12 Jan 2021

Outreach Report for December 2020 and January 2021

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Our Hope Dining Room service with St. Nicholas happened on Dec. 21, 2020.  We prepared 55 meals,  served 36 of them and took 19 to the Newark Empowerment Center. We also provided MANY toiletries and cookies for the Christmas Goodie bags for the guests at Hope Dining Room.

We joined forces with St. Nicholas to provide mittens, hats and socks for the tiny children at St. Michaels Day Nursery in downtown Wilmington. I delivered all of our collection to St. Nicholas on January 10, 2021.

Two years ago our CREW (teens) collected warm sweaters, coats, scarves, gloves and socks for use at Code Purple which did not happen 2 years ago, because of the mild winter.  There were only 3 Code Purples called and we didn’t get any of them – they were done by 3 other churches in Newark. This year, Code Purple can’t be done in the churches, because of the pandemic. So, after consultation with Kelly Tompkins and Belinda, I took all the boxes of warm clothes to the Newark Empowerment Center. They will keep some of the items and send some to the Hope Center, where many of our homeless friends are staying.

I would like to THANK all of our St. Thomas’s family for their generosity and care for people who truly need help.  The needs are many and St. Thomas’s always steps up, royally!!!   BLESS you ALL!!!

Respectfully submitted,
Madeline Johnson

12 Jan 2021

2 Saints Readers book discussion

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Next book for Two Saints Readers: the book discussion group for Sts. Thomas’s and Nicholas.

Do you ever wonder if you and your family will know the best ways for you to approach the time when you do not have the abilities you now have?  Perhaps you have had loved ones pass away in ways or circumstances that continue to sadden you?

The book, Being Mortal, Dr. Atul Gawande, may help some of us to begin the process of figuring out ways to live during our last years and ways to best meet the time we leave our mortal bodies behind to join our God.  The book can help us start the thinking process.  

The Two Saints Readers will read Being Mortal and discuss the concepts it describes of thoughtful ideas, many anecdotes of real people and happenings, and results of studies conducted by caring, knowledgeable people.  We will begin (usually) one-hour Zoom sessions at 10 a.m. on these Tuesdays:  Jan. 19, 26, and Feb. 2, 9, 2021.  We may even end on Feb. 2, 2021, but I can’t promise that. 

The Newark Free Library and the library network have many copies.  All the book sellers online and in stores have the paperback versions.  Even if you do not want to or cannot join us, I urge you to read the book.  However, when we share its concepts together, it could help make them even more real.


Please contact Alice Edgell with any questions, 738-4617; alice.edgell@comcast.net.

8 Jan 2021

Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for January 10, 2021

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Happy 2021 faith family! See the Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for January 10, 2021. We are now in Epiphanytide, and while it is not as vigorous a schedule as the Christmas season, there are some upcoming events to mark on your calendar:

  • January 17, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. – adult education continues the journey through Middle Earth
  • January 24, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. – Novel Theology will meet via Zoom to discuss “Season of Wonder” by Rae Ann Thayne
  • January 31, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. – adult education will wrap up this first 3-week series of 2021

You will receive an emailed invitation to all the above events, and their accompanying leaflets.  As always, there are copies available to be mailed, so please let me know if you’d like a paper copy.  If you have anything to add to the calendar, or the Carpenter’s Helper, email the office.

Please let me know if you have any meetings – virtual or otherwise – that you would like to included on the Parish calendar.   

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

8 Jan 2021

Worship service for January 10, 2021

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Hello faith family!  Happy Epiphany!  January 10, 2021 will be the First Sunday after Epiphany.  We will be streaming LIVE from St. Thomas’s at 9 a.m. on our YouTube channel.  Here is the  service program.

Following the service each week in January, Fr. Howie will be offering Drive/Walk Through Communion and Prayers from 10 to 11 a.m.  ALL are Welcome!

Please see our parish prayer list to this email.  These names are read aloud and prayed for each Wednesday at the service of intercessory prayer, and sharing this list each week in the Sunday leaflet gives us all the opportunity to participate.  Please take a moment to look over this list and send me any updates or additions.

The much anticipated Lord of the Rings theme adult education will begin this Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. via ZOOM.  A ZOOM invitation will be sent to all on Sunday morning.  This session will utilize “Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues: Exploring the Spiritual Themes of The Lord of the Rings”  by Mark Eddy Smith.  Please contact Rue, Larry, or the office with any questions.

At this time, all services and gatherings have been moved to online.  Please do not hesitate to contact the office or Fr. Howie with any questions or concerns about the decision to move back to online worship. 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.

In this strange 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 page. 

I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday! 

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

8 Jan 2021

Adult Education – A Visit to Middle Earth

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Greetings, Friends!

See an UPDATE to this article.

On January 10th, 17th, and 31st, 2021, our Adult Education offering will be the exploration of J.R.R. Tolkien’s use of spiritual themes in his great trilogy, “The Lord of the Rings”. 

Have you ever thought of wonder, humility, or imagination as virtues? How about mirth?  Or perseverance?  Mark Eddy Smith’s “Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues” describes those, as well as many others, using the attitudes and actions of the trilogy’s characters as examples.  Mr. Smith’s writing is straightforward and easy to read, but the themes are deep, encouraging us to re-examine our own attitudes and actions from a point of view possibly not considered before.

If you have the book, or can get it by Sunday, January 10, 2021, please read from the Introduction through Part 2. We will attempt to cover two parts during each of the three weeks of class.

“Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues, An Explorations of Spiritual Themes of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings” by Mark Eddy Smith is available from Amazon, and, I would guess, from other booksellers as well.

A Zoom link will be sent out a bit later in the week, and will open at about 10:15 AM on Sunday.  We hope as many of you as possible will be able to join us for an enjoyable, satisfying, and perhaps enlightening excursion through Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

See you Sunday!
Rue Manning, Co-chair, Adult Education

5 Jan 2021

Epiphany Intercessory prayer service at noon

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Happy 2021 faith family!  Wednesday, January 6, 2021 is Epiphany.  In the interest of health and safety, we will not be celebrating in our traditional ways this year. However, this is still an important date in our calendar.  At noon, there will be a special Intercessory Prayer service with music and Holy Eucharist. Tomorrow at noon, connect to our  YouTube page and here is the accompanying service leaflet.

“Chalking your door” is another way to remember this day in a socially distanced way.  This year, perhaps more than ever, is a year in which we need to invite Jesus  into our homes, our Domestic Churches.Instructions for Blessing the Home:Using chalk, mark the lintel of your front door as follows:
20 + C + M + B + 21 saying:
The three Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar followed the star of God’s Son who became human two thousand and twenty one years ago.
May Christ bless our home and remain with us throughout the new year.
Amen.

Then, say the following prayer:
Visit, O Blessed Lord, this home with the gladness of your presence.
Bless all who live or visit here with the gift of your love;
and grant that we may manifest your love to each other
and to all whose lives we touch.
May we grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of you;
guide, comfort, and strengthen us in peace,
O Jesus Christ, now and for ever.
Amen.

What does the inscription ‘20 + C + M + B + 21′ mean?
The letters have two meanings. First, they represent the initials of the Magi – Caspar, Malchior, and Balthazar – who came to visit Jesus in His first home. They also abbreviate the Latin phrase, Christus mansionem benedicat: “May Christ bless the house.”

The “+” signs represent the cross, and the “20” at the beginning and the “21” at the end mark the current year.
Taken together, this inscription is performed as a request for Christ to bless those homes so marked and that He stay with those who dwell therein throughout the entire year.

On Thursday, Deacon Cecily will continue her Thursday night Compline service at 7 p.m.  via ZOOM.  ALL are Welcome. 

This Sunday, January 10, 2021, we will have our regular 9 a.m. worship service, coming to you LIVE on YouTube and in-person by sign-up.  Following the service, Fr. Howie will be offering Drive/Walk Through Communion and Prayers from 10-11 a.m. ALL are Welcome.

This Sunday also begins the new year of Adult Christian Education at 10:30 a.m. via Zoom. The first session will focus on the book “Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues: Exploring the Spiritual Themes of the Lord of the Rings”.  A Zoom invitation will be sent on Sunday.  Please contact the office with any questions.

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

31 Dec 2020

Worship service for January 3, 2021

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Hello faith family!  I hope this finds you well on the last day of 2020.  January 3, 2021 is the second Sunday after Christmas. Here is the  service program for your preview. There are paper copies available to be mailed.  If you would like one, please let me know. 

We will be streaming LIVE from St. Thomas’s at 9 a.m. on our YouTube channel. Following the service each week in January, Fr. Howie will be offering Drive/Walk Through Communion and Prayers from 10 to 11 a.m.  ALL are Welcome!

Please see our parish prayer list.  These names are read aloud and prayed for each Wednesday at the service of intercessory prayer and sharing this list each week in the Sunday leaflet gives us all the opportunity to participate.  Please take a moment to look over this list and send me any updates or additions.

The much anticipated Lord of the Rings theme adult education will begin next Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. via ZOOM.  A ZOOM invitation will be sent to all.  It will utilize “Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues: Exploring the Spiritual Themes of The Lord of the Rings”  by Mark Eddy Smith.  Please contact Rue, Larry, or the office with any questions.

At this time, all services and gatherings have been moved to online.  Please do not hesitate to contact the office or Fr. Howie with any questions or concerns about the decision to move back to online worship. 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.

In this strange 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 page. 

Please continue to share your impressions and ideas for both in-person and online worship.  Your thoughts are appreciated!

I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday! 

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

29 Dec 2020

St. Michael’s Day School and Nursery Outreach

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Merry Christmas, St. Thomas’s family!  Every year, St. Nicholas Parish provides help to the St. Michael’s Day Nursery in downtown Wilmington. It is the oldest early childhood education program in Delaware and was started in 1890! They provide high quality, affordable childcare and early education to children, 8 weeks old to 5 years old.

St. Nicholas collects mittens, hats and socks for those tiny children and we would like to supplement their collection.  St. Thomas’s has done LOTS of outreach lately and PLEASE do not feel you must participate in ALL of it – that’s kind of overwhelming!

There is a box outside the St. Thomas’s office if you would like to contribute any of those items. They will be delivered to St. Nicholas on January 10, 2021. You still have time to knit  🙂

Many Blessings to ALL,  
Madeline Johnson     mad1240@comcast.net 

22 Dec 2020

Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for December 22, 2020

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Happy Tuesday faith family! While there is no official Carpenter’s Helper newsletter this week, we are an active parish even in these crazy times, and so there are several announcements below. This week, we continue the busy Advent season, preparing our hearts and minds for the arrival of our Savior. Please see the 2020 Advent and Christmas Schedule, which is subject to change. We have to be especially flexible this year because of the pandemic.

  • Christmas Eve service LIVE on YouTube at 11 p.m.
  • Christmas Day service LIVE on YouTube at 10 a.m.
  • Christmas Day Walk/Drive Through Communion and Prayers 11a.m.-noon
  • Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 9 a.m. – Lessons & Carols for Christmas LIVE on YouTube
  • Sunday, December 27 2020 at 10 a.m. – Novel Theology on ZOOM. ALL are Welcome to discuss “Where Courage Falls” by Jeanette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan.  Reading the book is never a requirement to participate in the lively discussion.
  • Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at noon – Intercessory Prayer LIVE on YouTube.
  • Sunday, January 3, 2021 – Walk/Drive Through Communion and Prayers will pick back up on and continue at least through January.  ALL are Welcome!
  • The Lord of the Rings adult education will be happening, but there is no start date as of yet.

You will receive an emailed invitation to all the above events, and their accompanying leaflets.  As always, there are copies available to be mailed, so please let me know if you’d like a paper copy.  Reminder: in-person worship has been suspended for this time and all worship is offered online.

One more note – earlier this week, a Christmas letter from Fr. Howie was sent out.  In “normal” times, this letter is accompanied by a special Christmas offering envelope, to be gifted in the offering basket.  This offering has always been a significant line in the budget. However, this is not a normal year.  As we are not gathering in-person, the Christmas offerings will need to be given in a different mode.  Any donations may be mailed in to the church building, with Christmas noted in the memo.  Alternatively, you can always contribute using our Giving page.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me or Fr. Howie (howell.sasser.jr@gmail.com).  As Fr. Howie notes in this letter: If you have already given all that you can this year, please do not worry or feel guilty.  Instead, I ask for your prayers for the ministries of our church.  If, on the other hand, you can give a special Christmas offering, know that your gift will be received gratefully and applied faithfully to the work we all wish to continue.

Bishop's Christmas CardA few months ago, Bishop Kevin invited everyone in the diocese to submit art to be considered for the Diocese of Delaware Christmas card. We have so many talented artists in our faith family. How THRILLING to announce that Audrey Houghton’s submission was selected!  Way to go Audrey!

The office will be “closed” Dec. 24, 2020 through Jan. 1, 2021, however I will absolutely be available via email or text, and will be happy to open the building if there is a need. There will not be a regular Carpenter’s Helper on Dec. 26 or Jan. 1, but you can still look for a weekly email wrap up.  I’ll see you all virtually!  Have a wonderful week!

Please let me know if you have any meetings – virtual or otherwise – that you would like to included on the Parish calendar.   

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

19 Dec 2020

Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for December 20, 2020

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Happy Friday faith family!  I hope this finds you all well.  See the Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for the week of December 13, 2020. In it, you will find a reminder about Lessons and Carols this Sunday, December 20, 2020, info about the Christmas pageant, being presented on YouTube, a few pics from our entry in Newark’s Festival of Lights display, and a lovely write up of the AMAZING joint venture with the Tarbiyah school to be featured in the Diocese of Delaware’s publication, the Net, in January.

Reminder: in-person worship has been suspended for this time and all worship is offered online.

This week, we continue the busy Advent season, preparing our hearts and minds for the arrival of our Savior. Please see the 2020 Advent and Christmas Schedule, which is subject to change. We have to be especially flexible this year because of the pandemic.  If there are any changes, I will be sure to let you know via email and the usual social media channels.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

  • Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 7 p.m. – the Christmas pageant, on YouTube
  • Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 9 a.m. – Rite I with music, live on YouTube 
  • Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. – Walk/Drive Through Communion and Prayers
  • Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. –  Lessons and Carols for Advent, live on YouTube    
  • Wednesday, December 24, 2020 at 5 p.m. – family friendly Christmas Eve service from St. Nicholas, live on YouTube
  • Wednesday, December 24, 2020 at 11 p.m. – a more traditional Christmas Eve service from St. Thomas’s, live on YouTube
  • Thursday, December 25, 2020 at 10 a.m. – Christmas morning service, live on YouTube
  • Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 9 a.m. – Lessons & Carols for Christmas, live on YouTube

ALL are Welcome in our community!  Please let me know if you’d like a paper copy of any of the leaflets mailed to you.  We may be in different locations, but we are celebrating TOGETHER.  I’d LOVE to see pics of your Names of Jesus Advent activities!

Christmas Pageant- This will be a pageant unlike any other.  It will include a unicorn, Darth Vader, the Spider Man twins, and several of our pets.  You won’t want to miss this!  I’ll be emailing a separate invitation to this event, so that you can share it with your friends and family.  So, get your blankets and hot coco ready – December 19, 2020 at 7 p.m. we will gather virtually to enjoy the talent and creativity of our amazing St. Thomas’s youth.  This presentation will remain available until the end of the Christmas season.

One more note – earlier this week, a Christmas letter from Fr. Howie was sent out.  In “normal” times, this letter is accompanied by a special Christmas offering envelope, to be gifted in the offering basket.  This offering has always been a significant line in the budget. However, this is not a normal year.  As we are not gathering in-person, the Christmas offerings will need to be given in a different mode.  Any donations may be mailed in to the church building, with Christmas noted in the memo.  Alternatively, you can always contribute using our Giving page.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me or Fr. Howie (howell.sasser.jr@gmail.com).  As Fr. Howie notes in this letter: If you have already given all that you can this year, please do not worry or feel guilty.  Instead, I ask for your prayers for the ministries of our church.  If, on the other hand, you can give a special Christmas offering, know that your gift will be received gratefully and applied faithfully to the work we all wish to continue.

The office will be “closed” Dec. 24, 2020 through Jan. 1, 2021, however I will absolutely be available via email or text, and will be happy to open the building if there is a need. There will not be a regular Carpenter’s Helper on Dec. 26 or Jan. 1, but you can still look for a weekly email wrap up.  I’ll see you all virtually!  Have a wonderful week!

Please let me know if you have any meetings – virtual or otherwise – that you would like to included on the Parish calendar.   

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