4 Jun 2017

Sermon for The Day of the Pentecost – June 4, 2017/Year A

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Come Holy Spirit! Fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in us the fire of your love! Send forth your Spirit, and we shall be created; and with you, we will renew the face of the earth. AMEN

“When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house … Divided tongues, as of fire … rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit …”

Author Annie Dillard writes, “Why do we people in churches seem like cheerful, brainless tourists on a pack aged tour of the Absolute? People who come here should be equipped with safety helmets and life vests, and the pews should all have safety harnesses. For if we come to church to be transformed, hang on tight for that is what the Spirit of the living God will do!”

For all these things that do not seem quite the same as that first Pentecost Day, here is what will be equally and importantly the same for every single one of us gathered this day, in this place, and at this time — we shall be created; and with you, we will renew the face of the earth TOGETHER!

Together we will do this through the presence and power and purpose of Love that is our Triune God!

See the Pentecost Sunday Sermon in its entirety and see all sermons.

2 Feb 2017

175th Annual Meeting

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The Wardens and Vestry of St. Thomas’s Parish have set aside the second Sunday in Lent, March 12, 2017 for the 175th Annual Meeting of St. Thomas’s Parish. This important gathering gives opportunity to gather as a community of faith, to hear reports of our ministry activities over the year past and plans for the year ahead, and to elect four [4] people to three year terms as servant leaders of our parish. We will also be affirming/electing delegates to represent St. Thomas’s at the Special Convention for the election of the 11th Bishop of Delaware scheduled for July 15, 2017. The current delegates to the Diocesan Convention are willing to serve – Jordan Kinsey and Marilyn Prime, Mariah Payne as our under 30 year old delegate, and Devon Miller Duggan as alternate. Nominations will also be included from the parish if you feel called to serve in this important event of our common life. Nomination forms and the requirements of being a Vestry candidate are now on the nametag table. For the Annual Meeting we will gather at 12:00 p.m. in the Great Hall, beginning with time of fellowship and a light lunch with refreshments. The meeting will begin at 12:30 p.m. We are offering activities for our children so that parents may participate fully in the life and ministry of our parish. More information will be forthcoming in February and March, and weekly in the Carpenter‘s Helper. We will again offer the Annual Report electronically at least one week before the Annual Meeting.

30 Jan 2017

Former ECM student is new Associate Priest at Christ Church Christiana Hundred

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I am pleased to announce the call of our new priest associate, The Rev. Ann Urinoski, who will begin her ministry with us on March 1. Ann is a “cradle Episcopalian” who discovered her vocation for ordained ministry while active in campus ministry at the University of Delaware. She graduated from UD in 2010 with a major in English Education and spent a year in the Young Adult Service Corps, serving in a college chaplaincy program in Cape Town, South Africa. While completing her seminary education at the General Theological Seminary in New York, Ann was an intern at St. Mark’s Church, Basking Ridge, ordained a deacon in Advent 2015. She was ordained a priest this past June in the Diocese of New Jersey and continued serving St. Mark’s Church as the priest in charge while the rector was on sabbatical.

Ann will relocate from Central New Jersey to join our clergy team, with an emphasis on youth and young adult ministry. If you’d like to send a note to welcome her to Christ Church, her address is:

The Rev. Ann Urinoski
223 North Bridge Street
Somerville, NJ 08876

Blessings,
Ruth+

The Rev. Ruth Beresford
Rector

25 Jan 2017

For everything there is a season – the resignation of The Reverend Paul W. Gennett, Jr.

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Dear faithful people of St. Thomas’s Parish,

Grace and peace be with you all. As the Preacher writes in Ecclesiastes, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven …” and so the time has come for my service with you as Rector to St. Thomas’s.

With thankful heart, I am your servant in Christ always,
The Reverend Paul W. Gennett, Jr.
Rector

See The Reverend Paul W. Gennett, Jr.’s resignation letter.

18 Jan 2017

The 174th Annual Meeting of St. Thomas’s Parish

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The 174th Annual Meeting of St. Thomas’s Parish

The Wardens and Vestry of St. Thomas’s Parish have set aside The Fourth Sunday in Lent, March 6, 2016 for the 174th Annual Meeting of St. Thomas’s Parish. This important gathering gives opportunity to gather as a community of faith, to hear reports of our ministry activities over the year past and plans for the year ahead, and to elect four [4] people to three year terms as servant leaders of our parish. We will gather at 12:00 p.m. in the Great Hall, beginning with time of fellowship and a light lunch with refreshments. The meeting will begin at 12:30 p.m. We are offering activities for our children so that parents may participate fully in the life and ministry of our parish. Off going Vestry leaders Tim Casey and D. J. Ferguson will be calling up possible candidates to stand for Vestry election to the Class of 2019. If you are interested in serving your parish in this servant leadership role, please contact Tim and/or D. J. We will again send the Annual Report electronically at least one week before the Annual Meeting. We hope this will provide this report of our mission and ministry over 2015 to those who wish to have it, and reduce the amount of paper copies produced and then left behind.

This is the FIRST notification.

11 Jan 2017

The 175th Annual Meeting of St. Thomas’s Parish

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The Wardens and Vestry of St. Thomas’s Parish have set aside The Second Sunday in Lent, March 12, 2017 for the 175th Annual Meeting of St. Thomas’s Parish. This important gathering gives opportunity to gather as a community of faith, to hear reports of our ministry activities over the year past and plans for the year ahead, and to elect four [4] people to three year terms as servant leaders of our parish.

We will also be affirming/electing delegates to represent St. Thomas’s at the Special Convention for the election of the 11th Bishop of Delaware scheduled for July 15, 2017. The current delegates to the Diocesan Convention are willing to serve – Jordan Kinsey and Marilyn Prime, Mariah Payne as our under 30 year old delegate, and Devon Miller Duggan as alternate. Nominations will also be included from the parish if you feel called to serve in this important event of our common life. Details for nomination [by other or self] will be forthcoming in future mailings.

We will gather at 12:00 p.m. in the Great Hall, beginning with time of fellowship and a light lunch with refreshments. The meeting will begin at 12:30 p.m. We are offering activities for our children so that parents may participate fully in the life and ministry of our parish.

More information will be forthcoming in The Carpenter in February and March, and weekly in the Carpenter‘s Helper announcements beginning in February. We will again offer the Annual Report electronically at least one week before the Annual Meeting. We hope this will provide this report of our mission and ministry over 2016 to those who wish to have it, and reduce the amount of paper copies produced and then left behind.

I pray you plan to join YOUR FAMILY of faith as we continue to grow in God’s grace and serving as the disciples of our Lord Christ in our days! Fr. Paul+

11 Jan 2017

St. Thomas’s 175th anniversary history research

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175th Anniversary history research: In honor of St. Thomas’s 175th anniversary, we will be continuing the research into the parish’s history that we began in 2015. This will include organizing the parish archives, researching in various sources, and sharing the information with the parish and the larger world. All that is required is an inquiring mind and a commitment to accuracy. An organizational meeting will be held on Saturday, January 28, at 9:30 a.m. in the Parlor. If you’re interested or have questions, contact Connie Cooper at 302-731-7595 or cjcooper15@verizon.net.

13 Nov 2016

Coming Home … Going Forward, Together – A Pastoral Letter to St. Thomas’s Parish

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Blessings in Grace to all in this family of faith!

I have been emerging from what feels like a very bad and persistent hangover from a one night bender, something I have not felt this palpably in over 19 years. Holding my feelings in prayer, and in the conversations with so many who bear your own feelings like this emerging less from who won or did not win the elections this Tuesday past but more from what has happened to us as a nation, as human beings one to another, in this land. A philosopher once wrote about the early emerging nation called the United States of America that “What makes America great is that it is GOOD. When it ceases to be good, it will cease to be great.”

What has emerged from my prayerful bearing of this “hangover” is a pastoral letter I have attached,  sharing my journey and given to you as it may be of help, if any. As noted in the latter part of the letter, I will be present for holy listening and speaking with one another for anyone who desires on Sunday, November 13 in the seating circle in the Great Hall between and after the morning services, and will arrive around 4 p.m. for the 5:30 p.m. service this day.

This is not a commentary, it is my best prayerful response, broken and redeemed as I am. My desire is that we not spiral down into the ugly diatribe swirling around us, but as people of Love, be with one another, for one another, in Christ. May this be so. See this Pastoral Letter.

Grateful to all, always, in peace,
Fr. Paul Gennett, Jr.+

13 Nov 2016

Episcopal Campus Ministry (ECM) and Lutheran Campus Ministry (LCM) enjoy hayride and bon fire

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Episcopal Campus Ministry (ECM) and Lutheran Campus Ministry (LCM) students went on a hayride and enjoyed a bon fire at Milburn Orchards with their St. Thomas’s family! Hot dogs and s’mores, apple cider and water were enjoyed around the bon fire. This fellowship activity was recommended by our Young Adult and Campus Ministry (YACM) collaborative  “Together at the Table” grant and was hosted by us – Episcopal Campus Ministry (ECM)!

St. Thomas’s is so proud of our students and you may catch up on their 2016-17 activities from their web page available from the St. Thomas’s web site.