OUR HISTORY . . .

FIRST STAINED GLASS WINDOW -  Our altar window was dedicated to Mrs. Louise Hopper, wife of our long time rector, the Rev. Eugene Hopper.  Here is a short description of the window as Charles Connick envisioned it in 1948, and the Memorial Committee agreed to in 1949. The window was paid for by the people of St. James.   “… with Angels of Praise and Prayer holding trumpet and censer at either side.  In the smaller medallion shapes are well known Christians symbols.  Below Christ, the Chi Rho monogram, and the Alpha and Omega (can be seen).  At one side, the Crown and Scepter, of Christ’s heavenly reign, the Anchor Cross of Hope; and at the top, the Rose of Messianic Promise.  This is balanced by the Crown of Thorns; and Candle, the Light of the World; and the Pomegranate, ancient symbol of the Resurrection.  The growing foliated vine is entwined through pure blue fields, enriched with the stars of Divine Steadfastness.”  Read the full article about our first stained glass window at THIS LINK. - Frank Laszlo, Church Historian. 


SHARE YOUR STORIES - Please call 865-357-0703 to share a story about some of the wonderful ways you have seen St. James perform God's work and some of the many challenges we have faced through the years. A recorded greeting will invite you to share your sentiments over the phone. Each recorded story will be saved and added to a special collection at our website at THIS LINK.  Selected stories will also be featured in upcoming editions of the St. James Sentinel Celebrating 100 years of feeding and tending God’s sheep in 2023. 

THE PRESENT . . .
 

ASHTON SIMS ORDINATION - God willing and the people consenting, The Right Rev. Brian Cole will ordain our own Ashton Sims to the priesthood on May 7 at 11 am at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Oak Ridge. Your prayers and presence are requested.

Ashton, you may recall, was ordained to the sacred order of deacons at St. John's Cathedral Church, Knoxville, Tennessee, on August 25, 2021.

 

MAUNDY THURSDAY & GOOD FRIDAY - St. James has been offering opportunities to observe Holy Week every single day this week. If you are unable to join us in person for the Maundy Thursday Foot Washing & Holy Eucharist today (Thursday, Apr 14) at 7 pm, or the Good Friday Liturgy this Friday (Apr 15) at 7 pm, join our livestream on Youtube at this link: Youtube.com/c/stjamesknox.





NURSERY UPGRADES - Thanks to the generosity of a small group of parishioners, our nursery has a fresh new look and feel with the addition of 2 wooden pretend play kitchen sets with real lights & sounds, toy food, and cookware accessories; a wooden pretend workbench with toy tools; 2 rectangular height adjustable activity table sets with 12 chairs; a square height adjustable activity table with 2 chairs; 2 wooden child's rocking chairs, and a supersized wooden toy storage organizer. Click the images below and visit the nursery for a closer look!


 
 


HOT DOGS FOR JUSTICE - Free hot dogs and cold beverages will be offered on Monday, May 2nd from 5 pm - 6 pm to the first 175 St. James Justice Knox network members and their guests who drive through the St. James parking lot on their way to the Nehemiah Action at World’s Fair Park. "Hot Dogs for Justice" will be smoked onsite at St. James by volunteers to assist in meeting our goal of bringing at least 175 people to the Nehemiah Action. Curbside delivery of the hot dogs will end promptly at 6 pm. Seating for the Nehemiah Action at World’s Fair park is at 6 pm so everyone will be settled by 6:40 pm. The Nehemiah Action program will begin at 7 pm.

Our mission at St. James Episcopal Church is to seek justice and mercy and walk humbly with our neighbors.  In our efforts to seek justice, we are aligned with the mission of Justice Knox - an extraordinarily active local nonprofit organization focused on identifying grassroots solutions to community needs through person-to-person conversation and prioritized research-based action items. Justice Knox is also committed to holding elected local officials accountable to implement these solutions.  Representing a coalition of engaged congregations of all faiths in our city, Justice Knox addresses community issues like affordable housing, mental health, public education, public transportation, and gun violence. St. James Episcopal Church was a charter member when the organization was formed in 2016 and has provided strong leadership every year since then. If you are not already part of Justice Knox at St. James, reach out to John Mark or Margaret B to find out more.

EASTER EGGS - Easter eggs, sometimes called  "resurrection" eggs, have their roots in pagan traditions during the spring. An ancient symbol of new life, they have become a part of the Christian holiday celebrating eternal life in Jesus Christ through his resurrection. Families around the world use eggs to celebrate Easter in different ways, including decorating eggs, Easter egg hunts, giving eggs as gifts, or taking part in games with eggs. From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus' emergence from the tomb and resurrection.  In some traditions, eggs are dyed red to represent the blood of Christ. Further symbolism can be found in the hard shell of the egg representing the sealed Tomb of Christ — the cracking of which symbolizes his resurrection from the dead.

TRANSPORTATION ACTION - Justice Knox Transportation Action: We need folks to fill out surveys to let our city know what we and our neighbors need in our public transportation. Justice Knox is advocating for micro-transit service. This would help close gaps in our service and help people get to their jobs, daycare, and shopping. You can go to https://www.katreimagined.com or you can pick up a copy of the printed survey at church. You can return printed surveys to the church office. Please use the comment section to request that the city consider on-demand micro-transit. 
 

COVID BOOSTER UPDATE - For the latest info on the availability of of COVID-19 Booster Shots in Knox Co., visit THIS LINK. St. James will continue to follow CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19 protocols. As long as Knox Co. remains in the low risk range, masks shall be considered optional when attending worship services or other events at St James. Please respect the decisions of others who may choose to continue wearing masks during this transition. Should the risk level increase, we will make appropriate adjustments.

OUR FUTURE . . .
 

CHECK THE STATS - Not everything we do in life or in our ministries can be monitored or measured. Still, there are many things that can.  When we take the time to collect and examine the data, it can cause us to think about what we are doing and inspire us to consider doing some things differently.  In this and future Sentinel articles, statistical information and trends related to population growth, age groups, cultures, economic indicators, education levels, family structure, and housing types, within a 3 mile radius of St. James will be presented for consideration by the entire congregation. Click the graphs to enlarge.

   

   

Housing Types
In most of the United States, single family houses are the most common housing type. If another type is significantly present, (as in our neighborhood), substantially different outreach methods may be called for. For instance, high density apartments may be easier to visit, but apartment dwellers may be harder to find at home. And some apartment complexes require security clearance before visitors are admitted.

Housing Age
New housing may indicate new residents and a higher income level. However, communities with older homes, (as in our neighborhood), are not necessarily the opposite. Previous residence data will show if the area is stable or in transition, and income data will show its relative affluence.

Renters
Large proportions of renters, (as in our neighborhood), often indicate high mobility rates. While new persons moving in may be a positive evangelism factor, many people moving out could make discipleship more difficult.

Owners
Large proportions of homeowners usually indicate stability for a community. This often means that those who become church members will remain a part of the congregation for many years.
 

REAL MINISTRY - Realm is our cloud-based "members only" church networking platform that helps us perform real ministry by working as a catalyst for engagement - 24/7.  Realm helps our ministry leaders organize their communications, share content, and distribute task assignments within their groups.  It also helps new members by providing the resources they need to be put on pathways to achieve spiritual fulfillment.  If you have only heard about Realm, but you have not activated your free Realm account, reach out to the Realm Orientation Crew at realm@stjamesknox.org