Dear Friends and Family of Saint James Church and Saint James School;

I am pleased to announce that two gifted music ministers have accepted a call; this will enrich the music programs at both the church and the school and bring us closer towards unification and integration of Church and School. Normally I would announce the goods news at our Vestry Meeting.

After numerous conversations with those whom I have listed above, Tom, Fred and Judy, and additional conversations with our treasurer, Howard Bradley, our director of youth ministries, Ashton Williston, our full time chaplain of the school, Julie Roth and our head of school, Michelle Leek, all of whom unanimously agree that the church and school's mutual music ministry has a need to be merged and expanded, has ultimately led me to make the following decision:

I write to inform you of significant positive movement in the overall development of our church's music ministries, both liturgically and programmatically speaking. Movement that will not simply take our worship experience as a community to a new level, but will at the same time, lift our fine art offerings at the school to a level that most expect within an independent Episcopal School as a part of its overall formation for the students that attend. I am delighted to announce that Mrs. Krista Mays, who is the current Director of Music Ministries and organist at Trinity Cathedral in the Diocese of Iowa and her husband Mr. Dan Mays the Director of Orchestra at one of the largest high schools (1,500 students) in the Quad-Cities and Adjunct Professor of Music at Saint Ambrose University, Davenport, have accepted the call to serve

Saint James as the full time Director (Krista) and part time Associate Director and ChoirMaster (Dan) of Music Ministries at Saint James.

I have worked alongside and liturgically in concert with these two individuals during my tenure at Trinity Cathedral as Dean, and I know first hand the level of proficiency and talent that both of these life-long Episcopalians bring with them. Krista is a classically trained organist in sacred music and a symphony level violist. Her vocal gifts and keyboard expertise will lift our choral programs at all levels and, with Dan's assistance, will especially transition our 9:00 service into a valid contemporary/contemplative worship option for all, including our younger families who might be associated presently with the school, yet who do not attend worship. Dan is a symphony level cellist and a gifted guitarist and vocalist, and has a broad base in a variety of instruments, classical and traditional, as indicated by his current professional positions. Krista and Dan have three children, Dana, Aidan and Dannie, all who will be attending St. James School. The Mays family will be joining us beginning June 27.

What we have before us is a logical time for transition given 1) the timing of our liturgical season, 2) the timing within the curricula-development-stage of the school and 3) our stated intent to bridge the church and school together into a joint ministry moving forward in mission. Joy Feulner and Tom Yuschok will graciously oversee our music offerings until July the first, when we will welcome the Mays family into our community.

I ask for your prayers for the church staff, for the Mays family and for the parish and school families.

Faithfully, Fr. Jim