Volume 5, Number11                        The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday                         March 16, 2008

Immanuel Church, Highlands, Annual Meeting 2008

The Parish Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, April 13, after the 10:30 service and lunch will be provided.  During this meeting, we will elect vestry members, and vote on revisions to our by-laws.

Proposed changes to the by-laws involve the number of vestry members – we propose to reduce by one each year going from 12 to 9 plus a youth member, allowing parishioners more time for service in other ministries.

Other changes relate to quorum size, simplifying the procedure for absentee ballots, and timing for a nomination by petition.  Copies of the proposed changes are in the foyer.

The slate of candidates includes:            Carl Burnam

                                                            Ryan Day as youth candidate

                                                            Andy Fairchild

                                                            Byron Hobson

                                                            Barbara Volko

Several others are still considering.

Additional candidates may be nominated by petition signed by 2 eligible voters, given to the Vestry secretary, Simon Jeynes, at least 14 days prior to the Annual Meeting.

                                                                                    Carolyn Gibson, Junior Warden

Holy Week and Easter Day — Schedule of Services

March 16         Palm Sunday       8:00 and 10:30 am   Liturgy of the Palms, Holy Eucharist, reading the Passion

March 17-21    Mon.-Fri.             7:30 am     Morning Prayer  

March 17-19    Mon.-Wed.           5:30 pm     Holy Eucharist, in the Chapel

March 17         Monday               7:30 pm     Sung Evening Prayer, in the Chancel (open to all, it includes Bible
                              readings, and everyone sings the uncomplicated service music; there is no other music; it’s a
                              time for simply worshipping God together)

March 19         Wednesday          7:30 pm     Healing service

March 20         Maundy Thurs.    6:15 pm     Holy Eucharist, Washing of Feet, Agapé Supper, Stripping the Altar

March 21         Good Friday       1:30 pm     Stations of the Cross, presented by the youth of the parish.

                                                    7:30 pm     Good Friday Liturgy: St. John Passion sung by Immanuel Choir,
                                                                     Devotions at Cross and Tomb,
                                                                     Communion from Reserved Sacrament

March 22         Holy Saturday   10:30 am     Holy Saturday Liturgy, at the Tomb

March 23         Easter Day          5:15 am     The Great Vigil of Easter
                                                                     Lighting of the New Fire, Vigil with Lessons,

                                                                     Renewal of Baptismal Vows

                                                    7:30 am     Festival Eucharist of the Resurrection, followed by Parish Breakfast
                              Please note that the entire parish will be celebrating the Festival Eucharist together.

(ALSO) THIS WEEK AT IMMANUEL: 

Sun     16      Holy Week Services: see schedule above

Mon   17       8:00 pm        Mixed Choir Holy Week rehearsal (Choir Room)

Tue     18       6:30 pm        Girl and Boy Choristers Holy Week rehearsal (Choir Room)

                      7:00 pm        AlAnon (Common Room)

                      7:45 pm        Coro Allegro (Choir Room)

Thu     20       8:30 am        Emmanuel Dining Room Cooking – see Nancy Loux to help (Kitchen, Dining Room)

Fri      21     10:30 am        Rehearsal for Stations of the Cross (Nave)

Sat      22      12:00 noon    Rehearsal for all choirs, bell-ringers, brass players (Nave)

                     12:00 noon    Al Anon (Common Room)

COMING SOON:

Sun     23      Easter Day:  see service schedule above;
                     after services and breakfast with the rest of us, the Katrina Team leaves for New Orleans.

Mon   24                           Parish office closed for Monday in Easter Week holiday

Sun  4/13       c. noon         Annual Parish Meeting

Please sign up at the foyer bulletin board to:

·         Help with the Maundy Thursday agapé meal (preparation, serving, clean-up). 
If you have questions, ask Teresa Pentoney or Barb Volko.

·         Attend the Maundy Thursday agapé meal.

·         Help with the Easter breakfast (preparation, serving, clean-up). 
See or call Laurie Hay or Vicki Anthos with questions.

·         Attend the Easter breakfast.

There are four sign-up sheets; we hope that you’ll be able to do all four!

                                                                                    Teresa Pentoney and Laurie Hay

Lenten Food drive and collection on Maundy Thursday.  Bags of non-perishable groceries can be brought to Immanuel on Maundy Thursday, March 20, and stored in the undercroft.  The food will be taken to St. Stephen’s Pantry on Rodney Street.

                                                                                    Alex Lehr-Maunder and Sue Welles, Outreach

Maundy Thursday Foot Washing:  On Maundy Thursday we will have our traditional foot washing during the Eucharist.  All are invited to participate by having their feet washed.  Please contact Fr. Thom, if you have questions.

                                                                                    Fr. Thom

Tomb builders are needed on Good Friday morning – March 21.  If you can help, please contact Andy Molter (984-2860) or Joe Stoeckle (737-7401) for time and tasks.

                                                                                    Joe Stoeckle, Property Committee

Would you like to be a reader at the Easter Vigil?  Call or see Jack Burnam.

                                                                                    Jack Burnam

Search Team Update:  The diocesan Standing Committee has given our Search Team a list of names of candidates; the team is now prayerfully considering the known qualifications of the people that were recommended.  After Easter, members of the team will be calling the candidates to set up appointments for interviews and visits to their current parishes.  Please keep the team and the candidates in your prayers.

                                                                                    Eve English, Search Team Co-chair

The Transition Team met March 11 and, thanks to Anna-Mae’s authorship, reviewed a list of Transition Tasks and Duties.  The topics were on a wide range of subjects that are our responsibility, such as preparing information for the candidates, assisting the interim rector with his transition to another location, helping the new priest with moving and with orientation to the Wilmington area, helping him/her and family become part of Immanuel, coordinating the Installation, and providing other on-going support of various kinds.  We have asked the Vestry and the Search Team to review our list and, hopefully, to indicate their agreement and support.  Also, with my departure from Vestry, I have asked Laurie Hay to act as liaison between Vestry and Transition, as she is a member of both.

                                                                                    Al LeSieur, Transition Team Liaison with Vestry

Eucharistic Visits – How to request:  Any sick or infirm member of the congregation may request a visit; this is the procedure:

1.      Call the Parish Secretary, Kay Wack, at 658-7326, Ext. 10, and with your request leave your name, phone number, address, and, if needed, directions to your location.  If you know that you will want weekly visits for an extended period of time, include that, as well.

2.      Kay will list the request on the Eucharistic Visitor sheet that she provides for each week’s visitors; they will visit the shut-ins who are listed.

3.      Eucharistic Visitors will call you Sunday after the 10:30 service to confirm the request.

If you have any questions, call Ginny Hopkins at 478-0831.

                                                                                    Ginny Hopkins, Eucharistic Visitor Coordinator

Thank you to the prayer shawl donors who helped us raise $552.00 for the Katrina Mission Team.

                                                                                    Vicki Anthos

Save the Date:  Saturday, April 26, we’ll have an Immanuel Parish Clean-Up/Fix-Up Morning with Lunch, for fellowship and for spruce-up of the church building and grounds.  More details will be given in the near future.

                                                                                    Carolyn Gibson

The children and youth of Immanuel, Highlands, invite you to be a part of our Lenten Mission Project.  We have teamed up with Quilts for Comfort to make quilts for at-risk infants and children, as well as adult cancer and dialysis patients, in Delaware.  You can help; we are holding a Fabric Drive – we need two-yard pieces of 100% cotton fabrics.  Please help us to bring comfort to our community.  If you have fabric donations or questions about the Quilt Project, please see me, or call 302-737-0144.

                                                                                    Eve English

“Concerning Alcoholic Beverages at Immanuel Church, Highlands,” recently adopted by the Vestry, is posted on the lobby bulletin board and was printed in last week’s Highlands Voice.

                                                                                    The Vestry

Dan and Brenda Boerger, Wycliffe Bible Translators in the Solomon Islands that Immanuel supported for the past 15 years have made a last request for help.  Their Natqgu (the native language of the Solomon Islands) New Testament is now being published and it is essential for the Boerger family to be present for the celebration in order to lend credence and weight to this very important event.  Because of the customs of the Solomon Islands’ culture, use of the Bible hinges on the Boergers being there for the celebration.  Immanuel is asking parishioners for donations to help purchase one airfare and lodging for the family (about $3,000).  We have already raised $1,000 toward our goal.

                                                                                    Sue Welles, Outreach

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.

Dear Parishioners and friends,

     I have found a better way to share audio versions of the Sunday sermon. To hear this week's sermon, click on http://drop.io/March_9th_Sermon/interactive. It will begin to play automatically. There is also a button to download the file in case you want to save it or put it on your iPod. It is a plain .mp3 file.

              Best, Thom                                                                                                                       Ezekiel 37:1-14

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

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

St. David’s Day School Summer Camp

Great field trips, themed weeks, including arts and crafts, and new this year, Mad Science Week.  Full or half days are available.  Registration forms and more info is available in the Day School Office or at

 st_davids_day_school@verizon.net , or call 302-475-3747.

Episcopal Campus Ministry Needs Your Support!

Members of the Episcopal Campus Ministry (ECM) will be taking a mission trip to Romania with Habitat for Humanity for spring break this year (March 28 - April 5). This is a big trip for a great reason, and we need as much support as we can get.  Donations can be sent directly to St. Thomas’s Parish in Newark (marked for ECM Romania trip), or through a secure internet site at http://www.habitat.org/cd/gv/participant/participant.aspx?pid=93031320. This site includes a link to the group’s Habitat/Global Village information page. Thanks so much for your support!  Sarah Brockmann+

Interfaith Resource Center

The Barnabas Fund of St. Albans Church has awarded the IRC a $2500 grant to replace selected items of our VHS collection with DVD’s.  This is a real blessing as the cost of upgrading our entire video collection is prohibitive without assistance from our many friends. To learn more about this grant and other events go to www.interfaithresourcecenter.com .

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:

Musick to Delight the Ear: Musick from 18th Century London, Saturday, April 5, 7:30 p.m., at St.Peter's,Lewes. Brandywine Baroque, Delaware's award-winning early music ensemble, will perform music written by Handel, Dibdin, Arne, and Festing. There will be a pre-concert talk by musicologist John Burkhalter at 7:00 p.m.  Admission is $15 for adults and $6 for students.

223rd Convention of the Diocese of Delaware, Friday and Saturday, April 11 and 12, at St. Philip's Episcopal Church, Laurel. For details, call the diocese at 656-5441.

Camp Arrowhead Open House, Sunday, April 27, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Tour Camp Arrowhead and meet staff. Please bring a friend!