NEWS and EVENTS
HOLY WEEK, EASTER & BEYOND
No services Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday in Holy Week
Maundy Thursday, April 17
6:00 pm Holy Eucharist with Foot-washing and Stripping of the Altar
Nursery available
8:00 pm – 10:00 am Altar of Repose in the Chapel
Sign up with Kathy Stephens at kstephens@stjjax.org or 601-982-4880
Good Friday, April 18, Noon and 6:00 pm
Proper Liturgy for Good Friday, Nursery available
1:15 pm Good Friday in the Children’s Garden
Holy Saturday, April 19
10:00am Proper Liturgy for Holy Saturday, Labyrinth
6:00pm Easter Vigil with Holy Eucharist, Nursery available.
(Note: There will be incense at the Vigil.)
Easter Sunday, April 20
7:30 am Holy Eucharist
8:40 am & 11:05 am Festival Eucharist
Nursery at 8:40am & 11:05am. There will be incense at 11:05 am.
Easter Egg Hunt and Reception at 10:00am
Sunday after Easter, April 27
7:30 am Holy Eucharist, Rite I
10:00 am Outdoor “Cajun Mass” AND Indoor Holy Eucharist
Followed by Parish Picnic
SIT & PRAY IN “THE GARDEN” AT THE ALTAR OF REPOSE
Thursday, April 17, 8 pm to Friday, April 18 at 10 am
The Altar of Repose symbolizes in a very simple way the death of Jesus and also the Garden of Gethsemane. During the stripping of the altar on Maundy Thursday, any consecrated bread and wine are placed in a “garden” in the chapel.
Parishioners are invited to take an hour to sit in the chapel with the reserved sacrament during the night following the Maundy Thursday service until the morning hours of Good Friday.
Families, Lenten Small Groups, or other groups or individuals may want to share in this meditative time of waiting. (Note: We will have a security guard present).
Contact Kathy Stephens in the church office, 601-982-4880 or kstephens@stjjax.org to sign up.
Good Friday in the Garden
Friday, April 18, at 1:15pm
Children and parents are invited to the Children's Garden on Good Friday.
We will walk through the events of the last week of Jesus’ life and lift up his death and resurrection.
All are welcome to plant flowers to take home.
We will meet in the half-circle driveway on Oakridge Drive.
Refreshments will be served.
Please RSVP by emailing Jess Eddleman at jeddleman@stjjax.org.
INQUIRER’S CLASS aka CONFIRMATION CLASS or EPISCOPAL 101
Wednesdays from 6-7 pm in the Guild Parlor.
Interested in being confirmed, received or reaffirmed in your Baptismal Covenant in the Episcopal Church? Classes will run through April 30,
with Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation happening at Bishop Wells' visitation on May 4. To register or for more information, email or call the Rev. Gates Elliott at gelliott@stjjax.org or 601-405-1668.
DIOCESE OF MISSISSIPPI COMMUNICATION UPDATES
Bishop Wells is working to enhance communication with all members of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. To facilitate this, she is requesting email addresses, which will allow for direct email delivery of important updates, including:
· Messages from the Bishop
· The Mississippi Episcopalian
· TME-News
Parishioners can easily subscribe themselves by visiting this link:
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/aBQf1mM/diomscomm
Please be assured that the Diocese of Mississippi is committed to protecting this information. It will not be shared with any third parties, and parishioners will have the option to unsubscribe at any time.
TUESDAY NOON BIBLE STUDY
in the Guild Parlor
Contact: Gates Elliott, gelliott@stjjax.org.
We will not meet on Wednesday, April 22.
SUNDAY MORNING NURSERY SERVES CHILDREN THROUGH THEIR KINDERGARTEN YEAR
Parents and grandparents, our church nursery is open for babies through children in their kindergarten year offering parents a quiet moment of adult prayer and church time and offering children an opportunity for community and play with church friends. After the lIturgy of the Word, the nursery staff and acolytes will bring PreK-3 children through kindergarten age children into the church to join their parents for the Eucharist. Parents are asked to stand to greet their children. Parents of babies, toddlers and twos are invited to step out of the service at the Peace to bring their younger nursery children into the church for Eucharist. And as always at St. James', children of all ages are welcome for the entire service. For more info about the nursery, contact Mary Nell Prichard, mnprichard@stjjax.org,
or Kathryn Briscoe, kbriscoe@stjjax.org.
4TH, 5TH AND 6TH GRADE CHILDREN ARE INVITED TO SERVE AS ACOLYTES
Parents, if your child missed the recent acolyte training, it is not too late to sign up! Your child will learn about the parts of the Eucharist, how to walk with dignity and reverence, and about the joy of serving God and our church family through this ministry. Acolytes serve on a rotating basis. For more information about becoming an acolyte, contact Laura at lking@stjjax.org.
ADULT FORMATION
Sunday Mornings at 9:50 to 10:50 am
We have three Adult Formation Offerings:
Holy Conversations Lectionary Class gathers in the Parish Library.
Explorations gathers in Oak Ridge Hall.
Life with the Sacred Text, a small group reflection on various topics and their relevance as relates to Scripture and daily life, gathers in the Guild Parlor, just off Fowler Hall.
All adult offerings are open and inclusive of adults of any age or interest, no experience required.
Grab coffee and donuts in Fowler Hall and join one of our Adult formation offerings SUNDAYS at 10:00am.
REGULAR WEEKDAY OFFERINGS
MONDAYS, 2pm – Twisted Stitchers, Guild Parlor
TUESDAYS, 7am - Holy Eucharist, Church
Noon - Bible Study, Guild Parlor
WEDNESDAYS, Noon - Trellis Book Group, Library
5:00 - 7:00 pm - Wednesday Night Supper , Fowler Hall
THURSDAYS, 7am - Men's Bible Study, Guild Parlor
ST. JAMES’ SCHOOL REGISTRATION FOR 2025-2026
School information and registration application can be found on the St. James’ School page, or you may contact
Kathryn Briscoe -- kbriscoe@stjjax.org or the school office at 601-941-4296.
ST JAMES’ SCHOOL IS EXPANDING!
The St. James’ School is excited to be expanding and offering an infant classroom in the near future! We will be able to accommodate five babies, ages eight weeks to nine months of age. Our hours of operation for the infant room will be the same as for our other classrooms - 8:15 am until 12:00 pm, with an option for extended day until 2:00 pm. Register on our St. James’ School page for the spring and the fall! We hope to be ready to accept new children in the next couple of weeks. If anyone has questions or wants to register, please do not hesitate to reach out. contact Kathryn Briscoe at kbriscoe@stjjax.org or call at (256)565-4089. We look forward to hearing from you!
ST. JAMES’ CHOIR
We are always happy to welcome new singers into the St. James’ choir family!
Members of the St. James’ choir support the 8:40 and 11:05 worship services and other sung liturgies throughout the year, including Evensong and our annual service of Lessons and Carols.
We rehearse on Wednesday from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. For information about membership in the choir, contact Jonathan Trotter (jtrotter@stjjax.org).
SEEKING BAPTISM?
If you or someone you know is seeking Baptism, contact one of our clergy or Kathy Stephens: kstephens@stjjax.org.
2025 BAPTISMAL DATES:
Sunday, May 4, Bishop’s visit; Sunday, June 8, Day of Pentecost;
July 27, St. James’ Sunday,; Sunday, November 2, All Saints Sunday
LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS ON SUNDAYS!
Be sure to watch with the whole family!
St. James' will livestream the 11:05 am services on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stjjax.org.
The Service Leaflet is available on the website and on the ‘This Sunday’ email.
SEND US YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
If the church does not already have your email address, or if there have been any changes, please send it to Kathy Stephens at kstephens@stjjax.org.
FLOWERS ON THE ALTAR
If you are interested in giving flowers for a month either in thanksgiving or in loving memory of anyone, call Kathy Stephens at 601-982-4880 or
email her at kstephens@stjjax.org. The cost of this is $50 and the flowers are published in our 7:30 am service leaflets, in our Sunday announcements,
and on our website for the month. This is a perfect way to remember someone or to say thank you.
WATCH OUT FOR SCAMMERS!
Please be aware that scammers have gotten some of our work email addresses and are sending out emails that look like they come from St. James' staff. If you receive one of these please know that we would never reach out to you and ask you for money or for you to buy gift cards, etc. Usually you can tell from the extension on the email. All of St. James' staff have our first initial and last name followed by @stjjax.org. If you have any doubt at all please call our office at 601-982-4880.
MEMORIALS AT THE COLUMBARIA
Flowers and mementos left on the columbarium as memorials are a normal part of grieving and are allowed by the Church. Memorials may not be left at either of the inside columbaria. Only fresh flowers may be placed on the outside columbarium. St. James' will remove all flowers once they start to wilt. Mementos left on the outside columbarium will be removed daily. Due to the possibility of breakage and injury, glass of any sort is not allowed on the columbarium.