In the midst of a rapidly spreading COVID-19 pandemic, vestry members met a week ago using Zoom video-conferencing software from our homes. Most of us used the video capabilities from our home computers, but many simply called in using their telephones. Every vestry member attended, including our newest member, Gary Jolly. One unexpected benefit of READ MORE »
Stewardship Posts
Stewardship is the active care of those things put into our hands by God; our time, talent, and treasure.
Friendship House Needs Specific Supplies
As of March 24, 2020, Friendship House is in need of doughnuts, bread to make sandwiches, sandwich-sized and snack-sized plastic baggies, coffee, sugar, and creamer. If you can help with this, please contact the church so we can arrange delivery. In an email sent on Tuesday, March 24, Executive Director Kim Eppehimer said: In light READ MORE »
Vestry View, February 19, 2020
At its productive meeting on February 12, 2020, the SsAM Vestry heard from four guests; went over reports from our rector, music director, and finance and property committees; moved forward on strategic initiatives, formed a nominating committee, planned the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, assigned vestry liaisons to various ministries, and set a June 14 date READ MORE »
Stewardship Rodeo
VESTRY VIEW, JANUARY 22, 2020: The Vestry’s turn at the Stewardship Rodeo has begun. At their meeting on Wednesday evening, January 15, members of your Vestry gallantly entered their first round of the Line Item Roping, Bucking Endowment Riding, and Budget Bull Riding competitions. It wasn’t pretty. Again and again, we tried to ride but READ MORE »
SsAM i AM – Rethinking Stewardship One Pillar At A Time
As 2020 begins, we are looking again at our church’s four guiding principles, the four strategic principles set by our Vestry in 2014, the four pillars guiding our stewardship: To strengthen and grow Youth and Young Families; To create a sustainable financial picture; To provide engaging worship that is rich and meaningful and brings people READ MORE »
Angel Tree Ministry
“The reactions have been amazing. Some were in tears. Every mother who picked up bags/boxes of wrapped presents were overwhelmed by the huge showing of love, support, and generosity by your congregation. I know that each one of them will have a Christmas that would have been impossible without all of you! I know that READ MORE »
Have You Made Your Pledge? Thank God!
So far we have received pledges of $423,615 from 141 pledging units as of January 9. That is 92% of the way towards our goal of $460,000. We thank God for your generosity! Our budget for 2020 is based on the pledges you and others make, so please provide your pledge as soon as possible READ MORE »
Alice Sawyer Chastises Wilmington YMCA
An op-ed by Alice Sawyer, a long-time member of our church and a 30-year employee of the YMCA, appeared in the December 5, 2019 issue of the News Journal newspaper. Entitled, “The Wilmington YMCA should serve all and not close 41 beds dedicated to homeless”, the op-ed takes the YMCA to task for its recent READ MORE »
Here Is When We Connect: Coffee Hour
Our coffee hour — 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. on Sundays — often has a generous offering of fruit, veggies, dips, chips, and more, depending on what goodies our members bring to church. Sometimes there is a cake to celebrate a birthday or graduation! And there is always sweet tea and hot coffee. If you are READ MORE »
Reflections on the last Financial Town Meeting of 2019
Member development is not one standalone line item in the budget. It is about everything we are about as a parish. by the Rev. David T. Andrews, Rector. A couple of weeks ago the finance committee presented information about where SsAM is financially. The committee has worked faithfully the last couple of months READ MORE »
Code Purple Ministry
Every winter, SsAM offers its auditorium space to accommodate the homeless community on nights the city declares a Code Purple Alert. Code Purple is declared any time the actual temperature is 20°F or below or the wind chill is 15ºF or below. Then Friendship House opens the Wilmington Empowerment Center (in our building) from 2:30 READ MORE »
Finance Committee Town Hall Meeting of 10-27-2019
by Sharon Leyhow Today, Sunday, October 27, 2019, the Finance Committee (Steven Jones, Bill Kaufman, Sharon Leyhow, Drew Serres, and Janice Teemer) held two town hall meetings. Many were not able to attend the meeting, so I want to provide you the outline of the meeting and a copy of the charts we shared with READ MORE »
SsAM I AM 2020: A Pastoral Perspective
Rethinking Stewardship One Pillar at a Time For the last several weeks, the Sunday sermon has focused on the Four Pillars of SsAM. A few years ago, the vestry developed these four strategic goals as part of the mutual ministry review. Last year while I was on sabbatical, the vestry re-engaged with the strategic plan READ MORE »
SsAM I AM – Third Town Hall Meeting
What questions do we have about creating a sustainable financial picture for SsAM? Members of SsAM met after the 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday services on September 28, 2019 to create a set of questions about how our church’s finances can be more sustainable. These questions will be put to the Finance Committte, which will READ MORE »
Care For Creation!
It is natural for us to care first for ourselves. As Christians, we are called to care for others as well — not only our families, but our neighbors as well, even our enemies. We are also called to love creation and care for it. All The “Caring for Creation” Posts Click here to see READ MORE »
SsAM I AM – Second Town Hall Meeting
What ways can the ministry of Youth and Young Families support and encourage our young people to grow in faith and maturity as children of God? This was the question asked of our members who attended the second SsAM I AM town hall meetings on Sunday, September 22, 2019. People put forward suggestions in brain-storming READ MORE »
SsAM I AM – First Town Hall Meeting
On Sunday, September 8, 2019, parishioners gathered for the first of three town hall meetings to focus on the guiding principles of the parish and the stewardship theme for this year, SsAM I AM. We began by focusing on two pillars: To provide engaging worship that is rich and meaningful and brings people back; and READ MORE »
Solar Panels at SsAM? Post 2
by Danny Schweers, Vestry Member, August 17, 2019. This week we got our first looks at the benefits and costs of installing solar panels on the roof of the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew (SsAM). D-L Casson, the new Parish Administrator at SsAM, found a Rooftop Solar Report from Delmarva Power. That report, READ MORE »
Solar Panels at SsAM? Post 1
Shall our church install solar panels on its roofs as a means of generating electricity? by Danny Schweers, Vestry Member, August 12, 2019 In late June, I emailed our junior warden, Nana Soto, saying, “I know the vestry has been talking about replacing all the roofs. That would be the perfect time to look into READ MORE »
2013-08-23: Kitchen Renovated
from the Campaign Coordinator Dear Friends, We have achieved the first phase of the Capital Campaign, Sharing Our Blessings, at The Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew. The dream of a new kitchen at SsAM has become a reality, thanks to all who supported this wonderful achievement. Gleaming walls and stainless steel appliances and READ MORE »