OFFICIAL ACTS
Baptisms	0
Confirmations	0
Weddings	0
Funerals	1	Carol Hanson (3/8/25)

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Youth & Communications Coordinator (YCC)

We are excited to introduce Amber Mayville as the new Youth & Communications Coordinator here at St. James! Amber brings a passion for engaging with young people and families, fostering a strong faith community, and sharing the mission of our church through effective communication. In this role, Amber will be connecting with families, and improving our outreach through digital and print media. This role is possible through the generous donation of several church members. Please join us in welcoming Amber to the team! Be sure to say hello and reach out to learn more about upcoming youth programs and ways to stay connected.

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Good Shepherd Preschool

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kellie Rachow for her years of service to Good Shepherd Preschool.  Her love for the children has shown through in her ability to make the kids laugh, smile, and feel loved every day.  She truly cares about each and every one of them and they hold a special place in her heart. Kellie loves the job but she is now seeking full time employment; therefore, she is stepping down from her position as preschool assistant. If you are interested in learning more about the assistant position or have any questions, please feel free to give me a call: 231-855-4860.

A HUGE thank you to the businesses listed below for their recognition level donations given during our February Fund Drive.  Keep these businesses in mind for any future needs you may have in their areas of expertise and thank them for supporting Good Shepherd Preschool.

A.B. Electrical Wires
Weesies Brothers Farms
Coldwell Banker
White Lake Excavating
Quilted Memories
Winberg Construction

Marilee Bailey
Good Shepherd Preschool
Director and Teacher
231-894-8471

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Grieving with Hope Meeting Schedule

Monday, April 7th, at 10:00 am
Monday, May 5th, at 10:00 am

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Love Family News

If you would like to give gift cards to the Love Family for Easter items, please leave with Kim DuBois or the church office.
Thank you!

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Midweek News

We had a great time learning about the armor of God this year at Midweek. We look forward to seeing you all back next fall!

Thank you to all our teachers ~ Allison Rant, Amber, Mayville, Chelsea Bender, Emille Baumann and Maggie Huls. Thank you Ruschel Friday and Betsy Patrick for taking care of kids in the nursery! Thank you Katie Rice for all the delicious meals prior to Midweek! Lastly, thank you parents for taking the time to bring your kids to Midweek. We are so blessed to have them!
The last day of Midweek is Wednesday, March 26th.

Midweek Teachers
Emille, Amber, Allison, Maggie and Chelsea

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Sunday School News

It's hard to believe Sunday School is wrapping up for the year! Your children have been a blessing to see on Sunday mornings and watching their love for Jesus grow!

Our kids will be singing during both services on Palm Sunday, April 13th.

We will not meet for Sunday School on Easter, April 20th.

Our last day of Sunday School will be April 27th. We will have our last Family Breakfast for the year in the Youth House. We will have fun activities for the whole family!

Also, looking ahead to next year, we're always looking for helpers downstairs. If you've ever considered being a part of Sunday School, let me or Russell know and we can get you connected!

Amber Lanning
(231) 740-7426

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The Spring Yard Sale is Coming

Saturday, April 5th, from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. At the gym at Trinity Lutheran Church on Roosevelt Rd. in Muskegon. Rent a table for $20 (additional tables $10) Sell your items - keep the $! Spring cleaning with a purpose!! Come sell your "stuff" or just purchase other's "stuff". This is a fundraiser for "His Arms Children's Project", Kenya. Questions? Contact Jeanne Walker at 231-724-0357!!

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Sedar Meal

Join us Wednesday, April 16th, at 5:00 pm, in the Fellowship Hall Please sign up on the board... seating is limited! A Seder meal is a traditional Jewish Passover meal that involves a specific ritual and sequence of foods, songs, and readings, all centered around retelling the story of the Israelites' liberation from slavery in Egypt. A potluck meal will follow. Please sign up and note what kind of side you will bring as a family.

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Holy Week Schedule

April 16th, Wednesday ~ Sedar Meal at 5:00 pm
April 17th, Thursday ~ Maundy Thursday Servicece at 5:30 pm
April 18th, Friday ~ Good Friday Servicece at 1:00 pm

Easter Day
April 20th, Sunday ~ Sunrise Servicece at 7:00 am
April 20th, Sunday ~ Easter Breakfast between services
April 20th, Sunday ~ 2nd Easter Servicece at 10:00 am

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Mother/Daughter Brunch

I praise you, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

We were pleased to see over 60 women, daughters, and granddaughters at our recent event.  Such a fun time sharing the time with all of you.
It takes a great amount of people to make these memories happen.

Our Committee of Volunteers:
Kathi Strahl, Wendi Kessler, Liz Hedges, & Suzanne Albrechtsen. A special thanks to Susie for providing and arranging
the beautiful flowers.

Our Music from Emilie Baumann
Thanks for sharing your time and talents.  What fun!

Our Amazing Kitchen Staff:
Russell Baumann, Merle Bernhardt, Randy Wackernagel, Bryan Grimm, & Rob Wheeler

Clean-Up Crew
Faith Mayville, Kim Mason, Erin Wheeler, Lisa Siedenstrang, Rob Wheeler, & Bryan Grimm

SO thankful for the time spent. Looking forward to our next event.

SAVE THE DATE:
Sarah Schultz spoke with us a few years ago.  She was absolutely amazing and touched the hearts of many. We have asked her to return either the 7th or 14th of March 2026.   Please mark your calendars for an uplifting experience with Sarah Schultz.

Blessings, Ellen Grimm

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Golf Outing

Mark your calendars! This year's golf outing is planned for Sunday, May 18th, at the Old Channel Trail Golf Course. Keep your eye out for the sign-up table in the narthex towards the end of April/early May.

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VBS 2025 SCUBA

"Plunge beneath the waves to forge a mighty faith" Sunday, July 27th - Thursday, July 31st

We will be having an informational meeting on Sunday, April 27th for anyone interested in helping with VBS. We will meet immediately following 2nd service.

Be on the lookout:
April - Sign up sheets will be posted for volunteers
May - Registration will go live
June - Donation list will be posted

We're excited to Dive into VBS with you this year!

Emilie Baumann & Amber Mayville

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Trail Life - USA

Troop MI-8945
Hiking and biking and shelters, oh my! The Woodland Trails and Navigator programs have been busy this spring. Last month included a visit to Kasza's Sugar Bush in Shelby to see how maple syrup is made. The Woodlands Trail program was learning about hobbies, and the Kazsa family shared the story of how they took maple sugaring from a hobby to a full scale business. Navigators spent Tuesday evenings outside building shelters with tarps and honing their rope skills. Both programs hiked Hilts Landing towards the end of the month.

This month the Woodlands Trailmen will focus on gaining Life Skills. Building on last year's topic of medical life skills, this year's focus will be on personal safety, stewardship, and manners. The Woodlands Trail program is a six year progression for boys aged five through ten. Each boy progresses through three patrols (Fox, Hawks, Mountain Lion) and spends two years in each patrol. This allows development through each Branch twice as they learn and grow.

The Navigator Trailmen continue to progress towards their Worthy Life Award. The focus for April is Knots and Lashings. These skills will be put to the test when the Trailmen build their own small structures.

Reach out to Josh Huls, Sam Bender, Frank Morningstar or Chris Hasenbank if you want to get involved!

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Seasonal Job Opportunity

Are you or someone you know looking for a fun job that gets you outside and around great people? Consider working at Old Channel Trail Golf Course this upcoming season (mid April thru October). We have positions open inside the pro shop and on the grounds crew. You must be at least 18 years old for any position. We're not just looking for college aged employees, any age is welcome and if you can stay throughout the entire season, even better! Email golfoct@gmail.com with any questions and/or for an application. You can also call Chris Cullen at 231-893-0082 or talk to Courtney Friday at church with any questions.

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Garden Boxes

The Mission Team is working on starting a St. James Community Garden. We are looking for Six individuals/families to sponsor a box. Garden boxes will be approximately 2'x4'. The beds will be assembled and filled with manure and top soil. We ask that each box sponsor plants, waters, weeds, and maintains their box from June 1st through September (or as long as the growing season lasts). The purpose of the garden boxes is to bless our church and church neighbors. Since the boxes will most likely have to be removed for the winter we ask that sponsors plant annual plants. Two boxes are to be dedicated to flowers that can be given to neighbors and/or used for that altar. The plan is for the remaining four boxes to be a variety of vegetables that are prolific and easy to be shared ie: Tomatoes, lettuces, zucchini. If you are the box sponsor you get to decide what you are planting. There will be a sign up on the bulletin board if you choose to sponsor a box.

Coming Soon
Diaper Shower

The Diaper Shower for Muskegon Pregnancy Serviceces will be starting Sunday, May 4th through
Sunday, May 25th! We will need your help!
Our church family has always been very supportive of this ministry through prayers, financial support, as well as the gathering of supplies. There will also be a coloring contest for children, preschool age through 5th grade. Be sure to pick up, color, and return your picture by Sunday, May 25th. (These color sheets will be available on May 4th.)

Thank You & God Bless
Kathi Strahl

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Prayerful Consideration

Dear Friends,

Some of you may know that my husband, Kyle has end stage kidney disease. Over time, his kidney disease has gotten worse causing his kidneys not to work well enough to keep him alive. He only has one "working" kidney. Kyle received a donated kidney from his mom June in 2010. That kidney is now failing. His current kidney functions at about 11%, with dialysis it might bring that function up to about 20%. This is what we are facing now, and his treatment options are limited to dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant.

Kyle has had catheter surgery to start dialysis treatments, which he will start in March. As a family, we have decided that at home peritoneal dialysis would be the best option for him. He will receive dialysis treatments every night for 8-10 hours. With this dialysis treatment - It will help his kidney (as he only has one) do its job and keep him alive, but a transplant would offer Kyle more freedom and the ability to live a longer, healthier, more normal life. A transplant would also give Kyle more time to do the things he enjoys most - spending time with our family.

However, finding a kidney for a transplant is not easy. Just ask the 100,000+ people on the waiting list for a deceased donor kidney like Kyle. Time is NOT on our side. Some wait years; many die waiting. The average wait time is 3-5 years from a deceased donor. There is another option: receiving a kidney from a living donor.

Asking a family member or a friend to consider donating a kidney to Kyle is very difficult for him. Which is why I am reaching out to our church family and friends. Though difficult to ask, it greatly improves his chances of getting a transplant. A living kidney donation typically lasts longer and has better function.

You might not know a lot about living donation - I know we didn't before kidney disease affected Kyle's life. Understandably, some people are afraid about the surgery and what living with one kidney will mean for them.

Here's some basic information about kidney donation:

• You only need one kidney to live a healthy, long life.
• Most donor surgery is done laparoscopically, meaning through tiny incisions.
• The recuperation period is usually fairly quick, generally two weeks.
• The cost of your evaluation and surgery will be covered by our insurance. The hospital can give you extensive information on this.
• You will have a separate team of healthcare professionals to evaluate you as a living donor. Their job is to help you understand the risks and benefits and look out for YOUR best interests.
• I know living donation may not be for everyone - but you can still help! Consider being an organ donor after death and also, help me by sharing Kyle's story with everyone you know. At the very least we want to bring awareness to kidney disease and living donation. I am hopeful our efforts will help Kyle receive a kidney sooner and encourage others to consider helping the many people on the waiting list.

You can also learn more about kidney donation or the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) website: https://www.kidney.org/livingdonation or by contacting the NKF's free, confidential helpline at 855.NKF.CARES (855.653.2273) or nkfcares@kidney.org. If you want to talk to someone who has already donated a kidney, NKF can also help.

Thank you for taking the time to read Kyle's story. If donating a kidney to Kyle is something you would like to consider, we would be happy to tell you more about his story and explore the process of determining if you are a match for Kyle. You can also contact his transplant coordinator Tayler directly.

Tayler Kooienga, 616-685-5354,
tayler.kooienga@trinity-health.org

Thank you ~
Jenna and Kyle Stevenson

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Online Service Directions!

How to watch our services online step by step: on Facebook Live on Sundays at 8:00 am

1. In the top search bar... Go to https://www.facebook.com/stjamesmontague/videos
   (You do not need to have a Facebook account page to access this)
2. Close the popup box asking to login to your Facebook account.
3. Scroll down through the Facebook page until you come across the most recent videos
4. Click on the Live video of the church service.
5. Explore the rest of the Facebook page and watch other videos. 😊

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If you are unable to fulfill your assigned duty, please make arrangements with someone before or after you on the list. Thanks!

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Funeral Luncheons

If we have a funeral, Faith Mayville, our Luncheon Coordinator will contact you for help. Each funeral luncheon requires table/chair set up, food donations, food servers (kitchen staff), and table/chair take down. Faith will let you know what is needed.