St. James’ Episcopal Church
2007 Annual Report
Table of Contents
Assistant
to the Rector for Adult Ministries
Assistant
to the Rector for Children and Youth Ministries
Worship: Lay Eucharist Ministers and Lay Readers
Worship: St. James’ Adult Choir
Worship: Music – Children’s Choir
Worship: Music – Corner Chorale & Youth Music
Outreach: St. James’ Preschool
Pastoral Care:
Healing Ministry
Pastoral Care: Intercessory Prayer Team
Pastoral Care: Pastoral Associates
Discipleship: Education for Ministry (EfM)
Discipleship: Fellowship Events
Discipleship: Sunday Coffee Hour Hosts
Discipleship: Kids With Purpose
Discipleship: Newcomers Committee
Discipleship: Annual Giving Campaign Committee
Administration: Finance Committee
Administration: Planned Giving Committee
Administration: Building Committee
Administration: Capital Campaign Committee
Administration: Organ Committee
Administration: Communications
Administration: Church Street Property Committee
Administration: Parish Historians
Administration: Property Committee
Administration: King Street Property
Oversight Committee
Dear People of
St. James’,
What makes a
church healthy, or vibrant? What makes a church the kind of church you want to
go to, and even tell your friends about?
Some time ago, the
Rt. Rev. Mark Dyer – former Bishop of Bethlehem, PA, and currently a professor
of systemic theology at Virginia Theological Seminary – wrote an article titled
“Holding the Center Means Holding onto Christ,” in which he summarized seven
characteristics of healthy churches. I
offer these to you as a way of putting this 2007 Annual Report into context:
1.
Healthy churches have a vital prayer life.
2.
Healthy churches have inspired teaching.
3.
Healthy churches have uplifting worship.
4.
Healthy churches have strong pastoral care.
5.
Healthy churches reach out in mission.
6.
Healthy churches have strong stewardship.
And here’s
what’s interesting: the seventh and final characteristic of a healthy church:
7.
Healthy churches evangelize.
Now lest you be
frightened by that term – many people believe that “evangelical Episcopalian”
is a contradiction in terms! -- I love the way Bishop Dyer summarizes
evangelism:
“If you, and
your church, have a vital prayer life, inspired teaching, uplifting worship,
strong pastoral care, an outreach mentality, and strong stewardship,
then I guarantee you
won’t be able to keep your mouth shut about what is happening in your church.”
“Evangelical”
congregations, he goes on to say, “have the face of Christ” – they “act like
living streams, or generous buffet tables, drawing people in who are thirsty
and hungry for God.”
Defined that
way, I love the ways that this Annual Report shows that we – the people of St.
James’ Episcopal Church – are becoming, more and more evangelical…more and more
the face of Christ, more and more acting like refreshment and nourishment to a
thirsty and hungry world.
Thanks be to God for this wonderful faith community!
Fr. John
by The Reverend Kate Bryant
One
of the three major goals of our vision for St. James’ is to ensure that each
parishioner is “inspired, equipped and empowered” to serve as an active
disciple within the Christian community here.
For me, that translates into leading St. James’ adult Christian
formation, adult outreach, and adult pastoral care ministries.
The
centerpiece of adult Christian formation is our ever-popular Sunday morning
Adult Forum. Based on parishioners’
feedback, Bible study series remain the primary focus of Adult Forum, complemented
by other series emphasizing the application of Christian principles to daily
living. This past year, Fr. John and I
co-led five such series, including a three-part Epiphany Bible study on the
Parable of the Sower; a five-part Lenten series on the
Parable of the Prodigal Son; “Puritanism Sucks the Joy Out of Christian
Living;” a seven-part fall Bible study series, “Being the Church: A Fresh Look
at the Book of Acts;” and a two-part Advent
series, “What the Bible Does Tell You about Christmas, but Christmas
Pageants Don’t.”
Additional
education opportunities included last year included a four-part Lenten weekday
series, “Prayer for the Rest of Us” and the launch of a number of small groups,
including a Sunday small group Bible study, “Pilgrimage through the Psalms,”
led by Henry Stribling; a couples
small group Bible study started in the fall led by Jim and Nancy Quinn;,
and a year-long weekly women’s small group on spiritual disciplines which began
last March co-directed by Anya Johnson
and me.
An
important aspect of my ministry is membership development. In the spring, Fr. John and I led a five-part
Wednesday membership class and a two-part Sunday afternoon class for those who
want to become members of St. James’ as well as those who wish to be confirmed
or received, or reaffirm their confirmation vows. Following this class, 32 adults received the
laying-on-of hands by the newly-installed Bishop of Virginia, the Rt. Rev.
Shannon Johnston, on June 3.
Last
fall, Fr. John, Pastor Mary, and I worked closely together to develop a new,
three-phase approach to membership so that people have a greater sense of
connectedness to God, to St. James’, and to one another. “Beginning the Christian Journey” is designed
for those adults who have never been baptized, or those who have been “out of
the faith” for a while and simply want to learn (or re-learn) the basics of
Christian life and practice; this class will be taught for the first time in
February and March of 2008. “Discovering
St. James’,” a three-part informal class designed to introduce people to the
unique features of St. James’ and help develop a greater appreciation for what
goes on each Sunday in worship. The past
fall, 18 people attended “Discovering St. James’” which will be offered again in
the spring. One need not be confirmed or
received to be a member here, but should an individual choose, the third and
final phase of membership development is “Exploring the Episcopal Church,” a
class designed to prepare individuals who choose to be confirmed or received
into the Episcopal Church at the time of the Bishop’s Annual Visit in the
spring.
In
the area of worship, two 2007 developments stand out above and beyond the
Sunday morning and Wednesday noon worship experiences. First, in Advent 2006, we began a Friday
morning service of Morning Prayer—Rite I under the leadership of Jon Butler and Alecia Moroz.
This service has
continued as a regular feature of our worship life here. Joining Jon and Alecia
in 2007 was John Riley. The other worship development was a Saturday
evening U2charist which was planned and led by Pastor Mary and me last
February, with the passion and help of George
Pellicano and Hunt McMahon. More than 250
worshippers joined us for this spirit-filled service.
Our
parish has more than doubled in the past eight years, and with that kind of
growth comes a greater need to manage and develop our resources—including our
buildings and grounds, information technology, communications, and human
resources—so that parishioners’ needs are more effectively and efficiently
met. To that end, we identified the need
for a new position, Director of Parish Operations (DPO). Beginning late last spring, I worked closely
with Senior Warden Mary Frances Forcier and the Personnel Committee to manage the
recruitment process. On January 2, Keith Nelsen Stroud joined us as DPO,
and has already begun to have an impact here.
In addition, I worked closely with Communications Committee chairperson Julie Johnson and committee member Adam Modzelesky
on planning a redesign of our parish website later in 2008.
In
service to the wider church, I serve as a member of the Diocesan Ecumenical and
Interfaith Commission. In my effort to
reach out to the wider community here in Leesburg, I serve as an on-call chaplain
at INOVA Lansdowne, celebrate Eucharist at Leisure World once each month, and
am a member of Loudoun Interfaith Bridges.
On
a personal note, last July I was received as a Priest Associate at the Society
of St. Margaret, a Boston-based Episcopal community of women seeking to find
Jesus present in worship, in common life, and in ministries which respond to
the needs of the times.
In
his letter to the Corinthians Paul reminds us that Christian life is a matter
of being changed into the likeness of Christ.
With God’s help, we will continue to be transformed by following Jesus,
and will transform others. Nothing can
be more exciting or fulfilling.
Yours
in Christ,
Rev.
Kate
by The Reverend Mary Davila
One
of the questions that I am asked most frequently as a priest, and as a youth
minister, is “do you work any days of the week besides Sundays?” The people who
ask this—usually youth—ask the question in sincere interest and curiosity. In fact, several of our youth sense that
they, too, may be called to ordained ministry, and they want to know what the
day-in-and-day-out life of a priest is like.
The
answer, of course, is that I do work on days other than Sundays.
But
I understand the question. I am a rare
breed, a youth minister who happens to be a priest. Or a priest who happens to
be a youth minister. I’m not sure
which one I am first and foremost. And
there aren’t many of me out there—I don’t know any other priest in this Diocese
who is directly responsible for youth ministry in his or her church. The combination brings tremendous joy—I have
said before that I have the best job in the world—but it does make life, shall
we say, interesting.
There
have been times when I’ve been at the side of someone who is dying,
administering last rites. And 30 minutes later, I’ve found myself at Youth
Group, chugging Coke, to see who can burp the loudest. My job involves a good
bit of emotional whiplash. A trip to the hospital to visit a parishioner is as
common for me as a trip the soccer field to cheer on one our youth.
Much
of my work does not center on youth ministry.
This past year, I officiated seven services of
marriage at St. James’. I officiated one burial service on my own, and participated in
several with Fr. John and Rev. Kate. I
preach on a regular basis, go to the hospital to bless babies and visit the
sick and dying, provide pastoral care to the young and
old, all of the normal things that one would expect from a priest. It’s just that I also get to play goofy games
a lot, too.
You
can read about Children’s Chapel, Sunday School, Youth
Groups, Youth Mission, and 20s/30s Group in the reports that follow. Those reports adequately address the program
areas for which I am responsible—but they are part of my job, and the rest of
my time is devoted to being a priest who ministers to and with people of all
ages, in all stages of life.
Finally,
I spend a tremendous amount of time working with Fr. John and Rev. Kate,
planning worship services, adult forum, membership classes, Vestry meetings,
editing newsletters and
e-pistles, many of which
have nothing to do with my program area.
But, John, Kate, and I have an extremely collegial relationship, and what
one of us is involved with, all of us have a hand in. That is the joy as working part of a team,
and the fact that we are so connected means that the end result is that much
better, stronger, and to the glory of God.
I
cannot say enough about how much I love my job, and how much I love the people
of St. James’. You all are a joy and an
inspiration!
Peace,
St.
James’ Church Plant
by
The Reverend Jeunée Cunningham
It
is hard to believe that St. Gabriel’s was launched out of St. James’ over five
years ago, in September of 2002. In
March of 2008, we will celebrate five years of public worship. As a young church, it has been exciting to
see how we have lived into our mission statement to “experience life-changing
encounters with God, build meaningful relationships, and make a difference in
the world.”
Our
average Sunday attendance is around 100 people, and our baptized membership has
increased significantly. At Bishop Johnston’s visit in June 2007, we confirmed,
received and reaffirmed 28 people, most of them new to St. Gabriel’s this past
year.
While
finances are always tight in a vibrant, mission-driven church, St. Gabriel’s
continues to take on more and more of our own expenses. In 2008, our whole budget, except for a
$20,000 mission grant from Region XIII, will be covered by our own pledge and
plate.
Some
highlights for 2007:
·
We
raised $32,000 from St. Gabriel’s
Alternative Gift Fair for 13 local Loudoun-based charities as part of our
ongoing commitment to local, national, and international outreach.
·
Our
Saturday Night Service will launch
weekly February 2, 2008, at 5:30 p.m. after a successful prelaunch service
December 15 with 99 people in attendance. This St. Gabriel’s service is being
held at St. James’, and is open to St. James’ members. The Saturday night
service is multi-sensory in style, including art, upbeat music, occasional
drama and video, and of course, Holy Eucharist each week. Our next prelaunch service
is January 19 at 5:30 p.m. in the St. James’ Sanctuary.
·
We
continue to work behind the scenes with our gift of over 10 acres of land at Battlefield Parkway and Fort Evans
Road. We are in the legal process of transferring the property to the church, and
also working with adjacent developers to see how we might take advantage of the
road construction to provide for grading and entrances needed for our future
site development.
We
appreciate St. James’ continued prayers for St. Gabriel’s to reach growing
Loudoun County with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
St.
Gabriel’s worships 10:00 a.m. Sundays at Belmont Ridge Middle School, Lansdowne
and 5:30 p.m. Saturdays in St. James’s Sanctuary (beginning February
, 2008)
St.
Gabriel’s Office: 3rd Floor Rittenhouse at St. James’
703-779-3616
+ www.saintgabriels.net + pastor@saintgabriels.net
by
Keith Nelsen Stroud
While
I have just begun my association with St. James’, it is already apparent to me
that this is a vital and growing parish with vast opportunities. I know that I am fortunate to be here and to
be working with this wonderful community of faith.
I
see my primary purpose as building the “back lot” that will enable you, the
parishioners, to assume the mantle of spreading the Gospel through those many ministries
and committees that make St. James’ the active parish it is.
I
use the analogy of the back lot advisedly in that on a movie set, the back lot
is transparent and exists to make the story come to life. This is how I see the support staff. We are here to be sure that your worship
experience, your outreach activities, and your sense of community are enhanced
and seamless.
If
I, and by extension my staff, am able to improve, augment or establish systems
that facilitate the three stated goals of the congregation, then we will be
meeting the overarching staff goal which is to provide systemic support so that
the congregation can live into its mission that Nourished by Word and Sacrament, we are sent out to so the work God has
given us to do, to love and serve God as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.
This
faith community has grown substantially over the last several years and is
poised to leap into a new and exciting phase.
Many changes are afoot. But with
change and growth there is the necessity for greater internal control and
management. When you are a young couple,
working to establish a life together, there is a certain level of complexity
inherent in your existence. Add a child
to the mix and you make a quantum leap in that level of complexity. Such is true with the church family. As we add members and ministries (which is
our purpose), the need for systems, and checks and balances becomes more
important by the minute. In order to
continue to function efficiently and effectively so that we can do the work God has chosen us to do, these systems
will begin to appear.
As
an experienced agent of change, I know there may be some concerns when some of
the systems are put into place. I urge
you to come and speak with me or call me should you have questions about
anything that is going on.
Keith
Nelsen Stroud
Director
of Parish Operations
by Mary Frances Forcier, Ph.D.
“Organizing
to Care”
2007
has been a watershed year in the life of St. James’, and the Vestry expresses
its deepest gratitude to the clergy, parishioners and staff who have put
hearts, heads and hands to work on behalf of our Christian community in
Leesburg.
Over
the past year, a key vestry priority has been to “organize to care” – to ensure
that the core functions of the parish – worship,
outreach, pastoral care, discipleship, and administration – continue to
function smoothly and are meeting our parishioners’ and our community needs.
In
early 2007, the Vestry engaged Doug Lind,
a former Presbyterian minister, now an Episcopal priest, who has for the past
30 years consulted with and coached senior executives from Fortune 500
companies on issues relating to executive growth and organizational
effectiveness. Doug met with clergy,
staff, and parishioners to learn more about the challenges of growth and how we
might best organize for the future. He joined us at our January Vestry Retreat
to help us process the information he gathered in his study.
To
quote from Dr. Lind’s report:
The key for the
future of St. James’ from a staffing perspective is to recognize several realities.
Dr.
Lind helped us clarify the roles that we expected our clergy to fulfill
(pastoral care, Christian formation, spiritual leadership) and identify those
that can be best fulfilled by parishioners and by professional and support
staff.
Over
the summer, the Personnel Committee and Vestry members met frequently to
identify needs, draft position descriptions, and recruit the right people for
the right positions.
With
God’s help, we were happy to welcome Keith
Nelsen Stroud in January 2008, as our new Director of Parish Operations.
The
DPO is, as Doug Lind described, “a senior
staff person to provide administrative oversight; a second pair of eyes that
are not those of a specialist but those of a generalist, to insure that the proper coordination
takes place among all the events and activities and plans that are afoot.”
You
have heard me say this more than once: I am amazed, grateful, and in awe of the
time and talent that parishioners bring to St. James’.
All
those “events and activities and plans” are the direct result of the Holy
Spirit working through the people of this parish.
Thank
you for all that you have done and continue to do. It is a joy.
In
faith,
Mary
Frances Forcier, Ph.D.
Senior
Warden
by
Ken Getty
2007
Highlights: The highlight of 2007 was the acquisition of
the Seccombe Property and its designation as the new
Rectory. Renovation of the house should
be completed by February with the Ohmers moving from
the old Rectory in late February/early March 2008.
Overview: Under the able
leadership of Jon Aycock, the
Property Committee has stepped forward to address many of the problems
associated with the aging infrastructure and planning for the future additions
and renovations. That work will take on
increased significance we move into 2008 and beyond. Dave Bukovskey and Wally
Ennis have done yeomen’s work repairing, replacing and band-aiding problems
with our aging infrastructure. The hiring of Adan Cortes, full-time sexton, in May 2007 has significantly improved
the general cleanliness of our facilities. Courtney
Patterson, a new staff member, has assumed a key role in establishing
standard operating procedures for maintenance and repair of the facilities.
During
this past year we have had to make these necessary repairs and replacements
caused by aging infrastructure
There
is a much-needed requirement to restore our stained glass windows. Over many years, these historical windows
have fallen into disrepair and now need our attention. Over the past few months, we have enlisted
firms provide an analysis of the windows and submit estimates to us, prioritize
the repairs, and identify the time required to repair and restore these
treasures. This will be an on-going
project over the next five years.
What
does 2008 have in store for St. James’?
It will be a year of transition as we begin detailed planning for the
upcoming renovation and expansion. We
will move into the Parish House, the old Rectory, in the spring after repairs
and painting. This move will add much
needed meeting space and classrooms to our facilities. Some renovations, heating and air conditioning, will be started in the Janney
House. We will continue the repair and
replace the aging infrastructure as the transition stretches into 2009 and
beyond.
by Kay Gregg, Registrar
St.
James’ is an exciting and dynamic church.
We continue to grow each year with new families and individuals who
enjoy our worship services and are enriched by our adult forums and also
because of our strong and lively youth activities and programs. This year we undertook the daunting task of
updating our parish database. Thank you
to all our parishioners and those of you who are not members of this church,
but who worship with us, for completing the forms which have allowed us to
correct some of our outdated and incorrect information. We always look forward and welcome help from
each and every one of you to keep our database current. Our membership process was changed this year
and formalized with the publication of a pamphlet listing the five steps
required to become a member of our faith community. We are enjoying good attendance in these
classes and have been able to welcome many new members to our church.
St.
James’ is comprised of 445 member families, which equates to 1,487
individuals. Of those, 518 are young
people under the age of 16. There are a
large number of people who attend services regularly or who have asked to be on
our mailing list but who are not yet members.
There
were 12 wedding, burials numbered nine. We
had 44 baptisms, and 38 individuals were confirmed/received
by the bishop.
by Janine Carmichael
Staff: Janine Carmichael, Communications Coordinator
Sheri
Nelson, Financial Administrator
Courtney
Patterson, Administrative Assistant
Kay
Gregg, Registrar & Wedding
Coordinator
Adan Cortes, Sexton
Carlos
Rodriguez, Sunday Custodian
2007
Highlights:
2007 has been a good and productive year for the administrative
staff. Our team has become stronger and
more efficient through the support and encouragement of the clergy,
parishioners, ministry heads, and each other.
Although our Parish Secretary, Laura
Heyer, moved to the St. James’ Preschool as their administrative assistant,
the Church Office welcomed Courtney
Patterson as our new Administrative Assistant. Courtney has dug right in to property issues,
and has been instrumental in achieving property improvements on the
campus. We also joyfully welcomed Adan Cortes back as our full-time sexton.
The
office is also blessed with dedicated volunteers who are available for phone
coverage, mailings, and other odd jobs around the office as needed: Jane
Barger, Dennis Brogan, Jan
Joseph, and Mary Pitz. Special thanks go out to Chris Brogan who continually goes above
and beyond to assist the Church Office staff every week. Also, we extend heartfelt appreciation for
the work of Nadine Ackmann, who came
to the office on Friday mornings as she was able to help us stuff bulletins and
ready the church for Sunday services.
She was an absolute joy and inspiration to us all, and she is greatly
missed.
Thank
you also to Jeff Brannock, Ken Robinson, and John Rudolf for
volunteering to upgrade and maintain our computer network,
and to Wally Ennis for volunteering to enhance the sound and lighting
systems for the church.
Meeting the spatial needs of the various ministries (Sunday
School, Library, Youth Groups, Preschool, music
ministries, educational classes, St. Gabriel’s, as well as outside community
programs) can be a challenge. The administrative staff has
diligently maintained the organization and use of church space.
Through the efforts of staff and volunteers, approximately
2,400 bulletins are edited, copied and folded per month for our three Sunday
services, as well as our weekly announcements and special informational
inserts. We also produce burial,
wedding, and other special event bulletins/leaflets as needed.
The
publication of our newsletter, Loaves & Fishes, continued. Over 1,100 copies of the newsletter are
mailed monthly, sometimes even bi-weekly, depending on the season and events
happening at St. James’. It is mailed to
our members, prospects, visitors, and friends, and also posted on our website.
Among
my responsibilities, I maintain the St. James’ website, and am working to
enhance the website to better meet the informational needs of parishioners and
the public. If you have not done so
recently, I encourage you to visit our website:
www.stjamesleesburg.org.
St.
James’ e-pistle, an email sent each Friday to close
to 600 parishioners containing a message from
Fr.
John, as well as a direct link to the upcoming Sunday’s announcements and other
communications for the parish, has been upgraded through the use of Constant
Contact. The response to the reformatted
e-pistle
has been very positive.
In
addition to the other sources of information about the parish, we also publish
“A Guide to St. James’”, a comprehensive collection of descriptions of each
ministry at work in this active parish. The “Guide” also provides contact
information for weddings, membership, and services, as well as biographies of
the clergy. This booklet is an
invaluable resource for newcomers and those looking to become more active
within the parish.
by Dottie Brannock
Ministry Head:
Dottie Brannock
Talent of the Ministry:
Stephen Brannock, Hannah Bowman, Andrew Cameron, Ashley Cameron, Andrew Cangelosi, Phil Cangelosi, Sydney
Chapman, Scott Clark, Conor Cosgrove, DeLaney Cosgrove, Emily Douglas, Mary Douglas, Temple
Douglas, James Forcier, Gabrielle Haeringer,
Arrianna Hamrah, Courtney Marcellin, Grace Marcellin, Megan
Marcellin, Riley McGovern, Jack Minchew, Richard
Moffett, Elizabeth Moore, William Moore, Elise Moroz,
Jonathan Moroz, Connor Mulherin,
Courtney Mulherin, Elizabeth Ohmer, Graham Ohmer, EJ
Powell, Matthew Poell, Walter Richardson, Bryan Rombach,
Laure Schneider, Elisabeth Schoot, Mitchell Stevens,
Zach Stevens, Eliza Stribling, Drew Styles, Nick Styles, Jacob Swartz, Leah
White, Megan White
Mission: The primary duty of the acolyte is to serve
God and the Church. Acolytes perform a
variety of duties that support the worship service and assist the clergy to
celebrate the Eucharist. In addition to
Sunday services, acolytes support special services during Christmas, Lent, Holy
Week, and Easter, as well as weddings and funerals.
2007 Highlights: Forty-six acolytes contributed their time and
talent to three services every Sunday to support parish worship. Six acolytes graduated from high school this
past spring and 11 new acolytes joined this fall. Six acolytes and four adults participated in
an annual trip to the Washington National Cathedral for the 28th National
Acolyte Festival.
Thank
you to all the parents for their support for this ministry.
by
Margaret Akers
Ministry
Head: Margaret Akers
Talent
of the Ministry:
The dedicated members of the altar guild provide the wine, wafers and
water for each service on Sunday and for weddings and funerals.
2007
Highlights:
¨
New members were added to help with
the continued care of the altar, linens, sacred vessels, Sanctuary, Chancel,
and Sacristy.
¨
Two new credence table cloths
were purchased to replace worn linens.
¨
A new pall was designed and
purchased for use on the stand for cremains during
funerals
It has been a truly blessed year!
by
The Rev. Mary Davila
Ministry
Heads: Julie Garey,
Bridget Penberthy, and The Rev. Mary Davila
Mission: Children’s Chapel provides the children of St.
James’ (age 3 through 5th grade) the opportunity to worship and learn lessons
from the Gospels in an age-appropriate manner each Sunday of the year while
allowing parents to worship and hear the adult homily without distraction.
2007 Ministry Highlights:
We are truly blessed to have such
wonderfully talented and dedicated leaders for our ministry!
Ministry
Head: Ron Kunz and Jeff Brannock
Mission: An overview of
the ministries is as follows:
Lay Reader
– Through the Lay Reader, God’s living Word continues to be proclaimed to His
people: to the young and old, the troubled, the hopeless, the happy, the
content, to those in need of challenge, and to those in need of comfort.
Lay Eucharistic Minister (LEM) – The Lay
Eucharistic Minister performs two specific functions:
1.
Administers the elements (the
consecrated bread and wine) at any celebration of the Holy Eucharist in the
absence of a sufficient number of Priests or Deacons assisting the celebrant.
2.
Directly following a celebration
of the Holy Eucharist and accompanied by a Pastoral Associate, takes the
consecrated Sacrament to members of the congregation who, by reason of illness
or infirmity, were unable to be present.
Talent
of the Ministry:
Qualifications:
No special prior experience is required, only faith and interest in these
exciting ministries. Lay Readers and Lay
Eucharistic Ministers must be persons of wisdom in the faith and of good repute
who have received the respect of the local congregation and also demonstrate
spiritual maturity. In addition, Lay
Eucharistic Ministers must be adult (defined as age 16 years or older) members
of St. James’ Church.
Training and
Orientation:
Training sessions coordinated with the clergy are informal and held twice
a year. The team of Lay Readers and Lay
Eucharistic Ministers provide backup to one another and are available to
help. Following training, Lay Readers
and Lay Eucharistic Ministers are licensed to serve with the Diocese of
Virginia.
Scheduling: Once trained, Lay Readers and Lay Eucharistic
Ministers are scheduled once or twice a month at the service time of their
choice (7:45, 9:00, or 11:15 a.m.) to read the Word or to assist in serving the
elements. The schedule is published
quarterly. Schedule changes are
flexible, and are coordinated between individual readers and LEMs.
2007
Highlights: During
2007, 53 devoted members have answered their personal call to serve the Lord as
Lay Readers and/or Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEMs) at the various services. The Eucharistic ministry is especially
fulfilling and humbling because it provides the opportunity to directly
participate in the celebration of the Eucharist.
Ministry Head: Dr. Steven
Cooksey, Organist and Choir Director
The
Choir is directed and accompanied by Dr. Steven Cooksey and is made up of
members of the congregation and several semiprofessional section leaders and
soloists. The Choir always welcomes new talent.
The
Choir sings at the 11:15 a.m. Sunday services every week, leading the
congregation in singing the hymns and the psalm for the day, and offering
special music for the Offertory anthem and during Communion reinforcing the
text of the scripture for the day. The Choir also offers a Christmas Eve
concert before Midnight Mass and the music for the Midnight Mass itself.
In
a special program with Trinity Lutheran Church, the two choirs sang Vivaldi’s
“Gloria” in May during the early service at Trinity Lutheran, and during the
11:15 service at St. James as well. A harpsichord was brought in for the
accompaniment, first to Trinity Lutheran - and tuned there - and then over to
St.
James’ -- and tuned again there. In St. James’, the choirs sang from the back
of the church, adding a wonderful acoustic aspect to the service.
Soloists
from earlier days often return to sing with the Choir. Courtney Ross, soprano,
is pursuing her career in opera, and during December she returned and performed
with the choir
The
choir did enjoy experimenting with some new instrumental accompaniments. The
most unique and enchanting was the finger cymbals sparkling throughout one of
the Renaissance hymns sung during September.
During
October, Nadine Ackmann passed away and the Choir, joined by the Corner Chorale
and Darrell Ackmann’s St. David’s Choir, helped sing
her to her rest. Our special old friend and tenor soloist, Michael Forest, now
the Music Department Chair at Shenandoah Conservatory and Music Minister at
Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville, returned to
sing ”My Lord, What A Morning.”
Dr.
Cooksey celebrates his 25th year as Choir Master and Organist at St. James’
this year. To recognize this milestone musical events are in the process of
being planned for early 2008 and celebrations will include the entire
congregation.
In
looking toward 2008, there are several plans in the works for St. James’ music
programs. There is a plan to produce a series of mid-day Lenten musical
meditations, to include area performers offering sacred music in preparation
for Easter. Producing an evening series of family-oriented classical
performances is also in the planning stages.
Most
pressing on the music agenda is the venerable but rapidly aging Mohlar organ that is an integral part of the music program.
The organ is unreliable and its frequent breakdowns are expensive. Members of
the congregation are usually not aware of the problems, but often various keys
don’t function, the pipes fall over, and, at times, the entire instrument
remains stubbornly silent until help arrives - extensive, expensive technical
help.
For
Dr. Cooksey’s birthday in May 2007 the Choir established a Fund to be
contributed in his honor to the moneys that will be raised in a capital
campaign and used for the renovations at St. James’, including the purchase and
building of a new organ in St. James’. Dr. Cooksey’s Christmas Gift is an
additional contribution to this Fund. During this first year of the Fund the
Choir contributed more than $2,000 toward a new organ.
This
year has been a busy, satisfying year for St. James’ music department, singing
lots of new music and sharing many old favorites. This coming year 2008
promises to be dynamic and the Choir expects to move forward, with the Lord’s
help, in support of the congregation and our worship.
by Dr. Pat Avery
Ministry Head: Dr. Pat Avery
I
am grateful to be completing my third year here at St. James’ working with our
children. It is wonderful to see the children
grow and continue to add their musical talents to our worship community here at
St. James’. And now we are beginning to
see some of our middle school and high school students contributing their
musical talents in our worship services also.
I
am most grateful for the continued support of the St. James’ community during
this past year as I recovered from my badly shattered left leg. Dr. Cooksey, Rachel Newell, Stephan Knobloch,
and Robin Harris all assisted with the music while I was recovering. It is my pleasure to be back on the organ
bench.
Thanks
also to the St. James’ clergy, Corner Chorale, and the lay pastoral associates,
especially Debbie Gegenheimer, who were all very supportive during my recovery.
I
look forward to a healthy and a productive New Year here at St. James’.
by Dr. Stephan Knobloch
Ministry Head: Dr. Stephan Knobloch
At the beginning of 2007, I was a volunteer member
of the Corner Chorale – one of nine core members who are committed to weekly
rehearsal and fellowship. Over the
course of the year, my role evolved into assisting in Dr. Pat’s absence to
beginning formal duties as the Director of the Corner Chorale in September
2007. I am happy to return as one of the
leaders of music ministry at St. James’.
Two goals for the Corner Chorale include increase
the number of musicians and offer a wider variety of music selections. It is difficult to commit to ongoing weekly
rehearsals and services, therefore, we (all of the members
of the Corner Chorale) invited people this fall at the Ministry Fair to
participate based on shorter church seasons.
To that end, the Advent and Christmas seasons bore
fruit with the addition of several voices and instrumentalists to the 9:00
service. A special
note of thanks to Emily Douglass, Ruth Grubbs, and Michael Knobloch for joining
the Corner Chorale during the season.
Likewise thanks to Margie Lang-Garnhart
and her husband Geff for sharing their beautiful
playing of the violin and piano.
In the spirit of extending and sharing God’s gift of
music, the Middle and High School Youth led a service in November with a host
of young singers and outstanding musical leadership from Sage Hawn, Temple
Douglas, Walter Richardson, Michael Knobloch, R.J. Johnson, Richard Moffett,
and Lillian Moring, with the talents of Margie Lang-Garnhart
and Geff Garnhart. This was followed up by a youth-led Christmas
Eve service with the talents of R.J. Johnson (flute), Megan White (violin),
Lillian Moring (organ), Ashley Cameron, Emily Douglas, Temple Douglas, Mary
Douglas, Sage Hawn, Katherine Knobloch, and Michael Knobloch.
I look forward to expanding and extending the music
offerings at the 9:00 service in collaboration with Dr. Avery and Dr. Cooksey
in 2008. St. James’ is blessed to have
an abundance of musical talent. I
encourage all interested singers and instrumentalists to join either the Corner
Chorale during any of the church seasons in 2008 and/or future youth-led services.
With God’s blessings the music ministry at St.
James’ will continue to grow in 2008.
by Tom Smith
Ministry
Head: Tom Smith (9:00 ushers)
Talent
of the Ministry: Kay Webster
(7:45) and Bruce Holland (11:15) who
coordinate the schedules for the 7:45 and 11:15 services plus about 120 more
volunteers who gladly support this ministry.
Mission: To warmly welcome and assist both visitors
and parishioners while providing consistent, quiet support to the seamless flow
of each service.
2007 Highlights:
We help parishioners and latecomers find seats with minimal distractions
to the congregation. We also explore
ways we can help keep the Sanctuary a quiet place for prayer and reflection
before the worship services. Regular
responsibilities of the ushers and greeters include ringing the church bell
before each service, handing out bulletins and announcements, greeting
parishioners and newcomers, collecting and presenting the offertory, assisting
in communion, and helping with the logistics of each service.
Opportunities for Ministry: We always have space for new ushers. If you would like to become an usher at St.
James’, please give your name and contact information to the ministry head or
any of the ushers at the service that you attend.
“Hard
Work and Heart Work”
by Ken Getty
Ministry
Head: Ken Getty
Volunteers
with the St. James’ Adult Mission Trips ministry serve by sharing gifts,
energy, and skills. The ministry had a
very rewarding year in 2007. In 2007,
members of the “hard work, heart work” crew continued their work in Welch, WV,
and traveled twice to New Orleans to aid in the Katrina recovery effort. We expect to continue our service to the
poor, the homeless, and victims of disasters in 2008. Thank you to the many members of the
congregation who gave time and talents to the Adult Mission Trips ministry this
year. Nothing can be accomplished without
your support.
Five
members of the Adult Mission team journeyed to Welch, WV, in July 2007 to
continue our commitment to support the Rev. Hilda Kennedy and the Highland
Education Project, her initiative to improve living conditions for Welch
residents. Assisted by residents of
Premier Park, we built two decks for a family with a disabled parent and
repaired a deck and built a roof for the same family.
Ten
members of the parish traveled to New Orleans in March 2007 to support the
Diocese of Louisiana’s Office of Disaster Recovery. After an orientation about the devastation
caused by Katrina, we went to work rebuilding a house near New Orleans
University. Our work consisted of dry
walling and spackling, hard but much more rewarding than the gutting work
accomplished on the first trip to New Orleans.
An additional ten members of the parish returned to New Orleans in
November to continue the work of rebuilding started in March. On this trip the “rookies” got a little taste
of “gutting” as the Office of Disaster Recovery requested we gut the outside of
a house before starting our construction work.
The New Orleans mission trips continue to be an emotional experience,
which causes each of us to think about how we can help New Orleans in the
future.
The
team will return to Welch, WV, on July 13, 2008, for a week of work to support the
Highland Education Project. More
information about this trip will be published in April 2008. The team continues to plan for two trips to
New Orleans: one in the spring, and another in the fall. Mike Nunnally is
organizing the spring trip and will be looking for volunteers in the near
future.
by the Rev. John
Ohmer
Ministry
Head: Ann Reimers (until
11/31/2007), The Rev. John Ohmer (interim head beginning 12/1/2007)
Talent
of the Ministry: Dina Bessa, Jennifer and Michael
Galvin, Kimberly Haeringer, Mike Nunnally,
Ann Reimers, Jane Roth
Mission: The Outreach Committee supports every
member of the parish as they are sent out to do the work God has given him or
her to do, proactively reaches out in service, and
extends Christ’s love to the wider community, nation, and the world. Committee members research and designate the
recipients of the Easter and Christmas offerings which St. James’ has a
long-standing tradition of donating the entirety of non-pledge offerings to
outreach causes. We also coordinate
parish-wide “Outreach in Action” opportunities.
2007
Highlights:
The
Outreach Committee supports parishioners’ local, domestic, and international
outreach.
Our focus in
2007 was on supporting the hands-on outreach efforts of parishioners -- please
see reports from Kids With Purpose, Youth Groups, and
Adult Mission for more details on these hands-on outreach events.
We
also continued strengthening, through financial support, those organizations in
which parishioners have hands-on involvement:
Local
outreach activities and support included:
·
Loudoun
Volunteer Caregivers: $905 was given to provide assistance and
services to help frail elderly and disabled adults maintain independent
living. Parishioner Nancy Sutton
is the Executive Director.
National
outreach activities and support included:
International
outreach activities and support included:
·
Bromley
Mission: $2,683 was
provided to fund a mission trip to this residential school for girls in
Liberia. Parishioner Kimberly Haeringer
took a mission trip to Bromley in November.
·
Episcopal Relief
and Development: St. James’ collected $2,157 from Lenten and
Advent mite boxes to support ERD in 2007.
·
Heifer
International: Funds of $3,722 raised at the Alternative
Gift Market (see below) were provided to this organization which helps end
world hunger and poverty through self-reliance and sustainability.
The Alternative
Gift Market takes place each year on the Second Sunday of Advent after each
service and a self-service market is available in the Narthex afterward through
the Fourth Sunday of Advent. This year’s
market included alternative gifts of Heifer International animals, handmade
jewelry and hand carved animals from Bromley Mission, solar electrification
through Solar Light for Africa, “Teacher Gifts” benefiting the Loudoun Literacy
Council, “Not Just a Band-Aid” benefiting the Loudoun Community Free Clinic,
and materials needed in the ongoing efforts to assist New Orleans after
Hurricane Katrina. We raised $14,269 for
the various causes combined, more than double the amount raised last year.
by
Janet Stayrook
Ministry Head:
Matt Costello
Talent of the Ministry:
An outreach ministry that reaches 216 children in our community.
Mission:
The St. James’ Preschool is a ministry of St. James’ Episcopal
Church. Respecting the God-given worth
of all children, the program has been designed to enable each unique child to
be involved in a creative learning experience in a Christian atmosphere of love
and acceptance.
The Preschool provides children
with the opportunity to develop emotionally, socially, and spiritually in a
group setting outside his home. It is
the first major step toward independence.
This is an opportunity for growth, fun, and learning – about themselves
and God’s world – in relation to other children and to adults other than their
parents. This opportunity is provided in
an environment especially equipped for and suited to the needs of the small
child. To foster closeness to God, the
Preschool provides a short and meaningful weekly chapel service conducted by
the clergy for our 3- and 4-year-olds.
Grace is said before snack time, and a brief prayer may be included in
opening exercises. Bible stories and
religious songs are used in the classroom.
The music program and special enrichment classes also serve to teach
children of the wonderful love of God.
We continue to provide scholarships to preschool families experiencing
need for a variety of reasons.
2007 Highlights:
This year, our Preschool continued to be tremendously successful in
outreach to our community. Elaine
Thiel and Janet Stayrook serve as the co-directors leading a staff
of over 25 teachers whose love of, and commitment to, our children is apparent
in their dedication to their profession.
The Preschool will begin actively enrolling for the 2008-2009 school
year in February. Our Preschool continues
to strive to serve the community’s families with the same character and
integrity as it has for more than 30 years.
by Veronica Jones
Ministry
Head: Veronica Jones
Talent
of the Ministry: Prayer --
complete faith in the power of prayer to heal!
Mission: Our mission is
to serve by offering healing prayers and providing the opportunity for the
laying on of hands, and the anointing with holy oil to those who come to the
Healing Rail.
2007 Highlights: The Healing Ministry is growing and has had a
very strong year. We have continued to
offer a once-a-month Extended Healing Rail opportunity, which has proved to be
an extremely powerful experience. The
number of people served at the Rail continues to be strong this year. We have also held our monthly meetings and
continue to build a “sense of community” among our members.
by Mary Pitz
Ministry
Head: Mary Pitz
Talent
of the Ministry: The Rev. Kate Bryant, Bonny Falk, Kirk Hawn, Jim Koshar, Molly Kronberg, Linda
Lowe, Rachel Newell, Mary
Pitz, Kathy Riedel, Mary Strum, Anne Tiffany, Linda
Young
Mission: Intercessory prayer is the action of
prayer on behalf of another.
2007
Highlights: Those who participate
in intercessory prayer have a firm belief in what we have been told by Christ,
our greatest intercessor, in Matthew 18: 19-20 “...Again I say unto you, that
if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing
that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in
Heaven. For where two or three are
gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Members meet monthly to pray, and to review
and update all requests submitted since the prior meeting.
by Judy Perso
Ministry
Head: Judy Perso
Talent of the
Ministry: Bettye Brake, Johanna Buttrum, Debbie Gegenheimer, Ann Hodges, Jim Koshar, Sandra Moody, Jan Pumphrey,
John Riley
Mission: To be instruments of the Lord in the parish
and in the community.
2007 Highlights: The St. James' Pastoral Associates had a
successful year, continuing their ministry to the congregation and beyond. Throughout the year, we made many visits to
the homes and hospital rooms of parishioners, often bringing communion
following Sunday service or at other times during the week. We found many opportunities to offer support,
whether in person, through a gift of food, or with a phone call.
Our
group meets each month to share pastoral concerns, support each other in our
ministries, and coordinate our efforts.
In addition, these meetings provide an opportunity to continue our
education, nurture our understanding, and enhance our skills. We welcomed several new members during the
year, and are thankful for the fresh infusion of talent and interest.
We
hosted a well-attended luncheon in June, focusing on the older members of the
parish. In addition, we hosted many receptions
following funeral services held at the church, and a Christmas party for the
Compassionate Friends group.
We
have been active participants in the Grief Support Group, a ministry offered
with The Rev. Bill Newland. Meeting
throughout the year twice each month, this group has had the opportunity to
offer support to over a dozen people in 2007.
Ministry Head:
Alecia Moroz
Mission: Every baptized person is called to ministry. The EfM
program provides people with the education to discern and carry out that
ministry. EfM participants learn to think theologically to help
them see God’s movement in their lives.
A detailed study of the bible, Christian church history and other major
philosophies provides participants with the theological foundation they need to
understand and execute God’s call.
2007
Highlights: As a result of a record number of graduations from EfM in 2006 (including 10 St.
James’ parishioners), 2007 was a year for rebuilding the program.
The Monday
night group led by Russ Cordner, St. Peter’s, and Diane Bell, St. Gabriel’s, continued to meet. The group graduated three students in the
spring of 2007, including our own Susie
Harding. The group now consists of
five 3rd year students, two 2nd year students, and one 1st
year student, representing a nice mix of members from St. James’, St. Peter’s
and St. Gabriel’s.
Another new
group was created in the fall of 2006 and met through the spring of 2007. This group, led by Alecia Moroz, was St. James’s first day-time
group. First-year student, Jennifer Lassiter, also became
certified as an EfM mentor
and began co-mentoring the group in the spring.
The group continues to hold daytime meetings with two 4th
year students and three 2nd year students.
New groups
will be forming and openings will become available in the existing groups in
the fall of 2008. If you are called to
pursue this serious form of theological study, contact Alecia
Moroz for further information. You cannot imagine the ways in which your
life will be enriched by an experience in an EfM small group.
By The Rev. Kate Bryant
Ministry Head: Rosie Reh (through
September 1, 2007); The Rev. Kate Bryant (acting)
Mission:
·
To
reinforce a sense of connectedness among members of our parish family through
social activities and events that foster fellowship;
·
To
encourage new parishioners to feel welcome by creating and continuing a range
of activities focused on hospitality; and
·
To
enhance our fellowship events as a means for members to become more involved in
other parish activities (“send us out to do the work God has given us to do”).
2007 Highlights: St.
James’ parishioners gathered for fellowship during the following 2007 events,
each of which was a resounding success:
January: Epiphany Burning of the
Greens
February: Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
May: All-Parish Retreat and
Wine-Tasting at Shrine Mont
June: Bishop's Visit and Reception
July: St. James’ Day Celebration
September: All-Parish Ministry Fair and Oktoberfest
October: Road Rally/Scavenger Hunt/Picnic and Annual
Giving Campaign Victory Dinner
Each of these events required careful planning and thoughtful
execution, but “many hands make light work,” and more than 50 parishioners have
been called to this ministry. Thanks to everyone
who worked with us this year -- we couldn't have done it without you!
Among out goals for 2008 is to broaden our mission beyond fellowship—the
experience of community, of care, and of life together among believers within
the Christian community—to hospitality.
Hospitality is the welcoming of the stranger, providing care and support
and welcome to those who are not already part of our St. James’ community. But our primary goal is to identify a leader
for this vitally important ministry, as well as additional ministry
members. We need you and your new
ideas! Please contact Rev. Kate at
(703)777-1124 or kate@stjamesleesburg.org
for more information.
by Sheila Brooks, Kate Parse, and
Freddie & Bill Martin
Ministry
Heads: Sheila Brooks
(7:45 service), Kate Parse (9:00 service), Freddie
& Bill Martin (11:15 service)
Our
Sunday coffee hours continue to grow along with the congregation.
Members look forward to visiting with fellow parishioners, welcoming
newcomers, and enjoying refreshments provided by dedicated parishioners. The hot coffee and the delicious food,
brought in by parishioners, is always a wonderful addition to the
conversations, and deeply appreciated!
We are truly blessed by the participation and attendance at our coffee
hours.
Ministry Head: Doug
and Joan Corderman
Mission: To make new
friends and strengthen older relationships.
2007
Highlights: The
Foyer Groups at St. James’ are now in their seventh year. Small groups of eight to ten people take
turns hosting a meal in their home or elsewhere. Each group sets its own schedule by
consensus, typically meeting about once a month. Meals do not have to be sit-down dinners;
cookouts or buffets are fine. The only
expectation of participants is that you take your turn as host, (or co-host in
some circumstances), and try to attend as many of the dinners within your group
as possible. About 50 people currently
participate in Foyer Groups.
Groups are reorganized every six
months so that participants get the chance to know as many others as
possible. Everyone is welcome, both
couples and singles. The only
requirement is that you like to eat and make friends!
Ministry Heads: Corinne Aycock, Terry Sue Bowman, Deanna
Feddersen, Kate Parse
Kids With Purpose (KWP) is
ministry at St. James’ that lets children serve actively in outreach. The aim is to make outreach and service to
others an everyday and lifelong activity.
Each and every week kids learn about a need and make a difference for
a variety of charities/organizations, including the homeless shelter, women
& children’s shelter, animal rescue league, senior centers, homebound
individuals, Interfaith Relief, and more!
Many weeks are filled with walking field trips for younger children
while older children will jump on a bus for their field trips. The program is designed for children to learn
about and share God’s love while actively serving real needs in Leesburg.
Eligibility: Children in the community who are four-years-old by September
30 through 5th grade are eligible. All children must be fully
potty-trained.
Volunteers: This program is entirely run by
volunteers. We have a variety of small,
medium, and extra-fun roles available (including teaching), so please contact
the ministry heads.
by
Mary Pellicano
Ministry
Head: Mary
Pellicano
Ministry
Members: Virginia Ewing, Alexandra Gressitt,
Kennetta Russ, Susan Schweitzer, Pat Stevenson
Mission: The Library Ministry is committed to the
support of the educational, devotional, and recreational needs of St. James’. To that end, the Library
seeks to enhance the Christian formation program at St. James’ by providing
materials and resources to serve staff and students involved in adult
formation, Sunday School, Preschool, Nursery and other parish offerings. In addition, the Library strives to provide
reference resources, as well as fiction and non-fiction reading materials to
aid in the spiritual development of individual parishioners, clergy, their families,
and church ministries.
2007 Highlights: This year we
have added more than 100 new titles to the library shelves, including many
titles to support new and growing ministries.
Historical items from the parish and the community, including material from
parishioner Betty Seccombe’s personal collection, have been acquired by the
library for archival. Our media
collection continues to grow as well, with the addition of several popular
videos, DVDs and audiocassettes. A computer,
dedicated to library use, is also located in the library and will facilitate
cataloging of the collection as well as enable parishioners to search for books
online.
Now
in its sixth year, the Library’s monthly Book Club
continues to grow increasingly popular as more parishioners use the Library as
a resource for recreational
reading. Titles that have been discussed
over the past year include bestsellers, biographies, non-fiction and
classics. The Book Club is open to all,
and newcomers are encouraged to attend.
A
weekly Children’s Story Time, sponsored by the Library, was
offered during Advent for elementary-aged children. Other children’s
programs are being planned for next year.
Goals for 2008: Our goals for
the upcoming year include completing the online card catalog and writing book
reviews and recommendations for St. James’ monthly
newsletter, Loaves & Fishes. Additional plans for 2008 include
sponsoring book sales, author visits, film screenings and other special
programs designed to share Christ’s love and
teachings through the written word.
Suggestions
and requests for particular materials are always welcome and actively
solicited. Please feel free to contact
us if there is something you would like to see in your parish Library.
Wise
men store up knowledge.
--Proverbs
10:14
by
Dawn Stejbach
Ministry Head: Dawn Stejbach
Mission: To provide quality childcare in a loving
and comfortable atmosphere to allow parents the opportunity to worship.
2007 Highlights:
·
Registration
at the nursery door to improve safety of children;
·
Hand
cleansing before entering the nursery;
·
Strict
enforcement of the child’s overall health before entering the nursery;
·
Research
new and improved pager system to improve parent communication during worship;
and
·
Additional
staff hired in month of December to suit needs of the nursery.
by Ruth Blakeslee
Ministry Head: Ruth Blakeslee
Talent of the
Ministry: Laura Butler, Chase Banks, Rob & Carol
Chapman, Steve & Ruth Grubbs, Bob & Shirley Hall, Sharon Hammett, Brent
Harding, Debbie Johnson, Charleen Price, Steve &
Debi Mayo, Susan Moffett, Mary Ohmer, Evelyn Walsh, Janice Weber
Mission: The Newcomers Committee is a group of
friendly and active St. James’ members charged with seeing new ways to welcome
newcomers and include them in church activities.
The St. James’ Newcomers Committee assist the parish
in assuring that all visitors/newcomers are given a warm welcome and are
introduced to new people. Committee
members assist with Newcomer coffees and at other event generally helping
newcomers feel comfortable and assisted toward full participation in the life
of St. James’.
2007 Highlights: It has been another busy year welcoming
newcomers to the St. James’ community.
We have mailed 64 letters inviting newcomers to the special coffees we
organized for them on the first Sunday of every month (with the exception of
January and December). We had 57 attend
our coffees this year. Our coffees offer
a time of socializing, meeting our clergy, Vestry, ministry heads, and
parishioners wishing to attend as well as answering questions, giving out basic
information about St. James’ and our activities, and, a brief tour of our
rambling facility. During this time, we
attempt to offer suggestions to people or ministries where they might want to
“connect.” We held nine coffees this
year, averaging six plus newcomers per coffee.
We also send a follow up note to all our guests. It is gratifying to see many whom we have
welcomed becoming regulars at worship and active in the St. James’ family.
Our mission statement says we “assist the parish” in
welcoming newcomers. Therefore, through
articles in Loaves & Fishes, we
have alerted the parishioners of the frequency of our having newcomers
worshipping with us and have encouraged everyone to greet them with a friendly
smile, a warm handshake and a sincere welcome to our community. Statistics show how influential a positive
first impression is for a new person who is searching for a sense of belonging
and connectedness in a church community. So, remember while you are chatting
with your friends to be alert to visitors and greet them, too. We have also brought to the congregation’s attention
that our Welcome Packets (placed near our Visitors Registers) contain basic
information about St. James’ and Leesburg, and are to be given to all newcomers
they meet.
Our coffees are open to all and we invite you to
drop in and enjoy the experience of being one of the first to greet a newcomer
- they are always impressed the diversity of our membership, our enthusiasm for
St. James’, as well as our friendliness.
Do come - the more the merrier!
by The Rev. Mary Davila
Mission: To provide the children of St. James’, 3
years through 12th grade, with a Bible-based religious education
that incorporates teaching about the Anglican tradition.
2007 Highlights:
Our Sunday School classrooms are bursting at the seams (literally!)
with an average attendance of about 130 children and youth per Sunday. Each of the classes is led by three teachers
who serve on a rotating basis.
Three-year-olds through 5th graders use David C. Cook’s
Anglican curriculum, and the Middle Schoolers use the
Episcopal Church’s Living the Good News series. The Senior High group
has been engaging in a Bible Study on Exodus.
Christian Overton stepped forward
to be the “Sunday morning Sunday school leader,” and she has been an invaluable
resource, serving as greeter, copy-maker, and snack-checker! Christian handles the nuts and bolts of
Sunday morning activities, and serves as an extra set of hands where needed.
Once again this year, St. James’ paired with
Leesburg Presbyterian Church for Vacation Bible School (VBS). Leesburg Presbyterian hosted the week-long
program, and will do so again in 2008.
One hundred-twenty children between the ages of 4 and 10 participated in
VBS, all singing songs, playing games, and hearing stories about God and God’s
love. Kim Albuerne
headed up VBS for St. James’, and she was assisted by many volunteer teachers,
craft leaders, and helpers from our church.
Several of St. James’ youth served as teen helpers.
by The Rev. Mary Davila
The 20s/s 30s Group is beginning its second year of
ministry in 2008, and what a great first year we had! Eleven of us went to
Gulfport, MS, to assist with Katrina reconstruction. We joined other 20s/30s
folks from St. Mary’s--Arlington, and had a wonderful experience. We also
volunteered at the Holiday Coalition and participated in the Walk for Water in
Leesburg. We hope to return to Gulfport in 2008 and to continue to be involved
in local, hands-on outreach efforts. In addition to outreach, our primary focus
is fellowship. We continue to have monthly group dinners, and in May, we are
planning to host a dinner with St. James’ parishioners who were born in the
1920s/30s! The 20s/30s group is also
making a mark within St. James’, with many of our folks serving in other
ministries such as youth group and choir. By in large, the group consists of
new members of the church, but these folks are already making an impact in our
community!
by The Rev. Mary Davila
St. James’ is blessed with a very large number of youth,
youth being defined as Middle School (6th-8th grade) and
Senior High (9th-12th) age children. We have two primary
offerings for youth: Sunday afternoon youth group, and Wednesday night Pizza
with a Purpose.
Middle School and Senior High meet separately every
Sunday for an hour and a half, where we engage in fellowship, talk about faith,
do hands-on community service, play games, and eat pizza! We have taken dinner to the homeless shelter,
watched and discussed movies, gone on ski trips, participated in the 30-hour
famine and ropes courses, and hung out at Starbucks! We have had lock-ins and trips to Shrine
Mont, as well as played dodge ball and capture the flag, both perennial Youth
Group favorites!
This year, we placed a special emphasis on youth
outreach. We held our first ever Middle
School Outreach Camp in August, a week-long day camp. We traveled to Capitol Hill, a therapeutic
riding center in Middleburg, a potato harvesting farm in Woodstock, and
Samaritan Ministry in Washington, DC, all to partake in hands-on outreach. Ten of our Senior High Youth went to Valle Crucis, NC, for a week-long mission trip as part of the
Towel Ministry program. The youth helped
with home repair, but more than that, their presence made a huge impression on
the families with which they worked.
Eleven youth traveled to Gulfport, MS, to assist with Hurricane Katrina
reconstruction, and many in that group are eager to return in 2008. We also had youth who went to Africa as part
of Solar Light for Africa.
Thanks to the organizational help of the women in
the Wednesday night Spiritual Disciplines small group, St. James’ youth were
able to assist with Interfaith Relief’s “Freeze Your Gizzard” race, the Holiday
Coalition, and to lead an evening of craft-making at the Hebron shelter for
women and children. Youth are eager to
be engaged in hands-on outreach, and the community certainly needs our helping
hands!
Youth Groups simply could not happen without our
dedicated leaders and parents who serve as chaperones and drivers. We have three third-year youth leaders—Chris
Gegenheimer, Ken Getty, and Janell Easter,
four second- year leaders in Sarah and Eric DiPier, and Hannah and Gabe Neas.
We welcomed Adam Modzelesky and Stephanie
Allen into the fold this year! The
youth love them and week in and week out, they are there to challenge,
encourage, and support the Middle and Senior High Schoolers.
Youth Group meets every Sunday, and
during the week, our youth come together on Wednesday nights for Pizza with a
Purpose. “Pizza” is an opportunity to
consider some of the most difficult questions of our faith, but we manage to
have a great deal of fun as we tackle the tough issues of life and faith! This
is an offering that has grown in umber every year. We usually have about eight Middle School
students per week and 15 Senior High youth.
“Pizza” is lead by Pastor Mary and Pastor Jeunée
of St. Gabriel’s.
In May, Bishop Johnston confirmed 5 of our
youth. Pastors Mary and Jeunée led weekly Confirmation classes teaching lessons on
Scripture, Church History, Faith in Everyday Life, and the Sacraments. Our hope is that through the Confirmation
program, the youths’ commitment to the Church and to their faith is reaffirmed
and renewed.
We look forward to another great year of youth
ministry at St. James’!
by Jan Joseph
Ministry Heads: Jan Joseph and Ken Getty
Talent of the Ministry: Maureen
Cameron, Lisa Hinchberger, Valerie Kelliher, Patti Kushner, Martha Rombach,
Chuck Womack
Mission: The goal of the 2007 Annual Giving Campaign was to help parishioners further connect the vision of St. James' with their own personal and spiritual journeys, encouraging them to increase their commitments of time, talent and treasure. The campaign focused on:
·
Communicating current
opportunities for increased commitments of time and talent;
·
Encouraging parishioners who
pledged for the 2007 campaign to enhance their financial commitment to St. James’
by increasing the proportion of their income they give back to God in
thanksgiving;
·
Encouraging non-pledging
parishioners to make a written financial pledge for the first time; and
·
Communicating the current
financial state of the church, and the additional financial needs for 2008.
2007 Highlights: The committee members began
meeting in June to prepare for the fall program. At this point, it was
determined to be in the best interest to conduct a condensed/shorter campaign,
due to the potential start of a capital campaign in December. The campaign was kicked off in September with
the Ministry Fair. The Ministry Fair was
Co-chaired by Valerie Kelliher, Patti
Kushner and Lisa Hinchberger.
To celebrate the vibrancy of the parish, each ministry head carried a
banner, representing their work, during the Processional at the 9:00 a.m. and
11:15 a.m. services. Again this year,
the Fair was held at the old School Building,
following each service. It proved to be
a very successful event, with many parishioners introduced to the wonderful
ministries of the church, and a record number (over 100) signing up to become
involved in these ministries.
Also in early September, every parishioner received an invitation to attend one of three receptions. The hosts of these receptions were Steve and Lisa Krepich