Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew & Matthew7 1 9 NORTH SHIPLEY STREET, WILMINGTON , DELAWARE 19801

302 656 -6628 • WWW.SSAM.ORG

The Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew &Matthew (SsAM) is a nurturing faith communityborn out of the 1996 consolidation of two down-town churches. This multi-racial congregationwelcomes all people who seek the love of Godwithout regard to ability, age, economic circum-stance, ethnic background, family configuration,gender, nationality, or sexual orientation.

Vision StatementThe Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew &

Matthew seeks to be a dynamic, spiritual centerthat is active in the pursuit of peace and justice inthe community and a place where all God’s peopleare honored.

Mission StatementTo be an inclusive Christian community that

worships God, follows Christ in all aspects of ourlives, and serves the greater Wilmington areathrough actions and ministries that promotepeace, justice, reconciliation, and empowermentfor all people.

Welcometo SaintsAndrew &Matthew

Updated October, 2015

How We See Ourselves

Great history, exciting future.

Meeting the challenges and opportunitiesof an urban location.

Varied and spirit-filled liturgy and music.

Joyful worship environment.

Strong outreach programs and communitycollaboration.

Our Major Goals

Expand diversity and increaseopportunities for cross-culturalinteraction.

Encourage youth and young families,with welcome to all ages.

Continue our outreach to the needyand the community.

Promote spiritual growth ofcongregation.

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In 2014, a large group of pilgrims visited the Holy Land. Here they are on the Sunday before their departure, just afterthey had received a blessing from Fr. David, who then joined them on the pilgrimage.

BELOW: A recent visit to SsAM by the Rt. Rev. WayneWright, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware.

The Rev.David T.Andrews Jr.,Rector

Dear Friends,

When you askanyone in and out-side the walls of theEpiscopal Churchof Saints Andrewand Matthew aboutSsAM, you will beimpressed by thenumber of words and phrases expressed by parish-ioners and visitors: radical hospitality, inclusive,diverse, beautiful liturgy, powerful music, creative,passionate, care for the poor and the homeless,genuine and authentic faith, oasis from the world,and God’s love is found and expressed here. Theseare just a few of the words and phrases people useto describe SsAM and there are many more.

It is a pleasure to introduce you to the parishwith this publication and I hope that as you readand look at the many pictures and review themany ministries that happen here, that you willconsider visiting us so we can warmly welcomeyou and introduce ourselves to you in person.

In 2016, we will celebrate our 20th year ofbeing a parish and there is much to be thankfulfor. We are a parish that enjoys learning from one

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another and being together on Sunday morningfor worship, fellowship and study. It is easy tofeel this love at Sunday services. You can feel it inthe opening welcome, in the exchange of thePeace, in the sharing of community, and finallyin the dismissal to go forth in God’s abiding loveto the world.

We strongly affirm and work on being a diverseand inclusive parish. We strive to include allpoints of view and to respect differences of opin-ion. We are a people at prayer and we encourageeveryone to pray for one another through theweek and on Sunday morning. This emphasis onprayer extends to the city of Wilmington, thenation, and the world.

There are many ways to become a member ofSsAM. Every member of the clergy and vestry isprepared to share with you his or her own experi-ence of this faith community. If you are new tothe Episcopal Church, you will not be alone; weare ready to help “carry” you through our worshipservice so you may feel included.

Welcome to SsAM! I invite you to share yourown words and phrases about your experiencehere. I look forward to meeting you and beingable to introduce you to this parish and hope thatyou will return and become a part of SsAM.

Let us bless the Lord!

Faithfully,The Rev. David T. Andrews Jr.

Members of Youth andYoung Families light theAdvent candles.

History

The Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew andMatthew is a unique parish formed in 1996 fromthe union of two historic Episcopal churches inWilmington, Delaware—one with a mostly whitemembership, the other mostly black.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, the secondEpiscopal congregation in Wilmington, was foundedin 1829. Located at 8th and Shipley Streets, thebuilding is now SsAM’s home and encompasseshalf a city block. Alfred Leewas elected Bishop ofDelaware in 1841 and be-came rector of St. Andrew’sin 1842. He served in bothpositions until his death in1887. In the 1940s and early’50s, St. Andrew’s had 1800members and its rectors reg-ularly went on to becomebishops. In the late 1950sand ’60s, it was seriouslyaffected by white flight from Wilmington and, by1992, membership had fallen to fewer than 100people.

The early history of St. Matthew’s EpiscopalChurch is rooted in the Robert Smith SundaySchool, which Bishop Lee established in 1845 andwhose 40 members met in St. Andrew’s lowerlevel. The Sunday School, supported by BishopLee, continued to exist until the St. Matthew’scongregation was established in1891. Its buildingat 7th and Walnut Streets was built in 1950 whenthe parish was still a mission of the diocese. The

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Rev. Quintin E. Primo, Jr., called as vicar in 1963,led the congregation in attaining parish status inFebruary 1968. Fr. Primo was later elected as Suf-fragan Bishop of the Diocese of Chicago and asthe interim bishop of Delaware 1985–86. By1990, St. Matthew’s had twice as many congre-gants as St. Andrew’s, but a much smaller physicalplant and a limited budget.

The two churches were located three blocks fromeach other, and members from both worked togetherto help the homeless. In 1991, the two congrega-tions began discussing the possibility of consolidat-ing. The congregations began worshipping togetheron a trial basis in 1993 and, although the consolida-tion process was not always smooth, in 1996 thetwo congregations voted and decided to consolidate.

On April 26, 1996, at the 211th Diocesan Con-vention, the two churches were officially combined.The Rt. Rev. C. Cabell Tennis, Bishop of the Dio-cese of Delaware, graciously allowed Bishop Primoto officially receive the new Episcopal Church of Sts.Andrew and Matthew. A few weeks later, the newcongregation marched from the 7th and Walnutsanctuary, carrying ecclesiastical furnishings, to thechurch at 8th and Shipley.

The Reverend CanonLloyd S. Casson was electedthe first rector of the newchurch in 1997. Casson wasuniquely qualified, havingserved as curate and associ-ate at St. Andrew’s and lateras rector of St. Matthew’s.He retired in 2008 and nowserves as Rector Emeritus.

In the fall of 2011, thedecision was made to closethe Cathedral of St. John’s at Concord and MarketSts. in Wilmington. After much discussion, manyof the Cathedral parishioners transferred to SsAMin 2012 and they have become active memberssupporting SsAM with the gifts of their time, talentand treasure, including serving on the Vestry, wor-shipping and participating in Sunday and otherservices and acting as office volunteers whenneeded.

As you can tell by this history of SsAM, theHoly Spirit has been at work. As we approach our20th year, it is safe to say that the Holy Spirit isstill at work in the church through every memberof SsAM. There is much to be done and much tolook forward to over the next twenty years. We’vecome this far by faith and by faith God will lead usto continue to grow into a community of disciples.

The Rt. Rev. Alfred Lee

The Rev. CanonLloyd S. Casson

News Journal clipping from September 14, 1996.

Worship Style and Services

SsAM draws from the richness of our diverseheritages in celebrative liturgy and music, innova-tive programming and a deep involvement in thelife of our community. While our worship experi-ence is unique, it is by no means happenstance.Rather, it has evolved out of a highly intentionalprocess. We consider ourselves grounded in Episco-pal traditions, but not confined by them.

In addition to Rite II in the Book of CommonPrayer, SsAM uses a variety of liturgies, includingRite I, the New Zealand prayer book, “Season of Cre-ation” liturgy, contemporary and inclusive language.

We have a well-developed, highly valued musicprogram that offers a broad repertoire of multi-cultural music during church services, Evensong,and other special events. This includes different in-struments and styles and the Lift Every Voice andSing hymnal. While choral music is an importantpart of our liturgy, we give the greatest importanceto the music sung by the congregation.

We worship actively and inclusively, respondingwarmly to music, passing the peace with enthusi-asm, and energetically welcoming newcomers.

We see the priest as spiritual leader, someonewho teaches from the Bible to make it meaningfulto us today.

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SsAM has three Sunday worship services: the8:00 and 10:30 a.m. services in the sanctuary, anda second 8:00 a.m. service in the chapel, led by laypeople, attended by many who attend the 7:00 a.m.Sunday Breakfast Outreach program. A healingservice is celebrated Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m.

The SsAM Drumming Circle,led by our artist-in-residenceJonathanWhitney, has becomean exciting part of our musicprogram involving members ofour parish as well as participantsfrom the community.Jonathan’s nurturing andspiritual approach to drummingwelcomes drummers of all agesand abilities. The groupfrequently performs for events inthe community in addition toparticipating in liturgies atSsAM with preludes,processionals, and postludes.

SsAM has an extensive music program that includes manyexcellent ensembles. The SsAM Adult Choir and ChoralScholars (professional octet) sing at most parish services,and are often joined by the St. Cecilia Girls’ Choir(pictured above). Other groups include an informalSummer Choir and the ECW Singers as well as theCommunity Drumming Circle led by JonathanWhitney.For details about the music program, please visit the musicpages of the SsAM website (www.ssam.org).

Lay Ministries and Committees

Members who volunteer are integral to SsAM’sidentity. Our ministries and committees include:• Acolytes & Eucharistic Ministers• Adult Choir• Adult Education• Altar Guild• Apostles in Ministry• ArtSlam• Chapel Outreach• Coffee Hour/Hospitality• Community Advocacy• Drumming Circle• Environmental Justice• Episcopal Church Women• Finance• Lectors• Membership Development• Music• Office Volunteers• Pastoral Care

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• Personnel• Property• Regal Heights Nursing Center• Social Media• Stewardship• St. Cecilia Girls’ Choir• Sunday Breakfast Outreach• Sunday School• Ushers• Worship and Liturgy• Youth & Young Families

Staff Members• Rector• Associate Priest• Rector Emeritus• Director of Music / Associate for Liturgy• Parish Administrator• Executive Assistant to the Rector• Administrative Assistant• Sextons• Nursery Assistants

ABOVE: Acolytes and Lay Eucharistic Ministers at Easter Vigil, 2015, with the Rev. David Andrews at right.

BELOW: Annual Church Picnic

Outreach

At SsAM there is an awareness of our needto share Christ’s love with the world and of ourresponsibility to those in need. The result has beena history of compassion and care for people, as wellas leadership in organizations that provide outreachand work for social justice in the wider community.

Although parishioners at SsAM are encouragedto engage in a wide variety of ministries, a majoremphasis is to address the needs of the homeless.

These activities include:Andrew’s Place—provides winter sanctuary

to homeless men, done in partnership withFriendship House, a local non-profit Christianorganization.Women’s Day Center—provides

networking and counseling during the week, alsoin partnership with Friendship House.Sunday Breakfast Outreach—Provides

facilities and volunteers for Sunday breakfast thatfeeds 120 or more people weekly, a cooperativeventure with other churches and FriendshipHouse.Regal Heights Ministry—The fourth

Sunday of each month, we share our faith andlove by assisting residents of this skilled nursingcenter to take part in a Holy Communion service.

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Bi-Weekly AIM (Apostles in Mission)offering—used to assist outreach through smallgrants. Administered by the Community AdvocacyCommittee, funds are used for pastoral care needs,scholarships, grants to Episcopal Relief andDevelopment, and in support of local outreach.

Programs that receive funds through AIM or thechurch budget include Pacem in Terris, whichworks for justice and peace, and organizations thatprovide assistance to the homeless, disenfranchised,and young people, such as Friendship House, St.Michael’s School, Delaware Futures, Sojourners’Place, and Faith Center.Outreach to Prisoners—provides caring

assistance through the Thresholds mentoringprogram and to families of prisoners through theAngel Tree project at Christmas.SsAM provides space to several

community groups, including AlcoholicsAnonymous, a men’s shelter and women’s drop-incenter, use of the kitchen for the Sunday breakfast,Code Purple hospitality, Pacem in Terris events,dinners for various agencies, and training sessions.

PHOTO: At our annual meeting in 2014, we gathered in front of the altar for a group portrait.

Youth, Children, Families

Child CareChild care is provided for children younger

than five.

Sunday SchoolSunday School begins at 10:15 a.m. on Sundays

from September through May. Children ages 3-12 are introduced to the Godly Play curriculum.

Godly Play recognizes that children have aninnate sense of the presence of God and need theright language to help them identify and express itso it can be explored and strengthened. The GodlyPlay approach teaches classical Christian languagein a way that enhances the child’s authentic expe-rience of God so it can contribute to the creativelife of the child and the world.

Camp ArrowheadSponsored by the Diocese of Delaware, this is a

camp for youth entering third through eleventhgrades. The camp experience enriches young peo-ple’s relationships with one another, nature andGod. Campers develop their sense of adventureand spiritual awareness as they participate in theactivities, outdoor life and community of camp.The camp website is www.CampArrowhead.net.

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Sunday School for Grades 3–8: children dramatize aGodly Play story with wooden figures.

Stewardship

Stewardship is about everything we do after wesay “I Believe.” This is very true at SsAM. Mem-bers give generously of their time, talent and theirtreasure (Financial Pledges that support the parishbudget). Examples of this generosity are on dis-play throughout this booklet.

A powerful example of the generosity ofSsAM members was their commitment to acapital campaign that began in 2011. Thanks tothis generosity, two years later we dedicated anupgraded kitchen, now named for the late JamesThomas. From it we serve breakfast on Sundaymornings to more than 150 of our neediest neigh-bors. Also, in 2016, we will dedicate a new parishpipe organ to our beloved member, the late Dr.Katherine Esterly.

These shining examples show how SsAM ismoving forward to be a place of hope where folkscan come and see the power of God's love to theworld in action and in worship.

Youth & Young FamiliesThe goal of Youth and Young Families (YYF) is

to nurture our youth through service, faith, andfun. YYF is a growing whirlwind of young parish-ioners including the 9-12 year old pre-teens, the13-17 year old teens, and the adult leaders.

In the past, for example, the group prepareddinner for the homeless men who live at AndrewsPlace. They worked hard in 2015 to plan and raisemoney for a mission trip to Jamaica. The parishoften sees young adults attending Sunday services.

Parents play a pivotal role in providing guidanceand assistance, planning and support.

The Youth and Young Families of SsAM con-tinue to “Pay It Forward.”

Canon Casson Scholarship ProgramEvery year, the Community Advocacy Committee

sponsors $500 scholarships for students entering col-lege and those who are already enrolled. The scholar-ship program is open to members who attend SsAM.

Donations Made EasyOur church depends upon the pledges of its

members to support the many programs and out-reach ministries of the parish. As an alternative tocash or checks, we encourage automatic debitsby credit card and from bank accounts, as a singletransaction or regular periodic debits. Please con-tact the church office at (302) 656-6628 for details.

United Way of DelawareUnited Way donors should “write-in” our

name and full address, or use our code number11593 on their United Way of Delaware PledgeForm in the Specific Care area.

In Our Own Voices

“Working with the homeless population hastaught me about love and sharing God’s love withothers. It has brought me closer to God, and I feelhumbled and blessed.”

“I see church as God’s House filled with adiverse community—a big family that embracesALL in God’s love. A ‘hospital for sinners’ ratherthan a meeting place just for saints. Church as aplace where spirituality is hospitality and ourcommunity extends welcome and shelter to ALL.A place where we can receive God’s healing grace,be changed by it, and then offer healing back tothe world.”

“My hope is that we continue to grow with ourministry to become a light in the community andthat we continue to attract people from all walksof life and other denominations that are seekingsomewhere to feel the transformation of the Spiritand become something brand new…. Let’s not gobackwards or fall into complacency.”

“Through the healing service I found strength,courage, and peace in facing my breast cancer.I will forever be thankful for that. It was availablewhen it was needed.”

“I was deeply involved as a St. Andrew’s mem-ber in the uniting of the two churches and it wasone of the most exciting times of my life, thoughvery hard at times I am filled with joy now.”

“My reasons for supporting this particularchurch in Wilmington (and I did attend severalbefore I made my choice) are: 1) the warmth of

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Annual Church Picnic

the congregation; 2) the superiority of the musicprogram, and; 3) the thought-provoking messagesfrom the pulpit and the variety of activities.”

“Community involvement, mission are impor-tant. However, the main reason I attend is to offerworship to God and to feel the Spirit in our wor-ship, to be strengthened for the week ahead….I feel a sense of connection with the people of thecongregation.”

“Diversity is a fruit of the Spirit of our church.Spirituality stems from the continuing work ofdiversity that was brought about by the union ofSt. Matthew’s and St. Andrew’s. It is a truly uniquephenomenon that continues to offer unlimitedpossibilities.”

“Youth & Young Families has been a great sup-port for my children and extremely flexible withtheir schedules. They also get to interact with adifferent set of teens than they usually are around.I also enjoy the adult education sessions and lookforward to increasing my attendance.”

“In terms of an institutional image in the com-munity, SsAM has that. Also, that we greet andcare for each other on Sunday mornings is heart-ening, and we get visitors coming back becausethey left with such a ‘good feeling’ about worship-ing with us.”

Our Space

Our property in downtown Wilmington, Dela-ware is located on the corner of 8th and ShipleyStreets. The Sanctuary and parish house consist oftwo floors and a basement and is handicappedaccessible via an elevator. The building includes aSanctuary with a capacity of 300 people, and achapel which can hold 30.

A large meeting room with a stage can hold upto 50 people seated auditorium style and is alsoused as a rehearsal room by our choir. We have anoffice area with two offices and a receptionist area,a commercially-licensed kitchen and an audito-rium with a stage that can seat up to 175 people.

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Altar during candlelight service (above) and (below) Auditorium at our 2015 Annual Meeting

The second floor includes a meeting room, rest-rooms, an education suite, and a nursery. It is alsothe home of the Cathedral Choir School ofDelaware, an active after-school program for chil-dren and teens. Please visit www.CCSDE.org.

The basement houses a dedicated AlcoholicsAnonymous room that is used 6 days a week.There is also a 22-bed men’s shelter operatednightly September through June. That same area isoperated daily as a woman’s drop-in center by thenon-profit Friendship House, Inc.

Adjacent to the church we own a parking lotthat is leased and operated by Colonial Parking.

Our City and Region

Wilmington is a city of 72,000 residentslocated in the center of a metropolitan area of650,000 people. It is rich in culture, history, andthings to do. The city is midway between NewYork City and Washington, DC, and only 25miles from Philadelphia. The Pocono Mountainsand ocean beaches are only 90 minutes away.

Wilmington is located in the beautiful Brandy-wine Valley, which is noted for museums, culturaland historical institutions, including LongwoodGardens, Winterthur Museum, Delaware Art Mu-seum, and sports teams. Delaware is known fortax-free shopping, and Wilmington is home tomany financial institutions. The Christiana River-front area is being developed and parks for recre-ation abound.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Winterthur’s Point-to-Point;Hanby Trust; Italian Festival; Rehoboth Beach;Brandywine Valley horse country; Delaware countryside.

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Design and photos by Danny Schweers.

BishopWright’s annual visit to SsAM is often an occasion for baptisms.

Our Diocese

The Diocese of Delaware, organized in 1784,includes the entire state. The Right Rev. Wayne P.Wright became its tenth bishop in 1998. Nearly11,000 parishioners worship in 35 congregationsthroughout the state.

The Diocese benefits from two special facilities:• The Felix DuPont Memorial House is a retreat

and conference center in Rehoboth Beach.• Camp Arrowhead serves boys and girls aged 8–

17 during the summer; the rest of the year, thefacility is a retreat center for family, church,and other groups.The Diocese maintains a website, www.Diocese

ofDelaware.net. Its monthly newspaper, theDelaware Communion, can be picked up at SsAMand is also available in electronic form on thediocesan website.

In Closing

We hope that you have found this introductionto the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew andMatthew informative and that you will come visitus on a Sunday moning for any of our three wor-ship services—8:00 a.m. chapel service, 8:00 a.m.contemplative celebration of the holy Eucharistand the 10:30 a.m. celebration of the HolyEucharist with music. When you visit, you willbe warmly welcomed by an usher and otherparishioners. Please make a point to meet mebefore you leave.

This resource only gives you a small flavor ofwhat SsAM is, but we feel that if you decide tovisit, you will feel the warmth of God’s love as it isexpressed in our welcome, our worship in oursinging praise to God and in our fellowship withone another after the service. You will also find acommunity that desires to live out the commandto love our neighbors as ourselves as we help thosein need—the poor, the hungry, the homeless.

We hope to see you soon and may God’s Peacebe with you.

The Rev. David T. Andrews, Jr.,Rector