Worship Schedule
Saturday, December 6 (Readings for 2 Advent, Year A)
5:00 PM – Holy Eucharist using Enriching Our Worship (EOW) contemporary prayers with live music and hymn singing. Celebrant & Preacher: The Rev. Sean C. Slack, Rector. Healing prayers are available immediately after the service.
Sunday, December 7 (2nd Sunday of Advent, Year A) 8:00 AM – Holy Eucharist, Rite 1 spoken service (no music). Healing prayers are available after worship.
10:15 AM – Holy Eucharist, Rite II service with live music and hymn singing. Live stream on FB. Sunday school & Youth Group will be meeting in the Education Building rehearsing for the pageant. Celebrant & Preacher at both services: Father Sean. After worship, healing prayers are available in the sanctuary and coffee hour takes place in the narthex.
Saturday, December 13 (Readings for 3 Advent, Year A) 5:00 PM – Holy Eucharist using Enriching Our Worship (EOW) contemporary prayers with live music and hymn singing. Celebrant: The Rev. Nancy Stroh. Preacher: The Rev. Dr. James G. Massey, Deacon.
Sunday, December 14 (3rd Sunday of Advent, Year A) 8:00 AM – Holy Eucharist, Rite 1 spoken service (no music).
10:15 AM – Holy Eucharist, Rite II service with live music and hymn singing. Live stream on FB. Sunday school & Youth Group will be meeting in the Education Building rehearsing for the pageant. Celebrant at both services: Father Sean. Preacher at both services: Deacon Jim. Coffee hour will be in the narthex immediately after worship. We will “green” the sanctuary during coffee hour.
Saturday, December 20 (Readings for 4 Advent, Year A)5:00 PM – Holy Eucharist using Enriching Our Worship (EOW) contemporary prayers with live music and hymn singing. Celebrant & Preacher: Father Sean.
Sunday, December 21 (4th Sunday of Advent, Year A) 8:00 AM – Holy Eucharist, Rite 1 spoken service (no music).
10:15 AM – Holy Eucharist, Rite II service with live music and hymn singing. Live stream on Facebook. Sunday school & Youth Group will be meeting in the Education Building rehearsing for the pageant. Celebrant and Preacher at both services: Father Sean. Coffee hour will be in the narthex immediately after worship.
5:00 PM – Christmas Pageant in the sanctuary. Refreshments served in the narthex afterwards.
Wednesday, December 24 – The Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
4:00 p.m. – Holy Eucharist, family service with live music and hymn singing.
9:00 p.m. – Holy Eucharist, adult service with choir, live music, and hymn singing. Celebrant & Preacher at both services: Father Sean.
Thursday, December 25 – The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
9:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist with live music and hymn singing. Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. Ernie Curtin. Worship followed by continental breakfast in the church library.
Saturday, December 27 – there is no 5:00 p.m. service
Sunday, December 28 – 1st Sunday of Christmas
8:00 a.m. – Lessons & Carols (spoken; no music or sermon), Communion from Reserve Sacrament
10:15 a.m. – Lessons & Carols (live music; no sermon), Communion from Reserve Sacrament. Service will be live streamed on Facebook. No coffee hour today.
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St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Soup Kitchen: The next dates for us to volunteer at the kitchen (1625 Locust Street in Center City Philadelphia) is this coming Saturday, December 6. The recipe this time is for “Dad’s Chicken Soup.” Drop off soup at the Education building between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM on Thursday, Dec. 4 or Friday, Dec. 5. We gather in the parking lot early Saturday morning, departing at 6:00 AM and returning before 10:00.
Recipe:
● 6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth ● 3 onions, chopped ● 6 celery stalks, chopped ● 4 carrots, chopped ● 4 large garlic cloves, chopped ● 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried, crumbled ● 2 cups diced cooked chicken ● Fresh parsley* ● 1 cups uncooked long-grain white rice*
Method:
1. Bring first 5 ingredients to boil in a heavy large pot or Dutch oven over high heat.
2. Mix in thyme.
3. Return soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer soup uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
4. Add chicken and simmer until heated through, thinning with additional broth if desired.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
*Please provide packaged white rice and fresh parsley on the side. Makes 12 servings.
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Toys for Tots – St. James is a collection point for the Toys for Tots initiative. Bring your new unwrapped toy to the Education Building on Saturday, December 6 from 12:00-2:00 pm. Thank you for helping to bring Christmas joy to children in need.
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Sunday School meets in the Education Building during the 10:15 A.M. services on the following Sundays: December 7, 14, and 21. The December classes will be rehearsals for the Christmas Pageant. Classes are geared towards children aged 5-ish to 12-ish. If you have any questions, contact Alyssa Toth at AlyssaLToth@gmail.com. Looking ahead: Sunday school will take a break in January and resumes in February.
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The next lunch of the “James Gang” will happen on Monday December 8th @ Raines’ Restaurant 2363 Bristol Rd, Bensalem. The lunch is an informal gathering for conversation and fellowship outside the church grounds. These lunches are “Dutch,” meaning that everyone pays their own way. Email Chris Parker if you have any questions: cprk210@aol.com.
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Business meetings:
Finance and Property – Monday, December 8, 6:30 pm, hybrid (in the library or online via Zoom)
Monday, January 19, 2026, 6:30 pm, hybrid (in the library or online via Zoom)
Vestry – Wednesday, December 10, 6:30 pm online only via Zoom (note new time and venue)
Wednesday, January 21, 2026, 6:30 pm, hybrid (in the library or online via Zoom)
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Bible Study convenes monthly. Meeting dates and times will rotate. Most will be in person, but we will also offer online gatherings. Sessions will last one hour and focus on the Lectionary for the forthcoming Sunday. Our next gathering will be on Tuesday, December 9, 7:00 – 8:00 pm, online only via Zoom. Contact Father Sean for the Zoom link. We will focus on the readings for the 3rd Sunday of Advent — Isaiah 35:1-10, Canticle 15 (The Magnificat, Luke 1:46-55), James 5:7-10, and Matthew 11:2-11. The 2026 schedule is to be determined.
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Sign-up Genius is our online platform for volunteering. Contact Edith in the church office with any questions. (Advent & Christmas: December 4, 2025 through January 4, 2026):
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050F48ACAF2DA2FD0-59665343-december#/
(Epiphany: January 8 through February 15, 2026):
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050F48ACAF2DA2FD0-60763989-epiphany#/
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Greening of the Sanctuary – We will be decorating the church with greens after the 10:15 AM service on Sunday, December 14. You can help by (1) planning to be in the sanctuary at 11:30 AM that day, and/or (2) donate your “greens” for the windowsills of our sanctuary. We are looking for evergreen branches; please do not bring holly, since holly branches have sharp edges. You can drop off your evergreens outside the Education building in the patch of ground at the corner diagonal to the church entrance. Please deliver them by Saturday, December 13.
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St. James Capital Campaign Corner
Dear Members of the St. James Community:
As you know, the Capital Campaign is off and running. We, the Campaign Committee, want to keep you informed of our progress and say “thank you” for being part of it.
For those who have made a commitment, your early investment has resulted in a terrific start: one-third of our active households have made a commitment to the campaign, totaling $110,450 in commitments. Thanks to your generosity, we are already halfway to our campaign goal! Please know that we are deeply grateful.
For those who have yet to make a commitment, we want to assure you: there is more work to be done, and it’s not too late for you to make an impact. We would welcome the opportunity to talk with you personally about how you can be part of the campaign.
Rest assured that, throughout this process, we are committed to respecting the dignity of every person. For us, that means we treat people with courtesy, honor confidentiality, and are sensitive to the reality that everyone’s financial circumstances are unique. Our goal is not to pressure anyone to give more than they are able, but rather to ensure that all our members feel part of this campaign. We strongly believe that every commitment matters, every commitment makes a difference, and every commitment deserves appreciation.
Thanks to each of you for all that you do for St. James. May you be blessed this holiday season.
~Alex Weissman, Betsy Mizia (chairperson), Barry Hitchen, Freddie Petit, Kathy Coon, Les Venella, Father Sean
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Boris: Hey Willie, did you hear about that dog that ran an entire mile to catch a stick?
Willie: Yeah, I heard it, but I don’t believe it. It’s too farfetched.
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Stewardship 2026 – It’s also not too late to make your annual pledge for 2026. Once you have discerned how you intend to give in terms of your time, talent, and treasury to St. James, please complete the 2026 pledge form using the following link: https://forms.gle/bFzaQHo3FEbNSKxBA. Hard copies are available in the narthex. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. The First Letter of Peter (4:8-10)
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Speaking of serving one another, St. James is hosting “Community Service Time” on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Monday, January 19, 2026 from 8:00 AM until 12:00 PM. This will be a “clean-up day” on church grounds, and there will be additional service opportunities. Mark your calendar and stay tuned for details!
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Christmas flowers – As has been our annual custom, the altar guild will be purchasing poinsettias for the Christmas services. We welcome your donations to offset the expense. Special envelopes for flowers can be found in the Narthex. You may make your offering in memory of a loved one.
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Parish Prayer list
HEALING: Angela Oliver, C.J. Platt, Rev. Ellen M., Marcia Bower, Robin Rudy, Sandy K, Spenser Mullen, Terri Lotierzo, Zachary
SPECIAL PRAYERS: Babe Sigman, Christopher, Doris Laino, Frances Mayall, Ginny Manning, Joan Eiker, Ryan, Stephanie
PREPARING FOR THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM: Eddie Speller
THE NEWLY BAPTIZED: Henry William Krass
EXPECTING NEW BIRTH: Kim & Lindsey Mizia, Stephanie & Megan
THANKSGIVING FOR NEW BIRTH: Sophie Grace Brodzik
FAITHFUL DEPARTED: Judy & William Witter, Diane Knowles
ALTAR FLOWERS: The December 7 flowers are donated by Father Sean in loving memory of his grandparents Michael and Olga Choma and his great aunt Helen Repellla. The December 14 flowers are donated by Karen and Paul Maloch in memory of loved ones of the Maloch family.
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Clueless computer user: I need assistance. A piece of bacon got wedged into my desktop computer!
Helpline operator: Is the computer still running?
Clueless computer user: Yes, but it’s making lots of crackling noises.
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