Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm excited to let you know that we're just under halfway to reaching our goal of providing 100 bricks to "Rebuild our Church" in Haiti. We have placed 47 bricks in the Haiti stack in front of the altar in just a week. Thank you so much for your participation and visible acts of Grace! Let's see how many more bricks we can set upon the walls this Sunday. There are only 53 more left to offer in love to our Haitian friends. You can contribute by placing your cash gift in the red bucket near our altar, by writing a check and annotating "Rebuilding our Church" in the memo line or by giving on line.  

 

The Diocese of Southern Ohio is also about halfway in reaching its goal of raising $30,000 for Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-Au Prince. 

Let's continue to work with one another in bringing concrete hope to those who greatly need it.

 

 

You probably noticed that things were a little chilly in the church last Sunday. The fact is that Garyne Evans and Eugene Jacob discovered some serious problems with our heating system earlier in the weekend and regrettably had to turn the system off. Garyne intends to get the compressor to (partially) work this coming Sunday. He will also move some portable heaters into the worship space. That being said, it still may be a little colder than usual; so, plan on bringing an additional layer of clothing with you to remain comfortable.

This malfunction is indicative of our parish's need to improve the aging Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) System in our buildings. You will hear more about this initiative at next Sunday's Annual Meeting but it's important to know that your vestry was on the right track a couple of months ago when they decided to move forward with the  expensive but essential plans for installing a new HVAC system. The outcome will be the implementation and use of a more reliable and energy efficient heating/cooling system. We and our neighbors will be able to more fully and frequently use the worship space, Lu Dunn Hall, youth group and vestry rooms.

Please plan on attending the parish's Annual Meeting when we will discuss this important agenda item as well as the parish's 2012 budget. You'll also elect the parish's new wardens and vestry members. 

We will be posting a .pdf copy of the parish's annual report on St. James' website within the next couple of days. Contact Deborah in  the office if you want to receive an annual report by e-mail. electronically 

 

We still need some help with providing hospitality for families and students who will be applying for the federal government's Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) college financial assistance this coming Friday. 

There are 50 families signed up for the application process, evenly spaced throughout the day.  We need a small hospitality team on Friday morning (2-3 people for 2-3 hours each) to greet people, give them coffee and a snack, and tell them what computer lab to go to in order to complete their forms. The snacks are already taken care of for the morning and afternoon. Please contact Kathy Schaeffer or Ariel Miller if you're willing to support this worthy effort. 

CoreChangeCincinnati is an innovative, multi-cultural, and intensive effort to eliminate Cincinnati's most challenging urban problems. 

Civic leaders are gathering with one another to use appreciative inquiry and build community and individual relationships with one another to make our city safer and healthier.This Summit will take place on Feb. 17, 18,  and 19 at the Millennium Hotel in Cincinnati. It is free and attendees can participate at one or more sessions. Learn more on the website and register here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today is the Feast Day of Brigid of Kildair, a wonderful saint that few of us know much about.   This lovely, short video provides a hopeful outlook at the differences that girls and women like Brigid can accomplish. Enjoy!