Our parish is engaged in many ways serving the wider community. Whether you are looking for a onetime event, a short term project, or ongoing ministry, St. James is the place to be! We feed the hungry at Our Neighbors’ Table, participate in a variety of annual walks for non-profits, support the B-Safe Program by hosting inner-city kids, and much more.
One of our parish vision statements is “increasing our capacity for open and honest relationships with other people.” The mission and ministry of outreach work is the very heart of the Gospel: to love the Lord and to love our neighbors as ourselves – and everyone is our neighbor!
Our parish mission is to serve as a strong and loving community that welcomes, encourages and empowers all to grow in Christ and to do God’s work in the world. We do this by participating in the life of a community where each person’s concerns make a difference; where one can discover companions with whom you can work to help bring to the world a greater measure of social, economic, and environmental justice.
For the past several years, all of the proceeds from our annual participation in the Amesbury Village of Church Fairs, has been given to local non-profits: Pettengill House, whose mission is “to support, empower, and coordinate community and state services, provide basic needs, emergency assistance, prevention education, case management and support to those in need”; Our Neighbors’ Table, whose mission is “striving to provide our guests with nourishing food, kindness, dignity and a sense of community”; and a third non-profit that changes year to year.
St. James has also participated in the Soles 4 Souls shoe collection for local and international distribution, a winter coat collection for area shelters, backpacks and school supplies for area children with needs, and collects non-perishable food every worship service which is delivered weekly by volunteers to Our Neighbors Table.
Our Youth Group has traveled to New York City to work in shelters and learn about urban needs while our teen representatives to the Youth Leadership Academy and Diocesan Youth Council have participated in mission trips to New Orleans and Central America.
Please browse through the other pages in our Outreach section to learn about more of the ways you can become involved in St. James’s ministry and volunteer activities.