Vestry Corner ~ August 2023

We have enjoyed having some special visitors during our vestry meetings this year. During our July meeting, Porter Young and Hannah Brownlow from the Parish Life Commission joined us to share about their experience leading this commission along with Virginia Pierce. This thoughtful commission coordinates gatherings of our community. They are focused on making sure events are fulfilling their purpose, building community and sustainable for future years. If you are interested in helping coordinate these great events please reach out! Most recently we all were together for the Parish Picnic, and their next event coming up is our September 10th Welcome Sunday gathering!

Erin Becker, our amazing Director of Communications, also joined us for our July meeting to share with us more about her role and jump-started a discussion on how we can be most effective in communicating to the parish. Erin is in charge of the website, social media, Grapevine publication, e-mail communications, wayfinding signs, and publications for the parish. One of her favorite parts of her work is working with all the ministries of our church and getting to share their incredible growth and witness through work in our Parish and community. While St. James is well beyond church-wide averages when it comes to e-mail open rates (St. James has an open rate of ~60% for emails vs. ~27% industry average), Erin encouraged that the most effective way to communicate about events is through a personal invitation and connection. She also discussed some options for an updated pictorial directory which you will hear more about this fall. We are all VERY grateful for Erin’s continued expertise and dedication!

Throughout the summer if you have been to Mt. Lebanon Chapel then you will notice that we have shifted from two police officers directing traffic to one on Airlie Road and a volunteer directing the internal traffic. This shift was in part to save some on costs of Sunday morning traffic control. Our friends at St. Andrews on the Sound are helping with traffic flow following their 7:30 am service, and St. James volunteers provide traffic coordination following the 8:30 am service. A HUGE thank you to these volunteers!

As you read this we will be coming up on our Fall Vestry retreat, a time set aside for reflection, conversation about the future of St. James, our strategic plan, stewardship, the tricentennial committee and continued conversations on communicating effectively. We will share in fellowship and are excited to hear about the recent Ecuador mission trip.

Please continue to reach out if you have any questions, comments or thoughts.

-Leslie Jarrett (Senior Warden) & Alex Murchison (Junior Warden)

“So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” -Romans 12:5