Our Ministries


"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. We engage in many ministries at St. James - within our property, in the local community and beyond. This has been a distinguishing mark of our parish for many years. Listed here are some of the opportunities available that show our commitment to our mission and ministries.


Serving in the Community and Beyond



The Lord's Pantry


During 2022, The Lord's Pantry provided over 100,000 additional meals to individuals and families than the prior year, bringing our meal count to just under 330,000. Each week, we assist an average of ten new families or individuals.  Food distribution continues each Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. –

12:30 p.m., curbside, along with emergency distribution five days a week serving the Homeless Hospitality Center, Ledge Light Health District, Northeast Medical Office, Covenant Shelter, Safe Futures and other social service agencies. Parishioners and neighborhood volunteers assist in many different ways operating the pantry: loading and unloading of deliveries, packing boxes and distributing food and personal hygiene items each Wednesday on the lower level and driveway of the parish center.


Because of what we do to assist our neighbors, the Navy, Air National Guard, Waltham Chemical and other businesses have selected us as the recipients of their annual and bi-annual food drives. We sponsored four COVID Booster clinics and a flu vaccine clinic in addition to hosting health and well-being resource informational gatherings provided by Ledge Light and a registered pharmacist.



The Jumble Shoppe


St. James Jumble Shoppe is a thrift shop housed in the lower level of the church that offers a wide variety of gently-used clothing, housewares, jewelry, and accessories of all kinds to our New London neighbors at very affordable prices. We have all come to regard our regular customers as friends and are happy that the shop serves as a friendly gathering place for the community. We also offer clothing free to people in special need, including people experiencing homelessness and those seeking employment. Sales generate funding for many national, statewide and local relief organizations, shelters, food distributors and other charities.


The shop has been an active ministry of St James since 1968, and is staffed today as it was then, by friendly members and supporters of the parish who sort donations, keep the shop in order, and offer special help to customers needing particular items. Goods are donated by parishioners, customers, and gratefully, from our neighbors at St. Ann's Nearly New Shop in Old Lyme.


The Jumble Shoppe is open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10 AM - 1 PM.



Faith in Action Committee


The Faith in Action committee meets regularly during the year to review the various existing missional programs of the parish and discuss possible new avenues for outreach and parish involvement. The committee oversees expenditure of earnings from the Jumble Shoppe with the aim of supporting local, national and international programs in an equitable manner. The committee also is charged with the responsibility to stay in touch with and to support our home bound and ailing parishioners.



The Prayer Circle prays daily for anyone that has made a prayer request for themselves or others, for those for whom we pray on Sunday in our Prayers of the People, and those prayer requests put in the book near the church entrance. Both current and former parishioners who have moved away are a part of this effort.



The Caring for Creation Committee holds two outdoor activities each year as well as engages with what is becoming the diocesan-wide Creation Care Network, headed by the Rev. Anita Schell, rector of St. Ann’s Church in Old Lyme. We hold two cleanup mornings at the Antientist Burial Ground cemetery up the street from the church as a contribution to the neighborhood. This activity is promoted in The Day newspaper and occasionally attracts help from other members of the wider community. It also provides some positive communication between the church and town hall, which is always aware of our activities at the cemetery. With the oversight and hard work of Mary Lycan in her backyard gardens, we have continued an opportunity to contribute vegetables to the area food distribution centers.



The Hats, Mittens and Scarves Team knits winter clothing items year round that are contributed to all the New London elementary schools, the Covenant Shelter, Homeless Hospitality Center, and to many others who are in need of “warmth” each winter.



The St. James Quilters meet in the parish center parlor on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month and work together to make quilts and offer them to a variety of non-profits, to St. Francis House, the Covenant Shelter and now mostly to the Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) for their "Nurse-Family Care Partnership" which provides intensive visits by a registered nurse for prenatal and post-partum care to first time mothers from 20 weeks of pregnancy to the child's second birthday. This past year we gave the VNA 31 quilts, 4 fleece blankets and 1 baby afghan. The group also participates in the St. Nicholas Fair organized by the Jumble Shoppe at Christmas time and made over $1,300 by selling a quilts and other hand-crafts in support of the Jumble Shoppe and other parish ministries.



The Stewardship Committee's mission is to encourage faithful giving of whatever assets we bring to St. James in terms of our time, our talents and our treasure. While there is a "giving season" in the fall, we see stewardship as a year-round endeavor to keep all of our ministries moving forward.



The Investment Committee is responsible for overseeing the St. James Endowment Fund, which is used to partially fund the annual Operating Budget and to pay for other expenditures as directed by the Vestry. This committee meets quarterly with the Portfolio Manager from Citizens Bank to review the investments.



Other Ministries Beyond St. James


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 services to promote healing, recovery, and self-sufficiency. Covenant Shelter welcomes residents from all paths and does not require any particular religious affiliation or participation by any of the residents or staff members.


St. James has had a long history of ministry with the homeless and this includes hosting the New London Homeless Hospitality Center in our Seabury Parish Center from its founding in 2007 until HHC found a new permanent location on State Pier Road. St. James now provides HHC Board leadership and volunteers who serve the homeless.


Learn more about Homelessness in Southeast Connecticut at Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.


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 Catholic 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).


The Episcopal Relief and Development Fund (ERD) is one aspect of Episcopal Church outreach—both in the United States  and around the world. 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 on the website link above or to ERD (P.O. Box 7058, Merrifield, VA, 22116-7058), or to St. James, and “memo” it ERD.

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