 |
 | |
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen Indeed!
We had a glorious Palm Sunday/Holy Week/Easter Day here at St. James’s and it was such a joy to see so many of you parading down Monument Avenue with the Palm Sunday procession behind PeeWee the Donkey (did you see us in the Richmond Times Dispatch on the front page?), gathering in the church for the always moving solemnity of Maundy Thursday and the stark reality of the cross on Friday, joining in the stations of the cross at Belle Isle on Saturday, flowering the cross on Sunday morning, and praying and singing along with the more than 1000 people who celebrated Easter Day at one of our three services.
While we know that Easter will come, that Christ is Risen, whether or not we have done all our preparations or gotten all the details right, it is also appropriate to thank all of the folks who worked long hours and brought their best detailed/creative/flexible selves to make Holy Week and Easter so special here: the always reliable altar guild, the flower guild who made our beautiful church look like the Garden of Eden, our reliable readers and intercessors, our dedicated Eucharistic ministers, our friendly greeters, and organized and helpful ushers; our crack facilities and housekeeping teams; our dedicated office staff who printed, proofed, and reprinted a lot of bulletins not only for St. James’s but also for the Stuart Circle Palm Sunday worship, and who kept everyone on schedule; our music department - leaders, singers and instrumentalists - who sang and played with joy to the glory of God and in the beauty of holiness; our communications team who made sure to keep everyone informed of all the details from service times to parking advice to reminders about the afternoon Easter Parade on Monument Avenue so we could get home or to our Easter brunches without traffic holdups; the volunteers who delivered Easter lilies to our folks who were not able to be with us in person this year; the staff clergy who showed up at every service prepared and focused, and our retired clergy who were on hand for the 9 a.m. Eucharist; and all the family members who support those who gave extra time and attention to St. James’s during this busy season.
Thanks to all of you! We are St. James’s - you are St. James’s! To God be the Glory!
As we move through this season of Easter (you know Easter is 50 days, right? So we have to keep that joy coming!), stay tuned for exciting information about plans for the accessibility ramp as well as upcoming forums and classes, another transition series, fellowship opportunities, and music offerings. April and May will be filled with good things and I hope to see you all here to participate!
Blessings,
|  | |
Our Youth are hiking Hollywood Cemetery
this Sunday, April 7
Hollywood Cemetery is one of the great treasures of Richmond. Nestled on 135 acres of valleys, hills, and stately trees, its natural and architectural beauty sets it apart from the grid-like layout of modern cemeteries and its natural beauty has earned its recognition as a registered arboretum. AND it’s open to the public.
All Youth (and your friends!) are invited to join us for a hike around Hollywood Cemetery on this Sunday, April 7. Parents can drop off your youth between 8:30 and 8:45 am at
412 S. Cherry Street and pick up between 10:30 and 10:45.
We’ll walk along the river and experience some of the trails, enjoying time in God’s creation.
For any of our Youth not going on the hike, there will still be formation at the Church between the services.
| | |
|
Tuesday, April 9
Tuesday Men's Bible Study - 7:30 am, Valentine Hall
For details and contacts see the DOERS guide
Women's Wisdom Bible Study (WWBS) - 5 pm
Michaux House Room 302 or via Zoom.
For details and contacts see the DOERS guide
Wednesday, April 10
Living Faith Bible Study - 10 to 11:30 am
Currently on Zoom
For details and contacts see the DOERS guide
Noon Eucharist in The Chapel
Wednesday Dinners are back!
at 6 pm in Valentine Hall
| |
|
Thursday, April 11
Coffee on The Street - 9 am to 10:30 am
Corner of West Franklin and Birch Streets
If you’re interested in learning more about this ministry, contact Rev. Blake.
Contact: The Rev. Blake Singer, bsinger@doers.org
Women in Fellowship - 7pm
For details and contacts see the DOERS guide
Saturday, April 13
Young Family Social - 4 to 6 pm
at the home of Mary Beth and Chris Abplanalp, 8338 W. Weyburn Rd., 23235
| |
Looking Ahead & Ways to Get Involved | |
|
Save the Date to Celebrate
20 Years of WomanKind!
Tickets go on sell April 9
Join the WomanKind community on Friday, May 3 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in Valentine Hall to celebrate the last 20 years of WomanKind and to announce the 2026 Conference dates, theme, and speaker.
Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday, April 9 (check your email!) and will also be available for purchase on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings until May 1.
| |
|
Wednesday Night Dinner
are Back.
Starting April 10, Wednesday Night Dinners are back and will continue uninterrupted through May 22. Please sure to check our Tuesday email to see what we're having for dinner.
We’re also planning to do one Wednesday Night Dinner a month – featuring Food Trucks – during June, July and August. Stay tuned for more details.
| |
|
Young Family Social
Saturday, April 13
This month’s Young Family Social will be Saturday, April 13 from 4 to 6 pm at the home of Mary Beth and Chris Abplanalp, 8338 W. Weyburn Rd., 23235.
St. James’s will provide some snacks, water, and juice. Parents, please feel free to bring a favorite beverage or snack to share. Young Family Socials are the second Saturday of each month and open to anyone with children living at home.
| |
|
Project HOMES
Saturday, April 20
| |
|
Peter Paul Development Center
Sunday, April 21
| |
|
TWO DOERS SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES in APRIL
For Our Youth
Our Youth are teaming up with Project HOMES on Saturday, April 20 from 10 am to 1 pm to help repair a Richmond resident’s home. To sign up, please click here.
Spots are limited!
For All Ages
Then on Sunday, April 21 you’re invited to join Doers Doing for an all ages service opportunity from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. We will be tidying the gardens and building benches at Peter Paul Development Center (1708 N. 22nd Street, Richmond).
Please bring any shovels, pitchforks, and gloves you may have for yourself and anyone who may not have them. We encourage you and your family to sign up by Friday, April 19th, but don't let that stop you from coming the day of! Signup here.
| |
|
Celebrate Earth Day
a day early
Sunday, April 21
You’re invited to a special Evensong celebrating Earth Day featuring our Parish Choir on Sunday, April 21 at 5 pm.
This is the perfect way to end a Spring day and to reflect on our relationship to the natural gifts that God has given us.
| |
|
Youth and Parents
Being Well Workshop
Sunday, April 21
The "Being Well" workshop series begins on Sunday, April 21 from 6 -7:30 pm with the topic Embracing and Growing Stronger in the Wilderness (strategies for dealing with challenging times). Dr. Matt Bitsko of Summit Emotional Health will lead the parent workshop (parents with children of all ages are invited).
School counselors Clare Trow and Joy Jones will lead workshops for youth in grades 6-12. Afterwards, there will be a community dinner from 7 to 7:30 pm.
| |
|
The Church as Movement
Everyone is invited.
May 10 and 11
The Dioceses of Virginia and Southern Virginia have come together to co-sponsor a free two-day conference for anyone interested in church planting, church revitalization, or shifting the paradigms of existing churches from one of attraction to one centered on mission and discipleship. Author, speaker, and National Director of the V3 Church Planting Movement, JR Woodward, will invite us to consider why our current paradigms of Church need to change and offer guidance on ways to bring about such change. To learn more about V3 Church Planting Movement go here.
This conference will provide space to pray, dream, and discern how God may be calling you to think of and be the Church differently within your own Episcopal context. Individuals (both lay and ordained) and church groups are invited to attend.
The conference is free with registration.
| |
|
Save the Date for
the Spring Parish Picnic
Sunday, May 19th, 4-7pm
at Rock Bottom
Put on your comfy clothes, bring a folding chair and/or blanket, and join us for the St. James’s Spring Picnic! We are thrilled to bring this event back this year, and thankful to the Gottwald family for the use of Rock Bottom.
We'll have Lee’s Fried Chicken and Biscuits, and we're asking you to help make the picnic complete by bringing a side dish or dessert to share. Beer and Wine will be available, as well as water, tea, and lemonade. In upcoming eChimes you'll be able to purchase tickets and get more information.
Mark the date on your calendar for this fun event here in Richmond down by the river.
| |
Have you signed up
for a Youth Mission trip yet?
Or volunteered for
Vacation Bible School?
Grades 6-12 — Vacation Bible School
June 3-6
Youth will enjoy interacting with the children attending VBS. The children have so much fun spending time with our youth.
Grades 9-12 — Hurley Community Development Center
June 22 to 28
Youth will go to Hurley, VA to work in a community food bank and help residents with necessary home repairs.
Grades 5-8 — Harvest of Hope on the Eastern Shore
July 14 to 17
Youth will go to the Eastern Shore to glean (pick) crops for local food banks and participate in hunger education (while also having fun at camp!)
Youth can earn Community Service hours volunteering for VBS and participating in the Youth Mission trips.
For more information and to sign up, go here.
If you have questions, contact Katie Ricard at youth@doers.org
| |
|
The elevator will be out-of-service for a few weeks.
We were delighted to re-open the elevator for Easter. But there are still some cosmetic changes that need doing, so the elevator will be out of order for the next few weeks. We apologize for any inconvenience.
| | |
St. James’s Episcopal Church | DOERS.ORG | (804) 355-1779
| |
| | | |
