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

July 31st, 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 (July 31)

Pastoral Note from Fr. Ben

 

Dear friends,

 

After a few years of close calls and going through countless masks, COVID-19 finally came for our house.

 

Our two children caught it at camp, and a long drive home following pick-up made it inevitable that Erin and I would get it, too. We both tested positive yesterday, and we are now currently resting at home.

 

This upcoming Sunday Fr. Hank will be with you again. In an attempt to fully recover before picking everything back up, our Monday morning Bible Study and Wednesday services will not resume next week as originally planned.

 

Thank you for your prayers for healing for us in the next few days. Please continue to be diligent in your own avoidance, and I look forward to being back with all of you soon.

 

Peace,

 

Ben

Visiting with Us This Week

 

This Sunday the Rev. Henry “Hank” Galganowicz will be visiting with us. Fr. Hank was raised Roman Catholic in Chicago, becoming an Episcopalian after serving in Viet-Nam, and before entering Seminary. Ordained to the Diaconate in 1975, he has served in full-time parish ministry until retirement from the Diocese of Pennsylvania in 2014. He moved to Middletown, Delaware, in 2016 and has been supplying in this diocese. Married sixteen years, he and Sandy each have two adult children, multiple grandchildren, and are avid dog lovers. Fr. Hank has a progressive Christian and interfaith outlook with an emphasis on contemplative practice and experience. He has post-graduate training in Family Systems Theory and MBSR. 

Bible Study and Wednesday Worship - UPDATE


Our Monday morning Bible Study and our Wednesday Morning Eucharist will remain on hiatus until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience. 

Opportunities to Serve on Sunday Mornings

 

Our rich Anglican tradition has many opportunities for service within the life of our parish. One of those ways is serving within the context of worship as an usher, an acolyte, a lay reader, or as a chalice bearer. Throughout this COVID-tide we have had limited Sunday morning participation in these liturgical roles, but as we move toward fall we invite you to prayerfully consider participation in one of these aspects of worship. If you have questions, please contact Fr. Ben in the Parish Office.

Confirmation Classes - Coming Soon!

 

Bishop Brown will have his scheduled visitation with us on October 2. With this is in mind, our confirmation classes will be beginning soon. The scheduled dates and times will be determined based upon our participants. Confirmation classes can be a great time for a refresher on life in the Church; a chance to re-connect with fellow parishioners; and ask those questions that have been bothering you since your own confirmation. There’s no obligation to be confirmed if you go through these classes, but if confirmation or re-affirmation has been on your mind and your heart, please contact the Parish Office to sign up and let Fr. Ben know if you have any questions.


Uptick in COVID Cases - Please Be Careful!

 

As we move deeper into summer, COVID cases continue to increase, especially with this new and more easily transmissible variant. Early indications are that prior infection does not prevent re-infection, and vaccination, while still proven to drastically reduce severe infection and death, offers little protection from contracting and spreading this new variant.

 

With all of this in mind, we continue to encourage and recommend masking indoors because of our intimate worship space. I also encourage you to re-assess your own risk level and that of our church community. If you are eligible for your second booster, please discuss with your healthcare provider whether it would be appropriate for you to receive that second booster at this time.

 

Finally, many people are presenting with no symptoms while still spreading this virus; so if you have recently been exposed but are not showing symptoms, please stay home. If you are feeling poorly and still test negative, please stay home. We will certainly miss you, and we will look forward to seeing you when you are feeling better.

Summer Prayer Team UPDATE

 

During the summer months, the prayer team will continue to lift up prayer requests shared by parishioners through emails to the church office at 302-994-1584 or to individual members of the prayer team. We collect the prayer requests and other concerns of the parish, community, and world. Then these requests are lifted up in the daily prayers of the team members. All are welcome to share their prayer requests and we hope you will consider joining us when our monthly prayer services resume in the fall on Sunday, September 11th. More information to follow.

 

For those who have an immediate prayer need, we invite you to email your prayer needs/requests to Carolyn Mack at cdmack37@gmail.com or call 302-565-8675

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.

 

St. James' Mission and Outreach updates

Sharing God’s gifts with others.



Emmanuel Dining Room


In the past, we have served from 140-200 lunches to our friends at Emmanuel Dining Room on the 31st of the month (7 times per year). Covid brought new challenges and we were able to provide the lunch “fixings”, but not help in the kitchen OR serve the meals. From March 2020 until April 2022, guests were provided a “take away” lunch that they picked up outside the dining room and had to eat elsewhere.


We are happy to say, WE ARE BACK in the kitchen and serving guests in the dining room.

 

Our next lunch date is this Sunday, July 31st. Our guests will enjoy tuna subs, chips, bananas, and homemade cookies and have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to take away for later. If you would like to help us serve lunch, please contact Pat or Cindy (see contact info below).


  • Please join us in the Parish Hall kitchen on Saturday, July 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, will be provided and are required.)
  • If you'd like to provide some homemade cookies (or store-bought cookies), please bring them to the Parish Hall kitchen marked EDR by 9:30 a.m. this Sunday morning, July 31st. You are welcome to put homemade cookies into the freezer earlier in the week to keep them fresh. We will check before leaving to serve on Sunday.
  • Questions: please text or call Pat Minor 302-983-6299 or Cindy Fauerbach 302-584-8053.



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.  


2 Kings 20:5


"The is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: 'I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.'"

Prayer for Sunday from A New Zealand Prayer Book


Eternal God,

grant to us this day and every day

such readiness and delight in following Christ,

that whether our lives are short or long

we shall have lived abundantly.

Amen.

 

Find more Morning Psalm and prayers please visit

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

For Access to the News of the Diocesan Publications
The Net
COVID-19 RESPONSE
July Calendar
Visit our website
St. James' Mill Creek
2106 St. James Church Road
Wilmington, DE 19808

302.994.1584