Adult
Our overall mission is to introduce people of all ages to Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord and to help them to grow to maturity in Christ. To achieve this, our adult ministries are key in building community at St James: We aim to get people connected to the church and each other. Our ministries and events provide opportunities for new fellowship to begin and existing community to be strengthened.
Seniors Ministry (Super Sixties)
Our Seniors Ministry provides an informal fellowship for the more experienced members of St James. Through this dynamic ministry, seniors can share common experiences and encourage one another in good times and in difficult times. Our seniors have lots of fun together with regular social events that include outings and fellowship groups. The group also has monthly meetings that focus on devotion and discussion - a wonderful time spent around God's word while building relationships.
Men's Partnership
Our mission statement is "to Challenge men to live for Christ as we read and study the Bible".
Statistics show that 90% of the time when a man is converted and carefully discipled, his family (wife and kids) follows his lead. Our goal at St James Men's Partnership is to reach as many St James men as possible and to help them reach other men for Christ; draw them into the Partnership and, from there, help them to get involved in the life of St James. We are committed to a "deep pond" instead of a "big pond".
We meet every Friday morning at 06h00 for prayer - to pray specifically about men's issues. Then we enjoy a cooked breakfast at 06h30, which includes a time of discussion around the passage or topic of the morning. Thereafter, there is a 20-minute talk, followed by group prayer around tables. The Bible Study ends at 07h30.
Women's Ministry
Our Women's Ministry aims to help women grow in faith and godliness by example and teaching. We provide care and support for women in the church, and offer opportunities for them to meet regularly to build friendships.
There are tremendous opportunities for women to serve the Lord, within our church and in the greater community! At St James, women assist with the practical running of the church because we believe that they grow spiritually as they serve the Lord. Therefore, we encourage participation.
We also aim to equip our women to reach out to non-believing women, so we provide opportunities to include "un-churched" friends.
Read more about the events and groups that fall under the banner of the Women's Ministry below.
Women’s Coffee Morning and Evening
Women’s Coffee Morning (Tuesdays 10am - 11.30am ) and Coffee Evening (Wednesdays 7.30pm - 8.45pm) are the two weekly meetings for women of all ages to come together for an expository Bible Study and to enjoy fellowship around a cup of coffee/tea. The purpose of these gatherings is to explore and discuss the Bible in relation to women and their role in society today.
Coffee Morning also provides a tape library from which women can borrow recorded sermons, and a crèche facility for children from 3 months to about 3 years. Furthermore, we run A Children’s Coffee Morning Bible Club for little ones from 3 to 5 years of age. They are taught the Bible in a safe environment, and we provide kiddies with juice and biscuits.
Ladies Breakfast
Ladies Breakfasts occur once a month, on a Saturday morning. These breakfasts provide an opportunity for fellowship, but they do more than just that: they are evangelistic in thrust. We draw from dynamic speakers who deal with a number of topics using the Bible as their foundation - providing an excellent opportunity to include unsaved or "un-churched" women!
Floral Praise Ministry
Floral Praise is a ministry that provides all the floral arrangements in the church every week. The congregation benefits from their hard work, as these women dedicate their talents to His service.
Sunday Tea Ministry
The Sunday Tea Ministry functions to serve tea/coffee to the congregation after the morning services and before the evening service on Sundays.
Funeral Tea Ministry
The Funeral Tea Ministry provides a service to bereaved families. The women set up the hall, serve the tea and clean up afterwards. As this group of ladies never know when they are going to be called upon, a fairly large team is required. If you are able to help, please contact the church office.
Special Events Tea Ministry
A team of ladies make and serve tea at special events taking place at the church.
Coffee Shop Ministry
Mmmmm! Have you enjoyed a delicious muffin in our Coffee Shop after the Sunday service? Or, in winter, a steaming bowl of soup before you brave the Cape Town weather outside . . . ? Once we've been fed by God's word, St Jimmians head for the Coffee Shop upstairs, and we thank the Lord for it because it is a useful facility indeed! Many an after-the-service, in-depth conversation has been held here, and many a new friendship has been forged over a slice of something yummy and nourishing!
The Coffee Shop Ministry is run by a small group of full-time staff members, but relies heavily on volunteers to wash up, serve tables, assist at small functions, donate cakes, equipment and funds, lay tables, collect goods, clean and tidy venues after use, and so on.
St James benefits from this vital ministry in many ways, as it does so much more than just managing the St James Coffee Shop. The Coffee Shop ministry also provides a morning brunch before and after the Sunday 10am service, enables other ministries the use of a catering and function facility for small groups of people, and controls Tea Ministry stock requirements.
St James Arts ()
Music Ministry
Our aim is to bring glory to God through the music and worship at St James. If you share this desire then there are many opportunities for service in music at our church. We have vocal and instrumental groups, as well as the bands that lead the worship at normal services. If you play an orchestral instrument we’d also love to have you involved. We also need keyboard players and organists – if you have a musical skill, we can use you!
Musicians need to have reached a good standard of playing (minimum standard grade 7 Unisa/grade 8 ABRSM) and if you’re a singer, you must be able to sing on pitch and in parts where required. We want to do everything to a high standard, as service fitting the King of kings. You also need to be willing to commit to regular rehearsals (these happen on different days depending on the group you are in).
Throughout the year there are several special events that take place in addition to the regular Sunday services, and we have an exciting programme lined up for the coming months. If you’d like to get involved, contact our music team leader, Desire for more information.
AV Ministry
Sound
If you are a passionate techy and want to use your gift for the glory of God, consider joining us. We use a 24-channel Stagecraft mixer and have JBL speakers to provide us with the ability to serve well those on stage, in both spoken word and music. We are also responsible for the feed to the audio and video recordings, and support the musicians in rehearsal. In particular if you have skills as an audio engineer, we’d love to have you come and talk to us. Our sound team leader is Gerhard .
Video & Multimedia
We are currently developing our video ministry, so watch this space! If you have experience as a cameraman or video editor or graphic designer, get in touch with us as we will have a role for you. We also need people who want to develop their skills in live video mixing and so on. We also need PC geeks to run the computers during the Sunday services. This involved making sure that the right thing is on the screen at the right time. It can be pressured, but it’s always rewarding.
Lighting
At the moment we are still upgrading our hardware, but anyone who has experience as a lighting designer or operator, or has been involved in stage lighting in any form, please get in touch now so that we can put the right people in place when we are ready. In the meantime, please contact Colin for more information.
Creative Friends Ministry
Creative Friends Ministry started in 2005 when a few women got together to make cards. Through this, the Lord opened the way for a ministry that uses the crafting talent of both women and men in the church, to grow. The group meets once a month to teach and make crafted goods that are then distributed and used by various ministries and outreaches.
Hiking Ministry
The Hiking Ministry aims to use the beauty of the
An experienced person will be in charge of each hike and request that all hikers respect the rules of the mountain. The Sunday hikes are suitable for most persons, but you should check with the leader of the group if you are unsure of a "hard" rating.
Some ground rules:
- Regrettably NO dogs are permitted on our hikes.
- Please wear suitable hiking boots or trainers. Don't wear smooth soled “takkies” as these could cause you to slip on steep inclines.
- Children are most welcome, but must be suitably dressed (no “flip flops”).
- Always, always, always carry water and a warm jacket or top with you on every hike, no matter what the weather is like at the start.
- The hike leader may refuse participation in a hike to any hiker that is not properly equipped with adequate clothing and footwear or does not have a supply of drinking water.
- Please bring a small packed lunch to enjoy at the halfway point.
Fresh tea and sumptuous cakes are served at the end of each hike . . . we reward our survivors!!!! We want you to feel part of the group and to enjoy yourself.
Stewarding Ministry
Stewards are vital. They interact with those attending the church by welcoming people at the door and ushering them to their seats, if required. They are also responsible for taking up the collection and serving communion.
Traffic and Medical Ministry
The Traffic and Medical Ministry involves men in the congregation who keep watch and report any suspicious activity during Sunday and Wednesday meetings. These men maintain a presence on the church premises, while in constant contact with the control room in the main church. They also assist in directing the flow of traffic and the parking around the St James premises.
A voluntary medical team is also available to assist in the event of an emergency.
