Dear Parishioners: Now THIS is the St. James I recognize! We have a full weekend, with lots of activities for all ages and interests. PLUS Father Daniel will be with us this Sunday for his first Sunday as an ordained priest! See more about his ordination, and our celebration of it this Sunday, below. 

On Friday, the church will be open for prayer and meditation (as it always is) as we reflect on the 25 years since the September 11 attacks. You may want to jump onto Morning Prayer Online that morning (link below) to start off your day with your St. James community. You can view anonymously, or make yourself known in the chat on the sidebar. 

Beyond that, there's our Welcome Fall Picnic with the popular hot dog truck on Sunday September 20. We could use some sides--preferably of the leafy green variety--for that, so do sign up at the link to bring a (healthy!) side dish or (less healthy!) dessert. The weekend after that we'll celebrate of Cheryl Smith's legacy at St. James and especially her tenure as our Nursery School Director for 13 years (on Friday). That same weekend we'll gather after the 10:30 service to hear updates on our work around the campus for this year and next.

And as if this isn't all enough to get us to church, we have fantastic Scripture readings to get our year off to a great start. The topic: How many times should we forgive? Come hear Jesus' answer, and Mo. Storm's take on it, at the 9 & 10:30 am services.

Can't wait to see everyone, and do read the announcements below so you don't miss anything! - Your Faithful Clergy

PS - We encourage you also to subscribe to Diocesan News, which goes out weekly. This week's news is here and contains 9/11 service listings throughout the city (remember that Trinity and St. Paul's Episcopal Church were right at the heart of the rescue and recovery efforts), a 9/11 sermon by our bishop, a BBC special about the day, and also, separately, an online forum for those curious to learn more about becoming a deacon. 

Friday Morning Prayer Online, 9:00 am (at our Youtube Channel)

Friday 9/11 Church Open all day for prayer and reflection

Saturday Fordham Food Pantry, 8:00 am

Saturday Daniel Bentley's Ordination, 10:30 am

Sunday Services 9:00 (outdoors) & 10:30 am (indoors)

Children's Chapel 10:30 am with The Rev. Daniel Bentley

Celebrant: The Rev. Daniel Bentley, Preacher: The Rev. Astrid Storm

Celebratory Coffee Hour for Fr. Daniel's ordination, 11:30 am

Junior and Senior Youth Group Kick-Off and Meet-and-Greet, 5:30 pm

We strive to keep our doors open every day, all week, but especially on the anniverary of 9/11 it's a priority to provide this sacred space for silent prayer and reflection. Come by before work, after work, or any time throughout the day.

Church School is now Children's Chapel. More than a new name (and mascot! pictured above), this is a fresh way for our youngest members to worship together during the first part of our Sunday Holy Communion service. Kids will gather for a short, joyful liturgy filled with prayer, song, and stories from the Bible—then dive into hands-on formation activities that bring the day's lesson to life.

Children's Chapel will be led by our High School interns, with support from our clergy. Victoria, our music director, will be teaching our Cherubs a new song each month to be shared at the 10:30 am. service!

Children's Chapel takes place during the first half of the 10:30 am service. Everyone begins worship together, with the kids leaving after the opening Collect and returning for Communion.

The Fordham Pantry is a great way for the whole family to get involved in helping others in our area. Volunteers pack 300+ grocery bags for the food-insecure in the neighborhood of our partner parish, St. James Episcopal Church in Fordham. To be added to the email distribution list for this ministry (where you'll receive reminders and occasional updates), click the button below and we'll add you to our list.

Spots still available on the "party bus"! Call the office right away: 914-723-6101.

Join us for our very own Father Daniel's ordination to the priesthood! The service will be at the beautiful Cathedral of St. John the Divine. If you're interested in taking a bus down and back, along w/ other parishioners, call the office at 914-723-6101. Otherwise, you can take public transportation or an Uber. Parking is near the cathedral, either on the street or a nearby garage. Seating is open and there's lots of room in the cathedral. Hope you can make it, and no need to RSVP unless you'd still like to join our van going down. 

The Junior and Senior Youth Groups' (grades 6-12) first meet and greet for the year! Come join us and get to know other kids in your immediate and surrounding neighborhoods. Father Daniel will be joining us, so bring your hardest questions! :)

In last Sunday's sermon, the Rev. Charlie Mayer preached about the church's insistence on community, contact, and touch--the substance of our relationships with each other and with God, yet endangered in our high tech, disconnected world. Many of you asked for a copy to read, and in addition, we've placed the book mentioned at the end in the (new) church library for check-out or perusal this Sunday. From the sermon:

The One who became Incarnate is known to us in our own incarnate lives, here, together. It is precisely in high touch situations that this happens. So, rejoice in this. Take a walk around a lake with a friend, without your phone. Savor the experience of sharing in worship here. Show the world that real transcendence happens in the simple practice of living life together. When two or three of us gather, Jesus comes.

Our annual fall celebration of coming together again, and welcome to newcomers. Join us for service at 10:30, followed by lunch in the churchyard with a hot dog truck! All welcome. Great for kids, and all ages. Invite friends and neighbors!

On Sunday, August 30, Director of Music Victoria Shields, shared plans for children's music this season and the exciting things that have been happening in our music ministry recently.  Members of our choir who attended the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) Choral Residency in Washington, D.C. this summer also shared their experience singing with choristers of all ages from around the country. For more information about what's happening this year, be sure to visit the choir pages on our website & to sign up for choir. A heads up that the Choir of St James is looking for more sopranos! Check out the video below to see our chorister's experience at RSCM DC this summer and to get a peek at what an RSCM program looks like!

For more, click the links:

Choir of St James

Cherubs & Choristers

Join us to celebrate Cheryl Smith, who retired this year as director of our nursery school. Cheryl has been a gift to our St. James and wider community in her service to our school. Come express your appreciation in the company of fellow parishioners. Hosted by Tom and Ocean Finlan. See the link below to bring something and for the address. Hope you can make it!

Our parking lot is finished, and exceeds expectations--in appearance, usability, improvement to drainage. Now we get to turn to the other two projects we prioritized as a parish back in 2023: the Great Hall, and HVAC system. Come hear from our Renew and Revitalize Task Force, which meets faithfully every month to make sure we're on track. Ask questions, see renderings of the Great Hall, and enjoy a simple lunch with fellow parishioners.

Saturday October 3: Parents of Young Children Gathering, 10:30 am

Sunday October 4: Blessing of the Animals, both services

Sunday October 4: Breakfast Run to NYC Feeding the Homeless, 6:30 am

Sunday October 4: Red Door Explorers (5th & 6th Grades), 5:30 pm

You can view this Sunday's bulletin at the link below. Names of all readers, servers, and acolytes are always listed on the last page of the bulletin. Readings are also there for readers to view in advance.