Like many of you, I think that I am ready for COVID to be over. I am ready to put an end to this social distancing. Not to just go outside, but to go outside without the worry of wearing a mask, or if that person next to me coughing will be “the one” that gets me. But, alas, we are nowhere near that time to let down our guard. We are not nearing a time when we can remove our masks and see the faces of the people around us. And the question remains, how do we connect in what seems to be an ongoing social distant reality?

We continue to be blessed in our congregation. We would like to take the opportunity each week to share with others the blessings we have experienced.

     Churches which have helped us with food collections

     Lutheran Community Services, which has managed all the details required for food distribution

     Kanchalee

     The continued good health of our congregation members, family members, and friends.

What blessings do you have to share?  Send them on to Ann Warner here for inclusion in the E-Courier.

Every Sunday morning we offer traditional Lutheran worship. The on-line link goes live at 10 am on Sunday morning, but remains available indefinitely. Click here to view the service

Currently, and until further notice, it is required to have a mask on at all times in the church building. This includes church services on Sundays. Starting on Monday, for contact tracing, every individual entering the building will be required to sign in. A station will be at each entrance with sanitizer and clean pens.

COVID-19 testing is available at walk-up and drive-through testing sites throughout Delaware. Click here for more information about these sites and how to get tested.

Start reading The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce for the next book club meeting on Thursday, July 16 at 1 pm. A Zoom invitation will be emailed. 

​Meet Harold Fry, recently retired. He lives in a small English village with his wife, Maureen, who seems irritated by almost everything he does. Little differentiates one day from the next. Then one morning a letter arrives, addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl, from a woman he hasn’t heard from in twenty years. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye. But before Harold mails off a quick reply, a chance encounter convinces him that he absolutely must deliver his message to Queenie in person. In his yachting shoes and light coat, Harold Fry embarks on an urgent quest. Determined to walk six hundred miles to the hospice, Harold believes that as long as he walks, Queenie will live. A novel of charm, humor, and profound insight into the thoughts and feelings we all bury deep within our hearts, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry introduces Rachel Joyce as a wise—and utterly irresistible—storyteller.

Our Cantor Oksana Glouchko is inviting you to an at-home hymn singalong on Thursdays at 7 pm. The Zoom invitation is below and will be sent via email on Thursday. It’s pretty simple. You come with your ELW in hand (or names of hymns from the ELW that we can easily find) and she will take a poll. Then, she will play through (every verse...yes...every verse) the hymn, and we all get to sing at home. Oksana will give you the final instructions at the start of each meeting.

Please join us for this wonderful time of singing and fellowship - the church building may not be open - but the church is deployed, conducting mission, and still singing the praises of God.

Oksana Glouchko is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.  

Topic: Thursday's Hymn Sing-Along

Time: Jun 17, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)  

Join Zoom Meeting here.

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Share Your Garden's Abundance Fresh produce is difficult for Lutheran Community Services to provide regularly. One way you can help is to donate extra vegetables and fruit from your garden. It doesn’t matter what you bring to the pantry as long as it is fresh and ready to be distributed when it arrives.

Gardeners can bring produce to St. Stephen’s or to LCS headquarters at 2809 Baynard Blvd in Wilmington. Thank you for sharing your garden!

St. Stephen's has decided to restart ordering our Sunday Sanctuary flowers. This will help support a local small business during this challenging time. The flowers won't be delivered to the church. They will be delivered to whoever you designate-yourself, family, or a friend in the local area.  If you don't have a preference, someone on our prayer list will be selected to receive the flowers. The accompanying card will note the flowers were sent by you and friends at STS.  There is no delivery charge.  The cost is $35.00. You can mail a check to St. Stephen's. We have openings in July. Please email office@ststeph.org if you are interested in sending flowers. Thanks!

(left to right) A big thank you to Hagley Museum for their donation of heirloom vegetables, Ron and Karen Bitner for delivering fresh vegetables from the Shepherd's Garden at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Jordanna Wagner for delivering baked goods from Cannon's Custom Cakes and Bakery and Jon and Donna Hoffman for their donation of diapers and tampons. We're grateful for your support!

July 8: Food Pantry evening hours, 5 pm
July 8: Compline online, 7:30 pm
July 9: Zoom Singalong with Cantor Oksana Glouchko, 7 pm
July 15: Food Pantry evening hours, 5 pm
July 15: Compline online, 7:30 pm
July 16: Book Club, 1 pm
July 16: Zoom Singalong with Cantor Oksana Glouchko, 7 pm

An updated calendar can be found here.