Monthly Newsletter and Events

We put the “new” and the “news” in “newsletter”! There is a lot happening at St. James this fall. What follows is a summary of some of the many ways we are living our mission as an Episcopal church: to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ (The Book of Common Prayer 1979, page 855).

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Our annual Homecoming Festival is 10 days away! We will gather in the Education Building on Sunday, September 20 from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM. Food, drink, fun people, face painting, and activities for kids will be present. Speaking of food: it’s not too late to sign up to bring something to share. Check out the bulletin board in the narthex to see what refreshments are already committed. Contact Marcie Venella at Mbvcooks@gmail.com or Lisa Pettit at lnp001@comcast.net if you have any last-minute questions.

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The next parish Clean-up Day will be held on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 8:30 AM until 12:00 PM. We will focus on cleaning up and planting on our property in preparation for Homecoming. Also, we will have some indoor cleaning chores in case you're not into outdoor work. The Current forecast for Saturday the 19th is for partly cloudy skies and a high of 77 degrees Fahrenheit. BEAUTIFUL!! So, if you can spare an hour, or two hours, or the whole morning, show up any time on the 19th! If you have any questions or comments, contact Barry Hitchen via cell: 215-850-2114 (for calls or texts) or via email (bhitchen47@gmail.com).

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Are you a woman interested in prayer and contemplation in community? Women Connecting invites women to come together for spiritual refreshment, sharing our coping and hoping strategies during these uncertain times. The next gathering is set for Saturday, September 19, 9:30 AM until 12 noon at Trinity Episcopal Church in Buckingham. Please RSVP (or send your questions) to the Rev. Lisa Keppler (poetpotterpriest@gmail.com).

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The Bucks County Chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Health (NAMI) will be hosting a festival and Stride Walk fundraiser at 1:00 pm on Sunday, October 4, 2026 at Warminster Community Park (350 East Bristol Road). You can volunteer to walk and/or you can donate to the St. James “team.” Check out the attached link: https://give.gofundme.com/stride2026. At 1:00 PM, registration begins. There will also be raffle prizes, food trucks, and guest speakers. The official walk time is 2:30 PM. There is a three-mile walking track and also a one-mile course. If you have questions, do not hesitate to reach out to Kathy Coon at kcoonpa@gmail.com.

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The James Gang meets on Tuesday, October 13 at Jake’s Eatery, 49 Cambridge Lane (just off Richboro Road) in Newtown beginning at noon. BYOW (bring your own wallet). This is a simple gathering for social time over lunch. RSVPs are helpful: contact Chris Parker cprk210@aol.com.

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St. Mark’s ministry, part 1: from soup to dessert – As fall returns, many of us start to think of the soup we at St. James make for St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Center City. We learned recently that, over the summer, a group of St. Mark’s parishioners began gathering on Thursday to make the weekly soup recipe in a sufficient amount to feed the soup bowl patrons. Now that St. Mark’s congregation makes its own soup supply, they have told us that we can be most helpful by providing “sweet treats” instead of soup. So, beginning with our October 17 visit, we'll be asking for brownies and bags of individually wrapped candy. A sign-up sheet will be posted in a few weeks. The sweet treat will change with each visit, so stay tuned. (Visit dates for the rest of the year: the Saturdays of October 17, November 14, and December 5.)

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St. Mark’s ministry, part 2: blessing bags – This fall, the youth group will be filling "Blessing Bags" to deliver to St. Mark’s. They are asking for the following personal items: small or travel-sized shampoo, body wash or bar soap, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, tissues, toothpaste, deodorant (regular-sized deodorant is fine), toothbrushes, hand warmers, and lip balm. St. Mark’s can also use 1-gallon zip-lock storage bags. There will be a container at the Homecoming festival on Sunday the 20th for your donations. Thank you for your support of this important ministry.

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All Saints Day is an ideal time for the sacrament of Baptism. This year, All Saints Day (always November 1) falls on a Sunday. It also marks the end of daylight saving time, so 10:15 AM will feel like 11:15 AM. If you or someone you know is interested in a Sunday Baptism, contact the church office or Father Sean directly.

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Mark your calendar for Langhorne Harvest Day: Saturday, October 24 from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM. Langhorne Borough closes West Maple Avenue for craft vendors, local businesses, non-profit organizations, food trucks, and live music. This year, St. James Church will have a table in the festival that we will share with our Preschool. We’ll have giveaways and promote our great church. Stay tuned for more information about how you can help us be more visible in the community.

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Holy Cross Retreat in 2027 – St. James has reserved rooms at the Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, New York on the following dates: Friday, April 16 through Sunday, April 18, 2027. We accept reservations on a first-come, first-serve basis. Contact Edith in the church office for pricing and registration information.

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Sunday school is back – Classes for ages 5-ish to 12-ish will be on the following Sundays during the 10:15 AM service: September 20, October 3 and 18, November 1 and 15, and December 6, 13, and 20; the December classes will be rehearsals for the Christmas pageant. Alyssa Toth will be our teacher this semester. If you have any questions, contact her at AlyssaLToth@gmail.com.

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Kid-friendly services feature simple hymns, a homily for children, and kid-pleasing refreshments during coffee hour. The services are scheduled for 10:15 AM on the Sundays of September 27, October 25, and November 22. Bring your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, cousins… you get the idea.

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As a non-profit organization, our business meetings are open to the public. Here is the schedule for the next round of business meetings:

Finance and Property

Monday, September 14, 6:30 pm in the parish library and via Zoom

Monday, October 19, 6:30 pm in the parish library and via Zoom

Vestry

Wednesday, September 23, 6:30 pm in the church library and via Zoom (note this is a change from the previously scheduled date of September 16)

Wednesday, October 21, 6:30 pm in the parish library and via Zoom

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Congratulations to everyone who contributed to our capital campaign fund and assisted with the renovation of our Ed Building restrooms. The work began August 10 and was completed this week. The facilities look phenomenal and are a giant leap from their previous condition. We want to give special recognition goes to the general contractor James Posey and his company GQ Construction Management Group, Inc., P.O. Box 7184, Penndel, PA 19047. GQ was personable and professional throughout the process. They followed through on every request that we made. They were excellent communicators, providing daily updates that were thorough and easy to understand. If you want a general contractor that is trustworthy and effective, consider GQ. You can reach them by phone at 215-779-4942 or by email at office@Gqconstructionmanagement.com.

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Confirmation class this fall –Father Sean will be leading a class this fall for those interested in confirmation, reception, and reaffirmation. There will be one class for teens and one class for adults. Classes will take place during the week at times and dates to be determined. Most classes will be held online.

* Confirmation is for anyone age 13 or older who was baptized as a child and wants to take Baptismal vows as an adult.

* Reception into the Episcopal Church is for anyone who was confirmed as an adult in another Christian denomination and wants to join the Episcopal Church.

* Reaffirmation is for someone who was confirmed by, or received into, the Episcopal Church and wants to renew their vows.

Contact Father Sean at the church office with questions or to enroll. This is last call for signups!

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Sign-Up Genius links

Sign-up Genius is our online platform for volunteering: readers, Eucharistic Ministers, and Coffee Hour hosts. Contact Edith in the church office with any questions.

Pentecost: September 2026 (September 3 – 28):

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050F48ACAF2DA2FD0-64871287-pentecost#/

Pentecost: October 2026 (October 3 – 25):

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050F48ACAF2DA2FD0-65560047-pentecost#/

Check out St. James Episcopal Church - Langhorne's team fundraising page for NAMI Bucks County PA

pro.gofundme.com