St. James Lutheran Church Mission Plan 2016 What Your Giving Supports
St. James Lutheran Church Mission Plan 2017 What Your Giving Supports MISSION STATEMENT We respond to God s abundant grace by being hearers, proclaimers and doers of the Word. Hearers Word and Sacrament: Worship Services At St. James Lutheran Church, we celebrate Word and Sacrament using tradibonal forms with new vigor to reach new generabons of believers. Each week St. James provides the Word and Sacrament to over 300 worshipers over 3 services every Saturday and Sunday, as well as Advent, Christmas, Lenten and Easter services Home and Hospital Visits Our rostered staff provides over 300 hospital visits a year and regular visits to 60+ homebound members, with the assistance of EucharisBc Ministers Word & Sacrament; 46% Spiritual DirecJon - 75 Spiritual DirecBon meebngs with members each year Special Events 30+ funerals each year 10+ BapBsms each year
Music Ministry: A rich variety of music supports and inspires our worship ALLELUIA CHOIR- Kindergarten through 3rd grade JUBILANT CHOIR -4th and 5th grade children KOINONIA CHOIR Sixth through 12th grade MARTIN LUTHER CHOIR - Adults who like to sing once a month ADULT CHOIR - This choir is designed for those interested in choral discipline and commitment Concerts of sacred music and readings Evensong Word & Sacrament; 46% Small Group Study: Sunday School 6 adult Sunday School classes meebng each Sunday between 9:30 and 10:30 Children s Sunday School during the school year ConfirmaBon classes, including weekend retreats and ConfirmaBon Camp at Camp Nawakwa Weekday and Evening Study From September through May, we host Wednesday and Thursday morning Bible study classes, and special classes throughout the year on current topics Pastor Emeritus Foltz and Mrs. Foltz host Monday evening study/discussion group ContemplaBve Prayer group meets twice weekly VBS 130 children ahending Small Group Study; 5%
Youth Groups: Elementary Youth Group - Kindergarten through 5th grade, gathering every week for faith building, fun and service projects Middle School Youth Group Grades 6 through 8, gathering every week for faith building, fun and service projects The Middle School youth ahend the Youth Quake Retreat in Harrisburg in January, along with various retreats and trips included in the confirmabon curriculum. They are also encouraged to ahend REACH Workcamp in the summer High School Youth Group Grades 9 through 12, gathering every week for faith building, fun and service projects Typical weekly acbvibes include Bme for faith based discussion, service projects, sports, games and free Bme in the Youth House The High School youth ahend our synod s Winterfest Retreat in early January and have a retreat at Camp Nawakwa in the spring. They are also encouraged to ahend Mission Workcamp in the summer. On Wednesday mornings during the school year, youth in grades 6 through 12 meet at the Youth House (121/123 York Street) for breakfast and community at 6:45 am! A team of adult volunteers prepares the meal and then transports the youth to school. St. James Youth ahend the triennial NaBonal Youth Gathering Boy Scout Troop 79 and Cub Scout Pack 79 parbcipate in worship services and earn their God and Church and God and Life awards with the help of St. James. Youth Groups; 18% To ahend annual retreats and the NaBonal Youth Gathering, St. James Youth raise approximately $20,000 per year (not part of the annual budget)
Proclaimers St. James GeTysburg is a Reconciling in Christ CongregaJon We welcome all to be a part of our faith community CHILD CARE: St. James Child Care offers a licensed child care program for 130 children ages 6 weeks through 12 years In addibon to meebng their basic needs, trained staff provide a rich learning environment Children ahend weekly chapel led by our rostered staff and parbcipate in VBS each summer St. James Child Care contributes $45,500 to the operabng budget of St. James Church COMMUNITY OUTREACH: St. James opens its building to reach out to the community: 16 Alcoholics Anonymous meebngs weekly 1 Al-Anon meebng weekly 1 NarcoBcs Anonymous meebng weekly 1 T.O.P.S. meebng weekly Outreach; 6% Our dining room hosts the annual Holiday Family Outreach each December ScouJng: Boy Scout Troop 79 Cub Scout Pack 79 MeeBng space is provided and our pastors can oversee various religious badge earning endeavors St. James owns the Boy Scout cabin maintained by the Scouts
COMMUNITY MINISTRY: St. James provides support to many community ministries through volunteers and financial assistance. Gehysburg C.A.R.E.S.: St. James provides emergency shelter for homeless individuals and families two weeks per year in our building through the Gehysburg C.A.R.E.S. program. The Slentz House, 117 York Street (owned by St. James) is used as Gehysburg C.A.R.E.S. Resource Center during the day for this ministry. Members volunteer with the program by serving as hosts, overnight volunteers, breakfast cooks, and on the board of directors. Gehysburg Soup Kitchen: St. James supports the Soup Kitchen through financial assistance, by providing a meal once a month, and through volunteer Bme of its members. Food Pantries (monthly): St. James supports two local food pantries through donabons one located at SCCAP (South Central AcBon Programs) and one at the Gehysburg Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gehysburg (for Seminarians and their families). SCCAP (South Central AcBon Programs): St. James provides financial support to a number of SCCAP programs, such as the Circles IniBaBve (working to help families move out of poverty), their Food Pantry, and their Homeless Shelter. Habitat for Humanity: St. James is a partner congregabon with Habitat for Humanity and provides financial support and volunteers. Lutheran Camping CorporaBon: St. James supports the Lutheran Camping CorporaBon in Central Pennsylvania by offering scholarships for children to ahend either Camp Nawakwa or Camp Kirkenwald. Weekend ConfirmaBon retreats are also held at Camp Nawakwa. Several members of St. James volunteer at one of the camps and St. James has also been a strong supporter of their capital campaigns. Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gehysburg: St. James supports the local Lutheran Seminary through scholarships as well as through support of its Food Pantry for students. Our Social Ministry Commihee sponsors meals for seminarians and their families during the school year. Spiritrust Lutheran Village at Gehysburg Spiritrust Lutheran Home Care and Hospice Ministry; 3% Social Ministry; 11% St. James also provides emergency assistance for Gehysburg residents who need help with gas, food, ublity bills and prescripbons. In a typical year St. James distributes nearly 300 vouchers
(more) COMMUNITY MINISTRY: Other (not part of annual budget): Other community groups which receive financial support from St. James in the past include: Adams County Rescue Mission, Survivors, Inc., Gehysburg Fire Department, Child Advocacy Center, Pedals for Progress, SpiriTrust Lutheran, Mission of Mercy, and more. CHURCHWIDE MINISTRY: Mission Fund (not part of annual budget): St. James has a Mission Fund which provides one-bme grants to non-profit organizabons in need as funds are available. Recipients have included: Gehysburg C.A.R.E.S., Adams County Literacy Council, Healthy OpBons Food Program, Augusta Victoria Hospital (Jerusalem), Casa de la Cultura, Source of Life Ministries (HaiB), Nepal Peace RehabilitaBon Center, Nicaragua School Garden and African Well Pumps Churchwide Support: St. James values its relabonship with other churches. We support the Lower Susquehanna Synod and the ELCA and its mission and ministries through financial support, prayer, parbcipabon, and through members who serve on synod commihees and in leadership roles. Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa): St. James members keep informed about the advocacy ministry work of LAMPa and members ahend the yearly Lutheran Day at the Capitol. Churchwide Ministry; 1% Mission Support, LSS & ELCA; 9%
GLOBAL MISSIONS St. James supports a number of global mission programs to respond to the needs of our global neighbors. Brian and ChrisJne Palmer teach English and theology in Liberia through the ELCA global missions program. Utpal and Stacy Saha serve with the World Mission Prayer League. Stacy works as coordinator and trainer of the midwife program at LAMB (Lutheran Aid to Medicine in Bangladesh) Hospital in northern Bangladesh. Utpal coordinates training for pastors and translates ChrisBan educabon materials into Bengali. The Emmaus Ministry of Andhra Pradesh, India, reaches out to the much neglected and un-reached rural parts of Andhra state. Led by the Rev. Dr. B.C. Paul, the Gospel is preached, evangelists and pastors are trained, women are empowered, a health center has been established providing free medical care, and an orphanage has been established. Their mission is to share the transforming power of Christ through Word and deed. Sources of Life Ministries, rescues impoverished children in HaiB and was the site of a St. James Global Service Mission Trip in April 2016. World Outreach; 2% Other Partners: Lutheran World Relief ELCA World Hunger Lutheran Disaster Response
Doers Lay Ministry 6 Stephen Ministers 59 Caregivers serving 20 funerals annually 14 Grief Ministers 12 EucharisBc Ministers 22 ContemplaBve Prayer members Prayer Chain Worship Volunteers AssisBng Ministers Sacristy Ahendants Lay Readers Service Projects Prayer Shawl makers Apple Gleaning God s Work, Our Hands 5 th Sunday Servant 1,000+ dozen Fastnachts made before Lent Ruth s Harvest 180 children fed each weekend 911 Service Project cookies for First Responders Support; 3% MeeBngs; 6% Mission Support, LSS & ELCA; 9% World Outreach; 2% Lutheran World Relief assemble health care and school kits 100+ quilts made each year Holiday Family Outreach Advent Wells Project Tanzania Nawakwa service projects C.A.R.E.S. & Survivors clothing collecbons Gehysburg Soup Kitchen 55 people fed daily 7 Volunteers and 14 meatloaf cooks throughout the year Assistance; 1% Youth Groups; 18% Local Ministry; 11% Small Group Worship; 5% Word & Sacrament; 46%