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St. James the Fisherman Episcopal Church
P.O. Box 1668
Kodiak, AK 99615
(907) 486-5276
stjames@gci.net
We are at 421 Thorsheim Street. Regular Sunday services are at 10:00 a.m; all are welcome. Please take special care for the vulnerable among us. Wear a mask if you or any member of your household is ill; wash or sanitize your hands regularly. If you must stay home for health reasons, check the blog entries at the bottom of this page for a list of online services.
If you haven’t been to an “old school” worship service before, we’re a little different. The daily noise of the world falls away; traditional hymns, plenty of Bible reading and prayer, thoughtful homilies, and a printed liturgy that emphasizes the essentials of our faith combine to help us enter peaceful contemplation. Bring your troubles to God and renew your spirit.
SPECIAL NOTICE: The memorial service for our sister Dottie will be held this Saturday, December 7, at 12:30 p.m. A celebration of life will follow at 2:30 at the Kodiak Senior Center.
We have begun a new Church year with Advent, the season of preparation for Christmas. Advent, which has been celebrated for at least 1,500 years, is a time of joyful preparation and expectation, a time to do some spiritual housecleaning to make our hearts ready for the arrival of Christ. But this time of year has modernly become the season of the secular Holidays. As a season of cheerful parties and decorations, the Holidays are wonderful. However, the trumpets of commerce blare ever louder. Buy more, send more, cook more, decorate more, post more! Get it just right, the advertisers promise, and Holiday happiness can be yours!
But Advent reminds us that happiness and its far greater cousin joy are already ours. Slow down. Relax! It’s Advent! Sunday by Sunday, we journey together on a path of light through the darkness, with joy waiting on the threshold ahead. Come and see!
We strive to be welcoming to all. We celebrate Holy Eucharist (Communion) frequently; all are welcome at the Lord’s table. If you need a gluten-free wafer, let one of the people wearing vestments know before the service begins. If you would like to receive a blessing, but not the Eucharist, simply fold your hands over your chest instead of holding them out. We use smokeless oil candles and do not use incense, for the sake of persons with respiratory issues. There is a wheelchair ramp in our upper parking lot. If you need any accommodations not already listed here, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Children of all ages are welcome in the sanctuary. If you need to take your baby somewhere quieter, we have a padded bench in the narthex and a rocking chair in the parish hall; feel free to enter and leave the service as needed. For toddlers and preschoolers, there is a busy basket of quiet toys on the organ in the back of the sanctuary, as well as a box of bigger toys in the parish hall.
If you are in urgent need of assistance, please call Rev. Elsa DeHart at (907) 539-1749 or Rev. Barbara Zimmerman at (907) 539-6593.
For More Information: Send an email to the above address if you would like to receive our Weekly Missive. Or see the blog archives on this site for Coming Events, How to Serve, and other useful posts. Disregard the dates of the posts; each one is edited with up-to-date information. I posted a direct link to our Coming Events post just below this paragraph (I hope!). (I’ll figure this stuff out eventually!)
Coming Events (Updated: 8/18/2024)
To Hear, to Ponder, to Act (Updated: 11/14/23)
The Episcopal Church: Loving, Liberating and Life-giving (Updated 7/16/22)