First Holy Communion Catechesis

The season for catechesis for First Holy Communion for adults and for youth second grade and above begins on Sunday, September 6 at 12:15 p.m. (following the 10:30 Mass) in the church office’s Conference Room. It is a commitment of eight sessions with Rev. Bombaro, seven brief lessons taught at home by parents, and concludes with the catechumens’ First Holy Communion on All Saints’ Day – November 1, 2026.

Schedule: Sundays (12:15-1:00 p.m.) – Sep. 6, 13, 20, & 27; Oct. 4, 11, 18, & 25.

Parents are encouraged to attend. We begin on time and catechumens need to attend every class. Prior to their First Holy Communion, catechumens will schedule private confession and receive Holy Absolution as part of their preparation.

Required materials: 

  • The Holy Bible (ESV). These are available for use at the church.
  • Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation (Concordia Publishing House, 2017). Free copies will be distributed.
  • This Is the Feast – Student Guide by Rev. Dean Nadasdy (Concordia Publishing House). https://www.cph.org/this-is-the-feast-student-book

Make this a family affair. If you have any questions about this session of catechetical instruction, then please feel welcome to contact Pastor Bombaro at seniorpastor@stjameslaf.org. We look forward to partnering with you to guide you/your child(ren) deeper into the grace of Christ’s self-giving in Holy Communion.

Why Classical Education?

How blessed we were to have Rev. Matt Wietfeldt from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN speak to our congregation during Augsburg Academy on August 30. If you were hoping to revisit some parts of his presentation “Why Classical? A Confessional Lutheran Case for Recovering Classical Education” or were unable to attend on Sunday, CLICK HERE.

Sharing School News

Our St. James Lutheran Academies would love to share our news and events with you all, our church family. If you would like to subscribe to our updates and newsletter, please CLICK HERE.

Issues, Etc. ~ Week of September 6

LUTHER HAD WARTBURG, WE HAVE COLLINSVILLE … Issues, Etc. is a podcast and radio talk show produced by Lutheran Public Radio in Collinsville, IL and hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken. Recent interview topics include: The Honesty Crisis, Luke’s Gospel for the Hungry, Lutheran Schools & the Three Estates, The Story of a 16th-Century German City Embracing Lutheranism and more. You can listen on-demand at issuesetc.org, the LPR mobile app or a podcast provider.

Attention Crafters & Artisans

Calling all vendors! The annual St. James Craft & Market Fair will be held on Saturday, November 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. We hope you will be able to join us! 

We will, once again, be making our best effort to have a varied show by not duplicating the types of products our vendors sell as much as we can, so please be specific on your application about the items you plan to bring. All vendors are asked to remember that this is a church/school event, so please display items with that in mind. Two chairs will be provided for your booth at no charge. If you need electricity or a table to be provided, be sure to choose the option that includes what you will need.

Please CLICK HERE to fill out the booth application. If you are an established vendor with us, there is no need to submit a photo. If you are new to our craft fair, please submit a photo of your wares with your application. Spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Payment for booth space must be received by September 18 to reserve your space. Once we have received your application and your payment, you will be contacted to let you know if your application has been approved and to give you instructions for setup and teardown. You will be asked to rank your order of preference for the area you would like for your booth space (cafeteria or gym). We will determine the placement of your booth by the total number of vendors we have and by what is being sold. We will try to accommodate everyone’s wish but we cannot guarantee it. The cafeteria will also have our food sales. Weather permitting, we hope to have a pathway between the cafeteria and gym lined with baked goods, games, and an outdoor seating area!

All proceeds go to our St. James Classical Academy’s eighth grade class trip to Washington, D.C. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

God bless,
Mrs. Lynn Keiser, Craft & Market Fair Coordinator
lkeiser@stjameslaf.org

Attention Ladies!

St. James LWML is hosting our zone’s Fall Gathering in the Concordia Cafeteria on September 12 from 9am-1pm. The theme is Intricately Woven (Psalm 139:15), and our speakers will be Michelle Baumann (Former Director of Y4Life) and our own former pastor, Rev. Michael Salemink! Morning refreshments and lunch are both provided. An ingathering of items will be collected to support Bravely Women’s Health (see the event flyer for details on needed items). We would love to see a huge turnout from our congregation for this special event! You can sign up to attend by emailing lwml@stjameslaf.org or calling Angela Lukens at 812-430-4957. There will also be signup sheets near the RaiseRight counter, both to volunteer and to RSVP. See you there!

Altar Flowers

Sponsoring the flowers that are placed on the altar is a beautiful way to thank God for the special blessings of birthdays, anniversaries, and personal remembrances. If you would like to grace the sanctuary in this manner, please click on the image below. Thank you!

Offerings ~ July 2026

General Fund Offerings, not including Designated Funds:

  • Giving for the month was $70,511.55 actual vs. $49,752 budgeted
  • Fiscal year offerings were $723,590.46 vs. $678,000 budgeted.

Stewardship Thoughts

We invite all members to prayerfully consider setting up online recurring offerings to support the General Fund. Recurring giving nurtures regular, intentional stewardship and provides stability for responsible budget planning. Your faithful support helps care for our staff, strengthen our school, and maintain our facilities. For those age 70½ and older, Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) offer a meaningful way to give directly from an IRA. These gifts can help fulfill your required minimum distribution, and may help lower taxable income. CLICK HERE to give online, and see flyers in the lobby for more information on online giving and Qualified Charitable Distributions.