Weekly e-Epistle
from
St. James' Mill Creek
Wilmington, Delaware
February 28th, 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.


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

IN PERSON WORSHIP IS BACK!

Beginning this Sunday we will once again resume in person worship.
We will maintain the same covid restrictions including social distancing, masks, and contact tracing.

We look forward to seeing everyone again!

*Just as a reminder we have 15 spots open for individuals or family units.
A note from your Wardens about attending church in person

  • Your safety is our top priority.
  • No one should feel obligated to attend church in person. If you are not comfortable being around others, it is okay to stay at home.
  • On-line services will continue to be available through Facebook Live.

For those who do wish to attend church, please click on the button below to read more of the guidelines and safety protocols for the Return to In-Person Services. We look forward to seeing you. 
Dear All,

St. George’s College in Jerusalem (yes Jim’s favorite place) has produced a Lenten Study that I want to invite you to join me by participating in. Attached to this email are two pdf files one is a complete course description and the other is the week 1 reflection

The Title of the program is “A River Through the Desert – A Lenten Pilgrimage”

  • Each week there will be a short video on Youtube and a brief reading followed by discussion questions
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTuGZ1HTLcc&feature=youtu.be
  • This link is for the week one video “The Desert”
  • The necessary materials will be sent out on Monday of each week
  • We will then have a Zoom discussion each Thursday at 6:00 pm beginning on Feb. 18th lasting no more than 45 minutes

PLEASE REPLY IF YOU WISH THE MATERIALS SENT TO YOU EACH WEEK. The Thursday Zoom discussion is optional

Peace,
Kim
Dear Parishioners,

As part of the rector search process we are gathering input from young adults about their relationship with St. James. If you have a young adult child, or are a young adult, between the ages of 16 and 35, please click on the google link and add your email or your young adult’s email address. We will then send them a short google survey.

Thank you,

Jenny Vrana, Carolyn Joynt and Val Hall

We are grateful for the support that enabled us to serve lunch at the Emmanuel Dining Room on January 31st and provide needed clothing and food for those being served at the Hope Center and Code Purple. 
 
Our next date for providing lunch for Emmanuel Dining Room will be Wednesday, March 31st.
 
We will continue to collect items for the Hope Center through March. Please see the notice below:
 
UPDATE-- New Castle County HOPE Center
for Individuals and Families in need of temporary housing
    Winter 2020-2021 Code Purple Plan for Wilmington        
New Castle County purchased the former Sheraton Hotel on Airport Rd (now named the New Castle County HOPE Center) and Friendship House is running Code Purple programing out of this location to provide housing for individuals and families who are homeless this winter. The County retained the hotel management staff to keep the facility running.
  • Code Purple started with the first snow on December 15th and will run through the end of March. The County will continue working to obtain more significant housing for the individuals and families who come to the HOPE Center.
  • Code Purple will be every day and night this winter (not just when temperatures drop below freezing). Being able to offer 24 hour/7 day a week winter shelter during the pandemic is a huge gift and opportunity for our friends living on the streets.
  • In the first four weeks, the program has grown from about 70 to 100 guests and includes some families. The hotel can accommodate 400 and suites and adjoining rooms are given to families and enables 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.
·       Starting Monday, January 11th we will offer "contactless drop off" at the parish hall Monday-Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  
·       Please place your donations in the bin labeled Donations for HOPE Center - CODE PURPLE on the porch of the parish hall.  
    Liz will bring in the bin and any donated items at 1:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and we will take the donations to Friendship House at the end of each week.
Items needed: 
·        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)
Clothing items:
o  NEW socks and underwear
o  NEW or gently used winter items (coats, gloves, and hats)

Thank you, 
St. James' Outreach Ministry

Prayer Team

On the first Sunday of every month the members of the prayer team hold a “virtual” ZOOM prayer service at 11:30 a.m. (focusing on the prayer requests shared by parishioners through calls or emails to the church office or to individual members of the prayer team.) We lift up these prayer requests and other concerns of the parish, community, and world.
During this time of Covid19, the prayer team is holding ZOOM prayer team gatherings twice a month. Also, weekly we share the prayers and petitions that have been given to us and they are lifted up daily by members of the team. All are welcome to participate in these services.

Our next meeting will be on Sunday, March 7, 2021 at 11:30am.

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 Sister BJ Brown at: sisterbjbrown@gmail.com or call Cindy Fauerbach 302-584-8053
St. James’ Pastoral Care Team is here and wants to help.

If you or someone you know is in need, we send cards, we make phone calls, we will pray with you and/or for you. NOTE: Once safety from the Covid19 virus permits, we will continue to make home and hospital visits and make Eucharistic visits.
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.

NOTE: once safety from the Covid19 virus permits, on Sundays there are forms and envelopes labeled “Pastoral Care” next to the prayer requests in the church entrance. Please place your request in the offering plate or the prayer basket.
Please let us know if you need us or someone you know needs us, we won’t know if you don’t tell us.
A Prayer for the Second Sunday in Lent

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


Find more Morning Psalm and prayers please visit

Join us for ZOOM Coffee Hour

You are invited to a virtual coffee hour following worship at St. James’ Mill Creek, beginning approximately 15 minutes after service concludes. So after service is over, grab a beverage or snack and connect to your church family. All are welcome.

For those who have not used Zoom previously, this page has a video and instructions on how to join a Zoom meeting from various devices (PC, Mac, iOS device, Android, regular telephone with a toll call, etc.): https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-How-Do-I-Join-A-Meeting- . You do not need to sign up for a Zoom account to attend.

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 931 0834 7195
Password: 766583
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St. James' Mill Creek
2106 St. James Church Road
Wilmington, DE 19808

302.994.1584