*** Newsletter for Thursday, January 8, 2026 ***
Worship Schedule through February 1
Saturday, January 10, 2026 (Readings for 1 Epiphany: The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Year A)
5:00 PM – Holy Baptism and Eucharist using EOW contemporary prayers with live music and hymn singing. Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. Sean C. Slack, Rector. We welcome Eddie Speller into the family of Christians worldwide.
Sunday, January 11 (1st Sunday after the Epiphany: The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ, 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. Celebrant & Preacher at both services: Father Sean. Coffee hour will be in the narthex immediately after worship.
Saturday, January 17 (Readings for 2 Epiphany, 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, January 18 (2nd Sunday after the Epiphany, 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. Celebrant and Preacher at both services: Father Sean. Coffee hour will be in the narthex immediately after worship.
Saturday, January 24 (Readings for 3 Epiphany, Year A)
5:00 PM – Holy Eucharist using EOW contemporary prayers with live music and hymn singing. Celebrant & Preacher: Father Sean.
Sunday, January 25 (3rd Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A)
8:00 AM – Holy Eucharist, Rite 1 spoken service (no music).
10:15 AM – “Express Mass” Holy Eucharist, Rite II service with live music and hymn singing. Live stream on FB. Celebrant & Preacher at both services: Father Sean. Instead of our typical coffee hour in the narthex, we will have refreshments in the Education Building. Starting at 11:30 a.m., the Vestry, Finance & Property, and Capital Campaign committees will give a presentation about the financial health of the church. The report will include updated 2025 financial statements. The meeting will conclude promptly at 12:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 31 (Readings for 4 Epiphany, Year A)
5:00 PM – Holy Eucharist using Enriching Our Worship (EOW) contemporary prayers with live music and hymn singing. Celebrant: Father Sean. Preacher: The Rev. Dr. James G. Massey, Deacon.
Sunday, February 1 (4th Sunday after the Epiphany, 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. Celebrant at both services: Father Sean. Preacher at both services: Deacon Jim. Coffee hour will be in the narthex immediately after worship.
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Sunday School is taking a break in January and resumes February 1, 2026 at 10:15 AM.
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James Gang: The next “James gang” gathering is for breakfast on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 9:00 AM. We’ll be at the Garden of Eating, 964 Woodbourne Rd. in Levittown. This gathering is “dutch,” meaning that we all pay for our own meal. Join us for fun, fellowship, & good food!
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Stewardship 2026 – If you have not yet done so, please complete the 2026 St. James pledge form. This is very helpful to church leadership to know how you plan to share of your time, talent, and treasury. The link is as follows: https://forms.gle/bFzaQHo3FEbNSKxBA. Hard copies are available in the narthex.
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You are invited to the screening and reflection of the award-winning documentary “Sugarcane” hosted by Bucks Deanery. The screening takes place at the Episcopal Church of the Redemption, 1101 Second Street Pike, Southampton, PA 18966 on Saturday, January 10, 2026 from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm.
The documentary is set amidst a ground-breaking investigation into abuse and death at an Indian residential school, the film empowers participants to break cycles of intergenerational trauma by bearing witness to painful, long-ignored truths – and the love that endures within their families despite the revelation of genocide.
Indigenous boarding schools are not only a historical part of the United States, but also for the Christian (including the Episcopal) Church. A discussion will follow the screening. We invite you to an afternoon of truth telling and a reflection centering on understanding our place in the story and how we might have the courage to try and repair the fabric of human community.
Contact the Rev. Canon Toneh Smyth at tsmyth@diopa.org with any last-minute questions.
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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. In addition to the usual clean-up-day jobs – for example, washing windows, wiping/polishing church pews, cleaning the Education Building kitchen, removing items from the church basement – we will also be writing cards to homebound parishioners and others in vulnerable circumstances. Come for as long or as short a time as you are able. Please rsvp to Barry Hitchen: bhitchen47@gmail.com.
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Question: Is it true that chicken soup is good for your health? Answer: Not if you are a chicken.
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For those who are interested in financial oversight: Saint James is committed to transparency and rigorous oversight of our finances. To keep you informed about our financial health, our Vestry will report to the congregation on our 2025 financial statements on Sunday, January 25, 2026 from 11:30 am until 12:30 pm. The gathering will take place in the great hall of the Education Building. Refreshments will be served; this will take the place of our usual coffee hour. The congregation will also hear a brief update from the Capital Campaign committee. In respect for everyone’s time, Vestry is committed to keeping this meeting to one hour or less.
As a non-profit organization, our business meetings are open to the public. Here is the schedule for the next round of business meetings:
Finance and Property –
Monday, January 19, 2026, 6:30 pm, hybrid (in the library or online via Zoom)
Monday, February 23, 2026, 6:30 pm, hybrid (in the library or online via Zoom)
Vestry –
Wednesday, January 21, 2026, 6:30 pm, hybrid (in the library or online via Zoom)
Sunday, January 25, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm, in person in the Education Building great hall
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 6:30 pm, hybrid (in the library or online via Zoom)
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Bible Study will be taking a break in January and will resume in February during Lent, dates to be announced. (Ash Wednesday is February 18, 2026.)
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Sign-up Genius is our online platform for volunteering. Contact Edith in the church office with any questions.
(Epiphany: January 8 through February 15, 2026):
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050F48ACAF2DA2FD0-60763989-epiphany#/
(Lent: February 18 through March 22, 2026):
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050F48ACAF2DA2FD0-61167031-lent#/
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Ash Wednesday is February 18 – We burn old palms and use the remains on Ash Wednesday. Between now and February 8, bring your dried-out palms to church. Also, mark your calendar for services on February 18: 7:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 7:00 PM. All three will offer ashes and Holy Communion.
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Donut Day – As has been our practice the past few years, St. James hosts a feast before our Lenten fasting begins. Thus, on the Sunday which precedes Ash Wednesday (February 15), we will have our Fasnacht Day celebration in the Education Building after the 10:15 AM service. There will be games for the kids and lots of donuts for everyone.
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Pancake Breakfast – We are hosting a pancake breakfast on Sunday, March 8 from 8:30 am until 12:00 pm. This will be a fundraiser for the local ERA food pantry. If you would like to volunteer to help with the breakfast or have any questions, please contact Edith in the church office. This event is open to the public.
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Holy Cross 2026! – St. James will make its annual retreat to the Holy Cross Monastery in upstate New York. This year, our trip will run from Tuesday, April 21 through Thursday, April 23. Guests have the option of carpooling in the church lot Tuesday morning, and we return by Thursday afternoon. To make your reservation, please make your check payable to St. James Church and write “Holy Cross 2026” in the memo. The rates are as follows: single room occupancy: $330 (includes two nights plus speaker fee); double room occupancy $460 (two nights plus speaker fee). Contact Edith in the church office with questions.
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Parish Prayer list
HEALING: Bill Tokmajian Jr., C.J. Platt, Darryl, Debbie Widenmeyer, Hannah, Keith, Lori & John, Michael and Jill Cordel, Michelle Stawicki, Robin Rudy, Sandy K, Spenser Mullen, Zachary
SPECIAL PRAYERS: Babe Sidman, Christopher, Doris Laino, Ginny Manning, Joan Eiker, Ryan, Terri Lotierzo
PREPARING FOR BAPTISM: Eddie Speller
EXPECTING NEW BIRTH: Kim & Lindsey Mizia, Stephanie & Megan
FAITHFUL DEPARTED: Angela Oliver, Brian Oswald, Mary-Frances Mayall, Nancy P., Rochelle Fritz
THE ANGLICAN CYCLE OF PRAYER: The Anglican Church of Canada, The Most Reverend Shane Parker, Primate
ALTAR FLOWERS:
For January 11, the flowers from Mary Ann Bursk bloom in memory of loved ones of the Bursk family.
For January 18, the flowers from the Sayer and Powelson families bloom in memory of John and Lillian Sayer.
For January 25, the flowers from Bill & Linda Knight bloom from in memory of William & Clara Knight, William & Mildred Ewan, Beverly Rex, Charles Maiden, Tom & Penny Houston, and Joe & Marcella Hackett.
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Starting in 2026, our newsletter will now run monthly. If you have an announcement to make or a change to the prayer list, please contact Edith in the parish office. The next edition will be distributed on Thursday, February 5. See you then!
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