 Celebrating over 5 years of ministry, and over 37,100 meals
Greenfield, Massachusetts October 19, 2025 - On Sunday, October 26 the Sunday Soup and Sandwiches feeding ministry, located at the Episcopal Church of Saints James and Andrew, will come to an end, after five and a half years of ministry and over 37,100 meals served. This year alone has been just shy of 10,000 meals. The meal began in March 2020 when another local meal on the town common made the difficult decision to shut down due to the pandemic. Saints James and Andrew felt they could offer a temporary program to fill the void until things re-opened. They imagined this would be for two weeks. Church leaders could hardly have guessed how long the pandemic would last, or how great the need for these meals would truly be. The program grew steadily from a handful of guests in the first couple of weeks, to well over 300 meals many weeks. This decision was made after much prayer and consideration, and was announced in late February. Since the meal was always meant as a temporary measure, program leaders would faithfully check-in to evaluate if they could continue the ministry for another six months. During this conversation in the fall of 2024, it was clear core leaders would need to step back in the coming year. This change, combined with the increasing demand for meals, the parish’s limited capacity, concern for volunteer burnout, and the ongoing challenge of funding led volunteers to begin an intentional process of discerning whether it was time to conclude the meal. Program leaders explored alternative options before recommending the meal wrap up in 2025 to the larger group of volunteers and donors. The program leaders’ decision was affirmed by volunteers, donors, church leadership, and the entire parish at their January Annual Meeting. It is a bittersweet decision. The parish remains acutely aware of the increasing need for meals like Sunday Soup & Sandwiches. Yet volunteers also know they’ve made a fundamental difference in the quality of life for their neighbors here in Franklin County - particularly amongst those living rough. The final meal will be on Sunday, October 26 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. The parish is determined to get the word out so folks understand this meal is concluding, and asks the community to help spread the word. It is the parish’s sincere hope that just as they once filled a gap, the larger community may find a way to come together and address what will be a new gap in the meal programs offered in Greenfield. For an up to date list of community meals and food pantries, visit the City of Greenfield’s website. On Sunday, November 2 during their 10 a.m. worship service, Saints James and Andrew will offer a prayer of thanksgiving for Sunday Soup and Sandwiches; its site leaders, volunteers, and donors; and the many lives that were touched through this ministry. Anyone who has ever supported this meal - whether that be in prayer, donations, or volunteering - is invited to attend. Saints James and Andrew seek to offer their heartfelt thanks to folks from all across Franklin County who have supported and participated in this meal, and say - well done, good and faithful servants. If you would like more information on this topic, please call Rev. Heather J. Blais at 413-773-3925 or [email protected]; or Erica Burns, Coordinator at 413-230-4458 or [email protected]. Please note, Saints James and Andrew will continue to offer Second Helpings, a free community meal offered each Monday at 4:30 p.m. in partnership with Deerfield Academy. The following updates have been communicated to the parish in writing in the Newsletter and/or Leaflet, with the most recent updates towards the top. Status updates are also frequently given verbally at announcements in Sunday worship.  October 19 - Roof Update in Worship Leaflet and Announced
Interior Ceiling Repair Work Update: The exterior roof work has been completed and paid for by insurance. The interior ceiling repair work is being planned currently, and we are in negotiations with our insurance company. In anticipation of this work, our contractor will be taking down the flags to get a better scope of the interior damage. We anticipate the Vestry having a further update in the November Newsletter. View all church roof and ceiling related communication updates here. October 17, 2025 - Roof Update in October Events Update Interior Ceiling Repair Work Update: The exterior roof work has been completed and paid for by insurance. The interior ceiling repair work is being planned currently, and we are in negotiations with our insurance company. In anticipation of this work, our contractor will be taking down the flags to get a better scope of the interior damage. We anticipate the Vestry having a further update in the November Newsletter. View all church roof and ceiling related communication updates here. October 3, 2025 - Roof Update in October Newsletter There is good news. The exterior roof work will be completed in a matter of days and we have been informed of a revised settlement. While there are still some i’s to dot and t’s to cross, the roof’s exterior work will be near fully funded by our insurance. The conversation about our interior work will begin upon the completion of the exterior. When there is more to update about insurance or interior construction, we will update the parish. Rev. Heather Blais, Rector Ben Cluff, Co-Warden Reynolds Whalen, Co-Warden September 21- Vestry Points Communicated in Worship & October Newsletter The following update was provided at announcements during worship, following the Vestry’s September 16, 2025 meeting, and was reiterated in the October 3 Newsletter: Roof work is underway and is ongoing. We continue to be in discussions with the contractor and insurance and it is clearly a work in progress. Bach's Lunch is postponed this fall due to the roof work. Saints James and Andrew Vestry September 12, 2025 - Roof Update in September Newsletter Our roof work is underway, and is anticipated to continue into October. The exterior work has led to interior damage to the church’s ceiling. What appeared to be wooden beams is actually horsehair plaster painted to look like wood. This decorative effect, known as faux bois (French for "false wood"), was popular in historic interiors, particularly from the Victorian era onward, to create the illusion of expensive woodwork at a lower cost. In order to prevent damage to our organ, smaller pipes have been taken down and stored in wooden boxes under the choir loft (thank you to those who took on this labor of love). Plastic has been laid down over the remaining organ pipes and console, all the pews on the north side of the church, the piano, and aisles. We anticipate interior work beginning soon. This will involve a wooden platform being built over the pews on the north side, so that scaffolding can be put up. Then a plaster expert will identify vulnerable sections for repair. Due to interior construction work, the flags will be taken down. We have been assured it is safe to continue worshiping in the sanctuary, and will continue to do so, utilizing the pews on the south side of the church. Please consider moving to the inside of the pew where you are sitting to let folks know there is space to sit. The choir will be singing from the downstairs until construction is complete. We will continue to get creative in our worship for the coming few weeks. We remain in conversation with our insurance company, and when there is more to update in that regard, we will update the parish. Rev. Heather Blais, Rector Ben Cluff, Co-Warden Reynolds Whalen, Co-Warden August 24 - Roof Update in Worship Leaflet and Announced Construction Begins on Roof A friendly reminder construction on our roof will begin this coming week, and soon it will be a bit louder on campus. The sidewalk and some parking along the building on Church St. will be closed. We anticipate construction lasting 4-6 weeks. August 17 - Vestry Points Communicated in Worship & September Newsletter The following update was provided at announcements during worship, following the Vestry’s August 12, 2025 meeting, and was reiterated in the September Newsletter: Roof repair starts soon. More soon Saints James and Andrew Vestry August 10 - Roof Update in Worship Leaflet and Announced Construction Begins on Roof A friendly reminder construction on our roof will begin this coming week, and soon it will be a bit louder on campus. The sidewalk and some parking along the building on Church St. will be closed. We anticipate construction lasting 4-6 weeks. August 1, 2025 - Roof News in August Newsletter We anticipate construction beginning around August 18. Regular use of our buildings will continue as normal, if not a bit louder while construction takes place during the day. The sidewalk will be closed during construction, and some parking spots will be unavailable along Church St. June 15, 2025 - Vestry Points Communicated in Worship & July Newsletter The following update was provided at announcements during worship, following the Vestry’s June 10, 2025 meeting, and was reiterated in the July Newsletter: We have heard back from Church Insurance, and they have agreed to pay for a portion of reconstruction. The exact amount will become clear when the work begins in the fall. The materials have been ordered. Saints James and Andrew Vestry June 6, 2025 - Roof Update in June Newsletter Our insurance company has determined only the damaged, north side of the roof needs to be repaired, and that there is no risk of the weight of the new materials causing potential structural integrity issues. They are still finalizing their estimate, but due to the fluctuations in the market and shipping delays, they have given us the go ahead to instruct our contractor (Renaissance Builders) to order the necessary materials. We anticipate the materials arriving sometime in September, and then it will take the contractor 6-8 weeks to complete the work. When we have any further information, we will update the parish. Saints James and Andrew Rector and Vestry May 25, 2025 - Vestry Points Communicated in Worship & June Newsletter The following update was provided at announcements during worship, following the Vestry’s May 20, 2025 meeting, and was reiterated in the June Newsletter: No update yet. We’re at the mercy of the insurance company. The plans we submitted to the insurance company were found to be quite favorable by the Greenfield Historical Commission. Saints James and Andrew Vestry April 13, 2025 - Vestry Points Communicated in Worship & May Newsletter The following update was provided at announcements during worship, following the Vestry’s April 8, 2025 meeting, and was reiterated in the May Newsletter: We still have a roof (i.e. we still don't have an update; when we do we’ll be in touch). Saints James and Andrew Vestry March 30, 2025 - Vestry Points Communicated in Worship & April Newsletter The following update was provided at announcements during worship, following the Vestry’s March 29, 2025 Retreat with Bishop Beckwith, and was reiterated in the April Newsletter: We identified challenges facing us in the present and near future, namely the roof and Strong House. We’re awaiting information, and we are currently in a space of waiting and prayer, and invite you to join us in that, awaiting the discernment that is to come. Saints James and Andrew Vestry March 23, 2025 - Vestry Points Communicated in Worship & April Newsletter The following update was provided at announcements during worship, following the Vestry’s March 18, 2025 meeting, and was reiterated in the April Newsletter: We reviewed information on the laborious process of repairing and rehabilitating our roof. We don’t have anything firm to report at this time, but it’s worth noting we’ve encountered no stone walls, hope to have an update by the April newsletter. Right now it’s in the professionals hands. Saints James and Andrew Vestry March 7, 2025 - Property Update from the Rector in March Newsletter Dear friends of Saints James and Andrew, I’d like to offer two important updates about our property. Further down in the Newsletter, you’ll also find some introductory information about our newly elected Vestry. If you have any questions or concerns about any of these matters, please do not hesitate to be in touch. Leadership Transition Ginny Crowl has been chairing the Property Committee for the last several years. During her tenure she helped the Property Committee to grow from a whittled down team of three volunteers to a team of eight volunteers. Ginny helped Property to develop a list of deferred maintenance that was then presented to Vestry as part of the Property Use Task Force's work in 2022-2023. The last few years several of these projects have been addressed with the help of the Esleeck funds within our endowment. There have also been a few too many surprises Property has needed to address - from floods to sinkholes to navigating facility staffing changes. She has done all of it all with a wonderful sense of humor, faithfulness, and determination. As of March 5, Ginny has officially retired from Property. Please join all of Property in thanking Ginny - well done, good and faithful servant. During my time with this parish I’ve observed the weight of responsibility that Property chairs carry. While these leaders never complained, our campus is very large for our size community. When you add up the time and energy a Property Chair spends in responding to facility emergencies, overseeing routine and deferred maintenance, meeting contractors, holding committee meetings, and helping the Vestry to think through big picture projects - it is truly daunting for any volunteer. For this reason Property will be holding a special zoom meeting on Wednesday, March 12 at 5:30 p.m. to think creatively about how we share in the responsibility of caring for our campus. This may or may not result in a new leadership model for carrying out our work. We ask that you pray for us, and that you consider whether you might be able to support Property’s efforts. These days, you don’t need to know how to fix things, but rather be willing to call and meet contractors, attend meetings when able, and communicate through our google group. Eight volunteers may seem like a lot, but in light of the many planned and unplanned deferred maintenance projects, as well as routine maintenance, we would welcome new volunteers who might have a few hours to give each month. If you would be willing to explore getting involved, please reach out to me and consider joining us on March 12. Church Roof On Saturday evening we learned from the Greenfield Fire Department that the wind had lifted up the church roof along Church St, and we were at risk of losing the copper covered lead roof if it was not re-secured. It caused Church St. to be shut down. They were able to get a hold of Building Inspector Mark Snow to inspect the exterior and to ensure the interior was safe for use. Mark helped us get in touch with our contractor, Renaissance Builders, and temporarily re-secured most of the roof that same night. We were at risk of not being able to hold services in our buildings the next day, but thanks to the Spirit, and the incredible helpfulness of the fire department, the building inspector and our contractor, they were able to provide a temporary fix so we could use our space for worship the next morning and ensure no one would be hurt by pieces of the roof coming off. Yesterday Renaissance brought their equipment and to get a closer look. They were then able to finish securing the side on either edge that still needed to be tended to. While the wind was the culprit in the initial event, our contractor has since discovered why the wind was able to shift things so easily - the series of materials that were used when the roof was installed apparently trapped moisture between the ceiling we see and the lead covered copper on the exterior. This led to deterioration, and as result, fasteners were blown off and that's when things started to come apart. Renaissance is preparing a quote for repair, and we anticipate it will be a significant capital expense. We have made a claim with our insurance, and time will tell whether they will cover any element of the work. Below are some photos Logan Blais captured Saturday night of the roof. We invite your prayers for Property, Finance, and Vestry as we seek to continue tending to our campus. Not because we idolize these buildings as a golden calf, but because we seek to use them as a resource that our neighbors have come to count on for community groups, music lessons, singing groups, special events, and of course, our own worship, mission, and outreach ministries. Peace Rev. Heather J. Blais, Rector |
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We believe God is calling us to cultivate a community of love, joy, hope, and healing. Jesus is our model for a life of faith, compassion, hospitality, and service. We strive to be affirming and accessible, welcoming and inclusive; we seek to promote reconciliation, exercise responsible stewardship, and embrace ancient traditions for modern lives.
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Thursday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Closed holidays Our gardens and grounds are open from dawn to dusk for the community to pray, rest, be. Please help us take care of this sacred space by following the outdoor ethic & principle of “leave no trace.” |
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