15 Aug 2023

Transportation ministry is recruiting a dispatcher

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St. Thomas’s transportation ministry is recruiting a dispatcher. This ministry is an established and important one. They provide transportation for parishioners needing help getting to and from doctor’s appointments, Sunday services, and other important errands. This can be such a blessing to those in our faith family who have loved and cared for us in other seasons.

We are looking for someone to step in as a coordinator. There is already an established group of volunteers to do the driving (though we always welcome more). This person would bring together the drivers and those needing rides.

If this is something you feel you could help with, please reply to this email or reach out to Fr. Howie.

And, if you are in need of rides, do not hesitate to let us know!

15 Aug 2023

Community Health Fair 2023 – August Update

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2023 Health FairThe Second Annual Health Fair at St. Thomas’s is fast approaching.  It will be held on Saturday, September 9, 2023, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.  We have a wide variety of organizations committed to come and provide health education and information, there will be flu and COVID shots available and Narcan (Naloxone) administration training at 11 a.m.

We need help from volunteers to make this event a success. Most importantly, we invite you to attend and support the event, but we also need help getting  the word out to the wider community. Please consider inviting a friend to join you in visiting the event. If you can think of anywhere that would hang a flier for us or help spread the word electronically, please let the office know. 

We also need people to help the day go smoothly and donations of water and snacks.  If you can help, please sign-up to volunteer. 

We are also providing outdoor children’s activities. If you have any lawn games you could lend us for the day, please let the office know.

If you would like to learn about how Narcan administration can save a life, please sign-up for Narcan training. 

If you have any questions please, contact the office at (302) 368-4644.

Thank you for your help.
Philippa Sunnergren

10 Aug 2023

Worship and weekly news for August 13, 2023

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Hello faith family! This is the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost – August 13, 2023. This week we celebrate Jonathan Daniels an Episcopal seminarian and civil rights activist. In 1965, he was killed by a special county deputy, Tom Coleman, who was a construction worker, in Hayneville, Alabama, while in the act of shielding 17-year-old Ruby Sales. He saved the life of the young Black civil rights activist. They were both working in the nonviolent civil rights movement in Lowndes County to integrate public places and register Black voters after passage of the Voting Rights Act that summer. Daniels’ death generated further support for the civil rights movement.

In 1991, Daniels was designated as a martyr in the Episcopal church, and is recognized annually in its calendar.

Weekly News

See our Carpenter’s Helper Newsletter. It’s a musical week here at St. Thomas’s. See the newsletter for info on: the Encore Choir, St. Nicholas’ new organ, and Mona Redder’s senior recital. Also, and importantly, see info on our Stepping Up Together Campaign.

Our weekly Worship schedule

Eleventh Sunday after PentecostThis Sunday’s Schedule

Growth and Fellowship

  • Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. – 2 Saint Readers
  • 1st Sunday of the month – Gospel in Spanish
  • Last Sunday of the month – Family Church Sunday
  • Last Sunday of the month – Coffee and Fellowship between services. Resumes in September.
  • 2nd Sundays at 9:15 a.m. – Novel Theology. Resumes in September.
  • 3rd Monday of the month – Hope Dining Room
  • Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. – lectionary bible study in the classroom.
  • Sundays at 10:15 a.m. – Children’s Ministries program. Program suspended during summer and resumes Sep. 10, 2023.
  • Sundays at 9:15 a.m. – adult education. Resumes in September.
  • Sundays at 10:15 a.m. – Children’s Ministries. Resumes in September.

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

3 Aug 2023

Step Up Together 2023 Campaign

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

Step Up TogetherAlmighty 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.

StairwellEarlier 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

2 Aug 2023

Step Up Together 2023 Campaign Invitation

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“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,

Step Up TogetherAs 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                                

2 Aug 2023

Worship and weekly news for August 6, 2023

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Hello faith family! This is the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, Sunday of the Transfiguration – August 6, 2023.

Weekly News

See our Carpenter’s Helper Newsletter for this week with news on our Stepping Up Together Campaign.

This week we celebrate Phoebe, a first-century Christian woman mentioned by the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, verses 16:1–2. A notable woman in the church of Cenchreae, she was trusted by Paul to deliver his letter to the Romans. Paul refers to her both as a “servant” or “deacon” and as a helper or patron of many. This is the only place in the New Testament where a woman is specifically referred to with these two distinctions. Paul introduces Phoebe as his emissary to the church in Rome and, because they are not acquainted with her, Paul provides them with her credentials.

Also, there are flower dedications available for the next few Sundays. Please let the office know if you have anything you’d like to celebrate or memorialize.

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, Sunday of the TransfigurationOur weekly Worship schedule

This Sunday’s Schedule

Growth and Fellowship

  • Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. – 2 Saint Readers
  • 1st Sunday of the month – Gospel in Spanish
  • Last Sunday of the month – Family Church Sunday
  • Last Sunday of the month – Coffee and Fellowship between services. Resumes in September.
  • 2nd Sundays at 9:15 a.m. – Novel Theology. Resumes in September.
  • 3rd Monday of the month – Hope Dining Room
  • Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. – lectionary bible study in the classroom.
  • Sundays at 10:15 a.m. – Children’s Ministries program. Program suspended during summer and resumes Sep. 10, 2023.
  • Sundays at 9:15 a.m. – adult education. Resumes in September.
  • Sundays at 10:15 a.m. – Children’s Ministries. Resumes in September.

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

2 Aug 2023

Worship and weekly news for July 30, 2023

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Hello faith family! This is the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, July 30, 2023, Year A.

Weekly News

See our Carpenter’s Helper Newsletter for this week with news on the Community Health Fair and thank you from the Property Committee.

This week we celebrate The Philadelphia Eleven: eleven women who were the first women ordained as priests in the Episcopal Church on July 29, 1974, two years before General Convention affirmed and explicitly authorized the ordination of women to the priesthood.

Also, there are flower dedications available for the next few Sundays. Please let the office know if you have anything you’d like to celebrate or memorialize.

Ninth Sunday after PentecostOur weekly Worship schedule

This Sunday’s Schedule

Growth and Fellowship

  • Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. – 2 Saint Readers
  • 1st Sunday of the month – Gospel in Spanish
  • Last Sunday of the month – Family Church Sunday
  • Last Sunday of the month – Coffee and Fellowship between services. Resumes in September.
  • 2nd Sundays at 9:15 a.m. – Novel Theology. Resumes in September.
  • 3rd Monday of the month – Hope Dining Room
  • Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. – lectionary bible study in the classroom.
  • Sundays at 10:15 a.m. – Children’s Ministries program. Program suspended during summer and resumes Sep. 10, 2023.
  • Sundays at 9:15 a.m. – adult education. Resumes in September.
  • Sundays at 10:15 a.m. – Children’s Ministries. Resumes in September.

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

2 Aug 2023

Property Committee July 2023 update

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Greetings from the Property Ministry.

We wanted to thank those who helped the Property Ministry care for St. Thomas’s this spring. We had a few people fill out leaves on the Property Care Tree in the foyer.

  • Rob & Jackson Hartman removed the rusty old basketball goal from the pole.
  • Plus, Rob and Jackson started helping the mowing ministry for the cemetery.
  • Paul Lyons helped to trim the bushes by the stained glass windows, letting lots more light shine though to light those beautiful windows.
  • Plus Paul and his wife Wanda helped to trim the azaleas in the cemetery.
  • Alan Lynam provided assistance in assessing the issues with the collapsing wall on the back stairwell. In addition he spent a couple of mornings cutting out some scrub trees in the back of the parking lot and removing some large branches that came down in the Grove during a storm.
  • Tom Price has worked countless hours over the last year with some occasional help from Sally and Sue Houghton to refinish one of the teak benches. It is a real beauty.
  • Fr. Howie has spent time picking up downed branches in the Grove.

The following is the current list of opportunities for helping out over the Summer. Please feel free to tackle any of these items and fill out a leaf on the Property tree so that we know you helped out. If you are interested in helping, but not sure what to do you can email the Property Ministry at stthomasproperty@googlegroups.com or talk to Sue Houghton.

Summer at St. Thomas’s
• Trim suckers in the Grove
• Plant annuals
• Water annuals
• Clear out stairwells
• Water pots as needed
• Water annuals as needed
• Remove vines from trees in the Grove
• Bush Trimming as needed
Bigger Jobs Non-Seasonal
• Paint Doors
• Scrape and paint trim on windows
Summer Cemetery Jobs
(Mowing Ministry: Contact Wayne Weaver to be part of the rotation
of mowers May thru September)
• Flower Bed Weeding
• Vine Trimming as needed
• Dead wooding trees as needed

24 Jul 2023

Worship and weekly news for July 23, 2023

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Hello faith family! This is the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, July 23, 2023, Year A.

Weekly News

See our Carpenter’s Helper Newsletter for this week. This week we celebrate James the Great: The son of Zebedee and Salome, James is styled “the Greater” to distinguish him from the Apostle James “the Less,” with “greater” meaning older or taller, rather than more important. James the Great was the brother of John the Apostle.

This Sunday is a “Family Church Sunday”, so in addition to seeing some of our youth participating in our service, we will enjoy a gradual anthem by the “Family Choir”. The Family Choir will meet promptly at 9:45 a.m. in church.  The anthem will be Revive Us Again. We all are a part of this faith family and so ALL are most welcomed to participate.

Also, there are flower dedications available for the next 2 Sundays. Please let the office know if you have anything you’d like to celebrate or memorialize.

Our weekly Worship schedule

Eighth Sunday after PentecostThis Sunday’s Schedule

Growth and Fellowship

  • Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. – 2 Saint Readers
  • 1st Sunday of the month – Gospel in Spanish
  • Last Sunday of the month – Family Church Sunday
  • Last Sunday of the month – Coffee and Fellowship between services. Resumes in September.
  • 2nd Sundays at 9:15 a.m. – Novel Theology. Resumes in September.
  • 3rd Monday of the month – Hope Dining Room
  • Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. – lectionary bible study in the classroom.
  • Sundays at 10:15 a.m. – Children’s Ministries program. Program suspended during summer and resumes Sep. 10, 2023.
  • Sundays at 9:15 a.m. – adult education. Resumes in September.
  • Sundays at 10:15 a.m. – Children’s Ministries. Resumes in September.

Other Parish Events

  • Sunday, July 23, 2023 – St. Thomas’s Blood Drive
  • Saturday, Sep. 9, 2023 – St. Thomas’s Health Fair
  • Sunday, Sep. 17, 2023 – Newark Community Day. We will have a booth.

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

20 Jul 2023

Second Annual Community Health Fair 2023

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2023 Health FairThe Second Annual St. Thomas’s Community Health Fair 2023 with free Narcan (Naloxone) training, Covid and flu shots, chidren’s activities, health care information and education will be held
Saturday, September 9, 2023
from 10:00 a.m. – 2 p.m.
at St. Thomas’s Church, 276 S. College Ave. Newark Delaware 19711.

Narcan training is offered at 11 a.m. and sign-up is required.

This event is open to the public. For questions or to reserve a table, call (302) 368-4644.

Vendors at the fair are as follows:

Hillcrest Pharmacy – Flu and COVID shots
Nemours peer to peer breastfeeding support
Delaware Blood Bank
Westside Health Center
atTAck addiction
UD Cooperative Extension
Immunization Coalition of Delaware
Blue Hen Bounty, a food pantry that provides supplemental nutrition to University of Delaware students who are food insecure and cannot provide ample nutrition for themselves.
Children and Families First
Pain & Prayer Project
Delaware Council on Gambling
Aetna Hose, Hook & Ladder
Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Heart in the Game
Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation
Thrive Physical Therapy
Health and Fitness Coach, Sarah Rockhold