A word from Dean Raines

Please join me in supporting our building project with prayer, knowing that what we do through this project funding campaign will make a difference for many, many years to come. In faithful obedience to God and with the help God promises to provide, let's seize this opportunity to give our very best.

Below, please find the letter sent to the congregation at the near conclusion of our three year fund raising effort.  The results have been gratifying and we rejoice daily at the ways the Lord is using this wonderful new Community Hall to reach dozens of young people in our city and their families!  Also, the "Way of the Cross," a sculpted "stations of the cross" walk has blessed dozens who have been deeply moved by Dorothy Gager's works set in a garden path of indescribable beauty.  We have been deeply blessed indeed!

April 14, 2005


Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Are you now or have you ever seen a bridge builder?” In asking you this question, I am referring to our “Building Bridges Campaign” which began nearly three years ago this May.

The “Bridges” we intended to build have been built! Dorothy Gagers’ “Way of the Cross” (Stations of the Cross in bas-relief) have been built, and completely paid or pledged for by groups and individuals, are regularly seen meditatively walking that path - blessed beyond our knowing as a result of many people offering time, talent and treasure to build a bridge between human hearts and the heart of our Heavenly Father.

Our Community Building has been built! Daily there are bridges being built:
     *Between our members at dinners, retreats, receptions, and other events.
     *Between our youth as they worship Sunday after Sunday at “The Net”, a youth worship service.
     *Between our people, neighborhood kids and the Lord weekdays, at the homework tutoring ministry and Wednesday nights as many of them return for youth group.
     *Among other churches as Fr. Correa’s church, the Guadalupe Mission and Fr. Sam Vongsanit’s church, St. Martin of Tours, youth groups meet in this new building week by week.
     *Among the Christian school, Central Valley Christian Academy, as they use it for there gymnasium each week
 

These are just some of the ways this great new building functions as a Bridge between people and between God and His people!

As the three year campaign comes to a close, we have received nearly all that was committed by so many of you who have faithfully followed through and we are profoundly blessed and grateful to you and to God for your faithfulness! We urge those who are able to complete their “Faith Giving Commitment” by the end of May. This will bring us to $950,000.00 dollars.

We also invite those of you who were unable to give three years ago or who have joined us since then to consider a gift to help us complete the last $450,000.00 we will still owe at the end of May when the construction loan comes due. (A “Faith Giving Card” covering up to 3 years for those who need it is available at the office for those who wish to make a gift to be paid over time to help pay off our loan.)

You too can share the joy of so many of us who are blessed to have been a part of this work of God. We invite you to join us now and help us complete this campaign without debt. Thanks be to God who has so richly blessed His people here at St. James by allowing us to have a part in this wonderful plan that came from His heart to reach within to one another in our spiritual family and to reach out to those who are appointed to the feast, but have yet to join us at the Lord’s Table!

Sincerely yours,

The Very Rev. Carlos L. Raines

Calendar of Events

May 2005:  The official end to the building and fundraising of The Building Bridges Campaign. 

Steering Committee

The Very Reverend Carlos Raines — Dean
John Weinstein — Consultant
Duke Golden — Executive Director
John Hammel — Campaign Director
Patrick Fennacy
Kevin Gunner
Beverly Hammel
Susan Sanders
Phyllis Orr
Marian Facciani
Melinda Zarate
Bonnie Golden
Cedricka Tracy
Peter Essayan
Jan Ryan