Sacraments are physical ways, such as church services, that we gather as a community of faith to mark all the really big and important times in our lives, and it is in these public services we declare God is at the center of our lives - be that a child's baptism, a marriage, a teenager or adult making a new commitment to the church through confirmation, weekly Eucharist or communion, or a funeral. Please contact Canon John in the church office at 318.445.9845  if you would like to talk about these big events, and what they mean for you and to us at St. James.

Baptism

Baptism is the ancient sacrament by which one becomes a Christian and a member of the larger, universal Church. All ministry is an expression which traces our identity and mission to baptism, as we are marked as God’s children. Baptism is an event of significance for the church, as well as the individual and family.

All parents desiring baptism for a child must meet with Canon John before baptism can be scheduled.  

Baptism is offered throughout the year on some specific Sundays, as arranged by Canon John. All parents desiring baptism for a child must meet with with Canon John before baptism can be scheduled. Please call the church office at 318.445.9845 to arrange an appointment to speak with him. We look forward to sharing this important time in your life with you and trust that it will be an occasion of deepening faith and joy.

 

Confirmation and Reception

In Confirmation, after a time of reflection and instruction, an adolescent or an adult makes a public affirmation of his or her baptismal vows and responsibilities as a member of the Body of Christ.  A bishop lays hands his or her hands upon the head of those being Confirmed as the sacramental sign of the power of the Holy Spirit. Persons who have been baptized in other Christian communions but have not received a sacramental laying-on-of-hands of a bishop, and who now wish to live the Christian life at St. James and in the Episcopal Church, go through a class or formation time to be Confirmed in their faith by Bishop Jake. 

In Reception, any person who has been Confirmed by a bishop in another church, such as the Roman Catholic or Lutheran Churches, may be received by Bishop Jake as a sign of welcome into the Episcopal Church and that we recognize your faith commitment in other denominations.

Transfer: Members of another Episcopal parish may transfer his or her membership to St. James at any time. Please contact the church office at 318.445.9845 and we can assist you with this process.

Please call the church office at 318.445.9845 to speak with Canon John about any of this or if you have questions.

Weddings

The wedding service follows the service for marriage found in the Book of Common Prayer.
 

Reconciliation of a Penitent

Reconciliation, or Confession in other traditions, is a recognition of the fact that all sins that have ever been or ever will be committed have already been forgiven by God through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for the sin of the world. Reconciliation is the sacrament in which forgiveness is personalized for a parishioner who acknowledges his or her own sinfulness, is penitent, and seeks the specific absolution of God as mediated through the Church, and spoken aloud by the priest.

Please contact Canon John in the church office at 318.445.9845 if you wish to talk about this sacrament.
 

Funerals and Memorial Services

The funeral or service for the dead is an Easter liturgy.  That means we as Christians discover meaning about life and death through the resurrection.  Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we, too, shall be raised. The liturgy is characterized by joy, in the certainty that “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8.31-39).

While we should be saddened at the death of a loved one, and experience grief, we understand a funeral to be a celebration of a loved’s one life.  So, while we rejoice that the one we love has entered into the nearer presence of God, we join in sorrow and sympathy for those who mourn. There are three types of services for the departed:

• A funeral is the liturgy for the Burial of the Dead with the body present, either in a coffin or as ashes in an urn.  It is usually held within a few days of the person’s death.
• A graveside service is a brief service of prayers and commital of the body to the grave, directly after the funeral.
• A memorial service is a service without the mortal remains present. It follows closely the form of Burial of the Dead.

All services are based on the funeral service in The Book of Common Prayer and are planned with our priest-in-charge, Canon John. Any dates, times, or reception requests must be coordinated with Canon John before plans are made.You can reach him at .318.445.9845.