It’s Almost Time for the Fair!

It’s almost time for the St. James Craft & Market Fair, but we need your help to get ready!

Hey all you St. James book lovers … we are setting up a book exchange at the Craft Fair this year and we NEED your help. Please go through your gently-used books that you can part with, box them up, and donate them to the cause. Books can be left at the church or school office during regular office hours, or you can bring them to the Concordia Cafeteria and place in the donation box there. All donations need to be received by 3:30 p.m. on Friday, November 6.

Here’s how the exchange works: We will have the donated books displayed in the gym. You can browse through and pick one book for free. You may purchase up to two more books for $2 each (more if we have lots to pick from OR you can simply bring a book to the Craft Fair on November 7 and literally exchange yours for another book.

Now is the time to go through those once-read books which are just sitting on the shelf waiting for someone to read them and bring them in for the book exchange! Have questions? Contact Lynn Keiser @ 765-366-7063.

Our St. James Classical Academy 8th grade students will be selling baked goods at the fair to raise funds for their class trip to Washington D.C. in the spring. We are seeking volunteers willing to donate some baked goods – could that be you? We hope so! We would love to be able to offer a nice variety of items such as cookies, brownies, snacks, candies, rolls, pies, cupcakes, muffins, etc. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!

Feel free to add whatever items you would like to make to the signup; we just listed some to get the ball rolling. We ask that all items either be brought to the gym 3:15-7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 6 or by 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 7 (the fair begins at 9:00). Thank you!

Issues, Etc. ~ Week of November 8

KARAOKE FOR CHRISTIAN HYMNS … You can sing hymns like “Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending,” “I Know That My Redeemer Lives,” “Jesus Priceless Treasure,” “Abide with Me” and more. Lutheran Public Radio has produced YouTube videos of more than 60 hymns featuring the Lutheran Public Radio Choir. Sing along at lutheranpublicradio.org/karaoke.

Altar Guild Autumn Meeting

The autumn 2026 meeting of St. James Altar Guild will take place on Monday, November 9 with the meal beginning at 6:00 p.m. and the meeting to follow at 7:00. If Holy Family Hall is completed, we will meet there; if not, we will meet in the Concordia Cafeteria. The March and April teams will host the meal, providing dinnerware, drinks, and an entrée. Other members may bring dishes to share, but it is not a requirement; there is always more than enough food to go around. Members, bring your calendars in order to sign up to volunteer for setup and cleanup during December. Women and girls who are confirmed members of St. James are eligible to join Altar Guild, and all are welcome to join us to learn more about Altar Guild.

Annual Veterans Day Program

You are warmly invited to our Veterans Day Program on Wednesday, November 11 at 1:30 p.m. in the Concordia Cafeteria as we honor the brave men and women who have served our country. We encourage you to invite the veterans in your family to attend as our special guests. Our St. James students are preparing a heartfelt celebration that includes a variety of art displays and musical tributes.

You’re Invited: Cross Connections Grand Opening!

Join us for the public grand opening of Cross Connections of Tippecanoe County, a Greater Lafayette Commerce event!

Monday, November 16 at 10:00 a.m.
839 Main Street, Suite 500
Lafayette, Indiana

We look forward to celebrating with you!

Be a Host for Host-A-Boiler

Host sign-ups for the 2026 Thanksgiving Host-a-Boiler are now open.

Are you a community resident, Purdue faculty or staff member, or local Purdue student who enjoys celebrating the holidays and spreading cheer to others? Consider inviting Purdue international students to join your holiday celebration this year. Hosting students for a meal or activity is a great way to welcome a student into our community and make them feel at home when they are far from their family and friends.

Hosting for Host-a-Boiler involves:

  • Offering a one-time get together (a meal or activity) for international students staying in the Lafayette area over their school breaks.
  • The one-time meet up would preferably be in a local family/individual’s home, but you the host will extend the invitation and meet up details to your matched student(s).

Be sure to learn more details about the program. Once sign-ups open, create a host account (or log into your existing account), select the current semester’s program and then enter your match preferences.

You are in for a treat! Thank you for your generosity this holiday season!

Aiden Sutton
Host-A-Boiler Program Coordinator
Immigration Counselor
Email: ifp@purdue.edu

The Greening of St. James

The greening of St. James for the seasons of Advent and Christmas is scheduled for Saturday, November 28 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Everyone at St. James is encouraged to come to help beautify the church building, including the sanctuary, foyers, and cafeteria, for the new church year (which begins Sunday, November 29). There will be coffee and breakfast snacks in the Holy Family Hall (or the Concordia Cafeteria if the Hall is not complete) for volunteers.

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” 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.

Offerings ~ September 2026

General Fund Offerings, not including Designated Funds:

Giving for the month was $39,954.63 actual vs.$57,973 budget.
Year-to-date offerings are $82,933.75 actual vs. $113,464 budget.

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.