You can download a copy of the Messenger with graphics, or if you just want to read the text, keep scrolling! The August 2026 Events Calendar at St. James Lutheran Church is below.

All of our community events are posted on our our events page, be sure to check them out !

A Message From Pastor Libby

“He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.” -Psalm 23:2–3

As I write this Messenger article, Gettysburg is in the middle of a heat wave. The next few days will be scorching, with temperatures nearing 100 degrees and “real-feel” temperatures climbing even higher. Full disclosure: Gettysburg is hot—at least a few degrees warmer than my parents’ home in Juniata County—and there is much less shade. August in Gettysburg comes with warm air, sunny sidewalks, and seemingly few places to escape the heat.

One thing that surprised me when I first moved to Gettysburg was the lack of a public pool—a place where the community could gather and cool down during the summer. Instead, people flock to the beach, visit local state parks, or find a friend with a pool when the heat becomes too much. In the midst of a heat wave, water can feel almost holy.

There is nothing quite like a cold glass of water after spending time outside, the relief of stepping into a swimming pool, or the sound of rain falling after days of dry, heavy heat. Water cools us, refreshes us, and restores us. It reminds us just how much our bodies need it – just ask our childcare kids.

Each Wednesday this summer, our childcare children have “Water Days”—days when they gather outside with music, splash pads, sprinklers, and water balloons. They spend time cooling off in the summer heat and taking great delight in soaking one another—and their teachers! On especially warm days, I join them, taking equal delight in the refreshing shock of a cold water balloon and in running away from a group of very determined preschoolers. These moments are joyful and playful, but they also remind me of water’s deeper place in our life of faith. Water does more than cool our bodies; throughout Scripture, it becomes a sign of God’s presence, renewal, and grace.

The psalmist David writes of God leading us beside still waters and restoring our souls. In the waters of baptism, God gives us a promise that remains with us throughout our lives.

For many of us, baptism may be something that happened so long ago that we do not remember it. We may know the date only because it is written in a family Bible or recorded in the church office. Yet baptism is not simply an event from our past. It is an ongoing promise for our present.

In baptism, God claims us as beloved children. We are washed in grace, joined to Christ, and welcomed into a community of faith. The waters of baptism do not promise that we will never experience difficult, exhausting, or painfully dry seasons. They do, however, remind us that God is present with us in every season.

Luther encouraged Christians to remember their baptism each day—not because we need to be baptized again and again, but because we need to be reminded again and again of what God has already promised.

In the heat of August, there are plenty of opportunities to be refreshed by water and to remember our baptism. We might remember it while washing our faces in the morning, watering the garden, standing in a summer rainstorm, splashing around with little ones, or drinking a cold glass of water after a hot summer day.

Each of these ordinary moments can become a small reminder of an extraordinary promise: God’s grace continues to flow into our lives, refreshing us when we are weary and restoring us when our souls feel parched.

This August, whenever water offers you relief from the summer heat, pause for a moment and remember the waters of baptism. Remember that you are claimed, loved, forgiven, and never alone. May the God who leads us beside still waters continue to refresh us and restore our souls.

With love,
Pastor Libby

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St. James Book Marks

August’s featured titles are great options for adult and younger readers alike, who are looking for a relaxing activity to fill hot and hazy summertime days. These book have arrived—They are on the book cart now!

“Compost Stew” by Mary McKenna Siddals
In this selection, the author introduces young readers PreK-1st Grade to the concept that composting is nature’s way to recycle. Through colorful, vibrant illustrations by Ashley Wolff and Siddals’ A-Z listing of foods and other compostables told in lively rhyme, environmental “chefs” are encouraged to create their own compost stew.

The back page features a chef’s note, also in a rhyming format, telling parents and children about items that are not to be composted. This light hearted, yet informative quick read is a winner.

“Human Nature” by Kate Marval
Few subjects in modern society elicit so many varied and opposing emotions as that of climate change. Consider the following nine emotions: wonder, anger, guilt, fear, grief, surprise, pride, hope, and love. As you read through the list, do you feel a twinge or two of empathy for each when you ponder such a complex, controversial topic.

In her “Scientific American Best Book of the Year,” renowned climate scientist and communicator (think Meet the Press and Ted Talk) Kate Marval takes us through the science and stories of a changing planet Earth viewed through each of these emotions using such devices as mythology, physics, witchcraft, volcanos, Roman emperors, and so much more. Not all sad—not all bad. All very real, and a fascinating journey. You won’t be disappointed.

Young At Heart: Keeping Up
With The Kids
Adam Michael
Director of Youth & Family Ministry

There’s more than one way to prepare for workcamp.

The first is to anticipate every challenge, have tools for every job, preplan how every minute will be spent and try to execute as many tasks as possible. Another is to bring along what is listed on the packing requirements, not think too much, and stay the course.

A few weeks before leaving for Red Springs, North Carolina, I received what I took to be a spiritual message from the Beyond The Youth Room podcast – “Just focus on making disciples, and God will take care of the rest.”

From July 12-17, we departed for Red Springs, North Carolina, with our trusty adult volunteers, Kasey Smith and Mark Clowney, and students Emma Brown, Bella and Christian DiCampli, Liam Clowney, Chase Drechsler, Aiden and Anden Dutrow, Ikey and Lucy Heaton, Savannah Munsee, Jacob Murphy, Jeremiah Sawmtheen, Gabbi Scavitto, Emma Schneider, Morgan Smith and Thomas UraiThang.

When we got there, we learned things would not run quite as smoothly as they had the previous year. There were more groups than leaders, assignments ran through Baptists on Mission, the organization that housed us, as well as through TeamEffort, the organization that recruited us. And materials didn’t arrive as quickly or in the quantity we expected.

In these conditions, the trip became about disciple making as much as restoration – teaching our kids to stick together through difficult times, to speak the truth in love, and to be vulnerable with the group, knowing we’d help to catch one another when we were struggling. Our middle school group made quite an impression on the property owner they helped, so much so that they were recruited by the owner’s daughter to do some landscaping at her house as well. Our high school kids worked through adversity to wash and repaint a wheelchair ramp and porch without all the proper materials. Not only that, they connected deeply with our property owner, Ernestine Beatty, a pastor’s wife who recently lost her beloved after a long bout with dementia. And none of our kids will forget Raysean Garcia, our martial arts/ parkour loving guide from Queens, New York, who led us through the week.

During worship, we discussed who we were becoming, how we could be honest with God and one another, the power of giving more than we know we can, and finally surrendering to God when our ego, or our plans, seem more important than those of our maker.

Through some tearful and heart-filled conversations, our kids discussed the anxieties they feel with friends, at home, at work, at school, and as they prepare for college. It was touching to see them so vulnerable, and so willing to let God work within the conversations.

We finished off the week with a fantastic voyage to Ocean Isle, South Carolina, where we spent a few hours on the beach getting in touch with God’s creation and reminding ourselves of the promises of baptism.

If we graded our week by our accomplishments, some might have been disappointed by our output. However, if we graded the week based on our communion with one another, this year’s workcamp hopefully planted seeds that will grow far beyond our ability to comprehend today.

In Christ’s love,
Adam Michael
Youth and Family Director St. James Lutheran Church

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Music Notes
Jonathan Noel, Minister of Music

As I write this article we are witnessing the final games of the World Cup. Even those of us who rarely or never watch the sport have been paying attention because the United States is one of the host countries for the games. After the defeat of the US team to Belgium, I started rooting for Norway because I visited that country last fall and feel an affinity for them now. Who can forget the Norway fans rowing in unison from the stands, and the larger-than-life personality of the team’s striker Erling Haaland? But when Norway lost to England, I began to root for Spain because my son is there now visiting friends he met while studying abroad.

Visitors from all over the world have come to the US for the games. There was a social media post from a Japanese visitor who went to a Mexican restaurant somewhere in the US and wrote about his experience. His post went viral:

“…We had not yet ordered anything, and the food was already arriving. Chips. Salsa. Unrequested. Free. I stopped the waiter. “We have not earned these.” “They just come with the table, man.” They come with the TABLE. In my land, hospitality is a debt. Every gift creates an obligation, weighed carefully, returned in the proper season with interest of feeling. Here, the gift arrives before you have even proven you can pay for dinner. This is not an appetizer. This is a declaration: we trust you. Eat. I ate with the gravity the moment deserved. And then — I must report this calmly — the basket emptied, and a new one appeared. “Did we…?” “Refill,” the waiter said. “It’s bottomless.” Bottomless. They have wells of salsa. The supply lines of this nation are beyond anything my ancestors imagined…”

While the post is about cultural differences, it sounds to me like a parable about grace.

Grace. A gift we do not earn. A gift we cannot repay. A gift that, like the bottomless chips, just keeps coming….Unrequested….Free.

Worship Previews

AUGUST 1ST & 2ND:
10TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

In today’s first reading God invites all who are hungry or thirsty to receive food and drink without cost. Jesus feeds the hungry multitude and reveals the abundance of God. At the eucharistic table we remember all who are hungry or poor in our world today. As we share the bread of life, we are sent forth to give ourselves away as bread for the hungry.
Preacher: Pastor Andrew Geib
Readings: Isaiah 55:1-5, Romans 9:1-5, Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21, Matthew 14:13-21
Fellowship, hosted by the Landscape & Evangelism Committees

AUGUST 8TH & 9TH:
11TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Elijah finds the presence of God not in earthquake, wind, or fire, but in the sound of sheer silence. When the disciples face a great storm on the sea, they cry out with fear. Jesus says: “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Amid the storms of life, we gather to seek the calm presence of Christ that soothes our fears. In comforting words of scripture and in the refreshing bread and cup of the eucharist, God grants us peace and sends us forth to be a sign of God’s presence to others.
Preacher: Pastor Libby Baker-Mikesell
Readings: 1 Kings 19:9-18, Romans 10:5-15, Psalm 85:8-13, Matthew 14:22-33

AUGUST 15TH & 16TH:
12TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

In Isaiah we hear that God’s house shall be a house of prayer for all people and that God will gather the outcasts of Israel. The Canaanite woman in today’s gospel is a Gentile, an outsider, who is unflinching in her request that Jesus heal her daughter.
As Jesus commends her bold faith, how might our church extend its mission to those on the margins of society? In our gathering around word and meal we receive strength to be signs of comfort, healing, and justice for those in need.
Preacher: Pastor Libby Baker-Mikesell
Readings: Isaiah 56:1, 6-8, Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32, Psalm 67, Matthew 15:[10-20] 21-28

AUGUST 22ND & 23RD:
13TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

In Isaiah the people are advised to look to their spiritual ancestors as the rock from which they were hewn. Jesus declares that the church will be built on the rock of Peter’s bold confession of faith. God’s word of reconciliation and God’s mercy are keys to the church’s mission. Paul urges us to not be conformed to this world but to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, using our individual gifts to build up the body of Christ. From the table we go forth to offer our spiritual worship through word and deed.
Preacher: Pastor Andrew Geib
Readings: Isaiah 51:1-6, Romans 12:1-8, Psalm 138, Matthew 16:13-20

AUGUST 29TH & 30TH:
14TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the incurable wound of his suffering yet finds in God’s words the delight of his heart. When Peter doesn’t grasp Jesus’ words about suffering, Jesus tells the disciples they will find their lives in losing them. Such sacrificial love is described by Paul when he urges us to associate with the lowly and not repay evil with evil. In worship we gather as a community that we might offer ourselves for the sake of our suffering world.
Preacher: Pastor Libby Baker-Mikesell
Readings: Jeremiah 15:15-21, Romans 12:9-21, Psalm 26:1-8, Matthew 16:21-28

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COUNCIL CORNER
JULY 15 MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

En Bloc Agenda: Approved

• Approval of Minutes from June 17, 2026
• Acceptance of Treasurer’s Report, Church Financials & ELC Financials
  
  Committee Reports:
  Finance Committee: Budget-planning meeting scheduled for July 27.
  Personnel Committee: Budget-planning meeting scheduled for August 12. An amalgamated church budget is scheduled for approval at the October council meeting and will be presented at the annual congregational meeting in November for a final vote.
  
  Unfinished Business:
  Youth and Community Visioning Update: Pastor Andrew met with architect Heather Ross. Ms. Ross will create some initial rendering for the project to be presented to the Youth and Community Visioning committee at a future date.
  CARES Update: The CARES board is continuing its work in the off season to plan for the 2026-27 cold-weather season.
  
  New Business:
• Council asked to approve Pastor Libby’s officiating at the Nov. 7, 2026, wedding of Emily Stapf and Matthew Rudacille in Red Lion, PA. Motion made, seconded and passed.
• Results of vote endorsing a Seminary Field Ed student at St. James: St. James will keep the option open to accept another student, should one become available.
• Council was asked to sponsor a reception between services on Sept. 13, 2026 (God’s Work, Our Hands Sunday), recognizing all volunteers in all capacities at St. James. Motion made, seconded and passed.
• The World Outreach Committee seeks approval to kick off an initiative to support international students at Gettysburg College with a pot-luck meal for 2026-27 incoming students at a date to be determined in September. Motion made, seconded and
  passed.
• Pete Bender and Emily Harte will be joining an Alabama group on a mission trip to Tree4Hope in Guatemala in late July, where they will be delivering pediatric medical supplies and construction materials. Council has been asked to approve a two-weekend congregational voluntary donation (July 18-19 and July 25-26) to fund these items. Motion made, seconded and passed.
• Council was asked to re-confirm the St. James Covenant, adopted during the 2025-26 session. Motion made, seconded and passed. Council also discussed printing the covenant on pew cards so that the words are readily available.
• Pastor Libby led an introductory power-point discussion regarding ways to cultivate and carry out a culture of evangelism at St. James. These discussions will continue for the next few months.
  
  Good for Church/Good for God/Good for Council
• Applause and recognition to all of the youth who were working in the heat during the recent work camp in coastal North Carolina. They exhibited what St. James is all about.
• Our pastors have been working with The Ministerium to provide pastoral services for two local churches, whose pastors are on leave.
  
  Next Meeting: Wednesday, August 19 at 6:30 pm

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UPDATE AND APPEAL FROM
SOURCE OF LIFE MINISTRIES (SLM) IN HAITI

The World Outreach Committee learned recently from our friend, and SLM’s Founder and Director, Jacques Merine, that some of the children under the care of the ministry have now transitioned to adult status employment after completing their high school studies. The safe home moved away from Gressier in August 2024 after local infiltration by lawless gangs into the neighborhood. Transferring to Jacmel, with it’s improved security and safety, eliminated interruptions to the school year. However, some of the SLM staff could not leave behind their homes and families in Gressier. The ministry has adapted by hiring several of the now-adult high school graduates as staff members in Jacmel.

The Gressier compound is still unharmed, by the grace of God, and watched over by staff members living nearby. The community church built on the compound and under Pastor Miguerson’s leadership, is certainly an instrument of God’s protecting hand. The Gressier location is familiar to the many missions teams that visited SLM in Haiti over the past 10-15 years. St. James sent mission teams in 2016 and 2018 and has been a strong financial supporter for SLM since 2010.

The rented house in Jacmel is not equal to the SLM compound by any comparison, except for the much safer environment in Jacmel. As several of the children have either reached adulthood or otherwise left the safe home, SLM now has a smaller cohort of 10 children under their care in Jacmel. Even so, expenses have inflated in all categories. Food costs, even for a smaller group, have doubled or tripled due to the chaotic security conditions, and market and transport disruptions present throughout Haiti.

Formerly, visiting mission teams brought small items of clothing, medicines, shoes and incidentals needed for the children in an extra suitcase. Since no mission teams have traveled since 2018 (even Jacques has been unable to return to Haiti since that time),

most of these items are now sourced from the Dominican Republic via informal traders that acquire and transport such “shopping lists” of items to SLM’s Jacmel location. Instead of donations that were brought in by mission teams, these costs are now absorbed by SLM. Annual rent for the house in Jacmel is due in August, with an increase from $5,000 to $8,000 to renew the lease. On top of these expenses, school fees will be due in September. In 2025 school fees were around $5,000, and uniforms, book bags and supplies were about $1,500 additional.

Accordingly, Jacques is urgently appealing for financial support to meet upcoming expenses. Mission team visits to Haiti have been eliminated due to Haiti’s ongoing dangerous security conditions and lack of international air transport. A strong community of supporters among the 10-15 congregations in several states that has built and sustained the SLM organization since 2010, has also diminished. Many of these congregations are redirecting their missionary teams and donations to Central and South America. As a result, Jacques reports that SLM’s overall donations have fallen to less than half of its prior income.

The World Outreach Committee brings this news and appeal to the St. James community and requests prayerful consideration for sharing a portion of God’s abundance entrusted to you, toward the needs of Source of Life Ministries. SLM has been our mission partner for about 15 years, during which time our members and mission teams have met and generously supported the children and staff in Gressier, and now in Jacmel.

For years, SLM has been blessed with financial and material support provided by several individual donors. Their gifts have generally been substantial, and indications of their continued support are positive. However, the current need is for financial support to enable SLM to meet its grossly inflating operating expenses for food, fuel, vehicle repairs and other supplies which must be procured in Haiti. As Jacques recently related, “I worry that we will have enough to feed the kids next month.” Your help will relieve Jacques’ worry.

Donations can be directed to: TSM / Source of Life Ministries c/o Jacques Merine, Founder PO Box 96 Hanover, PA 17331
Or checks can be written to St. James Lutheran Church, memo line: SLM Summer Appeal 2026

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Parish Records

50+ Wedding Anniversaries
August 3, Ron & Missy Roach, 52 years
August 15, Bill & Judy Leslie, 56 years
August 21, Terry & Jane Fox, 61 years
August 24, Charlie & Deb Raffensperger, 57 years
August 26, Martin & Catherine Crabill, 75 years

Deaths
July 8 – Karen Holtzworth
July 18 – Harold Plank

Visiting St. James
or Calling (717-334-2012)

Office Hours:
Monday—office closed
Tuesday—Friday, 9:00 a.m.—3:30 p.m.
Wednesdays until 5:30 pm

201, Katy Clowney, Church Administrator, kclowney@StJamesGettysburg.org
202, Julie Albert, Administrative Coordinator, jalbert@StJamesGettysburg.org
203, Adam Michael, (off on Fridays), Director of Youth & Family Ministry, youth@StJamesGettysburg.org
205, Pr. Libby Baker-Mikesell, (off on Fridays), Associate Pastor, lbakermikesell@StJamesGettysburg.org
206, Pr. Andrew R. Geib, (off on Fridays), Lead Pastor, ageib@StJamesGettysburg.org
207, Jonathan Noel, (off on Fridays), Minister of Music, jnoel@StJamesGettysburg.org
215, Todd Izydorski, (off on Fridays), Building Superintendent, tizydorski@StJamesGettysburg.org