The free will plate offering collected during the Saturday U2charist service will be sent to Haiti Relief. Each year, the outreach ministry leadership group determines a program to send the U2charist offering.

What is a U2Charist?

A U2Charist is an inter-generational service of Holy Eucharist that features the music of the rock band U2 with a message about God's call to work for justice for the poor and oppressed. For this contemporary service of worship a powerpoint presentation is used along with taped music and a special offering is taken to support the Millennium Development Goals.

Both the Worship & Formation and Outreach Ministry Groups hope that many from St. James and the community will attend, especially the children, youth, college students and young adults. And it is hoped that you will invite others to come and take part in this lively, fun, U2Charist. What better way to invite the coming of the Holy Spirit than with spirit filled music and raising awareness of how we, as the church, can make a difference by caring for our neighbors in need around the world?

When Anglican Archbishop Thomas Cranmer compiled the Book of Common Prayer during the 16th century, he wanted to make the prayers accessible, so he wrote in English, not Latin, and made sure it was distributed to every church. About 450 years later, there is another attempt to make prayers more accessible by an Irish bard who wears wrap-around shades instead of a clerical collar. It may not qualify as a mini-Reformation, but a Communion service driven by the music of singer Bono and his U2 bandmates is catching on at Episcopal churches across the country.

The U2Charist is not a youth service held in the church basement but is a traditional Episcopal liturgy that uses U2's best-selling songs as hymns.