Beginning July 7 through September 1 we will move services to 9:15am.   Sign-up sheets are posted in the narthex for set-up help throughout our summer weeks.  Please arrive at 8:30am to set up!

Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather so that you are comfortable during worship.  Temperatures at 85 degrees Farenheit or higher; humidity at 90% or higher; or heavy rain will send us back inside for worship.  Otherwise (even if it’s sprinkling!) we’ll stay in the pavilion.  It can get surprisingly cool and breezy, so bring a jacket or sweater just in case!

 

On June 11, the Consistory of St. James voted unanimously to begin the process of calling a “Covenant Minister” for the next phase of our congregation’s life.  10 members were present to vote, while 2 others who couldn’t attend had already expressed their support for this decision.

 

At the time of a pastor’s resignation, it is more common to call an Interim Minster; the interim would then immediately begin guiding the congregation through a search for a settled pastor.  An Interim Minister typically serves for 12-18 months (in healthy congregations with full-time ministry openings); and Interim Ministers expressly agree that they will not consider a settled call to the church they are serving.

 

However, the consistory has decided that a slightly different option, a Covenant Minister, is in the better interest of the congregation.  In this scenario, consistory will create a Covenant with a pastor, calling him or her to a longer term of service (about three years).  This pastor will initially focus on completing the Revitalization program in which we are currently active (and just beginning to enter the phase of congregational participation).  In 2014, as the Revitalization activities transition into a regular ministry of growth in our church, the Covenant Minister will then begin directing us through a pastoral search.  One significant difference: unlike an Interim, a Covenant Minister is permitted to be considered as a candidate for a settled pastorate.

 

The next step is for Consistory to begin interviewing available candidates for this position, with the intention of selecting someone as soon as possible, but while also taking time to find someone who will fit our congregation well.  If there is a gap between Pastor Rachael’s final Sunday and the selection of a Covenant Minister, supply pastors can fill in (just like when a pastor is on vacation).  The selection of the Covenant Minister, and the creation of the covenant, is up to the Consistory; but whenever a settled pastor is called, that decision will once again be by a vote of the congregation.

 

Our consistory members are prayerfully preparing to lead our congregation through this process with wisdom and care.  Please keep them, and our congregation’s future, in your prayers as well!

 

Quiet Days are held on the first Tuesday of each month from 9:30 am to 1 pm. Quiet Day for June will be June 4., July 1 and Aug. 6 , held at New Goshenhoppen UCC, 1070 Church Rd., East Greenville, PA 18041. Quiet Days are designed to open new avenues to communing with God, and to provide an opportunity for sharing faith journeys and stories. Each participant is asked to bring a Bible, journal, pen and a bag lunch. Come and see what God has in store for you! There is no formal registration, but a minimum donation of $5