GREENFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Two hundred years ago, five men met to pray together in a second-floor room in the building now home to McCarthy’s Funeral Home on Bank Row.

Two hundred years later, as a little stone Episcopal church on the corner of Federal and Church streets celebrates its bicentennial, its members are working with their new 28-year-old female priest to figure out how to move into a third century.

Heather Blais, her husband, and their two children, ages 5 and 23 months, recently moved into St. James Episcopal Church’s rectory, and Blais has led several services since.

She said she will spend the next several months getting to know the 105 people who attend services there each week, and will try to find a way to attract more people to church.

‘‘The 105 are split among our four services, which, by the way, are each unique,’’ said Blais. ‘‘For instance, our Sunday at 10 a.m. is filled with music.’’

She said she will also work throughout the year with parishioners to celebrate the church’s birthday, in whatever way they decide.

Leading a church the size of St. James is not foreign to Blais, she said. She served as an associate priest in a small church in Maine for some time, and then moved to a larger church of between 150 and 170 members. But, this is the first time she has served as ‘‘the priest.’’

Blais said now that children are living in the rectory again, she hopes to attract more families back to church.

Kevin Hollister, 55, is a longtime member of St. James. His family, as far back as his great-great-great-grandfather, were members.

‘‘We’re thrilled to have Heather here,’’ he said. ‘‘She’s a great preacher with a wonderful smile. I think she is going to breathe new life back into the church, while keeping to our roots and following some of our most treasured traditions.’’

Hollister said the history of the church is rich. He said there are several members whose families go quite far back in its history.

The first church service was held on Federal and Church streets on Sept. 24, 1812, he said. Hollister said it was a wooden building at that time.

Thirty five years later, the church built the stone church that still stands there today.

Hollister said parishioners will be working with Blais to plan different celebrations throughout the year. He said he’s hoping the church will bury a time capsule on May 5, Rogation Sunday, outside of the church.

‘‘Rogation Sunday is a time of blessing fields and planting things,’’ he said. ‘‘It was also my dad’s birthday. He was a member of the church for 70 years. I just think a time capsule would be a great way to celebrate.’’

Hollister said the church could fill the capsule with pictures, records, budgets, newsletters, whatever members want to bury for someone to find many years down the road.

‘‘I still have to talk with Heather and the rest of the church about this,’’ he said.

Hollister said he'd also like to see the church hold a barbecue in the spring or summer.

He said the church has a lot to offer members and newcomers, so he is hoping people will inquire, or simply show up to a service.

‘‘We have an active choir, Bible study, book groups, and lots of volunteer opportunities,’’ said Hollister.

He said the church puts on a Second Helping meal every Monday night, and puts on a community meal, Bread of Life, where it serves about 160 people, many shut-ins, once a month.

‘‘We have lots of tradition, but are open to new things,’’ he said. ‘‘I think that’s apparent with our choice of Heather.’’

Hollister said he would like to see people take time out for church each week.

‘‘It’s a time to be quiet, to listen to scripture and music, to realize what’s important in life,’’ he said. ‘‘We’re all in this world together. We might as well worship together.’’

Blais said people will find the Episcopal service to be similar to a Catholic mass, with members having core Christian beliefs, but Episcopalians do not preach about social issues.

‘‘We like to think of ourselves as traditional and progressive,’’ she said. ‘‘We welcome everyone, whether conservative, liberal, or somewhere in between. We all find a way to worship together and put those types of views aside.’’

Blais said the glass front doors of St. James are open to everyone, metaphorically speaking. The church is locked when not in use.

‘‘I am going to spend some time getting to know our members, but also getting to know the community around us,’’ she said. ‘‘I want to know what Greenfield needs from us, for example.’’