May 22nd, 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/

As we’ve been hearing over the past few weeks, the movement of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts is both wide-ranging and unpredictable. For those experiencing that movement, it’s also disconcerting and unsettling at times. We remember how Peter has pushed back against it, and we remember how the people questioned him and his actions.

As the narrative shifts to Paul’s adventures, we see the roundabout nature of his own work, too. He has a vision of a “man from Macedonia,” and he and his companions make their way there with great haste. There’s no indication that they ever saw the man there or offered him the help he was seeking, but something did happen.

While near the water, thinking they’d find a place to pray, there’s a woman there, and she overhears their conversation and their talk about Christ. Lydia’s heart is opened, and she’s then baptized, along with her whole household.

What’s at play here may be a couple of things. Lydia’s faithfulness and seeking made her open to receiving the message of Paul and his companions. Also, their teaching to others was seen and overheard by Lydia, a reminder that our words and actions can have unintended and unknown consequences. There’s grace here, and there’s also the reminder of the great responsibility we carry as Christians to make Christ’s love known in all we say and do because we never know who else may be paying attention.

Celebration of New Ministry

On Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at 6:00pm, we will come together to celebrate the new ministry between St. James’ Episcopal Church and our new Rector, the Rev. Ben Rockwell. At this celebration, the Rt. Rev. Kevin S. Brown will join us, along with visiting clergy from around our diocese, in a liturgical celebration. COVID willing, a reception will follow in the Parish Hall. Please mark your calendars, and we hope you’ll join us!

The Garden Committee Announcement

Many thanks to Lynn Morgan for coordinating our committee this past year or so and for working with the professional landscaper and Jim Craig to design the church circle, columbarium landscaping and foundation plantings. We are grateful for the memorial fund that Jim set up in Kathy’s name for all the plantings. I had the privilege of gardening with Kathy for several years, before moving to Middletown. She was a great gardening mentor.

Since Lynn and her husband are moving to Lewes, DE by the end of this month, I have agreed to continue her coordination efforts. If you are interested in joining our group and/or would like to help with the ongoing weeding efforts, please contact me, Barbara Anzilotti at 302-737-3612 or banz60@verizon.net .

We will continue to follow our every other week weeding schedule throughout the 2022 growing season…but since the 30^th is Memorial Day, we will meet to weed on Tuesday the 31^st. Then again June 13^th and June 27^th around 9:30am. There is a weekly watering schedule already set up. If anyone has questions/concerns or suggestions please contact me.

Best wishes for Lynn and her husband starting the next chapter of their lives. 

Calling all Graduates!

Let's take a moment and celebrate all of the graduates in your life. If you would like to make an announcement on the e-Epistle and/or the Monthly Newsletter please email the office at office@stjamesmillcreek.comcastbiz.net .

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

Thank you all for your generosity and caring that made and make these offerings possible. 

Emmanuel Dining Room

We usually provide over 140 (sometimes close to 200) lunches to our friends at Emmanuel Dining Room on the 31st of the month (7 times per year).

On our next lunch date--May 31st, our guests will enjoy meatball subs, green beans, a roll, banana, and homemade cookies and have peanut butter and jelly sandwich to take away for later. 

NOTE!! We hope to be back in the kitchen!!

• Covid numbers permitting, we hope to gather in the Parish Hall kitchen on Memorial day-Monday, May 30th at 9 a.m. to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as an extra snack or meal for later for our guests being served the next day. (Masks and gloves, please.)
• We hope that the Covid numbers will ALSO support us being about to serve guests their meals in the dining room for our next lunch offering on Tuesday, May 31st.
• If you'd like to provide some homemade cookies (or store-bought cookies), please bring them to the Parish Hall kitchen marked EDR by Monday, May 30th. You are welcome to put homemade cookies into the freezer to keep them fresh.
• Questions: please text or call Pat Minor 302-983-6299 or Cindy Fauerbach 302-584-8053.

Hope Center and Friendship House

We continue to provide clothing items, snacks, food, toiletries and hygiene items, children's books and toys, diapers, laundry detergent, etc. for those being served at the Hope Center and Friendship House. Collection boxes are inside the front door of the church and Monday-Thursday a box is outside the Parish Hall.

Meals on Wheels

Meals on Wheels volunteers deliver lunch and some evening meals to our neighbors in Murray Manor. Our next week to deliver meals is May 16-20.

Family Promise

Our next week offering meals and caring to families participating in Family Promise is May 29-June 5. Guests continue to live in the cottages at the Jesus House off Milltown Road.

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, June 5th 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.  

JOHN 4:19

We love because God first loved us.

Prayer for the Feast of St. Barnabas

Grant, O God, that we may follow the example of your faithful servant Barnabas, who, seeking not his own renown but the well­being of your Church, gave generously of his life and substance for the relief of the poor and the spread of the Gospel; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Find more Morning Psalm and prayers please visit

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