Volume XIII, Issue 2 February 2015

...a community of disciples passing on God’s love to all.

In this issue

Youth Group Activities

Shrove Tuesday Pancake

Supper

Ash Wednesday Service

Outreach Projects: Stuff-A-Backpack with TLC

United Thank Offering

Newcomer Luncheon

and Newcomer Classes

Plus: New Member Profiles for Rodger

Abrams and Ruth Adams

Day School Registration Begins

Confirmation and Receptions

in 2015

Emmanuel Dining Room Needs

Tuesday Morning Book Group

resume their Quest

Milestones & Transitions

Annual Meeting Notice

And much, much, more!!!

St. David’s Youth Group Active and on the Move! This February, the youth group will be embarking on an adventure...to New York! From February 27-28, we will be spending the night at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, which is one of the five larg-est church buildings in the world. The youth group will be participating in Nightwatch Crossroads…a Friday evening and overnight spiritual retreat. Our youth group will have the opportunity to unplug from the distractions and stresses of daily life to connect with God and one another in the sacred space of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine along with other visiting groups.

Nightwatch has created a safe, spirit-centered pro-gram of joyful fellowship, contemplative-contemporary spiritual direction, devotional sing-ing, and lots of fun activities that we are excited to be a part of. After our overnight, we plan to ex-plore the city before heading home.

Continued on next page...

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Continued from front page

The youth group is also starting to get ready for our mission trip to Har-risburg, PA this summer. Thank you to everyone who came and support-ed our breakfast which was a great success. We also hope to host a carwash this spring to raise additional funds. Our YouthWorks mis-sion trip is June 28 through July 3 in Harris-burg, Pennsylvania.

Harrisburg has been a struggling community. Listed as the second most distressed city in the nation in the early 80’s, Harrisburg has been slowly working to renew its standing as a successful community. With a median income well below the national average, many families live in poverty. Harrisburg is a community in the midst of transformation. While the city declared bankruptcy in 2011, many local non-profits and civic groups have taken the initiative in continuing to pro-vide needed resources for their neigh-bors. As funding is cut to public schools, local organizations offer art programs, after-school tutoring and enrichment pro-grams.

Local churches are feed-ing their neighbors, part-nering with service or-ganizations to keep peo-ple warm in winter, and leading the fight for ade-quate and afforable housing and to keep their neighborhoods clean and safe of dilapi-dated homes. Harrisburg is a community where the underdog knows nothing can be done alone.

While in Harrisburg, we will have the opportunity to serve the community in a variety of ways. Our youth may spend all week at one ministry then switch to another ministry during the week. YouthWorks goal is to partner with local organizations and pro-grams that seek to ad-

dress the very basic needs of residents. We may serve at places like; Children’s Programs and Camps, Elderly Centers, Soup Kitchens/Homeless Shelters and Thrift Centers. Our youth will also get to meet and work alongside other partici-pants from various churches. We are look-ing forward to the experience!

-Leah Rowe Youth Minister

Respectful Service It is our honor to serve people

that God calls “sons” and “daughters.” Recognizing that

effective service does not always seem efficient, we

strive to listen closely, speak carefully, serve humbly and participate gratefully in what

God is already doing in individuals, churches and communities. In our efforts to meet the unique needs of each person and place, we desire to follow Jesus’

example of servant-leadership.

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Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper On Tuesday, February 17 from 5-8 pm, the Great Hall of St. David’s will once again be filled with the delicious smell of pancakes and sausage. Prices are children $5, adults $8 and families $17.

All members of the Parish and Day School are warmly invited to a lovely evening of fun, fellowship, and food! Kirby Holloway sausage, pancakes, applesauce, butter, syrup and beverages are part of the deal. Come one, come all. There will also be entertainment for kids of all ages!!

It is a long-standing tradition at St. Da-vid’s, that the men of the parish help cook and serve this meal. Any men who would like to join the throngs of faithful men who have served throughout history, please contact Jeff Bennett at 302-563-7295 or email: j.bennett.unionpark@contactdealer.com

Take up your spatulas & flip!

What is a Shrove? Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the ritual of shriving, when the faithful con-fessed their sins to the local priest and received forgiveness before the Lenten season began. As far back as 1000 AD, "to shrive" meant to hear confessions. (Trivia note: the term survives today in the expression "short shrift" or giving little atten-tion to anyone's explanations or excuses).

Historically, Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of the 40-day Lenten fasting period when the faithful were forbidden by the church to consume meat, butter, eggs or milk. However, if a family had a store of these foods they all would go bad by the time the fast ended on Easter Sunday. What to do?

Solution: use up the milk, butter and eggs no later than Shrove Tuesday. And so, with the addition of a little flour, the solution quickly presented itself in

Pancakes! ...and lots of 'em!

The Annual Quest for Keys In today’s world, it’s important to maintain the security of the church building. And, considering all the children who enter our halls in the Day School, safety is a priority. So, the church would like to have an inventory of keys. Who has a key? If you have any

keys to any part of the church, simply give Jackie Taylor, our Parish Administrator, a call at 302-475-4688 or email her at stdavidschurchoffice@verizon.net. Be prepared to read the letters and numbers on the keys to ensure a proper inventory. Many thanks.

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Milestones & Transitions features updates about that which is happening in your lives: graduations, retirements, chang-ing jobs, moving/change of address, birth of a child/adoption, going off to college...all those major things that the community would want to know about and lift up in prayer for God’s blessing. If you have an item please contact the Parish Office at 302-475-4688 or email at stdavidschurchoffice@verizon.net .

Jeff Cook, one half of 2 Fat Guys, has opened a new take-out location closer to St. Da-vid’s. 2 Fat Guys to Go is located across from Pep Boys on Concord Pike, next to Man-hattan Bagels. The menu is almost identical, including all your favorites. Best wishes to him and his family on this new business adventure.

Ash Wednesday Service On Wednesday, February 18th at 7pm, our faith community will come together to mark the beginning of Lent. We will do this in song & scripture, and by the imposition of ashes, which symbolize our mortal nature.

This is a quiet, moving service. All are invited to attend.

A Lenten Prayer Theodore Parker Ferris, who was a priest of Trinity Church in Boston a half-century ago, once wrote a prayer on an airline napkin as he flew home. It’s especially helpful during Lent:

Lord Jesus, I would like to be able to do myself the things I help others do. I can give them confidence I do not have, and I can quiet their anxieties, but not my own. What do I lack? Or is it the way I am made? I want to be free to move from place to place without fear, and I want to face the things to be done without panic. I like to think that you can be with me, and in me, and that with your help I can do better. This is what I hope and ask for. Amen.

WHAT IS LENT? It is forty days of stripping down to the living

essentials It is forty days of facing truth about

one’s self-indulgent evasions It is forty days of

fellowshipping with Christ in the desert It is forty days of rejoicing in God’s mercy… ...and forgiveness.

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tries. “The Ministry of Caring is a vibrant community of staff, volunteers, donors and diverse supporters united by a pas-sion to serve the poor. Together, we gladly give of ourselves to fulfill their vision: "the poor should never be treated poorly."

Is God calling you to this ministry? Please get in touch with J.T. Walton:

waltonzzzz@aol.com

On the 26th of each month, parishioners meet at 8 am in the Great Hall Kitchen to prepare food for those in great need. They chop, they heat, they mix...they give of their time and talent and love for oth-ers. This food is taken to Emmanuel Din-ing Room, a warm place where people in need come to be fed with food and nour-ished with love.

Emmanuel Dining Room is run by The Min-istry of Caring, an umbrella organization that coordinates many different minis-

Wisdom Seekers On The Quest In our Church year, it's a time of questing in the hope of gaining an epiphany. The Church presents us with the great story of the Magi's journey and then continues with the Gospel stories of the manifesta-tion of Jesus up to the Mardi Gras. As we well know, the word “Epiphany” means an illuminating realization or discovery. And so, at the end of their journey/ quest they discover the divinity of Jesus. Each Sunday the Church in the Gospels “reveals' a new characteristic of Jesus.

In this same spirit our Tuesday morning group goes on a quest through a selected book to discover another aspect of Christ or Christianity. Recently, in the book “Compassion,” by Henri Nouwen and two other authors we discussed and learned that Emmanuel is a compassionate God, and that being in community helps us live a compassionate life.

Now is a good time to join the group! We have just begun a quest through Parker Palmer's book, A Hidden Wholeness – The Journey Toward an Undivided Life. Already, we have shared insights into The Blizzard of the World, a poem by Leonard Cohen which contains a metaphor that Palmer uses to carry us into a different realization of “the order of the soul. “

To join our compas-sionate sharing, we meet each Tuesday morning in the Memorial Room from 10:00 to 11:30 am. Often, some of the members meet for a lunch after-wards in a local eatery. All are welcome!

Emmanuel Dining Room Cooks Needed

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As his Keystone responsibilities wind down, he looks forward to having more time to pursue interests including land-scaping, reading and watching documen-taries which appeal to his medical back-ground. Rodger also looks forward to getting more involved in St David’s activi-ties, so please don’t hesitate to ask!

Working in medicine, Rodger has certain-ly had his share of uplifting stories. Tops is: “While working at Children's Hospital Specialty Care Center King of Prussia, Pa., I had a lesson in courage shown to me by a 5 year old young lady. We called her Little Missy. She was battling leuke-mia. Chemotherapy was being given to her, which caused her to lose her hair. She came into the center one day to be seen. In preparing her papers, I did not notice at first her baldness, when I turned around, I was speechless. Little Missy looked at me and said I know what is in me is bad, but I will beat it, it won't beat me. A couple of months later, she was cancer free. What an eye opener. Children teach you so much”

We Welcome… …Rodger Abrams!

When it came time to “rightsize” from the family home in Prospect Park, PA in October 2014, Rodger knew where he wanted to move. “Delaware has just al-ways had ‘it’” he says. Clean and well-kept, Rodger has always felt that Dela-ware has a sense of community that makes it a comfortable place to live.

Once here, this life-long Episcopalian be-gan searching for a church near his Win-terset Farms home. His sister suggested he “check out” St. David’s. On his first vis-it, he mentioned that he had many years of church choir experience, and within a week he was robed and singing with the bass section. “They were that fast?” his sister asked. Yes we were!

It’s more than the choir that keeps him coming back. Much like Delaware as a whole, Rodger prizes the sense of com-munity at St David’s. “Everyone is so ap-preciative of whatever help you can offer” he says. “If work gets in the way, they don’t gripe. They give you a chance to help at another time.” He credits Fa-ther Brad and the leadership with creat-ing this culture of unity.

A certified medical assistant, Rodger is semi-retired from Keystone Systems, where he has directed a residential pro-gram for clients with intellectual disabili-ties. “Semi-“ because they’re having a hard time finding a qualified replacement!

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Ruth first went to the Episcopal Church when she married Bob. Now retired, his career was as a hematologist. This February they will celebrate their 54th Anniversary. Formerly a member of St. Alban’s, Ruth served in the Nursery there for five years, showing that community how even their youngest members could be part of a children’s worship service.

Now retired, Ruth enjoys spending as much time as possible with her grand-children and great-grandchildren. Her eyes sparkle when she talks about them and her current joy – teaching Brooke how to crochet. She also enjoys working on cross stitch projects. An avid reader, Ruth says she “reads a new book about every two days.” Her favorite authors now include suspense writers James Pat-terson and Mary Higgins Clark.

St. David’s community is blessed by the love and joy brought by this special grandmother. Welcome home!

We Welcome… …Ruth Adams!

Ruth Adams loves children. She has spent her life caring for them. Three daughters and a son of her own would have been enough children for many of us. Ruth has also shared her love with her nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren (plus one on the way). But this is only the beginning.

If you really want to know about Ruth, ask her about her career (of 25 years+) caring for countless children at the A. I. DuPont Hospital. She retired in 2004 from the job she loved – as a nurse serving children who were struggling with cerebral palsy or battling cancer. She remembers so many of them with words of deep admiration and affection. Memories of their courage and the manner in which many of them faced death with a special acceptance remain with her today.

It was her boundless love for her grand-daughter Brooke that brought her to St. David’s. Brooke lived with her grand-mother, Ruth, when she was little and the special bond between them has re-mained over the years. When it was time for Brooke to go to college, Ruth was there to provide support. And when Brooke wanted to worship in a church community where she and her partner Lindsay would be welcomed, it was Ruth who said, “Let’s try St. David’s.”

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On the February Calendar

3 CPR Class, 6:00 pm 4 Chapel, 9:05 Firm Believers 5 First Aid Class, 6:00 pm 9-27 Claire’s Gourmet Sale (Fundraiser) 11 Firm Believers, 9:15, Memorial Room 12 Chapel, 9:05 16 President’s Day, Preschool Closed, Extended Care Open Board Meeting, 7:00 pm 18 Ash Wednesday Chapel, 9:05 Firm Believers 19 Ash Wednesday Chapel, 9:05 PTPA Meeting 25 Chapel, 9:05 Firm Believers

Registration Under Way Registration continues NOW for the 2015-2016 school year. Openings are limited, so call today. Information about our 2015 summer camp will be available soon.

Some trivia from 60 years ago: The first McDonalds was built Coca Cola was sold in cans for the

first time

Minimum wage was increased to $ 1.00 per hour

A black & white television cost $ 99.95

The average cost of new house was $ 10,950.00!

The first Director of St. David’s Epis-copal Day School was Ann Loomis.

If you shop at Amazon.com, please consider shopping through this link –

http://www.amazon.com?encoding=UTP8&tag=stdavsepidays-20

that way, our Day School receives a percentage of your purchase.

You can use your Prime or regular ac-count once you use the link!!

Thank you.

Day School News - February 2015

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Stuff-A-Backpack with TLC February 1—February 22

Last year when the director of NCC Foster Care, came to speak with us on Outreach Sunday, she expressed deep appreciation for the backpacks we assembled for local foster children the year before. We plan on filling backpacks again this year with things that will be use-ful, but also special for all those children who have so little. These backpacks are more a “care package” ra-ther than school supplies, although a few school sup-plies are likely needed.

On February 1st the Outreach Committee will begin collecting “stuffings” for our Stuff-A-Backpack with TLC project. We will designate each backpack by gender and age group as to who will receive them. When shopping, consider how your items will bring comfort to a child who has been removed from his/her family. Feel free to include something you believe a child would appreciate even if it isn’t listed below.

Comb/Brush/Hair Pick-Toothpaste Toothbrush Washcloth

Water Bottle Lotion

Lip Balm Socks

Pens & Pencils Notepads

Body Wash Crayons & Sketchpads

Shampoo Something Special Bottled Water

Food Treat

Tissues Stuffed Animals

Nightlight Disposable Razors

Shaving Cream Snacks

Tampons Deodorant

If you would like to be part of this project, bring your purchases to church and place them in the bins located in the narthex. The last day for the collection is February 22nd. Many thanks.

-The Outreach Committee

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Inclement Weather Saint David’s rarely cancels Sunday services. Please, let common sense be your guide when deciding on whether or not to come to worship. In case of inclement weather, please check the website or call the church for information about cancellations...Option #3.

February 2015 Vestry Highlights These are the highlights of the January 12, 2015 meeting of the Vestry of St. David’s Church.

held another Visioning Session, this month focusing on worship. received & reviewed End of Year financial reports from Treasurer Karen Olmstead. learned that approximately ten additional pledges have been received since mid-

December.

A reminder – the approved minutes of the most recent Vestry meeting are posted on the bulletin board opposite the copier room.

Respectfully submitted, Janet Leishman, Clerk of the Vestry

United Thank Offering February 22 to April 12 The United Thank Offering is a program of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church, both at home and abroad. The mission of the United Thank Offering is to invite us to offer daily pray-ers of thanksgiving to God for our many blessings and to deposit money in the little blue boxes as an outward and a visi-ble sign of those prayers.

You may want to make the UTO box a part of your families daily Lenten routine. As the coins are deposited each person can give thanks for something in their life. This may open up opportunities for some lively family discussions.

Please pick up a UTO box or an envelope from the table in the narthex. One per family, please. The little blue UTO boxes will be available on February 22. The col-lection will end on April 12, the Sunday after Easter.

If you wish to write a check please make the check out to St. David’s Church and write UTO on the memo line. Place the check in one of the UTO envelopes avail-able in the narthex.

This program is part of our outreach to those in need and we hope you will help with this project.

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Confirmation & Receptions in 2015 All persons who will be 15 years of age or older by next October and are interested in seeking confirmation or reception into the Episcopal Church should see the Rector immediately. Preparation and classes will be starting soon.

Newcomers Lunch Those who are new to the parish are warmly invited to a

luncheon on Sunday, February 15th at 12:30 pm in the Memorial Room. For more information, please speak to Fr. Brad personally. Thanks to Linda

Owens for hosting this event.

Newcomers’ Classes Begin in February Newcomers’ Sunday Classes will be one of the offerings during the final session of “Choices Are Good,” which runs from February 22 until March 29th. Those wishing to learn more about St. David’s, its programs, as well as its history and the history and theology of the Episcopal Church should sign-up for this informative class.

2014 End of Year (EOY) Giving Statements End of Year Giving Statements will be mailed this week. Please, contact the church office and let Jackie know if your statement is incorrect.

Address and Email Changes? Photos? It is hard to believe, but we will soon begin working on the annual directory! If you have any address/phone/email chang-es, please let us know. Also, if you have not been in the Church Directory before, we will be taking photos in the near future. Look for more information in the weeks to come.

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Words of Wisdom

The Church Office will be closed Monday, February 16 in observance of the Presidents’ Day Holiday.

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”

-Charles M. Schulz

St. David’s Prayer Chain There exists, here at St. David’s, a Prayer Chain that one may contact for immediate prayer for any dire or emergency situation. Please contact Sandy Frazer at 302-475-9311 or email: sandyjs@aol.com. She will immediately send the message out to the members of the prayer chain via e-mail. If you desire to be part of this ministry (one who prays), please speak to Sandy, chair of the Pastoral Care Committee.

Glad Tidings! Is published monthly by

St. David’s Episcopal Parish 2320 Grubb Road / Wilmington, DE 19810 302.475.4688 / www.stdavidsde.org

The Reverend Brad Hinton, Rector The Reverend Canon James D. Von Dreele, Priest Associate Tom Deschaine, Deacon Katharine Hanna, Children’s Minister Leah Rowe, Youth Minister Jackie Taylor, Parish Administrator Steven Weatherman, Director of Music, Editor Janet Leishman, Early Childhood Administrator, Day School J.T. Walton, Sexton

Articles to Glad Tidings! may be submitted via email to stdavidschurchoffice@verizon.net. The deadline is the 15th of the month. Editor reserves the right to edit for content and space.

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WORDS WE USE

General Convention National legislative assembly of the Episcopal Church that meets every three years to set church-wide policies and budget. Comprised of two houses – The House of Bishops and the House of Deputies. Not to be confused with diocesan convention, which is held at the local level, every year.

St. Valentine's Sacrifice Every February 14, we celebrate the loved ones in our lives with cards, flowers and chocolate. But Valentine’s Day has another meaning that’s been lost.

First declared a holiday by King Henry VIII of England in 1537, it com- memorates the beheading of St. Valentine on February 14, 270 A.D. His crime? Performing wedding ceremonies after Roman Emperor Claudius II had outlawed marriage.

Valentine was martyred for faithfully doing the work God had given him. Although it’s good to celebrate love and marriage, let’s also remember the courage of a man who gave his life following his convictions.

New Sign Up Sheets for Flowers & Coffee Hour Check out the bulletin board in the Narthex for Altar Flower and Coffee Hour sign-up sheets for 2015. These sign-ups are open to all and no dates are “saved.” Some dates (such as Easter & Christmas) are blocked off for flowers, as flowers are given by many people as dedications & memorials. Similarly, some festive dates require greater forces to provide hospitality (such as Pentecost). On those days, you will find more spaces, so that the burden can be shared joyfully with others.

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Please call the Church Office to put someone on the Prayer List or to remove a name from the list. Each person on the

list remains there for one month unless the office is notified that an additional month is desired. The name is read during Intercessory Prayers in worship the first week of the listing. We remember these people in our prayers and in our hearts.

Stewart Taub Karin Fang

Sam Bell Carol Clark

Karen Bayless Tom Juranich Merritt Tilley Renee Tilley

Owen Bradford Torben Kai Hsu

Gladys Frick Robert Girard

Carolyn Luttrell Jane Britton

Morgan Brown Kay Bennett

Olivia Kirby Thomas Grace Ellen Clark

John Van-Catledge Rachel Markowitz

Carmine Mango Bill Waid

Kate Reynolds John Gwaltney

Peggy Louie Sheila Coffin

Chuck Conner

Charlie Courtney Richard Mickles

Andrea Mathena Armis Hill

Kate Ciavarelli Joyce Kent

Barbara Hardin Marie Hollis Dick Wagner Hugh Bryan

Glenda Ruggiero

In Our Thoughts & Prayers

2 4 6 8 12 14 15 17 18

19 21 23 24 27 28

2 18 19 20

Deceased Pete Krasucki

Susie Jorgensen John Bewick

Scott Hempenius Gloria Taub

Janet Wardius Oliver Lawrence Kevin Kane Edward Grygo Ryan Merriman Tyler Merriman Alice Severance Elizabeth Anderson Gavin Doyle Peter Martin Catherine Shehan Nancy Andersen Chays Coffman Halina Hoernemann Abigail Rhodunda

Evan Baddick Nancy Johnson Mary Lee MacKelcan Steven Weatherman Vicki Cargill Helen Geimeier Lindsay Wheeler Marcia Wight

Bob and Ruth Adams Kathleen & Christopher Logullo Jane & Leonard Bordzol Michael & Cecelia Brandenburg

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NONPROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE PAID

WILMINGTON DE

PERMIT NO. 641

Saint David’s Episcopal Parish 2320 Grubb Road Wilmington, DE 19810

Annual Meeting Notice Notice is hereby given that the Annual Meeting of St. David’s Parish, Brandywine Hundred, Wilmington is scheduled for Sunday, April 26, 2015. The Annual Meeting will be preceded by ONE WORSHIP SERVICE to begin at 9:30 am.

A potluck lunch will follow the meeting. Look for sign-up sheets and more information about the potluck in the near future. All members of St. David’s are strongly encouraged to attend this business meeting and celebration of our life together here at St. David’s Parish.