all heard and repeated Julian of Norwich's conclusion: "It was necessary that there should be sin; but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." Delve into the life and wri ngs of this famous anchorite. Julian of Norwich Showings on the essays/reflec ons shelf in the library. Lissa Lundberg Council of Native American Ministry Spiritual Retreat and Planning Gathering Please join with the Council of Native American Ministries, he Rev. Canon Debbie Royals and special guest and spiritual leader, Mona Polacca for an opportunity to experience Native American spirituality and continue to engage with Native traditional values and processes. his retreat will also continue with ongoing mission visioning and with the development and growth of Native American Ministry as it applies to our congregations, the Diocese and he Episcopal Church. Friday, August 11 Saturday, August 12, 2017 at the Franciscan Renewal Center located at 5802 E. Lincoln Drive, Scottsdale, AZ. Double room rate - $75.00, commuter meals only - $ Register for this event by going to: Deadline for housing is June 10, If you need help to register, contact Dawn Jackson at (602) or dawn@azdiocese.org. For more information on this event or Native American Ministries, contact he Rev. Canon Debbie Royals at (520) Mona Polacca Hopi/Havasupai/ewa elder Helping Our Neighbor Many of you know Ricco who helps us out with projects around the church from time to time. For example, the awesome cry room window was Ricco s work. Unfortunately Ricco and his family suffered a house fire recently. If you would like to help Ricco and his family recover from the fire please make checks payable to St. James with Fire in the memo line. Please talk to Ellie Kenyon about donating furniture and other household goods that may also be needed. hank you for your generosity. Acolyte Schedule for June 2017 DAE 8:30 am Service 10:30 am Service 2017 June 4 John Barnabas C = Brandon BU = Collin June 11 Simon/Pamela P. C = Collin BU = Pam H. June 18 Pamela P. C = Dylan BU = Pam H. June 25 Barbara C = Pam H. BU = Brandon Be Calm and Let the Acolyte Lead! Inviting anyone age 8 years and up to join our brilliant and dedicated Acolyte eam! Our Acolytes serve faithfully and provide worship support every Sunday. We are especially in need of adding to our 8:30 am team. No previous experience necessary. If you feel called, please contact Deacon Robin for more information. Individual training available! Deacon Robin (robin.b.hollis@gmail.com or (480) ).

9 Page 10 hank you Deep Gratitude to everyone who donated to our Godly Play classroom this Spring. Your generosity helped complete our Godly Play ministry and we are prepared to tell all new stories this Fall. You are welcome to join us anytime! Save he Date: Godly Play Resumes August 13th, 9:40, in room four. We begin in August with all new stories about God's People including a fun story about Jonah, the backwards prophet. We'll also hear stories about the ten best ways to live, creation, the flood and the ark, and the exodus, exile and return of God's People. We'll plant more vegetables and make more friends and there will be a few surprises and new adventures along the way. We've had a wonderful year together. Our circle has grown from three children, to five, to seven, then nine and sometimes even 13 children in our Godly Play circle. We've enjoyed the company of our parents and grandparents and friends. We've prepared for the mysteries of Christmas and Easter together. We've wondered about the Kingdom of Heaven and opened up many parables together. We've learned about the disciples, and the mystery of how Jesus is always with us when we break the bread and share the wine. We've imagined Jesus as the Good Shepherd who finds us even in the scary and dark places and brings us to safety. We've learned about the communion of saints, learned to tell time in color, planted a winter and spring garden, we played on the playground while parents sipped coffee, and we've cared for our fish together. Sunday May 21st was our last Godly Play story until we resume on August 13th. I know we will all miss our Godly Play circle over the summer, but I look forward to seeing you in church. And, I cannot wait to hear all about your adventures during the Great Green Growing Season of summer. I hope it is a time of rest and renewal and fun. Don't Forget: Mark your calendar for Sunday, August 13th! Warmly, and In Christ, Pastor Anne + On-Going Children and Youth Faith Formation Godly Play Resumes August 13th 9:40-11:00 am All Ages Weaving God s Promises Sundays in Room 4 during the 10:30 service. Kindergarten through fifth grade. Youth Gathering Sundays in Room 5 during the 10:30 service. Sixth through twelfth grade. reasure Hunters hird Sunday of the month, following the 10:30 service in the church. Lunch, friends, faith forming bible story, craft, games and music. Kindergarten through fifth grade. Episcopal Youth Community (EYC) hird Sunday of the month, following the 10:30 service in the library Lunch, friends, faith forming bible study and perspectives on living our faith. Sixth through twelfth grade. Acolyte Ministry Children and youth fourth grade and older who wish to train and serve as an acolyte, contact Deacon Robin Hollis (robin.b.hollis@gmail.com) Cry Room & Nursery available for wee ones during all church services. In addition to our Sunday and monthly faith formation for children and youth, watch for announcements about service projects, and special fellowship events throughout the year. For More Information: Eileen Flock, Youth Minister (eflock@cox.net) he Rev. Anne Ellsworth, Assisting Priest for Family & Children s Ministries, annestjamestempe@gmail.com.