Annual Meeting Reports

St James held their Annual Meeting in January 2023. At that time we elected four new Vestry members to a three year term. Those gratefully accepting the call were Margaret Cadden, Tracy Corte, Dee Gambill and Jim Daniell. Katie Smith was re-elected Treasurer and Mary Mullins Redditt is stepping into the roll as Clerk. After much discussion and many meetings Walcott, Adams and Verneuille presented us with a wealth of information and two suggested options to consider being a Minimal and Optimal Plan with proposed budgets for each. This has lead to us considering our most pressing needs. Kristine Miller has continued to lead and guided us through this process. We now work with the church and school by priority and feasibility study needs for choir space, youth space, Green Hall meeting space, school and office space.

Since Covid, the overall attendance, general involvement in parish life and even pledge income have all been a little off. The Vestry and Staff sought a way to boost our numbers, and elected to enlist the services of Kristine Miller with Horizons Stewardship. She helped guide us through Pathways to Generosity, which provided a prayerful approach to overall stewardship and involvement within the parish. This would prove to be a sizable program with many hours of hard work for everyone who participated in pulling it off: staff, volunteers and our vestry members. Pathways ran from October 22 - November15, focusing on a more personal walk with God; incorporating daily prayer, speakers, testimonials and personal reflections on how God has affected your life. The program proved to be a huge success. Thank you for all your prayerful dedication.

We began the year with 2 Sunday services 8:30 and 10:30 both being held in the church. With attendance being off this was an effort to help us gather our people together again. During the summer months, a group of people approached De and asked for the Sunday chapel service to be reinstated. After conversations and prayerful consideration, the 7:30 service was brought back early September.

Our Average Sunday Attendance (ASA) ended the year as 341. The services by the numbers are: 7:30 - 28; 8:30 - 72; 10:30 - 201

Our school began their sixth year with a strong attendance of 95 in PreK - Kindergarten. The school is excited to be able to have a 1st grade for the 2024-2025 school year to continue to accommodate God's children. It’s an amazing venture of outreach and evangelism for our church and community. With that being said we are extremely blessed and thankful for our wonderful staff, students and parents.

Our biggest project this year was the replacement of a large HVAC that supplied the office, part of Green Hall and the area above it. This took many months of working to achieve bids and locate equipment and replacing it. While doing this the attic space where it was located was reconfigured and we were able to gain about 1000sq ft of usable space.

Over the years we have been dealing with traffic flow issues. So an engineer was hired to survey and figure out the logistics of another entry/exit for our property and possibly joining the two parking areas together to give Section St and 104 access. We have been aware that the City was going to be doing a round-a-bout at the intersection of Section Street and 104 junction. It will be moving slightly to the Northwest of where it is now and the road will be closed an indefinite length of time making this a high priority.

After many years of dedicated service to our Church, Helen Rodgers our organist and former choir director decided to step down and retire. A reception was held to celebrate her on October 29 for her many years of joyful noise she has provided us.

In the last year many things have been going on all around us. Some you see, some you never even realize have taken place. This is due to your fabulous Clergy, Staff, Vestry and many volunteers that have willingly given their time and talents. Particularly our Clergy and Staff. During the time of Father De’s illness I couldn’t have been more proud of how they pulled together to take up the slack and keep our Church running smoothly. Remember to say thank you … it goes a long way, it’s not just a job to them, it’s their service to God and his church. On a very very positive note we are thrilled to have Father De back and healthy after a long recovery leading and guiding us on our spiritual journey together.

It has been a privilege and honor to serve God and his church as your Senior Warden. Always remember who we are here at St James: “We are a community anchored in Christ, seeking God, sharing his love and serving others”.

In God's peace

Jeanie Smith

YOUTH FORMATION

Eleven youth traveled to North Carolina in February for the annual ski trip.

Ellen Huckabay and Fr. Forbes Sirmon taught confirmation classes. Seventeen youth w

ere confirmed when Bishop Russell Kendrick visited in the spring.

In June, ten youth went to Atlanta for the Senior High EYC Mission Trip. They worked with

Hope Atlanta and The Piedmont Park Conservancy.

Senior High Sunday School was taught by Danielle and Matthew Myrick. They met weekly

during the school year and used curriculum from The Wired Word in order to use scripture to

discuss current events. They will continue to teach the class in 2024.

Rite 13 was taught by Karen Myrick. The class met weekly during the school year and consists of

7th and 8th graders. Karen will continue to teach the class in 2024.

The EYC had biweekly meetings with an average attendance of ten to fifteen youth. The

meetings consisted of gathering down by the bay in the summer, bowling, a pool party to kickoff

the school year, carving pumpkins for Halloween, bonfires, holiday parties, and volunteering at

Prodisee Pantry. Sixth graders were invited to join the EYC this year.

The new youth space was completed this fall. All of the items were donated to the youth by

parishioners and members of the community.

Nine senior high acolytes took a trip to Washington, D.C. in October where they participated in

the National Acolyte Festival at the National Cathedral.

CHILDREN’S FORMATION

The children started the year with the annual Epiphany Feast of Lights service.

The EYC helped put on the annual Easter Egg Hunt for the children of St. James.

The St. James Episcopal School’s summer camp program joined Vacation Bible School this year.

They had a “stellar” time with around one-hundred children for the week long Vacation Bible

School.

In July, around twenty families met Natalie Smith, the new Director of Youth and Children’s

ministry, and had “Pizza on the Playground.”

In the fall, St. James brought back First Communion classes. Seventeen kindergarten-4th

graders took the class taught by Fr. De Freeman and Natalie Smith.

Children’s Chapel took place all of 2023 with around ten to fifteen children in attendance each

week. It is taught by a group of volunteers who rotate each week: Tabb Fonde, Alex Miller,

Elizabeth Orr, Jane Tucker, Holly Mckinney, Kim Richeson, and Haden Sirmon. Children’s

Chapel will continue to be taught by these wonderful volunteers in 2024.

Sunday School met weekly during the school year and was taught by Susan Doumar, Natalie

Smith, and Meg Willett who rotated weekly in teaching the kindergarten-6th grade class. They

will continue to teach this class in 2024.

You Group was led by Mother Amanda Dosher and Natalie Smith one Sunday a month with an

average of four families in attendance. They have had meetings at Camp Beckwith and St.James. You Group will continue to meet one Sunday a month during the school year for families

of 5th and 6th graders.

The Fall Festival was a huge success with around seventy families in attendance. The EYC ran

the booths at the festival and Johnathan Burton cooked for the event.

St. James families participated in the community wide Drive Thru Nativity in December. Several

members of the outreach committee helped set up the scene down by the bay. Families came

together to dress as shepherds and angels for over five-hundred cars.

The annual St. Nicholas Event took place several weeks before Christmas. Philip Webb served as

a very jolly St. Nicholas for around twenty-five children. The children made mitre hats and the

Director of St. James Episcopal School, Shelley Miller, told the story of St. Nicholas.

Around thirty children came to the church the week before Christmas to decorate cookies for

Santa.

Submitted by the Director of Youth and Children’s Ministry, Natalie Smith.

Report from the Martha and Mary of Bethany Chapter of the Daughters of the King 2023

1. In the new year of 2023, we gathered coats of all sizes from the congregation. In a

joint effort with St. Johns in Mobile, We placed all the coats with someone who was in a

state of homelessness.

2. The Teddy Bear project for foster children was a considerable project. When children

are removed from their homes, they are not allowed to reenter at that time to gather

positions. The social workers received a backpack bag with a toothbrush, toothpaste,

crayons, a coloring book, cheese crackers, and a teddy bear. We took 70 packs to

Baldwin County DHR and 70 to Mobile County DHR. Our generous congregation

donated items.

3. We contributed $200 to our Seminarian

4. In March, the annual Episcopal Diocesan meeting was held in Pensacola, and four of

us attended.

5. We had a day-long retreat on May 18, Ascension Day, at Beth’ Moore’s house with

Mother Amanda leading the group.

6. We gathered with daughters from other churches for an All Saints' Day service held

at St. Paul’s in Daphne.

7. In November 2023, we visited the Visitation Monastery Mobile to learn about their

prayer life.

8. In July, we had a school items project for an impoverished school in Baldwin County.

Items were donated by parishioners. The items were sorted and delivered to the school

the first week in August when the teachers returned and could choose the items they

needed for their class.

9. On December 10, we had a coffee for church women who might want to become a

Daughter of the King.

Respectively submitted by Sara Majors

St. James Memorial Garden, is a Non-Profit Corporation formed in December 2000 at the direction of the Vestry of St. James to build and operate a place suitable for the interment or burial of the ashes of deceased St. James Parishioners and their families. The Garden (50’ by 25’) is located adjacent to the sacristy and is accessed by way of a concrete walk between the church and the Bounds Chapel.

The Garden is operated by volunteers of the St. James parish to facilitate all garden related activities. Current members of the board are: Ed Shell (Board Chairman), Linda Jamieson, Savan Wilson, Gil Wright, Bonnie Gulsby, Patty Havard, and Philip Webb. Members of the MG Board welcome a meeting with any St. James parishioner to discuss aspects of the Memorial Garden, answer questions, and if desired, assist in the completion of a subscription agreement. Brochures are available in the Church office and our Board Members extend our welcome to you for a meeting.

In 2023, the Board continued to work on plans for the addition of a meditation area adjacent to the sacristy and completion of landscaping for the entire garden. The Board has recently voted to begin the first stages of the proposed plan.

There are 144 companion niches in the Columbarium walls. Each niche accommodates the cremains of two persons, each contained in a bronze urn. In 2023 we had seven interments in the Columbarium wall and completed eight niche subscriptions. Of the 144 companion niches, 77 are now reserved.

There are 646 ground plots in the Garden; each plot is one-foot square and accommodates the cremains of one person. The cremains of the deceased are poured directly into a hole dug in the center of the plot. In 2023 four plot interments were completed in the Garden. In 2023 we received four subscriptions for ground plots making a total of 111 reserved. Sixty-seven of the reserved plots contain the cremains of a subscriber.

INCOME for 2023: $11,481.06 Subscription fees, Gifts, & CD Interest

EXPENSES for 2023: $3,269.33 Name Plaques, Urns, Operating expenses

CHECKING BALANCE: 12/31/2023 $32,915.22

CD VALUE: 12/31/2023 $11,263.37

Checking +CD= $44,178.59 ($31,441.34 is encumbered for the costs associated with

reserved niches and plots.)

Respectfully submitted,

Linda Jamieson, Secretary/Treasurer

The Music Ministry at St. James remains strong. The St. James Choir sings each Sunday for the 10:30am service with a few members who sing regularly for the 8:30am service. The choir rehearses each Wednesday evening to prepare for Sunday worship and prepare music for special services.

In December of 2023, the choir presented the annual Advent Lessons and Carols and sang for the 7pm Christmas Eve service.

We have added a few new members to the choir over this past year and currently we have twenty-nine singers on our roster.

Men’s Compline continues to meet and sing on the third Sunday of the month. I want to encourage you to come to a service and invite others to attend. This is a brief service of prayer and singing.

The St. James Concert Series had a successful year. In February we hosted Edisher Savitski, concert pianist in Green Hall. In October we had our annual organ concert which was also well attended and in November we hosted the Byrd Ensemble, a professional choral ensemble from Seattle Washington here in concert on Saturday, November 4. The ensemble also sang for the 10:30am service on November 5.

In October, Helen Rodgers left St. James after serving here for 31 years. Mary Katherine is currently serving as Director of Music and organist. We are working to hire an organist and will be putting together a job description soon. Frank Stabler continues to assist with the running of the music ministry.

I would like to thank the choir members for their dedication to the music ministry and giving of themselves each week. They are all a blessing to work with.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Katherine Kilgore

Director of Music

The 2023 Outreach Committee: Jane Barnett, Teddy Faust, Matt Myrick, Mary Pilcher, Michelle Roberts, Anne Sclater, Randy Sternenberg, Kristen Wooten

The St. James Outreach Committee worked to build relationships, identify needs, and respond to requests in our local community and beyond throughout 2023. We look forward to continuing to grow our reach and to expanding opportunities for parish-wide participation in 2024.

2023 Accomplishments:

The Outreach Committee sponsored commemorative t-shirts for the 2023 Youth Ski Trip.

Ecumenical Ministries: The Outreach Committee supported Ecumenical Ministries in 2023 by

representing St. James in the 2023 Chili for Charity competition supporting Ecumenical Ministries. St.

James supported the event by entering a team and sponsoring the event. Outreach funds were also used

to contribute toward two local roofing projects through Baldwin Repair, organized by Ecumenical

Ministries.

Event sponsorships for 2023 also include Fairhope Rotary, Prodisee Pantry, and Alabama Free Clinic.

Pentecost Picnic: For the third year, the Outreach Committee enjoyed planning and hosting the St.

James Pentecost Picnic. This year’s event had a wonderful turnout and was expanded to include live

music, face painting and a corn-hole tournament.

Baldwin Family Village, a local transitional homeless shelter for women and children opened in Spring

2023. Under the leadership of Julee Howard, St. James Parishioners have provided a monthly dinner for

the residents since June 2023.

Christmas Giving 2023: The St. James family was able to provide Christmas gifts for Veterans, children

and elderly in need through the following organizations: Ecumenical Ministries, The Shoulder, the

William F. Green State Home in Bay Minette and Baldwin County Angels in Robertsdale through

Neighborhood Bridges. A special thanks to Mary Pilcher for her continued leadership in this effort.

In addition to those above, financial contributions were made in 2023 to the Fairhope Volunteer Fire

Department, Ecumenical Ministries, Alabama Free Clinic, Prodisee Pantry, Wilmer Hall, Baldwin Family

Village Foundation and the South Alabama Volunteer Lawyers Program.

St. James Episcopal School Annual Report 2022 - 2023

St. James Episocpal School is a member in good standing with the National Association of Episcopal Schools.

By design, an episcopal school education’s value is in its empowering program that provides a community of care, spiritual teachings, developmentally appropriate practices and academics combined with enrichment opportunities. Our STJES staff is committed to being faithful stewards of our church/school resources that provide an exemplary education every day for each child in our care.

School Year 2022 - 2023

●  School Board
Jennifer Lambert - President, Ben Codding - Vestry Liaison, Vickie Watterson Bailey, Molly O’Keefe, Laura Port, David Roberts, Cappi Sulley

●  10 Teachers PK2 - 3rd grade - 6 Teacher Assistance - 6 Extended Day staff

●  1 Office Manager and 1 Director of Admissions

●  Current enrollment - 101 students

●  Added - SEL (Social Emotional Learning) quarterly - Janie Evans

●  The Summer Camp program continues to expand and run for 6 weeks. Classes are offered: PK3, PK4, Kindergarten, first, second, and third.

●  Catered Lunch offerings 5 days. We partner with local businesses for school lunches.

●  Enrichment Opportunities include: Weekly Chapel, Godly Play (PK2 - Kindergarten) Religion class (first/second/third grade), Art, Library visits (Kindergarten - third grade), Music, Spanish, STEM, YOGA and daily PE (Kindergarten - third grade).

●  Students benefit from a variety of onsite visitors and field trips. Field trips for the lower school K through 3rd grade include Newsies Play, Page Palette, Alpecah Farm
Parish volunteers drive for our field trips.

●  Extracurricular activities include on campus choir, ballet, jazz, tap and tumbling classes, Art Explorations, and Let’s Kick Soccer.

●  Athletics YDL (Youth Development League) flag football Soccer

● PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) president Laura Port
Responsible for organizing school fundraisers which financially benefit our school and they also help with school events on and off campus.

● Zebedee-do-dah - Art Walk - Scholastic Book Fair - Uniform Resale Closet - Honey Baked Ham

●  Annual Fundraiser Zebedee-do-dah Fest - Monies raised $49,000.00 Fundraiser Chairs Jennifer Lambert and Laura Port.

●  Non-Public Schools Program funds Title II and Title IV allocated to St. James Episocpal School for professional development and student support and academic enrichment.

●  Professional Development opportunities On Campus Security Training, Racial Reconciliation, Mega Conference, Handwriting Without Tears Workshop, CPR and First Aid

●  Community Outreach
Childhood Cancer Awareness, Prodisee Pantry Food Drive, Ronald McDonald House, Cards to Nursing Home and Shut-ins, Veterans’ Day Program, Fairhope Christmas Parade and Blood Drive

●  Notable Events on Campus
Scholastic Book Fair - Grandparent’s Day - Episcopal Schools Week - Fall Festival (Church/School) - Veterans’ Day Program - All Saints - Thanksgiving Program - Lighting of School Tree and Christmas Caroling - Christmas Program - Mardi Gras Box Parade - Ash Wednesday Chapel - Famous American Wax Museum - Dogs with Dad Lunch - Spring Easter Egg Hunt and Program - Night of the Arts/Art Walk - Mother’s Day Tea, Field Day, End of Year Program and Kindergarten Graduation

St. James Episcopal School is currently in its 5th year of operation. Thank you to all who have been a part of this educational journey and contributed in your own ways to St. James Episcopal School. I am grateful for the support of so many. I want to express my gratitude and hope that you will continue to support our efforts as a school community, a source of evangelism and outreach. We want to continue to “Introduce children to Christ in a nurturing environment by providing exemplary preparation for future learning.”

Respectively submitted, Shelley Miller

 

The Welcome Ministry currently has 27 active Greeters. Each Sunday, there are 2 Greeters- one at the 8:30 and another at the 10:30 service. Greeters make the first impression for our Visitors, which is why Greeters are so valuable to our services. The wonderful people who are part of this ministry greet with smiles and a warm, “Good morning and welcome to St. James.” This can sometimes be difficult if the wind chill is in the 40’s or the thermometer is reaching the upper 90’s with matching humidity. But, our Greeters are dedicated to making sure every Visitor is noticed and recognized and feel they have found their forever church. As my grandmother used to say, “Many hands make light work.” Because of that, we are always open to anyone who would like to join and be a part of a very important ministry, without meetings, etc. All are Welcome.

Submitted by Nancy Dennis

January 2023