2 Dec 2021

Christmas service booklet dedications

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Celebrate someone special in your life with a memorial or honorary dedication in the Christmas service booklet.  Everyone is invited. “Honorary” gifts are often given to show appreciation for someone’s kindness or to recognize their impact on your life, or to mark an anniversary or other special event. “In Memory” gifts are a special way to memorialize someone special who has passed away. A donation with your dedication turns your expression of love into a sign of hope. All names received for dedications will be published in the Christmas and Christmas Eve booklets, and all donations received will be used to support St. Thomas’s mission of following Jesus into loving, liberating and life-giving relationships with God, with each other and with the world.

Please use the dedication form or one available in the office and in the lobby. Please have everything turned in by the end of next week – December 12, 2021.  You can mail, email, or drop your dedication in the mailbox on the office door, or use the Giving form.  The suggested donation amount is $25, however, there is no required minimum or limit. The greening of the church building will again be modest this year; in this season, our priorities are staying safe and helping our neighbors. So, the donations collected will go towards those priorities.

Please let me know if you have any questions. This has been a year when we have experienced losses, and also a year when we have experienced new joys.  This is a nice opportunity to reflect and share those significant events and special individuals with our faith family.

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

2 Dec 2021

Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for December 5, 2021

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Good morning faith family.  See St. Thomas’s Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for news and events information for the Second Sunday in Advent and the week of December 5, 2021. This week, you will find the Advent and Christmas worship schedules, an invitation to Poets Corner this Saturday, a call to donate blood on Thursday, and the announcement about this year’s Christmas dedications.

You may have read about the wonderful donation that came in from Diwali Food Drive to Blue Hen Bounty (BHB) in last week’s Carpenter’s Helper newsletter, but if you missed it, you can read all about it in The Net– the weekly newsletter from the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware. The Episcopal Campus Ministry (ECM) is doing awesome things!

To all persons who use St Thomas’s Parish envelopes for their 2022 contributions:  please contact Jeanne Moore at jeannesmoore1@verizon.net. She will address and number them for you and have them ready for pickup in the Great Hall or Cana’s office by December 20, 2021.  The printing company sends them out to us after December 1, 2021. 

Some of our worship events are as follows.

Other events follow:

  • Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 4 p.m. – Poet’s Corner presents Traci Currie
  • Sunday, December 5, 2021 at 9:15 a.m. – Adult Educaton 2 week session, “telling our story”
  • Sundays at 9 a.m. – Youth Confirmation in the Undercroft.
  • Sundays at 10:15 a.m. – Children’s Ministries in the Undercroft.
  • Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. – lectionary bible study in the classroom.
  • Thursday, December 9, 2021 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. – Blood Drive for team Riley. There are still 35 spots left! Call 888-8-BLOOD-8 if you do not see a time that works for you, and they can help.
  • Thursday, December 9, 2021 – field trip to NYC!
  • Sunday, December 12, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. – Novel Theology will meet via Zoom to discuss “Gift from the Sea” by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
  • Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at 5:45 p.m. – Christmas concert and cookies
  • Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 11 a.m. – Robert Doggett funeral
  • Sunday, December 19, 2021- Children’s Christmas pageant during the 10:30am service
  • Sunday, December 19, 2021- St. Thomas’s cookie exchange following the 10:30 a.m. service
  • Monday, December 20, 2021 from 10 a.m.-noon – St. Thomas’s serves at Hope Dining Room
  • Friday, December 24, 2021- Christmas Eve services at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.
  • Saturday, December 25, 2021 – Christmas Day worship at 10 a.m.
  • Sunday, December 26, 2021 – “normal” 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday services

You will receive an emailed invitation to all the above events and their accompanying booklets. As always, there are copies available to be mailed, so please let me know if you’d like a paper copy.

In this strange pandemic time, 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 your church or online giving. See our Giving information.

The new Forward Day by Day booklets are available.  Please feel free to stop into the lobby for a copy, or let me know if you’d like one mailed out to you!  There are plenty in both large and small print.

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 all events or news, visit our website, check FaceBook, or check out the posted events on the board next to the name tag station. Recent Newsletters, Sermons, or Announcements are also available.

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

2 Dec 2021

Worship services for week of December 5, 2021

by | posted in: Worship | 0

Second Sunday in AdventHello faith family! Sunday, December 5, 2021 is the Second Sunday in Advent. Services are held in-person with precautions and online via our YouTube channel. Please do not hesitate to contact the office or Fr. Howie with any questions or concerns about these options. We are listening to the experts and considering how to best keep our faith family safe during this pandemic.

Worship this week:

The Forward Day by Day booklets are available. Please feel free to stop into the lobby for a copy, or let me know if you’d like one mailed out to you!  There are plenty in both large and small print.

In this strange pandemic time, 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 your church or online giving. See our Giving information.

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 all events or news, visit our website, check FaceBook, or check out 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.

I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday!

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

1 Dec 2021

Blood Drive on December 9 at St. Thomas’s

by | posted in: News | 0

It has been a while since we have hosted a blood drive here at St. Thomas’s.  University of Delaware Tri Delta reached out to see if we could share our space for a blood drive on December 9, 2021 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., in honor of Riley, a local little girl battling Leukemia.  Of course, I blurted out YES before even checking the calendar.

A few of us will be on our field trip to NYC, but for those still in Newark on Thursday, December 9, 2021, please please please help to make this event a success. Below is a link to sign up to donate. If you are not able to give blood at this time, please help by sharing this invitation with your friends and neighbors. Tri Delta has set a goal of 50 donations. We have surpassed that number each time we have hosted drives – let’s make this one the BEST yet! This is a wonderful opportunity to help Riley and countless others who rely on the blood bank to survive; it is also a great chance to build a relationship with Tri Delta and welcome new friends from the community to our building.

Here is the link to sign up to donate: https://donate.bbd.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/7890?fbclid=IwAR29_skRLiQ5Qs0rxGal4hUDV6piN2qs8JGI2iolNtCYJJGPCXz4nrIThBE

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

29 Nov 2021

Family Fun Gathering and Cookie Exchange

by | posted in: Children's Ministries | 0

Families with children and/or youth up to 7th grade (including preschoolers) of our St Thomas’s community are invited to come together (MASKS REQUIRED except while eating at your assigned family table) for an afternoon of holiday music, crafts, games, and pizza, which will culminate in a Holiday Cookie Exchange.

Please let us know that you will be joining us at St. Thomas’s Family Fun Gathering by noting how many adults and children/youth will be attending. And also: PLEASE COMMENT if you plan to participate in the cookie exchange by bringing 2 dozen of your favorite holiday cookies (packaged in groups of 3).  Thanks! SignUp Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4CAAA62CAB9-stthomas4 

28 Nov 2021

Food Donation for Blue Hen Bounty from Diwali

by | posted in: ECM | 0

Diwali is widely celebrated—it’s an important religious festival for Hindus, but is also observed among Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists—that it has no single origin story. But, while each religion has its own historical narrative behind the holiday, they all ultimately represent the victory of good over evil. Diwali is observed on the 15th day of the Kartik month as per the Hindu Lunar calendar.

This year the festival of Deepavali started on Thursday, November 4, 2021 and lasted for 5 days. For Indians, Diwali is a celebration of togetherness and faith. By lighting Diyas (lamps), they pray to eliminate darkness from our lives and welcome positivity, prosperity, wealth and good luck for the future. However, Diwali is not just about lighting Diyas. It’s an opportunity to open hearts and assist the less fortunate in society.

In 2019, Blue Hen Bounty (BHB) was fortunate to receive a large donation from a high school student who did a food collection as part of their celebration. They did so with with the support of Diwali Food Drive. This year, another two high school students reached out, through the same organization, wanting to support BHB: Tejasvi Pathipati and Arin Nukiranti.

These youths, and their fathers and siblings came on Wednesday morning with a SUV full of non-perishables. They were very interested in knowing what was on the patrons’ wish list, and learning more about how the bounty is publicized. They enjoyed the experience and will be doing more service like this in the future. The relationship between BHB and Diwali Food Drive will continue.

It’s of note that since the last Diwali Food Drive donation in 2019, both their organization and the Blue Hen Bounty have grown despite a global pandemic that has slowed down almost everything else. BHB has literally doubled in size, as has the number of universities that Diwali Food Drive works with. The number of people experiencing food insecurity has also grown during this crazy time, and it is amazing that with all of the volunteer restrictions and social distancing, both groups have boldly stepped up to give comfort and dignity to their neighbors in need.

26 Nov 2021

Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for November 28, 2021

by | posted in: News | 0

Good morning faith family.  See St. Thomas’s Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for news and events information for the First Sunday in Advent and the week of November 28, 2021. This week, you will find the Advent Sunday worship schedule, a reminder from Jeanne about pledge envelopes, and another exciting Blue Hen Bounty donation from Diwali Food Drive.

To all persons who use St Thomas’s Parish envelopes for their 2022 contributions:  please contact Jeanne Moore at jeannesmoore1@verizon.net. She will address and number them for you and have them ready for pickup in the Great Hall or Cana’s office by December 20, 2021.  The printing company sends them out to us after December 1, 2021. 

Some of our events are as follows.

  • Sundays at 9 a.m. – Youth Confirmation in the Undercroft.
  • Sundays at 10:15 a.m. – Children’s Ministries under the tent in the courtyard.
  • Sundays from 10:30-11 a.m., Communion at the Curb is offered for those who have not received the Sacrament in-person during the service.  You do not need to sign up for this.  ALL are WELCOME!
  • Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m., lectionary bible study in the classroom.
  • Wednesday at noon: Intercessory Prayer with Holy Communion in-person with precautions. Here is the accompanying booklet.
  • Thursday at 7 p.m.: Compline Evening Prayer with Deacon Cecily, live via Zoom. Here is the accompanying booklet.
  • Sunday, December 2, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. – Novel Theology will meet via Zoom to discuss “Gift from the Sea” by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
  • Saturday, December 18, 2021, at 11 a.m. – Robert Doggett funeral

You will receive an emailed invitation to all the above events and their accompanying booklets. As always, there are copies available to be mailed, so please let me know if you’d like a paper copy.

In this strange pandemic time, 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 your church or online giving. See our Giving information.

The new Forward Day by Day booklets are available.  Please feel free to stop into the lobby for a copy, or let me know if you’d like one mailed out to you!  There are plenty in both large and small print.

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 all events or news, visit our website, check FaceBook, or check out the posted events on the board next to the name tag station. Recent Newsletters, Sermons, or Announcements are also available.

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

24 Nov 2021

Children’s Ministries – Family Church Sunday

by | posted in: Children's Ministries | 0

Greetings Everyone,

Sunday, November 28, 2021 is the First Sunday of Advent and is a Family Church Sunday at St. Thomas’s. We will not have Sunday School that day but we began an Advent project last week. On each Sunday of Advent, we will be making or sending home kits to make 3 or 4 Jesse Tree ornaments.

This past Sunday, we made our first Jesse Tree ornaments. I have attached the stories that go with the ornaments and two photos of the ornaments that we made (photo 1 and photo 2). Please feel free use these resources in your own home as part of your Advent activities.

Blessings, Belinda

24 Nov 2021

Worship services for week of November 28, 2021

by | posted in: Worship | 0

First Sunday in AdventHello faith family! Sunday, November 28, 2021 is the First Sunday in Advent. Services are held in-person with precautions and online via our YouTube channel. Please do not hesitate to contact the office or Fr. Howie with any questions or concerns about these options. We are listening to the experts and considering how to best keep our faith family safe during this pandemic.

Next week, November 28, 2-21 begins our Advent season and we add a Sunday Advent Service at 5 p.m.; a unique experience each week.

Worship this week:

The Forward Day by Day booklets are available. Please feel free to stop into the lobby for a copy, or let me know if you’d like one mailed out to you!  There are plenty in both large and small print.

In this strange pandemic time, 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 your church or online giving. See our Giving information.

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 all events or news, visit our website, check FaceBook, or check out 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.

I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday!

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

20 Nov 2021

Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for November 21, 2021

by | posted in: News | 0

Good morning faith family.  See St. Thomas’s Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for news and events information for the Last Sunday after Pentecost and the week of November 21, 2021. This week, you will find the Advent Sunday worship schedule, a reminder from Jeanne about pledge envelopes, as well as, a heartfelt update from the Annual Bazaar.

To all persons who use St Thomas’s Parish envelopes for their 2022 contributions:  please contact Jeanne Moore at jeannesmoore1@verizon.net. She will address and number them for you and have them ready for pickup in the Great Hall or Cana’s office by December 20, 2021.  The printing company sends them out to us after December 1, 2021. 

Some of our events are as follows.

  • Sundays at 9 a.m. – Youth Confirmation in the Undercroft.
  • Sundays at 10:15 a.m. – Children’s Ministries under the tent in the courtyard.
  • Sundays from 10:30-11 a.m., Communion at the Curb is offered for those who have not received the Sacrament in-person during the service.  You do not need to sign up for this.  ALL are WELCOME!
  • Annual Bazaar on Sunday after the service – come shop! Volunteer! All proceeds go to Outreach Ministries.
  • Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m., lectionary bible study in the classroom.
  • Wednesday at noon: Intercessory Prayer with Holy Communion, live on our YouTube channel and in-person with precautions. Here is the accompanying booklet.
  • Thursday at 7 p.m.: Compline Evening Prayer with Deacon Cecily, live via Zoom. Here is the accompanying booklet.

You will receive an emailed invitation to all the above events and their accompanying booklets. As always, there are copies available to be mailed, so please let me know if you’d like a paper copy.

In this strange pandemic time, 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 your church or online giving. See our Giving information.

The new Forward Day by Day booklets are available.  Please feel free to stop into the lobby for a copy, or let me know if you’d like one mailed out to you!  There are plenty in both large and small print.

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 all events or news, visit our website, check FaceBook, or check out the posted events on the board next to the name tag station. Recent Newsletters, Sermons, or Announcements are also available.

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