Activities, Groups, Programmes @ St James's
We're not an over-organised church. Many of the activities, groups and programmes listed below have simply developed in response to need and inspiration and in the light of our reading of the Gospel. As a church we have long welcomed a wide range of groups and activities. Here are brief notes on some of the groups and events that meet or happen at St James’s. Some are directly part of our common, worshipping life, others are not.
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ALTERNATIVES Alternatives is 'dedicated to exploring creative spiritual alternatives to ideas currently accepted in western thought'. Not part of the Church, but has been using our building for many years. 020 7287 6711 or email, or visit their website ANIMAL WELFARE Exploring what we can and should do, both as individual Christians and as part of the church. Meetings on 1st Sunday of the month, normally at 12.45 BLAKE SOCIETY William Blake was baptised at St James’ and is celebrated by the Society through lectures, discussion and visits to Blake sites. Click here for its website CARAVAN Drop-in counselling service The Caravan drop-in counselling service is provided by The Centre for Counselling & Psychotherapy. The service began here in 1982. Counselling is offered by volunteers undergoing professional accredited training who offer a core service of listening and emotional support, which can, by arrangement, evolve into counselling. The Caravan's website DANCED LITURGIES The monthly 'Danced Liturgy' at St James's Piccadilly takes place on the 3rd Sunday of the month, 1.30 - 3 p.m.. Starting and finishing with read prayers, the sessions are mostly circle dance, a mixture of dances to music from various countries and dances to worship songs or other music. The dancing usually take place in the church itself. People come on a drop-in basis. So any one session is tailored to the abilities and experience of attendees 'on the fly'. The sessions aim to be fun as well as prayerful. Enquiries: Heather Williams c/o Reception FAIR TRADE STALL Second and fourth Sunday after the 11am. More JULIAN GROUP (silent, contemplative prayer) Meets fortnightly, usually in the Tower Room at St James's, sometimes in the Rectory, 6.30-7.30pm. Newcomers always welcome. Enquiries to Nick Hamilton c/o the Parish Secretary. More here LAY SINGERS The Lay Singers perform at most of our Sunday 11am services and on high days and Holy days. They rehearse every Sunday at 10am. Interested? Email Michael Haslam, Director of Music LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANS & QUEER (LGBTQ+) GROUP Our LGBTQ+ group extends a warm welcome to everyone, regardless of sexuality, on the second Sunday in every month at 1pm for a shared lunch, discussions and other events. NIGHT SHELTER Overnight hospitality offered to women and men who constitute the 'hidden' and street homeless. Part of a network of provision by local churches. Operates in winter months. Want to help? Find out more PICCADILLY MARKET See the Piccadilly Market's own site, here REFUGEES We support the work of the Bail Circle, a project of the Churches Commission for Racial Justice, and of BID (Bail for Immigration Detainees). See www.biduk.org or email here. TAIZE - MUSIC FROM TAIZE Third Sunday of the month at 6.00pm at Evening Prayer VAGABONDS GROUP The Vagabonds are a group of mainly Christian spiritual enquirers. They meet informally once a month in a pub close to St. James' to discuss a topic of interest. They take their name from William Blake's poem The Little Vagabond, a character who prefers the alehouse to the church (Blake was baptised at St James’). More, and schedule of meetings. See also Dick Whittington's memoir about this history of the group. ZEN GROUP This group is part of the Sanbo Kyodan tradition of Zen in Japan and is under the guidance of Zen teacher John Gaynor. Attendance is by invitation. Enquiries to John Gaynor 01473 822110 |
I think there ought to be a club in which preachers and journalists could come together and have the sentimentalism of the one matched with the cynicism of the other. That ought to bring them pretty close to the truth.
Reinhold Niebuhr Bring us, O Lord God, at our last awakening into the house and gate of heaven, to enter into that gate and dwell in that house, where there shall be no darkness nor dazzling, but one equal light; no noise nor silence, but one equal music; no fears nor hopes, but one equal possession; no ends nor beginnings, but one equal eternity; in the habitations of thy glory and dominion, world without end. John Donne
An unimaginative person can neither be reverent nor kind.
John Ruskin In the face of death, live humanly. In the middle of chaos, celebrate the Word. Amidst babel, I repeat, speak the truth. Confront the noise and verbiage and falsehood of death with the truth and potency and efficacy of the Word of God. Know the Word, teach the Word, nurture the Word, do the Word, live the Word. And more than that, in the Word of God expose death and all death’s works and wiles, rebuke lies, cast out demons, exorcise, cleanse the possessed, raise those who are dead in mind and conscience.
William Stringfellow |