A guide to services at St James
“What does the Lord require of you?
To do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your god.”
Micah 6 verse 8
Have you read our inspirational poems?
For details of services this month please see the diary!
Weekly
Marriage
Baptisms
Funerals
Marriage is an important step in anyone's life and the Church welcomes you and wants to help you make this special day as memorable and enjoyable as possible. Choosing to marry in Church underlines your commitment to each other, as you look forward to starting off married life blessed by God and supported by the prayers of your family and friends.
Marriage is a life long commitment which must be taken seriously and with a great deal of thought and preparation. At St. James, we aim to provide you with practical help and prayerful preparation, not just for the day, but also for rest of your life together.
If you would like to consider being married at St James', please contact the Vicar or Curate. They will be very happy to help you in preparing for your wedding day and your future together.Banns
If you are living in the Parish of St James' but are getting married in another Parish, you will need your Banns to be read for three weeks at St James'. Please contact us, or come to the Church Office on a Monday evening (6pm-7pm) and one of the clergy will help you fill in the application form.
Baptism is about becoming part of the community of Christian believers and joining with them on their journey of discipleship. For many people the baptism or christenings of their babies has encouraged them to think more deeply about their own faith and place in the church. At St. James we have baptism services (for babies and small children) every two months in the main 10am service. We also offer a short 10-minute thanksgiving service a week or so before the baptism/christening. In addition we invite the parents to two preparation evenings when we discuss the meaning of baptism, go through the service, and look at books, videos and tapes that might help parents teach their child more about God. Many of the parents have told us how helpful they found the evenings. Here are some comments by parents after the baptism;
'The children's area at the back is brilliant. 'Wonderful' Even my dad said how the church has changed since his day it¹s put a new life of church inside his head'
After the baptism we keep in touch with the families through complementary magazines for a year, anniversary cards, and regular social events.
For other people, their journey to faith in Christ comes later in life, as adults. We offer a 6-week starter course on the basics of the Christian faith, called Emmaus, which many of the people in church have also done. For one woman, this course was the highlight of her year. She was recently baptised with another member of the group, in an Anglican service at our local Baptist church. There are Emmaus groups around the neighbourhood in one group five 12-16 years olds met to learn more about their faith, while in another group the combined age is 755 years, and the average age is 83! One member of this latter group was confirmed in her faith by the Bishop of Sherwood on her 90th birthday!
So whether bringing your child to be sprinkled' in a font, being dunked as an adult in a pool, or being confirmed on your 90th birthday, our desire is to help local people on their journey of faith in Jesus Christ. Why not get in touch and find out when the next group will be starting?
Funerals
Bereavement can be a deeply sad time for people. The journey through grief is unique to each individual. At St. James, we aim to offer different kinds of support at different times along that journey. This may include:Pastoral visit before the funeral by the clergy, including :
- The gift of the book 'You're never alone'.
-The use of the church for the funeral service.
-Post-funeral pastoral visits from the clergy and/or pastoral visitors.
- An option of entries in the St. James Book of remembrance which was dedicated in 2003.
- A leaflet about bereavement.
- Anniversary visits to St. James to say a prayer, light a candle or simply give thanks.
- Invitation to memorial service twice a year, in July and December including the lighting of a named candle for each person who has died.
- Complementary magazine for 12 months after the funeral.
