Church Family,

This past Sunday, we launched our new series, “This Is Us,” focusing on Ephesians 2:19–22. The sermon highlighted the church as the body of Christ, uniting us beyond denominational and ethnic lines, and reminded us of our citizenship in God's Kingdom. We celebrated St. James Methodist Church's growth over the past year and its commitment to fostering relationships and embodying Christ's love. The message encouraged us to reflect on our identity as citizens of God's Kingdom, with Christ as our cornerstone. We also shared a vision for the year ahead, including service projects and prayer initiatives, reinforcing our mission of "A Heart For The Shoals." Ultimately, the sermon called us to actively engage in church life, recognizing our unique contributions to our collective faith journey.

I look forward to this coming Sunday, as we will examine the core values of our church to reinforce our mission to be a church with a heart for the shoals. As you know, Will Claytor, our worship leader for the first service this coming Sunday, will be in that role for his last Sunday. We have enjoyed having Will and his family, and it saddens me that he will be leaving, but I am also excited for the plans God has for them in the days ahead. We will have a basket in the family life center where you can also drop him a note of encouragement. We have been seeking someone to fill that role and are still looking. Dana will be leading as an interim until we fill that position.

Tonight is a big night for our church as we will reveal the new logo and branding.

Reminder: tonight, for our meal, we will have a spaghetti fundraiser to support our youth and the summer mission trip to Alaska. The meal tonight will be a love offering, so no prepayment is needed. We will have plenty, so if you did not get the chance to sign up ahead of time, know that you are still encouraged to come.

Lastly, I would like to encourage those who are ready to take the next step to become members of St. James. If that is you, I would like to encourage you to sign up for our next steps class this Sunday, after the traditional service, in the family life center. We will be providing lunch and would love to have you join us.

Below, I have included some areas where we need help at our church.

Find Your Place To Serve!

Serving Needs

  • Placing the Welcome Flags out each Sunday and taking them down after Sunday services.

  • The Security Team provides security on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. This is a team we established this year, and we need several new team members.

  • The media team has needs - sound, computer slides, camera operators, and a streaming facilitator.

To take the next step and begin serving at St.James, visit the links below.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Brandon