For some, Christmas brings not joy but grief, loneliness, or longing. Whether it’s the first holiday without a loved one or a season that has always felt heavy, this time of year can amplify feelings of loss and heartache. Christmas in a Minor Key offers a gentle, contemplative worship experience for those who find the holidays challenging. Through reflective music, thoughtful meditations, and the quiet lighting of candles, this service provides a safe space to feel, heal, and honor the complexities of the season. Open to all spiritual backgrounds, join us as we seek solace and light together.

Event Details:
Friday, December 20
6:30 PM (PST)
James Bay United Church (in-person only)

All are welcome. Share this invitation with anyone who may need a moment of peace and understanding this Christmas season.

All ages will enjoy the sounds of the season led by Jennifer Turner (piano and vocals) and Gordon Miller (guitar and vocals). This is a wonderful opportunity for you to join with your neighbours singing best loved Christmas Carols and other seasonal favourites.

This special event is free.

Doors open: 3:45pm
Singing: 4pm to 5pm
Goodies and craft (lower hall): 5pm to 6pm 

This Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Advent, we consider love. The truth is that we consider love every Sunday, because God is love. But there are many kinds of love – romantic love differs from the love we feel for a friend; love for God differs from how we love members of our family. We will hear that Mary’s love is a love for justice and we can hear her yearning for her son to grow up in a fairer world than the one she has experienced. We can relate to that. We, too, ought to yearn for a fairer world out of love. 

Welcome: Rev. Greg Powell
Tech Team: Nathan McDormand, Jamie Waters, Steve Nichol
Advent Candle Lighting: Nicole Hergert, Eliana Powell, Sebastian Powell, and Greg Powell
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:39-45 and Song of Faith
Reader: Owen McCooey
Reflection: Rev. Greg Powell
Bulletin

The 9th Annual Winter Solstice Concert, provides enjoyment for all ages. This yearly sell-out musical tradition weaves acoustic and vocal music that ranges from jazz to folk, including new arrangements, providing warmth and peace on the longest night of the year. In the spirit of cabaret and combining music from around the world. A family tradition, we are thrilled to offer this very special musical experience in Victoria, December 22, 2024.

This year’s ensemble includes Anne Schaefer (Voice, Guitar, Piano), Quin Etheridge-Pedden  from The Unfaithful Servants (violin, vocals), Adrian Dolan from The Bills (piano, accordion, vocals and guitar), Scott White (bass, vocals), Kim June Johnson (Voice, Banjo, Piano, Guitar) and Cari Burdett (vocals). 

Our Christmas Eve Pageant preparations are well underway! Check out some snapshots of our amazing cast and crew getting ready to bring the story of Christmas to life.

Our next rehearsal is on Sunday, December 22—a final chance to perfect the magic before the big night on December 24. Thank you to everyone participating and helping to make this special tradition so meaningful!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of our friends and followers from all of us here at Tuesday Night Jazz at the Church.

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane
performed by: Kelby MacNayr's Tiny Rhythm Kings
Dr. Tony Genge - Organ
Andrew Janusson - Guitar
Kelby MacNayr - Drums

Vocals Video: Robert Dettling
Audio: Jamie Waters and Kelby MacNayr Titles
Branding: Gordon Miller

Tuesday Night Jazz at the Church is part of the Arts Ministry of James Bay United Church in partnership with the Victoria Jazz Community and is produced by Kelby MacNayr for James Bay United Church.

If you’d like to support our work and help sustain the Arts Ministry, consider giving a financial gift this season.

If you have the sense that big changes are just around the corner, you're probably right, and you're definitely not alone. If you're thinking politically, you're certainly right, especially for our U.S. cousins. If you're thinking climatically, you're probably right. If you're thinking about the state of the church, I suspect you're also right. These are safe bets, though, because these things are always changing. It's the rate of change that catches us off guard.

In the days when Mary was pregnant with Jesus, imperial skirmishes were the norm, so political change was persistently constant. Mary yearns for a particular type of change: in her Magnificat, she calls upon God for a more just world. We've recently heard from John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, that big changes were afoot. John seems both excited for and worried about these changes. Change was the norm.

Reading the New Your Times
Every day,
I am overcome sometimes
By the desire to:

“Get away from it all
This Christmas —
Run away to sea!”

Sail far away with Princess,
Azamara or Holland America —
Forget to fret! Don’t get your feet
Wet in the cold Winter rain.

But it seems to me now, it is better
Yet, to care and contribute to
Charity, both far and wide,
In war torn worlds as well as in our own.

So I say:

Stay home and sing Christmas
Carols! Yes! Rejoice and be
Transported by the glorious
Music of Cathedrals.

But alas, dwell in the heartfelt
Sermons and prayers that call for:

The cessation of war crimes,
An end to the deliberate starvation
And blockage of medical supplies,
Clean drinking water, or
Any food at all to a starving nation.

An end to the  massacre
Of many babies, mothers,
Doctors, ambulance drivers
And relief workers who risk
Their lives to be there for
Tens of thousands of
Members of humanity.

And if you can have hope, and rise
Above your abject commiseration,
Know we can help at home in some
Small way, by understanding
And easing the pain we can help
To quell in the minds and the bodies,
The spirits and souls of those who are
Suffering, both here and elsewhere.

And let that be our Christmas gift
This year, near and far, frail and
Strong and Resolute!

Join us for a special in-person Christmas Eve gathering designed with children in mind. In just 30 minutes, experience the sacred story of this holy night brought to life with a cast of characters and a few beloved Christmas songs. While there are no candles, this service offers a warm and welcoming space for all ages to come together.

This worship experience will be wrapped in sacred music as we gather around the Candles of Advent. Together, we will celebrate the Light, the beauty of community, and the tenderness of the Child Jesus among us. Whether you join us in person or online, this service is a chance to reflect on the meaning of Christmas in a spirit of peace and joy.

Located in the heart of the James Bay neighborhood, our church is grateful to partner with our community in healing, nurturing, and spreading joy through our many activities and programs. We look forward to celebrating this sacred evening with you!

Please note there will be no classes in the Wednesday Chi Gong classes from 23 Dec 2024-05 Jan 2025. Classes will resume as usual the following week. Thank you for your understanding!

Please note that there will be no Chen Style Taiji or Yang Style Taiji classes on 23 Dec 2024-05 Jan 2025. Classes will resume as usual the following week. Thank you for your understanding!

Save the date: Tuesday, December 31
Doors open at 5:50pm.  POTLUCK dinner is at 6:20pm. Movie at 7:30pm.  Seeing the old year out with a toast, at 10:30pm.
Come to the back-door, at James Bay United Church, 511 Michigan St.

Movie: "BARBIE' which we didn't manage to see in October.  
It was a front-runner in the last awards-season, winning for the  female and the male [Ryan Reynolds as Ken] leads as well as the director, and the truly remarkable scenography [Barbie-ville].  A very smart female writer & director put together a clever feminist 'take' on what it means to grow-up as a female--and how it rebounds on clueless young males.  A very adolescent Barbie, who can't seem to put her heels down starts to get bored with banality and wonders about the truly-adult world out beyond the 'bubble'  But how to get there? Her visit with a very wild & witchy former 'Barbie' who was the last one to try this is hilarious.