Weekly e-Epistle
from
St. James' Mill Creek
Wilmington, Delaware
May 2nd, 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.
Gardening Party

On Saturday, May 1st Pat Minor and Lynn Morgan will be at church planting new flowers. If anyone is interested in volunteering they will be there from 9am until 12pm. Any help will be greatly appreciated.


Bazaar Group Announcement

The Bazaar Ladies have been meeting via ZOOM and are working on advertising a Virtual Spring Fling Sale online. Stay tuned for more information and updates!
The new copies of the Forward Day by Day are in the office. Feel free to stop by and pick one up if you would like one.
On Sunday, May 16th from 3-4:30, there will be a live Zoom event: "Youth, Faith, and Climate Action!". This will be co-hosted by The Episcopal Church in Delaware and Delaware Interfaith Power and Light.
 
Take a look at the attached flyer, and think of who in your parish could be an effective climate advocate. Again, the goal is 2-3 representatives from each parish, but please send as many Sr High youth that are interested. If you have any questions, please reach out to any member of the Youth Ministry Support Team.  

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 (and then they will evaluate how to proceed.) The County will continue working to obtain more significant housing for the individuals and families who come to the HOPE Center.
·        At this time, many of the families that would be housed with Family Promise are being served at the HOPE Center and a worker from Family Promise is on site at the HOPE Center for counseling and other services.
·        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.
·        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.
·   We 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)
  •    Gift cards for local grocery stores  
Clothing items:
  • NEW socks and underwear (men's, women's, or children's)
  • 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 Covid-19, 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.

Also, here's the list of April upcoming prayer team services:

NOTE: Next week, May 2nd Prayer Team ZOOM @11:30 a.m.


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 Covid-19 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 Covid-19 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 Sunday from the New Zealand Prayer Book

God, you are our beginning and you will be our end;
we are made in your image and likeness.
We praise and thank you for this day.
This is the day on which you created light
and saw that it was good.
This is the day in whose early morning light
we discovered the tomb was empty,
and encountered Christ, the world’s true light.
This is the day you have made;
we shall rejoice and be glad in it. Amen.



Find more Morning Psalm and prayers please visit
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. 
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