St. James’ Episcopal Church-Downingtown hosted the fourth of five community Lenten Prayer Services & Luncheons on Wednesday, March 14, 2018. This year, the long-standing
series (hosted by the Downingtown Area Ministerium for the first time in many years) welcomed 130 worshipers and diners to the Order of Noonday Service and the ham and salad lunch buffet which followed in Bartholomew Hall. Rev. John Symonds, Rector of the parish, offered a Meditation on Matthew 6:25-33, as he called on the ecumenical gathering of Christians across many traditions, to take up Jesus’ teaching of “Do Not Worry” as a new Lenten discipline.
Special thanks is due to the Volunteer crew for the day: Cathy Weisser; Sam & Judy Benne; Pat Miller; George & Beverly Hotton; Gail Gilbert; Pete McIlvaine; Catherine “Mike” Hernandez; Judy Craig; Shirley Tompkin; Pat Wood; Dan Lindley; Ed & Marilyn Miller; and Lori Engel. Additional thanks to those who donated food items and supplies: Bob Clegg; Shirley Tompkin; Rebecca Barger; Lee Edmonds; Kim Symonds; Rachel Snyder; Mary Ann Feeley; and Lousie McIlvaine. Special thanks to parish staffers Luann McIlvaine, Parish Administrator and Jack Mea, Parish Sexton.
The Downingtown Area Ministerium, whose mission is “Serving the Downingtown Area Community in the Love of Christ,” was formed in
September of 2016. The DAM is comprised of the following houses of worship: Central Presbyterian Church; Christian Faith Fellowship; Church of Deliverance; Downingtown Friends Meeting; Downingtown United Methodist Church; Hopewell United Methodist Church; Mt Raymond Union AME; Romansville United Methodist Church; St. James’ Episcopal Church; St. Joseph Parish Roman Catholic Church; and Thorndale United Methodist Church
.