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Welcome to St. James’!
Before visiting a new church, people usually like to know what they’re getting themselves into…
St. James’ is a parish in the Diocese of California, part of the Episcopal Church, USA and a member of the Anglican Communion.
- We aren’t afraid to try new things or explore new ideas.
- We value our heritage as an ancient Church while responding to the needs and realities of today’s world.
- We speak our minds.
- You will find that our lay people are everywhere - If they are not lending their time to one of our parish and diocesan outreach programs, they are singing in the choir, preparing the altar, teaching Sunday school or adult education, keeping our buildings and grounds in good order, serving as Eucharistic ministers, or mentoring youth. See our list of Ministries to the right.
What to expect when you visit
You can always expect to be greeted with genuine joy and hospitality! We try to remember to wear our name tags so visitors can identify us. You can expect to enjoy refreshments and fine conversation after each service in our Parish Hall. You can expect your children to be welcomed into our Sunday School classes, Godly Play. You can expect to be handed and easy-to-follow program for the service you attend. You can expect to both laugh and be touched by our sermons and worship. At St. James’ we offer three different services each Sunday. Although each service has its own unique “flavor” and personality, all services follow the same basic structure:
- We begin by praising God through song and prayer, and then listen to several readings from the Bible.
- Next, a sermon interpreting or applying the scripture readings is given by one of our priests, and sometimes by a guest speaker. The congregation then recites a creed, or statement of faith. The congregation prays together—for the Church, the World, and those in need. We thank God for all the good things in our lives, we pray for the sick and for all those who have requested our prayers. The congregation then greets one another.
- Communion (or, the Eucharist which means thanksgiving): Next, the altar party of priests and lay persons stands at the altar, which has been set with a cup of wine and a plate of bread or wafers. The priest raises his or her hands, and greets the congregation again by saying “The Lord be With You.” Now begins the Eucharistic Prayer, in which we hear the story of our faith, from the beginning of Creation, through the choosing of Israel to be God’s people, through our continual turning away from God, and God’s calling us to return. Finally, we remember together the story of Jesus Christ and how on the night before his death he instituted the Eucharistic meal (communion) as a continual remembrance of him. We ask God's blessing on the bread and wine, and together recite the Lord’s Prayer. Finally, the priest breaks the bread and offers it to the congregation, as the “gifts of God for the People of God.” The congregation then shares the consecrated bread and the wine in thankfulness for God's love and Christ's presence in our midst through this community's feast of praise and thanksgiving.
At St. James’, all are welcome. We welcome everyone to our communion table. If you come from a tradition where you do not take wine, you are welcome to come forward for the bread. If you do not wish to take communion but would like a blessing, come forward and cross your hands over your heart, and you will receive a blessing. If you choose to stay in your seat, that’s o.k. too! We are not fans of either guilt-trips or pressure.
At the end of the Eucharist, the congregation prays once more in thanksgiving, and then is dismissed to continue their life of service to God and to the World.
Weddings
Please contact our clergy at clergy@saintj.com for information on weddings and pre-marital counseling.The sacrament of holy matrimony is a sacred vow made before God to live in love and fidelity to one's mate and to pattern one's familial life on the kind of steadfast love God shows to us. Because our marriage rite is a sacred Christian sacrament, the expectation at St. James' is that at least one of the people being married is an active member of a Christian faith community. Ideally, one chooses to be married in the faith community in which one worships. However, sometimes this is not possible. Because of this, the priests at St. James' will be happy to speak with you regarding your particular life circumstances and help you to discern if this is the right place for you to be married or to have your same sex union blessed. Under all circumstances, substantial pre-marital preparation (usually approximately 8 sessions) is required. If you are not yet a member of a faith community but are seeking a spiritual home in which to worship and be married, please know that you will be whole heartedly welcome here at St. James'.
Baptisms
Please contact our clergy at clergy@saintj.com to make arrangements for infant through adult baptisms.Episcopalians believe there are two great and central sacraments of the church, Eucharist and Baptism. We participate in these because Christ commanded us to do so. Through them our lives are richly blessed. Sacraments are outward and visible signs of God's inward and spiritual grace in our lives. The sacrament of baptism is a symbol of our place in God's holy family. Through baptism we are incorporated into the community of faith, a communion of saints that extends beyond any time, place, or institutional affiliation to include all Christians of every time and place. To be baptized is to become a member of the Christian church, to receive an assurance through this outward sign of God's deep love for us, and to make a public affirmation of our belief in Jesus Christ. In the Episcopal church we baptize people of all ages from infants to elders. We do this because we know that faith is a gift we are given by God through those around us who share their lives of faith with us. Faith may come to us at any point in our lives. It is the beginning of a conscious journey with God that will last our whole lives long and into eternity. When older children, teenagers, and adults are baptized, they prepare for baptism through a series of classes. When infants and younger children are baptized, parents participate in those classes.
Infant Baptism: Our God is a gracious God who loves with an unbounded love. When we baptize an infant or a child, we are celebrating the love of God that has always been, and will always be a part of that child's life. We are also making important vows, the most important of any vow we can make. We are vowing to live our lives in faith so that the child we present may grow into the full stature of Christ. We are promising to live out our own baptismal covenant and to teach our children how to live out that covenant as well. Because of this, there are certain expectations we hold at St. James' for those seeking baptism for themselves or their children. In baptism we promise "to continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers." This promise makes clear the necessity of being an active part of the faith community before baptism takes place. If you do not yet have a faith community, we will be happy to welcome you into our community. If you are seeking baptism for your child, after you have attended six times and begun to find a home in our church, you will be invited to participate in our baptismal preparation classes. Then following completion of those classes one may request baptism on the next baptismal Sunday on the calendar. In the Episcopal church the Sundays set aside for baptism are Easter, Pentecost (50 days after Easter), All Saints Day (the first Sunday in November), the Feast of Christ's Baptism (the Sunday after January 6), and any day the bishop is present for a service.
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