St. James’s Ministries
1. Altar Guild & Sacristy
Contact Alvin Lindo. Email: alvin.lindo@rcn.com
Members of the Altar Guild play an important role in preparing for the sacraments performed in the Episcopal Church. Duties include preparing the altar and sacristy for communion each Sunday and throughout the liturgical calendar; readying the eucharist travel kit for parishioners who are housebound; preparing the baptismal font for baptisms; and other tasks related to church sacraments.
2. Building Use Committee
Contact Liz McNerney. Email: liz.mcnerney@gmail.com
The purpose of the Building Use Committee is to sustain and strengthen existing relationships that support our vision of a dynamic parish house as a resource that is lovingly shared in service to God at work in our thriving community. Volunteers are needed to help set up/clean up for events and other tasks.
3. Church School
Contact Alice Killian. Email: juniorwarden@stjamescambridge.org
St. James’s Church School meets each Sunday morning from September through June. The Younger Kids Class meets in Classroom 112 from 10 am until 11 am when children are escorted to the Sanctuary to join their families for communion. The Older Kids Class meets in the Lounge at 10 am. Every other Sunday, this class ends early — at 10:30 am — to enable these older kids to have roles in the liturgy. Liturgical roles include service as acolytes, readers and ushers. Activities in addition to Sunday classes include skits, art projects and field trips throughout the year. All Church School teachers must complete Safe Church Training provided through the Diocese. Church School at St James is a vibrant place of fun. Help it become even better by volunteering your time or skills!
4. Episcopal City Mission
Contact Liz McNerney. Email: liz.mcnerney@gmail.com
ECM builds relationships and collective power across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for racial and economic justice as the expression of God’s transforming love. We do this by organizing Episcopalians and funding BIPOC-led movement building in grassroots and faith-rooted organizations.
5. Eucharistic Lay Ministry
Contact Mary Caulfield. Email: mcaulf5@mac.com
St. James’s has had a long tradition of caring for parishioners who cannot attend Sunday services in person. Lay Eucharistic Visitors are sent from the church with a blessing from the priest and the parish to visit communicants in their homes, as well as hospitals and long-term care settings. Because of COVID concerns, this ministry has been on hold but we are looking to gather a new group of visitors, provide training in pastoral and safeguarding issues, and offer mutual support.
6. Finance Committee
Contact Matthew Abbate. Email: teoliabbate@gmail.com
The Finance Committee monitors the church's finances month-to-month and plans for longer-range needs and opportunities. In October-December of each year we prepare St. James's budget for the following year. The committee meets once a month, usually the second Thursday of the month at 7 pm. In recent times our meetings have been held on Zoom.
7. Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO)
Contact Gene Corbin. Email: gene.corbin01@gmail.com
The Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) works for the public good by coalescing, training, and organizing people across religious, racial, ethnic, class, and neighborhood lines. Membership consists of 60 organizations in Greater Boston representing more than 107,000 individuals. St. James has rejoined GBIO for 2025.
8. Helping Hand Food Pantry
Contact Maryann Doiron. Email: maryanndoiron@gmail.com
The Helping Hand Food Pantry is an all-volunteer run resource with the goal of providing healthy food for Cambridge residents experiencing food insecurity. The Helping Hand Food Pantry operates twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month when clients can "shop" for food in the parish hall. Volunteers are welcome to assist with unloading food deliveries on the Friday before the pantry and during the pantry operation to break down boxes, escort clients through the pantry, and clean-up.
9. Hospitality Committee
Contact Jane Hirschi. Email: janehirschi@gmail.com
The St. James’s hospitality committee provides refreshments at social hour after Sunday service as well as at a number of special events throughout the year. Members may host (or help host) social hour on a rotating schedule, or help plan and carry out special events such as the annual meeting lunch or the St. James’s Day picnic. Contact co-chairs Jane Hirschi or Sarah Forrester if interested in joining.
10. Intercessory Prayer Ministry
Contact JT Kittredge. Email: jontom.kittredge@gmail.com
The Intercessory Prayer Team gets prayer requests via email, and members are invited to respond in whatever way they feel called. The only requirement is confidentiality. The requests come from Rev Matt, or parishioners, or from the team members themselves. The requests average two or three a week.
11. Library Committee
Contact Mary Caulfield. Email: mcaulf5@mac.com
The parish library offers a wide variety of materials on topics that include parish history, social issues, theology for lay people, and inquiry into scripture. We are interested in your suggestions for new acquisitions and would be grateful for volunteers to assist with cataloguing and other duties.
12. Missions Committee
Contact Nancy McArdle. Email: nancymcardle@comcast.net
The Missions Committee administers the Missions Fund, through which the parish supports dedicated people and organizations who work in such areas as refugee assistance, theological education, medical care, and unhoused and prison ministries. The Committee also provides educational opportunities for the parish to learn more about missions and God’s reconciling work in the world. Currently we have only a couple meetings per year and welcome all who are interested!
13. Monday Meditation
Contact Tom Hirschi. Email: thomashirschi53@gmail.com
Meditative Silence offers an accessible, interfaith opportunity for parishioners and community members to hold a space of silence together. Each session is 45 minutes long with a short reading offered by one of the two leaders at the end. Meditative Silence meets in the Parish Hall on Mondays from 5:30pm to 6pm. All are welcome!
14. Music Ministry
Contact Pat Michaels. Email: pat@stjamescambridge.org
The Music Ministry includes the Adult Choir (weekly rehearsals Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.), the Greenleaf Choir (weekly rehearsals at 5:30 on Fridays) and the Men’s Choir (occasional rehearsals for special offerings), as well as various instrumentalists and singers. We support, enliven and enhance the musical worship of the congregation on Sunday mornings (10:30.a.m.) Speak with Pat Michaels to get more information about joining any of these groups or offering your musical gifts.
15. Neighborhood Engagement Events
Contact Rev. Matt Stewart. Email: matt@stjamescambridge.org
Since the building of St. James's new parish hall, one of the community's goals is to connect with our neighborhood in new ways. In order to do this, we have offered an array of new programs such as but not limited to: Monday Meditation, Tai Chi, Lemonade on the Lawn concerts, fall fairs, and the Christmas Tree lighting. If you would like to help with any of these programs or have an idea for another neighborhood engagement program, please speak to Rev. Matt.
16. Outdoor Church
Contact Steve Bingaman. Email: bingaman@bu.edu
The Outdoor Church conducts worship service on Sunday at 9 am at the Porter Square MBTA station. We sponsor hospitality after the service with donuts and coffee. Everyone is welcome. We pull carts of food, snacks, and drinks through Harvard and Central Square on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. We gather at 1.30 pm at the Harvard Epworth Church and return before 5 pm. Everyone is welcome to walk and hand out sandwiches with us.
17. Property, Repair, and Maintenance
Contact Alan Aukeman. Email: alanaukeman@hotmail.com
The Property Committee meets monthly to review and discuss the building and grounds needs for the Parish House, Garden and Sanctuary. This work includes fielding immediate maintenance concerns along with managing the various regularly scheduled and contracted tasks such as landscape care and the servicing of the heating and cooling systems. We also track, assess, and manage longer term needs such as roof repairs on the sanctuary, the condition of the stained glass, and the lifecycle needs of other building systems. We invite anyone interested to join us.
18. Readers & Chalice Bearers
Contact Rev. Matt Stewart. Email: matt@stjamescambridge.org
The Readers at St. James's are those who read the Scripture texts and Prayers of the People in our principal Sunday worship service at 10:30 am. The Chalice Bearers are those who distribute wine during communion time. Both roles can be a meaningful way of participating in our liturgy, as a vehicle for God's love in the sharing story and sacrament.
19. Scouts
Contact Michelle Holmes. Email: mdhmd8@gmail.com
St. James’s charters Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America) programming for youth of all genders, faiths, and economic circumstances from ages 5 to 21. This program fosters youth leadership, citizenship, and character development often using exploration of the outdoors as a method. We meet at St. James’s on Tuesday evenings (while public school is in session) starting at 6:30 pm for ages 5-10 and 7:00 pm for ages 11+.
20. Stewardship
Contact John Irvine. Email: john.m.irvine@gmail.com
The Stewardship committee’s purpose is to nurture the Christian spirit of giving among St. James’s parishioners and friends of St. James’s. Stewardship oversees the ministry fair in the spring (giving time and talent) and the pledge campaign in the fall (giving financial support). New members are welcome.
21. Social Justice Reading Group
Contact Jane Hirschi. Email: janehirschi@gmail.com
The St. James’s Book Group meets weekly to discuss books on the general theme of US history through a social justice lens. Most recently, we read Undivided: the Quest for Racial Solidarity in an American Church by Hahrie Han. We meet on Sundays at 9:15am during the school year (between the two services) and at 8:15am during the summer (when there is one service). Newcomers are welcome to join at any time.
22. Tech Team
Contact Steve Clark. Email: steven.n.clark@gmail.com
The Tech Team streams our services out onto YouTube, both live and on demand, expanding our communion circle by dozens every week. The demands of the task are simple. The instructions fit on a single page, and you can do the job with confidence after copiloting just one service. The spiritual practice is simply to picture someone who is not attending in person, and then be their eyes and ears. The time demand is usually about one service per month. ALSO, even if you don’t want to do a service per month, please do come sit and co-pilot with one of us, anytime, just so you’ll have the skill and experience in your back pocket!
23. Ushers
Contact Nancy McArdle. Email: nancymcardle@comcast.net
The Ushers are the first faces that many see when entering the church, and we strive to be welcomers who greet parishioners and visitors, hand out leaflets, guide communicants up to receive communion, take up the offering, answer questions, and count attendance. Ushers usually serve as “usher coordinator” once a month and help with other tasks, as available, on other weeks. We look for friendly, welcoming people to join us!
24. Vestry
Contact Becky Bjork. Email: seniorwarden@stjamescambridge.org
The Vestry is the lay leadership/board of the church. They aid the Rector to oversee and develop programming. They are responsible for the property and finances of the Parish. The vestry also represents the parish in its relationship with the Rector and would oversee the hiring of a Rector when there is a vacancy. Additionally the vestry serves as a “Council of Advice” for the Rector when requested. The vestry also works with the Rector to promise the spiritual welfare of the parish and to raise up candidates for Holy Orders. Commitments to serving on the vestry include monthly meetings and a yearly vestry retreat. Vestry members are elected at the annual meeting.
25. Welcomers Ministry
Contact JT Kittredge. Email: jontom.kittredge@gmail.com
Being a Welcomer means giving an informal welcome for visitors and newcomers at Announcements one Sunday a month. Welcomers are also asked to approach newcomers after the service and informally, but warmly, welcome them personally.