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May the joy of the season and blessing of the Christ Child be
with you throughout the coming year.
In Christ,
Pastor & Mary Knowles
From the Pastor:
Inside January 2021 Newsletter
Communion for St. James Pg. 3
Bible Study Pg. 4
January Calendar Pg. 5
Endowment Fund Gift Application Information Pg. 6
Council Minutes Highlights Pg. 8
Council/Team Meeting Schedule Pg. 9
Annual Congregational Meeting Announcement Pg. 11
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Since we were not able to have the Ecumenical Thanksgiving
service this year, St. James initiated the
St. James Special Gifts for Local Hunger Appeal
The response to our appeal was outstanding!! Because of your
generosity, as of December 15th, the following donations were
collected:
St. Pius Food Pantry, $950
Christian Care, $890
Second Baptist Food Pantry, $1,350
Thank you to everyone for your continued support of our
mission to local hunger charities.
Thank You, Missions Team
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Worship News
Sunday January 3rd
First Reading Jeremiah 31:7-14 Psalm Psalm 147:12-20 Second Reading Ephesians 1:3-14 Gospel John 1:[1-9] 10-18
Sunday January 10th
First Reading Genesis 1:1-5 Psalm Psalm 29 Second Reading Acts 19:1-7 Gospel Mark 1:4-11
Sunday January 17th
First Reading 1 Samuel 3:1-10 [11-20] Psalm Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 Second Reading 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Gospel John 1:43-51
Sunday January 24th
First Reading Jonah 3:1-5, 10 Psalm Psalm 62:5-12 Second Reading 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Gospel Mark 1:14-20
Sunday January 31st
First Reading Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Psalm Psalm 111 Second Reading 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Gospel Mark 1:21-28
Communion for St. James
On Monday January 4th from 2:00pm to 3:00 pm, and 18th from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. Pastor Knowles will be available in the Sanctuary of St. James to offer communion to anyone who would like to receive it. This is not a regular service, but a time for people to come in, spend a few minutes in prayer and reflection, and receive the sacrament. It is important that those who come follow the guidelines for safety including wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing. A brief devotional liturgy will be available.
Vacation
Pastor Knowles will be on vacation
from December 28th till January 3rd.
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We are holding an internet Bible Study (via Zoom) on
Tuesday evenings (January 5th, 19th, 26th) at 6:30 pm.
There will be no Bible Study on the 12th. If you would like
to join the study, let Pastor know and he will
send an invitation to you with the link to join
the study. If you need more information,
please ask.
Birthdays: Tanner Johnson 01/05
Etienne Ntiriniga 01/05
Vaughn Stroud 01/09
Darryl Johnson 01/10
Douglas Johnson 01/10
Keith Petersen 01/13
Ward Sundquist 01/13
Donald Knowles 01/14
Rebecca Resch 01/14
Larry Coronell Jr. 01/15
Jason Schroeder 01/15
Jadon Johnson 01/16
Jaimie Schroeder 01/22
Tom Fox 01/25
Alicia Grindle 01/29
Tyler Peterson 01/31
Anniversaries:
Larry & Peg Simmer 01/15
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January 2021 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1
Office Closed
2
3
4
2:00pm
Communion (SJ)
5
6:15pm Vestry
6:30pm Bible
Study Via Zoom (SJ)
6
6:30pm Bible
Study (AS)
Epiphany
7
6:30pm Cub
Scouts (C)
8
Office Closed
9
10
11
6:30pm
Jr. Board ©
12
13
9:00am FOOF
(C)
6:30pm Bible
Study (AS)
14
6:30pm Cub
Scouts (C)
15
Office Closed
16
17
18
4:00pm
Stewardship/
Finance Via
Zoom (SJ)
6:30pm
Communion (SJ)
Office Closed
Martin Luther
King Day
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4:00pm
Executive
Committee Via
Zoom (SJ)
6:30pm Bible
Study Via Zoom (SJ)
20
6:30pm Council
Via Zoom
6:30pm Bible
Study (AS)
21
6:30pm Cub
Scouts (C)
22
Office Closed
23
24
10:00am An-
nual Meeting
(SJ)
25
26
6:30pm Bible
Study Via Zoom (SJ)
27
6:30pm Bible
Study (AS)
28
6:30pm Cub
Scouts (C)
29
Office Closed
30
31
A warm smile is the universal language of kindness
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November 2020 Dear Members of St. James: The Endowment Fund Team is once again pleased to announce that gifts can be distributed from the Endowment Fund. In accordance with the Endowment Fund By-Laws and by previous motions made by the Endowment Fund Team and approved by the Congregation Council, it was deemed that five percent (5%) of the total Endowment Fund shall constitute the income of the fund. Distribution from the fund is determined by the value of the fund on December 31st of each year. We are not able to determine the exact value as of this date, but it appears the amount that can be distributed will be approximately $6000. The Endowment Fund Team is ready to receive applications from individuals or groups who wish to participate in the distribution. Please use an Endowment Fund Application for Gift form. If you as an individual or group have a need for additional funds that would meet one of the six categories of the approved Endowment Fund Ministries as stated in the Endowment Fund By-Laws (listed for your convenience in item nine on the application form), please feel free to complete an Endowment Fund Application for Gift Form. The completed form must be received in the Church office no later than January 15, 2021. Forms received after this date may be considered if funds are available after the initial distribution. Your application will be reviewed by the Endowment Fund Team in late January and may be accepted or rejected in part or in full. A gift to the Endowment Fund keeps giving over and over again as the principal of the fund cannot be distributed. We hope the amount available for distribution from the Fund will increase in future years as the fund continues to grow with your generous gifts. Please keep the Endowment Fund in mind for your future giving and your estate planning. This giving is an excellent way to remember or honor a friend or loved one. Please indicate that your offering is designated for the St. James Endowment Fund when you annotate your gift amount. Yours in Christ, The Endowment Fund Team St. James Lutheran Church
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ST. JAMES LUTHERAN CHURCH
ENDOWMENT FUND
APPLICATION FOR GIFT FORM
ALL questions must be answered. One page only may be attached to this application to provide more details of your request.
Initial application deadline is January 15th. Applications received after this date may be considered if funds are
available.
1.Name of Organization/Person:__________________________________________________________________________
2.What is the purpose of this request?______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.Project Title:________________________________________________________________________________________
4.Please provide a complete description of the project:________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
5.Date(s) of project:____________________________________________________________________________________
6.Can your project be completed with a grant that is less than what you requested above? If yes, please explain.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
7.What Team(s) of St. James Church or the Community (if any) will this grant serve?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
8.Does your Team have any other source of income for the project described in paragraph 4? If yes, please explain.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
9.Which Category (listed below) of the approved Endowment Fund Ministries authorizes this gift?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Encourage new developments in the ongoing work of St. James.
The Mission of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America-Designated Advanced Gifts Program.
St. James Lutheran Staff development
College and seminary scholarship grants and loans
Community outreach in ministry
Capital improvements and special causes of St. James Lutheran Church, including the acquisition of fixed assets.
10.If this gift request is approved, who is the check to be made payable to? Please include complete address where the check is
to be mailed.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
11.Printed name, address and telephone number of person submitting this form:
Name ______________________________________________________________________________
Address ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Phone Number ______________________________________________________________________________
Signature:______________________________________ Date:_________________________________
Please return completed form by January 15th to St. James Lutheran Church
Attention: Endowment Fund Team
3145 – 31st Avenue
Rock Island, IL 61201
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ST. JAMES COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS
DECEMBER 2020
The in-person and virtual December 2020 Council meeting was called to
order at 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday, December 16th, with eleven members
present. Pastor Knowles opened with a prayer. The minutes of the
November meeting were approved. The Treasurer’s report for November
was accepted, subject to audit. We will end the year in great financial shape.
Pastor Knowles announced that Calvary Lutheran Church will have
Communion at 2:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve, followed by a parking lot
service at 4:30 p.m. On Christmas Day, he will do Communion at St. James
at 10:30 a.m. He will do a Sunday worship service video on December 27th,
but not on January 3rd, when he will be on vacation. For the Stewardship
drive, about two-thirds of the pledge cards have been received thus far.
Statements of 2020 giving will be mailed to members during the second
week in January. Nominations for Committee and Council members have
been completed. Response to the appeal for donations to Local Hunger was
outstanding. For the St. Pius Food Pantry, $950 was collected; for Christian
Care, $890; and for the Second Baptist Food Pantry, $1,350. Tom Fox, Bill
Hartman, and Bill and Jo Kempf have spent many hours repairing the old
Youth Room, which was flooded from a water leak of an outside tap. The
remodeled room will have LED lighting, a drop ceiling, and Cable TV. Upon
Pastor Knowles’ request, we decided to have the January 24th Annual
Congregational Meeting at 10:00 instead of 10:30. It will give us more time
before Calvary has theirs at 11:30. (Calvary will not have a parking lot
service on that day.) We voted that the agenda include not only adopting
the budget and electing Council members, but also discussing Committee
reports. That said, we decided on a deadline of December 31st for reports to
be submitted to the Secretary so that they can be published at least two
weeks prior to the meeting. Finally, we voted that our proposed version of
the Constitution be sent to the Synod for review. The congregation will vote
on our proposed amendments when our Annual Congregational Meeting
continues at a later date. The meeting was adjourned at 7:17 p.m.
Respectfully,
Luanne Beinke,
Council Secretary
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Stewardship/Finance
Team Meeting will be held
January 18th @4:00pm via
Zoom.
St. James Council will meet
via Zoom January 20th @
6:30pm via Zoom.
St. James Weekly Giving
Envelopes are now available
and may be picked up at the
church on Thursdays between
9:00am—2:00pm.
Just a Reminder: There are
copies of the “Living Lutheran”
and “Christ in Our Home”
magazines on the table in the
Narthex. If you are unable to
personally pick up a copy,
please let us know and a copy
could be sent to you.
(309) 786-0503
New 2021 Calendars are available on the table in the
Church Narthex
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Support small-scale farmers with Equal Exchange
½ Price Sale
We have decided to close out our Equal Exchange items for now. Use
the provided envelope for your half-price donation.
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Official Notice of Annual
Congregational Meeting
The Annual Meeting will be at 10:00 am on
Sunday, January 24, 2021 via Zoom. All
committee reports and other items wishing to be
added to the agenda must be submitted to the
church office no later than December 31st.
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PLEASE PLACE STAMP HERE
St. James Lutheran Church A RIC Congregation
3145 31st Ave Rock Island, IL 61201
Phone: 309-786-0503
E-mail: [email protected]
Did you know St. James has a Facebook
page?
Check us out and give us a like!
Facebook.com/saintjamesri/
If you are not on Facebook you can find photos
on our flickr page!
www.stjamesri.org//photo-gallery
St. James a Reconciling In Christ
Congregation
In our awareness that we are all broken people, we re-
joice in God’s abundant grace. Therefore, we welcome all
who are seeking God’s love and forgiveness regardless of
national origin or ancestry, gender identity, sexual orien-
tation, age, abilities, beliefs, political views, financial re-
sources or family status.
There will always be a place for you at St. James.
*Adopted on June 11, 2017*
For more information check out Reconciling Works at
www.reconcilingworks.org