Share Your St. James’ Story

Rooted in Heritage, Moving Forward in Faith

Every one of us carries a piece of St. James’ story. Maybe it’s the first time you walked through our doors, the elder who welcomed you, or a meal in Founders Hall that felt like coming home.

This stewardship season, as we prepare to celebrate our 85th anniversary, we’re gathering those stories. We invite you to record one St. James’ story in a short video on your phone at home. Together, your stories will help us remember where we have come from and imagine where God is leading us next.

How it works

1. Choose one story

Your story might fall into one of four kinds:

• History: a moment from St. James’ past, a founder or elder you remember, or how you first found us.
• Impact: a ministry that made a difference for you, your family or our East Austin neighbors.
• Joy: a celebration, a song, a shared meal, a moment of laughter around the table.
• Transformation: a time St. James’ changed you, carried you through something hard or opened a new path.

Not sure where to start? Try finishing one of these sentences: “The first time I walked into St. James’…”, “The moment I knew I belonged here…”, “Someone at St. James’ who shaped my faith…” or “What I hope St. James’ is for the next generation…”

2. Shape it in three parts

1. Say hello (a few seconds): your name and how long you’ve been part of St. James’.
2. Tell one moment (2 to 3 minutes): when and where it happened, who was there and what happened. One specific moment is more powerful than a summary.
3. Why it matters (about 1 minute): what it meant to you, and what it says about who St. James’ is, or who we can become.

Keep it to 5 minutes or less. Jot a few notes if you like, but speak from the heart rather than reading a script. If you stumble, just pause and start the sentence again; we can trim it.

3. Record it on your phone

• Find a quiet spot. Turn off the TV, fans and notifications. Rooms with rugs and curtains sound best.
• Face the light. Sit facing a window or lamp, not with it behind you.
• Phone at eye level. Prop it on a stack of books about an arm’s length away, framed from your chest up.
• Turn your phone sideways so the video fills the screen.
• Do a 10-second test to check light, sound and framing.
• Breathe, smile, begin. Wait two seconds after pressing record and before stopping, and look at the camera lens as if at a friend.

4. Send it to us by Sunday, November 1

Email your video to with the subject line “My St. James’ Story – Your Name”, and include your name and a phone number in the email. If the video is too large to attach, choose Mail Drop on an iPhone; on Android, Gmail will offer to send it as a Google Drive link. Either works.

About sharing

By sending your video, you give St. James’ permission to share it as part of our 85th Anniversary Celebration. Prefer it stay within the parish? Just say so in your email, and we will show it only at St. James’ gatherings, not online. If a child appears in the video, a parent or guardian should send it. Stories may be lightly trimmed for length.

Want a little help?

If recording and sending feel daunting, we’d love to help. Join us during the 12–1 pm hour on Sunday, October 18 or Sunday, October 25, and we will record and send your story with you. To sign up, email .

“We’ve come this far by faith.” Thank you for helping us remember, and for planting seeds of hope for future generations.

Stewardship for 2027 · St. James’ Episcopal Church · Iglesia Episcopal de Santiago