Acolytes
St. James has many exciting and meaningful ways to serve the community. One opportunity is the Acolyte Ministry Team. The acolytes at St. James enthusiastically serve at the altar at all Sunday services and holy days, such as Christmas Eve and Easter. Acolytes lead the opening procession, present the Gospel Book for reading, receive the offerings from the congregation, and assist in the administration of the Holy Eucharist as needed. Acolytes receive training and are assigned to serve on a regular rotation. The acolyte ministry is open to any person age ten or older. If you are interested in becoming an acolyte, please contact Morgan Gilbert.
Busy Bees & Liturgical Environment
If you love flowers and enjoy decorating, then this is the ministry for you! St. James offers a wide variety of seasonal opportunities to embellish our entire campus with love and beauty. Our Liturgical Environment Team sets the direction for the seasons, designing easy-to-follow directions for the Busy Bees helpers. From decorating Christmas trees or arranging spring flowers for Easter morning, our team of Busy Bees make sure our house of worship is inspiring and ready for every occasion. For more information, please contact Mary Anna Jeppe.
St. James Codes
St. James Codes, our class on learning how to code using small robots, is going cotillion! St. James Codes takes place usually after church on the first Sunday of the month. For our St. James Codes cotillion, students will be coding the Dash and Dot robots in social skills as well as basic dance moves. Polite behavior and etiquette will be taught to all the robots using block coding. St. James has the moves as well as the robots, but students will need to bring a device with the Blockly app downloaded.
Conversational English
This ongoing class meets, usually on the third Sunday of the month, in the library upstairs after church, led by Michele Volz and Maria Oleson, who serve as facilitators, offering engaging conversation springboards that draw out new vocabulary, thoughtful opinions, and shared insights in an encouraging atmosphere. Gentle guidance on pronunciation and syntax will be provided as needed to ensure clarity and comprehension. Michele Volz holds a TESOL certificate from UCI and an M.A. from Loyola Marymount, with 30 years teaching ESL at Santa Ana College and consulting for Pearson Longman. Maria Oleson, a speech-language pathologist, spent 30 years in Orange County schools, specializing in diverse communication needs. For more information, call the church office at 949.675.0210 or email office@stjamesnewport.org.
CREW (our youth group)
CREW’s mission is to create a welcoming space where young adults can gather socially and practice the mission of St. James the Great. The group’s vision is to cultivate a vibrant community where young adults build the joy of “doing good” for the benefit of others, find spiritual and social enrichment, and embrace the spirit of inclusion, welcoming everyone regardless of their faith or background. CREW meets on the third Sunday of the month after church in the Youth Room. For more information, check out CREW’s website.
St. James Family Circle
Life is full—school drop-offs, busy calendars, and everything in between. St. James Family Circle is a new gathering designed for families seeking connection, joy, less screen time, and a meaningful spiritual foundation in the midst of it all. Together, we’ll build friendships, share meals and laughter, and create space to grow in faith as a family—without adding more pressure to your schedule. Whether you’re looking to deepen your family’s spiritual life or simply connect with others walking a similar path, you are warmly invited. Come as you are and grow together. Future gatherings to be announced. Connect with us by contacting Kelly Oakley at familycircle@stjamesnewport.org.
Gen X ConneXion
Calling all GenXers born between 1965 and 1980 to connect with your peers in a welcoming community! Gather every six weeks or so to share good times and have meaningful conversations. This group will offer a chance to build friendships and make genuine connections in a relaxed atmosphere. Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it! Contact Sara and John Valinsky for more information at genx@stjamesnewport.org.
St. James’ Health Team
We are pleased to announce that St. James the Great has joined the Hoag Health Ministries’ Faith Community Nursing Program. We plan to continue Red Cross blood drives and add flu-vaccine clinics, quarterly health check-ins, educational opportunities, and support groups. For more information, contact health@stjamesnewport.org.
Mass for the Masses
The mission of “Mass for the Masses” is to use innovation, technology, and doing good as our means for achieving the goal of growing St. James among young adults (18–30), young families with children, LGBTQ+ persons, and the unchurched seeking a dynamic, evolving, and inclusive faith community. For more info, contact Brett Miller at mass4masses@stjamesnewport.org
Millennial Meetup
Soul Care
