Weekly e-Epistle from St. James' Mill Creek

Weekly e-Epistle

from

St. James' Mill Creek

Wilmington, Delaware

May 1st, 2022

We'd love for you to join us!

We would be pleased if you joined us in person or online from the comfort of your home for church services via Facebook Live at 9:30am.

https://www.facebook.com/StJamesEpiscopalChurchMillCreek/

St. James Mill Creek Facebook page

Here is a PDF of this Sunday's bulletin for you to enjoy.

Sunday bulletin (May 1st)

This week the resurrection appearances continue in the story John’s Gospel is telling us about Jesus. The disciples are finally finding their way into the outside world, and Jesus is appearing to them in more unanticipated ways. As we read this story, there’s a subtext, too, of direction and teaching for the members of the Christian community as they move into a new way of understanding their work and their roles.

But first, there’s more from Peter as he gets up to go fishing and everyone follows him into the boat. Whether they want to be together or not leave him alone isn’t known, but what initially seemed like a solitary excursion becomes a group activity of late night/early morning fishing. This trip that appeared to potentially end with nothing becomes a great bounty of fish in a net, and there were so many, yet the net didn’t break.

As we know, they eventually end up eating breakfast on the seashore with Jesus: breaking bread; eating fish; and being encouraged in their work. The story shows us, too, that Peter is getting a fresh start. Everything we know about him is still true, as we see when he jumps out of the boat, but despite his previous betrayals, Jesus knows that Peter is in a good position to lead this new way of understanding who God is in the world.

As we’ve discussed and have seen, and hopefully believe to be true, this also reminds us that Christ sees us as more than our shortfalls, too, and gives each of us an opportunity for redemption.

Annual Parish Meeting Recap and New Vestry

Thank you to all of you who helped us get back together for our annual parish meeting on Sunday, April 24. Being together and sharing a meal was such a nice moment, and the food, as always, was delicious. At our meeting we reviewed the budget, heard reports from various ministries, and elected new members to the Vestry. The following people stood for election and were elected together as a slate of nominees:

Ed Burdick

David Neihaus

Val Hall

Carolyn Joynt

Chuck Haywood

At the meeting following the annual meeting two new wardens were elected by and from within our Vestry.

Bruce Vrana - Senior Warden

Carolyn Joynt - Junior Warden

A big “thank you” to our outgoing Vestry members who have served faithfully, diligently, and joyfully through both a transition and a pandemic. If you see the following people around, please thank them for their service and ministry.

Val Brunson - Outgoing Senior Warden

Jerry Clark

Jim Craig

Lynn Morgan

Dave Perry

Garden Dedication following Sunday Service

Following our service on Sunday, May 1, we will process to the recently constructed garden in our historic graveyard. We’ll say prayers remembering those who are interred there and give thanks for the life and ministry of Kathy Kwiatkowski and the work and offerings of those who helped make this space on our grounds a beautiful corner of God’s Creation.

Flea Market Announcement

Thank you to everyone that has made a donation for this year's Flea Market. We wanted to let you know that the cut off date for donations is this Friday, April 29th. Remember that the Flea Market will be on May 7th from 8AM until 1PM (with May 14th as the rain date).

Dear Friends, family and supporters,

I hope everyone has survived 2021 and is doing well!

It is that time of year again. On June 4th I am doing my 30th year of participating in the Epilepsy Stroll 5K Walk and Run. The 5K walk will be held at Glasgow Park again. I have been the top individual fundraiser for the Wilmington event for the last 26 years and I would like to make it 27. With your support I raised $7,683 last year. I would appreciate your support again and request that you send or give me your donation by May 15^th. Please make checks payable to Epilepsy Foundation of Delaware. I have setup an Epilepsy Fundraiser page on Facebook so you can donate that way also. Just look for this photo of me and Val Budischak the Executive Director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Delaware & click on the word donate below the photo. If you have any questions please call me at (302) 690-3513 .

Thanks, for supporting me over the last 29 years!!

Kathy Jackson

11 Longview Drive, Newark DE 19711

Serving those in need with dignity and respect…

We are grateful for your support that enables us to

serve lunch at the Emmanuel Dining Room

and provide clothing, food, and other items

needed by those being served at the Hope Center.

EMMANUEL DINING ROOM

Providing a daily lunch to those in need in Wilmington

Our next date for providing lunch for Emmanuel Dining Room will be Tuesday, May 31, 2022 and we will continue to deliver our lunch items and extra bottles of water. We hope we will be able to serve our guests in the dining room sometime this spring. For now, we offer “take-away” lunches. We will be serving meatball subs, fruit, chips, cookies, and a bottle of water again this year. When possible, we’ll also offer a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as a snack/extra meal (for now--made by youth and adults in their homes.)

New Castle County HOPE Center

for Individuals and Families in need of temporary housing and support services.

What started as temporary housing during the cold weather of 2020-2021 has grown into a permanent center that provides housing and support services for individuals and families who are without adequate housing in New Castle County. New Castle County (NCC) purchased the former Sheraton Hotel on Airport Rd (now named the New Castle County HOPE Center) and kept the hotel management staff to keep the facility running. Working together, many non-profit organizations including Family Promise provide various services and support for individuals and families to obtain emergency and more significant housing and medical, psychological, and job skills opportunities as well. The hotel can accommodate 400 and suites and adjoining rooms are given to families and enable households to stay together. Housing is coordinated through the Delaware Housing Alliance.

If you know of anyone who needs this housing, please ask them to call 1-833-FIND-BED (1-833-3463-233) and leave a message.

How can you help?

Review the list below and see where you might be able to help.

Current items needed:

• Hygiene items such as deodorant, shampoo, and soap (regular and travel size)

• Non-alcohol hand sanitizer

• Tide pods or other laundry pods

• NEW Underwear, and socks - all sizes, children through adult

• New or gently used t-shirts and light jacket

· New books for adults and children

· Gift cards - Target, Acme, Wawa

Please drop the items off:

· Monday-Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the parish hall porch

Please place your donations in the bin labeled Donations for HOPE Center on the porch of the parish hall. Liz will bring in the bin and any donated items at 12:30 p.m.

· On Sunday, there is a container in the foyer of the church.

We take the donations to Friendship House about every two weeks.

Thank you,

St. James' Outreach Ministry

Prayer Team

One Sunday of every month, the members of the prayer team hold a “virtual” ZOOM prayer service (focusing on the prayer requests shared by parishioners through calls or emails to the church office 994-1584 or to individual members of the prayer team.) We lift up these prayer requests and other concerns of the parish, community, and world.

Also, weekly we share the prayers and petitions that have been given to us and they are lifted in the daily prayers of the team members. All are welcome to provide their prayer requests and participate in these services.

For those who have an immediate prayer need or would like to receive the ZOOM codes and join the prayer team service, we invite you to email your prayer needs/requests to Carolyn Mack at cdmack37@gmail.com or call 302-565-8675

NOTE: Our next ZOOM prayer team will be Sunday, May 1st at 5 p.m.

St. James' Pastoral Care Team

St. James' Pastoral Care Team continues to support our parish family and our community.

If you or someone you know is in need, we:

· send cards, make phone calls, and pray with you and/or for you.

· For now, in an abundance of caution, our home, hospital, and Eucharistic visits are on hold.

Please call the office (302-994-1584) and leave a message. Someone will get back to you. Messages are retrieved daily, seven days a week.

Please let us know if you need us or someone you know needs us. We will not know if you do not tell us.

“Blessful” Meditations

We all know that life can be a little stressful and hectic sometimes. We hope that by reading this short bible passage and watching a relaxing video will help you take a moment and reflect on God’s gifts.

Psalm 4:8

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Prayer for Wednesday from A New Zealand Prayer Book

O God,

the author of peace and lover of concord;

to know you is eternal life,

to serve you is perfect freedom.

Defend us your servants in every stress and danger,

that we may trust in your defence

and not fear the power of any adversaries;

through Jesus Christ our Redeemer.

Amen.

Find more Morning Psalm and prayers please visit

https://delaware.church/psalms-and-prayers/

COVID-19 Taskforce Update

The COVID-19 Taskforce continues to watch pandemic metrics and monitor the latest public health guidance to ensure we are making the best decisions we can to keep our St. James’ parishioners and visitors safe. After careful consideration and agreement with Public Health guidance, we will be easing restrictions starting with the Maundy Thursday service. However, anyone exhibiting symptoms, having a positive COVID-19 test, or that has been recently exposed to someone with COVID-19 should refrain from attending services in person until the situation is resolved.

Beginning April 14^th use of face masks will be preferred but optional for all who are in attendance.

Choir members will be asked to continue wearing KN95 masks. Our historic church does not have the same ventilation and air exchanges that some of the more modern church sanctuaries have. Therefore, our HVAC system is not as effective at reducing the dispersal of airborne particles/respiratory droplets, thus increasing the potential risk of transmitting respiratory viruses. In support of Public Health guidelines, it is recommended that people be up-to-date with their vaccinations, as this is the best means of preventing serious illness/complications if infected by the COVID-19 virus.

Furthermore, proper hand hygiene, social distancing, and the cleaning of commonly touched surfaces are additional ways to prevent infection. We will continue to follow cleaning protocols and provide alcohol hand sanitizer at the entrances to the sanctuary. Please sanitize your hands before entering and exiting the sanctuary.

We will continue to monitor the community situation and adjust precautionary measures if there is an increase in the COVID-19 metrics.

As always, our hope and intention is to make worship at St. James’ Mill Creek a safe and worshipful experience for all.

For Access to the News of the Diocesan Publications

The Net

COVID-19 RESPONSE

May Calendar

Visit our website

St. James' Mill Creek

2106 St. James Church Road

Wilmington, DE 19808

302.994.1584