Thank you for making our Centennial Capital Campaign kick-off a real celebration. Some of you have made your pledges and begun to pay on them. Thanks for leading the way. I ask that we all consider what we can give and make a pledge. Your pledge encourages others and helps us move toward getting started with our capital priorities. How far can we get to meeting our goal in the next 100 days?
As we celebrate 100 years, I hope that we will share stories about our ministry. The ECW will be highlighting the ministry of some of the women of St. James at a picnic on July 9. We are all invited to share a meal and to share some stories. We have some faithful folks in the present and in our past.
Of course, there is always the present. What brought you to St. James? Get curious about the stories of others and ask what brought them here. We have members who have been here for 90 years, and some are just joining us. All those stories matter in our life together. All of our stories are part of God's story of bringing life and healing.
I am thankful to be sharing that life with you.
Peace,
Fr. John Mark
OUR PAST . . .
100 YEARS OF MINISTRY - As part of our year long centennial celebration, a special video is being produced this summer to commemorate the occasion. "100 Years of Ministry at St. James" will feature the recorded voices of parishioners sharing some of the history and ongoing work performed by the various groups within the ministry at St. James. The final edited video will also feature a collection of images to help illustrate their groups.
Currently, we are seeking at least one individual from each ministry group to sit for a comfortable recorded 15-minute conversation, (audio only),with Kevin or Drew Jeske-Polyak. These conversations will take place in the Library by appointment at convenient times during the week, or on the weekend if necessary. Ideally, all of the conversations will be recorded prior to July 31st to allow time for editing. The great thing about audio recordings is the ability to select the best segments and edit them together in a seamless fashion. Please suggest some times that would work for you to talk about the ministry group(s) with which you are associated. Contact Kevin at kevin@stjamesknox.org. What a GIFT your spoken word will provide to our congregation for many years to come!
THE PRESENT . . .
Nowadays, there is so much activity related to targeting, misusing, and leveraging church member contact information, especially email addresses and phone numbers for fraudulent purposes. So St. James, like so many other churches, has become much more vigilant in protecting this kind of information. This week, someone claiming to be Lee Creech, using an email address that does not belong to him, has been sending messages requesting a printed copy of our "church directory". For reasons especially related to security, the practice of printing and distributing St. James member directories was discontinued some time ago. So, if you are contacted by anyone with a similar request, do not provide any information at all. Instead, please report it to Kevin kevin@stjamesknox.org.
Utilizing the full capability of Realm, St. James parishioners are able to use their authorized login credentials to securely log in and regularly update their own contact information. They can also decide what information they choose to be accessible to staff and what information can be "seen" by the rest of the membership with authorized login credentials. If someone you "know" to be a member does not appear to be in the Realm database, or a specific "piece" of information you need does not appear to be there, please contact Linda Goins, myself, or John Mark. We will determine if the person is actually in the database, (just "hidden"), and determine if the necessary information can be accessed a different way and shared with you.
EVANGELISM IS STORYTELLING - Every Thursday from June 30 through the end of July, Drew Jeske-Polyak will be leading us in learning to share stories as a form of Episcopal Evangelism from 10:30 am - 11:30 am in Conference Room A. From time to time he will also be joined by Fr John Mark in leading our sessions. Having completed the necessary coursework, Drew is a licensed Diocesan Evangelical Facilitator. All the materials will be provided, just bring yourselves. Please join us as we travel the road of discovery and what it means to embrace evangelism in the Episcopal Church.
PARISH PICNIC - Celebrating 100 years of women's contributions to St. James, the Episcopal Church Women will host a St. James Parish Family Picnic on Saturday, July 9, 2022 at 11 am in the Parish Hall & Playground. The ECW will provide protein and beverages and you are invited to bring your favorite PICNIC dish! Please let us know you're coming and what you are planning to bring by calling the church office (865-523-5687) or signing up after church, June 26, or July 3. Download the picnic flier at THIS LINK. For more information, please contact Kitty McNamara (865-310-3065) or Nancy Pullen (415-722-0139).
ALTAR GUILD - Looking to join a small group at St. James? The Altar Guild welcomes men, women, couples, parents & children. The group is divided into teams that meet on 2 weekends every 6 weeks for a total of about 4 hours to prepare the altar for Sunday and other special services. This is an opportunity to get to know some very caring people. If this is something you might be looking for, please contact Patty Chase 865-603-4008, Bea Emory 865-556-0661, or Susan Abell 214-412-7554. We would enjoy the opportunity to talk with you.
FINANCIAL LITERACY is understanding and practicing the concepts of budgeting, saving, and credit. As most of us struggle with this in our own lives, it is even more difficult for people in poverty. Currently, Susan Bradford with the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee is facilitating a six-week Financial Literacy program hosted at St. James. This set of classes features 6 information-rich sessions: 1. My Relationship with Money, 2. Why Budgeting Can Be Hard, 3. Behind on Bills? Start with one step, 4. Starting to Set Goals & Saving (2 sessions), and 6. Meal Planning on a Budget. Through our Doorstep program, Helping Hands, and a connection with Love Towers, the class is averaging 10 people per session. Anyone can join at any time. The final four sessions will be held Wednesdays Jun 22, 29, Jul 6 & Jul 13, from 1 pm to 2 pm in the Parish Hall. Contact Drew, jeskepolyak@gmail.com, for more information.
OUR FUTURE . . .
EXHIBITION LAST SUNDAY - An estimated group of 40 - 50 parishioners stopped by to view the centennial campaign exhibits that were on display in the Parish Hall following the 10:30 am worship service last Sunday. Everyone had a great time examining the planned upgrades & improvements illustrated in architectural renderings, including renovation of nave, parish hall, & kitchen, installation of an elevator lift, replacement of the HVAC system & windows, expansion of our columbarium, exterior cleaning & stucco repair, and sealing of the parking lot. The most impressive exhibit turned out to be the sturdy solid oak cathedral chair with an upholstered seat just like the ones currently being built for us by skilled craftspeople in Beatrice, Nebraska. Everyone also picked up a copy of our 12-page color brochure providing full details related to the purpose of our centennial capital campaign and several went ahead and made their pledge. The current exhibits will remain on display in the Parish Hall for the next 2 weeks. Then, they will begin a traveling tour and might appear almost anywhere on the grounds. :)
OUR CENTENNIAL PRAYER
Lord Christ, the shepherd of the sheep,
we give thanks for those
who have built up the work
of St. James over the past 100 years.
Give us grace to continue in their faithfulness
by doing justice and mercy in this community.
Grant us generous hearts
to support and build the resources
that will strengthen and continue our work
of feeding and tending your sheep.
May we do all these things to your glory,
you who reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
MAKING YOUR CENTENNIAL PLEDGE - Investing in the future of our ministry at St. James begins by making a pledge to our centennial capital campaign. You may pledge to make a gift in a single payment or several smaller payments over a period of time. Pledge totals are routinely tallied to track progress in raising the necessary funds to support our capital improvement plan. Once you have decided how much you would like to invest, you may submit your pledge by downloading a PAPER PLEDGE FORM, or by accessing our ONLINE PLEDGE FORM.
Thursday Study Group (Parish Hall and Zoom) 10 am - 11:30 pm
Discussing a range of topics in the Bible in the context of current events.
Contact: nepullen@gmail.com or call 415-722-0139 for the link.
Praying the Anglican Rosary (Zoom) 7 pm - 8 pm
Cynthia Thornburg hosts 1 hour of praying the Anglican rosary. All are welcome!
Meeting ID: 836 8961 2206 | rosary
Contact: Cynthia Thornburg or Margaret Bickley
SUNDAYS
Sunday Morning Adult Formation(will resume July 10th) 9:15 am - 10:15 am
Discussions about resurrection appearances in scripture, the witnesses to them,
and what those stories have to do with us. Zoom Link Meeting ID: 882 1887 6476
MONDAYS
Centering Prayer (Zoom, or Library on fourth Monday) 6 pm - 7 pm
Studying Radical Wisdom: A Feminist Mystical Theology by Beverly J. Lanzetta. Zoom Link Meeting ID: 813 3584 8679 | Pray
TUESDAYS
Tuesday Morning Book Discussion Group(Zoom) 11 am - 12 pm The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World
About a conversation between Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama
Contact: mbick7@gmail.com, or call 865-384-7422 for link.
The Soul of the Indian (Zoom) 6 pm - 7 pm "Black Elk Speaks" by John G. Neihardt - the story of Black Elk,
an Oglala Lakota medicine man.
Contact: rondmorton@gmail.com for link.
We apologize for any errors or omissions that may have occurred in this publication at press time.
For questions related to any content, please contact referenced ministry leaders or email: kevin@stjamesknox.org.
St. James Episcopal Church 1101 N. Broadway St. Knoxville, TN 37917
Thank you for making our Centennial Capital Campaign kick-off a real celebration. Some of you have made your pledges and begun to pay on them. Thanks for leading the way. I ask that we all consider what we can give and make a pledge. Your pledge encourages others and helps us move toward getting started with our capital priorities. How far can we get to meeting our goal in the next 100 days? 
Nowadays, there is so much activity related to targeting, misusing, and leveraging church member contact information, especially email addresses and phone numbers for fraudulent purposes. So St. James, like so many other churches, has become much more vigilant in protecting this kind of information. This week, someone claiming to be Lee Creech, using an email address that does not belong to him, has been sending messages requesting a printed copy of our "church directory". For reasons especially related to security, the practice of printing and distributing St. James member directories was discontinued some time ago. So, if you are contacted by anyone with a similar request, do not provide any information at all. Instead, please report it to Kevin 
PARISH PICNIC - Celebrating 100 years of women's contributions to St. James, the Episcopal Church Women will host a St. James Parish Family Picnic on Saturday, July 9, 2022 at 11 am in the Parish Hall & Playground. The ECW will provide protein and beverages and you are invited to bring your favorite PICNIC dish! Please let us know you're coming and what you are planning to bring by calling the church office (865-523-5687) or signing up after church, June 26, or July 3. Download the picnic flier at 
just like the ones currently being built for us by skilled craftspeople in Beatrice, Nebraska. Everyone also picked up a copy of our 12-page color brochure providing full details related to the purpose of our centennial capital campaign and several went ahead and made their pledge. The current exhibits will remain on display in the Parish Hall for the next 2 weeks. Then, they will begin a traveling tour and might appear almost anywhere on the grounds. :)
Lord Christ, the shepherd of the sheep,
