January 29th, 2023

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/

"Blessed are the poor in spirt."

"Blessed are those who mourn."

"Blessed are the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart."

The Beatitudes as they appear in Matthew’s Gospel story are likely some of the most well-known verses in the Gospels. I wonder, though, when we hear these words where we find ourselves in them. Do we see a spot for us in the list of those who are blessed?

Jesus’s words of blessing seem different, though, from the way we often understand it because for many of us the feeling of being blessed is palpable: everything is going right, and everything is going our way. We feel like we can't be stopped.

Other times, though, we feel the opposite of blessed; we feel forsaken. Nothing is going right; our life seems like it's in tatters; and nothing is going our way. If it weren't for bad luck, we'd have no luck at all.

This teaching, though, pushes back at that. It's actually full of grace, a reminder that despite what the world around us may like us to believe, the grace of God is abundant, even and especially when we feel like it’s nowhere to be seen.

Soup and Bread Luncheon ~ January 29th

Soup and Bread returns on January 29thth following the morning service. You may bring soup or bread or just yourself to enjoy fellowship and a great meal!

If you bring a crockpot of soup or bread, please drop it off in the kitchen before the service. Please make sure the soup is WARM as the crockpots will not heat cold soup in time for lunch. The "soup ladies" in the kitchen will be sure the soup is nice and hot by lunch time.

We look forward to a warm and wonderful time with all the St. James' Family!

January Birthdays - Celebrated This Sunday!

This upcoming Sunday we’ll have our first “Sunday Birthday Celebration” of the year. If you were born in the month of January, we’ll say a special birthday prayer for you during worship, and then we’ll have a birthday cake at our Soup and Bread lunch following our service. We look forward to celebrating you this weekend!

Update: The Tercentennial Capital Campaign

It’s hard to believe it has been several years since we wrapped up the Tercentennial Capital Campaign. While the campaign concluded, the completion of the projects that were identified continues.

One of the items on our original list included renovation of the Parish House kitchen. As you may have seen, these renovations are now underway including replacing the kitchen refrigerator and stove. Additionally the kitchen committee is working on upgrading the kitchen cabinets and countertops.

As a reminder, your generosity already funded the following items:

·        New church roof (including an engineering study)

·        New church furnace

·        New windows in church and Parish House

·        New Parish Hall front doors

·        New Parish Hall roof

·        Replacement of the sidewalks on the roadside

·        The platform replacement outside the great hall

·        Re-grading of the Parish Hall grounds for drainage

We wish to express our gratitude for your support in making this all possible.

Thanks,

The Tercentennial Capital Campaign Committee

Stewardship Update

At our most recent vestry meeting, Susan Winward, our stewardship chair, gave us a thorough update of last year’s stewardship campaign. We have a number of new pledges and year over year increases in both total number of pledges and average pledge amount, and that is great news!

More details will be available soon, and thank you to all of you for your faithful giving to St. James Episcopal Church.

St. James' Mission and Outreach updates

Sharing God’s gifts with others

Reaching out to those in need

And serving them with dignity and respect…

Meals on Wheels

Thanks again to Sherry Cernos, volunteer coordinator for St. James' Meals on Wheels program, (Sherry took over after her dad, Ed Clark, served for many years!) for her leadership and thanks to those who are supporting this ministry.  January 23-27 is our first week to serve our neighbor's in Del Park Manor. 

We provide individuals and couples with a hot lunch and a smile. Many times we are the only people they see in their day. Please keep those we serve and the staff at the Mid-County Senior Center, who make these meals, in your prayers. If you are interested in helping with this ministry, please call Liz in the church office (302-994-1584) and she'll get you connected with Sherry.  

Emmanuel Dining Room

Tuesday, January 31st is our next day to serve lunch at the Emmanuel Dining Room (EDR) in Wilmington. 

We'll be serving our meatball subs, fruit, chips, and cookies with milk to our guests who come for their noon lunch. Most of our guests are without housing or living in low-income housing in the city. And, for many this is their only meal of the day.

    If you'd like to help by making cookies, please bring them to the parish hall kitchen and put them in the freezer by Monday, January 30th and mark them EDR. 

    If you'd like to make a donation to help in the purchase of food items, please indicate EDR in the memo section of your check and put it in the Sunday collection plate or send into the office.

  If you'd like to learn more about this ministry, please call Liz in the church office (302-994-1584) and she'll connect you with Pat Minor or Cindy Fauerbach.

We are taking a hiatus from making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches this time and will resume on Thursday, March 30th the day before our March 31st lunch.

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)
• Individual sized peanut butter crackers, tuna, microwavable meals (pastas, soups, etc.)
• 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
• 
  

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 the distribution center about every two weeks.

Thank you,

St. James' Mission/Outreach Ministry

Prayer Team Updates

The prayer team continues to lift up prayer requests shared by parishioners through emails or calls to the church office at 302-994-1584, to individual members of the prayer team, or requests left in the prayer basket in the church foyer. We collect the prayer requests and other concerns of the parish, community, and world. They are compiled weekly and then these requests are lifted up in the daily prayers of the team members. All are welcome and encouraged to share their prayers.

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

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.

·        Make home, hospital, and 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.

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.  

Romans 12:12

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer."

Prayer from Saint Augustine’s Prayer Book



O Lord support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen and the evening come, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then, in thy mercy, grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last. Amen

Find more Morning Psalm and prayers please visit

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