This series of brief parishioner essays, which appears in the weekly service leaflet, takes a look at the many St. James’ ministries supported by annual stewardship pledges. A pledge card is available for download; for more information on St. James’ stewardship, contact Robin Young.

We open most meetings of the Children’s & Family Ministries Committee with a reading of the Prayer for the Care of Children (Book of Common Prayer p. 829), the words of which give me great peace. "Give us calm strength and patient wisdom as we bring them up..." Calm strength and patient wisdom... who could ask for anything more? In my opinion it is all here at St. James'. It is calm strength that I find every time I walk through the doors of St. James' Church. I find strength in the beauty of the artwork that surrounds us in the sanctuary, in the music of the organ, soloists and choirs, in the fragrant smell of flowers, in tasting another great meal, in the comfort of a warm hug exchanged with a friend. Patient wisdom is evident in our clergy and staff, from their scholarly insights to their caring and compassion, to their common-sense ideas for everyday issues. I attend Mom's Bible Study in order to gain insight into the gospel and its relevance to my life. I teach older children attending Thursdays at St. James’ in order to pass this commitment to and love for the Lord onto our children that they may feel this comfort in their lives as well. I participate in Parish Life activities in order to give back to this community from which I draw so much strength, and I serve on the Grants Committee with the goal of helping us to use our resources to best support those in need throughout our broader New York City community. As I give to St. James’ in any way I can, I find that the rewards of being part of this church are tremendous. —Ann Heidenreich, Children's & Family Ministries Committee

I love St. James’ for giving us the Stephen Ministry program, which has been as wonderful for the Stephen Ministers as it has been for our care receivers. St. James’ has been an integral part of my life since Easter 1998 and I have made dear friends in this our wonderful Christian community. From the beginning, I found that being on committees and volunteering was the way to discover where I could best serve at St. James’. I found my place when I became a Stephen Minister. Our bi-monthly Stephen Ministry meetings and my meetings with my care receivers have been the most significant source of spiritual growth in my life. At our meetings, we pray together we learn together and we support each other as we seek to help our care receivers. I feel very humble at the concept that Christ can use me as an instrument to comfort someone who is going through a crisis, but know that through faith this is possible. This is how Stephen Ministry works and why we all feel blessed to be Stephen Ministers. St. Francis of Assisi said it best in the 13th century when he wrote "Lord make me an instrument of thy peace.”  This is my prayer as a Stephen Minister. —Rebecca Alford, Stephen Minster

The gift that St. James’ has bestowed on our family is a renewal of our faith within an exhilarating community of friends. Serving on the Parents of Young Children Committee, I have had the opportunity to witness just how devoted the church is to serving its young families. From attending the toddler chapel, my son learned to offer a prayer of gratitude every night. Sometimes it is for a toy, a cupcake, or something incomprehensible but, the other night he shared that he was grateful for his Grandpa. The importance of gratitude and prayer was nurtured here and this sweet declaration is another gift for which we are indebted to St. James’. In The Way at St. James’, not only did I have the opportunity to strengthen and explore who I am as an Episcopalian, but I began to understand and appreciate more what St. James’ contributes to the greater community. I would strongly encourage anyone to take The Way, and I am looking forward to the second segment this spring. Whether it be the comfort of enjoying a service as my son plays downstairs, a parish dinner with an inspiring speaker, serving on a committee, or participating in The Way, we continue to take far more away than we can possibly give back. —Natalie Dougherty, The Way Participant

St. James’ has a long history of helping those in need. As one who has been involved in this ministry, both in hands -on work and in deciding who to help financially, I have received much more than I’ve given.
Though the Grants Committee and the New Ventures committee provide funding for various projects, New Ventures devotes its resources in one or two areas. Currently their emphasis is on adult literacy. Grants gives smaller amounts to many agencies engaged in a variety of projects.
It is through the generosity of both past and present parishioners that we are able to help others in this way. No doubt all those involved in allocating monies for others know that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”
—Jane Bryan, Current Chairperson of the Grants Committee; Former member of the New Ventures Committee

We often expect to catch a glimpse of God through exquisite architecture, music, and all the trappings of our particular Christian tradition. However, I have learned that my most intimate sightings of God come from ordinary human interaction. Arriving in New York from Los Angeles, I sought a parish home that understood that faith without works was somehow incomplete. St. James’ articulation of the value of mission work and outreach struck me; the parish demonstrates a deep commitment to live its Christian mission through service to our world’s most vulnerable. My participation in Partners in Mission—Ministry for Children has allowed me to contribute to this historic calling. Providing children space and time to be children, unfettered by concerns of family and finances, and seeing their shining faces reminds me that our work truly is good and blessed. It is our bounden Christian duty to use our gifts to bring the spheres of heaven and earth a little closer, and St. James’ enables me to do my small part. This parish is unparalleled in its human and spiritual capital and chooses to use its gifts responsibly, with grace and love. I am delighted to call St. James’ home. —Juan M. Valles, PIM—Ministry for Children

What I love about St. James’ is its welcoming culture. Prompted by Brenda’s greeting and welcome “especially to the newcomers…” just 2 ½ years ago, I tried to discreetly dig around the pews for a Welcome Card. My obvious searching was spied by a 20+-year St. James’ parishioner, who not only stretched across the aisles to introduce herself but brought me to a greeter after the service to submit my completed card. Within the week, I received a call from Martie, several months later I was registered in the Way, and only a few months after that we had our daughter baptized at St. James’. What has really struck me is that this welcome to the warmth and commitment of this community is not reserved solely for those who walk through St. James’ doors, but is extended to those St. James’ services in its various activities and mission work. I am always touched by the warmth St. James’ clergy, staff and parishioners extend to newcomers and their dedication to volunteer their time and talents to reach out and welcome those far beyond the confines of the little island of Manhattan to God’s love. —Bona Yang, Welcome Committee

Most weeks, our family is at St. James’ multiple times. Whether it’s for the Sunday service, children’s choirs, We Love to Sing or the committees that Willa and I are involved with, we come back to St. James’ again and again. Our worship each Sunday is a wonderful, spiritual part of our lives when we can quietly reflect on our faith. We love the community and fellowship St. James’ offers to our family. We talk frequently about how to maintain the values of our roots in a city where we and our children are surrounded by abundance. St. James’ is the cornerstone of this pursuit.—Rob Baynard, Adult Education Committee

St. James’ became my church home in 2003 when I moved here from Britain. It is a church like no other I have experienced in terms of the diversity of community and programs. For me, living our faith means striving for heaven on earth through our actions and love for others and for the world around us. At St. James’, this is expressed through our love for each other as a community and our outreach in New York and the wider world. There are few churches with the same level of commitment, volunteers and resources to fulfill our Christian mission and this increases both our opportunity and our responsibility to channel what we have into transforming our lives and the lives of others. As part of the Partners in Mission—Haiti program I have found myself traveling to a place I thought I would only read about, feeling myself transformed by the experience and further committed to a life in Christ. For the people of Torbeck and Les Cayes to know that there are people who care about them and their community is also transformative. What better way to achieve this than by worshipping and working alongside them, united in our Christianity and common humanity? I have immense hope for what we can achieve at St James’. —Helen Nickerson, Partners in Mission—Haiti