7 from Kevin - December 2023
Kevin Jeske-Polyak • December 1, 2023
- We all understand the importance of keeping our gathering spaces clean, organized, and ready for use. Doing so requires a team effort. We are so lucky and thankful to have Suzette on our housekeeping team! Assigned to us by DT's Refurbishing just a couple of months ago, Suzette works 3 hours on Monday and 3 hours on Fridays, but she works so efficiently and performs such a thorough job, it seems like she is here much longer. We really appreciate the way she cares for St. James.
- Printing and copying are necessary for day-to-day operations at St. James, but we are vigilant about keeping such costs as low as possible by minimizing unnecessary printing and using digital alternatives when we can. During the past 2 years, the folks at Image Matters have been extremely adept at helping us regularly monitor and analyze the monthly volume of copies printed at St James. As a result, we have been able to optimize the terms of our lease contract to reduce our expenses.
- Our recent switch to Clearview Security company has been a refreshing change. Upgraded technology, improved software, and responsive technicians have made it simpler for us to provide improved security at a reduced cost! Clearview Security is a locally owned business whose team of security professionals has been providing integrated security solutions for commercial, residential, institutional and government clients since 1969.
- Fr. John Mark checks all the boxes when it comes to demonstrating what is needed from a great Rector. He effectively communicates the teachings of our faith. He inspires, motivates, and guides us towards a deeper understanding of our faith. He offers guidance in times of trouble and provides comfort in times of need. He also helps to attract new members to the congregation through his powerfully relatable sermons.
- Our
Doorstep Volunteers assist unhoused and low-income neighbors who reach out to St. James for help. They prepare and distribute bagged lunches from our doorstep and provide assistance and referrals for help with utility bills, rent, clothing, and other basic needs. Our Doorstep volunteers also provide assistance to the staff by answering the telephone, greeting visitors, and performing other important clerical tasks.
- Investing can be intimidating, but financial advisors can help us navigate the waters and make informed decisions. They can also provide valuable insight into the market and help us develop personalized investment strategies. We are grateful that Bob Williams is our Church Financial Advisor. Fully licensed by all Federal regulatory agencies, Bob is the Regional Director of Financial Marketplace Inc. He and his team of 4 advisors and 4 support staff do an outstanding job of managing our Endowment Fund and overseeing our investment strategy to ensure St. James is poised to remain financially sound as we enter our second 100 years.
- Our Centennial Campaign Committee has played an essential role in gathering input, prioritizing facility upgrades, and doing all the right things to achieve our intermediate fundraising goals. As chair of the committee,
Katharine Pearson Criss has provided outstanding leadership. Her passion for the project and appropriate sense of urgency has served as a beacon of light and the catalyst that has kept the committee focused and on pace.
Friends and Neighbors, This Sunday is Mother's Day and also Good Shepherd Sunday. Both celebrations have been shaped and changed over the years. Good Shepherd Sunday got the name as we do read the passage from John 10 about Jesus the Good Shepherd, and Mother's Day has roots going back to Mothering Sunday in England. The establishment of Mother's Day in the United States was motivated by the recognition of the work of Ann Reeves Jarvis, Julia Ward Howe, and Anna M. Jarvis. These women worked for sanitary health care for soldiers and were advocates for peace during the Civil War. They imagined a union of mothers who would call for peace because mothers knew so deeply the loss of their children to war. Mothering and shepherding call for similar qualities of protection and care.
We continue celebrating Easter as we move into a month full of celebrations and transitions. I am looking forward to just hanging out with folks this Saturday night at our spaghetti dinner. You can find details about that in this email. Please mark your calendars for the annual Justice Knox Celebration on May 19 from 6:30 PM- 8:30 PM at First Presbyterian Church. We will have dinner and share stories about the next steps. You will also be asked to consider making an investment in the work of Justice Knox. I hope that you will consider giving to this important ministry.
Alleluia. Christ is risen. We celebrated the resurrection with so much joy this past Sunday. The Easter feast continues for 50 days. Thank you to everyone who made Holy Week and Easter Sunday so special. You helped people feel welcomed to this place where we proclaim the welcoming love of Christ in word, deed, song, Easter egg hunts, and something good to eat. We welcome others because we have known the love of Christ and want to share it.
Friends and Neighbors, As we journey through Holy Week, I encourage you to pause and consider those events that lead us to the joyful celebration of Easter. May that also be reflected in our lives. We walk through hard things and know that God is with us. We hold to the hope that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Friends and Neighbors, As the weather teases us with warm days followed by chilly ones, we enter Holy Week. You have probably heard me encouraging folks to experience the journey to the cross and the grave so we might celebrate the resurrection with that insight. God has shared this human experience and is with us in the darkness and the light. Our liturgies of Holy Week take us on that journey with Jesus and remind us that God is indeed with us on our own journeys.