People who are not too sure about what happens can find out about our services, see what happens, what we believe and why. Descriptions and photos of our church, the services and events go a long way toward making a person feel secure enough to make that first visit.

Many people never enter a church building, other than for weddings and funerals so the website can be a powerful tool, explaining what else goes on inside the church and providing an invitation to prospective members to come and enjoy the church’s fellowship.
It is now the first place people turn for information and to get a feel for the church community. Our website is also an integral part of our church's outreach to the local community and beyond by being informative, instructive and educational.

• For material to put on the website, contact Prill. See our Website page.

Bellringing
We are summoned to worship by the evocative sound of bells. Although a few people still believe that our bells can be switched on to ring automatically, this is not true! Only the chimes every quarter operate mechanically; all other ringing has to be done by real people. As our bells do not swing, they can all be rung by one ringer. There are currently ten ringers, with one or two being needed each time. We ring before the service every Sunday from 9.15 to 9.30.

There is a pattern to this which has been followed at St. James’s for at least 20 years: tunes for the first 10 minutes, then a single bell for 3 minutes to call the congregation to church, and finally rapid ringing for the last 2 minutes (to indicate that you should hurry?). If you have never noticed this, listen next Sunday.

• See our Bellringing page which includes details of contacts.

Sidespersons
When you arrive, the first person you are likely to meet is a sidesperson. ‘Sidesperson’ is one of those Anglicanisms that beg to be replaced with a more meaningful term, such as welcomer!
There are three people on duty as welcomers at Sunday’s 9.30 am service. They arrive early enough to make sure everything the congregation will need is ready for them - hymn numbers on the boards, service and hymn books to hand, magazines and notices on display.

Handing out books and pew sheets as people arrive gives sidespersons the opportunity to welcome visitors, help them get their bearings and invite them to stay for coffee after the service. During the service, particularly if there is a baptismal party, sidespersons may need to guide visitors through communion. They also take the offertory and carry the bread and wine up to the altar. After the service, they put away the books and tidy up. The duties are not onerous but you do need to arrive early, stay focused and be alert to the needs of latecomers and visitors.

You can be on duty once a month or once a year but your appointment, which has to be approved by the vicar and PCC, is for a year.

• See our Sidespersons page which includes details of contacts.

Pew Sheets
Pew sheets (now also available in large print format) are prepared by parish administrator and handed out by welcomers. They enable people to follow the scripture readings and provide a means of passing on news and notices.

If you want a notice included for a coming Sunday, you must get it to the parish office by Wednesday. There is a very limited amount of space, so notices need to be short!

• Contact the Parish Office 020 8941 6003

Parish Breakfast
Welcoming is not just about greeting someone at the door. It includes providing the informal opportunity to get to know each other.
That is one reason why we provide coffee (or tea, hot water, juice, etc.) after the service. It’s an excuse to linger and chat. Of course it’s the time to catch up on a week’s news with friends, but it is also the opportunity to get to know someone who has come for the first time or who is still just a face to you.
It takes two people to set out cups, milk and biscuits, serve, and wash up afterwards. If everything is set out before the service, they only need to leave a few minutes before everyone else.

• See our Parish Breakfast page which includes details of contacts.