Getting to Know One Another

When we're already a rather small church, it may seem silly for us to talk about our small groups, but our small groups are in many ways the very heart of St. James.   It's in the small groups that meet irregularly for yard work or painting and in the more regular groups like the choir, the knitting group, or the Reformed Card-Sharks that friendships grow and the real person behind the Sunday mask can become known and accepted.  If you want to know who we are, what we value, and what we believe is important; check out our small groups.  Here are a few.

The Knitters of St. James Presbyterian Church

This group comes together in fellowship through their common interest in needlework to share patterns and techniques, to find causes to support and to dream of the next big project.  They donate their handiwork and the proceeds of their sales to such charities as

• Afghans for Afghans
• Heifer International
• The Night Ministry
• Sarah's Circle
• The V.A. Hospital in Maywood, Illinois

In 2007 our knitters raised and donated over $900 to various charities.  To join this group, ask around on Sunday for one of the members and she'll be glad to tell you how to join.  They even teach knitting to men and women who have no experience whatsoever!

The St. James Choir

Our choir is made up of volunteers, some with musical training and others with none, but all of them love to sing and seem to have a lot of fun in the process.  Philip Seward, our Music Director, selects music from ancient to newly composed--from contemporary to classic.  The ministry of the choir to inspire, to teach, and to lead in prayer is one they do very well.  They lead in worship from early September till the end of June. But even in the summer they are eager to solicit for new members.  Their rehearsals are a great place to get to know other members and exercise your vocal cords.  You can read more of what we believe about worship and music here.

St. James at the Greater Chicago Food Depository
 

Once a month a group from St. James makes the hike to the The Greater Chicago Food Depository to repackage food for distribution through local shelters and food banks throughout the metropolitan area.  Folks from St. James join with members of other churches, synagogues, and mosques to move tons of produce, pasta, or canned goods from industrial pallets into family sized packages for hungry people.  You'll be proud to contribute to the community and enjoy chatting as you work and visiting on the ride down and back.  Betty McCoy organizes the team which usually volunteers as a group on the fourth Saturday of the month.

Doretta Stier, Betty McCoy, and Charlotte Whitley from St. James regularly volunteer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository

The Reformed Card-Sharks of St. James

One evening a week from 7-9 pm a somewhat shady group meets in the parlor at St. James for a cut-throat night of gaming.  Nobody loses any money though, and the games are as varied as euchre, Rook, pachesi, Monopoly, and oddball board games you may never have heard of.  Show up and be prepared to be abused as the table talk gets hotter (and sillier) than the play.  (Although the name says they're "reformed," that refers to their Presbyterian theology not their cutthroat nature.)  It's a couple of hours of good-natured competition, questionable sportsmanship, and (if you're lucky) some terrific home-made snacks.

Yoga at St. James

At 9:30 on Saturday mornings, we offer a yoga class in the church sanctuary as a way to encourage meditation and to honor our bodies.  Beth Kaufman, a certified instructor and a member of the St. James Community is our teacher.  Although there is not a lot of socializing during the class, you will get to meet and get to know the other participants from the neighborhood and from St. James as you get set up for the class and as you reset the sanctuary for worship after class.  You can read more about the class here.