When: July 25, 2010, at 7:00pm
Where: St James United Church

Several concerts planned at St. James United Church, June 25th to July 2nd, 2010

Montreal, June 15th – A unique concert organized by the Montreal International Jazz Festival, a rousing performance by an award-winning gospel choir and several sessions by a young Montreal pianist, are scheduled for St. James United Church, the historic downtown landmark, at the end of June and in early July.

The Jazz Festival, in a concert in its TD Jazz Beat series sponsored by CBC Radio 2 (93.5 FM) and supported by the British Council, presents British saxophonist John Surman accompanied by organist Howard Moody at St. James – 463 Ste-Catherine St. west in downtown Montreal — at 8 pm July 2nd. Tickets ($32.50) are available at Admission and Ticketpro networks or at the Place-des-Arts box office.

A Festival statement says: “One of the most important British saxophonists and composers meets a church organ virtuoso with innovation on the brain and a new way of jazz thinking is born. For their second collaborative album — Rain on the Window – Moody and Surman . . . blend saxophone and clarinet with organ to create a new form of jazz. Unexpected combinations generate a harmony of surprising beauty.”

On June 26th, at 7:30 pm, the award-winning People’s Gospel Choir of Montreal will raise money for the St. James Drop-In Centre in a rousing concert at the church. The choir, directed by Kim Sherwood, won the Vibe Award for the best gospel cd in Canada for its first recording live at St. James and is preparing a second cd in studio. It has performed to great acclaim across Canada and participates frequently in worship at the church.

The Drop-In Centre, located in and founded by but independent of St. James United Church, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. It offers a safe day-time community for people in the downtown city core facing a variety of issues including homelessness. Tickets — $20 per person — will be available at the door.

On Friday June 25th, Saturday June 26th, Wednesday June 30th and Friday July 2nd at 12:30 pm, pianist Jean-Rene Scott will play his own arrangements and compositions on the sanctuary grand piano in a free concert series sponsored by the church’s Open Door program. Scott, who first came to St. James to visit the Drop-In, has played frequently at the church in the last few years to the delight of visitors. Offerings will be accepted.

For information about the Jazz Festival concert call (514) 525-7732. For more information on the other concert, call the church office at (514) 288-9245 or Rob Bull at (514) 483-2343.

Montreal, June 10, 2010 — In a rousing concert, the award-winning People’s Gospel Choir of Montreal will raise money for the St. James Drop-In Centre, Saturday June 26th at 7:30 pm at St. James United Church.

The choir, directed by Kim Sherwood, won the Vibe Award for the best gospel cd in Canada for its first recording live at St. James and is preparing a second cd in studio. It has performed to great acclaim across Canada.

The Drop-In Centre, located in and founded by but independent of St. James United Church, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. It offers a safe day-time community for people in the downtown city core facing a variety of issues including homelessness.

Tickets — $20 per person — will be available at the door.

When: June 26, 2010, 7:30 pm

Where: St. James United Church, 463 Ste-Catherine St. west

For more information, contact Alain Spitzer at the St. James Drop-In Centre at (514) 288-0039 or Rob Bull at (514) 483-2343

The summer recital series has started – every Tuesday, concerts at 12:30. Free-will offering.

Complete schedule can be found on the poster or on the calendar.

The Minister of Immigration and Cultural Communities, Yolande James, awarded the ‘Jacques Couture Citizenship Prize 2010 for the Promotion of Intercultural Rapprochement’ to Montreal City Mission at an awards ceremony on May 31st. Ms. James praised the exceptional contribution made by MCM to the development of Quebec.

Montreal City Mission (MCM), celebrating its centennial this year, is a community organization of the United Church of Canada that assists new arrivals in Quebec, in particular refugee claimants. This organization of hospitality and support is very active. In addition to participating in many community working groups, MCM has developed various programs such as Project Refuge, a residence for newly arrived refugees, Camp Cosmos, the Every Kid Choir and Stories Without Borders that bring together children and young adults from different backgrounds, and Just Solutions, a legal information and accompaniment clinic for immigrants and refugees in need of assistance and support to defend their rights and better understand their responsibilities.

Montreal City Mission is proud of the work accomplished over the past century that has helped thousands of immigrants and refugees. These individuals along with their descendants have helped build the Quebec of today.

Montreal City Mission invites all its fellow citizens to the launching of its centennial celebration on June 20th, World Refugee Day. The ceremony will take place at St. James United Church, 463 St. Catherine St. West. Worship service: 11h – 12h; Cocktail on the Square: 12:15 – 13:30; Presentations, premiere of the short film ‘The First Door’ and African Dance/ Music 13:30 – 15:00.

For more information please contact Paula Kline: 514-844-9128 202 or Sylvain Thibault 514-575-8873, info@montrealcitymission.org.

Delegates of United Churches from across Quebec and Eastern Ontario will focus next weekend on reflection, reconciliation and healing in the church’s relationship with the people of Canada’s First Nations.

The Montreal and Ottawa Conference of the United Church has its annual general meeting at John Abbot College in suburban Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue May 28 to 30. The theme of this year’s meeting is Living in Right Relationships – Vivre des relations justes – Non kwe shon ha.

Theme speakers include Rev. Maggie McLeod, Coordinator of the Aboriginal Ministries Circle of the United Church of Canada, Jeff Copernace from the Ontario Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and Francine LeMay, sister of Corporal Marcel Lemay of the Quebec provincial police who was killed at Oka in 1990.

Other highlights include the celebration of eight newly appointed ministers, the installation of a new Conference president and some discussion about future directions faced by the church in the context of significant budget restrictions.

There will also be information and decisions on international events of interest to the Church, reports from Conference committees and networks, the honoring of recently deceased ministers and a celebration of the careers of church personnel who have retired, along with special programs for children, young people and young adults.

The Montreal and Ottawa Conference of the United Church of Canada is a regional body that represents 120 English-language, French-language and ethnic congregations belonging to five local presbyteries across Quebec and Eastern Ontario.

UPDATE: a report about this meeting is now available.

The latest edition of the Circuit Rider is now available.

(in PDF format – try installing the Adobe Acrobat Reader if you have trouble opening the file).

The Music Working committee would like to hear from you regarding the music program at St. James. During coffee hour on the following Sundays, April 25, May 2, 9 and 16 a survey will be available to members and adherents to be completed. If you are unable to attend the church service on one of these Sundays, please call the office and a survey will be mailed to you and you can return it to St. James. All surveys will be completed on an anonymous basis.

Mr. Peter Bishop has been retained to assist us as a congregation in exploring our individual and collective concerns, needs, disatisfactions and hopes for the future of St. James United Church. This will be accomplished through a two-part facilitated process open to all members and adherents:

1. A Confidential Listening Process to be conducted on April 25 (2 PM until 8pm), April 26 (9 am to 8 pm), April 27 (9 am to 6 pm)
and June 4 (9AM to 4 PM). All sessions must be be booked by contacting Peter Bishop. Please contact the church office at 514-288-5148 to get his personal email address or telephone number.

2. A one-day open, congregational meeting on June 5, 2010 in Dawson Hall.

To set up an appointment to see Mr. Peter Bishop, please call the church office at (514-288-9245) or request his email address or phone number.

The Nominating Committee, as per the Policy and Procedure on Terms of Office, is seeking the names of possible candidates to fill vacant positions on the Court of Session, Stewards and Trustees. The Ministry and Personnel Committee has a complete slate of members.

Committee Membership at St. James is a necessary part of ensuring the well being of the Church and the spiritual life of the Congregation. The duties of the key committees and the qualities and skills required are listed on the committees page. Regardless of the committee, it is assumed that those who put their names forward to the Nominating Committee will:

• attend the meetings regularly
• share the workload
• participate actively & respectfully
• support the decisions made by the committee
• respect confidentiality
• work with the chairs to communicate regularly the work of the committees to the Congregation

All interested Members/Adherents are welcome to submit their names on the appropriate nomination form to the CHURCH OFFICE no later than April 4, 2010.

The Nominating Committee will submit its report to the Official Board on April 7, 2010 after which the result will be sent to the Annual Meeting on April 11, 2010 for ratification.