In this edition: Justice Quilt Project; Keep Christ in Christmas display; Advent, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day services; Message from IWC; Fun Fact; Did You Know?; Check it Out!; Upcoming events in our community: and news from The Episcopal Church, and more
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Above image: 9/11 quilts displayed at the Virginia Quilt Museum to show how our quilts might be displayed.
The below image shows possible quilt designs, by Fran Hasson, for this project.
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The Racial Justice and Reconciliation Commission
invites all parishes to participate in the quilt project
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Project Goal: To engage every parish in the diocese to create a mini quilt that best represents a message of justice and hope of Becoming Beloved Community.
Parish Interest: Each parish is invited to participate in the Justice Quilt Project. Parishes may communicate their interest in participating in the Justice Quilt Project by contacting: Fran Karns at jfkarns@gmail.com.
Deadline: Quilts must be completed by September 15, 2023. Quilts will be displayed and blessed at the diocesan annual convention in November, 2023. After convention, each quilt will be returned to the parish of origin to be hung in a prominent place for all to see and admire.
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Conductors along the Underground Railroad are said to have used quilts with certain quilt blocks to indicate whether or not travelers should approach a safe house.
Today, the Racial Justice and Reconciliation Commission in the Episcopal Church in Delaware focuses on a message of hope that, together and with hard work,
we can become a Beloved Community.
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Unique Christmas Nativity Display
19th Annual Keep 'Christ in Christmas'
Ascension Church, Claymont
December 10 – 11
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Keep Christ in Christmas Nativity Display, Saturday, December 10, 12-6pm, preceded by Christmas Caroling at 11am, and Sunday, December 11, 10am-4pm, Church of the Ascension, Claymont
A Christmas display not readily available anywhere else in the area — unique! Our “Keep Christ in Christmas” features nearly 150 Nativities from many countries and cultures, created from the materials available, and reflecting the traditions of Christian faiths around the world. More information
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When Are Your Services/Offerings?
Advent | Christmas Eve | Christmas Day
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Advent offerings, Christmas Eve services, and Christmas Day services will be offered on our website, Facebook page, and in The Net. We want to include your parish! Click here to view the services listed to date. If your information is not included or a change needs to be made, please send as soon as possible to communications@delaware.church. This webpage will be made prominent to the public on Tuesday, December 6 via the diocesan website and Facebook page.
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A message from the Invite Welcome Connect team
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Serving in your community:
- What are the creative avenues your church offers to invite the local community to visit?
- Do you intentionally connect these activities with information about your church?
- How well do you know (and how much are you involved with) the community surrounding your church?
- What is your church/clergy/staff relationship with local civic/community groups?
- What do you offer in the way of communication, both outside & in-house?
- Have you cultivated a relationship with your local media?
For the Invite Welcome Connect online resources, click here.
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Fun Fact
Question: Who invented the Advent wreath?
Clue: It helped young children learn how to count.
Answer: Here
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Today in Christian History |
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On this date in 1729, Samuel Seabury was born. The first bishop of the American Protestant Episcopal Church following the American Revolution, Seabury helped formulate the constitution which made the American Protestant Episcopal Church independent and autonomous from the Church of England. Without him, it is likely that years would have gone by before the British Parliament would have given the necessary permission for consecrating American Bishops. More information
Image: Ralph Earl - Samuel Seabury - NPG.84.171 - National Portrait Gallery.jpg Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl Public domain
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On this date in 722, Boniface was consecrated a bishop by Pope Gregory II for the work he would do as a missionary to the Germans. He was ultimately martyred at the hands of a band of pagan Frisians. All he had to defend himself was the book in his arms, which he used as a shield. Next to his body the book was found — a copy of Ambrose's writings on The Advantage of Death, with two deep slashes in it. The book is still on display in Fulda, Germany. More information
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4th Annual Diocesan
A Festival of Nine Christmas Lessons and Carols
A celebration of the Incarnation of our Lord
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- Sunday, December 18, 2022
- 4:00 p.m.
- St. Peter's Church, Lewes
- More information will follow in next week's The Net
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Featuring the Choir School of Delaware |
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Cycle of Prayer in the Episcopal Church in Delaware |
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This week (week of November 27) in our diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we hold up in prayer all clergy in the Episcopal Church in Delaware, active and retired. For the diocesan Cycle of Prayer, click here.
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Upcoming Events in Our Diocese and Community |
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Holiday Brown Bag Concerts, Fridays December 2, 9, and 16, 12:15pm, Grace Church, Wilmington
Bring your lunch (we provide coffee and punch) and listen to the sounds of the season!
Concerts are free to the public!
December 2 - The Brandywiners Chorale
December 9 - Concord High School Chorale and Madrigals
December 16 - The Brandywine Harps
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Holiday Craft Fair, Saturday, December 3, 9am-3pm, Grace Church, Wilmington
Come join us for our annual Holiday Craft Show!
35+ crafters showcase their handmade items such as jewelry, home decor, soaps and candles. Gift Card raffles, Church bake sale, breakfast and lunch by EZ's Kitchen and DonutNV. FREE parking and entry!
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The Magic of Christmas, Saturday, December 3, 7pm, All Saints Church, Rehoboth Beach.
A few highlights of the concert program include The Shrewsbury Trio, NY Metropolitan Opera Alumni Ellen and Joseph Turi with their accompanist, Jennifer Carapuccini and All Saints' Music Director Jon Rania on the mighty pipe organ. During the program the congregation will be invited to sing a few Christmas Carols. There is no charge to attend this event. A free-will offering will be taken to help off-set the cost of the performance. All are welcome! All Saints' Church is handicapped accessible, on and off street parking is available. For more information contact Jon Rania by email at: jonrania@allsaintsandstgeorges.org or call 302-227-7202.
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ChristmasTea, Sunday, December 4, 2-4pm, Church of the Ascension, Claymont
The Ascension Guild invites you to relax, take a break, and enjoy a cup of tea and delicious treats, both savory and sweet, at out annual Christmas Tea. There will be door prizes, and wonderful music selected just for us! The entry ‘fee’ is a new, unwrapped child’s toy, book or game. (Teen boys seem to have the biggest need.) The collected items will be given to Child, Inc., where a room is set up so their client parents can ‘shop’ for Christmas gifts for their kids. Parking lot is in the back, and so is the entrance! Please let the Ascension office know you will be attending, we want to make sure we have enough food and tea for everyone. Tel: 302-798-6683 (Office open Tues. - Thurs. from 8-12) Email: office@ascensionde.org
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Advent Lessons & Carols, Sunday, December 4, 4pm, Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Wilmington.
Patterned after the great service in Salisbury, England, members of the parish will read the lessons, and the Christ Church Choir will lead our singing. Join us as we allow the light, scripture, prayer, and music to open our hearts to the coming of Christ this Advent and move us toward the true joy of Christmas. www.christchurchde.org/advent-lc-post
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Handel’s Messiah, Sunday, December 18, 4pm, Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Wilmington
The Christ Church Choir and soloists will perform Handel’s Messiah with members of Tempesta di Mare, Philadelphia’s Baroque Orchestra. Long an annual tradition at Christ Church, this performance marks the first of this monumental work since December 2018. The performance will be historically informed in terms of style and instruments, and we will perform the London version of Messiah, which is the version most frequently performed around the globe. Our soloists are nationally acclaimed Baroque vocalists: Nacole Palmer, soprano; Sylvia Leith, alto; Andrew Brown, tenor; and Edmund Milly; bass. Seats are $50 reserved and $30 general admission and may be purchased at www.christchurchde.org/concerts.
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News from The Episcopal Church |
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While the impact of COVID-19 on church attendance continued throughout last year, The Episcopal Church's newly released 2021 Parochial Report shows an increase in overall giving amid challenges presented by pivots to online and hybrid worship since 2020. Data from the Parochial Report — the oldest, most continuous gathering of data by The Episcopal Church — touches every congregation throughout nine provinces and provides insight into the state of the church. More information
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A new documentary—first shown to The Episcopal Church Executive Council during its fall meeting—highlights the church’s pioneering efforts in conducting socially responsible investing more than a half-century ago. The Executive Council Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility (CCSR) commissioned the 30-minute film, directed by award-winning producer Peter Swanson, to help tell the story of the church’s groundbreaking — and ongoing — efforts to align its financial investments with the values of Jesus Christ.
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In this fourth episode of season 5 of “Prophetic Voices: Preaching and Teaching Beloved Community,” we speak with Episcopalians committed to the Beloved Community about the texts for Advent 4. The texts covered in this episode are are Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18, and Matthew 1:18-25. Our guests are:
- Sandra Montes, a singer, speaker, and writer who loves exploring her Indigenous and Latina roots. She is the dean of the chapel at Union Theological Seminary and serves as a member of the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church. She lives in Texas and New York.
- The Rev. Dr. Christina O’Hara, a spiritual director and the rector of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. Originally from Toronto, Canada, she lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and enjoys hiking and ballet.
- The Rev. John Willard, the superintending presbyter of the Rosebud Episcopal Mission West and rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Mission, South Dakota. John is passionate about storytelling and its links to social justice.
“Prophetic Voices” is hosted by the Rev. Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg, The Episcopal Church’s staff officer for racial reconciliation. More information
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Advent & Christmas resources now available from The Episcopal Church
- Click the link below for new and updated downloadable resources for congregations, dioceses, and communities of faith, including the following: “Journeying the Way of Love” – Advent curriculum, calendar, bulletin inserts (also in Spanish and French)
- “Sermons That Work” for Advent and Christmas (coming November 5; also in Spanish)
- “Preparing to Become Beloved Community” – Advent curriculum (also in Spanish and French)
- “Prophetic Voices” podcast
- Resources from Episcopal Migration Ministries, Episcopal Relief & Development, AdventWord, and more
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Opportunities from the Anglican Communion |
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Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and Archbishop Justin met at Lambeth Palace Library with the participants of a pioneering project that they co-sponsored. The 'In Good Faith' initiative was devised to build deep and rich partnerships between a group of priests and rabbis/rebbetzen/ma’ayan. More information
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