Worship Ministries

The Altar Guild is responsible for making the church ready for Sunday, weekday and special services such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals. Its members maintain the Church’s liturgical vestments and hangings, and care for the Altar silver and brass vessels. Each team serves for one week, with a five-week rotation. Previous experience is not required. All you need is a servant’s heart and a joyful spirit!

The talented and creative members of St. James’ Flower Guild bring the beauty of God’s world to our worship space. The guild members are responsible for purchasing and/or arranging Altar flowers for Sunday mornings as well as Easter and Christmas. They are also called upon for special services or events. The current members are happy to mentor interested persons who may not have experience with flower arranging. New members may work in pairs if they would like and start with the arrangements in the Chapel. 

Lay Eucharistic Ministers are trained by the Rector and are licensed by the Bishop to assist the clergy in the administration of Holy Communion. They may also be licensed to go from a Sunday eucharist or other principal celebrations of the eucharist to share the sacrament with members of the congregation who were unable to be present at the celebration because of illness or infirmity. Lay eucharistic ministers may be licensed for either or both ministries. This ministry is understood to be an extraordinary ministry, and is not to take the place of the ministry of priests and deacons concerning the administration of the eucharist.

A lay person trained in reading scripture who is appointed by the clergy to read lessons or lead the Prayers of the People. The term is from the Latin, “to read.” There is no license required for this lay ministry. A lector may also be known as a reader. Readers may choose to serve at 8, 9, or 11 AM Sunday services, and may be asked to serve at special services during the year such as Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, or Christmas Eve. Lectors may also choose to only read lessons from the lectern or the Prayers of the People. Our online ministry scheduler makes this process easy to navigate.

St. James needs a group of people who are willing to help with live-streaming and recording the 10:30 am service as well as Compline and other services throughout the year. This would involve arriving approximately 15 minutes before the service begins and being “behind the scenes” in the sacristy while the service is going on. Computer knowledge is helpful but not necessary. We will provide training. 

The mission of this ministry is to extend God’s love and to welcome those who enter our doors each Sunday. This important lay ministry is composed of men and women from a variety of age groups who volunteer their time on Sunday mornings and at special services when needed.

The members of the Wedding Ministry Team assist the clergy with weddings at St. James. They are present for wedding rehearsals and wedding ceremonies.  A member of the team makes every effort to meet with the bride prior to wedding to go over what to expect and gather more information. They also coordinate with altar guild and flower guild regarding flowers and altar setup. The wedding team members act as liaison between the bride and groom and the church staff to ensure that the service runs smoothly.

“Good morning and welcome to St. James”—so simple and so welcoming. Greeters make the first impression of St. James, so put on your happy face and join the group.  If you are too shy to greet people, we have a need for someone to write a note to recent visitors. If you want to do something else, our Name Tag board is always in need of proper sorting.  Do as much or little as you choose, but be a part of our very important group. Sign up today and feel the love.