PARISH NEWS - 30 October 2025
- stjamesdundas
- 19 hours ago
- 6 min read
SERVICES AND GATHERINGS THIS WEEK
SUNDAY, Nov 2nd – 10:00am – the Feast of All Saints
If you are unable to attend worship in person, the service is live streamed. For links to the service and the order of service please visit St. James at: stjamesdundas.ca or the St. James Facebook page.
The church office is open
Tuesday through Friday 10am – 2pm
Holiday Hope
St. James has a tradition of sending Holiday Hope gifts in large cloth bags. To make this happen, material is required for making the bags. The material can be Christmas themed or fun and kid friendly. If you have material to donate please give bring it to St. James for Jackie or Carleon. If you can help sew the bags, that’s even better! Detailed instructions are provided. Contact Jackie. Thank you!
Saturday Service Instruments
There is a need for rhythm instruments at both the Saturday service and the Sunday Service! If you have any to donate to the church please drop them off. Hand drums, tambourines, maracas would be greatly appreciated!
Gardening and Yard Clean Up
If you can spare half an hour or more, please consider helping with the gardens (the scatter garden especially needs some attention in the next few weeks). Any help is greatly appreciated. If you are interested, please contact Barry or the church office at stjamesdundas@outlook.com.
Canon Leslie will be away on vacation beginning Oct 19th, followed by a few days of study.
She will enjoy a time of rest and trail walking where the shores of Lake Huron & Georgian Bay meet in Tobermory followed by some Advent Study in Kingston. Leslie will return just in time for Halloween and Diocesan Synod.
Canon Peter Davison will cover pastoral emergencies.
St James' 49th Holiday House Tour December 6, 2025
Tickets will go on sale for the St. James' 49th Holiday House Tour next Saturday November 1st! Tickets may be purchased on the St. James' website, at the church or at ticket outlets in town. Please remind your friends and family to get their tickets early to support the good work of St. James', to do some early Christmas shopping and to tour five beautifully decorated Dundas homes.
Volunteer sign-up sheets will be in the Narthex on Sunday October 26th. There are a variety of jobs to select from including but not limited to being a greeter at one of the homes, kitchen help, pouring tea, baking apple pies and cookies and setting up the sales areas. Committee members will be in the narthex to help you find a position that suits you best. Our volunteers enjoy themselves and many opt to return year after year to be a part of such a great event. The House Tour poster with details is attached to this e-blast.
Please share the poster on your social networks and with community groups. Hard copies of the poster are also available if you know a good spot with high traffic to advertise. Thank you in advance for giving of your time and energy to support this very important annual fundraiser for St. James'.
House Tour Cookie Baking
It’s that time of year again when an ambitious group of women get together to bake cookies to be sold at the St James House Tour! We meet on 2 Wednesday mornings in November in the church kitchen to create most of the delicious Christmas cookies that for many years our people have come to expect and enjoy!If you like to bake, we would love to have you join us! Alternatively, if you prefer to bake at home and would like to donate some special Christmas Cookies, they would be very much appreciated! Either way, I look forward to hearing from you! Norma.
Mission to Seafarer’s Collection
Men’s clothing and footwear is now being collected for the Mission to Seafarer’s. Men’s clothing and footwear in gently used condition can be placed in the bin at the parking lot entrance. The bin will be there until November 17. If you have questions, contact Terese or Sue.
BELONGINGS NEWSLETTER!
Please submit articles and pictures for the newsletter to Dana. The cut-off date for the Advent edition of ‘Belonging’ is October 31st. Late articles will be included in the first edition of 2026.
St. James will again dole out treats in front of the church on Halloween night. Melville St. is a popular area for trick-or-treaters and a great opportunity to engage with them.
Donations of Halloween Candy can be dropped off during office hours or given to the Wardens on Sunday.
Afterthoughts
“Afterthoughts” will launch its new season (4th Sunday of each Month: October to June) this upcoming Sunday. “Afterthoughts” is an opportunity to share in conversation and reflect further on your experience of the liturgy. This will be a focused conversation sharing what impacted you during the service whether through music, readings, homily, prayers or eucharist. The gathering will be held after church, in the Parlour, and is open to those attending next Sundays service.
If you have questions, please contact Ann.
50 Years Celebration St Matt’s
From bell bottoms to broadband to a name change, we’ve seen it all — and now it’s time to celebrate St. Matt’s and its 18,250 days of community building. On Thursday, November 27, 2025 we’re gathering with our donors, volunteers, neighbours, and the wider community to celebrate 50 years of community impact at St. Matt’s. Co-hosted by community leader, entrepreneur and board member of Hamilton Chamber of Commerce Lohifa Pogoson Acker and legendary local musician, author, playwright and activist Tom Wilson, this is sure to be a night to remember with food stations inspired by the decades, spectacular visual and spoken-word storytelling, great music from throughout the years, and good vibes all around. BUY TICKETS HERE!
15th Annual Winter Coat and Boot Drive
Coats, boots, Sleeping bags, and blankets are taken to downtown Hamilton churches and agencies where they can be accessed free of charge for people in need of them.
151 Synod of Diocese of Niagara November 1, 2025
"Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee" is the theme for the 151st Synod of the Diocese of Niagara, as chosen by Bishop Susan Bell. Its theme is inspired by a classic hymn highlighting the important diocesan priorities regarding vocations, leadership, and faith formation. All of which are articulated in our renewed diocesan Mission Action Plan, which continues to focus us on the many opportunities God is calling us to life and compelling us to love. It’s also an especially fitting theme for a Synod that will take place on the Feast of All Saints, November 1. The Synod this year will be virtual, with members gathering via Zoom to consider essential matters during a half-day session.
Throughout the Synod, as reports and presentations are considered, members will pray and reflect on this theme alongside a refreshed diocesan Mission Action Plan. The Synod of the Diocese of Niagara is the legal governance body (established by statute of the Legislature in the Province of Ontario) with responsibility for the ministry of the Anglican Church of Canada within its diocesan boundaries. Ignited by the irresistible love of Jesus, and guided by the Holy Spirit, at Synod, we seek to discern God's mission as we pray, listen, discuss, and work at being the Church, under the leadership of our bishop.
MONDAY AFTERNOON GAMES – First and third Monday of the month from 1.30-4pm, in the Parlour. Everyone is invited to participate, ladies or gentlemen. Any questions, please speak with Jill.
Tuesday Evening Prayer
The Tuesday evening prayer group has evolved. We are now meeting in a hybrid format. You are welcome to join on Tuesday evening at 6:15 in the parlour at St. James, or through Zoom at the same time. If you would like to join via Zoom, please email Dana on Tuesdays by 4:00pm to receive the Zoom meeting link. The meeting is a combination of prayer and discussion of either a devotional or a passage from scripture. We look forward to welcoming you.
WEDNESDAY – COMPLINE – 9:15 p.m.
Compline is a short service of night prayer. The heart of Compline is the recitation of several psalms. There is a short reading from scripture, intercession, and time for reflection. It is a beautiful way to close out an active day. Compline is offered by St. James’ through Facebook to bring the community together. If you cannot join live, the service is available afterwards on St. James’ Facebook channel.
Upcoming Events & Important Dates
Nov 1 Diocesan Synod
Nov 2 Parish Council Meeting
Nov 7 Messy Church Open House
Nov 15 Saturday Service & Supper
Nov 16 Messy Church
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