Join me on February 16 at Central Collective for a light supper with friends. We will have some guests like Robert Williams (our parish financial advisor) who will share briefly about how the endowment and other funds are managed. We will be talking about that and other matters related to the future of St. James. It is a good time to take a good look at our future. I hope you can come to learn and look ahead with others.
I hope that you will also take advantage of a moment to come and be together. We have been separated due to pandemic precautions, and now we are doing all this construction. We had a newcomer's dinner right before construction, and that was a delightful time. Some of us have been enjoying coffee hour in the conference room after the 10:30 service. This week we are going to have coffee together in the back of the nave.
So come have dinner and be with your friends. Maybe you will make some new ones. Ask some questions, look into the future, and dream of where we are going. See the information below for how to RSVP and join me there.
Peace,
Fr. John Mark
OUR TRADITION . . .
THE NEW COVENANT - a brief Q&A summary of the Church's teaching for an inquiring mind regarding The New Covenant.
Q. What is the New Covenant? A. The New Covenant is the new relationship with God given by Jesus Christ, the Messiah, to the apostles; and, through them, to all who believe in him.
Q. What did the Messiah promise in the New Covenant? A. Christ promised to bring us into the kingdom of God and give life in all its fullness.
Q. What response did Christ require? A. Christ commanded us to believe in him and to keep his commandments.
Q. What are the commandments taught by Christ? A. Christ taught us the Summary of the Law and gave us the New Commandment.
Q. What is the Summary of the Law? A. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Q. What is the New Commandment? A. The New Commandment is that we love one another as Christ loved us.
Q. Where may we find what Christians believe about Christ? A. What Christians believe about Christ is found in the Scriptures and summed up in the creeds.
Source: The Book of Common Prayer, p 850
THE CREEDS - a brief Q&A summary of the Church's teaching for an inquiring mind regarding The Creeds.
Q. What are the creeds? A. The creeds are statements of our basic beliefs about God.
Q. How many creeds does this Church use in its worship? A. This Church uses two creeds: The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed.
Q. What is the Apostles' Creed? A. The Apostles' Creed is the ancient creed of Baptism; it is used in the Church's daily worship to recall our Baptismal Covenant.
Q. What is the Nicene Creed? A. The Nicene Creed is the creed of the universal Church and is used at the Eucharist.
Q. What, then, is the Athanasian Creed? A. The Athanasian Creed is an ancient document proclaiming the nature of the Incarnation and of God as Trinity.
Q. What is the Trinity? A. The Trinity is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Source: The Book of Common Prayer, p 851
DINNER AT CENTRAL COLLECTIVE - The life and ministry of St. James the Apostle is often associated with pilgrimage. We are all on a pilgrimage of faith. Part of the journey for us as a parish is caring for the buildings that support our mission.
“You’ve got to be there for the long haul.”
This phrase has been on my mind a lot lately as we continue the activities of the Centennial Committee to raise funds for the completion of the renovations of the church in anticipation of the 100th-anniversary celebration in September of this year. We still have a ways to go.
We truly need 100% participation from the membership and those who love St. James. Thanks to the generosity of early donors, favorable lending from the Diocese, and the terms of our line of credit at First Horizon, we are on track and in a good position to complete the renovations of the Parish Hall and Sanctuary, expand the Columbarium, and pave the parking lot.
What do we need for our pilgrimage?
On our journey, we need to care for St. James into the next 100 years. To that end, the Centennial Committee is beginning a series of programs designed to inform and communicate the many different ways St. James can benefit from your planning and thinking about the future. On Thursday, February 16th, we will launch a series of conversations with a light supper and fellowship. Our conversations will focus on how we currently care for our funds, the policies that protect our investments, and how each of us can begin to think about a future/planned gift that will help us take care of St. James long after we are gone.
This will be an interesting and fun series designed to build our community of givers by listening to expert guests as we contemplate the “long haul”. Robert Williams, our Financial Advisor, will be our first guest speaker. Join us for the launch at 6 pm Thursday, February 16 at The Central Collective, (923 N Central). Please RSVP by February 14th to the St. James office so we can have the right number of chairs, food and drink! 865-523-5687. Katharine Pearson Criss, Centennial Committee Chair
THE PRESENT . . .
FORWARD MOVEMENT - 2 Timothy 2:24-25a: And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with gentleness.
I once had a difficult student. He was a native Spanish speaker and had taken my class for the easy A. I asked the English as a Second Language teacher about him. She cautioned, “Getting in his face is going to get you nowhere.”
I never once forced him to do anything or acted like I knew more than he did because “I was the teacher.” When the students turned in essays about their favorite day, his was beautifully written—but without a single accent mark. I casually asked him, “Would you like to learn the accent rules?” I held my breath and prayed. He shrugged indifferently. After five seconds, his energy shifted, and he said he’d like to learn. I made a copy of the essay and showed him where they went. His written Spanish included the accents for the rest of the year. Source Forward Day by Day
ALTAR FLOWERS - It is a St. James tradition to place altar flowers or greenery in honor of or in thanksgiving for loved ones. Altar flowers are needed for March 26, April 2, 16, 23, 30, & May 21. Please contact Linda Goins in the church office for information, contact lgoins@stjamesknox.org or 865-523-5687.
"BIGS" & "LITTLES" - Our fellow community servers at Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee (BBBS-ETN) are calling on us to join them in defending the potential of our youth today. BBBS-ETN has faithfully served the Knox, Sevier, Anderson, Blount, and Tri-City communities since 1970, by fostering one-to-one mentoring relationships intentionally established to ignite the power and promise of our future. And in 2019, due to their successes in cultivating and maintaining these relationships, they were recognized as the BBBSA Agency of the Year, something they could not have done without people like us. But there is still more work to be done. Currently, they have 85 waiting Littles across the East-TN region, some of whom have been waiting years for a Big to answer the call. They are asking us to help answer that call. If you are interested in learning more about their programs and how you can get involved, please email Kevin kevin@stjamesknox.org so we can organize an information session at St. James to personally address any questions you may have.
ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES February 22, 2023 Holy Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes
7:30 am (Chapel)
12 pm (Nave)
7 pm (Nave)
Child-Friendly Service
5:30 pm (Nave)
PURCHASING OLD PEWS - As we prepare for the renovation of the Nave, all existing pews must be removed by early May. To ensure this is done in a timely fashion and help defray capital improvement costs, they will be sold below market value, (just $300 per pew). We are offering them first to family & friends of the church who wish to own a piece of St. James history. Full length pews may be reserved by submitting a reservation request form at THIS LINK, along with your payment. Details pertaining to purchasing a pew are included on the form. In a couple of weeks, St. James will expand this offering to churches or other organizations that may be interested in purchasing them. For certain, all pews must be removed from the nave by early May, (even before the new cathedral chairs arrive), to allow the work to be done on the flooring. For more information, contact jwiggers@stjamesknox.org or kevin@stjamesknox.org.
COFFEE HOUR "ON THE MOVE" . . . Amidst the construction activity currently taking place in the parish hall and the kitchen, Coffee Hour continues at St. James following our regular Sunday morning worship services. The serving area has moved once again from Conference Room A to the NAVE. If you would like to lend a hand as a host, there will be a sign up sheet available during each coffee hour event. Duties are minimal and include setting things up, preparing coffee and light cleanup activities afterwards. For more information, or to sign up to help, contact Carol Yates at cyates0222@gmail.com.
CALLING ALL ST. JAMES FAMILIES! The Daughters of the King have prepared "Lent in a Bag" for families with young children. It includes a book with daily readings, two small flower pots, some soil and seeds. These are available free for your family or a family you know that you think might enjoy a kid-friendly celebration of the season of Lent. Have a good Lent! Contact Patricia Hammer pchammerwv@gmail.com for details.
OUR FUTURE . . .
CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS - All demolition activity required in the parish hall and the kitchen during Phase I of the project has been completed on schedule. The expanded footprint of the kitchen has also been completed on schedule. Interior renovation of both the parish hall and the kitchen are expected to be completed by Memorial Day, (May 29).
Replacement of the HVAC system will take place in late spring or early summer during Phase II of the project. Every effort will be made to minimize service interruption during this part of the project. The elevator lift and insulated windows will also be installed in the parish house during that approximate time frame. The intensive renovations in the nave will take place during the months of June through August to meet our goal of project completion by September 24, 2023.
Click the images below for a closer inspection of the construction currently underway at St James and make your donation to the Centennial Capital Campaign to help us prepare our facilities for the next 100 years!
OUR CATHEDRAL CHAIRS - Excitement about our new cathedral chairs is building as demonstrated by the increasing number of people who are becoming chair "sponsors". Currently being built in Beatrice, Nebraska by skilled craftsmen who specialize in building custom church furniture, our chairs will be constructed of the finest Northern grown solid red oak. When aligned in rows and joined together with ganging clamps, they will have the look and feel of pew seating but they will be more comfortable and allow for greater seating flexibility. Each of our chairs will include a cushioned seat, front and rear bookracks, and a sturdy kneeler. Click on the first image below for a more detailed look at samples of the wood, fabric, and vinyl that will be used in their construction.
Family, friends, and organizations are invited to "sponsor" individual cathedral chairs by making a $500 cash contribution to St. James Episcopal Church specifically designated for this purpose. In exchange for your cash contribution, the backside of each chair you sponsor will be fitted with an engraved brass plate, (approximately 5" W x 2.5" H), commemorating your gift. The engraved message may recognize a family member or anyone else of your choosing. Access a Cathedral Chair Sponsorship Form at THIS LINK. Neatly PRINT the requested information to be inscribed on the brass plate. Please adhere as close to the suggested format as possible. (max 5 lines) Submit a SEPARATE form and full payment for EACH sponsored chair to St. James. All sponsorship contributions will be credited to appropriate St. James giving accounts. If you have additional questions about sponsoring one or more cathedral chairs, please contact kevin@stjamesknox.org or jwiggers@stjamesknox.org.
INVEST IN ST. JAMES - To date, we have secured $623,538 in pledged gifts to our Centennial Capital Campaign, 31% of our $2 million fundraising goal. That's a great start, but we need to raise much more to do the necessary things we must do to upgrade our facilities. Construction has already begun in the kitchen and parish hall. So, if you have been prayerfully thinking about making a pledge, now would be a great time to help us keep up with the expenses we will incur and accelerate our progress toward reaching our goal. Please join the folks listed below who have already pledged to the campaign. Obtain a downloadable Capital Campaign Pledge Form by clicking THIS LINK.
Thank You . . . Mark & Susan Abell, Aramark Hospitality Company, Mike & Elizabeth Armstrong, Asset Realty Management, Brian & Sandra Austin, Caroline Ballinger, Rick Bearden, Marty Begalla, Blackburn Development Group, Betty Bowling, Rick & Lynda Brown, Bessie Burell, Ashley Burell & Kyla Keck, Troy Burns, Chester & Francie Butler, Hoyt & Marilyn Canady, Marie Cantrell, Harry & Parry Chase, Scott Childs, Jane Clift, SuAnne Cobb & Margaret Bickley, Brian Cole, Bill & Ginny Combs, Thomas & Rebecca Cox, Lee Creech & Beth Meyer, Katharine Criss, Janet Dees, Linda Denton, Theresa DeRosa, Boyce & Susan Driskell, Duane & Linda Dunlap, Bea Emory, Episcopal Church Women, Financial Marketplace, Inc., Linda Fitzpatrick, Linda Goins, Liz & Christopher Golliher, Margaret Goodman, Joseph Gouffon, Susan Gray, Stacy Hall, Patricia Hammer, Drew Harper, Victoria Hawkins, Judy Householder & Lou Ann Gaby, Mary Ireland, Kevin & Drew Jeske-Polyak, John & Merilee Kerwin, Sheila C & Donn Kurtz, Charles & Diane Livermore, Carlene Loop & Lew Walton, Charles & Frieda Marsh, Carol McDaniel, Mary McGavock & Damon Beard, Ed & Evelyn Miller, Rodney & Mary Moore, Pam Morris & Renee Smith, Sarah & Todd Moss, Mary Muir, Phyllis Muth, Timothy & Jessie Nichols, Audrey Nitz, Mary Nelle Osborne, Powell & Susan Partridge, Steven Pierce, LouAnn Robinson, Jim Rowland, Gerald Segroves, Kenneth & Kathleen Sherfick, Jennie Sullivan, Sharon Teets, Cynthia Thornburg & Tom Dunne, Jimmie & Carolyn Wheeler, John Mark & Liz Wiggers, Dean Wiggers, Butch & Carol Yates, Bill & Kim Yearman, and Elizabeth Young, Jeffrey & Alice Zaher.
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.
SUN: Sunday Morning Christian Formation. (Conf Room A). 9:15 am - 10:15. February 12 - 26: Practicing Prayer. Come for a discussion of prayer and some practical ways to practice praying. Fr. John Mark will lead the discussion. March 5 - April 2: What Do We Do About Evil? Join Fr. John Mark for a discussion about evil, sin, and our response. Fr. John Mark has a few copies of the book What do We do About Evil by Fr. Richard Rohr for loan or purchase for $10. That book and the work of theologian Walter Wink will guide our conversation.
SUN: Youth Ministry Class. Every Sunday at 10:45 am. Classes are open to all youth ages 5-13. The Third Sunday of every month will be a craft class. Please come join the wonderful group of teachers and enjoy learning new and exciting information. Contact: Theresa Russell for additional information.
SUN: Bible Study - Revelation. (Zoom, Feb 19 - Mar 26). 6 pm - 7 pm. Revelation is a book about hope in times of oppression. The word “rapture” is not in Revelation. No one gets “left behind” while others are taken away. It is not about the end of the world, nor is it a blueprint for heaven when we die. So what is Revelation about? Come and see. We need 8 participants for the class to make. Contact Marie Cantrell, Marie Cantrell for the zoom link.
MON: Centering Prayer. (Zoom 1st & 3rd Monday, Zoom or Library, on 2nd & 4th Monday). 6 pm - 7 pm. Studying Sacred Earth Sacred Soul by John Phillip Newell. Zoom Link Meeting ID: 813 3584 8679 | Pray.
TUE: Tuesday Morning Discussion Group. (Zoom). 11 am - noon. Exploring current events in the light of our faith. Interested individuals are invited to join us via Zoom. Meeting ID 816 8271 5668 and Passcode 481655. Contact: Margaret Bickley, or call 865-384-7422 for assistance.
TUE: 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: Ron Morton for the link.
THU: Thursday Study Group. (Conf Room A). 10:00 am - 11:15 am. Contact Nancy Pullen for information.
THU: Praying the Anglican Rosary. (Zoom). 7 pm - 8 pm. One hour of praying the anglican rosary. All are welcome! Meeting ID: 836 8961 2206 | rosary Contact Cynthia Thornburg or Margaret Bickley.
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
Dear Friends,
THE NEW COVENANT - a brief Q&A summary of the Church's teaching for an inquiring mind regarding The New Covenant.
THE CREEDS - a brief Q&A summary of the Church's teaching for an inquiring mind regarding The Creeds.
DINNER AT CENTRAL COLLECTIVE - The life and ministry of St. James the Apostle is often associated with pilgrimage. We are all on a pilgrimage of faith. Part of the journey for us as a parish is caring for the buildings that support our mission. 
FORWARD MOVEMENT - 2 Timothy 2:24-25a: And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with gentleness.
COFFEE HOUR "ON THE MOVE" . . . Amidst the construction activity currently taking place in the parish hall and the kitchen, Coffee Hour continues at St. James following our regular Sunday morning worship services. 
INVEST IN ST. JAMES - To date, we have secured $623,538 in pledged gifts to our Centennial Capital Campaign, 31% of our $2 million fundraising goal. That's a great start, but we need to raise much more to do the necessary things we must do to upgrade our facilities. Construction has already begun in the kitchen and parish hall. So, if you have been prayerfully thinking about making a pledge, now would be a great time to help us keep up with the expenses we will incur and accelerate our progress toward reaching our goal. Please join the folks listed below who have already pledged to the campaign. Obtain a downloadable Capital Campaign Pledge Form by clicking 
Thank You . . . Mark & Susan Abell, Aramark Hospitality Company, Mike & Elizabeth Armstrong, Asset Realty Management, Brian & Sandra Austin, Caroline Ballinger, Rick Bearden, Marty Begalla, Blackburn Development Group, Betty Bowling, Rick & Lynda Brown, Bessie Burell, Ashley Burell & Kyla Keck, Troy Burns, Chester & Francie Butler, Hoyt & Marilyn Canady, Marie Cantrell, Harry & Parry Chase, Scott Childs, Jane Clift, SuAnne Cobb & Margaret Bickley, Brian Cole, Bill & Ginny Combs, Thomas & Rebecca Cox, Lee Creech & Beth Meyer, Katharine Criss, Janet Dees, Linda Denton, Theresa DeRosa, Boyce & Susan Driskell, Duane & Linda Dunlap, Bea Emory, Episcopal Church Women, Financial Marketplace, Inc., Linda Fitzpatrick, Linda Goins, Liz & Christopher Golliher, Margaret Goodman, Joseph Gouffon, Susan Gray, Stacy Hall, Patricia Hammer, Drew Harper, Victoria Hawkins, Judy Householder & Lou Ann Gaby, Mary Ireland, Kevin & Drew Jeske-Polyak, John & Merilee Kerwin, Sheila C & Donn Kurtz, Charles & Diane Livermore, Carlene Loop & Lew Walton, Charles & Frieda Marsh, Carol McDaniel, Mary McGavock & Damon Beard, Ed & Evelyn Miller, Rodney & Mary Moore, Pam Morris & Renee Smith, Sarah & Todd Moss, Mary Muir, Phyllis Muth, Timothy & Jessie Nichols, Audrey Nitz, Mary Nelle Osborne, Powell & Susan Partridge, Steven Pierce, LouAnn Robinson, Jim Rowland, Gerald Segroves, Kenneth & Kathleen Sherfick, Jennie Sullivan, Sharon Teets, Cynthia Thornburg & Tom Dunne, Jimmie & Carolyn Wheeler, John Mark & Liz Wiggers, Dean Wiggers, Butch & Carol Yates, Bill & Kim Yearman, and Elizabeth Young, Jeffrey & Alice Zaher.
