August 18th, 2024

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 continue through the “Bread of Life” passages, we may be ready to throw up our hands and say, “That’s it! We get it! You are the bread of life!” Of course, that wouldn’t be the best response because it makes us sound like those who say, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Accepting these words just so we don’t have to hear them anymore is just as bad as dismissing them out right. As with many other things in life, when we hear about them over and over and over again, we can become numb to them, and they lose their meaning and their impact to change us and how we live.

As Christians who are part of a sacramental tradition, we think of these “Bread of Life” passages as pointing to the Eucharist, an act of thanksgiving. We see, also, the importance of sharing this bread and wine together. It seems simple, and we can miss the meaning and power of it when we partake in this act each week. However, the sharing of the meal together leads to the building up of something longer lasting than any of our mortal lives, something eternal, and it’s a strong rebuke of the divisive powers of the world.

Office Closed - Week of August 19th

After a busy summer and in preparation for the upcoming year, the Parish Office will be closed the week of August 19th. The phones will be monitored and pastoral calls will be answered, but Fr. Ben and Liz will not be “in residence” that week. 

If there are items or announcements for the bulletin or e-epistle, please let us know as soon as possible so that they can be included next week. 

Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to seeing you around after we get back!

EMMANUEL DINING ROOM ~

OUTREACH AND FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES!

St. James' next opportunity to serve lunch at Emmanuel Dining Room- 

Saturday, August 31st. 

Ways you can help with this ministry: 

1. Join us in the parish hall kitchen Friday, August 30th 9 -11 a.m. making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 

2. Make a batch or bring a bag of cookies for our lunch, please drop them off in the Parish Hall kitchen and label EDR lunch. 

3. Make a donation to help support this ministry and fund our lunches. 

4. Seven times a year, we work hard to offer a yummy lunch (August lunch: tuna sub, bag of chips, banana, cookies, and milk). By shopping smartly, we serve between 185 and 200 meals to children, women, and men for about $3 per person. 

Thank you for your continued support!! 

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…

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

Sunday Prayers of the People.  If you would like someone to be lifted in prayer at our Sunday service, please call the church office at 302-994-1584. The person's name will remain on the list for three weeks. If at that time you would like the person's name to remain on the list, please call the office again.

The parish prayer team continues to lift up prayer requests shared by parishioners through emails or calls to the church office, 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. 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.  

Joshua 1:9

I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’

Prayer of Love, from Daily Prayer for All Seasons



O Tree of Calvary, send your roots deep into my

soul. Gather together my frailties — my soiled

heart, my sandy instability and my muddy desires

— and entwine them with the strong roots of your

arboreal love. Amen.