Churches do not survive without a lot of work! – and opportunities to serve at St. James’, Fairmount are numerous.  Members contribute their time and talent in a variety of ways: cleaning and caring for the church inside and out, mowing the grass in the cemetery, tending the flowers, and keeping the parking lot cleared in the winter. The list goes on – all on a volunteer basis.  The St. James’ Congregational Council co-ordinates these efforts, as well as our participation in and financial support for mission and outreach beyond our own church.

For many years the St. James’ Guild has gathered the women of the congregation for service which is at the heart of our life at St. James’. A fundamental responsibility of the Guild is chancel duty: setting up the chancel for services, preparing the altar for Holy Communion and maintaining the sacred vessels and linens, and changing the hangings to accord with the liturgical colours of the church calendar.

The Guild manages the kitchen and parish hall, coordinating the coffee hour which follows our Sunday services, and puts on lunches and parties for special celebrations. We coordinate St. James’ card ministry within our congregation and beyond for illness or bereavement, baptism, children’s birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries. Funds raised by the Guild through their various efforts support two World Vision foster children, the Women’s Shelter of Grey-Bruce, local schools for youth at risk, and other needs in the community. Apart from our charity work our Guild meetings are happy social events for members and guests, often including women from neighbouring Anglican churches and churches of other Christian denominations and groups.

St. James’ Cemetery Board fulfils our responsibilities under provincial legislation for the operation of our cemetery, under the direction of the Congregational Council. This group meets as required to oversee maintenance of the cemetery, its monuments, and its plot records for historical and genealogical reference. On the second Sunday in September we hold a Memorial Service, to remember our history and to commemorate members of the St. James’ family who have gone before and rest in our cemetery.