We did it! We did it church family! Thank you for your gifts toward our September 30, 2023, Step Up Together Campaign $25,000 goal. Thank you!

We will receive a matching grant of $25,000 from the diocese of Delaware. Thank you Diocese!

We hope work will begin in October 2023 and are working with our contractor to confirm that. 

The diocese will continue to match $.75 to our $1, up to $5,000.  If you still have gifts to give for this project, please continue to send them in.  Additional funds raised beyond $30,000 will reduce the amount we need to borrow from the diocese.

With much gratitude and thanks, 

The Step Up Together Committee

For every dollar we give, the Diocese gives us a matching one dollar gift up to a maximum of $25,000 for the Step Up Together campaign to fund the repair of our failing retaining wall.

Thank you so much to the parishioners who donated $7,000 so far!

We have until September 30, 2023, to take advantage of this $1 for $1 match.

Will you be able to provide a gift?

Work will begin on the stairwell in mid-September 2023.

This is how we will fund $125,000 needed for the stairwell.

• We will use $10,000 of our accumulated funds earmarked for property expenses.
• The Diocese has given St. Thomas’s a grant of $15,000.
• In addition, the Diocese has offered us a “Challenge Grant” of up to $25,000.
• The Diocese will lend us the balance, which we will need to repay over time from our annual budget.

Ways to give toward this campaign:

(1) Give via the parish’s online giving site.
(2) Give by check: Write “Step Up Together” on the memo line and bring or mail 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 “Step Up Together” in the memo line, and send your gift.
(4) Donate appreciated securities from your brokerage account. Contact Amy Keach (iloveoregon@hotmail.com) for details.
(5) If you are over the age of 70½, you may use your IRA tax-free to make a qualified charitable contribution (QCD). Contact Amy Keach or your tax advisor for details.
(6) Or, make a promise to give.

Let’s STEP UP TOGETHER!  Take a step, give your gift, and make a difference!

Feel free to write to us at StThomasChallengeGrant@gmail.com.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Amy Keach, Treasurer and Property Committee member
The Rev. Dr. Howell C. Sasser, Jr., Rector

Almighty God, you bless all our works that begin, continue, and end in you; and you inspire in your people a love for your house: sustain us as we work for the repair of our church building and remind us that we have and hold everything for your glory alone, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

“Our steps are directed by the Lord” (Psalm 37:24)

“Our steps are directed by the Lord” (Psalm 37:24)

Almighty God, you bless all our works that begin, continue, and end in you; and you inspire in your people a love for your house: sustain us as we work for the repair of our church building and remind us that we have and hold everything for your glory alone, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Earlier this year, our Property Committee discovered that an important retaining wall, one that has been repaired in the past, is now failing. This wall holds open the space at the back of the church for the below-ground stairwell entrance to our building’s utility room. Consulting engineers have specified that the wall cannot be repaired again but must be rebuilt, very soon, to be twice as thick as it is now. So, work is scheduled to begin in mid-September 2023.

Now, with the approval of our Vestry and support from the Diocese of Delaware’s Advance & Development Committee, we are embarking on a campaign to raise the money needed to rebuild this wall.  As many of us as possible need to STEP UP TOGETHER at this time to donate what we can.  

Giving Timeline: August 1 – September 30, 2023
Goal: receive $25,000 in gifts
The Diocese will match $1 for every $1 up to $25,000 received by Sep. 30.

See our updates:
October 15, 2023 update – WE DID IT! – we have exceeded 2 of our goals and grant matches!
September 29 update and THANK YOU friends and Diocese! Almost there!
September 17 update and THANK YOU friends and Diocese!
August update for this campaign. $7,000 in gifts received toward $25,000 goal. Thank YOU!

Ways to give toward this campaign:

(1) Give via the parish’s online giving site.
(2) Give by check: Write “Step Up Together” on the memo line and mail 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 “Step Up Together” in the memo line, and send your gift.
(4) Donate appreciated securities from your brokerage account. Contact Amy Keach (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.
(6) Or, make a promise to give.

Let’s STEP UP TOGETHER! Your invitation to give or promise to give and Q&A.

Feel free to write to us at StThomasChallengeGrant@gmail.com.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Amy Keach, Treasurer and Property Committee member
The Rev. Dr. Howell C. Sasser, Jr., Rector

“Our steps are directed by the Lord” (Psalm 37:24)

Almighty God, you bless all our works that begin, continue, and end in you; and you inspire in your people a love for your house: sustain us as we work for the repair of our church building and remind us that we have and hold everything for your glory alone, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Dear Friends,

As members of our parish family, you know how much we have to be grateful for, and your continued support of our ministries and programs is very much appreciated.  St. Thomas’s has been a gathering place of prayer for over 181 years, a heritage we celebrate with thanksgiving!

For the past 67 years, our worship space has been at 276 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware. Here, through the sacraments, parishioners have met the presence of God at the altar, professed their love in lifetime commitment, and buried loved ones.

Here we come together to learn, to care for one another, and to help folks in the larger community, using this building to shelter homeless, provide a base for AA and Al Anon, host Scout troops, dancers, and more.

Earlier this year, our Property Committee discovered that an important retaining wall, one that has been repaired in the past, is now failing. This wall holds open the space at the back of the church for the below-ground stairwell entrance to our building’s utility room.

Consulting engineers have specified that the wall cannot be repaired again but must be rebuilt, very soon, to be twice as thick as it is now. So work is scheduled to begin in mid-September 2023.

Now, with the approval of our Vestry and support from the Diocese of Delaware’s Advance & Development Committee, we are embarking on a campaign to raise the money needed to rebuild this wall.  As many of us as possible need to STEP UP TOGETHER at this time to donate what we can.  

Please look over the details in Questions you may have, especially the wonderful offer of support from the Diocese, and consider how you can contribute. We are most grateful for your gift. You will also soon receive a postal letter version.

Members of the Vestry and the Property Committee will be at both services on August 6, 2023, to make an announcement and will stay after the service to answer questions about the project. Feel free to ask questions at any time either to one of us or to any member of the Vestry.

Let’s STEP UP TOGETHER! Feel free to write to us at StThomasChallengeGrant@gmail.com.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Amy Keach, Treasurer and Property Committee member
The Rev. Dr. Howell C. Sasser, Jr., Rector