Volume 5, Number 6                                  The First Sunday of Lent                                   February 10, 2008

FROM OUR INTERIM RECTOR

            All churches have a reputation.  Members aren’t always aware of what others are saying about them. I have an advantage here.  I have been a priest in the Diocese of Delaware for over twenty years.  Do you want to know what I have heard about you?

            Over the years, I have heard that Immanuel Church, Highlands, has a very beautiful building with an extraordinarily wonderful worship space.  And, they (you) take very seriously the principal reason churches exist: to worship God.  I knew about Immanuel as a worshipping community a long time before I ever visited.  And, as I have said before, I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to serve a congregation like this one that obviously loves their worship so much.

            Everyone knows that Immanuel has a great and dedicated choir.  I had no idea how many church leaders and active parishioners were actually in the choir.  You not only sing (with all of the rehearsing and extra church-time that requires) but you are also deeply invested in all of the other ministries of the parish.  Jack has done good work for many years.

            These things I knew.  What I didn’t know was how amazing your Lent and Holy Week worship really is.  My goodness!  It fills a book.  Families that take advantage of the complete week, marking the time between Palm Sunday and Easter will understand in a very real way our Holy Story and the reason that we can say “Hallelujah” with such gusto on Easter morning.  I have memories from my childhood church that feed my soul to this day.  I’m sure we are making memories for our children at Immanuel in the same way.

            So, we’re off and running with Ash Wednesday.  Next Sunday we recall Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness.  I hope that you will take advantage of some very fine worship opportunities this Lenten season.  Make plans now to be part of Holy Week at Immanuel.  It will start with the Palm Sunday procession on March 16^th, continue with daily Eucharist at 5:30 p.m.  Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper and takes us to Good Friday.  Go to bed early on Saturday night because we will wait in Holy Vigil early on Easter Morning starting at 5:30 and continuing through breakfast.

            What a gift we give each other by sharing worship at Immanuel Church.

                                                                                                 Fr. Thom

Shrove Tuesday, Hot Pancakes and Sausage were served to all!  And if you stuck around to socialize, Rob Volko cooked up a second batch of hot sausage.  Thank you to all who volunteered and attended.  The Kids had a blast, the very young to the very mature.  Everyone worked hard and ate well.  Special thanks to Emily, her friend Imani, and Patrick, who flipped pancakes and replenished the serving tables for most of the evening.

                                                                                    Teresa Pentoney

THIS WEEK AT IMMANUEL:

Sun      10    First Sunday of Lent 

                      8:00 am        Holy Eucharist in Chapel

                      9:30 am        Sunday School: Quilts for Comfort Project Guest Speaker
                                          everyone in the parish invited to participate (Dining Room)

                    10:30 am        Sung Eucharist, followed by Coffee Hour downstairs

Mon   11       6:00 pm        Girl Scout Leaders Meeting (Common Room)

                      7:00 pm        Stewardship/Finance Meeting (Parlor)

Tue     12       6:30 pm        Search Team Meeting (Parlor)

                      6:30 pm        Girl and Boy Choristers (Choir Room)

                      6:30 pm        Katrina Ministry Meeting (Dining Room)

                      7:00 pm        AlAnon (Common Room)

                      7:45 pm        Coro Allegro (Choir Room)

Wed   13       6:30 pm        Quiet Prayer (Common Room)

                      7:00 pm        Transition Committee Meeting (Parlor)

                      7:30 pm        Healing Service (Chapel)

Thu     14       7:30 pm        Mixed Choir (Choir Room)

Sat      16     12:00 noon     AlAnon (Common Room)

COMING SOON:

Sun     17       9:00 am        Vestry Forum (Common Room) 

Wed   20       8:30 am        Emmanuel Dining Room Cooking (Kitchen, Dining Room)

                                          See Nancy Loux if you can help; no one has signed up for this one, so far.

Sun     24       4:30 pm        Katrina Bowling Event 

Curious about quilting?  We will have a speaker from Quilts for Comfort on Sunday, February 10, at 9:30 a.m. in the Dining Room to explain the quilting project that is starting.  Everyone is invited, whether or not you have done any quilting, and whether or not you have children to involve in the project.  There will be tasks that include actual quilting and tasks that will not.  Come to the Dining Room to find out more.

                                                                                    Eve English

Katrina Ministry will meet in the Dining Room on Tuesday, February 12 at 6:30 p.m.  This is a meeting for the team that is going on the March trip.

                                                                                    Vicki Anthos

The Transition Team will meet in the Parlor on Wednesday, February 13 from 7 to 9 p.m.  This will be a meeting with the consultants.  All members please set aside this date.

                                                                                    Al LeSieur

The next Vestry Forum will be held in the Common Room Sunday, February 17 at 9:00 a.m.  We are putting together the agenda; there will be several important topics to discuss.  One of the items will be some proposed changes to the parish by-laws.

                                                                                    The Vestry

Outreach Ministry will meet in the Immanuel Library on Tuesday, February 19 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. to review the activities since Fall, 2007, and to look ahead and plan for 2008.  Come with your creativity, compassion, and ideas!

                                                                                    Sue Welles

Katrina Mission Bowling Party:  Join us for bowling at Bowlerama in New Castle on Sunday, February 24, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.  Cost is $25 for adults and $15 for under 12 years of age.  Sign up sheet is in the foyer.

                                                                                    Vicki Anthos

Announcement for All Ministries and Committees:  With Easter coming so early this year, our Annual Parish Meeting will also be coming earlier than usual (April 13).  That means that a report from each ministry or team will be required earlier than in the past – March 9.  Please write about your membership (who is in your group?), your 2007 accomplishments, and other information about your ministry or committee that should be recorded in the Annual Parish Report.  I prefer to receive reports by e-mail or on disk, if possible.

                                                                                    Kay Kennedy Wack, Interim Parish Secretary 

Prayer Shawl Knit-a-thon!  You are invited to pledge for each prayer shawl knitted between January 1 and March 1.  The prayer shawls will be given to needy folks in our community and the proceeds will be donated toward the cost of the trip.  A sign-up sheet is in the foyer!

                                                                                   Vicki Anthos, Katrina Ministry

Fr. Thom may be reached at his church phone, 302-658-7326 Ext. 14, during his normal office hours Tuesday-Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. He works from home on Fridays. Please feel free to call him on his cell phone 302-229-8449 or write to thomjensen@gmail.com at any time other than church office hours, if a need arises.

The Annual Welsh Hymn Sing:  You, your family, and friends, are cordially invited by the Welsh Society of Delaware to its annual Cymanfa Ganu (Kum ANN Va GANN-ee) Hymn Singing Festival at St. Thomas's Church, Newark, on Sunday afternoon, March 2, beginning at 2:30 pm. under Conductor Dr. Peter Williams, with soloists Barbara Tilton and Claudia MacFarland.  There will be a Welsh Tea social (Te Bach: Tay Bach) following the program.  No singing expertise is required, nor knowledge of the Welsh language, as the hymns will be mostly in English.  Hymnals will be provided.  The Hymn-sing is the lovely and traditional way of honoring St. David, the patron saint of Wales. 

                                                                                   Barbara Tilton, Welsh Society of Delaware

Articles from The Net - A Weekly Newsletter For Delaware's Episcopal Clergy

Lenten Recitals for Organ and Voice – Tuesday, February 12 

February 12^th through March 18^th Saints Andrew and Matthew (SsAM), offers half-hour recitals in the church starting at Noon. Lenten Lunches are offered before and after the concert, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Delicious soups, sandwiches and desserts are served in the auditorium at reasonable prices. Concert details are on the SsAM website: www.ssam.org.

88^th Annual Ecumenical Lenten Services – Wednesday, February 13^th 

Services will be held at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 2313 Concord Pike, Wilmington on Wednesday afternoons of Lent, from 12:25-1 p.m.  These services are sponsored by the Ecumenical Lenten Committee of Wilmington. All are invited to attend.  Please call Rev. Manista at 302-798-2987 for more information.

Choral Evensong at Saints Andrew and Matthew - Sunday, February 24

Starting at 5:00 p.m. with a visiting choir from Immanuel-on-the-Green Episcopal Church, New Castle.

 Diaconate Information and Discernment Day (DIADD) – Saturday, March 1^st 

The next DIADD for lay persons exploring a call to be a deacon, and congregations exploring a desire to be “Diaconal” congregations, will be held at Christ Church Dover, Saturday, March 1^st, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Each deacon inquirer must be accompanied by his or her Rector and a representative of the vestry.  Lunch will be served.  If you plan to attend please have your Rector let Cynde Bimbi, CyndeBimbi@Diocese of Delaware.net  know how many will be attending by February 22^nd.  Lay diaconate inquirers who have already attended a previous DIADD need not attend again.

2008 Diocesan Acolyte and Choir Festival – Saturday, March 1^st 

The Cathedral Choir School of Delaware and the Diocese of Delaware proudly present the 2008 Diocesan Choir and Acolyte Festival for Children and Youth ages 9-18 years on Saturday, March 1 at the Cathedral.  The guest conductor will be Glenn Miller, Director of Music and Organist, at Kirk in the Hills, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.  Choir directors are invited to have their children and youth participate.  Bishop Wright will lead the choristers and acolytes as they rededicated themselves to the service of the church.  For more information, please contact Dr. Darryl Roland at 302-654-6279, ext. 3.  The Festival will include a Choral Evensong at 3 p.m. that is free and open to the public.

Junior High Wintercamp – Friday, March 7^th 

Junior High Wintercamp will take place on March 7-9, 2008. Your youth may already be asking for information about this very popular trip! Flyers and permission slips have been mailed; if you need more information, please contact the Rev. Sarah Brockmann at imabiah@yahoo.com or 443-553-0349. 

Journey of the Beloved: Contemplative Practice and Youth Ministry - Sunday, March 30^th 

This workshop features Thom Chu, Director of Ministries with Young People in the National Episcopal Church and will take place at St. Thomas' Church, Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania (near Philadelphia). For details, call 215- 233-3970 or visit: http://www.stthomaswhitemarsh.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/content.contentItem/contentid/23 

Free SAT Prep Test – Saturday, April 12^th 

Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions and Grace Episcopal Church are hosting a FREE Practice Saturday on 4/12 at 10am.  A practice test is one of the best ways to get ready for the real thing.  You will:  Know exactly what to expect on test day, get a complete analysis of your results, and learn exclusive strategies to improve your score. Call 1-800-KAP-TEST or visit www.kaptest.com to register.

Wanted: Treasurer for ECW

The Episcopal Church Women Diocesan Board is recruiting a Treasurer.  The term of office is three years.  It will require several hours to meet with the outgoing Treasurer and with the finance officer to set up the bookkeeping system and then should settle down to an hour's work per month.  The Board meets six times a year including the Annual Meeting on the third Saturday of the meeting month from 11:00 am until about 1:30 pm.  The Board does not meet from June until September.  Interested persons should contact Florence Keith, VP/Chair/Nominating Committee @ 302-934-0937.

DELAWARE COMMUNION ON-LINE:

The news page of our website - http://www.dioceseofdelaware.net/news2.html - has announcements, news items and want ads. The Delaware Communion page - http://www.dioceseofdelaware.net/communion.html - has the latest printed issue in PDF format plus numerous stories found only on the Web about faith-inspired ministries throughout Delaware.

Items from the website of the Diocese of Delaware:

First organizational meeting of the Diocesan Youth Council, Saturday, February 16, at St. Anne’s, Middletown. Youth in grades 9–12 have been invited from all parishes and schools to attend. The council will work on developing a full calendar of monthly youth events, building on the success of our existing programs, which includes the Acolyte Festival and Wintercamp. Join in! Even if your representatives can’t make this first meeting, please contact the Rev. Jeffrey Ross of St. Peter’s, Lewes at 645-8471 or Lynne Turner of Trinity Parish, Wilmington at 652-8605.

Workshop on Celtic Spirituality, Sunday, February 17, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. St. Peter’s Church, Lewes, and Seekers (Spiritual Treasures at St. Peter’s Square) will jointly sponsor a free workshop on Celtic Spirituality, an ancient form of faith expression. Sr. Barbara Jean Brown from Anamchara Fellowship will lead the workshop. Visit www.SeekersLewes.com or call 645-9916 for details on the Celtic Spirituality workshop.

Evensong, Sunday, February 10, 4:00 p.m. at Immanuel on the Green, New Castle. with St. Anne’s School Choir, Middletown; Jo Harney, director. Details: 328-2413.

Downtown Wilmington Lenten Concert Series, Tuesdays at Noon, February 12 through March 18. Saints Andrew and Matthew, Wilmington, offers half-hour recitals in the church followed by Lenten Lunches, at 12:30 p.m. Delicious soups, sandwiches and desserts are served in the auditorium at reasonable prices. Click here for concert details.

First organizational meeting of the Diocesan Youth Council, Saturday, February 16, at St. Anne’s, Middletown. Youth in grades 9–12 have been invited from all parishes and schools to attend. The council will work on developing a full calendar of monthly youth events, building on the success of our existing programs, which includes the Acolyte Festival and Wintercamp. Join in! Even if your representatives can’t make this first meeting, please contact the Rev. Jeffrey Ross of St. Peter’s, Lewes at 645-8471 or Lynne Turner of Trinity Parish, Wilmington at 652-8605.

Workshop on Celtic Spirituality, Sunday, February 17, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. St. Peter’s Church, Lewes, and Seekers (Spiritual Treasures at St. Peter’s Square) will jointly sponsor a free workshop on Celtic Spirituality, an ancient form of faith expression. Sr. Barbara Jean Brown from Anamchara Fellowship will lead the workshop. Visit www.SeekersLewes.com or call 645-9916 for details on the Celtic Spirituality workshop.

Choral Evensong, Sunday, February 24, 5:00 p.m. at Saints Andrew and Matthew, Wilmington, with a visiting choir from Immanuel-on-the-Green Episcopal Church, New Castle.

2008 Diocesan Acolyte and Choir Festival for Children and Youth, Saturday, March 1, culminating with a Festal Evensong at 3:00 p.m., at the Cathedral Church of Saint John. The festival celebrates and encourages the participation of kids in liturgical ministries throughout the diocese. This year’s guest conductor is Glenn Miller, Director of Music from the Kirk in the Hills, Bloomfield Hills, MI, who specializes in the choral training of children and youth. For information regarding the acolyte portion of the festival, contact the Rev. Sarah Brockmann at 443 553- 0349; and for details on the choir portion, contact Canon Darryl Roland at 302 654-6279, ext. 3.

Articles from The Net - A Weekly Newsletter For Delaware's Episcopal Clergy

Free Test – Saturday, April 12^th

Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions and Grace Episcopal Church are hosting a FREE Practice Saturday on 4/12 at 10am.  A practice test is one of the best ways to get ready for the real thing.  You will:  Know exactly what to expect on test day, get a complete analysis of your results, and learn exclusive strategies to improve your score. Call 1-800-KAP-TEST or visit www.kaptest.com to register. 
(Note to Highlands Voice readers: An email from Grace Church says, “The free test at Grace on April 12 is an SAT for undergrad college admission.”) 

2008 Historic Episcopal Church Calendars Available

Only ten are available at $15.95.  The 5 x 7 spiral bound collection features historic vignettes and photos of churches across the country.  Diocese of Delaware is featured with pictures of St. Marks Millsboro, which was established in 1848.  The oldest congregation dates back to 1618 and is in Burrowsville, VA.  Contact MaryAnn Brillhart at 302-656-5443 X103 or mabrillhart@dioceseofdelaware.net to place your order.