Annual Meeting Reports

Sr. Warden Report

Jeanie Smith

2022

 

At our Annual Meeting in January 2022 we elected six new vestry members. Mary Statkewicz and Tracy Corte were each elected to fulfill an unexpired one year term. Ben Codding, Peter Gaillard, Laura Jones and Matt Myrick were each elected to three year terms. Bruce Stone was re-elected as Clerk of the Vestry and Katie Smith was also re-elected as Treasurer. 

We celebrated our school beginning its fifth year with a strong attendance of 101 and expanding to third grade. We are capped at third grade cap for now, until more space becomes available to accommodate its continued growth. It is an amazing venture of outreach and evangelism for our church and we are thankful for the wonderful staff, students and parents.

Along these lines and after years of discussion the Vestry unanimously voted to continue forward with a Master Planning Study. We reached out to architectural firms seeking proposals for expanding our campus. Three of the fourteen firms replied with presentations and after interviews and much debate the selection committee and the Vestry voted to enlist the help of Walcott, Adams and Verneuille with our study. They began listening sessions in small groups and a presentation of their findings was given at two parish wide meetings in the fall. Studies of a multi-step expansion are being considered. Horizons Stewardship was also brought on to assist us with investigating if and when a Capital Campaign could be in our future. Kristine Miller is handling our case and advising us along the way.

The Vestry was pleased to extend a call to Amanda Dosher and as you know she gracefully accepted, joining the staff in July. We are now planning her Ordination to the Priesthood for January 29, 2023 at 4:30 pm. We hope to have a great turnout.

The Memorial Garden expansion of niches was completed, providing us with room for years to come. Thank you so very much Ed Shell and Linda Jamieson, for leading the charge and all of your hard work!

Parish attendance has continued to increase since Covid, but sadly we aren’t back up to our pre-Covid numbers. It was decided that we remain with two Sunday services until we get reorganized. Because our attendance is not quite back on track, we have also seen our pledges a little lower than expected.  We are hopefully past Covid-times and we need to concentrate on the future of St James. We are more than blessed to have wonderful clergy and a great supporting staff, all working tirelessly on everything from day-to-day operations up to the biggest of our events. There is no way to express the gratefulness I have for their sincere dedication. Please take time to thank them.

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

May the light of God shine in each of your hearts 
Blessings 
Jeanie Smith 

2022 Formation Report

Adult Formation

Weekday Adult Formation classes met consistently all year. These classes included:

• Monday Night Women’s Bible Study
• Tuesday Evening Men’s Bible Study
• WamBS (Wednesday Morning)

Sunday morning adult classes had a successful Fall when we returned to Sunday morning Formation. Classes were:

• Lectionary led by Jim Daniell
• Foundations of the Christian Faith led by Gerry Lester and Sara Majors
• Lead Me Holy Spirit book study led by Holly McKinney and Scott Gonzalez

The 2022 Lenten Supper Series was a success again this year. We had 5 speakers and an average attendance of….each week.

Four adults were confirmed, re-confirmed, or received during the Bishop’s visit in March.

Youth Formation

Confirmation classes returned this year after missing a year due to the pandemic. Twenty-five (25) Youth were confirmed when the Bishop visited in March.

Fifteen youth went to Atlanta on a Mission Trip in June. We worshipped at evening Compline and volunteered at the Atlanta Food Bank.

A Senior high formation class meets on Sunday mornings. Bettsie Norton and Meg Willet took on the leadership role for this group and are continuing the class into 2023.

Rite 13 began meeting weekly for 7^th and 8^th graders. We have a small but faithful group.

The Youth Group took lots of fun excursions, met in homes and down by the bay, and had a competitive Christmas party in Green Hall.

Children’s Formation

Children’s Chapel took place the whole year. By Fall, we were having over 20 children in chapel some weeks. Usual weekly attendance was 7-10 children, and we have 7 volunteers who rotate teaching each week.

Sunday Formation began in August with Godly Play and What’s in the Bible classes. These classes met weekly with rotating teachers.

You Group met monthly beginning in October. Our monthly attendance is growing with 15-20 people attending each month. Mother Amanda and Ellen lead this group with Bible lessons, activities, and compline.

Coffee service has been carried out since the COVID restrictions were lifted to put out cookies and other goodies as well as coffee. We have some very faithful coffee servers, but we need more participation.

I think that going forward in 2023, this coffee ministry will continue and hopefully attract more helpers. It is important to make coffee before the first service for the choir and other servers to have a cup of coffee before they have to serve. The cookies can be put out between the services. I want to thank everyone who served in this capacity.

The Daughters have been active this year in prayer and outreach. They have made meals, collected coats for the needy, and hosted a cookout for children who have incarcerated parent it their Beckwith summer retreat.

We attended the diocesan Daughters retreat and attended a retreat at Beckwith during Lent. We gathered with Daughters from other churches for a service for All Saint’s Day held at St. Paul’s in Daphne.

We participate with Family Promise in serving meals when there is a family at our church. We contribute to a seminarian annually.

We have great plans for 2023 in prayer, outreach, and evangelism. These are our purpose.

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.

2022 was a construction year for the garden with the addition of new columbarium walls on the north and south sides of the garden. Each wall was built to accommodate up to 72 niches with 36 having been installed in each wall in this construction phase. 2023 will see the addition of a meditation area adjacent to the sacristy and completion of landscaping for the entire garden.

There are 144 companion niches in the Columbarium walls. Each niche accommodates the cremains of two persons, each contained in a bronze urn. In 2022 we had three interments in the Columbarium wall and completed eight niche subscriptions. Of the 144 companion niches, 70 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 2022 two plot interments were completed in the Garden. In 2022 we received three subscriptions for ground plots making a total of 107 reserved. Sixty-three of the reserved plots contain the cremains of a subscriber.

INCOME for 2022:
EXPENSES for 2022:
CHECKING BALANCE: 12/31/2022

CD VALUE: 12/31/2022 Checking +CD=

$14,775.64 $45,460.03

$24,759.55 $11,207.31 35,966.86

Subscription fees, Gifts, & CD Interest
Name Plaques, Urns, Operating expenses, Expansion costs

($29,262.90 is encumbered for the costs associated with reserved niches and plots.)

The MG operating bank account and one CD is with PNC Bank. During the past year a CD was closed and transferred to the MG checking account to cover the costs of the wall expansion.

Respectfully submitted,
Linda Jamieson, Secretary/Treasurer Ed Shell, Board Chairman

Music at St. James Annual Report for 2022 January 17, 2023

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 2022, the choir presented the annual Advent Lessons and Carols, Pergolesi’s Magnificat the fourth Sunday in Advent, and Christmas Eve music for the 10pm service. We have added a few new members to the choir over this past year and currently we have thirty singers on our roster.

At the beginning of 2022 we had two children’s choirs: The Whitby Choir, grades K – 2 and the Canterbury Choir, grades 3 – 6. In September Mary Katherine opened the Canterbury Choir to grades 1 – 6 in hopes to grow the choir. Currently there are nine singers in Canterbury Choir. The choir sings periodically in worship at the 8:30am service and they sang for the 4pm Christmas Eve service.

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 presented a Chamber Music concert that was very well attended. We hired local musicians to perform works with various instruments and music that is not usually heard in this area. In October we had our annual organ concert which was also well attended.

In April of this year, Mary Katherine’s title changed to Director of Music and Helen is now the organist. She is enjoying her new role which allows her more time to practice the organ.

Frank Stabler continues to assist with the running of the music ministry. He takes care of copyright information for our live streamed worship services, maintaining the music library, setting up and taking down our rehearsal space, coordinating the choir for processional and recessional hymns, and much, much more! Frank plays a major role with the Compline service by being cantor and rehearsing the men when needed.

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

St James Episcopal Church

Outreach Committee -  Jane Barnett, Teddy Faust, Matt Myrick, Mary Pilcher, Michelle Roberts, Anne Sclater, Randy Sternenberg, Lori White, Penn White, Kristen Wooten

January 17, 2023

The St. James Outreach Committee has worked hard this year towards expanding the outreach efforts of St. James in the community. The committee has worked to build relationships, identify needs, and respond to requests in our local community and beyond. We look forward to continuing to grow our reach and to expanding opportunities for parish wide participation in 2023.

2022 Accomplishments:

MLK Celebration: The Outreach Committee worked with the church staff to provide decorations and assist in hosting area clergy for dinner during the annual MLK Celebration Service that took place at St. James in January 2022.

Ecumenical Ministries: The Outreach Committee supported Ecumenical Ministries in 2022 by representing St. James in the 2022 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 to a Baldwin Repair project, which is organized by Ecumenical Ministries, where a local family’s roof was repaired allowing their home to be salvaged.

The Outreach Committee sponsored a St. James cooking team for the annual Fairhope Rotary Steak Cookoff benefitting local projects.

Pentecost Picnic:  For the second year now, 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.

Back to School with Red, White, and Blue:  This is an annual event sponsored by the Fairhope Police department and other area organizations to prepare students for the school year. This year, St. James sponsored 25 haircuts and 240 lunch boxes for students in need. This was a drive-thru effort again this year, but it is our hope to be able to participate on-site in the years to come.

Baldwin Family Village: This is a local effort to establish a transitional homeless shelter for women and children in Baldwin County. After meeting with Fairhope United Methodist leaders who are spearheading the community-wide effort, the Outreach Committee voted to contribute to the capital campaign that allowed for purchase of the property for this much needed facility. Since the contribution was made, the outreach committee has attended lunch and learns and continues to be in communication with leaders in this effort. Our hope is that this will be an organization that we can grow a relationship with and that parishioners of all ages will be able to participate in supporting programming for this establishment. Baldwin Family Village is slated to open in Spring 2022.

The Outreach Committee sponsored the 2022 Jolly Jog. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Junior Auxiliary Eastern Shore’s ongoing service initiatives to help the less fortunate in our community.

Christmas Giving 2022:  The St James family was able to provide Christmas gifts for Veterans, children and elderly in need through the following organizations: Ecumenical Ministries, the Angel Tree - Prison Ministry effort, The Shoulder and the William F. Green State Home in Bay Minette.  A special thanks to Mary Pilcher for her continued leadership in this effort.

In addition to these annual Christmas Giving opportunities, this year St. James participated in Operation Christmas Child for Samaritan’s Purse - providing gift boxes full of items for 50 children. The Youth of St. James shopped for items and organized a effort for families to fill the boxes.

In addition to the above, contributions were made in 2022 toward replacing a storm-damaged roof at St. Dunstan’s – Auburn, as well as a handful of construction projects for families in need in our local community.

In addition to those above, financial contributions were made in 2022 to Ecumenical Ministries, Alabama Free Clinic, Prodisee Pantry, Wilmer Hall and the South Alabama Volunteer Lawyers Program.

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 Sully

• 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 homebound, 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