MINISTRIES OF ST. JAMES
Referring to the Christian vocation to serve, a Ministry is a group of mostly lay people focused on a central purpose that ultimately serve the members of their parish, their community and each other. Ministries offer fellowship, opportunities to serve, prayerful support and encouragement.
At St. James our ministries are central to who we are and who we have been for the 60 years of our existence.
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Submit our Ministry Inquiry Form if you would like to be contacted about one of our Ministries.
Altar Guild
The St. James Altar Guild is responsible for the care of the altar, vestments, vessels, altar linens of the parish, flowers and the overall look and feel of our sanctuary. Altar Guild members volunteer on a rotating schedule to prepare the sanctuary weekly for services and tidy up afterwards. Their responsibility doesn't end there. They keep our communion bread and wine stocked, take home all the linens to be washed, and can be regularly found vacuuming the sacristy, for which they are also responsible for keeping stocked and organized. Working closely with our Rector they also oversee the planning, often months in advance, of how the sanctuary is decorated.
Building and Grounds
This ministry is a tremendous undertaking for a volunteer squad. St. James sits on seven acres of land in Midvale and the buildings and grounds stewards lovingly care for our 20,000 square foot building and our beautiful grounds which provide a safe space for members in our community to meet and enables the good work of each ministry in our church....all 23 of them! This team replaces light bulbs, repairs sprinkler lines, works with contractors to repair the HVAC systems, is responsible for the oversight of our landscaping maintenance contractor relationship, and even coordinates with the city on projects on or adjacent to our property.
Camping
Utahns live in near some of the most spectacular places on earth to camp and be in the outdoors, making a ministry around camping a natural fit. Group camping is a beloved pastime at St. James and camping trips have been happening for over 20 years. Several times a year, our community gathers at campgrounds close by to enjoy the wonders of the outdoors.
Worship is typically held on Sunday morning of a trip under the open sky.
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Choir/Music
Our choir is a group of dedicated singers from within our parish. Our congregation is very thankful for their skill and commitment to this ministry. Our music program and choir is directed by the talented Dr. Seth Bott. The choir meets to practice weekly on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. and then Sunday at 8:15am before Worship. The Choir sings at our 9am Worship Service on Sunday. They do not practice or sing in Worship during the Summer months.
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Core to our spiritual journey is understanding our faith. This is a life long process helping us understand our relationship with God, our church and our community. It is a lifelong journey with Christ, in Christ, and to Christ.
Be it intentional or unintentional, every life experience is an opportunity to live out our Baptismal Covenant. The question is how we bring this revelation to the surface for adults who are living in a world counter to Christ’s teachings, a society which puts the secular life above a spiritual, faith-filled life.
Discussion leaders regularly host meetings on a variety of topics related to scripture and current events. See the Schedule Here.​
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Finance
Church Finance is a delicate blend of spiritually guided decision making and simple math. St. James' Finance Ministry is made up of several groups of volunteers. We have a small, well respected group that counts and deposits our monies received. Our Bookkeeper and our Giving Secretary work together to record all of our income and expenses in accounting systems. While the Vestry has ultimate fiduciary responsibility for the Parish, our Treasurer accounts and reports all income received and payments made by our church. The Treasurer, Wardens, Rector and other lay members of the parish makeup our Finance Committee which meets regularly to plan, problem solve and create reports for the Vestry.
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St. James Food Bank
The St. James Food Bank is an arm of the Utah Food Bank and the Utah Diaper Bank, providing food and hygiene products to over 1,500 clients each month. Operated completely by volunteers from within St. James and the larger Community, the Food Bank distributes on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month.
Volunteers are always welcome to join this ministry to distribute food to clients, restock the shelves on delivery days, and support our “item of the month” program.
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Licensed Lay Ministries
The Canons of the Episcopal Church specify seven licensed lay ministries: Eucharistic Minister, Eucharistic Visitor, Catechist, Preacher, Worship Leader, Pastoral Leader and Evangelist. People in these roles have completed varying levels of required training and are licensed. They are very knowledgeable in our faith, recognized as demonstrating a great respect and reverence for the Eucharistic practices of the church and the importance of prayer, and maintain a deep relationship with God.
At St. James we have people acting as Eucharistic Ministers, Eucharistic Visitors, Preacher (Deacon), Worship Leader and Evangelist.
Parish Games Group
Our Parish Games Group invites the congregation to a monthly games night on the 2nd Friday of each month. Attendees participate in a potluck dinner and then setup for a couple hours of table games and good company. The church has some popular games but attendees can bring just about any games they would like to play with a group.
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Garden of Eatin'
The Garden of Eatin' at St. James is the labor of love of a small group of passionate, generous and loving gardeners. The seeds planted in this garden may have originally been under the guise of a community garden but now all of the fruits of this labor are brought to the Food Bank and shared with hundreds of clients a month during the harvest season.
This ministry doesn't require the proverbial green thumb or a magic touch with plants, rather it requires being ok with getting a little dirty, have a good eye for weeds and a passion for feeding the hungry in our community.
Guest Services
Working closely with the Greeters, Ushers and the Parish Office Team, the work of the Guest Services Ministry includes following up with Sunday visitors, answering inquiries about our parish and religion, fulfilling name tag requests and a few other communication related tasks. We also educate folks on our ministries so that they can find a ministry that resonates with them and allows them to connect with our Community.
The evangelists found in this ministry ensure that people looking for a church home on their spiritual journey feel welcome after a visit and get all their questions answered.
Hospitality & Fellowship
~ St. Brigids Guild ~
St. Brigid's Guild at St. James has traditionally been the group that supports parish fellowship events, overseeing Sunday Coffee Hour, and general oversight for the kitchen and pantry. Social events where our congregation can share in fellowship and be together has been woven in to the fabric of our parish from the beginning.
Knitting Circle
Over the decades the Knitting Circle has grown and shrunk many times and recently, even evolved into more crocheting than knitting. The glory days of knitting are probably in the rear view mirror but there are still some dedicated folks around the parish that have continued to create hats, scarves and other creative works to share with our community. Today much of the craft out of this Ministry is donated to the Road Home Midvale Family Resource Center and Shelter.
Lay Liturgy Support
The Liturgy is a public and social event. Simply, it is our Sunday Worship. This loving unity was shared by the Father and the Son, and it is offered to all Christian believers. The liturgy of the Episcopal Church is found in the Book of Common Prayer. At St. James we incorporate Lay people to be our Readers and Prayer Leaders. Lay Readers, or Lectors, read the lessons from the Old and New Testament, and sometimes the Psalm. Prayer Leaders, with the Deacon or Priest, lead the congregation in our Prayers of the People. These folks are well practiced reading scripture and, if they weren't comfortable speaking in groups of people when they started, they quickly become at ease in our Sanctuary!
Men's Coffee Group
Men's Coffee Group is a group of men, or those who identify as male, that meet weekly on Tuesdays at 8:00 a.m., to discuss current events, parish happenings, and enjoy a breakfast treat or coffee. They go out for breakfast on the first Tuesday of each month, too! There's no agenda, just a great group supporting each other through life's ups and downs.
Men's coffee culminates with Morning Prayer.
Parish Office Volunteers
The St. James Parish Office is supported by a group of dedicated volunteers who spend a morning each week in the office. Their desk is front and center as you walk in the office and upon arrival you'll be greeted by one of these fine humans. No task goes undone with this crew - everything from proof-reading the Worship Bulletin, to sending thank you cards, filing and shredding, answering the phones and other small office projects.
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Parish Technology
A bunch of tech geeks at heart, this team ensures the best possible livestream experience of our Sunday morning worship service; the very essence of "Sharing God's Love With All". They also have oversight over the sound board, the assisted hearing systems and sound setups at parish events. The parish website, network, system security, social accounts and the church management system, Breeze, also fall under the purview of this team.
The people of this ministry range in age from 12 to over 70!
Pastoral Care
The Pastoral Care Ministry is a group of some of the most caring, gentle, kind people in our midst. This ministry is made up of our priest, deacon and a dedicated support team of parishioners trained in providing religious, spiritual, social, emotional support, and have the tools to care for people in any number of situations. The majority of folks in this ministry are lay people. They are good listeners and rooted in their faith. The requests that are met vary from Last Rites, the gift of home Eucharist for those whom are homebound, a visit for fellowship and prayer in a time of need or illness or someone suffering tragedy.
Stewardship
Stewardship is the care of something that has been entrusted to us -- entrusted to us as humans, as children of God, stewards of our church property, and of each other...the good and loving people of our congregation.
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Our stewardship programming and the responsibility for the annual canvas rotate annually to a new Stewardship Chairperson who builds a committee and works closely with the Rector, Vestry and Treasurer using the TENS program to ensure that the important work of St. James and all of our ministries are funded for the following year.
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Ushers & Greeters
The people of this Ministry have a great responsibility. With the proud nickname of "Ush" they are often the first people any of us see as we enter St. James on a Sunday. Yes, they make sure we have a Worship Bulletin and let us know of any special announcements but their greatest role could be the first impression they make on someone visiting St. James for a first or second time, making sure visitors get a bulletin but also briefly get the lay of land and being guided to the Sanctuary. When Worship begins Greeters magically become Ushers. They take our attendance count, pass our offertory plate during Worship and welcome us to the altar for communion in an orderly fashion. ​
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Women's Coffee Group
Prayer Posse
Our Women's Coffee Group meets every Wednesday at
9:00 a.m. and is open to all women (or men). During COVID we started meeting on Zoom and have continued that tradition so that those who cannot meet in person can still join. The exception is the first Wednesday of the month when we meet in person for breakfast at Ramblin Roads, in Midvale. In this group, we share what is happening in our lives and request prayers for ourselves, friends, and family.
Prayer Posse is a text chain made up of some of the women of St. James who pray for those requesting prayers. You can contact anyone on the Altar Guild to be added to the prayer chain.
Vestry
The Vestry is the lay leadership body of our church, made up of elected members, with fiduciary responsibility for the financial and overall well-being of the parish, our ministries and our people. The Vestry is akin to the Board of Directors in the corporate world.
The Vestry is largely guided by the Canons of the The Episcopal Church, the canons of the Diocese of Utah and our own by-laws, with each of these documents leaving much room and flexibility for each Vestry to lead as their parish uniquely requires.
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Youth & Family
It is the mission of our Youth & Family Ministry to nurture Jesus’ passion for children by honoring our children and their families and providing the means to understand our work as Episcopalians and as Christians to share God’s love in our world.
Our Youth & Family Ministry oversees our Children's Chapel program, Weaving God's Promises, our Child Care Program, and and encourages fellowship amongst our families with children by hosting Sunday Night Dinners and service projects throughout the year.