A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF ST. JAMES UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Volume 38 - Issue 9 September 2014

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A few years ago, the people of St. James claimed a new mission statement as a church; to be a vibrant, growing church, changing lives, and reshaping futures for Jesus Christ. So much has changed in a short time. We have had time to reflect on successes and time to make course adjustments that will continue us on this path of making disciples for Jesus Christ. We focus on three major areas to keep us at task: Worship, Small Groups, and Missions. At the heart of our mission is this passion for discipleship. So, what is a disciple? We believe disciples of Jesus are always on a journey of faith. Disciples are theologically informed, spiritually transformed, and are active serving as the hands, feet, and witness of Christ in the world.

It makes perfect sense as we crafted the new discipleship path that we would hold true to these core values. The pastors of St. James are introducing a new sermon series this September based on the components of our discipleship path: knowing, loving, and serving God.

I can't tell you how excited I am to be a part of this experience with our St. James family. I encourage everyone to sign up for the first study, Knowing God, beginning Wednesday, October 1 and running through November 5 from 6:00 - 7:00p.m.

In this 6-week study, we will learn to better understand and fully participate in a relationship with God. Knowing God, the first component, joins with Loving God and Serving God to help everyone of us grow deeper as disciples. The combined study is a basic faith course designed to help you put your faith in Jesus Christ into daily practice. The studies are grounded in fifteen core traits of a deeply committed Christian; traits that paint a picture of what it looks like to live as a passionate and dedicated follower of Jesus Christ.

All too often, we let the tasks of the day or our own agendas pull us away from the one thing that can give us comfort, Christ. Knowing God will help us reconnect to our core relationship with God.

I look forward to this new adventure on our discipleship path and growing in faith as the body of Christ. To register, go online to our website www.stjameslr.org and click on St. James Online. You will find the Knowing God study under the registration tab.

Blessings ~ Marcia Dunbar, Director of Evangelism

Growing Deeper in Faith

Page 2 September Connection

Sermon Series & Special Events

While I look forward to co-leading a group of 60+ pilgrims this October from St. James and Central Arkansas on the Journeys of Paul tour, I’m especially looking forward to prepping for that trip by writing and offering a four week study in my Fall Tuesday Pastor Study Series which I’ve titled, “Footsteps of Paul.”

Join us in the Worship Center on Tuesdays in September (Sept. 2 – 23) at either 2:00 or 6:30 as we trace out the journeys of Paul and his incredible impact in shaping the Western World we know today. Each session will combine three primary fields of study: the bible, theology, and archaeology/history.

We will begin with the Pauline epistles of the New Testament, using these texts as the basis for understanding Paul’s Christo-centric theology. Finally, modern archaeology in the Aegean world will give the written record texture, allowing us to see and “feel” the texts in a third dimension. Through photos from the sites as they appear today we will visit the places to which Paul carried the gospel – from Philippi to Thessalonica to Athens to Corinth to Ephesus and, eventually, all the way to Rome.

Don’t miss this journey! September Tuesdays, at 2:00 and 6:30!

~ Rev. Siegfried Johnson

A SERIES BY DR. BLAKE BRADFORD TUESDAYS • SEPT. 30-NOV. 1 • 6:30 PM • ROOM M217September 30 - Session 1: The Age of Reform BeginsWycliffe, Huss, Ecclesiastical Excess, the Printing Press, and Young Luther Visits Rome

October 7 - Session 2: Martin LutherThe 95 Theses, Salvation by Faith, Sola Scriptura, the 2 Kingdoms, and Lutheranism

October 14 - Session 3: Zwingli in Zurich and the Continental AnabaptistsThe nature of God, Predestination & the Sacraments; The Radical Reformation

October 21 - Session 4: John Calvin and the Reformed TraditionThe Institutes, Calvinism in Geneva & beyond, and Presbyterianism

October 28 - Session 5: The English ReformationFrom royal divorce to the Book of Common Prayer

November 4 - Session 6: The Catholic ReformationReform, the Jesuits, and the Council of Trent

Fiser-Christie Mission Lectureship SeriesFeaturing Bishop Thomas Bickerton

Four opportunities to learn more about Imagine No Malaria with the Bishop:

Sunday, Nov. 9: Sunday Morning Worship

Youth for the Cause: Imagine No Malaria Rally Monday, Nov. 10:

Lunch & Learn Monday Evening Lecture SeriesBishop Thomas Bickerton served on the General Commission

for UMCom since 2000, and as president from 2004-2008. He has been the lead spokesperson for the United Methodist Global Health Initiative, including the Imagine No Malaria campaign.

The Fiser-Christie Endowment Mission LectureRecognizing that there is great peril if a congregation becomes

inwardly-focused and self-absorbed, the purpose of this lectureship is to stimulate and invigorate engagement of the church membership and the community in the work of missions. The Paul Martin Fiser, M.D./Rev. James and Marie Christie Endowed Missions Lectureship is envisioned to support a stimulating lecturer annually, hosted by St. James, on the topic of the church’s responsibility for, and activities in, missions, domestic and international. The missions theme of the annual lecture may include matters of social justice but must be consistent with the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church.

The Protestant

CARING HANDS WORLD DAY OF PRAYER: The Caring Hands Prayer Shawl Team will present the Caring Hands World Day of Prayer on Thursday, September 11 at 1:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. A special music program by Tracy DePue, Director of Music, Worship and the Arts, and Robert Lindley, Assistant Director of Music, will be presented. An array of prayer shawls made by Caring Hands will be on display. For more information, contact Joyce Faulkner at 225-8768, jojose3@aol.com or Betty Maddox at 666-2108 or bbmaddox@comcast.net.

CAMP ALDERSGATE FISH FRY: The 31st Annual Fish Fry will be held Sunday, September 14 from 12:00 noon - 3:00 p.m. at Camp Aldersgate. Tickets are $15 (kids 6 and under free) and can be purchased at www.campaldersgate.net. Come enjoy the live music, cupcake walk, poolside Bingo, AGFC mobile aquarium, shaved ice, face painting, carousel rides and more! For more information, call 225-1444 or visit facebook.com/CampAldersgate.

September Connection Page 3

Announcements

Annual Ministry Fund

stewardship snapshot

July 2014 TotalsGiving $286,617 $1,565,366 Expenses $252,504 $1,688,127

The JoAnna M. Swilling Endowed Memorial Fund has been established at St. James United Methodist Church. Frank and JoAnna Swilling were charter members of St. James.

“They were both so active and involved in the church,” recalls Frances Jernigan, a St. James founding member. “They were an integral part of the church’s earliest days.”

The Swillings were “faithful members of St. James from the beginning,” notes Joyce Peck, also a founding member.

Frank Swilling was associated with Ruebel Funeral Home, and JoAnna Swilling was a popular buyer for M.M. Cohn stores. Jernigan described them as “gracious and generous” with their time and gifts. Mrs. Swilling died in 1999 and Mr. Swilling in 2007.

The recently executed estate of Joyce M. Montgomery called for the establishment of the JoAnna M. Swilling Endowed Memorial Fund in memory of Joyce Montgomery’s sister.

The Swilling Endowment is the third fully endowed fund at St. James established to assist in the maintenance, welfare and improvement of the buildings, property and ministries of the church. Others are the General Endowment Fund and the Chester Phillips Fund. Income from these funds is directed by the St. James Endowment Committee.

The Thompson Scholarship Fund, awarded to a graduating high school senior, and the Fiser-Christie Mission Lectureship Fund, recently established to make possible an annual lecture series, are also endowed funds at St. James.

According to the United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas, the agency that manages St. James endowed funds, the current market value of all endowed funds at St. James is more than $1 million.

The new Swilling Endowment is an inspiring example of how planned giving can impact so many. The love and care put into the establishment of the fund in honor of a loved one is a gift that will benefit St. James in perpetuity.

For more information about planned giving or including St. James in your will, contact the St. James Endowment Committee at endowment@stjames-umc.org, or Harold Bernd, committee chair, at 851-2931 or 690-3246 or harold.bernd@edwardjones.com, or any member of the Endowment Committee (Keith Collard, Jane Dennis, Charlotte Gadberry, Ross Honea, Markham Howe, Jay Lang, Jerry Parham, Ashley Parker, Joyce Peck, Gerry Riser, Carla Spainhour and Chris Stratton).

5th endowed fund established at St. James

Page 4 September Connection

St. James Youth

The Youth Fall Retreat is always a wonderful time to get away from the normal routine of school and life to deepen our walk with God and our relationships with each other. There will be plenty of time for youth to enjoy fun and games, solid teaching times, singing, eating, relaxing, and goofing off with friends. There will be small group activities, big group activities, worship, and fun for everyone. This is an event you will not want to miss!

Join us for Youth Fall Retreat!

To register for the Youth Fall Retreat,

visit www.stjames-umc.org,

click top button “St. James Online” or

contact Brandon Bates, Director of Student

Ministries, at 217-6729 or brandon@stjames-umc.org.

Youth have served in missions at these locations during their St. Louis Mission Trip

The Bridge - a ministry for people that do not have a home. We toured downtown to experience what someone would have to do to find assistance, and we ate lunch with people that the ministry helps feed.

Operation Food Search - Large Donated Food distribution center where we packed 1500 lbs. of food to be sent to food pantries around St. Louis

Gateway Greening Urban Garden - helped prep the garden for their weekend harvest to benefit food pantries and those in food deserts.

Crisis Nursery - provides child care for 3 days for people that are without a place to live and who cannot have children in shelters. We played with the children and organized their donations.

Lydia’s House - a shelter for abused women and children. We did some deep cleaning to their central building to prep it for their community meal that they host for all of those staying at the shelter.

Open Door Animal Sanctuary - A no kill animal shelter where we walked dogs that needed exercise and human interaction, and took care of cats so they can all adjust better to human interaction once adopted.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN! 7TH-12TH GRADES - $95 EARLY BIRD

REGISTRATION (UNTIL SEPTEMBER 21). REGISTER EARLY AND

YOU’RE GUARANTEED A T-SHIRT!

Youth Mission Trip to St. Louis

October 3-5th Camp Tanako

September Connection Page 5

St. James Youth

Testimonies from the Senior High Mission TripJack Curtis - “I saw Christ in the guy at The Bridge. He was very passionate about

spreading the word of homelessness and he had been through everything he talked about. He was also very loving towards others who are in a bad situation.”

Kendall Robinson - “On the trip I saw Christ through my friends, their hard work inspired me to do my best and showed me what a caring youth group we have and how blessed I am to be surrounded by such dedicated, Christlike people.”

Lillie Byrd - “I saw Christ through the man that showed us around at the Bridge because he was determined to inform us that the people that were homeless were just people that were struggling.”

Kimberly Haraway - “I saw Christ through Janelle (from the women’s shelter) and also the guy from The Bridge who showed us around the city to show us what homelessness was like! I feel like they were able to use their personal experiences to do their job as well as they do and to help prevent those problems from happening to others in the future.”

Sarah Ramey - “I went to Senior High Assembly for my first and last year this July. Not only was it a great experience filled with time to hang out with new and old friends, but also a time to be with and worship God. We had small groups, which at first I was a little nervous about, knowing I didn’t know a whole lot of people. On the contrary to how I felt, my small group connected right away, and we still communicate more than 2 weeks later. I’m so thankful to have had such am awesome group to spend time with. It was really cool to be able to have a discussion about faith with a group of people I had never met before, knowing we automatically cared for one another because we shared the same God. Another awesome aspect of the event was the worship. The speaker was very relatable, which made him that much more interesting to listen to, knowing I could apply the things he said to my own life and to others around me. The band, Abandon, was always interacting with us as they encouraged everyone to participate during worship and focus on the reason we were there. The times I had to dance, sing and worship with a bunch of youth in love with Jesus connected all of us in a way that would be hard to do so otherwise. SH Assembly is definitely an event I wouldn’t want anyone to miss out on.”

Testimony from Senior High Assembly

Page 6 September Connection

Tornado Response

The St. James congregation has donated more than $20,000 of aid to victims of the April tornado in Vilonia. On two different occasions, teams from St. James worked to clean up the debris left by the storm. The Vilonia United Methodist Church, as well as the parsonage, were heavily damaged. Financial assistance was provided immediately to the church,the conference office, and gift cards were given to families in need. Ten families in the Vilonia congregation lost their homes and belongings in this storm. Through the generosity of our members, St. James has been able to provide financial assistance to all of these families. I had the privilege of delivering these to Pastor Kilbourne in Vilonia. What a blessing to be a part of such a caring congregation.

~ Brenda Weeks, Director of Missions & Outreach

Brenda Weeks, Director of Missions & Outreach, presents Pastor Kilbourne, of the Vilonia UMC, with gift cards donated by St. James to be used for families in need.

Vilonia UMC benefits from St. James’ generosity

H2O HELP TO OTHERS MISSION PROJECT: H2O will be packing tornado tubs for their next mission project on Saturday, September 6 starting at 9:00 a.m. Contact Brenda Weeks, Director of Missions & Outreach, at 217-6722 or brenda@stjames-umc.org for more information.

St. James Serves

September Connection Page 7

Missions - Rock the Block

with Habitat for HumanitySt. James UMC folks showed up in a big way Saturday, August 2 to join forces with Habitat for Humanity of Pulaski County. Teams worked on revitalizing the Baring Cross neighborhood while St. James sponsored a carnival for the neighborhood kids. A great time was had by all as we extended the love of Christ to this amazing community.

Rock The Block

PERIODICALS

8/30/2014 Volume 38 - Issue 9 The Connection (USPS 015-584) is published monthly by

St. James United Methodist Church, 321 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock, AR 72212-3199.

Editor: Debbie Kelly (501) 217-6700. Periodicals Postage is PAID at Little Rock, AR. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to The Connection,

321 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock, AR 72212-3199.

Join Us...

321 Pleasant Valley DriveLittle Rock, AR 72212

(501) 217-6700

Commemorative Gifts,

Saturday 5:30 Casual Worship (Cokesbury) in Sanctuary

Sunday 8:30 Traditional Worship (Weekly Communion) in Sanctuary 9:30 The Journey (Contemporary) in Worship Center10:55 Traditional Worship in Sanctuary10:55 Vertical Event (Contemporary) in Worship Center

August 2014

Join us by supporting the St. James Endowment Fund by gifting $1 for each year of your age on the first Sunday of your birthday month!

The mission of the St. James UMC Endowment Fund is to endow and support in the maintenance, welfare, and improvement of the buildings, property, and ministries of the church with the interest earned from a protected capital fund. Your gift will help grow the principal in the Fund. For more information on the Endowment Fund or if you would like to consider naming the St. James Endowment Fund in your will or trust, please contact the Endowment Committee at endowment@stjames-umc.org.

to the following people:

The St. James Endowment Committeewishes Happy Birthday!

Anne Martin (March)Tim Martin (March)Ann Roark (July)

Joan Whitlock (July)

Belated Birthdays Don EppersonSue Frank

Leon HelmsJoan Whitlock

August Birthdays

•Inhonorofthe42ndweddinganniversaryofVicki &LarryDavisbyFannJ.Woodward

•InmemoryofMacWoodwardbyBarbara& JackCherry,BobbyeDennis,PatsyFrost,Susan &MichaelO’Malley,Georgia&HenryRogers, BeverlyBillingsley,Donna&WayneHambelc, HenryBroach,Karen&PaulJoplin,Melissa& MichaelHolt,QuapawQuesters519,SusieAnn Roberts,U.S.GeologicalSurvey

•TotheBuildingFundinmemoryofGeorgeAllen HaysbyCarol&JimManning,FaithSmith,Maria &HarrySeamans,Tyra&JohnBartMiller

•TotheFiser-ChristieEndowedMission LectureshipFundinmemoryofDr.MartyFiserby Alice&LeeMunson

•TotheCommunityofHopeFundinmemoryof RobertaFiestbySusieBranon

•TotheEndowmentFundinmemoryofAnnSchick bytheAgapeSundaySchoolClassandRegina& MelvinDavison

•TotheGuatemalaMissionTripinhonorofDenise LuftandGregSchick,MarciaDunbar&Debbie Kelly(theSt.Jamesstaffonthe2014Mission Team)bySarahOwens

•TotheMusicFundinmemoryofM’LouGiese bySusan&JohnAntonetti,DianaCorbit&Randy Luten,MargaretH.Garrett,SandraKarcher, Joanne&MichaelMcLendon,Lucy&Charlie Neal,BethPhelps,theSteppingStoneSunday SchoolClass,Allison&JerryEarle,Annette &RogerFreeman,Darlene&R.C.Pendergist, Emily&JosephWascomeJr.,Georgia-Pacific HeavyEquipment,PumpShop&Woodyard Crews,Judy&BillGiese,Judy&Michael Holloway,MillieFarlowFamily,Rev.&Mrs.Robert Galatas.

•TotheShareFundinmemoryofM’LouGieseby Jan&VaughnMcQuary,Karen&RichardPhelps, DanielHagood,Francis&LaurieBessMyers,Julie &RonaldSmith

•TotheThompsonScholarshipFundinhonor ofVirginiaTiemann’sbirthdayandinmemoryof M’LouGieseandAnnSchickbyMarthaLynn& FelixThompson

A complete list of all 2014 Commemoratives can be found on the St. James website at

stjames-umc.org/memorials.