Your invitation to Invite • Welcome • Connect.
St. James’s is at an important point in our history. As we get closer to living in a post-COVID world, we want to take a look at how we relate to prospective members, newcomers and to long-time parishioners, so each of them can find what they need from our amazing church. At the heart of that goal is Invite • Welcome • Connect (IWC).
This isn’t a program that a few people carry out. It’s a philosophy and practice that is woven into every single thing we do. Because IWC is essential to the way the church operates moving forward, we want as much input from as many parishioners as possible. That’s why we’re having two focus groups in May, plus focus groups in all of our house churches.
Sign up to join one of our one-hour focus groups on Zoom.
To know more about IWC, watch one or both of these videos (the first is shorter, and
We're really excited to be finally kicking off Invite • Welcome • Connect for our parish.
And your input is essential to our success.
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A first person account of the in-person services.
I went to my first in-person service this past Sunday - at the request of my 10-year-old granddaughter! I'm so glad she asked! She followed the service in the bulletin, really enjoyed Hilary's sermon and happily received her wafer for communion. It was a lovely morning for the two of us, and because the ushers were great at showing us where we needed to sit and move, we felt very safe. Being back at church was wonderful!
--Leigh Hulcher
Tell us about your experience at the new in-person services. Send it to this email address.
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This week's eChimes features: |
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- Creation Task Force
- Uncovering Our History
- Sacred Ground
- New Time for Running Club
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- In-person service testimonial
- Amazon Smile
- Subscribe to St. James's YouTube page
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The Diocese of Virginia's Creation Care Task Force is committed to being a sustainable and inclusive network of Episcopalians committed to faithfully uplifting, stewarding and protecting God's Creation. And every member of our Diocese is invited to apply to serve--including you. It is the conviction of the Diocese that this group should represent a depth of diversity in Creation Care experience as well as experiential diversity.
The Task Force will be made up of 15-20 people. Terms will be staggered. Everyone who serves will be appointed by the Bishop. Please submit your application to
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Uncovering Our History
St. James’s has been around for nearly two centuries. And every Wednesday through May 5, we’ll be going all the way back to the beginning (1830 through 1865) to view our church through the lens of race in our series Uncovering Our History.
Under the leadership of the Racial Justice & Reconciliation Ministry, a team of St. James’s parishioners have undertaken an ambitious research project of digging into old records, vestry minutes, sermons and the like, to take stock of our past and move toward becoming a beloved community.
You only have to register in advance once for this entire series. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining all the meetings. Registration
To learn about this week's speaker and see the full schedule, click here.
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A decision that could change your life.
There are still spots available in the second wave of Sacred Ground classes. And because the classes are staggered, you’re not too late to start from the beginning.
After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email with information about joining all the meetings. If you have any questions, contact Hilary Streever.
This is part of the St. James’s Racial Justice & Reconciliation offering.
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The Running Club now starts at 10:30 am
It’s not news that our Youth Ministry Running Club in Byrd Park has been a big success. What IS news is that now they’re meeting at 10:30 am instead of 10 am, so people who go to the 9 am service can still get to the park to run.
Created for every age and every level--walkers, joggers and runners--we meet every Sunday through May 23 at 10:30 am in Byrd Park.
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Park in the Dogwood Dell parking lot, next to Barker Field parking. This is where you'll check-in too.
A few safety rules: Masks on once you get out of your car. But you can remove your mask while running socially distanced.
No cost and no registration needed. See you there!
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A first person account of the in-person services.
Since March of last year we hadn't been inside the sanctuary. This was a strange experience for Whitney and me because we have an every-Sunday church habit. We had enjoyed the online offerings and even made it to an outdoor service, but our Sundays are anchored in going to church. There are two obstacles in going back that we encountered. Will it feel safe? And will it feel like the Sunday church ritual of pre-COVID? I’m delighted to say It felt very safe. We were checked in by the ushers, who placed us in a pew with more than enough physical distance between us and our fellow worshipers. I also was glad to learn that 80% of those who signed up for services had received at least one dose of a vaccine.
It also felt meaningful, even if it was different than before COVID. We all had masks and
we sat in a different place, but it was powerful to be worshiping with other people. Even with masks, we saw people we knew and hadn't seen in a year. The connection with God and our fellow parishioners felt special and moving in a way that seemed like a big step towards something important.
--Sherwood Bowditch
Tell us about your experience at the new in-person services. Send it to this email address.
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Support St. James’s without it costing you a penny.
There’s an easy way to support St. James’s while you’re doing something else. Whenever you shop on Amazon, go to smile.amazon.com, instead. Once you’re there, designate St. James’s as the program you’re supporting, then a percentage of every purchase you make on Amazon will go the church. Easy-peezy.
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Subscribing is easy.
Go to the St. James’s Episcopal Church Richmond page on YouTube.com. You’ll see a red subscribe button. Click on it and you’re done.
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Make sure to check out the new updates on our App. On the App, you will find tools like giving, streaming, and the bulletins. It is highly recommended to use the app as an alternative to paper bulletins. |
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St. James’s Episcopal Church | DOERS.ORG | (804) 355-1779
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