"We share God's inclusive and eternal love with everyone!"

Welcome!

Welcome to the “front door” of St. James! This website will tell you that we are an over 300 member congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). As a Reconciling In Christ church, we celebrate and welcome all races, cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations and gender identities. Each Sunday we gather at 9:30am around a classic Lutheran liturgy, beautiful music and warm hospitality. We believe God is present as we gather and serve those in need beyond our doors.

Here’s how we share “God’s Inclusive Love:”

Providing 122 units of low-income housing to those in need at our St. James Apartments
Serving though our St. James Foot Care Ministry
130 children find a welcoming learning environment in our St. James Child Development Center
Kids and adults explore Biblical stories that relate to daily life
Bach Cantata Vespers, Jazz Vespers and Lutheran liturgy fill the air with music
Pastoral care touches those at times of baptism, weddings, funerals and transition
Feeding those on our streets each Tuesday and supporting Lutheran World Relief
Following Christ on this site since 1890.

Join us, not to visit, but to be touched by God’s love.

Pastor David Knapp

Worship Services

Sunday Morning Worship with Holy Communion

Every Sunday, 9:30am
Holy Communion in the Main Sanctuary with refreshments served in the Pioneer Chapel immediately following. Childcare provided 9:15am-12:15pm

Midweek Eucharist

Every Wednesday, 12:00 Noon
We gather each Wednesday at Noon in the Pioneer Chapel for a half-hour Service of the Eucharist. Join Pastor David each Wednesday for Bible Study at 12:30pm as we explore the rich stories in Genesis and Exodus. Why did God tell Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac? What was wrong with Jacob’s hip? Why did Rebecca like one of her twin boys more? How did Joseph end up in Egypt? We gather for one hour. Bring your questions and imagination. So, remember to gather each Wednesday: at Noon for Eucharist Worship in Pioneer Chapel; and then at 12:30pm for Pastor’s Bible Study.

Jazz Vespers

Sunday, October 20th, 5:00pm will feature Rob Scheps on tenor saxophone.
Arrive at 4:50 for pre-Vespers music when Rob will be joined by our St. James house band: Mike Horsfall, piano; Laurent Nickel, bass; Brent Follis, drums; and Valarie Brown, cantor. Vespers service starts at 5:00pm. Freewill offering welcome. Reception for St. James Artist-of-the-Month follows the service, in the Pioneer Chapel. Come with friends!

Weather and Worship

St. James will not cancel worship services due to inclement weather. If the streets look too bad, please don’t risk it. But if you come, we’ll be here with the doors open.

Upcoming Ministry at St. James

Feeding the Hungry …
For several months now, St. James members have partnered with Pastor Bruce Arnold in distributing a meal to those in need. We gather each Tuesday at 6:15pm by the Lincoln statue about a block from St. James. We hand out food, hygiene items and new socks. We have conversation, build relationships and learn about particular needs. This month Council approved our participation in this ministry. We will need 4-6 volunteers each week to help distribute the contributed food. There is a sign-up sheet in the hallway. We welcome all members to join us in this weekly act of kindness.
Scholastic Book Fair October 7-11 …
St. James Child Development Center is once again holding its annual Scholastic Book Fair. This is an important event that brings the books kids want to read right into our school. It’s a wonderful selection of engaging and affordable books for every reading level. And it’s a great way for members of St. James to support this amazing program. Plus, you can get a little Christmas shopping in early for all of the little people in your life. Please make plans to visit our Book Fair and be involved in shaping reading habits.
Book Fair dates: October 7-11
Shopping hours: 7:15am to 5:30pm
If you’re not able to attend the Fair, try our new online shopping. We’ve partnered with the Scholastic Store to offer over 6,000 products that ship direct to home (with free shipping on book-only orders of $25 or more)! Visit our homepage to get started: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/stjameschlddev1
We hope to see you at our Book Fair! Remember, all purchases benefit our school.
St. James Outreach to our Community …
On Sunday, October 20th, 4:00pm, St. James will host a wine and cheese reception for residents of The Elliot Apartments and The Museum Place Apartments. We also invite them to join us during our Jazz Vesper and following reception with St. James Artist Rose Ann Clementi. All members of St. James are also invited as we embrace our neighborhood. We look forward to seeing you there!