20 Nov 2021

Worship services for week of November 21, 2021

by | posted in: Worship | 0

Hello faith family! Sunday, November 21, 2021 is the Last Sunday after Pentecost. 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

18 Nov 2021

Annual Bazaar 2021 success

by | posted in: Outreach | 0

What an amazing congregation we have at Saint Thomas’s! There were a lot of unknowns this year when planning the return of our Annual Bazaar.

First, we moved the date from early December 2021 to early November 2021. In the past, we found that there were at least a dozen other bazaars on the weekend we traditionally held ours. We hoped to attract those early shoppers and at the same time be a bit easier on ourselves. We also wanted to be able to distribute the funds raised before the Christmas holidays.

Second, we realize that many people are still not comfortable in crowds or near people they do not know, for various health reasons.

Third, torrential rains were predicted for Friday, the first day of the Annual Bazaar.

None of our concerns deterred the congregation and friends of Saint Thomas’s.

With the help of the committee: Deb Kearns, Joy Lynam, Connie Malin, Carol Palermo, Philippa Sunnergren and Barb Graham the Annual Bazaar was a resounding success. Even with the hard work and planning of the committee, we would not have had the success that we did without the participation of our wonderful and generous congregation. From making beautiful crafts, to baking delicious treats, to donating items for the White Elephant sale, to supporting the Annual Bazaar through many purchases, once again our parish family stepped up. Our vendors, new and returning, added to our success.

So, a great big THANK YOU, to all who helped give us the opportunity to help those in our community less fortunate than us. We will be distributing the funds raised to local groups in need in the next few weeks.

Barbara Graham

15 Nov 2021

COVID Policy Update November 15, 2021

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Dear friends,

The Vestry did a periodic review of our COVID-19 precautions yesterday and directed the Senior Warden and me to send a letter to the parish to keep everyone in the loop as to what we are doing to keep everyone safe. 

Today marks 19 months since we began the new normal of COVID precautions. In that time, a few of us have been sick, many of us have rearranged and postponed parts of our lives, and all of us have been looking for the light at the end of the tunnel.

Conditions are in some ways much better now than even a few months ago. Many people have been vaccinated and the other precautions we have learned to follow have done much to keep the most vulnerable among us – children and those with chronic illnesses – from becoming ill.

We commend all those who have kept St Thomas’s going and kept St. Thomas’s safe. If it were possible to know when the first COVID-free day will come, we might be able to ask you to hold on just until then, but we do not yet know when or if that day will arrive. And so, for now, we can only ask everyone to remain diligent. The Vestry reviews its COVID safety
measures periodically, and will revise them – to ease or tighten them – as conditions dictate.

As a reminder, these are the policies that are in place:
• Mask-wearing is mandatory for those over the age of 2 years who have not been fully vaccinated and is strongly encouraged for those who have been.
• We encourage everyone who is able to receive any of the available COVID-19 immunizations to do so.
• Maintenance of a minimum distance of 3 feet between those not in routine household contact is recommended whenever possible.
• The use of hand sanitizer before receiving Communion is recommended.
• The distribution of Communion wine in any form is suspended.

If you have questions about any of these precautions or how they affect you and your family, please contact the church office. We are fortunate to have several people with clinical and public health training in the parish. Any of them will be glad to speak with you about the trends in COVID-19 rates and what they mean for us locally.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Howell Sasser, Rector
Connie Cooper, Senior Warden

15 Nov 2021

Advent 2021 Sunday evening services offered

by | posted in: Advent | 0

Good morning and happy Monday faith family!  It seems impossible, however Advent begins next Sunday, November 28, 2021.  Each Sunday evening at 5 p.m., there will be an extra special service in-person with precautions and online at YouTube open to ALL. What a wonderful variety of services this year!  There will be so many ways to prepare our hearts for our Savior’s birth. Below is an overview.  Mark your calendars now, but know that more info will be forthcoming.

  • November 28, 2021: Advent “stations” with prayers, instrumental music, and a hymn or two.  The unique stations will help us feel a connection to our brothers and sisters in faith around the world and through time. (service booklet)
  • December 5, 2021: Evensong; a service of scripture, prayer, and music, sung regularly in the Anglican church since the sixteenth century. (service booklet)
  • December 12, 2021: Blue Christmas, also called the Longest Night, gives space for those who are feeling sorrowful this season, and their friends who support them, to come and sit with one another, light candles, and listen to music, in a liturgy that speaks of the love of God for the grieving. (service booklet)
  • December 19, 2021: “Son et lumiere” images and colors accompanied by verses and music of Advent- this should be an awesome sensory experience. (service booklet)

These Sunday evening services are just a part of all of the exciting ways that we can fluff the hay in the mangers of our hearts. 

14 Nov 2021

Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for November 14, 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 Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost and the week of November 14, 2021. This week, you are invited to shop the Annual Bazaar! Jeanne has a note about pledge envelopes, and you can read about the “Liturgy for Planetary Crisis” at COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference.

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

14 Nov 2021

Poets’ Corner presents Traci Currie

by | posted in: News | 0

Poets’ Corner Reading Series presents Traci Currie reading poetry by her favorite poets.
Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 4:30 p.m.
St. Thomas’s Episcopal Church, 276 S. College Ave. Newark, DE

This Jamaican American literary artist has focused a portion of her career in the academy, specifically 20 years in the midwest pursuing degrees in communication, film, and media studies, teaching African American literature and communication courses. Her poetry performances often address social challenges in culturally specific communities, as well as creating inclusive spaces for underrepresented voices. As a literary artist, she creates an engaging space that allows audience members to participate in the ‘power of PLAY.’ She currently works with youth as the Program Director for Cityfest Arts Work and an Artist Resident for Poetry Out Loud.

Co-sponsored by St. Thomas’s Parish and the University of Delaware Department of English.
Masks Required.

12 Nov 2021

Worship services for week of November 14, 2021

by | posted in: Worship | 0

Hello faith family! Sunday, November 14, 2021 is the Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost. 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

11 Nov 2021

Hope Dining Room volunteers for November 15, 2021

by | posted in: Outreach, Service | 0

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

Next Monday, November 15, 2021 is our opportunity to serve at Hope Dining Room. If you are free between 10 a.m. and noon that day, you can experience the joy of being part of a team that makes lunch for a very appreciative group of guests.  We begin cooking at 10 AM  at Kingswood Methodist Church in Brookside – on Marrows Rd.   We finish clean up by noon.

Here is a Sign Up Genius for the fruit, cookies and volunteers:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4DACA72AAAFF2-hope15

You may drop off your donations of fruit and cookies at St. Thomas’s, today through Thursday between 9 and noon, OR Sunday when you come to church.  If those times don’t work for you, give me a call and I will pick it up at your door.

MANY Blessings,
Madeline Johnson   mad1240@comcast.net

7 Nov 2021

Single-size, washable blankets needed for Code Purple

by | posted in: Outreach | 0

Dear Family of St. Thomas’s,

As it gets colder, we think of those with no warm homes to sleep in.  Last year, the Hope Center opened and our homeless friends had a warm place to live. Some got jobs and their own apartments! Others, are now out on the street again, as the Hope Center is FULL – at 400 people (mostly families with children).

The churches in Newark will be providing shelter (on nights where the temperature falls below 20 degrees), using Code Purple. Last year, when we thought the Hope Center was the permanent solution, and we had to remove all the items from the undercroft for mold and asbestos remediation, we donated all our blankets to the Newark Empowerment Center. 

We must, once again, renew our blanket supply. If you have an extra single-size, washable blankets, there will be a blanket collection box outside the office at St. Thomas’s. 

More info to come about the details of Code Purple, which will be a little different, to observe COVID guidelines. There is an organizational meeting this next week to work it all out.

MANY Blessings for your generosity to those with no homes,
Madeline Johnson

5 Nov 2021

Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for November 7, 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 Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost and the week of November 7, 2021. This week, you see the announcement that the annual St. Thomas’s clean-up is this Saturday, a reminder that DAYLIGHT SAVINGS is this weekend, the Annual Bazaar starts next Friday, and included is a write up of Kristin’s powerful stewardship message from last Sunday.

Do you have extra Halloween candy you would like out of your house? Please bring it to the church building by next Tuesday, November 9, 2021 so that it can be put into service members care packages.

Some of our events are as follows.

  • Saturday, November 6, 2021 from 8 a.m. – noon – St. Thomas’s Annual Fall Clean-up.
  • 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!
  • Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 10 a.m. – 2 Saints Readers, the book study that brings us together with our St. Nicholas friends, will be discussing “The Language of God, A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief” by Dr Francis S Collins, via Zoom. ALL are Welcome – you will receive an email invitation.
  • 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.
  • Annual Bazaar on November 12-13, 2021 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. – come shop! Volunteer! All proceeds go to Outreach Ministries.

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