A lot happens over the church year. This page illustrates events that are occasional or annual that are not covered elsewhere. Also have a look at the St James Players page for their productions.
April 2023 Quiet Day at Wells
A group from St James visited the Bishop’s Palace at Wells for a Quiet Day, including a Waterside Prayer Walk led by Revd Rosey Lunn, Pastor for The Palace and Gardens. Here are some photos from the day …
2023 Easter Monday Ramble to Dunster
Every year since 1963 there has been an Easter Monday Ramble (sometimes delayed due to weather or pandemics!)
This year we started at Nutcombe Bottom car park near Dunster, visited England’s tallest tree, ascended Gallox Hill and had a windy lunch at Bat’s Castle hill fort, descended to have a look at medieval Gallox Bridge and then returned via Dunster Deer Park. Just over 6 miles, by which time the tea shops in Dunster were calling!
We also go walking at other times, including shorter trips to look at local blubell woods.
July 2022 – St James Church School – Leavers’ Service
It is our privilege to host the Leavers’ Service for the Year 6 pupils at St James Church School. Here is Dave our curate with a general view of the service, and a collage of snaps of some of the activities we run for the children afterwards. This year we had tours up the church tower, with an opportunity to try ringing a bell on reaching the ringing chamber, Eco Church activities in the churchyard, a quiz , and a demonstration by another Dave of the organ with some brave children having a go themselves. And our wonderful catering team turned out lunches for 60 pupils, plus teachers and the church team. Each pupil is given a booklet called “It’s Your Move” with with advice, activities and real-life testimonies drawn from 20 years’ experience of supporting children moving to secondary school.
We also host school services at other times of the year.
July 2022 – Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Fun Day
How to celebrate the Queen’s jubilee? Seven decades of service that no other English monarch has equalled or is likely to again. In keeping with Her Majesty’s wishes we wanted at St James to enable those from our community to have an opportunity to have a memorable day of celebration and fun together with opportunity to reflect.
We filled our church and hall with two bouncy castles, children’s activities, face painting, a space module (made it for the 2019 Fun Day, which was themed on the Apollo 50th anniversary), rocket launching, trips to the top of the tower and a very popular opportunity to splatt Vicar Fabian and his curate. St James Church School pupils provided colourful stain glass designs. Burgers, hotdogs, and cakes were on offer in abundance.
Despite the razzmatazz there was also an opportunity for a reflective area celebrating the statements of faith that the queen has made during her reign; statements which give such a clear message about her personal and deep faith.
Pre-Covid Slideshow
Here is a short PDF slideshow of what used to happen before Covid struck, to give you a flavour of us as a church family.