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"We are the Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement"
. . . Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry
We at St. James take our participation in God's reconciling mission very seriously. Listed here are some of the opportunities available to show our commitment to that mission.
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Collect for the Poor and the Neglected
Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. - BCP p826
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This "hidden jewel" is right in your own neighborhood. It is on the North side of the church beside Hallam Chapel... 
The work of The Lord's Pantry is divided into two areas: Financial Assistance and Food Staples...
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The Covenant Shelter was founded as a compact between St. Mary's Star of The Sea Roman Catholic and St. James Episcopal Churches in 1983. Today, volunteers from both churches still provide regular support for the Shelter by conducting food drives, birthday parties for the children, quilts for the beds, food donations and monetary donations. The Shelter houses up to 14 single men, 3 single women and 5 single-parent families with children and provides meals, case management and other support ...
St Francis House - Third Order Society of St. Francis
Just around the corner from St. James is St. Francis House, "a place for prayer, a house of hospitality, a center for peace and justice ministry." St. Francis House, a part of the Cathoic Worker Network, is part retreat house, part library and part incubator of new ideas and programs that address both local basic human needs and national social justice issues. Members of St. James have served as Board members and as program participants in the ministries developed through St. Francis House, including the Homeless Hospitality Center, New London Community Gardens, and CURE (Comunidad Unida por el Renacimiento de la Educacion/Community United for the Renaissance in Education).
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A healthy meal for all
On the first Saturday of every month, 12:00-1:00 pm, St James hosts a community meal, open and free to all who desire. St James, together with several other churches, offer these meals on Saturdays when the New London Community Meal Center is closed. In this way, the homeless, the working poor, families and others can have a healthy meal every day of the week. Typically, we host 100-150 people.
Ecuador Mission Trip
Work together, pray together, laugh together; experience a greater sense of God's mission in the world, and in our lives, together. For a good number of years a group from St. James and other parishes in the region have been traveling to a small village in the Ecuadorian highlands, just to help those villagers with projects that try to better their lives. In the process, we've established some life-changing relationships with Ecuadorian friends we never knew we had.
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Hats! Mittens! Gloves and Scarves!
It's cold out there!
Sue Chojnacki is heading up our effort this year. We provide sets for the heads, hands and necks of needy New London school children. Look for the boxes in the Narthex and Parish Hall. If you don’t have time to shop, they can do your shopping for you, just give us money and indicate it’s for “hats & mittens.”
In previous years, we delivered about 150 sets to local schools, the Covenant Shelter, and to the Head Start program based at St James. Many youngsters will be warm this winter thanks to your generosity!
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Outreach of The Episcopal Church
Episcopal Relief and Development Fund … is one aspect of Episcopal Church outreach—both in the United States (i.e., post-Hurricane Katrina) and around the world (Jerusalem, the broader Middle East, even Darfur in Sudan).
Your gifts to ERD go directly to support these vital ministries, and are administered by Episcopal or Anglican Bishops who are living in the midst of those troubles. Donations can be made directly to ERD (P.O. Box 12043, Newark NJ 07101), or to St. James, and “memo” it ERD.
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St James Quilters
St James Quilters create the beautiful quilts that are donated to the local VNA for their Nurse-Family Partnership. Do you know how to quilt or want to learn? Please join our group that meets on the second and fourth Thursday of every month at 10:00 AM in the church parlor. Bring your lunch to stay until 2:00 PM.
 
 
Region Missionary
The Episcopal Church of Connecticut has organized the diocese into six regions (replacing the former deanery organizations). For the Southeastern Connecticut region, which consists of sixteen parishes, our missionary is the Rev. Rachel Thomas.
Southeast Region: The Rev. Rachel Thomas -To sign up for the Southeast Newsletter, Bridge, click here.
 Rev. Thomas' statement:
I am honored to continue this call of Region Missionary, sharing the life of God’s Spirit amongst the people of the Southeast Region. The last two years of getting to know the 16 parishes, as well as numerous other nonprofits and agencies, has brought me face to face with Jesus’ love made flesh in our own time.
As someone who brought 10 years of lay ministry and 26 years of parish ministry into this role, I am constantly aware of the need for new wineskins for new wine. And deeply aware that, while they may change form, the core beliefs I have held onto for all these years: grace, forgiveness in Christ, the importance of beloved community, the gift of creation – remain.
I love beaches and sitting in the sun, as well as swimming, cycling, and walking our Brittany Spaniel, Coleman, with my husband Eric. Whenever we can, we see Eric’s three grown children and four grandchildren, who live in Manhattan, Brooklyn (NY) and Southington.
Contact: 860-316-8184, rthomas@episcopalct.org
The Southeast Region of ECCT has its own monthly newsletter, Bridge. Click here for the current issue.
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CARING FOR CREATION COMMITTEE
Our stewardship of God's creation extends outward from within ourselves to our immediate environment, to our church and to the greater world beyond. The Caring for Creation Committee seeks ways we can fulfill our stewardship obligations by generating practical ideas that can be translated into actions, whether on a small scale or well beyond our own community. This committee will also utilize communications with our sister parishes in the Southeast Region to broaden our efforts. Look for announcements of meetings and activities on the main page of this website, in weekly parish emails and Facebook postings. To see a list of vegetarian dish menus suggested by the committee, click here.
FAITH IN ACTION COMMITTEE
The Faith in Action Committee invites you to join our efforts to regularly in touch with the shut-ins and convalescent members of our parish so that they know we care deeply about them and that they are not forgotten. Each Sunday we will post the names on a clipboard in the parish hall with contact information for our members who are unable to worship with us. Please indicate on the accompanying signup sheet if there is a person you'd be willing to visit during the week on a regular basis. For additional information contact Fr. Ranjit or Dorothy Sieberg.
Our website is a very public extension of our outreach mission. More and more, people depend on the web as a major source of information. Our presence here not only broadcasts our "sense of the parish", it also ...
Prayer Shawl Ministry
The prayer shawl has a long history of being given as a comfort in a time of physical or emotional stress. Members of St. James who knit make either shawls or prayer cloths, a small retangle with a prayer attached, good especially for those who are sick. If you would like to be a part of this ministry, or if you know someone who would benefit from a prayer shawl or cloth, please contact either Pat King 860-442-4918, tizzytaz27@gmail.com or Deanna Bossdorf at 860-437-3153, matjge6@gmail.com.
Season for Racial Reconciliation - Resources
Below are a series of resources to further our understanding and desire for positive change in race relations in this country and in the world.
Books
Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged, and Profited from Slavery
by Anne Farrow and 3 others, Hartford Courant reporters
Deep South - Deep North: A Family’s Journey by Lottie B. Scott - The author spoke at our forum on Sunday, February 10, 2019
For Adam’s Sake: A Family Saga in Colonial New England by Allegra di Bonaventur
Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman
Me and White Supremacy Workbook by Layla F, Saad. Deacon Ellen will be offering a support group during Lent. Ask her for more information.
Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist by Derek Black
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin Diangel
Videos
The Danger of a Single Story, a TED Talk by Chimamandra Ngozi Adichie
The Doctrine of Discovery: Unmasking the Domination Code, a documentary
Thirteenth, a documentary about the Thirteenth Amendment and the history of racism in America
Podcasts
Good Ancestor Podcast by Layla F. Saad.
On Being Podcast by Krista Tippet -See website listing to see which ones apply to this topic
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