12 Jan 2024

Annual Parish Meeting 2024

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St.. Thomas’s Annual Parish Meeting will be held on Sunday, March 10, 2024 after the 10:30 a.m. service. Before the Annual Meeting, we will hold two working preparation sessions on January 21 and February 25, 2024 from 9-10 a.m.

We invite everyone to come with good ideas and with passion for the mission of God at St. Thomas’s to one or both of the prep meetings. And, we hope to see all of our faith family at the Annual Meeting.

Help us to answer:
What should we dream of for the parish going forward?
What is God calling us to do and be now and in the years to come?

You can help shape our future. Help make decisions about how we share the way of love throughout our faith family, our church, and our community. Share your unique perspective.

And, it is also the season to elect new vestry members. Please speak to any member of the vestry, Fr. Howie or Fr. Clay about what being on the vestry means and how to nominate yourself or someone else. Nominations can begin this Sunday and elections will be held at our annual meeting.

9 Jan 2024

Hope Dining Room volunteers needed Monday, January 15, 2024

by | posted in: Service | 0

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

Next Monday, January 15, 2024, is our opportunity to serve at Hope Dining Room. Hope Dining Room where we serve “a midday hot meal with dignity, to those in need in the Greater Newark Delaware area.”

This month, our day to serve, falls on Martin Luther King Day and our teens have no school. SO, they have decided to do some community service and will be our cooks and servers at Hope this month! When you see them at church, be sure to thank them for volunteering!

Please volunteer for the things we need for the meal and to volunteers. We had 20 fruit cups left from last month, so we only need 20 more. We plan to serve 40 people.

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”.  If that doesn’t fit into your schedule, give me a call, text or email and I will pick it up at your house.

MANY Blessings to you ALL,
Madeline Johnson
mad1240@comcast.net

4 Jan 2024

Worship and weekly news for January 7, 2024

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Hello faith family! This is the First Sunday after Epiphany – January 7, 2024, Year B. Epiphany, also known as “Theophany” in Eastern Christian tradition, is a Christian feast day commemorating the visit of the Magi, the baptism of Jesus, and the wedding at Cana.

Weekly News

See our Carpenter’s Helper Weekly Newsletter. on Sat., Jan. 6, 2024 at 6 p.m., we will have an Epiphany 2024 Compline and Potluck Dinner.

Our weekly Worship schedule

First Sunday after EpiphanyThis 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

  • Sat., Jan. 6, 2024 at 6 p.m. – Epiphany Compline and Potluck
  • Wed., Feb. 14, 2024 – Valentines Day and Ash Wednesday
  • Sun., March 10, 2024 – Annual Meeting and Daylight Savings Time
  • March 25-30, 2024 Holy Week
  • Sun., March 31, 2024 – Easter Sunday

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

1 Jan 2024

Epiphany 2024 Compline and Potluck Dinner

by | posted in: Epiphany | 0

Greetings and Happy New Year to you!

The time has come to begin our preparations for the Twelfth Day, the day we celebrate the arrival of the Magi, the Wise Men, to the Bethlehem, to worship the baby Jesus. On Saturday, January 6, 2024 at 6:00 p.m., we will gather as a faith family for our annual Epiphany Compline and Potluck Dinner. ALL are welcome for worship and to enjoy a wonderful meal together.  Bring  yourself, bring your family and/or a friend or five!

Those who are able to are asked to bring something to share for the dinner or to help with set up or clean up.  You can sign up to do either of these things (or more than one) using the SignUp Genius. Please feel free to contact me with questions or suggestions. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4CAAA62CAB9-47007867-2024

Blessings,
Belinda Young-Payne, on behalf St. Thomas’s Events Committee

29 Dec 2023

Worship and weekly news for December 31, 2023

by | posted in: News, Worship | 0

Hello faith family! This is the First Sunday after Christmas Day – December 31, 2023, Year B. This week, we remember the Massacre of the Innocents. The Gospel of Matthew tells how the Magi visit Jerusalem to seek guidance as to where the king of the Jews has been born; King Herod directs them to Bethlehem and asks them to return to him and report, but they are warned in a dream that Herod wishes to find the child and kill him, and do not do so. Matthew continues: When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. — Matthew 2:16

Weekly News

See our Carpenter’s Helper Weekly Newsletter.

Our weekly Worship schedule

First Sunday after Christmas DayThis 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

  • Sat., Jan. 6, 2024 at 6 p.m. – Epiphany Compline and Potluck

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

22 Dec 2023

Christmas 2023 Gift Invitation

by | posted in: Giving | 0

Dear St. Thomas’s family,

We hope the Christmas spirit is alive and well in your home. In case you missed Father Howie’s Christmas letter in your mailbox, we are pleased to share his eloquent Christmas letter from the Rector. We hope you can join us with friends and family on Christmas, and we hope you will consider making a Christmas gift to help with ministries at St. Thomas’s.

Christmas gifts are needed to help balance our Budget and December is the end of our financial year. 

As Father Howie says, “We welcome everyone to join in that mission regardless of who they are, where they are in their journey of faith, or what mix of gifts they bring. We need everyone! But we also need the resources to enable everyone to make the most of her or his ministry.”

“And so, I ask that you consider giving a Christmas gift to St. Thomas’s. 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. There are a number of ways to give, including the envelope enclosed with the letter mailed to our homes or through our secure on-line donation option. A gift of your time and skill would also be most welcome.”

Here are some ways to give your Christmas gift:

(1) Give via the parish’s online giving site.
(2) Give by check: Write “Christmas Gift” on the memo line and mail or bring your check to St. Thomas’s Episcopal Parish, 276 S. College Ave., Newark DE 19711.
(3) Visit your bank’s website, identify St. Thomas’s Parish as a payee, enter “Christmas Gift” in the memo line, and send your gift.
(4) Donate appreciated securities from your brokerage account. Contact Amy Keach, Treasurer, at iloveoregon@hotmail.com for details.
(5) If you are over the age of 70 ½, you may use your IRA tax-free to make a qualified charitable contribution (QCD). Contact Amy Keach or your tax advisor for details.

We hope you can join us with friends and family on Christmas, and we hope you will consider making a Christmas gift.

22 Dec 2023

Worship and weekly news for December 24, 2023

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Hello faith family! This is the Fourth Sunday of Advent – December 24, 2023, Year B. To help us prepare for Christmas, Fr Howie has prepared a wonderful series of devotional recordings, following along with “Preparing the Way; Christian Practices for Advent” published by Forward Movement. This series will be released daily via a YouTube link emailed each morning, beginning this Sunday. A generous parishioner has purchased many copies of this book for us all to enjoy. Please pick up a copy in the back of the church, to follow along.

Weekly News

See our Carpenter’s Helper Weekly Newsletter. This Advent season, there will be opportunities for everyone to fellowship together and get involved! So, stay abreast of everything happening at St. Thomas’s this season!
Advent Devotional Recordings
Christmas 2023 Letter from the Rector
Christmas 2023 Gift Invitation
Annual Giving for 2024 Thank You

Our weekly Worship schedule

Christmas servicesThis Sunday’s Schedule

  • Dec. 24, 2023 – CHRISTMAS EVE worship at 9 a.m., 4 p.m., 8 p.m. See worship booklets.
  • Dec. 25, 2023 – CHRISTMAS DAY – 10 a.m., one service only. See worship booklet.

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

  • Sat., Jan. 6, 2024 at 6 p.m. – Epiphany Compline and Potluck

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

14 Dec 2023

Worship and weekly news for December 17, 2023

by | posted in: News, Worship | 0

Hello faith family! This is the Third Sunday of Advent – December 17, 2023, Year B. To help us prepare for Christmas, Fr Howie has prepared a wonderful series of devotional recordings, following along with “Preparing the Way; Christian Practices for Advent” published by Forward Movement. This series will be released daily via a YouTube link emailed each morning, beginning this Sunday. A generous parishioner has purchased many copies of this book for us all to enjoy. Please pick up a copy in the back of the church, to follow along.

Weekly News

See our Carpenter’s Helper Weekly Newsletter. This Advent season, there will be opportunities for everyone to fellowship together and get involved! So, stay abreast of everything happening at St. Thomas’s this season!
Advent Devotional Recordings
Christmas 2023 Letter from the Rector
St John’s Bible presentation and training
St. Thomas’s ties to Indian culture
Children’s and Youth Sponsored Holiday 2023 Celebrations
Annual Giving for 2024 Thank You

Our weekly Worship schedule

Third Sunday of AdventThis 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

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

11 Dec 2023

Hope Dining Room volunteers needed Monday, December 18, 2023

by | posted in: Outreach, Service | 0

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

Next Monday, December 18, 2023, is our opportunity to serve at Hope Dining Room. 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 short 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 a ball cap and an apron. We would LOVE to see you! All of this takes place at Kingswood Methodist Church kitchen on Marrows Road 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.

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”.  If that doesn’t fit into your schedule, give me a call, text or email and I will pick it up at your house.

MANY Blessings to you ALL,
Madeline Johnson
mad1240@comcast.net

11 Dec 2023

Christmas 2023 Letter from the Rector

by | posted in: Advent, Christmas | 0

6 December 2023

Dear friends,

This year marks the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis’ creation of the first live nativity scene, an ancestor of the porcelain and olive wood and paper cut-out sets that appear in our houses at this time of the year. According to his biographer, Francis was so moved by a visit he made to Bethlehem that he later recreated the scene of Jesus’ birth – made it real for himself and those around him. As we arrange the shepherds and angels and animals in our living rooms, we have the chance to do the same. We can imagine the wonder of Mary, the excitement of the shepherds, the stillness of the world into which God comes once more. (See this image on the letter.)

That surprising choice – coming to be with us – is God’s gift to us at Christmas. We don’t really know how to ask for it and don’t always do a good job of showing our gratitude. But at the start, at the manger, all God asks is that we say yes. I invite you to join us for Christmas and in all the days that follow as we at St. Thomas’s renew our “yes” to God and God’s mission in the world.

We welcome everyone to join in that mission regardless of who they are, where they are in their journey of faith, or what mix of gifts they bring. We need everyone! But we also need the resources to enable everyone to make the most of her or his ministry.

And so, I ask that you consider giving a Christmas gift to St. Thomas’s. 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. There are a number of ways to give, including the envelope enclosed with the letter mailed to our homes or through our secure on-line donation option. A gift of your time and skill would also be most welcome.

Please join us at Christmas – at 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM on Christmas Eve, and 10:00 AM on Christmas Day. Please invite those close to you to come along. And thank you for remembering St. Thomas’s at Christmas and all through the year.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Howell Sasser, Rector