26 Jun 2020

Worship service for June 28, 2020

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Sunday, June 28, 2020 is the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost.  We will be streaming LIVE from St. Thomas’s at 9 a.m.  We have the great pleasure of celebrating a Holy Baptism and renewing our baptismal vows! And, we get to sing one of our FAVORITE hymns.

On Sunday, connect to our worship service at St. Thomas’s YouTube channel. Please subscribe and ring the notification bell (twice) so you never miss a service. Here is the service leaflet  that accompanies the service. 

In this strange 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. 

I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday!   

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com

19 Jun 2020

Worship service for June 21, 2020

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Sunday, June 21, 2020 is the Third Sunday after Pentecost.  We will be streaming LIVE from St. Nicholas at 9 a.m.  On Sunday, connect to our worship service at St. Thomas’s YouTube channel. Please subscribe and ring the notification bell (twice) so you never miss a service. Here is the service leaflet  that accompanies the service. 

Deacon Cecily holds evening Compline Prayers Thursdays at 7 p.m.  You will receive another email from me this evening, inviting you to this prayerful and special close to the day.  Please let me know if you’d like the Zoom link.

In this strange 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. 

I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday!   

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com

8 Jun 2020

Children’s ministries at home for June 7, 2020

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Hello everyone!

I pray this note finds you and your family well and safe. I pray that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we may all be instruments of peace and safety in this world for all God’s people. Amen.

This week, we will, of course, explore the wonder of the Holy Trinity. To this email, I have attached a kid-friendly version of this week’s Old Testament reading, a guided reading of this week’s gospel,  and coloring activity that correspond to this week’s lectionary. Please use what works for you and your family. There is something for everyone.   

We will not be meeting on Zoom this Sunday, June 7, 2020, so that we can all attend service with Bishop Brown and the rest of the diocese at 11:00 a.m.. 

Peace be with you,

Ms. Belinda, Children’s Ministries

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

5 Jun 2020

Worship with Bishop Brown this Sunday, June 7, 2020

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The bishop is thrilled that you and your parish will be joining us for worship on Trinity Sunday, June 7, 2020, at 11:00 a.m., via Facebook Live. It will be wonderful knowing that we will all be together, even if only virtually, and seeing the chats from across our diocese. Below are the ‘directions’ to the service and additional information that may be helpful:

  • The service will be broadcast on Facebook Live (only)
  • Our Facebook link is: https://www.facebook.com/episcopaldelaware
    • To join us, go to The Episcopal Church in Delaware (same link as above) and scroll until you find the video image that indicates, LIVE (in red) in the top left of the video image frame. We plan to go live at 10:55 a.m., to allow you time to find our feed.
  • You can download the worship bulletin at https://bit.ly/bulletin6-7. It is also on the Diocese of Delaware website under Worship with Us and will be provided in the description of the live feed on Sunday.
  • We do not recommend a Facebook Watch Party for this service. If you begin a Watch Party you will not see others across the diocese and you will not be able to pass the peace with everyone watching — rather, just with those that are in your Watch Party.
  • Facebook Live is easy and free for anyone.
    • You do not have to join Facebook to watch a Facebook Live video. And, if you’re already a Facebook user, you do not have to log in to watch, either.
    • LEARN HOW!

We look forward to worshiping with you in celebration of Trinity Sunday.

See you then,
Cynde Bimbi, Diocese of Delaware
Director of Communications

29 May 2020

Carpenter’s Helper newsletter for May 31, 2020

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Hello faith family! I am in shock that we are coming to the end of May.  The school year is wrapping up, and with that comes celebrations of academic achievement!  Some of our own scholars are noted for their accomplishments in this week’s Carpenter’s Helper newsletter. 

  • May 31, 2020 is Pentecost Sunday!  I am so looking forward to seeing our #SpiritSelfies together.  
  • Wednesday noon Intercessory Prayer service continues via YouTube.  
  • On Thursday, June 4, 2020, Deacon Cecily will be offering evening Compline prayers at 7 p.m.  Please write to me at StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com if you would like the link to this new weekly Zoom worship service.
  • The following Sunday, June 7, 2020, we will join with most other churches in the Diocese of Delaware to “attend” the bishop’s livestream service. So, there will not be the usual 9 a.m. worship service at St. Thomas’s. Details about time and how to connect to the Bishop’s service will follow shortly.

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

28 May 2020

A Day of Mourning for those who have died during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Dear Friends in Christ,

In response to the call for a day of mourning and lament as described in this article titled “After 100,000 COVID-19 Deaths in U.S., Interfaith Leaders, Mayors Call for Day of Mourning and Lament,” I invite you to join me on Zoom Monday, June 1, 2020, at 10 a.m., for a time of prayer and reflection as we commend to Our Father in Heaven those who have died during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Write to the Parish Office of St. Thomas’s at StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com or St. Nicholas for Zoom instructions.

Fr. Bill
The Very Reverend William B. Lane

28 May 2020

Worship service on Sunday, May 31, 2020

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This Sunday, May 31, 2020, is Whitsunday, the Day of Pentecost! We will be streaming LIVE from St. Nicholas at 9 a.m.  On Sunday, connect to our service at St. Thomas’s YouTube channel. Please subscribe and ring the notification bell (twice) so you never miss a presentation. Here is the service leaflet  that accompanies the service.  I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday!   

And then, beginning on June 4, 2020, Deacon Cecily will begin offering evening Compline at 7 p.m. via Zoom.  Please email me for an invitation to this prayerful end to the day.  ALL are Welcome! 

On Sunday, June 7, 2020,  we will join with most other churches in the diocese to “attend” Bishop Brown’s livestream service. So, there will not be the usual 9 a.m. worship service at St. Thomas’s. Details about time and how to connect will follow shortly.

In this strange 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. 

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com

23 May 2020

St. Thomas’s Worship Update for May 2020

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Dear Friends,

You may have read that the Governor has issued guidelines under which churches may begin to resume worship with in-person congregations.  These new rules take effect on June 1st, but no Episcopal church in Delaware, including St Thomas’s, will be able to start that quickly.  A task force of the Diocese is reviewing the guidelines (which are extensive and quite stringent) and working out how they might be implemented in the context of our style of worship.  I anticipate that there will be additional steps, including diocesan review, that will be required of any church that decides to re-start worship “live” in its building.  This will come to different parishes at different speeds.  Please be assured that the leadership of St Thomas’s will act prudently in making decisions about how and when we may move in this direction.

In the meantime, we will continue to have YouTube worship on Sunday mornings and Wednesdays at noon.  Deacon Cecily will also be offering the service of Compline one evening per week – look for more details on this to come soon.  We continue to make improvements in our capacity to live-stream our services, and plan to continue doing this even when in-person worship resumes.  We are very much aware that some in our community will be observing health precautions longer than others, and we do not want anyone to feel excluded. 

I will close by letting you know about one other special event.  On June 7, 2020, Trinity Sunday, there will not be the usual 9 a.m. Eucharist so that we can join with most other churches in the diocese in “attending” the Bishop’s on-line service.  This sign of our unity will give us all a chance to hear from Bishop Brown and remind us that we share a common mission, even as we worship in living rooms and dens and kitchens all over the state.

Please be assured of my continuing prayers for you all.

Peace and be well,
Howie+

The Reverend Dr. Howell C. Sasser, Jr.
StThomassRector@googlegroups.com

21 May 2020

Worship service on Sunday, May 24, 2020

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This Sunday, May 24, 2020 is the Seventh Sunday of Easter. Connect to our service at St. Thomas’s YouTube channel. Please subscribe and ring the notification bell (twice) so you never miss a presentation. Here is the service leaflet  that accompanies the service.  I look forward to worshiping together on Sunday!   

On Sunday, June 7th, we will join with most other churches in the Diocese of Delaware to “attend” Bishop’s Brown’s livestream service. Consequently, there will not be the usual 9 a.m. service at St. Thomas’s. Details about time and how to connect to the Bishop’s service will be sent soon.   

In this strange 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. 

As always, please share your thoughts. What did you find meaningful, and what suggestions do you have for the next service?  Thank you for all of the suggestions and comments sent- they are very helpful.

Kind Regards,
Cana Hartman, Parish Administrator
StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com

21 May 2020

Compline service on Thursdays

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Compline Prayer on Thursdays Beginning June 4, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. please join Deacon Cecily for evening Compline via Zoom.⁠ Please email Cana, Parish Administration at StThomassOffice@googlegroups.com for an invitation to this prayerful end to the day. ALL are Welcome!
.⁠
Compline is a simple office including a confession of sins, one or more psalms, a short reading from scripture, versicles and responses, the Lord’s Prayer, collects which ask for God’s protection during the night to come, and the canticle Nunc dimittis. A hymn for the evening may follow the short reading from scripture. The collects may be followed by a time of silence, along with free intercessions and thanksgivings.⁠