In this edition: Bishop's Christmas card contest; IWC with a twist; Two new music directors; Presiding Bishop's 9/11 sermon; Fun Fact; Check it Out!; Did You Know?; Upcoming events; News in the ECD community, Episcopal Church, and Anglican Communion
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Calling all young artists!
2021 Christmas Card Contest
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I invite all creative girls and boys up to 18 years old to create the Christmas card I will send this December. Whatever kind of visual art you enjoy — drawing, painting, sculpture, mosaic, collage, photography, pottery, you name it — that can be printed on a Christmas card, send it in. I’d love to see what the Holy Spirit sparks in you that can help spread Christmas joy and hope this year.
The scripture text inside the card will be Isaiah 9:6, where the prophet proclaimed, For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Once images of all of the artwork have been received, my wife, Caroline, and I will select one card from each age group (10 and under and 11-18) to be printed. I will publicly unveil the chosen cards (and all entries we receive) at the diocesan convention and in The Net just before Thanksgiving. Of course, the artwork will also be shared online at www.delaware.church.
I hope to get lots of entries from every parish in Delaware! — Bishop Brown
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Below are a few guidelines to keep in mind:
- Please submit your artwork as an attachment in a jpg or pdf format.
- Please include your name, age, and contact information with your submission.
- Text and background colors used in card will complement your design. Note: the sample image on the left does not represent color or design of the actual card.
- If your artwork is designed to cover the entire front of card, please submit with the approximate size/dimension of 5” x 7”, otherwise it can be any dimension variation (no smaller than 3” x 3” please).
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Invite Welcome Connect
with a twist!
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Below are two examples of churches thinking outside of the box to invite, welcome, and connect with their community. We hope sharing these events might be helpful in sparking ideas for your own parish. We would like to share your parishes unique stories of inviting, welcoming, and connecting. Please send information to Cynde or Lola at [email protected].
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St. David's, Wilmington
Blessing of the Animals
Saturday, September 18, 4pm
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In addition to the blessing of the animals worship service, St. David's will provide a food truck (Adam's Rib & Grille), music, face painting, a special guest, and pet food treats. Offerings of pet food and treats will benefit local shelters. For more information call, 302-475-4688.
St. David's has been offering outdoor Saturday services, to include a food truck and music, once a month.
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Grace Church, Wilmington
Blessing of the Animals
Sunday, October 3, 12 noon
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In addition, to the blessing of the animals worship service, Brandywine Collaborative Ministries will offer pet portraits, rescue animals available for adoption, raffles, face painting, and a variety of vendors. For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/360559638928329
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The Episcopal Church in Delaware
Welcomes Two New Directors of Music!
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St. Barnabas', Wilmington welcomes
Dr. Will Thomas
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We at St. Barnabas' are delighted to announce the hiring of our new Director of Music Ministries and Parish Administrative Specialist: Dr. Will Thomas.
Thomas holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Sacred Music from Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, Tennessee, the Master of Music Degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the Fred Fox School of Music at the University of Arizona.
Thomas served for five years as the Director of Music and Organist at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, and seven and half years as an administrator and the Director of Music at Christ the King Episcopal Church in Tucson. As an active concert organist, he has performed across the United States. He is an Episcopalian by faith, and he is very excited to join all of us here at St. Barnabas’.
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Trinity Parish, Wilmington welcomes
David Simmons
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David Simmons was raised in Berks County, PA, where his father was the pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Fleetwood. Upon graduating from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA, Simmons moved to Washington, DC, where he has lived for 33 years. His career has taken him from the music classroom to the church organ and choir loft, from work as a recital soloist and accompanist to a variety of conductor's podiums, from choral and orchestral work to musical theatre, jazz, and opera. He has served as Director of Music for Ascension Lutheran Church and Ascension Lutheran Day School in Landover Hills, MD; the Artistic Director and Conductor of the 100-voice Congressional Chorus in Washington, DC; Founding Artistic Director of American Youth Chorus; founding director of the 24 member a cappella Congressional Chamber Ensemble; and as the leadership of the NorthEast Senior Singers. |
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See YouTube video
of Thomas above
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Read full announcement and
message from Simmons here
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"Come, Let Us Go
to the Mountain"
Preaching at the September 11 Requiem Holy Eucharist at Trinity Church Wall Street, The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry delivers the passionate sermon, Come, Let Us Go to the Mountain.
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Fun Fact
Question: In the 1700s, Anglican clergymen volunteered to come to America as missionaries, through the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, under the auspices of the Bishop of London. Which Delaware town had great difficulty in securing and keeping the services of a clergyman because of the ever-present threat of an attack by pirates?
Clue: The first recorded acts of piracy there took place in 1672, when a large party of pirates assailed the local community and inflicted so much damage that taxes were placed on liquor sales for a year to offset the costs.
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Saint Ludmila was murdered
on this date in 921
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The grandmother of Saint Wenceslaus, who is widely referred to as Good King Wenceslaus, Ludmila was the daughter of Slavibor, a Sorbian (not to be confused with Serbian) prince, and was married to Bořivoj I, the first Christian Duke of Bohemia. Wenceslaus' mother, Drahomíra, was jealous of Ludmila's influence over Wenceslaus and had her murdered, strangled with her veil. Ludmila was canonized shortly after her death and in 925 Wenceslaus moved her remains to St. George's Basilica, Prague. She is venerated as a patroness of Bohemia, and is a patron saint of Bohemia, converts, Czechia, duchesses, widows, and, not surprisingly, those with problems with in-laws.
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Six Stops on the Search for
the Holy Grail
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Tracing history’s most elusive holy relic will lead you to some real places. The first of many myths involving a divine grail was written more than eight centuries ago. People have been fascinated with the potential whereabouts of the holy treasure ever since, making it one of history’s most enduring legends. As the stories evolved and fractured over time, the lure of the Holy Grail persisted and expanded, muddying historical events with religious beliefs, Arthurian literature, wild conspiracy theories, and pop culture epics. While the Holy Grail is generally thought of as mythology, some believe the vessel is a real object that still exists today. The question is, where? Read full article here.
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Cycle of Prayer in the Episcopal Church in Delaware |
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This week (week of September 12), in our diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we hold up in prayer Christ church, Delaware City, vestry leadership and parish. For the 2020-2021 diocesan Cycle of Prayer click here.
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Suffragettes, Socialites & Social Change!
Old Swedes, Wilmington, Saturday, September 18
This is a one-of-a-kind event presented by Old Swedes Historic Site. Originally planned to celebrate the 2020 suffragette centennial, the event includes a 20th century fashion show with live models, horse-drawn carriage rides, a Great Gatsby’style wedding finale in the historic church, and much more! A 1918 model Saxon coupe, fully restored, will be on display. It’s the same model in which Nell Richardson and Alice Burke drove 10,000 miles across the country in 1916 to promote the suffragist cause. A variety of exhibits will feature the history of women’s fashion, suffragists, female World War II pilots, and artifacts from the Old Swedes Historic Site collection. A wine basket raffle features the hand-painted wine glasses of Wilmington artist and activist Eunice LaFate, an Old Swedes board member. Ticket availability is very limited – each tour has a maximum of six people. Tours are scheduled on the half-hour from 11 am – 12:30 pm. Tickets are available through the Old Swedes website: www.oldswedes.org/events Old Swedes Historic Site, a unit of First State National Historical Park, includes the National Historic Landmark Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church (1699), Burial Ground (1638), and the early 18th century Swedish farmhouse, Hendrickson House. Tracing the legacy of the Swedish colonists in what later became Wilmington, the site offers visitors a distinctive view of the history of Delaware and the surrounding area. Free secured parking available. More information
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New Racial and Social Justice Fall Book Study Group Meetings Now Open for Registration
YWCA and Delaware Community Foundation partnering to offer a virtual 3-Week Book Study
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Mondays: September 20, 27, & October 4, 7-8:30pm
Tuesdays: September 21, 28, & October 5,
4-5:3 pm
Wednesdays: September 22, 29, & October 6, 6:30- 8:00pm
Fridays: September 24, October 1, & 8,
2–3:30pm
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Want to hear more from the author?
New York Times bestselling author Heather McGhee will present the Delaware Community Foundation's Annual Building Opportunity Keynote on Wednesday, October 13. During the event, hosted by DCF, in partnership with Barclays US Consumer Bank, McGhee will be discussing how racism divides and devastates us and how we can chart a path forward together. Registration to attend this virtual event opens in September. Be sure to visit DCF's webpage frequently for updates.
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Flood Assistance Programs
available in the map area
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Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki joined Delaware Governor John Carney and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) to issue an important joint announcement about flood assistance programs for residents impacted by the remnants of Hurricane Ida. “It’s a difficult task to pull lives and properties back together again following natural and unexpected disasters,” said the Mayor. “The past several days have tested the ability of the community and government to come together as quickly as possible to assist affected residents and businesses. We have a great deal of work to do, but the City and State are committed to the tasks and challenges ahead.” Read joint news release here. Information on flood assistance here.
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MLK Voice 4 Youth 2022, celebrating 7 years encouraging youth to speak up!
Registration opens International Peace Day: Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Hybrid writing workshop: Tuesday, October 5, 2021 4 PM
To register for the in-person writing workshop at The Teen Warehouse, Wilmington, click here.
To register for the virtual Zoom writing workshop click here.
In-person writing & performance workshop: Saturday, December 11, 9:3am–2:30pm at Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Wilmington(lunch provided.) All workshops are free for contestants
Registration closes: Friday, December 17, 2021
Semi-Finals: Friday, January 7, 2022 at Modern Maturity Center, 1121 Forrest Avenue, Dover or
Saturday, January 8, 2022 at The Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew & Matthew, Wilmington
Finals: Sunday, January 16, 2022, 2pm, at the Baby Grand, Wilmington
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After the success of our monthly deep dives in 2020-21, we are excited to announce that they will continue in the coming program year, beginning Monday September 27th at noon and continuing on October 25th and November 22nd. During these hour-long sessions, youth workers and Christian formation educators gather over zoom to discuss a specific topic in-depth. Last year, topics included intergenerational worship, covid-safe event planning, technology and the post-pandemic church, seasonal educational idea sharing, self-care, General Convention, and more. September 27 will be a round-table discussion to raise topics of interest for future Deep Dives. Please contact Joanne Fisher or Kate Riley if you would like to join the meeting - all are welcome.
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News from the Episcopal Church and beyond |
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Register now for An Evening in Conversation with Episcopal HBCU Leaders
Wednesday, September 29, 5-6pm
A virtual panel discussion highlighting the importance and history of two Episcopal historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) will include Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., in conversation with the presidents of Saint Augustine’s University and Voorhees College.
Hosted by The Episcopal Church Office of Development, the webinar-style event on Zoom—from 5 to 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 29—will include a discussion followed by Q&A. Rebecca Linder Blachly, director of government relations for The Episcopal Church, will moderate the conversation with Curry, Clyburn, Saint Augustine’s President Christine Johnson McPhail and Voorhees President Ronnie Hopkins. More information
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Evangelism Initiatives, latest Episcopal Evangelist Newsletter
Upcoming events, videos, podcasts, resources, Episcopal Evangelism Society Grants for Innovation, and more in the latest newsletter, here
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News from the Anglican Communion |
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Joint statement on climate change by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch: A Joint Message for the Protection of Creation
For the first time, the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion have jointly warned of the urgency of environmental sustainability, its impact on poverty, and the importance of global cooperation. Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and Archbishop Justin Welby urge everyone to play their part in “choosing life” for the future of the planet. In a joint statement, the Christian leaders have called on people to pray, in this Christian season of creation, for world leaders ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this November. The statement reads: “We call on everyone, whatever their belief or worldview, to endeavour to listen to the cry of the earth and of people who are poor, examining their behaviour and pledging meaningful sacrifices for the sake of the earth which God has given us.” The joint declaration issues a clear warning—"Today, we are paying the price…Tomorrow could be worse”—and concludes that, “This is a critical moment. Our children’s future and the future of our common home depend on it.” The three Christian leaders spoke against injustice and inequality, saying, “We stand before a harsh justice: biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and climate change are the inevitable consequences of our actions, since we have greedily consumed more of the earth’s resources than the planet can endure. But we also face a profound injustice: the people bearing the most catastrophic consequences of these abuses are the poorest on the planet and have been the least responsible for causing them.” The statement calls on people to do the following:
- Pray for world leaders ahead of COP26.
- For individuals: To make meaningful sacrifices for the sake of the planet, working together and taking responsibility for how we use our resources.
- For those with far-reaching responsibilities: To choose people-centered profits and lead the transition to just and sustainable economies.
Read the full statement at here. A Spanish translation of the full statement can be found at here.
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