Contemplative Prayer at St. James
First and Third Saturday mornings, 9:30am
The 2023-2024 Contemplative Prayer group will reconvene in September.
Saturday Schedule 9:30-11:00am on Zoom:
September 2nd and 16th …
October 7th and 21st …
November 4th and 18th …
December 2nd and 16th …
January 20th only (no meeting on January 6th) …
February 3rd and 17th …
March 2nd and 16th …
April 6th and 20th …
May 4th and 18th …
Contact Susan McBerry for the link to the meetings.
You are invited to consider a contemplative practice with the Contemplative Prayer group who gather via Zoom to pray, learn, and share through silence and breath prayer. Participants often find that it is in the stillness and the silence of meditation that they become centered in the presence of God and become more open to the work of the Spirit within. Contact Susan McBerry for the Zoom link. Meetings are the first and third Saturdays of the month from 9:30 to 11:00am.
Taking time to remove oneself from the noise of daily life is a gift you can give yourself.
Anyone interested in contemplative listening to God is invited to join us. We spend time in silence, in reading sacred texts, and praying for the world, each other and ourselves.
For information about this group, contact Susan McBerry or the St. James front office.
Coffee Hour Returns …
Beginning Sunday, August 1st, 2021, you are invited to gather for our coffee hour immediately after worship in Pioneer Chapel. You may also sign up at church to host the gathering by bringing treats. It is a fun way to celebrate an anniversary or special date in your life. Additionally, our thanks to all who are providing altar flowers for worship. Usually the beautiful bouquets are then placed in vases and distributed to those who are ill. Sign up on the flower chart by the St. James office. Want to host a coffee hour after worship? Sign up on the office bulletin board. Thanks!
Education hour at 11:00am — following the 9:30am service and coffee
Sundays Year-Round, 11:00am-12:00pm
Open Space takes place most Sunday mornings in the Main Sanctuary of St. James Lutheran Church. All are invited to attend and listen, participate, learn, grow, and share as we develop a stronger sense of our individual faith and also who we are as a community of believers in our world today. Topics range from biblical study to current events, social issues, and information session about local organizations. Open Space is a safe environment where all questions and viewpoints have the right to be heard respectfully.
Open Space Schedule:
Much of the fall will be devoted to exploring Pastor Mark Brocker’s published book on faith and ecology entitled Coming Home to Earth. We will kick off the adult class with one session on September 17th titled “Same and Different.” The Eco Social Justice Committee will help facilitate. The time will be spent exploring our similarities and differences as St. James members. The goal is to discover the richness of our congregation and how what we have in common is just as important as what makes us different.
Calendar is as follows:
September 17th: Same and Different — What do we have in common at St. James and where do we find differences?
September 24th: Begin the Coming Home to Earth series with Pastor Mark Brocker
October 1st: Coming Home to Earth: Loss of Love for Earth
October 8th: Coming Home to Earth: Grieving with Earth
October 15th: Coming Home to Earth: The Things that Make for Peace
October 22nd: Endowment Luncheon
October 29th: Reformation Themes
November 5th: Coming Home to Earth: Conversion to Earth
November 12th: Coming Home to Earth: Taking Up Our Ecological Cross
November 19th: Guided Imagery of Oregon History
November 26th: No Open Space
December 3rd: All Creation Sings with Colin Stave.
December 10th: The Christmas Story told by the Old Masters with Paula Carlson
December 17th: Scandinavian Coffee Hour
December 24th: No Open Space
December 31st: Cookies and Carols
January 7th: Pastor David’s Sabbatical Trip
January 14th: Archery Summit Wine Tasting
January 21st: St. James Annual Congregational Meeting and Meal
January 28th: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Faith Under Fire
February 4th: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Faith Under Fire with Pastor Mark Brocker
February 11th: No Open Space
February 18th: The Creative Spirit with Monica Setziol-Phillips
February 25th: Wine Tasting with Pastor Barry Rogge
March 3rd: ELCA World Hunger Relief Drive Presentation
March 10th: Wealth Redistribution for Housing Justice in Portland
March 17th: ELCA Statement on Civic Engagement and Faith
March 24th: Scott Baby Shower
March 31st: Easter Festival Coffee Hour
April 7th: Join Esther Portnoy to hear about the Crop Walk – another facet of fighting hunger in our community and world
April 14th: Historian Friedrich Schuler will share some of his expertise on South America in his presentation entitled “Miracles in Amazon: New Discoveries of Ancient Civilizations”
April 21st: Colin Stave previews Bach Cantata Vespers
April 28th: Harris Zafar of Rizwan Mosque and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community will be our guest. He will bring a greeting in worship and present “Hamas/Israeli War – A Muslim Perspective” at our 11:00am Open Space class.
Join us for an exciting series of Open Spaces Sundays this May at 11:00am!
May 5: Cancelling the Classics: Join Mandy Ellertson for an engaging and challenging discussion on issues associated with some classic literature. Come contrast the racially charged language of Mark Twain’s Huck Finn with the book James: A Novel by Percival Everett.
May 12: Gaza and Israel: Our Voices for Peace series continues with Zmira Lovejoy, a spiritual leader from Portland’s P’nai Or Jewish Community.
May 19: Follow-Up to PDX Housing Solidarity: Join the Eco Social Justice committee help set a path forward for how we, as a congregation, might join forces to help a BIPOC family find a way to purchase a home.
May 26: Memorial Weekend – Day Off!
Sunday School Returns:
Sunday School and Open Space returned on Sunday, September 18th, 2022. We moved back to our newly renovated St. James historic building on October 23rd, 2022.
Children’s Sunday School Events at St. James:
From October–December, the St. James Sunday School will be hosting three special events for children. Mark your calendars!
October 30th: Exploring The Season of the Soul with crafts and stories related to Dios de los Muertos and All Saints Days.
November 20th: Join in some guided activities for children about the importance of thanks and gratitude. Activities include the children creating “Gratitude Trees” to share with their loved ones.
December 18th: All we need is love and Christmas cookies right? On this day we will have a special event decorating cookies that represent the holiday season we enjoy from Thanksgiving to New Years.
St. James Jazz Vespers 2023-2024 Season …
Join us on the third Sunday of each month for our Jazz Vespers series. You won’t want to miss it!
**** The new 2023-2024 Jazz Vespers guest artist roster:
Sep. 17th, 2023 – Noah Simpson, trumpet
Oct. 15th, 2023 – Paul Mazzio, trumpet, flugelhorn
Nov. 19th, 2023 – Michelle Medler, woodwinds
Dec. 17th, 2023 – Marilyn Keller, vocal
Jan. 21st, 2024 – Adriana Wagner, trombone
Feb. 18th, 2024 – John Moak, trombone
Mar. 17th, 2024 – John Stowell, guitar
Apr. 21st, 2024 – David Evans, tenor sax, bass clarinet
May 19th, 2024 – Allan Mair, flute, alto flute
June 16th, 2024 – Haley Horsfall, vocal, percussion
July 21st, 2024 – Pete Petersen, tenor sax
Aug. 18th, 2024 – Ben Graves, guitar and Mike Horsfall, vibes
Pre-Vespers music begins at 4:50pm. Freewill offering.
This 45 minute jazz musical setting of the Evening Prayer liturgy is held on the third Sunday of each month at 5:00pm. Professional jazz musicians and vocalists lead this reflective service with scriptural reading, psalms, hymns, and prayer. Preludes and postludes from the broad jazz repertoire precede and follow the service. Families and children are welcome!
St. James Visual Arts Group:
The 2024 Exhibition Season:
January: Rose Clementi
February: Monica Setziol
March: Joel Nickel
April: Eileen Holzman
May: Warren Knapp
June: Chris Pero
July: Sue Schrenk
August: Hilde Morin
September: Larry Gross
October: Albert Alter
November: Friedrich Steenbock
December: Group Show
The Visual Arts Group is proud to present the art of Warren Knapp for the month of May.
Some of you may know that Warren is the brother of our Pastor David and uncle to Parker. Warren is a Southern California artist with studios in Palm Desert and Pasadena. He graduated from Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design in 1986. Warren paints Southern California inspirations and commissioned paintings honoring impressionist landscapes and street scenes from his clients’ treasured memories. For this exhibit, he has chosen scenes from Portland to highlight.
You can meet Warren at the reception held in his honor on May 19th at 6:00pm just after the Jazz Vespers Service. We are hoping for a large turnout to show our appreciation for exhibiting his paintings at St. James.
The St. James Child Development Center, located at St. James Lutheran Church, has been certified by the state of Oregon since 1981. To inquire about openings, rates, or for more information, please contact the Child Development Center at 503-227-2439 or at our website: https://www.stjamescdc.com/ …
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm
Age Range of Children: Six weeks – Six years
The St. James Child Development Center, located at St. James Lutheran Church, has been certified by the state of Oregon since 1981. To inquire about openings, rates, or for more information, please contact the Child Development Center at 503-227-2439 or at our website: https://www.stjamescdc.com/ …
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm
Age Range of Children: Six weeks – Six years
The St. James Child Development Center, located at St. James Lutheran Church, has been certified by the state of Oregon since 1981. To inquire about openings, rates, or for more information, please contact the Child Development Center at 503-227-2439 or at our website: https://www.stjamescdc.com/ …
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm
Age Range of Children: Six weeks – Six years
Wednesday Centering Prayer —
You are invited to join our community Centering Prayer Group, which gathers every Wednesday at 8:30am in the Pioneer Chapel. All are welcome.
The St. James Child Development Center, located at St. James Lutheran Church, has been certified by the state of Oregon since 1981. To inquire about openings, rates, or for more information, please contact the Child Development Center at 503-227-2439 or at our website: https://www.stjamescdc.com/ …
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm
Age Range of Children: Six weeks – Six years
WELCOME BACK, CHOIR!
Our St. James Sanctuary Choir has returned after a summer break. They will enhance our worship each Sunday under the direction of our Director of Music Ministry Colin Stave.
NOTE: The St. James Choir began rehearsing on Thursday, September 7th, 2023 and returned to worship on Sunday, September 10th, 2023. Contact Colin Stave, Director of Music Ministry if you would like to join the choir. Rehearsals are every Thursday at 7:15pm.
The St. James Choir continues a long and distinguished congregational tradition of liturgical and concert singing. Their repertoire includes a wide range of music from composers of the Renaissance and Reformation periods to contemporary works by local and nationally-known composers, such as Timothy Nickel, Frank Ferko, and others. Members rehearse every Thursday evening from 7:15-8:45pm during the program year (September through early June). Most choir members also participate in the Bach Cantata Vespers Services. People of all ages are invited to sing with us!
The St. James Child Development Center, located at St. James Lutheran Church, has been certified by the state of Oregon since 1981. To inquire about openings, rates, or for more information, please contact the Child Development Center at 503-227-2439 or at our website: https://www.stjamescdc.com/ …
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm
Age Range of Children: Six weeks – Six years
Congratulations to James Saavedra and Noelle Schaefer who will be united in marriage at St. James on May 25th, 2024 at 4:00pm.
Coffee Hour Returns …
Beginning Sunday, August 1st, 2021, you are invited to gather for our coffee hour immediately after worship in Pioneer Chapel. You may also sign up at church to host the gathering by bringing treats. It is a fun way to celebrate an anniversary or special date in your life. Additionally, our thanks to all who are providing altar flowers for worship. Usually the beautiful bouquets are then placed in vases and distributed to those who are ill. Sign up on the flower chart by the St. James office. Want to host a coffee hour after worship? Sign up on the office bulletin board. Thanks!
Education hour at 11:00am — following the 9:30am service and coffee
Sundays Year-Round, 11:00am-12:00pm
Open Space takes place most Sunday mornings in the Main Sanctuary of St. James Lutheran Church. All are invited to attend and listen, participate, learn, grow, and share as we develop a stronger sense of our individual faith and also who we are as a community of believers in our world today. Topics range from biblical study to current events, social issues, and information session about local organizations. Open Space is a safe environment where all questions and viewpoints have the right to be heard respectfully.
Open Space Schedule:
Much of the fall will be devoted to exploring Pastor Mark Brocker’s published book on faith and ecology entitled Coming Home to Earth. We will kick off the adult class with one session on September 17th titled “Same and Different.” The Eco Social Justice Committee will help facilitate. The time will be spent exploring our similarities and differences as St. James members. The goal is to discover the richness of our congregation and how what we have in common is just as important as what makes us different.
Calendar is as follows:
September 17th: Same and Different — What do we have in common at St. James and where do we find differences?
September 24th: Begin the Coming Home to Earth series with Pastor Mark Brocker
October 1st: Coming Home to Earth: Loss of Love for Earth
October 8th: Coming Home to Earth: Grieving with Earth
October 15th: Coming Home to Earth: The Things that Make for Peace
October 22nd: Endowment Luncheon
October 29th: Reformation Themes
November 5th: Coming Home to Earth: Conversion to Earth
November 12th: Coming Home to Earth: Taking Up Our Ecological Cross
November 19th: Guided Imagery of Oregon History
November 26th: No Open Space
December 3rd: All Creation Sings with Colin Stave.
December 10th: The Christmas Story told by the Old Masters with Paula Carlson
December 17th: Scandinavian Coffee Hour
December 24th: No Open Space
December 31st: Cookies and Carols
January 7th: Pastor David’s Sabbatical Trip
January 14th: Archery Summit Wine Tasting
January 21st: St. James Annual Congregational Meeting and Meal
January 28th: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Faith Under Fire
February 4th: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Faith Under Fire with Pastor Mark Brocker
February 11th: No Open Space
February 18th: The Creative Spirit with Monica Setziol-Phillips
February 25th: Wine Tasting with Pastor Barry Rogge
March 3rd: ELCA World Hunger Relief Drive Presentation
March 10th: Wealth Redistribution for Housing Justice in Portland
March 17th: ELCA Statement on Civic Engagement and Faith
March 24th: Scott Baby Shower
March 31st: Easter Festival Coffee Hour
April 7th: Join Esther Portnoy to hear about the Crop Walk – another facet of fighting hunger in our community and world
April 14th: Historian Friedrich Schuler will share some of his expertise on South America in his presentation entitled “Miracles in Amazon: New Discoveries of Ancient Civilizations”
April 21st: Colin Stave previews Bach Cantata Vespers
April 28th: Harris Zafar of Rizwan Mosque and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community will be our guest. He will bring a greeting in worship and present “Hamas/Israeli War – A Muslim Perspective” at our 11:00am Open Space class.
Join us for an exciting series of Open Spaces Sundays this May at 11:00am!
May 5: Cancelling the Classics: Join Mandy Ellertson for an engaging and challenging discussion on issues associated with some classic literature. Come contrast the racially charged language of Mark Twain’s Huck Finn with the book James: A Novel by Percival Everett.
May 12: Gaza and Israel: Our Voices for Peace series continues with Zmira Lovejoy, a spiritual leader from Portland’s P’nai Or Jewish Community.
May 19: Follow-Up to PDX Housing Solidarity: Join the Eco Social Justice committee help set a path forward for how we, as a congregation, might join forces to help a BIPOC family find a way to purchase a home.
May 26: Memorial Weekend – Day Off!
Sunday School Returns:
Sunday School and Open Space returned on Sunday, September 18th, 2022. We moved back to our newly renovated St. James historic building on October 23rd, 2022.
Children’s Sunday School Events at St. James:
From October–December, the St. James Sunday School will be hosting three special events for children. Mark your calendars!
October 30th: Exploring The Season of the Soul with crafts and stories related to Dios de los Muertos and All Saints Days.
November 20th: Join in some guided activities for children about the importance of thanks and gratitude. Activities include the children creating “Gratitude Trees” to share with their loved ones.
December 18th: All we need is love and Christmas cookies right? On this day we will have a special event decorating cookies that represent the holiday season we enjoy from Thanksgiving to New Years.
The St. James Child Development Center, located at St. James Lutheran Church, has been certified by the state of Oregon since 1981. To inquire about openings, rates, or for more information, please contact the Child Development Center at 503-227-2439 or at our website: https://www.stjamescdc.com/ …
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm
Age Range of Children: Six weeks – Six years
The St. James Child Development Center, located at St. James Lutheran Church, has been certified by the state of Oregon since 1981. To inquire about openings, rates, or for more information, please contact the Child Development Center at 503-227-2439 or at our website: https://www.stjamescdc.com/ …
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm
Age Range of Children: Six weeks – Six years
This month the book club will read Tom Hanks’ The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece: A Novel. The book explores the making of “a star-studded, multimillion-dollar superhero action film … and the humble comic books that inspired it.” The Book Club meeting will be held on May 28th at 7:00pm. Contact Linda Rickert for more information!
St. James Book Club meets on a monthly basis to discuss all kinds of books! In the past, we have read such titles as Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, and Atonement by Ian McEwen. All are welcome to attend, nominate book selections, and participate in discussion!
The St. James Child Development Center, located at St. James Lutheran Church, has been certified by the state of Oregon since 1981. To inquire about openings, rates, or for more information, please contact the Child Development Center at 503-227-2439 or at our website: https://www.stjamescdc.com/ …
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm
Age Range of Children: Six weeks – Six years
Wednesday Centering Prayer —
You are invited to join our community Centering Prayer Group, which gathers every Wednesday at 8:30am in the Pioneer Chapel. All are welcome.
The St. James Child Development Center, located at St. James Lutheran Church, has been certified by the state of Oregon since 1981. To inquire about openings, rates, or for more information, please contact the Child Development Center at 503-227-2439 or at our website: https://www.stjamescdc.com/ …
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm
Age Range of Children: Six weeks – Six years
The St. James Child Development Center, located at St. James Lutheran Church, has been certified by the state of Oregon since 1981. To inquire about openings, rates, or for more information, please contact the Child Development Center at 503-227-2439 or at our website: https://www.stjamescdc.com/ …
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm
Age Range of Children: Six weeks – Six years
Contemplative Prayer at St. James
First and Third Saturday mornings, 9:30am
The 2023-2024 Contemplative Prayer group will reconvene in September.
Saturday Schedule 9:30-11:00am on Zoom:
September 2nd and 16th …
October 7th and 21st …
November 4th and 18th …
December 2nd and 16th …
January 20th only (no meeting on January 6th) …
February 3rd and 17th …
March 2nd and 16th …
April 6th and 20th …
May 4th and 18th …
Contact Susan McBerry for the link to the meetings.
You are invited to consider a contemplative practice with the Contemplative Prayer group who gather via Zoom to pray, learn, and share through silence and breath prayer. Participants often find that it is in the stillness and the silence of meditation that they become centered in the presence of God and become more open to the work of the Spirit within. Contact Susan McBerry for the Zoom link. Meetings are the first and third Saturdays of the month from 9:30 to 11:00am.
Taking time to remove oneself from the noise of daily life is a gift you can give yourself.
Anyone interested in contemplative listening to God is invited to join us. We spend time in silence, in reading sacred texts, and praying for the world, each other and ourselves.
For information about this group, contact Susan McBerry or the St. James front office.
Fair Trade Sale:
May Fair Trade Sale
Plan to stop by the Fair Trade Products table on Sunday, May 5th after service, to stock up on your favorite chocolate and coffee products. See you in the Pioneer Chapel!
–Ann Tohlen – Coffee/Chocolate Lady
Each month St. James Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (WELCA) sell fair trade goods in the Pioneer Chapel after worship. Your purchase of fairly traded coffee, tea, and chocolate help support farmers all over the world!
Coffee Hour Returns …
Beginning Sunday, August 1st, 2021, you are invited to gather for our coffee hour immediately after worship in Pioneer Chapel. You may also sign up at church to host the gathering by bringing treats. It is a fun way to celebrate an anniversary or special date in your life. Additionally, our thanks to all who are providing altar flowers for worship. Usually the beautiful bouquets are then placed in vases and distributed to those who are ill. Sign up on the flower chart by the St. James office. Want to host a coffee hour after worship? Sign up on the office bulletin board. Thanks!
Education hour at 11:00am — following the 9:30am service and coffee
Sundays Year-Round, 11:00am-12:00pm
Open Space takes place most Sunday mornings in the Main Sanctuary of St. James Lutheran Church. All are invited to attend and listen, participate, learn, grow, and share as we develop a stronger sense of our individual faith and also who we are as a community of believers in our world today. Topics range from biblical study to current events, social issues, and information session about local organizations. Open Space is a safe environment where all questions and viewpoints have the right to be heard respectfully.
Open Space Schedule:
Much of the fall will be devoted to exploring Pastor Mark Brocker’s published book on faith and ecology entitled Coming Home to Earth. We will kick off the adult class with one session on September 17th titled “Same and Different.” The Eco Social Justice Committee will help facilitate. The time will be spent exploring our similarities and differences as St. James members. The goal is to discover the richness of our congregation and how what we have in common is just as important as what makes us different.
Calendar is as follows:
September 17th: Same and Different — What do we have in common at St. James and where do we find differences?
September 24th: Begin the Coming Home to Earth series with Pastor Mark Brocker
October 1st: Coming Home to Earth: Loss of Love for Earth
October 8th: Coming Home to Earth: Grieving with Earth
October 15th: Coming Home to Earth: The Things that Make for Peace
October 22nd: Endowment Luncheon
October 29th: Reformation Themes
November 5th: Coming Home to Earth: Conversion to Earth
November 12th: Coming Home to Earth: Taking Up Our Ecological Cross
November 19th: Guided Imagery of Oregon History
November 26th: No Open Space
December 3rd: All Creation Sings with Colin Stave.
December 10th: The Christmas Story told by the Old Masters with Paula Carlson
December 17th: Scandinavian Coffee Hour
December 24th: No Open Space
December 31st: Cookies and Carols
January 7th: Pastor David’s Sabbatical Trip
January 14th: Archery Summit Wine Tasting
January 21st: St. James Annual Congregational Meeting and Meal
January 28th: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Faith Under Fire
February 4th: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Faith Under Fire with Pastor Mark Brocker
February 11th: No Open Space
February 18th: The Creative Spirit with Monica Setziol-Phillips
February 25th: Wine Tasting with Pastor Barry Rogge
March 3rd: ELCA World Hunger Relief Drive Presentation
March 10th: Wealth Redistribution for Housing Justice in Portland
March 17th: ELCA Statement on Civic Engagement and Faith
March 24th: Scott Baby Shower
March 31st: Easter Festival Coffee Hour
April 7th: Join Esther Portnoy to hear about the Crop Walk – another facet of fighting hunger in our community and world
April 14th: Historian Friedrich Schuler will share some of his expertise on South America in his presentation entitled “Miracles in Amazon: New Discoveries of Ancient Civilizations”
April 21st: Colin Stave previews Bach Cantata Vespers
April 28th: Harris Zafar of Rizwan Mosque and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community will be our guest. He will bring a greeting in worship and present “Hamas/Israeli War – A Muslim Perspective” at our 11:00am Open Space class.
Join us for an exciting series of Open Spaces Sundays this May at 11:00am!
May 5: Cancelling the Classics: Join Mandy Ellertson for an engaging and challenging discussion on issues associated with some classic literature. Come contrast the racially charged language of Mark Twain’s Huck Finn with the book James: A Novel by Percival Everett.
May 12: Gaza and Israel: Our Voices for Peace series continues with Zmira Lovejoy, a spiritual leader from Portland’s P’nai Or Jewish Community.
May 19: Follow-Up to PDX Housing Solidarity: Join the Eco Social Justice committee help set a path forward for how we, as a congregation, might join forces to help a BIPOC family find a way to purchase a home.
May 26: Memorial Weekend – Day Off!
Sunday School Returns:
Sunday School and Open Space returned on Sunday, September 18th, 2022. We moved back to our newly renovated St. James historic building on October 23rd, 2022.
Children’s Sunday School Events at St. James:
From October–December, the St. James Sunday School will be hosting three special events for children. Mark your calendars!
October 30th: Exploring The Season of the Soul with crafts and stories related to Dios de los Muertos and All Saints Days.
November 20th: Join in some guided activities for children about the importance of thanks and gratitude. Activities include the children creating “Gratitude Trees” to share with their loved ones.
December 18th: All we need is love and Christmas cookies right? On this day we will have a special event decorating cookies that represent the holiday season we enjoy from Thanksgiving to New Years.