St. James Expands Celebration Sunday Into Community Festival

St. James United Church of Christ is expanding its annual Celebration Sunday into its largest community event in years, inviting residents from throughout the area to spend the afternoon together at the Limerick church.

The free event will run from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, September 13, on the church property, located at 321 S. Limerick Road, Royersford. The afternoon will include food, live music, free haircuts for youth and seniors, community resource tables, and more.

For Rev. Beth Eustis, who has led St. James since 2022, the event is about more than attracting people to the church.

“Are we hoping that more people will see this and come to worship and want to know more about us? Absolutely,” Eustis said. “But even more than that, we just want to reach out to our community, and this is a part of our ministry.”

Celebration Sunday Grows Into Community Festival

Celebration Sunday began as St. James’ version of the traditional church “Rally Day,” marking the beginning of a new program year and giving the congregation an opportunity to reflect on its work.

Over the past several years, the celebration has steadily grown.

“This is the first year it’s been this big,” Eustis said of the upcoming event.

The West Chester Swing Kings will return for their third Celebration Sunday, performing from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The 19-member ensemble, now entering its 40th year, plays music ranging from big band classics to contemporary songs, according to member Jim Westlake.

“Whether you want to dance, tap your toes, or just want to hear some uplifting music, come on out and join us,” Westlake said.

Food options will include pizza, pasta, and salad from Dimitri’s Pizza in Royersford, along with ice cream from Handel’s. Food will be available at no charge on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

Buzz Boxx Mobile Barbershop will also be on site, providing free haircuts for children and seniors attending the festival.

Mike Webb Jr., assistant director of the Buzz It Forward Foundation and a Buzz Boxx franchisee, said the effort is part of the organization’s “Buzz It Forward” movement and “Back to Better” campaign, which aim to bring services directly into communities.

“Providing free haircuts for our youth and seniors isn’t just about looking good,” Webb said. “It’s about dignity, connection, and restoring community strength.”

Community groups expected to participate include the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, Project Outreach, POWER Interfaith, Phoenixville Public Library, and the Coventry Soccer Association. St. James also has a playground and soccer fields on the property for families to enjoy.

The festival will be held rain or shine.

Eustis credited Webb with helping the church expand its vision for Celebration Sunday, particularly by suggesting the addition of community organizations and helping with sponsorship efforts.

In addition to Dimitri’s and Handel’s, local sponsors include State Rep. Joe Ciresi, Endeavor Business Brokers, Rock Services Inc., Reading Tax Solutions, Omnipress Inc., FASTSIGNS, DelVal Senior Advisors, and Fox & Roach.

Eustis said most of those relationships grew through the Business Referral Networking Group at the Collegeville Bakery, reflecting the church’s effort to build connections throughout the community. St. James will also share a table with the sponsors during the festival.

A Church Looking Outward

The church's emphasis on community involvement extends well beyond Celebration Sunday.

St. James has about 65 members, with roughly 30 typically attending worship, Eustis said. While the congregation has gotten smaller over time, that has not diminished its desire to remain active.

“We’re slowing down a bit,” Eustis said. “But at the same time, we’re still in ministry. We’re still here. We’re doing what we can, and we’re going to go as long as we can.”

Among the congregation’s primary efforts is its work with Project Outreach, including quarterly food packing and distribution. Eustis said St. James collected more than 500 food items during a statewide United Church of Christ initiative earlier this year.

The church has also begun working with POWER Interfaith, a nonpartisan, multifaith organization that trains congregations in community organizing and encourages them to engage with elected officials on issues affecting their communities.

Eustis said members of St. James have embraced that work more enthusiastically than she initially expected, particularly around concerns including affordability and data center development.

“We’ve had a lot of really good things happening at St. James,” she said. “I’m really, really pleased with the way my congregation has come out to work with POWER.”

For Eustis, that kind of community involvement reflects a broader belief that the church should be active outside its own congregation.

St. James was once known locally for its chicken barbecue, but Eustis said the church has not held a major community event since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Celebration Sunday is an opportunity to begin rebuilding that tradition while creating something church members can grow in the years ahead.

“This is not my event, it’s our event,” Eustis said, explaining that the whole St. James congregation has taken responsibility for bringing Celebration Sunday together. “It’s going to be all hands on deck.”