C
We need volunteers
in these areas:
Station Leader
teach the material
to the crews
Elementary Crew Leader
rotate with Elementary
(1st-5th) crews through
the stations
Pre-School Crew Leader
rotate with the
Pre- School
(Pre K4 & K) crews through
the stations
Youth Leader
(6th-12th grade) Community
Service hours granted
Volume 40 - Issue 4
Vacation Bible School needs you!
Cave Quest VBS will be filled with incredible
Bible learning experiences that kids will see,
hear, touch, and even taste! Sciency-fun Gizmos,
team-building games, cool Bible songs, and tasty
treats are just a few of the Cave Quest activities
that help faith flow into real life. Plus, we’ll help
kids discover how to see evidence of God in
everyday life - something we call God Sightings.
Our kids will also participate in a mission project
supporting our mission efforts in Guatemala.
What you need to know...
We can’t do this without you. We anticipate
having over 450 children here at St. James
during VBS - what a gift! And we need your
help. Therefore, parent participation is required.
Pick up your form today at the Welcome Center
desk, and sign up for one or more of the many
opportunities for you as a parent, grandparent or
guardian to share of your time or talents. There
are many things that need to be done prior to
the week of VBS, so working parents will have
the opportunity to get involved as well. We
appreciate your understanding and willingness
to be a part of this program. Of course, for
those of you with the youngest children, there is
Complimentary Childcare (Birth-2) available for
VBS volunteers while they volunteer.
Please email Sarah Owen, Director of Nursery
Ministries, at [email protected] to reserve
your daycare spot today.
Registration
Before & during VBS week
Decorations
Prior to VBS week
Sign up to volunteer by
contacting Sean Dunbar,
Director of Children’s
Ministries, at 217-6744 or
[email protected].
Or visit our Welcome Center
desk and pick up a form.
May 2016
Click the “St. James Online”
button at the top of the page.
ADVENTURE
Children’s Day Camp
August 8-12 • 8:00am - 5:00pm
Grades 1st-6th
FOR
THE
CITY
Register at www.campeagle.com/city. Scholarships are available.
We are blessed here at St. James in that many of our kids are
fortunate enough to be able to attend summer camp. The benefits our
children reap are many:
1. Instill Great Values in Cool Ways
Research from the fields of education and psychology has
consistently shown that the core values of young people, and
consequently their own worldview, are formed in their adolescent
years. Kids may not even know why they believe what they believe,
but they believe it, nonetheless!
In other words, values and beliefs are caught, and not necessarily
taught. A well run youth program will have staff members who not
only teach great lessons about God and about life, but they will
model these lessons in the ways they care for kids and serve them.
Many people will tell you that the love and care of counselors made
a profound difference in their lives growing up.
2. Help Kids Own their Faith
A lot of church programs are run on the same model school
classes are taught. Kids hear teachings and new information, there
may be some short discussion, and then they are on their way to
other things.
But, a well-run youth Christian camp allows many opportunities
for kids to get some alone time with God. These times are typically
brief enough to be age-appropriate, but the key is to allow young
people to “own” their faith by actually practicing some of the basic
spiritual disciplines and not simply being a student in a Sunday
school classroom.
3. Allow Young People to Create Great Relationships
When young people interact with new friends who share their
beliefs, talk openly about them, and live a life that sincerely involves
God, their own faith can grow greatly. One common meaning of the
word discipleship that is found in the scriptures is to “rub off on
something.”
Discipleship, in the Bible, doesn’t mean getting lots of sermons
or hearing Bible lessons, it literally means that a person can rub off
on others as they seek to disciple them. In other words, those who
were discipled actually became like the one who discipled them.
When young people are mentored by camp staff members or by
other peers who take them under their wing, amazing things can
happen.
However, many children are unable to experience this because of
the rising investment, parental work schedules or a reluctance to be
away from each other for an extended period of time. This summer,
St. James is aiming to make camp more accessible to children in our
community so that every child can experience Christ-like change
through outdoor adventure, authentic relationships and Biblical
truth.
Page 2
St. James believes it is important to invest in children, to teach
them the love of Christ and help them learn they are created in
God’s image. Our hope is that this day camp helps make Christ the
cornerstone of their lives now, so they’ll grow up to be Godly men
and women who proclaim the Gospel with boldness and grace.
The fun begins at 8am each morning starting Monday, August
8th, the last week before school begins, and running all week through
Friday, August 12. Adventure for the Cityers will experience just
about everything traditional away camps have to offer – from rock
climbing to archery tag to soaking-wet water activities – supervised
by the world’s most energetic counselors. For one week, they’ll
worship with friends, explore God’s unchanging Word and learn
what it means to be a kid who follows Christ. The fun ends at 5pm
with free time and parent pick up.
3 WAYS YOU CAN HELP:
1. We want to be able to maximize our outreach and partnership
with our community to offer scholarships for children to attend
this exciting camp. We have set a goal of 10 scholarships for our
first year. The leadership of Adventure in the City will match our
scholarships should we reach 10 and allow us to send 20 deserving
children that wouldn’t normally be able to go. Should your family
be willing to donate all or part of a $205 scholarship, please contact
me directly.
2. We need to host up to 24 college aged students that will be
our staff during this tremendous week. St. James needs to provide
enough housing for all of these staffers, with a minimum of
3 individuals per household. These incredible young adults will
arrive the Saturday evening before camp starts and leave the
Saturday morning after camp. Host homes should provide breakfast
Sunday-Saturday, and dinner 4 of the 7 nights they are there. While
this time at their host home will be relaxing and rejuvenating, it
is not a time for them to go off the clock. Instead, they desire that
this time be intentional and Christ-centered. It will be a time for
the young disciples to live alongside their host families, have bible
studies, play games, and pour into those relationships in the family
continuing to instill a solid foundation in Christ. Please let me know
if you are able to host our camp helpers.
3. Help me promote this camp with your friends and contacts
though social media or by taking them physical brochures
available in the Children’s Area.
I am super excited to help children that don’t already know how
awesome St. James is to learn that we have a place for them to
dream, explore, discover and belong. Thanks for your help!
Sean Dunbar, Director of Children’s Ministry
217-6744
May 2016 Connection
St. James News
St. James welcomes
new employee
Donna Sharp joins
the church staff this
month as Finance
Administrator.
She
and
her
husband, Max, have
been members of the
Transitions
Sunday
School class for two
DONNA SHARP
years and attend the
Vertical Event worship service.
Donna is originally from Kansas but
has called Little Rock home for most of
her adult life. She and her husband love
to go bicycling, walk the trails around
Arkansas, and travel when they get the
time.
They have two grown children, Shelby
and Michael.
St. James Learning Center
Announces Pre-K Graduates
St. James Learning Center is proud to
announce 20 graduates from the Pre-K
4-year-old classes this year! These
students have worked very hard all year
long and are ready for the big move
to Kindergarten next year! Help us
congratulate these students on a job well
done and wish them well as they move on
from the Learning Center. Their names are:
Emma Anderson
Mia Badeaux
Jacob Bitely
Molly Bittle
Jackson Cobb
William Eaton
Isabella Franco
Liam Heringer
Tanner Hiller
Shep McMillan
Back row: Bob Baxter, Margaret Dawson, Philip Sherwin Second row: David Henry, Mary Waldo,
Teresa Bodie, Martha Taylor Front row: Susan Hiller facilitator, Patricia Jernigan, Tanya Buchanan,
Pauletta Baxter, Paula Bumpass, Jim Gibbons, Jenny Smith facilitator.
Community of Hope Chaplains Commissioning
On Saturday, April 9 during the worship service
twelve people were commissioned as Community of
Hope Lay Chaplains. This year’s trainees came from
several denominations, St. Andrews Anglican Church,
St. Peters Episcopal Church, Fellowship North, St.
Mark’s Episcopal, St. Margaret’s Episcopal, and St.
James UMC. These folks completed their training
and internship and can now help provide pastoral care
assistance in their own churches.
Darlene Harrison was honored as Lay Chaplain of
Jenny Smith, Director of Congregational the Year for 2015 at the January 16, Community of
Care, presents Darlene Harrison with
Hope Retreat. Darlene has volunteered her services
the Lay Chaplain of the Year Award.
at Woodland Heights and Fox Ridge, she also serves
communion to those who are homebound and helps with administrative duties for Community
of Hope. Thank you Darlene and to all who serve as Lay Chaplains in this ministry.
Lark Moore
Haley Ragland
Amelia Riesco
Madelyn Risner
Lauren Short
Laila Smith
Kade Weathersby
Nickie Weng
Stella Youngbauer
For
more
information
on
the
Pre-K program, contact Amy Morledge at
217-6740 or [email protected].
May 2016 Connection
Page 3
Youth Spring Break Mission Trip
Senior High Youth
do good in New York City
The Youth stopped for a photo at the General Board of Global Ministries: pictured are from left back: Collier Byrd, Kevin Holley,
Brett Cooper, Alan Byrd, Jay Godfrey (seminar facilitator) Jack Ramey, Dena (Guest Speaker), Dennis (Guest Speaker),
DeVonda Byrd, Lillie Byrd, and Brandon Bates, Youth Director.
Our week began as we served in West Harlem at the NYC
Foodbank, preparing breakfast, cutting up over 100 pounds of sweet
potatoes and onions for lunch, and restocking shelves for their food
pantry, which is set up like a grocery store for people to shop for
their family’s needs.
The next day we spent in West Harlem again with the seminar
program through the Women’s Division of the UMC, learning
about economic justice. We heard from Dennis and Dena, who
had varying circumstances that led them to be homeless and how
they overcame it. It was a reminder that sometimes bad decisions
have repercussions but also how things beyond our control can
completely change the trajectory of our lives. We also learned about
how poor and minority neighborhoods like Harlem are polluted
much more heavily (it deals with much more pollution than the rest
of Manhattan) and often treated differently by civic leaders (placing
of pollution causing projects in Harlem) and private institutions
(who have bought property and allowed it to run down to more
easily get what they want).
Wednesday we served on Staten Island, taking the Ferry over and
passing the Statue of Liberty, as we worked on a home that suffered
damage from Hurricane Sandy. We put up dry wall and did caulking
on a basement that was gutted and repaired. Habitat helped these
people after the money they received for home repairs had to go to
hospital bills for the wife, who was fighting cancer. She had been
ill for quite some time and was on hospice and sadly passed away
while we served at their home.
Thursday we went to Queens to do some ‘invisible’ type work
of caulking, sealing, and putting primer on the walls of house. A
Page 4
family is ready to move into this space which will help with the
neighborhood.
Our last day of work in NYC took us to Governors Island, which
is closed until May. We helped with Earth Matter, learning about
caring for the environment as they grow vegetables and recycle,
compost, and reuse. We sifted compost, gathered eggs from
chickens, salvaged greens, planted seeds, and did manual tasks for
the organization.
We learned about composting and reusing old food scraps to
help grow new things on Governors Island, which itself is being
repurposed and reused as a park, for environmental awareness, and
for educational purposes.
We experience death and resurrection throughout the week in
many ways:
• In Harlem, as local leaders are trying to prevent the death of
their community as they try to resurrect businesses and housing.
• Hearing speakers share about hopeless and tragic situations
throughout their lives as they were homeless and how they have
been able to finally overcome it all and maintain stable lives.
• Seeing homes on Staten Island that had recovered from
Hurricane Sandy, the passing away of one of the homeowners at
the house on Staten Island. We saw it in the home we worked on in
Queens, which had caught fire over 20 years ago and just sat there
as a blight on the neighborhood until Habitat took it over to rebuild.
We went to the World Trade Center memorial and while there we
saw that a temporary memorial for those lives lost in Brussels was
set up at the ‘survivor tree’, which was the only tree to have made it
through the destruction at the World Trade Center.
May 2016 Connection
Youth Spring Break Mission Trip
“I thought the trip went really well. For us I thought we did
a lot more than the people we worked with thought we could
do with our group. That’s probably where I saw Christ was
through each other and how we worked. There wasn’t really
any complaints toward anyone which made the trip all the
better. We made a difference in helping out families in need
such as building and prepping the homes at the Habitat sites. I
can take a new perspective on people and how everyone has a
story to tell whether they realize it or not. For me I used to not
think I have a story that could influence people but now I have
some idea of what mine could be. It was very impactful for
me to hear Dennis and Dena as they shared about their lives
before, during, and after being homeless.” ~ Lillie
“This week was a great eye opening week. I saw
Christ through the stories we heard from Dennis
and Dena told of how we should think of a homeless
person and how they might have become homeless.
What I can take home from this trip is don’t just judge
a book by its cover. I say this because of what we
saw and heard and also how the people we worked
with thought we wouldn’t do much since we are teens
but we surprised them and how we shouldn’t judge a
homeless person also.” ~ Collier
“I really liked the work we did this
week. I thought the people we met
were really great in being helpful and
accommodating, whether it was Francis,
who we met at the Queens Habitat for
Humanity site or it was Syed or Frederick
at EarthMatter on Governors Island. Or
it was Simon from the first day of Habitat
for humanity. I saw God through these
people who helped make our experiences
working with them and in different areas
of New York unique. I think this made
a difference with me as it gave me a
different perspective than what I am used
to, New York is an entirely different place
then Little Rock, Arkansas.” ~ Jack
May 2016 Connection
We also were able to attend Mass
at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, go to the
Museum of Modern Art, Grand
Central Station, Rockefeller Plaza,
Central Park, and Times Square
“I saw Christ the most on the last day at lunch
when we all came together with the workers at Earth
Matter on Governors Island to eat lunch and shared
food and laughed with each other. I think we did a
lot of work and I’m impressed with the amount of
stuff we got done this week, I’m glad my last mission
trip was a good one with fun people.” ~ Brett
Page 5
Announcements
financial footnote
Annual Ministry Fund
Giving
Expenses
March
$247,837
$253,272
2016
$702,974
$733,766
www.StJamesLR.org/giving
Page 6
May 2016 Connection
St. James Art Gallery
Painter Anne Kocinski featured in Art Gallery
Children’s Mission Camp
July 6-9, 3rd-6th grade
Camp Sequoyah Missions Camp in
Fayetteville will provide church teams
opportunities for service, fellowship, worship,
and recreation both on and off of the Mount
Sequoyah campus. We are pleased to partner
with Destination: Mission of the Arkansas
Conference Council on Children’s Ministries
of the United Methodist Church. The theme for
the week is Heroes and is based on Philippians
4:13, “I can do all this through him who gives
me strength”.
The cost is $175/camper, $30/adult and
we will leave from St. James at 12:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 6 and return after breakfast on
Saturday, July 9. We will provide snacks along
the way. This is for kids 3rd-6th grade plus
adults.
Contact Sean Dunbar at sean@stjames-umc.
org or 217-6744 to register by June 15. Each
team needs to have one adult for every 4 kids.
May 2016 Connection
Anne Darby Kocinski was born and raised in Little Rock. She
began her art career as a child studying with Betty Dorch Russell.
She attended Little Rock Central High School and was elected
to attend the creative art study group by Helen Terry Marshall.
She has attended Webster Junior College in Washington, D.C.,
majoring in Art, the University of Arkansas with an emphasis in
Art and Architecture, and New York School of Interior Design
with a major in Art.
Her retail store in the Heights, “Cabbage Rose,” features
interior design and antiques. She has also designed Christmas trees
ANNE KOCINSKI
(having the top-winning tree for three years at CARTI) and hats for
the Arkansas Derby in Hot Springs.
Anne work can be seen at the Local Colour Gallery in Little Rock.
Her show will run through the second week in August here at St. James. To purchase
a painting or if you’re interested in showing in the St. James Art Gallery, contact Bill
Burgin at 258-0229.
Paintings, top: Provence, $795, left: Flowers
from the Garden, $650, and Montana, $600.
Page 7
Join Us...
321 Pleasant Valley Drive
Little Rock, AR 72212
(501) 217-6700
Saturday
5:30 Casual Worship (Cokesbury) in Sanctuary
8:30
9:30
10:55
10:55
Sunday
Traditional Worship (Weekly Communion) in Sanctuary
The Journey (Contemporary) in Worship Center
Traditional Worship in Sanctuary
Vertical Event (Contemporary) in Worship Center
PERIODICALS
Gifts for Publication
through May 10
In Memory of:
• BenFrybySusanHestir.
• DorothyMortonbyZenaideLyon,Constance
Gaffigan&JeffMorton,andFaith&Charlie
Coles.
• CarolBrummettbyJuneGlasier,
• JoHolt,StuartHolt,&ColleenHolt,Jean
Whipple,andJo&HarryLeggett.
• John Elliott by Susan Hestir and Sara & Jay Lang.
• Dr.GeorgeGillianbyWilliamCulp,JamesKyser,
GlyndaTarpley,ForumClass,BrigetteRabitsch,
Dr.JohnPike,Sandra&MorrisMcLeod,
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Audrey&GerryRiser,GeorgeMcClain,Tommie
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Debin, Darlene Giffin, Susan & John Meador,
Carolyn&LewisBracy,MaryJanePatton,Betty
&JerryMabry,Mr.&Mrs.JohnGardner,Dale
&JohnCook,Ann&JimIvey,DorothyAldridge,
Kenda Treadway, Wilma Kirk & Family, Sara &
JayLangandMargiePayne.
In Honor of:
• TheVerticalEventBand
To the Endowment Fund:
• InmemoryofCarolBrummettbyEvelyn
Keirnan,JoycePeck,andtheAgapeSunday
SchoolClass.
• In memory of Dr. Bill Cloud, Dr. George Gillian,
CarolynJones,MelissaGriffithStanley,andBen
FrybyJoycePeck.
• InmemoryofJohnElliottbyCarol&Byron
Schriver.
• InmemoryofKeithJerniganbyJoycePeck,and
PatsyPenney.
• InmemoryofDorothyMortonbyJoycePeck,
Col. Henry Bielefeld, and the Agape Sunday
SchoolClass.
• InmemoryofShirleyFotioobyCol.Henry
Bielefeld.
To the Thompson Scholarship Fund:
• InmemoryofCarolBrummett,FeeDickey,Jr.,
andDr.GeorgeGillianbyMarthaLynn&Felix
Thompson.
• In memory of Melissa Griffith Stanley by Amy
Tackett.
To Caring Hands:
• InhonorofSuzannePerrinebyNormaJean&
Robert Langford.
To the Music Fund:
• InhonorofAnn&JimIveyandRev.Sieg&
SherryJohnsonbyPamSawyer.
• In memory of Dr. George Gillian by Joyce &
JamesFaulkner.
To the Share Fund:
• InmemoryofBenFrybyAnn&Stephen
Rowell.
To Technology Needs in the Worship Center:
• InmemoryofBenFrybythePioneerSunday
SchoolClass.
5/13/16 Volume 40 - Issue 4
The Connection (USPS 015-584) is published monthly by
St. James United Methodist Church,
321 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock, AR 72212-3199.
Editor: Debbie Kelly (501) 217-6700. Periodicals Postage is PAID at Little Rock, AR.
POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to The Connection,
321 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock, AR 72212-3199.
The St. James Endowment Committee
wishes
Happy Birthday!
to the following people:
March Birthdays
April Birthdays
Helena Akers
Marsha Chambers
Laura Smith
Christ Stratton
Kevin Keith
Brandon Pittman
Join us by supporting the St. James Endowment Fund by gifting $1
for each year of your age on the first Sunday of your birthday month!
The mission of the St. James UMC Endowment Fund is to endow and support in the maintenance, welfare, and improvement
of the buildings, property, and ministries of the church with the interest earned from a protected capital fund. Your gift will help
grow the principal in the Fund. For more information on the Endowment Fund or if you would like to consider naming the St.
James Endowment Fund in your will or trust, please contact the Endowment Committee at [email protected].