Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew & Matthew (SsAM)

Seeking to know and love God in every person, here, now.

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      • Rev. David Andrews
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      • D-L Casson, Church Administrator
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    • Choirs at SsAM
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      • David Christopher, Director of Music
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      • Jonathan Whitney, Director of Drumming Circle and Artist in Residence
      • Tina Betz, Director of Children’s Chapel Music
      • Berna Holcomb, Music Librarian
    • Artists in Residence
      • Jonathan Whitney
      • Delaware ChoralArts
    • Our Approach to Music and Liturgical Design at SsAM
  • Katherine Esterly Organ
    • Organ Events 2019-2020
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Evangelism Brainstorms, 20 October 2018

Here are 82 ideas written on Post-It notes during SsAM’s brainstorming sessions at the “Invite, Welcome, Connect” conference on Saturday, October 20, 2018. Twenty-three members of the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew participated, throwing out ideas, their imaginations sometimes going wild!

How can we Christians best invite others to join us, welcome them when they arrive, and connect to them when they return? As you can see, we spent most of our time on the first question, how to better invite people to SsAM.

INVITE IDEAS

  1. Business card or postcard on website to print at home
  2. Brochures at local hotels
  3. Prayer Walk around neighborhood
  4. Community organ concerts
  5. Use Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn
  6. Moo Cards
  7. Business cards with service times given to all members to hand out
  8. Reach out to mid-town residences
  9. Be more than a venue
  10. What is our brand?
  11. Good Friday walk
  12. Car magnet
  13. Friendly community
  14. Laundry night
  15. Coffee hour Facebook video
  16. Sarbucks meetings
  17. “Soul of the City” tag line
  18. Formation class about Episcopal Church and our traditions
  19. Facebook Sunday service
  20. Smart phone app with SsAM brand
  21. Community meetings at SsAM for local civic association
  22. Liaison to city government
  23. Combine forces with Trinity/Old Swede’s and Emmanuel Highlands. Find leadership and keep in contact.
  24. Welcome committee, ambassadors, pair extroverts and introverts
  25. Communicate what we are already doing with intentionality using unified media teams
  26. Welcome postcards with SsAM brand
  27. Embed videos in website
  28. Videos of how parishioners first came to SsAM and why they have stayed
  29. Take coffee to our new neighbors
  30. Mess church
  31. Review mission to City of Wilmington, healing service, 5-mile radius, “beat the bounds”, procession, parade, blessing, make more of Good Friday
  32. City Hall meetings
  33. Need to know what organizations and leadership positions our members already are already involved in
  34. Service on the Riverfront
  35. Frig magnet with photo of church, website, address, phone: “Draw you to our church”
  36. T-shirts with QR code on back
  37. Advertisement Coffee mugs, fabric shopping bags, car magnets
  38. Facebook Live welcome video
  39. Car decal with just QR code
  40. Potluck dinners with discussions: Saints, Sinners & Skeptics
  41. Specified people assigned to welcome visitors
  42. Rolls of nametags; nametags in pews
  43. Manual or booklet that shows what ministries the church is involved in such as Planned Parenthood, Christina Cultural Arts Center, Network
    Delaware
  44. “Walking The Word” slogan
  45. Spanish-speaking church
  46. Who We Are posters with Pacem in Terris, Delaware Futures, Racial Justice Coalition, Delaware Middle East
  47. People with welcome cards at all events
  48. Encourage members to go to city council meetings
  49. Ask Me! buttons for ushers and others
  50. Do You Know? meetings with congregation
  51. Community financial workshops
  52. Postcards with photos of pipe organ, windows, congregation, Carnival Sunday
  53. Merton Musings, Study of Paul
  54. Welcome pins for ushers and/or greeters “Ask Me!”

WELCOME AND CONNECT IDEAS

  1. We like to see Fr. David out in front of the church, vested and welcoming.
  2. Have members of the New Member Ministry (or anyone from our church) visit other churches to see what kind of welcome ministry (or lack of
    welcome) they experience and find out what it felt like and what would have helped.
  3. Get Welcome Packets prepared like those for All Souls.
  4. Have a retreat for all ministries.
  5. Let each group present at announcements.
  6. Assign members of the vestry to call new members as well.
  7. Process map (flow diagram).
  8. Handwritten note from rector to visitors.
  9. Communication.
  10. Develop Welcome Team and staff connection to connect.
  11. Process Map for Best Welcome Practices.
  12. Sign-up Genius for coffee and healthy food.
  13. Parking Lot Greeter.
  14. Welcome Team: say “Hi”, take to coffee, visit/call/text
  15. Process Map (flow map).
  16. Groom your replacement.
  17. What does the Welcome Team do?
  18. Greeters need to be on same page.
  19. A church is a community, not a building.
  20. “Ask Me!” shirts / nametags.
  21. Who is on the Welcome Team?
  22. Guest parking.
  23. Kids bags for the young children.
  24. Ministry contact information.
  25. Retreat for the ministries with the vestry.
  26. Leadership development.
  27. Transparency and flow between ministries.
  28. Vestry represents all at SsAM.

Other Invite-Welcome-Connect Posts

Click here to see all the posts on this website about Invite-Welcome-Connect.

Worship Services Via Video

We are worshiping together via video on Facebook and YouTube. Click here to learn more about Sunday and weekday services!

25th anniversary logo for the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew, Wilmington, Delaware

NEWS

Worship With Us Via Video

Use Facebook or YouTube to worship with us this Sunday at 10:00 a.m.! Coffee Hour follows using Zoom (but not on Palm Sunday or Easter … [Read More...]

Sunday Coffee Hour at 11:00 a.m.

Coffee Hour resumes Sunday, April 11 at 11:00 a.m. VIRTUAL COFFEE HOURS on Sundays immediately following 10:00 a.m. worship. The Zoom … [Read More...]

Prayer Services at SsAM

Prayer Services at SsAM on Facebook Live and Zoom Click here to see our Facebook Live page. You can watch  these services (and our … [Read More...]

SsAM Presents: Upcoming Events at the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew

Upcoming Events: Our building is closed but we are busier than ever! Our next 25th Anniversary Event is Sunday, April 18, at 3:00 … [Read More...]

Thomas answered him — My Lord and My God! (John 20:28)

FATHER DAVID’S POST OF 4/9/2021 — Thomas’ confession of faith in the Risen Christ comes at the conclusion of the Gospel that we will hear … [Read More...]

Mother’s Day Bake Sale

Saturday, May 8, 11–3, Curbside, 719 N. Shipley Street. Drive up to the curb in front of our church between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on … [Read More...]

SsAM Men’s Fellowship Begins

In the first months of 2021, SsAM formed a Men’s Fellowship Ministry for the purposes of promoting fellowship among the men of the church … [Read More...]

Feed The Hungry

Please make a donation to a local food pantry! Children and families in our community are going hungry. You can help! As the … [Read More...]

Monthly Walks for Justice and Peace

First Fridays at 5:30 p.m. Next walk is May 7. Since June 19, 2020, members from SsAM and other churches have been showing up for silent … [Read More...]

Get The Vaccine!

COVID-19 VACCINE SCHEDULING Requests for appointments for Delaware Division of Public Health vaccination events are now being taken … [Read More...]

Racial Justice: Continuing the Conversation with Three Wilmington Churches

The members of three Wilmington Churches continue their collaboration on issues of racial justice on Sunday, March 7, at 3:00 p.m. Please … [Read More...]

Volunteer To Serve On The Vestry

Our church is looking for four new Vestry members to serve three-year terms beginning in June, 2021. Is that you? Someone you know? The … [Read More...]

Please Make A Donation

You can make a one-time donation or set up a donation that repeats weekly or monthly. A click on the button will bring you to a secure … [Read More...]

See all the News & Upcoming Events posts

Sunday Services

We are worshiping together using video over the Internet. Click here to learn more!

Sunday worship services are at 10:00 a.m. Morning and Evening Prayer are also offered, on other days.

Visit Us

Our church is closed at the moment, but when we can open, even partially, our address is

719 N. Shipley Street
Wilmington, DE 19801

with free parking weekends and evenings next to the church at 713 N. Shipley Street. Click here to learn more about parking and directions.

OUR MISSION

To be an inclusive Christian community which worships God, follows Christ in all aspects of our lives, and serves the Greater Wilmington area through actions and ministries which promote peace, justice, reconciliation and empowerment for all people.

Contact Us

PHONE: 302 656-6628

EMAIL: Click here to use our email form.

FACEBOOK: Click here to see our Facebook page. You don’t need a Facebook account to see it.

YOUTUBE: Click here to see our YouTube Channel. Some smart TV sets will allow you to stream YouTube, so you can watch in your den or living room. Search for “Saints Andrews and Matthew”.

Are You New to SsAM?

If you are new to SsAM, please click here to see the Welcome to SsAM booklet in PDF format. The Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew is a dynamic and diverse congregation in downtown Wilmington, Delaware.

Our Vision

The Episcopal Church of Sts. Andrew and Matthew seeks to be a dynamic, spiritual center that is active in the pursuit of peace and justice in the community and a place where all God’s people are honored.

LINKS

  • Worship at SsAM: Sunday Documents, Church News, and More
  • eNewsletter Sign Up
  • SsAM on Facebook
  • Recent Announcements at SsAM
  • Vestry View
  • Invite Welcome Connect
  • Episcopal Church in Delaware
  • Episcopal Church USA
  • Michael Curry’s blog: the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
  • Episcopal Digital Network
  • Forward Day By Day
  • Book of Common Prayer
  • Camp Arrowhead, Delaware
  • Order of the Ascension
  • Congregational Development
  • Father David’s Spiritual Journey
  • Calendar
  • Visit SsAM on Facebook
  • eNewsletter Sign-up
  • Vestry View

Donations Are Welcome, and a Necessity

Our ministries are dependent on financial donations. Click here to make a secure credit-card donation on-line or to learn more about making a pledge, texting a donation, special gifts and memorials, remembering SsAM in your will, setting up debit payments from your bank, and using United Way.

Make An On-Line Donation
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