Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for March 22, 2020

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Greetings faith family!  I hope this finds you well.  It has been so beautiful to see everyone’s kindness and consideration during these unusual times.  With regular services suspended, we have had opportunity to learn more about using technology to stay connected.That being said, if you would prefer a printed copy of the leaflet, or carpenter’s helper, or of any of the worship materials, please let me know. I will do my best to print and deliver any requested materials.

WE are the CHURCH- so, while access to the building may be limited, our CHURCH is never closed!!!

See this week’s Carpenter Helper newsletter. In this week’s newsletter, you will find a list of resources for online worship, as well an invitation from Bishop Curry to his new series, “Habit’s of Grace”.
And, for those of you who have stuck around to the bottom of this email, let’s chat about some of the absolutely amazing things we have seen this week:

Last week, I shared a favorite verse that has helped keep me calm and flexible.  And several of you replied with your favorite verses!  Thank you!  This week, share something that has made you smile: in person, or online, or maybe just an act of kindness that you heard about.

As the news of COVID-19 continues, I find it necessary to remind myself that If we keep God in the forefront of our minds, we will have perfect peace. Trust in Him brings the greatest peace. Then, once I feel more settled, I can be more flexible. 

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

Service on Sunday, March 22, 2020

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Dear Friends,

I hope you are all doing well in these strange times due to COVID-19. Isolation may have physical health benefits, but it leaves much to be desired mentally and spiritually.  Please do what you can to stay connected- and let the church know how we can help.

One thing we can do is return to Sunday worship.  After a week of silence, Sunday worship will return this week, though in a different form.  We will gather virtually at 9:00 a.m.for the service of Holy Eucharist.

To abide by the conditions of the present state of emergency, those present in church will be limited to the small number needed to conduct the service.  Everyone else is encouraged to join by tuning in on YouTube Live.  If you have not already done so, the steps to get ready for this are simple:

1)  Click on this link to Deacon Cecily’s sermon from last Sunday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mippg8Ny5tY

2)  Just below the video, click on the red Subscribe button.

That is all you have to do!  Once you are subscribed, you will receive electronic notifications whenever we are broadcasting.

See the service for Fourth Sunday in Lent – March 22, 2020 via video from YouTube and also see the accompanying service program.

This is clearly not our normal way of doing church.  Nor is it ideal.  Please be assured that the Bishop, the clergy, and many others are churning away on creative ways to keep up united as the Body of Christ.  We have all received the blessing of cleverness – we just have to find ways to apply it!  Expect to see us try more new things and please bear with us as we find our way through unfamiliar territory.

And as always, please keep the sick and those who care for them in your prayers.  I will be very glad to be with you again – even virtually – this Sunday.

Peace – and be well,
Howie+
Rev. Dr. Howell Sasser, Jr., Rector

How you are doing? Do you need anything? How can we pray for you?

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St. Thomas’s family,

Father Howie has heard of other churches who are responding to the current public health crisis with a blanket check-in with parishioners.  Clergy and members of the Vestry have divided up the telephone directory and are calling everyone to ask a few simple questions:

How are you doing?
Do you need anything?
How can I/we pray for you?

This seems like an excellent way to maintain some sense of community when a church can’t meet.

Peace – and be well

Howie+

From the Vestry – Over half of you have already received phone calls from a Vestry member, Fr. Howie, or Deacon Cecily and calling is still in progress. If you need help and/or prayer, please call the St. Thomas’s Parish office at (302) 368-4644. Peace, Joy Lynam / Senior Warden

Holy Week Schedule for 2020

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You are invited to join us for some special Holy Week gatherings. Each day brings a unique opportunity to experience growth and meaning during this solemn time in our calendar, and draw closer to our Lord.
.
Sunday, April 5, 2020 – 8:00 and 10:30 a.m.services
Monday, April 6, 2020 – 5:30 p.m. service
Tuesday, April 7, 2020 – 5:30 p.m. service
Wednesday, April 8, 2020 – 12 noon and 7 p.m. services
Thursday, April, 9, 2020 – 6 p.m.service and watch vigil
Friday, April 10, 2020 – 12 noon and 7 p.m. services
Saturday, April 11, 2020 – 2-4 p.m. and 8 p.m. services
Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020 – 8 and 10:30 a.m. services

Please watch for more details to be published for each day.

Options for Worship on Sunday, March 15, 2020

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Dear Friends,

I hope you and those you care about are managing well in this time of “self-quarantine” and “social distancing.”  Remaining connected to people and routines is challenging, but all the more important in a time when feelings of worry – and even fear – are all around and within us.

As you have already heard, church services will be suspended from now until at least March 22, 2020.  Other non-essential church activities at St Thomas’s, like committee meetings and Bible study, are also being postponed or moved to telephone/Internet conferences. 

But there are ways you can keep some of your Sunday morning routine intact.  You have already received the worship booklets for this Sunday in email.  Deacon Cecily, who was scheduled to preach, is working on recording her sermon, which will be made available as soon as possible.  I am also attaching the booklet that would have been used at the Sunday evening service.  And, it is our hope to have some more sophisticated way of worshiping together electronically in place by next Sunday.

For this week, you may also have seen email news that the Bishop will be at St Peter’s, Lewes, tomorrow and that that service will be broadcast live.  The service will be at 9:00 a.m., and you see it by going to the Diocese’s website or to St, Peter’s website.  Other churches, including the National Cathedral, will be broadcasting via their websites (where more information can be gotten).

Please do not self-isolate even as you do what you can to avoid illness.  Christians through the centuries have encountered God in solitude, and I commend that to you.  But we also have the benefit of many more ways of staying in touch than our ancestors had.  We can and will remain a community while we remain apart as an act of love and concern.

Grace, peace, and good health to you all.
Howie+ 

Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for March 15, 2020

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Good morning faith family. 

See this week’s Carpenter Helper newsletter.

As the news of COVID-19 continues, I find it necessary to remind myself that If we keep God in the forefront of our minds, we will have perfect peace. Trust in Him brings the greatest peace.  Then, once I feel more settled, I can be more flexible. 

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

Church suspended due to Coronavirus

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Dear friends,

As you may have seen in an email earlier this evening, Bishop Brown has directed that all public worship services be suspended for two weeks, beginning immediately. As a consequence, there will be no Sunday morning or evening services this weekend or next (March 15 and 22, 2020) and no Wednesday noon services on March 18, 2020. I will keep you informed of any further developments. 

I anticipate that the church office will remain open as usual during the week. If you have any pastoral or practical needs, please do not hesitate to contact me or Cana, Parish Administrator, to make them known. Also, please keep those who are or will become sick in your prayers, as well as those caring for them. May God bless them and all of us. 

Peace
Howie+

Rev. Howell Sasser, Jr., Rector

Annual Meeting postponed until April-May 2020

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Dear Friends,

As you may have heard, the COVID virus is now in Newark.  The University of Delaware has suspended classes, and many in the community are already taking precautions to avoid the sort of close contact that might lead to exposure.

For this reason, the parish leadership have decided to postpone the Annual Parish Meeting.  There is no business that must be conducted urgently.  The meeting will be rescheduled, likely for April 19th, but more definite information about this will follow as we see what happens with public health and our own scheduling.  In the interim, annual report books have been distributed electronically and are available on paper in limited quantities at the church.  If you have any questions about anything in a report, please contact its author.  I am confident that everyone will be happy to discuss any and all of the church’s ministries.

We will continue to pray for those who are ill and for those who care for them.  If you have any needs, spiritual or practical, or know of anyone who has become sick, please do not hesitate to let the church office know.

Peace
Howie+

Rev. Dr. Howell Sasser, Jr., Rector

Coffee Hour: Faith and Fear, a primer on sentencing reform

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St. Thomas’s Parish is hosting “Faith and Fear, a primer on sentencing reform” on Sunday, Marsh 29, 2020 after the 10:30 a.m. service in the Great Hall.

This talk is Open To The Public – invite your neighbors to join in this important discussion.

We look forward to hearing from Delaware State Legislator Sheri Dorsey Walker and other members of the community who are involved and familiar with the topic of SENTENCING REFORM.

Mandatory minimum sentences, “three strikes” laws, and the war on drugs. These and other social forces have combined to fill our prisons beyond their capacities. These are places that most faithful people rarely see or even think about. And yet, our FAITH calls us to a special concern for prisoners.

This session will give us an update on current conditions and future possibilities.