Happy Friday!  See the Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for the Second Sunday after Pentecost and the week of June 6, 2021. In it you will find a reminder of the upcoming Summer Worship Schedule, a reminder that Communion at the Curb continues, and Eye Spy looks at a beautiful book. 

St. Thomas’s college-age group, Episcopal Campus Ministry (ECM), is featured in The Net, the weekly newsletter from the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware.  We congratulate them for winning the YoUDee Award Leadership Award for Outstanding Program. 

• This Sunday, June 6, 2021, begins our new summer schedule of 2 Sunday services!
  • 8:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist, Rite I spoken, in-person with precautions and online at YouTube (8:00 booklet)
  • 9:30 a.m. – Holy Eucharist, Rite II with music, in-person with precautions and online at YouTube (9:30 booklet)
• This Sunday, June 6, 2021 from 10:30-11am, Communion at the Curb will be offered for those who have not received the Sacrament in-person during the service.  You do not need to sign up for this.  ALL are WELCOME!
• Monday, June 7, 2021, at 2 p.m., Bob Kortvelesy’s funeral.  All are Welcome in-person with precautions and via YouTube.
• Wednesday, June 9, 2021 from 1-6 p.m., community blood drive. Be sure to sign up for your appointment.  Please share this opportunity with your friends and neighbors.
• Wednesday at noon: Intercessory Prayer with Holy Communion, live on YouTube and in-person with precautions. Here is the accompanying booklet.
• Thursday at 7 p.m.: Compline Evening Prayer with Deacon Cecily, live via Zoom. Here is the accompanying booklet.

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. 

In this strange pandemic 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 information.

The new Forward Day by Day booklets are available.  Please feel free to stop into the lobby for a copy, or let me know if you’d like one mailed out to you!  There are plenty in both large and small print.

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 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

The Property Committee is looking for someone to refinish the benches shown in the photos on this page. These benches are outside the building under the entryway portico to the front door and along the grassy courtyard area in front of the church.

We would like to have the paint removed and the beautiful teak returned to its former glory with teak oil. The work could be done at St. Thomas’s or you could take them home to work on it in the convenience of your own home.

If you are interested or have any questions, please Amy a note at iloveoregon@hotmail.com. Thank you for your consideration.

Amy Keach, Property Ministry

The reading of Holy Scripture reminds us of the historical and contemporary relationship we have with God. A Gospel Book, Evangelion, or Book of the Gospels (Greek: Εὐαγγέλιον, Evangélion) is a codex or bound volume containing one or more of the four Gospels of the Christian New Testament, centering on the life of Jesus of Nazareth and the roots of the Christian faith, and it is an important part of our worship.

From ancient times the gospels have been collected in a large book with an ornate cover, often illustrated and adorned with icons and jewels. In the Middle Ages, the production of copies of the Bible in its entirety was rare because of the huge expense of the parchment required. Individual books or collections of books were produced for specific purposes. From the 4th century, Gospel Books were produced for liturgical use as well as private study and as “display books” for ceremonial and ornamental purposes. The Second Council of Nicaea in 787 decreed that icons, crosses, and gospel books may be venerated as sacred images, just as the incarnate Christ is the image of the invisible God. This practice was recovered with the 1979 Book of Common Prayer (BCP), which suggests that the lessons and gospel “be read from a book or books of appropriate size and dignity” (BCP, p. 406). Following this advice, several publishers have produced gospel books for use in the Episcopal Church.

The Gospel book at St. Thomas’s is often clad in gorgeous decorative fabrics. And this week will be no exception. Martha H. and Sue H. have worked together to reuse an older tapestry with amazing embroidery, golden ribbon details and plush blue velvet, that had been damaged by water. Together, they have designed this book cover, and multiple other altar pieces. You will get to see these beauties as we progress into Ordinary time.

As I was admiring the newly sewn book cover, I noticed the brass stand on which it sits. It is also a special piece, and looking closely, you can see an inscription. Now, this piece is quite old, and has been lovingly polished countless times so the text is a bit worn. What I can make out is, “To the Glory of God, and in loving memory of W.A. Hopkins, 1844-1898. Presented to St Thomas’ Parish by his wife, Easter 1902.”
Wow; 119 years ago! I haven’t been able to find any history on W.A. Hopkins, but I invite anyone to share what they know or can find. Isn’t it awesome to be a part of a church with such history!

We treat these special objects with much care and respect because they help us connect to God: everything that helps us connect to God is worthy of respect. Appreciating these special historical glimpses of our parish renews our awareness that we are part of something much greater, not just globally, but historically. We are reminded that our parents, and grandparents, and ancestors are in communion with us through communion with God in worship, and that communion will continue from here to eternity. We warmly welcome everyone to be part of this great heritage of faith and love, because God loves us ALL.

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

Happy Friday!  See the Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for Trinity Sunday and the week of May 30, 2021. In it you will find a reminder of the upcoming Summer Worship Schedule, a reminder that Communion at the Curb continues, and Eye Spy looks at Brood X. 

• Sunday, May 30, 2021 will still be one service at 9 a.m., live on YouTube and in-person with precautions. Here is the accompanying booklet.
• Sunday, May 30, 2021 from 10-11 a.m., Communion at the Curb will be offered for those who have not received the Sacrament in-person during the service.  You do not need to sign up for this.  ALL are WELCOME!
• Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 10 a.m., 2 Saints Readers will continue to discuss “Holy Envy: Finding God in the faith of others” by Barbara Brown Taylor, via Zoom.  You can jump into the conversation, even if you missed a week
• Wednesday at noon: Intercessory Prayer with Holy Communion, live on YouTube and in-person with precautions. Here is the accompanying booklet.
• Thursday at 7 p.m.: Compline Evening Prayer with Deacon Cecily, live via Zoom. Here is the accompanying booklet.

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. 

Starting June 6, 2021, we return to two Sunday services: 8 a.m. – Rite 1 spoken and 9:30 a.m. – Rite 2 with music. Both services will be Live on our YouTube channel, as well as, in-person with precautions.  Communion at the Curb will continue after the 9:30 a.m. service.

In this strange pandemic 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 information.

The new Forward Day by Day booklets are available.  Please feel free to stop into the lobby for a copy, or let me know if you’d like one mailed out to you!  There are plenty in both large and small print.

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 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

Happy Friday!  See the Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for the Seventh Sunday of Easter and the week of May 23, 2021. In it you will find a reminder of the upcoming Summer Worship Schedule, a reminder that Communion at the Curb continues, an invitation to May Novel Theology, and Eye Spy looks at the color Red. 

• Sunday, May 23, 2021 from 10-11 a.m., Communion at the Curb will be offered for those who have not received the Sacrament in-person during the service.  You do not need to sign up for this.  ALL are WELCOME!
• Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 10:30 a.m., Novel Theology will meet via Zoom to discuss Fly Girls by Keith O’Brien.  Reading the book is not required to participate in the discussion.
• Wednesday at noon: Intercessory Prayer with Holy Communion, live on YouTube and in-person with precautions. Here is the accompanying worship program.
• Thursday at 7 p.m.: Compline Evening Prayer with Deacon Cecily, live via Zoom. Here is the accompanying worship program.
• Sunday, May 30, 2021 will be one service at 9 a.m., live on YouTube and in-person with precautions.
• Sunday, June 6, 2021 begins our new summer schedule of 2 Sunday services:
  • 8 a.m., Rite I spoken
  • 9:30 a.m., Rite II with music  
  • 10:30-11 a.m., Communion at the Curb

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. 

Starting June 6, 2021, we return to two Sunday services: 8 a.m. – Rite 1 spoken and 9:30 a.m. – Rite 2 with music. Both services will be Live on our YouTube channel, as well as, in-person with precautions.  Communion at the Curb will continue after the 9:30 a.m. service.

In this strange pandemic 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 information.

The new Forward Day by Day booklets are available.  Please feel free to stop into the lobby for a copy, or let me know if you’d like one mailed out to you!  There are plenty in both large and small print.

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 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

What is ECW?  Since 1871, the National Episcopal Church Women, ECW, have championed women’s rights and the Christian foundation of God and family. They are an affiliate of the Episcopal Church and celebrate that Episcopalians believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Their women’s ministry and children’s programs feed, educate, and provide community grants around the world. They are a volunteer organization that creates a legacy for Episcopal Church Women to lead future generations with stewardship in Christ.

The Episcopal Church Women of the Episcopal Church in Delaware represents the interests and mission of all Episcopalian women in the diocese.  This is a Delaware ECW event.

The Annual meeting is not until October 2021 and more information will be shared in September 2021.  For more information about ECW, see the Diocese of Delaware ECW and national ECW websites.

Happy Friday!  See the Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for the Seventh Sunday of Easter and the week of May 16, 2021. In it you will find a reminder of the upcoming Summer Worship Schedule, a reminder that Communion at the Curb will continue, and Eye Spy looks at the St. Thomas’s Children and Youth. 

• Sunday, May 16, 2021 is going to be a big day!
  • Bishop Kevin will be celebrating with us at 9 a.m. on YouTube and in-person. He will be Baptizing and Confirming members of our faith family!  And, we will reaffirm our own baptismal promises.  This is a day for Joy and Celebration!
  • Communion at the Curb will continue after the service from 10-11 a.m.
  • We will have a special guest speaker, live via zoom, at 11 a.m.  He will speak about The Order of Saint John, whose roots go back over 900 years!
• Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 10 a.m., 2 Saints Readers will continue to discuss “Holy Envy: Finding God in the faith of others” by Barbara Brown Taylor, via Zoom.  You can jump into the conversation, even if you missed a week.
• Wednesday at noon: Intercessory Prayer with Holy Communion, live on YouTube and in-person with precautions
• Thursday at 7 p.m.: Compline Evening Prayer with Deacon Cecily, live via Zoom. Here is the accompanying service program.

Starting June 6th, we return to two Sunday services: 8 a.m. – Rite 1 spoken and 9:30 a.m. – Rite 2 with music. Both services will be Live on our YouTube channel, as well as, in-person with precautions.  Communion at the Curb will continue after the 9:30 a.m. services.

In this strange pandemic 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.

The new Forward Day by Day booklets are available.  Please feel free to stop into the lobby for a copy, or let me know if you’d like one mailed out to you!  There are plenty in both large and small print.

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 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

Font: the term comes from the Latin fons,“spring of water,” and designates a receptacle for baptismal water. Fonts in the early church were pools or sunken basins, often in the shape of a cross, in which candidates were immersed in running water. In fact, Baptism is a Greek word meaning “to immerse”. Many fonts remained large even after infant baptism became the norm, but they were raised above ground for convenience. Eventually, the typical font was the size of a washbasin, and even adult candidates were baptized by pouring a little water on their heads. The ancient practice never died out, however, and the Book of Common Prayer lists immersion as a method of baptizing. Today, some new or renovated church buildings have a large font, suitable for immersion, located where the people can easily see it or gather around it.

On Sunday, May 16, we will celebrate Noah’s Holy Baptism, and renew our own baptismal promises. The familiar wooden font will be present, but in it’s every-day place in the back of the sanctuary. A glass basin stand-in font will be used for the actual baptism, to best care for the safety of all during this pandemic.

It is not random that our font stands in the back of the church. In the 19th century, it was the custom in the Anglican tradition to push the Baptistry off to one side, where Baptism was practiced primarily as a ‘family affair’ for a small gathering on Sunday afternoons after church. The Liturgical Renewal Movement of the 20th century has restored the Sacrament of Baptism to its primary role as an action of the whole Christian community. It expresses God’s personal love and the community’s welcome in God’s name. We have been cleansed by the outpouring of God’s Spirit in Baptism. Because Baptism is the means by which we enter the church, it makes sense to position the font by where we enter the sanctuary as a reminder of this truth. Each week as we enter for worship, passing by the font helps us to remember that we are God’s baptized people. Baptism and Confirmation On May 16, 2021, at the 9 a.m. service, Bishop Kevin will be visiting with us at St. Thomas’s. He will be Baptizing and Confirming those who have been faithfully waiting, during this pandemic, for a safe time. This will be a service of celebration! We will also be reaffirming our own baptismal promises. If you have questions about baptism or confirmation, please reach out to Fr. Howie.

Baptism removes the stain of Original Sin, and it clothes us with the grace. We are objectively changed when we are baptized. Baptism leaves an indelible mark upon our souls. We are claimed as God’s own.Initiation into the Church is entrance into a Eucharistic community.

Because the rites of initiation of the Church begin with Baptism and are completed by the reception of the Eucharist, the Baptismal font and its location reflect the Christian’s journey through the waters of Baptism to the altar. This integral relationship between the Baptismal font and the altar can be demonstrated in a variety of ways, such as placing the font and altar on the same architectural axis, as it is here at St. Thomas’s. We are reminded of our Christian pilgrimage each week as we pass the Font on our way to the altar.

Happy Friday!  See the Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for the Sixth Sunday of Easter and the week of May 9, 2021. In it you will find an invitation to play in the dirt TOMORROW, a reminder of the Bishop’s upcoming visit, a reminder that Communion at the Curb will continue, and Eye Spy looks at the Baptismal Font. 

• Sunday, May 9, 2021 at 9 a.m.:  Holy Eucharist, rite II with music, live on YouTube and in-person via sign-up
• Sunday, May 9, 2021 from 10-11 a.m.: Communion at the Curb, in-person with a mask please, for those who have not received the Sacrament in-person during the service. You do not need to sign up for this. ALL are WELCOME! 
• Wednesday at noon: Intercessory Prayer with Holy Communion, live on YouTube and in-person with precautions
• Thursday at 7 p.m.: Compline Evening Prayer with Deacon Cecily, live via Zoom. Here is the accompanying service program.
• Sunday, May 16, 2021 is going to be a big day!
  • Bishop Kevin will be celebrating with us at 9 a.m. on YouTube and in-person. He will be Baptizing and Confirming members of our faith family!  And, we will reaffirm our own baptismal promises.  This is a day for Joy and Celebration!
  • Communion at the Curb will continue after the service from 10-11 a.m.
  • We will have a special guest speaker, live via zoom, at 11 a.m.  e will speak about The Order of Saint John, whose roots go back over 900 years! The guest speaker’s last name is Sasser, though he is not our rector…who could it be?  
• Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 10 a.m., 2 Saints Readers will continue to discuss “Holy Envy: Finding God in the faith of others” by Barbara Brown Taylor, via Zoom.  You can jump into the conversation, even if you missed a week.

In this strange pandemic 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.

The new Forward Day by Day booklets are available.  Please feel free to stop into the lobby for a copy, or let me know if you’d like one mailed out to you!  There are plenty in both large and small print.

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 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

See Bishop Brown talk about how camp has transformed lives and the importance of the Ring the Bell Campaign in the Camp Arrowhead is Holy Ground video.

The Ring the Bell Campaign booklet has complete information about the campaign’s goals, plans for expansion of outreach, and beautiful architectural renderings. What does “ring the bell” mean? Learn about it in the Ring the Bell Campaign booklet. If you wish to contribute, see the campaign pages. The goal is to break ground in August 2021!