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St. James A.M.E. Church

“A Bible-based Ministry”

2017 VISION: This is our YEAR OF HARVEST: Supernatural Provision, Supernatural Increase, Supernatural Release! EXPECT IT!

Get Prayer Connected

Please join the Intercessory Prayer Team for online conference prayer each Wednesday at

6:00a.m. and each Friday at 7:00 a.m.

Here’s How:

Dial 1-218-330-9135

Enter the PASSCODE:91603# MUTE your phones while on line.

Reverend Shirley Williams-Hayes, Pastor April 2017

From the Pastor’s Heart

“I am the resurrection and the life…Everyone who…believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe

this?” (John 11: 25-26) NLT

“Do You Believe This?

We struggle with the idea of our own mortality. It’s said that Florence Nightingale, the founder of Nursing), feared death so much after the Crimean War she went to bed and basically stayed there until she died in 1910. Chuck Swindoll says we skirt the subject by using: “(1) Humor. Making a joke of it keeps death at a safe distance so we never have to face reality. (2) Denial. King Louis XIV of France wouldn’t allow the word ‘death’ to be uttered in his presence. But on September 1, 1715, he discovered that death can’t be wished out of existence. People spend so much on anti –aging creams, Botox, and plastic surgery to avoid seeing evidence of death’s approach. (3) Romanticism. A man in Europe built a special room where he could live with his dead wife. His bed is next to the casket. He decorated the room with flowers and candles. He wrote her poetry every day in a romantic attempt to avoid the pain of her passing. (4) Fear. Observe fellow passengers on an air-plane when turbulence causes sudden drops and vibrations. Young and old alike scream and cry out.” The “Good News” is we don’t have to fear death! The one who defeated death said, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14: 19) NIV. When we repented of our sins and committed your lives to Christ, we have Jesus’ personal guarantee of eternal life. After Laza-rus died, Jesus told his sister Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life… Everyone who…believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this?” The question I must ask is this. If you do believe, you will live forever with Christ. My brothers and my sisters, “Ain’t that good news?” I believe. What about you? Reverend Shirley Williams-Hayes, Pastor

Ends Saturday, April 15

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ST. JAMES A.M.E. CHURCH

Monday, April 3, 2017 –PEACE Nehemiah ACTION Rally—6:30p.m. Branscomb Auditorium—Florida Southern College

Sunday, April 9 2017—Usher Board Anniversary Program—4:00 p.m.

Monday, April 10, 2017—PEACE

Team Leaders Meeting—3:00 p.m. St. James A.M.E. Church

COMMUNITY EVENTS

7th Annual Youth/Parent SUMMIT Saturday, April 8, 2017 9:30 a.m.—5:00 p.m.

Carver Recreation Center 520 S Idlewood Avenue

St. James April 2017

WORSHIP TIMES

Worship Service—Sunday—10:00 a.m. Church School—Sunday—8:45 a.m.

Children’s Church—Sunday—10:00 a.m. “BET” Believers Empowerment Tool Bible

Study—Wednesday—7:00 p.m. Intercessory Prayer—Wednesday

6:30 p.m. Online Intercessory Prayer

Wednesday—6:00 a.m. & Friday—7:00a

(See Page 1 for dial-in information)

EPISCOPAL DISTRICT EVENTS Lakeland District / Episcopal

Sunday—Wednesday

April 23—26, 2017

HOLD THE LINE CONVOCATION

Sunday—New Bethel, Lakeland

Monday—Mt. Sinai, Medulla

Tuesday & Wednesday—St. Paul,

Ft. Meade

Services Monday—Wednesday

start at 7:00 p.m.

2017—2018 “A Stewardship of Legacy”

(Leaving a Legacy for the Next Generation.) Stewardship Campaign Goal:

RESTROOMS in the Main Sanctuary Make Your Pledge NOW!

Nehemiah Action Rally—Monday, April 3,

2017—6:30 p.m.— Branscomb Auditorium @ Florida Southern College St. James needs 110 persons to be present.

Sunday, April 9, 2017 4:00 p.m. Reverend Dr. Paula Lake, Guest Speaker Anniversary Program Come Support Our Ushers & Greeters Ministry

The Christian Education Department Presents:

“Taking God’s Love to New Lengths”

Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017

9:00 a.m.

Please support our youth as they share with you God’s way to get your life “untangled” through a fairytale setting.

Following Service

Calling All Lay!

Annual Lay Program Sunday, April 31, 2017 @ 4:00 p.m.

Third Quarterly Conference—Thursday, April 27, 2017 @ 7:00 P.M.

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April 1—Juanita Peoples April 3—Ashontice Fleming April 5—Jorde Jones April 5—Sharay Pettis April 11—Renezmae Rodriguez April 12—Edna McNair April 13—Nicholas Thomas April 16—Ti’auna Redd April 22—Sable Macon April 23—Emma Reese April 29—Nelson Johnson, Jr “We love you, we do!” In Loving Memory: April 17—Ollie Ferguson

St. James April 2017

Married Couples Ministry

Go ahead; sometimes it’s OK to brag! Beginning with this issue, this section will be used for ‘tooting your own horn’. If any individual or group would like to ‘brag’ a little about your praise-worthy deeds or accomplishments, this is the spot!

We are “tooting the horn” for the Married Couples Ministry for purchasing 4 white tables (long) and 24 chairs for our fellowship hall and finally putting those unsightly brown ones to rest. As you can see from the photos, the new tables and chairs add uniformity to the room.

We thank the Married Couples Ministry for making this purchase and making our fellow-ship hall look “great”!

John Ammons Juanita Sanders John Ammons III Daniel Williams Edwin Bennett Franchetta Fields Willie Carter, Sr. Garnell Carter Mary Richardson Addie Mikell Margaret Larkins Delores Corbett Mary Rogers Phyllis Forest Diane Marshall Soul Man

HEALED LIST

Let’s continue to pray for Bereaved Families! Family of Sister Alma Williams

HOLY WEEK—We are all familiar with Psalm Sunday, the day that celebrates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. This joyful cele-

bration gives way to much more serious remembrances of the last week of Jesus’ life. There are three important days of Holy Week. 1. HOLY (MAUNDY) THURSDAY—This is the day the disciples and Jesus arrive at the upper room for the washing of feet and the celebra-

tion of the Last Supper. 2. GOOD FRIDAY—(good in Old English means “holy”). This commemorates the condition and death of Jesus on the cross. 3. HOLY SATURDAY—Often seen as the last Sabbath for the disciples as Jews. The resurrection of Jesus on Sunday is seen as the time

Jesus’ closest disciples became “Christians.”

SYMBOLS OF HOLY WEEK—- - - Palm Branch—people laid these on the road before Jesus to honor him.

Bread, Grapes, Cup—while they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Crown of Thorns—The soldiers took Jesus and, to mock him, made a crown of thorns. Draped Cross—Jesus was crucified on a cross. A cross draped with black is a symbol of the

crucifixion and death of Jesus. Sealed Tomb—After Jesus died on the cross, he was buried and sealed in a tomb.

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St. James April 2017

Health and Wellness:

Weighing In—Obesity and Cancer (Mayo Clinic )

If you need another reason to maintain a healthy weight, here’s an increasingly rec-ognized bonus—avoiding weight gain may reduce your risk of cancer.

Maintaining a healthy weight is important to your well-being. The body is unable to sustain itself when underweight, but has trouble with the added demands if you are overweight or obese.

For many Americans, modern society’s increasingly sedentary lifestyles and larger food portions have upped the balance toward too much body weight. According to national survey data, 37 percent of adults 60 and older fall into the obese category, meaning they have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. The BMI is a calculation based o your weight-to-height ratio.

Carrying too much body fat is likely to increase your risk of a number of health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke. Ex-cess fat can also increase your risk of cer-tain cancers, a conclusion reported in a recent review in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Increased Risk The review, conducted by the Internation-al Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), assessed more than 1,000 studies on can-cer risk and excess body fat. Although most of the studies were observational—meaning they can’t prove cause and effect—the reviewers felt there was enough evidence to demonstrate an in-creased risk of at least eight more types of cancer in addition to five for which in-creased risk has already been established.

Excess weight is an established risk factor for colorectal cancer, cancer of the esophagus, kidney cancer, postmenopausal breast can-cer, and uterine cancer.

Based on the IARC review, the list now ex-tends to cancers of the:

Ovary

Thyroid

Liver

Gallbladder

Pancreas

Stomach (the portion closest to the esophagus)

Blood

Brain

Results were generally consistent across geographical regions and showed little difference among men and women.

In addition, related, related research shows that obesity affects the risk of cancer and also results in poorer treatment outcomes, worse prognosis and higher rates of cancer-related deaths.

There are many ways to eat well and keep a healthy weight. In general, emphasizing plant-based foods instead of processed foods and engaging in more physical activity every day is a good way to start.

NEWS & OUR VIEWS

(From Mayo Clinic Health Letter)

Don’t Text and Drive You might think that the warnings of the dangers of texting while driving apply mostly to young drivers. But recent reports suggest that texting while driving may be even more distracting for older adults than for younger ones.

Texting or using your cellphone and driving aren’t compatible activities, yet many peo-ple admit to doing both simultaneously—often with disastrous consequences. The National Safety Council estimates that cell-phone use while driving causes approxi-mately a quarter of all crashes each year. According to the NSC, texting while driving increases the risk of crashing at least eight times. Even just talking on the phone in-creases the risk fourfold.

One study tested the performance of driv-ers of various ages in a simulated setting. The drivers received several brief text mes-sages while driving in the simulator. Re-searchers measured the likelihood of drift-ing into a separate lane while texting, the number of times drivers drifted, and the percentage of texting time while drifting. Texting substantially increased the odds of drifting between lanes in all age groups, but most frequently among older drivers. In a brief exit survey, 60% of the volunteers reported believing texting while driving was more dangerous than they previously thought. None came away thinking it was less dangerous.

Make it a rule to put your cellphone away while driving. If you need to send a text, make a phone call or check a location on a map, do so before you leave or pull over if needed.

Christian Education Department Mission Project: Rice Bowls: Fill Bowl-Fight Hunger

For the next four weeks, April 2—30, 2017, the Christian Education Department will work with the children on a mission project that teaches them to give to someone else who may have greater needs than they do. We are partnering with Rice Bowls.org, a Christian organization based in South Carolina that collects funds to send to orphanages, here and abroad, to help them feed the orphans that live in the orphanages. We are asking you to help by donating your change (or dollars) for this mission project. There are “rice bowl” containers located in the fellowship hall and at the entrances to the main sanctuary every Sunday. Just drop your change in a bowl. You will be blessed for your generosity. Thank you!