Church Family,

I pray that your week is blessed and that you are being encouraged. This past Sunday, we were in the second week of our sermon series titled "This Is Us," where we focused on the first three core values of our five core values:

1. To honor God

2. To pray first

3. To live in community

I pray that you are honoring God in your life by your time and by how you carry yourself each and every day. Always honor and value prayer in your life. Just like the sermon said this past Sunday, don't let your first response be anxiety or worry or even depression, but allow it to be prayer. Let prayer be your first response, not your last resort.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

—Philippians 4:6–7 NKJV

Lastly, Sunday’s sermon focused on the importance of living in community. I pray that if you're not already involved in a small group or a Sunday School class, you would take the first step by visiting a class this coming Sunday. I pray that you would be one of those testimonies I shared on Sunday, proclaiming that you're so glad you did. "To truly be a family of God, we must strive to cultivate a sense of community among ourselves."

Church family, as you know, this coming Sunday will be Dana's first Sunday to lead in the interim contemporary worship leader position. "We are still seeking a permanent candidate to fill that position, so please keep this in your prayers as we continue our search."

Also, this coming Wednesday, we are planning to have the barbecue we had to reschedule due to the rain. It's looking like there is rain in the forecast, but we will still have our barbecue indoors if it does rain. I look forward to seeing you this coming midweek.

Lastly, I look forward to this coming Sunday, as we will continue our series "This Is Us" and focus on the remaining core values of our church: making disciples and serving gladly.  Verna will be moving to Danville, Kentucky, and we want to send her there with all our love and appreciation for her service and friendship to St. James and us. We will have refreshments, and there will be a basket in the family life center to drop off encouragement letters or cards for Mrs. Verna from 10:15 to 10:45 am.

Attention, Church Family!

We’re excited to remind you about our Food Drive for our Blessing Box!

Please consider bringing non-perishable and canned goods to support our community. You can drop off your donations in one of two convenient locations:

• Blessing Box: Located on the side of the church.


• Mission’s Area: Just down the hallway past the church office on the right.

Thank you for your generosity and support in helping us bless those in need!

Below, I have included some areas where we still 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.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Brandon