Weekly e-Epistle from St. James' Mill Creek

Weekly e-Epistle

from

St. James' Mill Creek

Wilmington, Delaware

December 12th, 2021

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 (December 12th)

Advent 3C

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

In Luke’s Gospel, John’s preaching is always hard, always packed with a punch. For us, it may be shocking, but I wonder if for those who heard it, some of them said, “Oh, that’s just John again. You know he’s been saying those things for years.”

But maybe there was something different this time. Maybe the people had been hearing rumors and rumblings of someone else, and when John spoke, they decided to listen. So his words to this time are more like, “Oh, so NOW you decide to listen to me??”

The words of a prophet are never easy to hear because they challenge us and the way we’ve been and the way we see the world. But the prophet often sees the world in a different way, or a way that maybe the world could be. And prophetic voices don’t always come from wild-haired wilderness man who eats locust and honey. Sometimes they from the smallest voices or the places we least expect.

Prayer for the Third Sunday in Advent

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great

might come among us; and, because we are

sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful

grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with

you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory,

now and for ever. Amen.

Find more Morning Psalm and prayers please visit

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

Christmas Services at St. James’ Episcopal Church

December 16 - 7:00 PM - An Advent Service of Light

December 24 - 3:00 PM - Daylight Christmas Eucharist

December 24 - 7:00 PM - Christmas Eve Eucharist

December 24 - 10:00 PM - Traditional Christmas Eve Service with Holy Eucharist

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

December 26 - 9:30 AM - Christmas Lessons and Carols with Holy Eucharist

Mark your calendars, and more details on each of these offerings will be coming soon!

2021 BAZAAR – A Very Successful Bazaar!!!!!

This year’s Bazaar was different, but it was a success. Shoppers liked having all of the different shops in the Great Hall. They especially liked the variety of items available for sale.

The Bazaar Ladies extend a big “THANK YOU” to everyone who helped. Those who donated craft supplies during the year, donated their hand-crafted items, donated items for the Raffle Tables and Door Prizes, helped prepare the Take-Out lunches, and worked during the Bazaar wherever there was a need. We appreciate everything that was done and we thank everyone. Your help and support contribute to the success of the Bazaar.

A very special “THANK YOU” to the Ladies of St. James who brought everything upstairs from the Bazaar Room the Sunday before the Bazaar. That is one task the Bazaar Ladies cannot do. If we don’t have help with that task, there wouldn’t be a Bazaar. All that the ladies did is greatly appreciated.

Last, but not least, “THANK YOU” to everyone who came out and supported the Bazaar. You are a very important part of our annual event. It was great to see you and have a chance to chat and catch up.

CONGRATULATIONS to THIS YEAR’S WINNERS:

Raffle Table Items:

Framed Embroidered “Old Mill Stream” Gail Eden

Hand Painted Snowman Sleigh Margaret Russ

Puzzle Picture Karen Edger

LED Candle in Star Shaped Holder Carolyn Beck

$100 WAWA Gift Card Jim Buschmann

Brass Candle Sticks w/Votives Maggie

Christmas Tablecloth & Napkins Eileen Marvel

Money Tree Peggy Mazzone

Miniature Cross Stitched Quilt Diane Clark

Set of 6 Placemats, Napkins Eileen Marvel

Scented Basket Linda Tilley

Tastefully Simple Basket Crystal G.

Quilt Raffle:

Quilt made & donated by Laura Gracie Alice Holliday

Door Prizes:

WAWA Gift Cards Kathy Jackson

Jennifer Robelon and Karen

The Workshop is taking a break. The Bazaar Ladies will be back the beginning of February with many new ideas for the 2022 Bazaar. We welcome new members. If you would like to join us on Tuesday mornings, contact:

Nancy Patterson (302) 668-5932

Shirley Alexander (302) 738-5331

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Alice Holliday Wins the Beautiful Quilt

Fun in the Parish Hall today!

Congratulations to Alice Holliday who won the beautiful quilt made by Laura Gracie.

Reaching out to those in need this holiday season

In our St. James’ tradition, we ask you to consider how you might brighten someone’s holiday. As with 2020, 2021 has taken a toll on so many, especially the elderly, those with limited finances, and those without homes. Please consider if one of these opportunities for giving might fit in your holiday giving plans this year:

Adopt-a-grandparent and Adopt-a-family

Last year we “adopted” 20 individuals of the Brandywine Nursing and Rehabilitation Center without a family member to remember them or send a gift at Christmas. Our donations went to purchase gifts from their “wish list” and to ensure these individuals received gifts at their Christmas gathering.

We also have an opportunity to support a family of three (mother and her 15-year-old daughter and

8-year-old son) who were burned out of their home before Thanksgiving and lost everything in the fire. The mother is one of our healthcare heroes who works as a medical assistant in an urgent care unit with one of our parishioners. Donations will provide needed clothing and a few Christmas gifts.

Please send your contribution in the form of a check to the St. James’ parish office or drop it in the collection plate:

St. James’ Church

Attn: Adopt-a-grandparent/family

2106 St. James’ Church Road

Wilmington, DE 19808

(Please mark: Adopt-a-grandparent/family in your check memo.)

Deadline for contributions: Thursday, December 16, 2021

Emmanuel Dining Room

Warm socks, gloves, and hats anything to help keep warm are needed for the winter season.

While most of our guests are adults, we do serve children during the holiday season. So, all sizes

are appreciated!

Items can be dropped off at the parish hall in the bin on the porch from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday – Thursday. Or there will be a box in the entry to church where you can drop off items.

Collected items will be given to our Emmanuel Dining Room guests on New Year’s Eve, December 31^st along with their delicious lunch.

Questions-text or call Pat Minor 302-983-6299 or Cindy Fauerbach 302-584-8053

Thank you for considering this request.

With thanks and blessings,

St. James’ Mission Outreach team

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 Friday, December 31, 2021 and we 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 lasagna, green beans, fruit, cookies, and a bottle of water again this year. And we will distribute the socks, hats, gloves, etc. that are collected this month.

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 St. James' can help:

Review the list below and see if there are items you could provide.

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.

· Weekly, we will take the donations to Friendship House.

Items needed:

• Diapers - all sizes - Urgent need for size 5 & 6

• Baby wipes

• Gift cards - Target, Acme, Wawa

• Non-alcohol hand sanitizer

• Powdered Drink Mixes - Hot Chocolate mix or Iced Tea/Lemonade

• Small containers of peanut butter and tuna fish (easy open)

• Microwaveable one-dish meals

• Quart size/ Gallon size and sandwich size Ziplock bags

• Fruit cups, apple sauce, and pudding

• Individually wrapped snacks-crackers, granola bars, and cereal bars

• Non-refrigerated milk and powdered milk

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

• New or gently used t-shirts and light jackets

• New books for adults and children

• New puzzles, crossword books, and puzzle books - adult/children

• Art kits, adult and children coloring books, colored pencils

• Hygiene items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap (regular and travel size)

• Tide pods or other laundry pods

• Containers of ground coffee (the staff brews coffee daily for the guests)

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 Cindy Fauerbach cindyfauerbach@verizon.net or call Cindy at

302-584-8053

NOTE: Our next ZOOM prayer team will be Sunday, December 12^th at 3PM and include an evening prayer led by Gwen Gerety-Hayes.

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.

Matthew 6:14

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

Relaxing Snowfall: Woodland Cabin - The Best Relax Music

COVID-19 Restrictions

Our firm desire is to worship our Lord in beauty, holiness, AND safety! Please be assured that the St. James' leadership team has worked hard to have meaningful worship while at the same time making our environment as safe as possible for everyone.

Church entry time will be 9:15 a.m.
Please sanitize hands before entering the church.
Face masks are mandatory.
At communion, please wait until you are back in your seat to consume your wafer.

For Access to the News of the Diocesan Publications

St. James' Mill Creek

2106 St. James Church Road

Wilmington, DE 19808

302.994.1584