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There is still time


to make your pledge for 2027.



Link here: Pledge 2027





Paper pledge cards are still available in the narthex and parish hall


 

Rector Reflection

Dear Ones,


Please join me in welcoming Patrick White into a new combined role at St. James as Director of Christian Formation for Youth and Parish Administration. Many of you already know Patrick as a member of St. James, dad to 5 year old Rivers, a regular verger at our 10:30 service, and a Youth Sunday School teacher. Patrick brings a unique combination of faithfulness, energy, and enthusiasm for helping youth to grow in their life in Christ, alongside a demonstrated talent for administration and organization from his previous role as a sales representative at the largest independently owned wholesaler in the welding industry, and his background as a welder, pipefitter, and shipbuilder.

Photo collage of Patrick White with son Rivers.

Patrick’s first day on staff will be Sunday, Nov 1. Mon-Thursday you will find him in the parish office splitting his time between parish administration duties and youth formation prep work, and on Wednesdays and Sundays he will lead our Youth Formation offerings including Sunday School classes and EYC.


As we say hello to Patrick in this new role, we say good bye to Scott Smoot, who will retire as St. James Director of Communications on Nov. 6.

Scott demonstrated how a star on the Giving Tree can help a needy family with the gift of a goat.

When I first arrived in May of 2025, Scott let me know that he had agreed to serve in this role temporarily for Interim Rector Mo. Pat- with an end date of December of 2023. I am thankful for Scott’s generosity with his time and creativity, and for sticking it out an extra two years during the transition! He has kept us connected, informed, and flush with Sunday bulletins with characteristic humor and flair (as well as the occasional photoshopped goat), and he will be missed mightily in the office during the week. Scott won’t be going too far, though, as he will enjoy full retirement by continuing to sing in the choir and continuing his 28 years and counting as a member of St. James.

We will be celebrating Scott during coffee hour on Sunday, Nov. 15th. If you would like to contribute to a retirement gift for Scott, you can do so here (link to Give Now ) or by sending a check into the office- be sure to include “Scott Smoot Retirement Gift” in the memo line. Deadline for gifts is Noon on Thursday, Nov 12th.

These are exciting times of promise and hope, and God is truly blessing our parish by continuing to put the right people in the right places at the right time to support and grow our ministry at the corner of Church and Polk Streets. Be sure to keep praying that He will send us our next Assistant Rector soon, too!


In Christ, Mo. Mariclair+

 

Baptisms in 2027


The next dates for Baptisms are Jan 10, Mar 20, May 16, and Nov 7 of 2027, or by arrangement with Mother Mariclair.



Interested in baptism for yourself or your child?

Please contact Mother Mariclair

rector@stjamesmarietta.com

 

Confirmation


The next diocesan confirmation service will take place on Sunday, Dec 6 at 4pm, at the Cathedral of St. Philip. 


If you are interested in being confirmed on this date, please contact Mo. Mariclair no later than Thursday, Oct. 29th at

rector@stjamesmarietta.com


2027 Confirmation Dates are June 6 and Dec 5

Thursday

October 22, 2026

Upcoming Events

Sat Oct 24

Clean Up St. James Cemetery on Polk Street

9:00AM

+

funeral for Christopher Lassiter

at St. James

12 Noon

reception to follow in the Parish Hall

link to the obituary

+

Low Country Boil

Serving begins 6:00PM

RSVP here

RSVP to give Chef Chase

an idea how much Low Country Boil food to buy!

Sun Oct 25

Holy Eucharist, Rite I, spoken

8:00AM

+

breakfast in the Parish Hall

8:45-9:45

+

Sunday School

for children & youth

and

Lectionary Bible Study rm 205

9:30-10:15

+

Holy Eucharist, Rite II,

with organ and choir

10:30

+

Hospitality in the Parish Hall

11:45

+

EYC Youth Group

12:30-2:00 PM

+

Trunk or Treat

in the circle parking lot

2 - 4PM

Mon Oct 26

Annual Reports due

to Mother Mariclair

Tue Oct 27

Bible Study in room 127

12:30PM

+

Visitation for

Douglas Wayne White

father of Patrick White and grandfather of Rivers White

at Carmichael Funeral Home

in Smyrna

6PM - 8PM

view the funeral home website with obituary

Wed Oct 28

Deadline to submit names for the remembrance of loved ones at the All Souls Vigil on Sunday

communications@

stjamesmarietta.com

Subject Line "All Saints"

+

Funeral for

Douglas Wayne White

father of Patrick White and grandfather of Rivers White

at First Baptist of Smyrna

2PM

view the funeral home website with obituary

+

Wednesday Dinner & Programs

5:30 Dinner

6:30 Evening Prayer and practice for Cherubs Choir and Youth Choristers

7:00 Adult Formation

7:30 Adult Choir practice

Thu Oct 29

Halloween Parade by our Wonderful Days Preschool

throughout the church

10:30

All are invited to cheer them on and hand out treats. Please show up a few minutes early.

+

New Date!

E.C.W. Harvest Stroll with women of St. Joseph's

5:30PM

Sunday Nov 1

All Saints Day services in the morning, Baptisms at 10:30

+

All Souls Vigil in St. James Cemetery

4PM

 

Cemetery Clean up Saturday October 24, 9 AM

+ Low Country Boil at 6PM -- not spooky but spirited!

RSVP here for Low Country Boil


Trunk or Treat. Natalie Fowler and the Youth are planning fun (without anything too scary) for our younger parishioners on Sunday, October 25, 2 - 4PM.


Many parishioners enjoy the Wonderful Days Halloween Parade when kids in costume tour the church and receive treats from staff. Please join us Thursday, Oct 29, a little before 10:30.


Also on the 29th, ECW joins women of St. Joseph's for a Harvest Stroll, beginning from our Church Street portico at 5:30PM.


Mother Mariclair says, "All Saints and All Souls

are the Hallow of the e'en!"


All Saints Day is November 1, celebrated at the morning services. All Souls Vigil in our cemetery on Polk Street begins at 4PM. Names of those who have died this past year and those names for remembrance submitted to the church office by 9AM Wednesday Oct 28 will be printed in the All Saints bulletin and read aloud at the All Souls vigil.

Livestream HQ - Links & Booklets for Worship at Home

Link to livestream

on YouTube

or

Link to livestream

on Facebook


These links also take you to videos of past services and special events.

Worship booklet: all prayers, responses, and service music that will be used until Advent.

Service bulletin: scriptures, hymn numbers, and announcements for this Sunday's service.

 

The Bells toll not for thee?


Can't see photos in The Bells? Never get the peach-colored "Pulse of the Parish" at the end of this newsletter?


You can tell your email service to show blocked content. Need help? Email communications@stjamesmarietta.com 


Paper printouts of The Bells are displayed on tables by the Parlor and by the Parish Hall. See photo.

 

Open this link for a shopping list of good things to donate (and some to avoid). Youth and children will be handing out the fliers

with grocery bags beginning this Sunday!

 

Photo: Debbie stands with her son Daulton and her husband Henry.

Debbie Wightman

Elected Assistant Treasurer

Congratulations to Debbie Wightman! Debbie has been elected by the Vestry to serve as Assistant Treasurer through the end of next year.


This position is designed  to prepare Debbie to serve as the Treasurer for a regular two-year term beginning in 2028.


Debbie is a long-time St. James parishioner, known especially for her devotion to children’s formation, stepping into the breach to serve as lay leader when Nancy Eubanks retired in June  2022. She is also a member of the Finance Committee. Debbie is retired with an extensive professional background in accounting, budgeting, and financial analysis and reporting.


St. James is deeply indebted to Debbie for undertaking this role.  - Peter Goodwin

Benefit the Mission to Mexico with Golf & Gala Nov 13

Ciudad de Angeles is the orphanage in Mexico that welcomed a team from St. James in June. We are planning to return in June 2027! 


We have two opportunities to support this worthy ministry on November 13, with a golf game in the morning and a gala dinner at night. 

Golf Tournament to Benefit Mission


There is a golf tournament on the morning of November 13 at Steel Canyon Golf Course in Sandy Springs. Hole sponsorships are available. Play 18 holes in the morning and then join us in the St. James Parish Hall for a gala.

Gala Dinner at St. James

to Benefit Mission


We will enjoy a wonderful Mexican meal and a fun Mariachi Band. We will hear about the wonderful things going on in Mexico and plans for the coming year!



Link to a full-size copy of these two fliers.

Please direct questions to David White at (404) 245-5690 or dhwhite@rhs-law.com

Children & Youth News

Acolytes for Sunday, October 25: Avalyn, Mary, Stella

All Saints Procession

Our St. James Sunday School children have chosen saints to represent on All Saints Day, Nov 1, and will join in the opening procession in costume at the 10:30 service. Our older youth are helping the younger children to research the lives of their chosen saints for clues to how they would dress. During the Coffee Hour on November 1, the children will be prepared to answer your questions about their saints!

The Very Young and the Very Grown Up:

Photos from Sunday, the nursery and the acolyte robing room.

Natalie took the picture on the right.

EYC Lunch


Could you make or sponsor lunch for one of the Youth Group's Sunday meetings?


It doesn't have to be a lot, it doesn't have to be fancy!

Opportunities to Team Up with Episcopal Youth from across our Diocese of Atlanta,

Develop Skills, and Deepen Faith


+ Province IV Youth Leadership Summit (DEC 3-6) +

+ Overnight @ Annual Council (NOV 6-7) +

+ New Beginnings 52 (NOV 13-15) +

+ Christmas Carol Camp-in (DEC 19-20) +

 + Winter Camp (JAN 8-10) +



Check out all Diocesan Youth Events at https://eycdioatl.org/events-5/

Contact Us

Natalie Fowler, Children's Ministry Coordinator children@stjamesmarietta.com

Keep up with the Diocesan Youth Council at http://eycdioatl.org/

Dr. Bryan Black highlights connections between the music and liturgy for Sunday's 10:30 service.



The Handbell Choir begins worship with Song of Reflection by Dan R. Edwards. Published by Choristers Guild, this original piece for three octaves is a gentle, prayerful meditation inspired by passages in John 14. Subtle key shifts support a flowing legato melody, creating a quiet, reflective atmosphere for contemplation.


The offertory anthem is John Rutter’s Look at the World (1996). Rutter wrote both the music and the text for this widely usable harvest anthem, commissioned by the Council for the Protection of Rural England to celebrate the beauty of creation and our responsibility as stewards of it. The words invite us to “look at the world” and marvel at its joys and wonders—earth bringing forth fruit and flower, sunshine and rain, hills and valleys, and the cycle of seasons before offering praise: “Praise to thee, O Lord, for all creation… All things come of thee.” The text’s catalogue of nature’s gifts and its spirit of thankful wonder bear a clear resemblance to the well-loved hymn “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” whose refrain celebrates the Creator who made “all things wise and wonderful.”


The closing voluntary is Processional by Martin Shaw (1875–1958). An English composer, conductor, organist, and champion of the English musical revival, Shaw studied at the Royal College of Music under Stanford alongside Holst, Vaughan Williams, and John Ireland. He later became a key figure in the reform of English church music, co-editing Songs of Praise and The Oxford Book of Carols with Vaughan Williams and Percy Dearmer. Among his many contributions are the Anglican Folk Mass, numerous hymns and anthems, and the popular setting of “Morning Has Broken” (with words by Eleanor Farjeon to the tune Bunessan). His Processional, published in 1940, is a dignified organ work founded on the great German chorale Lobe den Herren (“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”).


Finally, a note on the Sequence hymn tune Brother James’ Air, often paired with the words “How lovely is thy dwelling place…” (a metrical paraphrase of Psalm 84 from the Scottish Psalter of 1650). The tune was written around 1915 by James Leith Macbeth Bain (c. 1840–1925), a Scottish healer, mystic, and poet known simply as Brother James. First published in his volume The Great Peace, the air is best known with the 23rd Psalm (“The Lord’s my shepherd”), but its graceful, ascending character also suits the longing of Psalm 84 for God’s dwelling place. Arrangements by Gordon Jacob and others have made it a cherished part of the hymn repertoire.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Flowers on the altar this Sunday are given to the glory of God by Dorris Tucker and family in loving memory of Harold Tucker.  


With a donation for flowers, you can publish a dedication in The Bells and the Sunday bulletin. An usher in the Narthex can help you to register.


Photo: Flowers from Oct 18.

Names due Wednesday the 28th for All Saints Bulletin and All Souls Services

The service bulletin for the morning service on All Saints Day (Nov.1) will list the names of parishioners whose funerals we held in the past year, and names submitted by loved ones for remembrance on this special day.


If you would like to add a name to our list, please give a note to an usher or send the loved one's name in an email with the subject line All Saints by 9AM Wednesday Oct 28. communications@stjamesmarietta.com


These names will be read aloud during the All Souls Vigil in the St. James Cemetery at 4:00 PM that same day.

 

Low Country Boil October 24

Start time: 6:00 pm, in the Parish Hall

Guests may bring their own beer or wine.

Iced tea, lemonade, and water will be provided.

Guests are also asked to bring a side dish or dessert to share.


Costs

  • $20 per person
  • $5 for ages 5–10
  • Free for children under 5
  • $50 family plan (two adults and children under 18)


You can pay at the door with cash or with a credit card through REALM.


Link to RSVP

 

Nominations for Vestry. Nominations are open for four members of our 2027-2030 Vestry class. Be thinking now about members of the church who might serve well- and please be sure to ask them before you nominate them! Also consider whether you yourself might be called to this kind of service.

 

Vestry members at St. James serve three year terms, and are eligible for re-election after a minimum of one year off between terms. Potential members must be available to attend vestry meetings, which usually occur on the third Monday of every month at 7PM (* with adjustments for school breaks and other parish conflicts), and an opening meeting and retreat.


2027 Vestry Meeting Dates

Jan 29* Vestry meeting

and Jan 30 Saturday Retreat

July 19

Feb 8*

Aug 23*

Mar 15

Sept 27*

Apr 19

Oct 18

May 17

Nov 15

June 21

Dec 20

In order to stand for election, a prospective Vestry member needs to:

- be at least 18 years old

- be on the membership rolls of St. James either through baptism in the parish, confirmation or reception into the church, or a recorded transfer of membership from another Episcopal Church.

- have received communion at least three times in the previous year, and

- have made and maintained a financial commitment (a pledge) in support of St. James in the year preceding. 

 

Interested in learning more about being a candidate for Vestry?

Reach out to Mother Mariclair at rector@stjamesmarietta.com

or Senior Warden Harry Hargrove at harry.l.hargrove@gmail.com

with any questions or for a nomination form. 

 

Mission Trip to Mexico in 2027, June 19-26: Interested in going?

All are invited to a general interest meeting Sunday Nov 8th 12:30PM in the Conference Room (# 127) to learn about the June 19-26, 2027 Mission Trip.

Sunday, participants in the Mission Trip in 2026 presented video clips and personal memories of their work. Your chance to join them is coming up in June. Come to the general interest meeting Nov 8th in the conference room.

 

Family Promise Coming Soon!

From November 1-8, St. James will host three families who are working towards financial stability. Multiple roles are available including dinner prep, overnight hosting, setup, etc. 


For more information, please contact Chris O’Connor at 770-856-9012 AND check out the FP Cobb website. To volunteer, use our Signup Genius link. 

Window Replacements begin the third week of November. Workmen will be moving from room to room, working indoors and out. If you lead a group that meets during the work week, you may have to move to another location. Just a heads up!

 

Servers on Sunday, October 25


Altar Guild Team 4


Vestry Person of the Day

Daniel White (pictured)


8:00

Lector & Intercessor Melinda Allen

LEM Carl Wimmer


10:30

Lector 1 Leigh Cook

Lector 2 Tom Cook

Intercessor Tiffany Fannin

LEMs Laura Dabundo, Joanne Fowler

Verger Wendy Malsby

Ushers Team 3

Acolytes Avalyn Mary, Stella

REMINDERS

Dishwashers needed for Wonderful Days preschool, about one hour for one day per week. Contact John Schafer 770-843-4224 jandmschafer@bellsouth.net  

Parish Prayer List. To be emailed the prayer list every week, contact Cari Edwards elvine@hotmail.com Leave prayer requests in the offering plate or at the desk by the parish office. You can phone in prayer requests 770-428-5841 Mondays through Thursdays, 9-12:30.

Parking Perks

Parking in our Polk Street lot is free of charge during scheduled church events. At other times, however, we do need either a parking hang tag or a new window sticker.


For the window sticker, send your name, your vehicle's make, model, COLOR and license plate number to Lucia Bird luciabird@gmail.com or 770.402.0024.


If your vehicle has changed since you got your hang tag or window sticker, you will need a replacement, so give Lucia the information on the old hang tag, too.

Your pledge helps the Vestry plan for the year. Pledge here.

Contact Us

Program staff available via email Sunday - Thursday;

office staff, Monday - Thursday, 9am-1pm


Mother Mariclair is rector@stjamesmarietta.com

Pastoral emergency phone or text: 678.369.1775

To make an appointment with the rector, sign up for a 15m check-in, a 30m chat, or a 45m "coffee hour" at https://calendly.com/rector-stjamesmarietta


Mr. Foster Peterson is seminarian@stjamesmarietta.com

Miss Natalie Fowler is children@stjamesmarietta.com

Dr. Bryan Black is music@stjamesmarietta.com

Mr. Scott Smoot is communications@stjamesmarietta.com 


Phone 770-428-5841.

Pulse of the Parish

from Scott Smoot, Communications Director

Glenda Hogg made history this week.


First, she answered a raft of questions from a history professor in California who suspected that her Jewish ancestor Mordecai Myers had been baptized at St. James. Glenda's response was exhaustive: "Because of my interest in local and church history, I have a great deal of information about those souls buried in St. James Cemetery."


Mordecai's son Henry was a leader in early Marietta, and he had ties to St. James. Glenda wrote,


Henry was an engineer and in the U. S. Army before war broke out. He resigned his commission and joined the Confederate army. He married Jane Eliza Green in 1867. Her family had long been members of St. James. (Perhaps the reason he converted?)

Glenda located an article that describes Henry as a partner to another St. James family, ancestors of verger Bill Brumby. According to the article from early last century, the Brumby Chair Factory was "a great blessing to Marietta in furnishing many families with work" and charity for needy families in Cobb County.

On Wednesday of this week, Glenda also guided visitors in a tour of our Cemetery. Thanks to Mother Mariclair for the photo.


By the way: Join us at the cemetery Saturday at 9AM to spruce it up in advance of the All Soul's Vigil.


Our Hall of Rectors is a visible sign of Glenda's tenacity in research. With her friends in St. Anne's Chapter, Glenda filled gaps in the display. She would remind everyone that St. Anne's Chapter meets at 10AM on the first Tuesday of every month in the school year.

Know any good news items about goings-on in the parish? Share them with me at the communications desk.