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Hello and Goodbye to Summer

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 15:57:14 GMT

Things are winding down...and starting up at the Day School. Soon the floors will be waxed, carpets cleaned and teachers renewing their CPR certifications. It's an exciting time for incoming students too as they pick out their new bookbags, plan their time at Open House and look forward to reuniting with their friends from last year.

Over the summer, though, fellowship was still had and fun continued on. Our summer program "Camp Fun" had another successful run for ages two through eight. Themed weeks of crafts, activities and learning were held for the months of June and July - Space Camp, Adopt a Pet, Safari Search to name a few.

It's a special time for Day School graduates to return to the rooms where they were loved so well and enjoy the beauty of the church campus.

Some traditions carry on and a quality summer camp at St James is one of those. Just another reminder that God's love isn't just when school is in session. It is year round!

Caring For Yours,

Miss Katie

Let it Shine! Let it Shine! Let it Shine!

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 20:31:02 GMT

We are happy for and proud of our graduates, but we feel a familiar pull on the heartstrings as they leave us. It's a time to close "regular" day school and open up summer camp. It's a time to finish this curriculum and prepare for the next. Even now, as a parish, we finish one program year and look ahead to the fall and the new beginnings of Sunday School, EYC and the welcoming of a new rector in the future.

But K4 graduation teaches us that all along the way, just as with our parish, we simply find and renew the ways to let our lights shine.

Hide it under a bushel? Certainly not.

I'm happy to share some pictures from our graduation ceremony* and I hope you share with me the renewed hope that they bring to our ministry here at St James.

Like these children, we are constantly changing and learning. The difference with grown-ups is that we don't necessarily see it that way. St James has given these preschoolers their foundation for what is next. What a great lesson for the work of the people.

Caring For Yours,

Miss Katie

*Special thanks to Rick Veazey for giving of his time and talent as our photographer.

It's All About Balance

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 01:09:48 GMT

The children roll a marshmallow in "spices" (AKA cinnamon and sugar) as their teacher explains how spices were used when a body was buried "a long time ago".

Egg hunts, bunny crafts and plenty of hopping around brought lots of Easter joy to the Day School teachers and students. There is no way to argue with the presence of the risen Christ in the eyes of a busy, happy child.

But, how is the resurrection message shared with little ones at such a tender age? The strength of the details within the crucifixion story can be too much for the very young to process. That balance is critical in terms of formation, and it is a charge that we constantly discuss as a school staff. An obvious "yes" is given to the bunnies and eggs of course, while the resurrection message takes a little more care and creativity for preschool teaching.

One way is through Mother Lathrop's children's sermon in our Chapel lesson. Another is through carefully chosen preschool books on the subject. Yet another is the teaching tool of the Resurrection Eggs, which uses a set of small toys as visuals as the story is recounted on their level. But the most favorite exercise of all is in the making and baking of Resurrection Rolls.

This lesson is a favorite and takes children through the steps of the story with a sweet reminder of God's love at the end. You can imagine that we love this for many reasons.

I will close with a little video made by one of our teachers. May it bring you Easter joy through the eyes of a child. The Lord is risen indeed!

Caring for Yours,
Miss Katie

Day School November

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 18:16:50 GMT

9-1-1 Cuteness Emergency

What does the "slow return to normal" look like? For the St James Day School, it includes the return of the fire truck and firefighter! Our students learned all about the big, shiny ladder truck and about staying safe in case of danger. We saw the importance of safety gear and proper clothing for our firefighters. Much more than this, we learned that even after several years of skipping this in-house field trip because of Covid, these helpers were always ready and able to step in if needed. Best of all, the message that one day we can wisely and safely emerge on the other side of the pandemic was implied. Healing and hope through a simple visit from the fireman? Yes, please...with God's help.

November Post from the Interim Rector

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 04:00:00 GMT

Dear Ones,

November will be a robust liturgical month. November 6 is the Sunday after All Saints Day, one

of the seven Principal Feasts of the Church year. All Saints is the day we recall our communion

with the “great cloud of witnesses” across time and place. As we will hear in the Proper Preface

for that day, we are invited to “rejoice in their fellowship, and run with endurance the race that

is set before us; and, together with them, receive the crown of glory that never fades away.”

November 20 (10:30 a.m.) will be Bishop Richards’s first official visitation to St. James. The

liturgy will include the confirmation or reception of eight of our fellow St. James parishioners,

plus several from St. Margaret’s in Boiling Springs who will be joining us that day. After the

liturgy, we will have a reception to celebrate the confirmands and those received followed by a

forum led by Bishop Richards.

Wednesday, November 23 is Thanksgiving Eve and at 6:30 p.m. we will hold the traditional

Thanksgiving liturgy. But this year there will be the added joyful dimension of the baptism of

Ruth Lewis, daughter of Julia (Britt) and William Lewis.

The thread that runs through all those liturgies is our common baptism. At all three we will

renew our baptismal covenant, the root of our connection to the saints, to those receiving the

laying on of hands, and to those new to the Household of God.

Finally, Sunday, November 27 is the First Sunday of Advent, the start of a new liturgical year.

Advent rightly begins our anticipation of Christmas, the celebration of the Incarnation. But

Advent holds a risk. It is to leap prematurely to Christmas and miss the call to pause and wait,

to heed the invitation to self-examination and renewal as true preparation for Christmas joy.

The first verse of probably the most familiar Advent hymn calls us to the posture of Advent’s

spiritual preparation:

"O come, O come Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lowly exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel."

Peace,

John S. Nieman

Musical Highlights for November

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 04:00:00 GMT

All Saints Day: William Grant Still

The music for All Saints Day, celebrated on Nov. 6, includes all our favorite hymns, a special choir

anthem, and a special prelude entitled “Elegy for Organ” by the great award-winning American

composer, William Grant Still (1895-1978). Still has often been called the “Dean of Afro-American

Composers” –during his lifetime he composed nearly 200 musical works, including symphonies,

choral works, and works for individual instruments. In addition to composing, he was active as a

conductor, performer and educator. “Elegy for Organ” has elements of lament and remembrance,

and is filled with Still’s rich melodic language.

Children’s Music: All Saints and Christmas

On All Saints’ Day, we will all sing Hymn 293, “I Sing a Song of the Saints of God,” right before the

children’s sermon. Please practice verse one with your children so they can participate!

" I sing a song of the saints of God, patient and brave and true;

Who toiled and fought and lived and died for the Lord they loved and knew.

And one was a doctor and one was a queen, and one was a shepherdess on the green,

They were all of them saints of God, and I mean – God helping – to be one too. "

We are currently practicing this hymn in our Children’s Choir rehearsals, and we’d love to have

more children join us to get ready for All Saints! Just come to Children’s Choir at 3:15 PM on Nov.

2 – parents are welcome too!

Once All Saints’ Day is past, the Children’s Choir will begin practicing the Christmas carols that are

sung as part of the Christmas Pageant (the 4:30 PM Christmas Eve service). We will start gradually,

introducing a couple of the less well known carols on Nov. 9 and 16. After Thanksgiving, we will

work from the Pageant script and enjoy getting to know as many of the pageant carols as we can!

Post-Thanksgiving choir rehearsal dates are Nov. 30, Dec. 7, and Dec. 14. There will not be a

Children’s Choir rehearsal on Dec. 21. Any and all children are welcome at these rehearsals - just

send me a quick email to let me know you are coming.

Karen Eshelman

October Post by the Interim Rector

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 02:30:00 GMT

Several weeks ago, while at the wedding of my nephew in Pennsylvania, I had a pleasant

conversation with a couple I had never met before who were friends of the bride. Despite my

efforts to stay incognito, my vocation got out of the bag. Often when that happens, people feel

the need to tell me why they don’t go to church. Sure enough, almost on cue, the couple

admitted they were members of a church but don’t attend much because, as the man said,

“Christians can worship just as well anywhere by themselves.”

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard some version of that comment. There

is a grain of truth in it. Christians can – and hopefully do! – lift their hearts to God in praise and

thanksgiving wherever they happen to be. I have experienced a sense of God’s presence in the

fierceness of waves crashing on the rocks, in the soft caress of a breeze through a mountain

pass, and in the stillness of the desert at night. Many Christians have formal rituals they do on

their own. Some maintain a practice of centering prayer. That’s all great. We no doubt hear

God’s voice in a variety of ways. But that variety of prayer and religious experience is not a

substitute for gathering together as a community on the Lord’s Day.

Why is that? Because what we do in church on Sunday is not about enhancing our

individual prayer life or putting ourselves in a position to have a memorable religious

experience. Those benefits may come our way in church on Sunday morning, but they are not

the reason we gather.

The Eucharist is the Christian community’s primary witness to God’s grace. It’s about

making manifest a vision of the Realm of God. After the confession and absolution, what do we

do? We pass the Peace, we proclaim shalom, a word that connotes not simply the absence of

conflict, but a final wholeness, a vision of all things coming together in God. On Sunday we

affirm what can be affirmed only in the context of the gathered community: in God’s Realm we

are at peace with one another and with God through Christ’s reconciling death and

resurrection. The communion we share is the communion of the Body of Christ. In that sense,

we not only proclaim the Good News through the Holy Eucharist. We become it. We become

the community of reconciliation we already are in God’s eyes.

I didn’t say all that to the couple. I mostly listened. But I did suggest that they might be

missing an essential element of Christian life by substituting a lone walk in the woods for what

Christians can do only in community.

“Thanks,” the man said. “You’ve given us something to think about.”

I hope so.

Peace,

Fr. John Nieman

Children and Youth - and Music!

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 04:00:08 GMT

As the St. James choir director, I have the pleasure of teaching music to students of all ages. That

is, while it is true that choir is about singing, it is also so much more. In choir, students learn

about music, about worship and teamwork, and (more importantly), they learn to live their faith

when they sing about it together! I invite you and your family to become a part of the music

ministry at St. James, and sign your elementary, middle, and high school youth up for choir.

These choirs (music classes!) are free. (The times posted below may be adjusted if necessary.)

Students in grades 2-5 join Children’s Choir, which is a beginning music activity class. The

students in this group learn to match pitch and sing simple songs from around the world. They

learn about rhythm, melody, and harmony, and they start to read music. Each student also has

their own workbook from the Royal School of Church Music choir curriculum.

Time: 3:15 – 4:00 PM, every Wednesday.

Older students join the Youth Choir, which is an intermediate music class for all young men and

young women in middle and high school. The structure for this choir is flexible and the meeting

time can be divided if necessary, depending on the ages of those who sign up. This group sings a

variety of choir music, including new and traditional hymns and spirituals. As often as possible

the Youth Choir joins the procession for the opening hymn (at 10:30) and is seated in the front

pews; occasionally they will also offer a special anthem. The youth choir continues in the series

of graded workbooks from the Royal School of Church Music.

Time: 5:15 – 6:15 PM, every Wednesday.

I encourage you and your family to take advantage of this opportunity, and I would love to talk

with you if you have questions about the choirs. Please call, email, or stop by the organ after

church.

Dr. Karen Eshelman

A Place Without Fear

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 04:00:08 GMT

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid . -- John 14:27

Preschool years are critical in so many ways. Children learn life skills that enable them to be independent and confident. They learn to play and work both in a group and on their own. Possibly most importantly, they learn to do these things without fear - fear of embarrassment or shame, rejection or hurt. This secure footing is the foundation for students to try new things, stumble and rise and dare to love.

I had a parent tell me that St James Day School is the first place that her daughter truly had "no fear". How can there be a better endorsement? We are so thankful for St James Church and for the support that it gives to our ministry. That support gives us our own courage to pass along to the children. What a wonderful partnership.

Caring For Yours,

Miss Katie

Three Faiths, One Contested Place

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 23:03:27 GMT

Last month, I wrote about pilgrimages often being to a place and that many of the world’s

religions, in addition to Christianity, have places of pilgrimage. The Holy Land is a focal point

for the pilgrimages of the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Interestingly, as I learned on my Pilgrimage to The Holy Land this summer, both Islam and

Judaism rank their holy sites. For Islam, Mecca (where Muhammad, the founder of Islam was

born) is the holiest site, followed by Medina (where Muhammad is buried), and then Jerusalem

(where Muhammad was transported during the “Night Journey” and where God stepped down

from heaven to create the world).

For Judaism, The Temple Mount is the holiest site. That is where direct communication took

place between the High Priest and God. This is also where Jews came on their pilgrimages to

make their sacrifices. Much like Muslims, the Jews believe that the foundation stone of the

universe was laid before the world was expanded to its current form. In addition, the creation of

earth’s features were made there including the first man, Adam. Major biblical events occurred

around it including Jacob’s dream, the binding of Isaac, and the prayers for Isaac and Rebecca. It

is where King David bought the threshing floor and where his son, King Solomon built the first

temple. The Temple Mount was also identified as Mount Zion by the Hebrew Bible.

After being in The Holy Land, I cannot imagine trying to rank the holy sites related to the birth,

life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus. It became clear to me that every site where something

in the life of Jesus happened is considered holy. Everything from the major moments, like

Gabriel’s announcement to Mary, Jesus’ birth, the Upper Room, and the Holy Sepulchre to the

tree in which Zacchaeus stood to see Jesus, and the path of the Good Samaritan.

Religion is part of the reason that the space is so contested and fought over. For all three

Abrahamic Faiths, this space is sacred, but for our Muslim and Jewish siblings, it is far more

important. And for our Jewish siblings it is the most important. However, the area on which the

Jewish Temple stood is currently part of the Muslim Al-Aqsa Compound. Because the area is in

Muslim hands, Jews are only allowed to be on the property with Israeli police, who escort them

around the property, and keep them moving so they do not have an opportunity to worship.

When we toured the Al-Aqsa Compound and visited the Dome of the Rock, we had the

opportunity to hear from a Muslim guide, his story, and his perspective. As we visited the

Wailing Wall and toured the Jewish Quarter, we had a chance to hear from a Jewish guide, his

story, and his perspective. It was incredibly powerful and emotional to see it and hear about it in

person instead of on the news. I can honestly say, I am heartbroken for each group. I came away

from that time of exploring the “Religious Other” with a deeper appreciation of our Muslim and

Jewish siblings and of their claim to that space.

Day School New Year

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 17:52:38 GMT

Hint: It’s Next to Godliness

A reset. A beginning. A fresh start. These are just a few phrases to describe the preparations for school kick-off in our little church basement program. This time of year brings the tasks of deep-cleaning classrooms and floors, sorting and replacing toys and books and, above all, creating that nearly new space for children to call their own. It doesn't happen easily, and it doesn't happen without the many hands of committed teachers.

Soon our eNotes will depict adorable pictures of little ones playing and painting. For now, though, enjoy a few photos of the teacher "school moms" who scrub, paint and prepare a way for those children to grow and learn. How fortunate we are to have returning teachers with a total of 82 years of experience among them. While that is unheard of in the preschool world of employment, we just think of it as a clean sweep.

We can't wait to get started at St James Day School. Our red doors open on Tuesday, September 6th!

September

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 14:14:44 GMT

Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation

We’ve been announcing for months now, both in print and during the Sunday services, that we will be offering preparation sessions for youth and adults desiring to be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church. Those sessions will begin on Sunday, September 25 and will continue each Sunday through November 13. This is in anticipation of Bishop Richard’s visit to St. James on November 20 when the Rite of Confirmation, Reception, and the Reaffirmation of baptismal vows will take place.

What exactly is confirmation? What is reception? What is reaffirmation? What are the differences?

It all starts with baptism. Two of the most powerful statements in our Book of Common Prayer are in the rubrics concerning Holy Baptism. “Holy Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body the Church. The bond which God establishes in Baptism is indissoluble” (PB p. 298). “Full initiation.” That is, nothing more is needed. Confirmation is not a completion of baptism. Once a person is baptized, they become full members of the Body of Christ. “Indissoluble.” That is, nothing we do can ever destroy the bond God has established.

Confirmation does not give added assurance of baptism’s indissoluble bond. No completion or added assurance is needed.

Some people understandably have asked, “So then what’s the point of confirmation?” It’s a good question. In fact, it was a live question among bishops and theologians in the process that led to the creation of the 1979 Prayer Book. Some even argued that confirmation should be abandoned. That argument did not prevail, and for good reason.

Confirmation is an invitation to those who were baptized at an early age “to make a mature public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their Baptism and to receive the laying on of hands by the bishop” (PB p. 412). It’s the rite through which a person takes ownership for themselves the commitments made on their behalf at their baptism, typically when they were an infant or small child. It’s an opportunity for a mature person to say “Yes, this is my faith. I embrace the bond God has already established with me, and I am committing before the whole church, symbolized by the bishop, to respond to that divine action of love with my life.

So then, what is “reception?” Reception is the rite that acknowledges that some people have already been confirmed in another church body, for example, in the Roman Catholic or Lutheran Church; or have otherwise made a mature public affirmation of their faith in a church that doesn’t include the specific rite of confirmation but typically baptizes people at a later age, for example, the various Baptist Churches. In those cases, we don’t re-confirm someone.

Instead, we recognize and celebrate the mature affirmation that has already taken place and publicly “receive them into the fellowship of this communion,” the Episcopal Church, as the context in which they are committing to live out their faith.

Reaffirmation is simply an opportunity for any baptized Christian publicly to reaffirm their faith and commitment to Christ. There are many reasons a person might want to do this. I recall one instance of a person who returned to church after decades of having abandoned her relationship with God and anything having to do with church. But the Holy Spirit had been working quietly with her all along – there’s that indissoluble bond again – and at some point, she courageously stepped across the threshold and said, “I need and want to do this. I need and want to reconnect with Christ and his people. I desire to say ‘yes’ again, this time after a lifetime of experiences that have shaped me in ways I couldn’t have imagined thirty years ago.”

If you are age sixteen or older and would like to be confirmed or received or formally reaffirm your baptismal vows (all of us reaffirm them regardless anytime there is a baptism or confirmation), then join Mother Lathrop and me for the preparation sessions at 9:15 Sunday mornings beginning on September 25. Join us even if you simply want to learn more. The sessions are open to all. Please sign up through Realm here .

Security Protocol

The Vestry recently has begun to consider ways we can make St. James more secure on Sundays and other times during the week. This is a result of our increased awareness of random violent acts perpetrated against innocent people at schools, places of worship, and other spots where people gather. We don’t want to be reactive, but we do want to be vigilant and careful about ensuring the safety of everyone at St. James.

Please be aware that, beginning this month, the exterior doors of the building will be locked 15 minutes after the start of each worship service.

We will be consulting with the Crime Prevention Unit of the Greenville Police to learn more steps we might consider to enhance the safety of our community.

Covid and the Common Communion Cup

Some people might be wondering about sipping from the common communion cup while Covid is still with us. This is and will remain an individual decision unless circumstances change significantly. There are a variety of factors that enter that decision, perhaps most importantly your current health and risk factors. Here are three pieces of information that might help you in that decision.

There have been several studies of the relationship between the spread of disease and drinking from the common cup. Their conclusion is that while the spread of disease is theoretically possible in this way, the risk is so small that it is undetectable. For a useful article about these studies, see https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7439816/ . These studies were done before Covid and I’m not aware of any studies specifically on the relationship between the common cup and the transmission of Covid.
While intinction is an option that many exercise, intinction theoretically increases the potential spread of infection due to the possibility of many fingers contacting the wine.
An acceptable option is to refrain from taking the wine altogether. The Episcopal Church recognizes the fullness of the sacrament in either kind. That is, if you have consumed only the bread or only the wine you have participated fully in the sacrament.

Some people have exercised this option for a variety of reasons long before Covid existed.

I hope that helps. And if you’ve tested positive for Covid or are not feeling well, please take care of yourself at home and let the great cloud of witnesses worship on your behalf!

Peace,

Fr. John Nieman

Pilgrimage

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 22:32:23 GMT

Pilgrimage : a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person’s beliefs and faith.

Many of the world’s religions have places of pilgrimage. The Holy Land is a focal point for the pilgrimages of the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Our siblings in Islam have the Hajj, a mandatory religious duty for adult Muslims to carry out at least once in their lifetime. If they are physically and financially capable of taking the journey and can support their family during their absence, they are to make a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Before the temple was destroyed, our siblings in Judaism were required to go to Jerusalem to the temple and make sacrifices for the three pilgrimage festivals of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. Which is why in the Gospel of Luke, we hear about Mary and Joseph going to the temple every year and the story of Jesus staying behind when he was twelve. In the Gospel of John, Jesus visits multiple times for various feasts before his triumphal entry and crucifixion. Now that there is no longer a temple, the Western Wall or ‘Wailing’ Wall, which is the remaining part of the Second Jewish Temple in the Old City of Jerusalem, is the most sacred and visited site for Jews.

For us as Christians, The Holy Land and the sites connected with the birth, life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus, are a focal point. There are also other places of pilgrimage as well, including sites associated with the apostles, saints, and martyrs, as well as places where there have been apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

My trip to The Holy Land was a Study Pilgrimage through St. George’s College in Jerusalem. St. George’s offers these Study Pilgrimages year around, but the one I went on was specifically a Ministry Formation course, so I was on a pilgrimage with other Anglican clergy as well as Anglican seminarians (a few from the United States, although most were from England, Scotland, or Wales). Interestingly, there was a whole group of us who should have gone in the summer of 2020, as seminarians. As part of that Study Pilgrimage, we were in an intentional community – which meant we ate together, worshipped together, had reflections as a community, as well as small group and large group discussions. It was much more than just seeing the sites.

As a Ministry Formation course, it was just not about the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus, although most of it was. We also had a session about “The Religious Other” in which we learned about our siblings in the other Abrahamic religions. We spent time with a Muslim tour guide. We were able to go into the Muslim holy site of the Al-Aqsa Compound, which is where the Dome of the Rock is located. We also spent time with a Jewish tour guide and visited the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem and the Western Wall. We also had a day in which we talked about and reflected upon “Institutional Ministry.” We were able to visit Princess Basma Centre for Disabled Children, which contains both a hospital and a school and is an institution of The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. Another day we spent talking about and visiting a couple of “Sites of Conscience.” We visited Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center. We also visited the abandoned Palestinian village of Lifta, which was depopulated during the early part of the 1947-1948 civil war. In 2017, it was declared as a national nature reserve.

As a pilgrim, I knew I would be learning new things and expanding my knowledge about not only Jesus, but also other Biblical stories, as well as the history and geography of the area. From listening to others at Sewanee who had participated in similar pilgrimages, I knew it would benefit my teaching and preaching. I knew it was going to be emotional, and that those emotions would range from excited, happy, and joyful to feeling overwhelmed to being sad and angry. I knew it would be challenging because we had such an intense schedule with full days. What I didn’t expect is being challenged by the many juxtapositions that are in that small area. I also didn’t expect the emotions of coming face to face with what we see on the news and think of it as so far removed us.

I am looking forward to sharing my journey with you, through my preaching and teaching, through a series of e-notes articles, as well as through my reflections on September 11 and 18. And I am sure there will be many more opportunities for me to share in the coming program year.

Music Ministry

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 18:12:47 GMT

Music Ministry at St. James

Music for Children and Youth

The student choirs will have their first rehearsals on Wednesday, Sept. 7. All St. James children and youth are eligible to join. The Children’s Choir rehearses 3:15-4 PM, and is for all boys and girls grades 2-5. The Youth Choir meets at 5:15 PM, after any school extracurricular activities, and is for all middle school and high school students. Contact Karen Eshelman (music@stjamesgreenville.org).

Student Instrumentalists needed for the 4:30 PM Christmas Eve service. Planning is already underway, and we are looking for student musicians to share their talents during the prelude. Any student who has played an instrument for at least a year or two should register with Karen Eshelman this month. In the past small groups of students have shared Christmas carols before the service. Dr. Karen helps the students find music and practices with them. Whether your student plays flute, trumpet, clarinet, guitar or piano, to name but a few, don’t wait! Sign up today!

Adult Volunteers needed for Children and Youth. In compliance with Safe Church guidelines, at least one additional adult (in addition to the choir director) must attend each Wednesday rehearsal. Volunteers also help with other support tasks.

The St. James Choir

The St. James Choir sings every Sunday, helping to lead worship at the 10:30 AM Eucharist. New singers are welcome to join! We help all choir members learn to read music, and aid learning by making recordings available whenever possible. Meet new friends and experience church in a new way! Rehearsals are on Wednesdays, 7:30 – 9 PM, starting September 7. There is also a short warm-up rehearsal each Sunday at 9:45 AM. Contact Karen at music@stjamesgreenville.org to find out more.

More about the Children’s Choir:

The St. James Children’s Choir has a flexible structure designed to help students find their singing voices and learn music basics (melody, rhythm, and harmony). By singing in choir, children learn about worship, teamwork, and – most importantly – they learn to live their faith when they sing about it together!

More about the Youth Choir

The St. James Youth Choir sings regular choir music as well as a variety of new and traditional hymns and spirituals; time is also spent on the music curriculum workbooks from the Royal School of Church Music. The Youth Choir participates when possible on Sunday mornings, sometimes joining with the Adult Choir for a special anthem, and they are traditionally a feature of St. James’ annual Advent Lessons and Carols service. High school students who are not able to attend youth choir rehearsals due to afternoon time conflicts are invited to join The St. James Choir, which rehearses on Wednesday evenings and sings every Sunday.

More about The St. James Choir

The St. James Choir welcomes singers from high school and college age on up. In addition to singing every Sunday the choir prepares special music for Holy Days and extra worship services, such as the annual service of Advent Lessons and Carols. Being in the choir and learning music is fun, therapeutic and uplifting; our choir is friendly and supportive, and we make it easy to learn new music! Whether you currently sing in your high school choir, or if that was ‘once upon a time’ and you want to pick it back up, come and join us! Questions? Talk with Karen Eshelman after church (come up to the organ), or send her an email at music@stjamesgreenville.org.

Did you know?

In addition to our major work of music ministry, the St. James Choir also sends funds to Education=Hope , supporting schoolchildren in Ecuador.

Want to help in other ways? Music librarian assistance is also needed filing music, cataloguing new music, updating folders, and updating the music library spreadsheet.