St. Peter’s Episcopal Church

Smyrna, Delaware

UPCOMING INSPIRATIONS

e-Weekly

February 12, 2026

There remains limited street parking at this time.

Service Bulletin for Sunday, February 15th

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Every Thursday- Bell practice begins at 6:00 pm and Choir practice begins at 7:00 pm.

February 15^th Vestry Meeting following the 9:00 am service.

February 17^th– Pancake Supper, 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm in the Parish Hall. More information to come.

February 18^th– Ash Wednesday service at 11 am. The vestry discussed trying to offer one service for Ash Wednesday this year. Fr. Bruce Lomas has offered to celebrate this service with us.

March 15^th– I Love Smyrna School District Day- 8am-2pm at the Smyrna High School. St. Peter’s will have a booth at the event. Please see sign-up sheet on the podium to help cover the table and meet the community.

March 21^st and 22^nd – Crafting Fundraiser- $40 includes both days (Friday, Jan 16^th 3:30 pm-10 pm and Saturday, Jan 17^th –9 am to 10 pm) Dinner provided. See the flyer on the bulletin boards or the weekly newsletter for more details.

March 27^th– Annual Quarter Auction Fundraiser at the Mamie Warren Senior Center. 5:45 pm- 9:00. More information to come.

Black History Month

Celebrating 100 years of Black History

1926 to 2026

During the parish meeting it was brought up that a parish member suggested the idea to modify our current mission statement to one of the vestry members.

Our current mission statement is A Faith Community Offering Hospitality, Hope and Healing

The vestry would like to see how others in the congregation feel about the mission statement.  So again, we are voting…. No names just a simple Let’s Review Now or Fine as is, Let’s wait for our new Priest.

Voting slips are posted next to the flower bulletin board outside the kitchen window. Voting will be open through Sunday, February 15^th.

 View From the Pew

 Notes from the Course on Lay Evangelism  — From the desk of Dr. Alex Cullison

This 14 week course has two Ordained Episcopal instructors providing history, theory, and practical information to approximately 20 participants. The classes are being held via a ZOOM conference call.

There are 10 books/articles that are required reading and other resources for optional readings. The topics included general evangelism, christianity, missionary work, prayer, christian mysticism, scripture reading, scripture interpretation, and discipleship. The participants are required to compose their own spiritual timeline and share it along with a comprehensive practicum that reflects an evangelism implementation strategy. The practicum represents how the participants will take what they have learned and use same in their own church setting. 

The course is interactive and encourages meaningful participation. The last course date is May 5, 2026.

The more you research evangelism, the more you get a sense of the complexity, history, and misconceptions about this controversial endeavor. 

FYI: Evangelism is also characterized as “witnessing.”  

If you asked for Giving Envelopes for 2026, they are available in the front pew of the church. If you need giving envelopes, please add your name to the sign-up sheet on the podium in the front of church. 

The Aumbry Candle and Altar Flower Sign-up Lists for 2026 are now available. There are still dates available for altar flowers for March 1^st, 15^th, and 22^nd along with the May aumbry candle. Please check the sign-up lists on the bulletin board next to the kitchen window for additional availability.

Evangelism Opportunity!

St. Peter’s will be participating in I Love Smyrna School District event again this year. 

A sign-up sheet is on the podium to help with manning the table.

During the event, we hand out giveaways and talk to the people who stop at the table.

It is a large event and a lot of fun to attend.

We ask for continued prayers for the Search Committee:

Gracious and Loving God, I ask your guidance and wisdom for the search committee. Bless these individuals called to serve, grant them unity, spiritual strength, and discernment to hear your voice in their deliberations. Keep them open to one another and to your will, nurturing patience and deep trust in you. May they be sensitive to your direction as they identify the shepherd you have chosen for us, and may the chosen priest be a faithful steward of your word. Instill in all of us, the congregation, a vision of the future guided by your Holy Spirit, so that we may be united in love and gladly accomplish your mission for us.

St. Peter’s accepts online donations to support our on going mission and ministries. Please click HERE to support our mission. Thank you in advance for your support and donation to our ministries.

Diocesan News…..

Click HERE to see what is going on in the diocese.

February’s outreach is the Smyrna-Clayton Ministerium Emergency Fund. All checks should be made payable to St. Peter’s Church. Please note SCM-Emergency Fund in the memo line.

On the first Sunday of every month, a basket will be passed around the church. The basket will contain slips of paper with items needed for the food pantry. Please draw a slip from the basket and while you are out shopping during the month, please pick up that item for the pantry. If you miss the first Sunday or would like to select additional items, please use the baskets located at both entrances to the church to select items throughout the month.

If you would like to donate your own item(s), here is a list of some of the most common items needed each week: juice boxes or pouches, peanut butter and jelly, hamburger helper and tuna helper, canned tuna, canned chicken, sloppy joe sauce (Manwich), boxed spaghetti and spaghetti sauce, mayonnaise, Cereal, fresh bread, Vienna sausage, breakfast bars, Chef Boy Ardee canned pasta and powdered milk.

We “Thank” everyone who has donated to all the outreach opportunities and food pantry this past year. Your generosity is appreciated by the outreach committee and all the various organizations who received the support. 

Game Time

Thanks to everyone who played Have You Seen This? for the month of January! The following people submitted the correct location of the wall hanging across from the pulpit. This a quilt square that was used at an annual conference to represent St. Peter’s. Our very own Becky Correll handmade this square.

Dawn Adams, Leroy Brown, Carol Binns, Paula Buckley, Georgia Carter, Alex Cullison, Diana Cullison, Stan McIntyre.

The winner of the $10 giftcard to WAWA is Diana Cullison! Congratulations!

 Have You Seen This?-February 2026– Each month a picture will be selected from around the church (including parish hall and office wing). There is a full color picture placed on the bulletin board across from the kitchen window and one sent in the weekly email. To play all you need to do is look around the building to see if you can locate where the item in the picture is located. If you are playing in person, write down the location and put it in the envelope provided on the bulletin board. If playing online, email the church office at stpeters.smyrna@verizon.net with the location. Everyone who guesses the correct location of the picture will be placed in a drawing at the end of the month for a chance to win a $10 giftcard to WAWA. Let’s get out and look around to see how beautiful our church is!

Local Events

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