A Church Community in Warrenton, Virginia
That is the question asked almost daily from parishioners, school parents, staff, neighbors. The answer is “as soon as we possibly can”! Originally we had hoped to begin at the beginning of September but are now shooting for the end of the month/ beginning of October. We are currently seeking final approval of our site plan, construction drawings, and necessary permitting.
Continue reading “Church/School Expansion Update: September 2017”
Hopefully one last parish meeting before we break ground on the expansion building project!
As we file all of the necessary paperwork for us to break ground in early September we need a more specific resolution regarding our financing and collateralizing of our endowment and rectory as conditions of our loan.
Come to church on Sunday July 23rd and cast your vote! We will open the meeting right after the 8am service and will keep the meeting open until after the 10:15 service and ballots can be cast at any time during that window. Please make sure to make it to church that Sunday as this is an important requirement.
“Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.” – The Book of Common Prayer
What does “Pledge Day – April 2, 2017” mean?
Can I take my pledge card home on April 2nd and think about my gift?
Continue reading “CONNECTED Capital Campaign: Frequently-Asked Questions”
One week from today we will be asking you to fill out your pledge cards as you sit in the pews. We will then have you hand the cards to the ushers during the offertory.
We are so excited about our plans and can’t wait to get started. The more quickly we know where we are financially the more quickly we can get our financing in place and break ground.
Join us at the WARF for a family fun night of swimming benefiting the SJPA!
Pizza, snacks and drinks will be sold onsite for $1.
ALL children must be supervised (6 and under must have a swimming adult) and attendees must comply with WARF rules listed on the the back of the form below.
When signing up, please keep in mind:
Saint James’ Episcopal School’s first fifth grade graduation in May, 2015 was a monumental achievement for our community. What in 2010 had been just a dream had become a reality. This dream made manifest was realized in no small part thanks to the unwavering support of the Church.
Our Church and School continue to remain extremely intentional in their interconnectedness and this is why both entities continue to thrive. As an Episcopal School, we are the Church’s largest, most vibrant, and most closely connected ministry.
Continue reading “CONNECTED Capital Campaign: What Makes SJES Unique”
As we look ahead with great hope and optimism to Pledge Day, April 2, 2017, it is fitting that we take a moment to look more closely at our largest ministry, largest donor, and continuing success story, Saint James’ Episcopal School. The numbers below leave no doubt that education is a central passion and gift of our parish.
50 years ago the education wing was built onto our church. At that time there was no school and the parish consisted of 309 members.
898 adults and children call Saint James’ their home today
Continue reading “By The Numbers: Saint James’ Church & School”
Corporate worship lies at the heart of Saint James’ spiritual life, and music plays an important role in almost all of the worship services that we offer. It is the mission of Saint James’ music ministry to aid the congregation in offering up praises to God.
As Episcopalians, we have a musical heritage that is one of the world’s richest and most deeply spiritual. For over 500 years, Anglican church music has sought to tell the Christian faith with authenticity and truth. Our music is an extremely diverse and multi-layered art form that celebrates and encompasses many different traditions. You might be interested, when singing hymns, to read the small print below each one and note the many and varied sources of the poetry and the music.
Our beautiful, historic, welcoming church will be made even more hospitable with the addition of new handicap parking spaces in the parking lot, permanent ramps, a lift for Parish Hall access, a centrally-located elevator in the new building, and ADA-certified bathroom facilities.
Father Ben shared this remembrance which highlights just one example of how needed and how welcome the planned accessibility upgrades will be:
“The Director of Christian Education from my previous church in Louisville came to church one Sunday. Lauralee wanted to show Ms. Martha her classroom so she led her down the stairs. Ms. Martha has some mobility issues and I forgot how much she had depended upon the elevator in Louisville. As I watched her slowly go down each step backwards, clinging to the rail, and wincing the entire way, I realized that the most formative person in my children’s faith development would hardly be able to teach Sunday school at Saint James’ much less serve as Director of Christian Formation. It was a profound recognition of the need and the fact that it is not just those confined to wheelchairs whose ministries are limited by our space.”
Our exciting renovation plans will open up our spaces to everyone who wants to share in them!
Continue reading “CONNECTED Capital Campaign | February 12, 2017”
As a church and a school, we strive to be an icon of Christ’s expansive love and care for the world. That love does not set conditions or limits to its reach.
Unfortunately our space does.
In terms of accessibility, available space, and a facility equipped for 21st century ministry, our beautiful grounds fall woefully short.
It has been 50 years since our last major expansion or renovation and it shows.
Continue reading “CONNECTED Capital Campaign | February 5, 2017”
MARK THIS DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR!
APRIL 2, 2017
On April 2nd we will be inviting you to make your pledge to the CONNECTED Capital Campaign.
Between now and Pledge Day, April 2nd, we will be sharing weekly information with you. Be on the lookout for updated building plans and renderings, a closer look at our campaign goal versus actual project costs, and a spotlight on the benefits this project will bring to the church, the school, and our greater Warrenton community.
Riley, a 5th grader at SJES, is working with RappCats for his service project.
RappCats is a volunteer organization working to help the stray, abused, abandoned, and injured cats of Rappahannock County. They assist with low-cost spay/neuter, veterinary care, and finding temporary and permanent homes.
They also operate the RappCats Adoption Center, a cageless, no-kill facility. They rely entirely on donations to support their operation.
This January, Riley will be collecting items from the organization’s wish list to take to them. Please help if you can. A copy of the list can be found on the bulletin board outside the Parish Hall.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7th @ 5:00 PM
Join us for this annual event of family fun!
The cost will be $10 per gingerbread house, and $5 per person for dinner (no more than $20 per family for dinner).
Let us know how many houses your family will need so we can be sure to have it available for you.
Fill out the form below to sign up; there is also a sign-up sheet outside the parish hall.
Continue reading “Gingerbread House Making & Spaghetti Dinner on December 7”
Hi,
My name is Madisyn and I’m in the 5th grade at SJES.
I’m looking for donations to help provide comfort and support for children who are entering the foster care system, who have been a victim of a crime, who have had to flee to an emergency shelter, or who have lost their home due to fire. I’m helping to gather donations until October 31.
Fauquier County’s VPI is in need of the following:
Continue reading “Donate Basic Items to Virginia Preschool Initiative”
THE SEARCH IS OVER… for a fun way to support a great cause, an adult night out with delicious food and beverages, music and dancing, exciting silent and live auctions and wine pull, and time with fellow school and church friends, new and old!
So now all you need is a babysitter…but search no more!
While we are starting a new program year, much feels like an extension or culmination of where we have already been.
We continue to celebrate our bicentennial year with a service in September taken from the 1789 Prayer Book. Our annual Gala in October will celebrate the light we have been in the town of Warrenton and the exciting and important ministry ahead. And we will celebrate our place among the communion of saints with an All Saint’s organ recital and choral evensong. It has been a rich experience to learn more about our history, the people and the pivotal events, and see our place in God’s still unfolding story.
The new architecture firm, Kerns Group Architects, is swiftly refining our drawings and integrating their new ideas into the project. We have been very impressed with their careful listening and quick turn around. I think a few of the most impressive changes include the addition of a distinct school entrance and a richer incorporation of our existing architectural details, most notably highlighting the ascension window and pitch of the church, and a more cost effective and accessible location for the elevator to serve both church and school. We continue to grow more excited with each revision and cannot wait to share the final schematics with all of you later this fall.