Special e-Epistle
from
St. James' Mill Creek
Wilmington, Delaware


Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Throughout Scripture, when an angel addresses someone with some kind of news or direction, the angel says, “Do not be afraid!” I do not consider myself an angel, but as we draw closer to our celebration of Christmas, I do want to draw our attention to recent COVID-19 numbers and our Christmas offerings at St. James’. Part of our commitment to the Kingdom of God and our role as Christians is to be wary of the needs of our community. The recent surge in the number of COVID-19 cases and ICU capacity brings to our attention our need to be mindful of those around us.

We are offering a number of services this Christmas season with the hope of spreading ourselves out and not increasing the crowd size at a given service. We are requesting that everyone wear a properly fitted mask while we are in the sanctuary, and we strongly encourage vaccination as a means of more fully protecting one another. At the conclusion of the service we invite everyone to do their visiting and offering of Christmas cheer in our courtyard. While that may be chilly, it allows us to quickly prepare for the following service.
Exposure to COVID-19 is an inherent risk in any public location where people are present; we cannot guarantee you will not be exposed during your visit, and if you have any symptoms of COVID-19, we invite you to join us online for one of our streaming services.

Please find below our service times and streaming options.

December 24 - 3:00 PM - Daylight Christmas Eucharist (Streaming on our Facebook page)

December 24 - 7:00 PM - Christmas Eve Eucharist

December 24 - 10:00 PM - Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with Holy Eucharist featuring choral music and a cellist. (Streaming on our Facebook page)

December 25 - 10:00 AM - Christmas Day Eucharist (No Music)

December 26, 9:30 AM - Service of Christmas Lessons and Carols and Holy Eucharist (Streaming on our Facebook page)

Our thanks to all of you for your understanding and patience as we continue to move forward in faith. I bid your prayers for our community and our healthcare workers and all who continue to suffer from the effects of COVID-19, and I encourage us to continue to look to the light that will not be overcome, the light that shines in the darkness, the light of the Incarnation!

Christmas blessings and the peace of Christ be with you all,

The Rev. Ben Rockwell

For Access to the News of the Diocesan Publications
St. James' Mill Creek
2106 St. James Church Road
Wilmington, DE 19808

302.994.1584