15 Oct 2023

Step Up Together 2023 Campaign – WE DID IT!

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Hello faith family. We have some very good news. We have exceeded our Step Up Together 2023 Campaign goals again!

Step Up Together - we did itWe gave gifts of $25,000 and will receive a $25,000 matching grant from our Diocese. Then, we raised an additional $5,000 where the Diocese will match $.75 to the dollar so we received another $3,750 matching grant. On top of that, we gave gifts in the amount of $7,991 which will reduce the $40,000 loan that we will have to acquire. To date we have received $37,991 in gifts! Thank you, thank you.

Our hearts are full and it is time to express the thanks and love that we have shown for our parish.

Won’t you join us on Sunday, October 22, 2023, after each service for treats and to sign a thank you card for the Diocese?

In thanksgiving,

The Step Up Together Committee

12 Oct 2023

Worship and weekly news for October 15, 2023

by | posted in: News, Worship | 0

Hello faith family! This is the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost – October 15, 2023. This week, we celebrate Luke the Evangelist: The New Testament mentions Luke briefly a few times, and the Epistle to the Colossians refers to him as a physician (from Greek for ‘one who heals’); thus he is thought to have been both a physician and a disciple of Paul. Luke is one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of the canonical gospels. The Early Church Fathers ascribed to him authorship of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.

Weekly News

See our Carpenter’s Helper Newsletter. Fall continues to bring exciting fellowship opportunities and FUN. Read about all of the EXCITEMENT headed our way!

Annual Giving Campaign underway
Hope Dining Room volunteers needed
Truck or Treat needs volunteers

Our weekly Worship schedule

Twentieth Sunday after PentecostThis Sunday’s Schedule

Growth and Fellowship

  • Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. – lectionary bible study in the classroom.
  • Third Sundays at 9:15 a.m. – Novel Theology
  • 3rd Monday of the month – Hope Dining Room
  • Last Sunday of the month – Family Church Sunday
  • Last Sunday of the month – Coffee and Fellowship between services

Other Parish Events

  • Sun., Oct. 29 2023 – Annual Giving Ingathering of pledge cards
  • Sun., Oct. 29, 2023 – Children’s Ministries Truck or Treat
  • Tue., Oct. 31, 2023 – candles in the cemetery
  • Sat., Nov. 4, 2023 – All Souls special service

The church is aware that some of its members are struggling to make ends meet. If you are in this situation, please let the clergy know of your needs, pray for the church, and feel no guilt about your giving. But if you are able to give, options for giving include mailing a check to our church or online giving.

If you have anything to add to the Parish calendar or the Carpenter’s Helper newsletter, please email the office at StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com.

To see worship, events or news, see our website, FaceBook, InstaGram, YouTube, or the posted events on the board next to the name tag station. Recent Newsletters, Sermons, or Announcements are also available.

Regardless of whether we are together in-person or virtually, we are connected by the Holy Spirit:  Always together; never apart…maybe in distance, but never in heart.

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or (302) 368-4644

12 Oct 2023

Hope Dining Room volunteers needed Monday, October 16, 2023

by | posted in: Outreach, Service | 0

Dear Families of St. Thomas’s and St. Nicholas,

Monday, October 16, 2023, is our opportunity to serve at Hope Dining Room where we serve “a midday hot meal with dignity, to those in need in the Greater Newark Delaware area.” Guests at Hope are now “dining in”, so we have 2 different shifts for which you can volunteer. The setup and cooking shift goes from 10 – 11:45 a.m. The serving and cleanup shift goes from 11:45 – 1:30 p.m.

If you’d like to help, please bring an apron and a ball cap. We would LOVE to see you! All of this takes place at the Kingswood Methodist Church kitchen on Marrows Rd. in Brookside Park. It is a team effort, lots of fun and it makes you feel SO good to feed people who really appreciate it. Below, you will find a link to the items we need for the meal.

Please volunteer for the things we need for the meal and to volunteers. If you are donating one of those items, THANK YOU! You can bring it to St. Thomas’s, Monday – Thursday from 9 – noon, OR when you come to church on Sunday! Please put it in the kitchen and mark it for “HOPE DINING ROOM”.

BLESSINGS to you ALL,
Madeline Johnson

12 Oct 2023

Trunk or Treat 2023

by | posted in: Children's Ministries, News | 0

Children’s Ministries will sponsor TRUNK OR TREAT 2023 on October 29, 2023 from approximately noon-2 p.m.. Families with children and/or youth of St. Thomas’s, St. Nicholas, and the surrounding community are invited to share an afternoon of fun and fellowship.

Parishioners are invited to decorate their cars, share treats, play games and do a craft or two for an afternoon. Parishioners with no children, who do not want to decorate a car can still get in on the fun by donating goodies or decorations for the event, by running a game or craft table, or by helping with set up or clean up!

Please sign up to indicate that you will attend, to reserve your parking spot (so you can park your decorated car), to donate edible or non-edible goodies, to run a craft or game table, and/or to help clean up or setup.

Blessings,
Belinda Young-Payne

6 Oct 2023

Worship and weekly news for October 8, 2023

by | posted in: News, Worship | 0

Hello faith family! This is the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – October 8, 2023. This week, we celebrate Edith Cavell: “Patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone.” Her strong Anglican beliefs propelled her to help all those who needed it, including both German and Allied soldiers. She is celebrated for treating wounded soldiers from both sides without discrimination and for covertly helping some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium and return to active service during the First World War, which in wartime was a death penalty offense.

Weekly News

See our Carpenter’s Helper Newsletter. Fall continues to bring exciting fellowship opportunities and FUN. Read about all of the EXCITEMENT headed our way!

Annual Giving Campaign underway
Step Up Together campaign update
Blessing of the Animals needs volunteers
Pies by Dana 2023 Outreach Fundraiser

Our weekly Worship schedule

Nineteenth Sunday after PentecostThis Sunday’s Schedule

Growth and Fellowship

  • Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. – lectionary bible study in the classroom.
  • Third Sundays at 9:15 a.m. – Novel Theology
  • 3rd Monday of the month – Hope Dining Room
  • Last Sunday of the month – Family Church Sunday
  • Last Sunday of the month – Coffee and Fellowship between services

Other Parish Events

  • Sun., Oct. 8, 2023 – Blessing of the Animals
  • Tue., Oct. 31, 2023 – candles in the cemetery
  • Sat., Nov. 4, 2023 – All Souls special service

The church is aware that some of its members are struggling to make ends meet. If you are in this situation, please let the clergy know of your needs, pray for the church, and feel no guilt about your giving. But if you are able to give, options for giving include mailing a check to our church or online giving.

If you have anything to add to the Parish calendar or the Carpenter’s Helper newsletter, please email the office at StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com.

To see worship, events or news, see our website, FaceBook, InstaGram, YouTube, or the posted events on the board next to the name tag station. Recent Newsletters, Sermons, or Announcements are also available.

Regardless of whether we are together in-person or virtually, we are connected by the Holy Spirit:  Always together; never apart…maybe in distance, but never in heart.

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or (302) 368-4644

3 Oct 2023

Annual Giving for 2024 Budget Explanation

by | posted in: Stewardship Campaign | 0

Annual Giving is when parishioners are asked to give thanksgiving and pledge their financial gifts for the coming year. Our parish budget is based on our gift giving. Our gift giving “keeps the lights” on and the “doors open.” Our gift giving also lets us give back to our community.

2023 Budget Expenses

How does St. Thomas’s spend its monies and where do they come from?

Summary of Expenses for 2023:

Ministry/Worship 40%
Discipleship 36%
Community Bldg. 12%
Mission 12%

See St. Thomas’s Narrative Budget for an explanation of these categories.

Income for 2023 budget

What are the sources of our income?

Summary of income for 2023:

Facility use 1%
Pledges 89%
Plate 3%
Special Gifts 2%
Investments 5%

See St. Thomas’s Narrative Budget for an explanation of these categories.

Narrative Budget

Narrating a Budget is a way to tell the story of who we are through the ways we spend our time and money. See St. Thomas’s Narrative Budget for 2023.

See all news from our Annual Giving for 2024 campaign.

3 Oct 2023

Annual Bazaar 2023

by | posted in: News, Outreach | 0

Annual Bazaar 2023St. Thomas’s Annual Bazaar 2023 will be held on
Fri., Nov. 17, 2023 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 18, 2023 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 19, 2023 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

If you pre-ordered Pies from Dana, they may be picked up at the Annual Bazaar.

Admission is free and the public is warmly invited.

The funds raised at the bazaar are used for a variety of Outreach Missions.

Please volunteer either your time or your talents.

St. Thomas’s Parish is located at 276 S. College Ave., Newark, Delaware.

1 Oct 2023

Step Up Together 2023 Campaign September 29, 2023 Update

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Step Up Together Almost ThereWe are almost there faith family, we are almost there! We are a few dollars short of our $30,000 second goal. Do you still wish to give a gift or give another gift to push us over the finish line? Every dollar given is valuable.

Our first goal was to acquire $25,000 in gifts. That means, our diocese will grant us $25,000 in a matching gift. Our second goal was to collect $5,000 in additional gifts and our Diocese would match that at $.75 per dollar or a $3,750 grant. We are just dollars away from that second goal!

We will wrap up this campaign at the end of October. Any gifts received over our goal will be applied towards the $40,000 loan we must acquire.

At the end of the campaign, we will have a celebration and invite everyone to sign a thank you card to our Diocese for their matching gifts.

We anticipate that work will begin on repairing the stairwell and retaining wall in mid-October.

All campaign details are available at Step Up Together 2023 Campaign.

28 Sep 2023

Worship and weekly news for October 1, 2023

by | posted in: Uncategorized | 0

Hello faith family! This is the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost – October 1, 2023. This week, we celebrate Francis of Assisi, born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone (c. 1181 – 3 October 1226). He was an Italian mystic and Catholic friar who founded the Franciscans. Francis is associated with patronage of animals and the environment. It became customary for churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day of October 4th, and we at St. Thomas’s will be holding a blessing of the animals next Sunday, October 8, 2023 at 2 p.m.

Weekly News

See our Carpenter’s Helper Newsletter. Fall continues to bring exciting fellowship opportunities and FUN. Read about all of the EXCITEMENT headed our way!

Annual Giving Campaign underway
Blessing of the Animals needs volunteers
Pies by Dana 2023 Outreach Fundraiser

Eighteenth Sunday after PentecostOur weekly Worship schedule

This Sunday’s Schedule

Growth and Fellowship

  • Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. – lectionary bible study in the classroom.
  • Third Sundays at 9:15 a.m. – Novel Theology
  • 3rd Monday of the month – Hope Dining Room
  • Last Sunday of the month – Family Church Sunday
  • Last Sunday of the month – Coffee and Fellowship between services

Other Parish Events

  • Sun., Oct. 8, 2023 – Blessing of the Animals
  • Tue., Oct. 31, 2023 – candles in the cemetery
  • Sat., Nov. 4, 2023 – All Souls special service

The church is aware that some of its members are struggling to make ends meet. If you are in this situation, please let the clergy know of your needs, pray for the church, and feel no guilt about your giving. But if you are able to give, options for giving include mailing a check to our church or online giving.

If you have anything to add to the Parish calendar or the Carpenter’s Helper newsletter, please email the office at StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com.

To see worship, events or news, see our website, FaceBook, InstaGram, YouTube, or the posted events on the board next to the name tag station. Recent Newsletters, Sermons, or Announcements are also available.

Regardless of whether we are together in-person or virtually, we are connected by the Holy Spirit:  Always together; never apart…maybe in distance, but never in heart.

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or (302) 368-4644

28 Sep 2023

Blessing of the Animals needs volunteers

by | posted in: Worship | 0

Blessing of the Animals 2023As you may have heard or are eagerly waiting to hear, St. Thomas’s will be hosting its Annual Blessing of the Animals on October 8, 2023 from 2-4 p.m. In addition to the usual blessings of animals, this year’s event will include vendors, displays, giveaways, and some visits from some of our larger animal friends. 

We invite you to join in the fun of the event but also to help with set up and clean up. If you have an idea for an animal related activity or table, you are invited to share that as well. However, if you are volunteering to offer an activity, please sign up for that by Oct. 1, 2023.  Please volunteer to help with the event in any of the three ways listed.

We appreciate any volunteers who can help.

Sincerely,

Belinda Young-Payne on behalf of the St. Thomas Events Committee