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Vol. 22, No. 31                                                      Sep 15, 2022

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The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 18, 2022
8 am - Holy Eucharist – Rite I
9:15 am - Adult Christian Formation

10:30 am - Holy Eucharist – Rite II
10:30 am - Children Christian Formation


10:30 am service is streamed live at Youtube.com/c/stjamesknox

10:30 Service Booklet.pdf   Prayers & Gatherings.pdf    Prayer List.docx     September Newsletter

            
    
The Rev. John Mark Wiggers, Rector 
jwiggers@stjamesknox.org
        865-523-5687     

Dear Friends, 

I am enjoying these cooler mornings. So many things seem to crank up during this time of year. Football is in swing, the days are shorter, and pumpkin spice is in everything. We also start some new things at church and renew some familiar activities. We will have our picnic this Saturday, bless animals October 2, have a concert October 4, and there are so many other things happening. This is also the time of year when our various ministries and our finance committee plan our budget for the next year. 

You will be receiving a letter and a pledge card in the mail soon. You can bring those to a worship service on October 2, mail them in, or use online giving at www.stjamesknox.org . Your gifts help support our ministries. Our staff works hard to make ministries happen. Those ministries feed and tend God's sheep both inside and outside of the church. I am excited about building a youth ministry partnership with The Church of the Good Shepherd, creating more children's activities, continuing our work through Justice Knox, and exploring ways to connect and grow together. Thank you for considering what you can give. 

Take a close look at the announcements in this email. It is time to sign up for Neighbor Day (invite your friends and neighbors to check it out too.) Check out the opportunities for children, and a new adult formation offering. We have many opportunities to connect with one another, worship God, and serve Christ. 

Thank you for all the ways you give of your time, talent, and money. I am grateful for all the ways people serve at St. James. Our worship on Sundays, feeding our neighbors, and having the regular round of funerals and weddings happen because people like you serve in often unseen ways. Thank you. 

Peace, 
Fr. John Mark

OUR PAST . . .
 
100 YEARS OF MINISTRY - The special oral documentary being produced to commemorate our centennial has now successfully recorded and edited  close to 400 soundbites and stories shared by more than 20 members of our church family. "100 Years of Ministry at St. James" will feature these recorded voices as they reveal some of the history, impressions, ongoing work of our ministry over the years. We hope to have a beautifully edited 100-minute AUDIO file completed by the end of September. Parts of the finished documentary will be shared during our Neighbor Day Celebration (Sep/Oct) and during the Old North Knoxville Holiday Home Tour (Dec 3 & 4). 

Click the links below to listen to audio excerpts extracted from recent recorded interviews which are a part of this project. 

 
  1. Jane Clift - "Second Floor was the school" 0:37
  2. Marie Cantrell - "Why St. James" 1:18
  3. Theresa DeRosa - "Engaged as a Family" 1:08
  4. Sarah Rimer Moss - "Events" 0:55
  5. Beverly Wilcox - "Engagement"  1:02
BONUS TRACKS - Here are two additional "bonus" audio tracks recorded this week by Mary Muir using our Centennial Sentiments phone line. Please consider calling 865-357-0703 and sharing some of your sentiments.
 
THE PRESENT . . .
 
Psalm 71:3. Be my strong rock, a castel to keep me safe; you are my crag and my stronghold.
 
I have been attending Morning Prayer at my church over Zoom. It has been a wonderful addition to my morning routine, and our community has become a powerful source of encouragement and love. I love being able to really follow the lectionary and hear it read aloud every morning by one of my brothers and sisters in faith. Sometimes I write down passages from the day's readings and incorporate them into my prayers when the times come for our intercessions. This passage struck me recently during Morning Prayer. What a powerful metaphor it is for the rock-solid strength of God. Imagine enormous rocks, firmly fixed into the ground. I like this image of strength. It's so vivid! I also like that this psalm is both a metaphor and a request. I believe God is our strong rock, and I have asked God to be a strong rock and a castle to keep me safe. Thanks be to God for both. source: Forward Day by Day

PARISH FINALLY PICNIC - Rescheduled from July and celebrating 100 years of women's contributions, the St. Janes Episcopal Church Women will host the St. James Parish Family Picnic on Saturday, September 17 2022 at 11 am in the Parish Hall & Playground. Even if you previously signed up to attend, please register your plan to attend again.  The ECW will provide protein and beverages, with COVID safety in mind and there will be activities for the kids. Please let us know you're coming by calling the church office (865-523-5687). For more information, please click THIS LINK, see the September newsletter. or contact Kitty McNamara (865-310-3065) or Nancy Pullen (415-722-0139).

 
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN - St. James Neighbor Day Online Auction 2022 for our Outreach Ministries is ready to launch on Saturday, September 24, 2022. Participation is open to anyone who resides in the City and County. REGISTRATION is now open. Go to https://sjneighborday.com/registration/. Don't get left behind, register NOW!
 
MATCHING DONOR - At least one neighbor has generously offered to match the total amount raised during the  2022 St. James Neighbor Day Celebration & fundraising event up to $10,000. You can be a matching donor too! Simply contact Kevin or Drew at jeskepolyak@gmail.com and let us know the limit on the amount you will match. It can be hundreds of dollars, thousands of dollars, or tens of thousands of dollars! You can choose to be recognized as a matching donor or remain an "anonymous" matching donor. By becoming a matching donor, you help to significantly magnify the impact of all other donors, essentially doubling the amounts of the gifts they can contribute. So, for example, their $500 gift, (whether  a check written to the auction, or the winning bid on an auction item). becomes worth $1,000!

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY - Classes have begun again! Beginning last Sunday, September 11, two classes are available. Both classes are offered during the 10:30 am Service for youth ages 5-8 and pre-teens age 9-13. Contact our Children's Formation Coordinator, Theresa Russell for additional information, tde444@yahoo.com.


CHILDREN'S BACKPACKS - All are invited to our annual Blessings of the Backpacks to begin the school year just right. Bring the children's backpacks, your briefcase, or even a laptop. Join us Sunday, September 25, at the 10:30 am Service. It does not matter if you use a backpack for kindergarten, grammar school, high school, college or work, get a blessing for the upcoming year. Especially wishing all students and teachers a safe and blessed year.

 
FREE NEIGHBOR DAY CONCERT - St. James Episcopal Church, 1101 N. Broadway, invites you to a FREE Outdoor Concert, Tuesday, Oct 4, 6:00 pmSean McCollough will perform “Hear John Henry’s Hammer Ring—Moving Beyond Black and White Images of Appalachian Music.” With guitar, banjo, and mandolin, he will play and sing while demonstrating the history of Appalachian music, including British ballads and fiddle tunes, the story of the African banjo and Black string bands, coal mining songs, and contemporary Americana. Please bring your own chairs. Food trucks will be there, too! A Love Offering will be collected in support of St. James Outreach ministries in the North Knoxville community.  CLICK HERE to view, print, and/or share a stunning poster to help promote this event!
 

YOUTH EVENTS
- St. James Episcopal Church is in the process of developing a youth program that will re-energize the children and teen programs. In the meantime, St. James participates in The Episcopal Youth Community of the Diocese of East Tennessee, ETNyouth, a passionate and dedicated group of youth from over 50 worshiping communities throughout East Tennessee. This Fall, ETNYouth is holding great programs that may be of interest to you and your children. November 11-13, Happening #82, a spiritual awakening and renewal weekend for high school students, grades 9-12. November 18-20, College Retreat. All events are at Grace Point Camp.  For additional information review The Episcopal Youth Community website at this LINK. For information and assistance with scholarships, please contact Fr. John Mark Wiggers, jwiggers@stjamesknox.org.
 
YOUTH MINISTRIES LEADERSHIP MEETING - The Diocese of East Tennessee is calling all youth to apply to be a Youth Representative at the Province IV Youth Ministries Leadership and Network Meeting, December 1-4, 2022, at The Cathedral Domain, in Irving, KY. Three youth for the Diocese of East Tennessee will attend this conference to listen to one another, share ideas and develop ministry opportunities for Province IV which is made up of 20 dioceses in the Southeastern United States. Applications are due October 1, click this LINK for the application.
 
 
 
OUR FUTURE . . .
 
SPONSOR A CHAIR - Soon, our old pews will be replaced with new cathedral chairs which are being built especially for St. James. Each chair will be made from solid oak with a wood back and an upholstered seat. They will also have front & rear book racks along with comfortable kneelers. These chairs will offer much greater flexibility in seating arrangements. Five or six chairs aligned in a row and secured with ganging clamps will retain the look and feel of traditional pews. 

Family, friends, and organizations are invited to "sponsor" individual chairs by making a $500 cash contribution to St. James Episcopal Church specifically designated for this purpose. In exchange for your cash contribution, the backside of each chair you sponsor will be fitted with an engraved brass plate, (approximately 5" W x 2.5" H), commemorating your gift. The engraved message may memorialize a loved one, or recognize someone else of your choosing. The flexible arrangement of our new chairs in the Nave will ensure your thoughtfulness and the person(s) you memorialize will be noticed by a much wider audience than brass plates affixed to the ends of traditional stationary pews. 

Please click THIS LINK to access the form you may use to sponsor a chair and submit a payment. If you have additional questions about sponsoring one or more cathedral chairs, please contact kevin@stjamesknox.org or jwiggers@stjamesknox.org for more details.

OUR CENTENNIAL PRAYER
 
Lord Christ, the shepherd of the sheep, we give thanks for those
who have built up the work of St. James over the past 100 years.

Give us grace to continue in their faithfulness
by doing justice and mercy in this community.

Grant us generous hearts to support and build the resources
that will strengthen and continue our work of feeding and tending your sheep.

May we do all these things to your glory, you who reign with the Father and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
 



Visit sjNeighborday.com to browse this year's selection of auction items!
 
HAPPENINGS . . .
 

Fr. John Mark's Blog  https://stjamesknox.org/rector/
featuring insights and comment on various topics.

THURSDAYS

Thursday Study Group (Parish Hall and Zoom) 10 am - 11:15 am
Reading and discussing "The Inner work of Age Shifting from Role to Soul" by Connie Zweig , Ph.D.  
Contact: nepullen@gmail.com or call 415-722-0139 for the link.
  
Praying the Anglican Rosary (Zoom) 7 pm - 8 pm 
Cynthia Thornburg hosts 1 hour of praying the Anglican rosary.  All are welcome!
Meeting ID: 836 8961 2206 | rosary
Contact: cynthia.thornburg16@gmail.com or mbick7@gmail.com

SUNDAYS

Sunday Morning Christian Formation (Conf Room A)  9:15 am - 10:15 am
"Episcopal Basics" - S
ome of the basic distinctives about being Episcopalian. We'll start by taking a look at the Book of Common Prayer, then look at our liturgy and let the conversation be guided by your questions. If you have been around for a while or just looking to learn more about the Episcopal way, join us.

Sunday Morning Children's Formation 10:30 am
Two classes offered, Youth Group ages 5-8 and Pre-Teens ages 9-13
Contact: tde444@yahoo.com for additional information

New Class! Bible Study -- The Acts of the Apostles (Zoom)
Sundays, 6:00 pm, Beginning October 9.
The book of Acts tells the story of the followers of Jesus after his ascension as they live in the power of the Holy Spirit. Narrow escapes, jail breaks, a ship wreck, and more. Life with the Holy Spirit is exhilarating, dangerous, and rewarding, but never dull!
Contact: mariewcantrell@gmail.com for Zoom link
 
MONDAYS

Centering Prayer  (Zoom, or Library on second and fourth Monday)  6 pm - 7 pm 
Studying Radical Wisdom: A Feminist Mystical Theology by Beverly J. Lanzetta.
Zoom Link  Meeting ID: 813 3584 8679 | Pray

 
TUESDAYS

Tuesday Morning Discussion Group  (Zoom)  11 am - noon
Exploring current events in the light of our faith. Interested individuals are invited to join us via Zoom.
Meeting ID 816 8271 5668 and Passcode 481655.
Contact: mbick7@gmail.com, or call 865-384-7422 for assistance.

Tuesday Evening Prayer  (Zoom)  5:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Zoom Link Meeting ID: 884 2912 1929 Password: Pray
NOTE: Due to the Concert in the Parking Lot, Tuesday, Oct 4, Evening Prayer will be held in person, in the Chapel (no Zoom option will be available).

The Soul of the Indian  (Zoom)  6 pm - 7 pm 
"Black Elk Speaks" by John G. Neihardt - the story of Black Elk,
an Oglala Lakota medicine man.
Contact: rondmorton@gmail.com for link.
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We apologize for any errors or omissions that may have occurred in this publication at press time.
For questions related to any content, please contact referenced ministry leaders or email:  kevin@stjamesknox.org.

St. James Episcopal Church  1101 N. Broadway St.  Knoxville, TN 37917

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