Sights & Sounds of Lancaster PA

Spiritual First Aid

Dear St. James Lutheran Family,

Our world is stressed out and hurting — even in our own backyard. You knew that without me telling you. People around us are going through stuff, and if they're not, it won't be too long before they are. They desperately need support. Something we at church understand is that spiritual support and emotional care make a huge difference. 

Our friends at Lutheran Church Charities are offering to equip us to become `spiritual first responders' by learning something called Spiritual First Aid, a simple, biblically based framework for crisis care.

This extremely effective material will help each of us:
• Understand better what to say and how to help hurting people in our community
• Learn research-backed skills and field-tested tools for practical support
• Feel more confident in the care each of us gives our neighbors
Jesus told us to love our neighbors, and so I'm inviting everyone at St. James to prepare to do that well by coming to these classes.

The LCC teacher/trainers will be right here in our own Parish Hall for a 2-day training event on Friday, June 6 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. and then continuing Saturday, June 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with lunch provided. Be sure to register via the link in this email.

I would love for you to discover personally how you can be the empathetic, helping presence Jesus has called you to be. -Pr. Neil

To register, click this link: SPIRITUAL FIRST AID REGISTRATION

LERT

LERT (Lutheran Early Response Team)
 
Basic LERT Training Presenter: Deac. Kathy O’Day, LCC Dir. of Disaster Response
Sunday – June 8
Registration: 1:00 – 1:30 pm Training: 1:30 – 5:00 pm

In the chaos of disaster (like hurricane, fire, or flood), it's important to stay focused on the task at hand. Lutheran Early Response Teams (LERT) get deployed all around our country, and we at StJLC want to get in on what they're doing. LERT training will help you focus on the most important thing to remember as you prepare to respond to a disaster, even in your own community.
At the center of LERT volunteer training is one thing: MERCY! Christ's mercy is the basis for everything we say and do. This training event will equip you to be an effective volunteer should a disaster strike your community, or if you want to join a team heading out of state.

After a brief introduction regarding the goals and theological rationale of Lutheran Disaster Response, the LERT volunteer training will address the following:
• Christian Care In Times of Disaster
• A Ministry of Presence
• The LERT Program and How It Works with Other Responders
• Introduction to Disaster Response
• Disaster Response & Deployment Protocol
• Service Opportunities after a Disaster & Safety Protocol

LERT training is now also offered to youth, ages 15 – 17, so they can assist in general disaster response safely and under the guidance of their own youth leadership or parents. New guidelines for youth participation state that a parent must be present and sign a form for participation.
Basic LERT training requires registration and a $15.00 registration fee for material.

Register Here: LERT REGISTRATION

**In order to register for the training, you will need to set up your own “account” with your contact information, user name and password on the LCMS Disaster Response site. Save your user name and password, as this will need to be used for any future trainings or deployments listed on this site you may be interested in.
• After you complete setting up your “account”, then you need to go back and select the training you are wanting to attend. (St. James Lutheran Church, St. James, NY) It may be the easiest to select the above link again to take you directly to registration page.
• Select “Sign Up” (Blue Button at top & bottom of page)
• Complete LCMS DR Liability Waiver – 2 page document (initials, signature & date signed)
• Select “Submit Qualification”
• Select “Sign Up” Again (Blue Button at top & bottom of page) – You should see info about Gloria Dei training
• Complete “Response Questions” – Emergency Contact name & number
• Complete “Initiative Question” – T-shirt size
• Select “Submit Training & Deployment” - You should get a verification page that thanks you for registering. **Again, you must complete all of these steps to be registered on the LCMS DR site for this Basic LERT training.

If you have any questions or need assistance with registration please email office@stjlc.com

Knights of the Round Table

LWML  Retreat 

 "Where are you going in 2025"? Have you invited God in your journey this year? Time to rejuvenate and meditate on this and set your GPS for greatness! Women of St. James Lutheran are invited to attend the Atlantic District, Suffolk Zone LWML Retreat. It will be held Friday, May 16- Saturday, May 17 at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, Huntington NY. Allison Sinisgalli will be co-leading this retreat with Lay Deacon, Ginny Wirsing. 
Click Here for the registration form