THE EPISTLE:

February 1, 2024

Moms' Group meets TONIGHT, Feb. 1st

St. Thomas’ Mom's group ministry for mothers with children ages 0 - 18 is meeting again TONIGHT, Thursday, February 1st, at 6:30pm in the Parish Hall!

The monthly Mom's Group is a time to come together as mothers with young children to support one another, share in the love and laughter, and help each other through the challenges and struggles that motherhood brings. Being a mom is not always easy, so one night a month we come together to ask the good Lord for patience and strength and to lean on one another in this shared experience. Please bring a mom friend! Contact Audrey Cain at audreysherkin@gmail.com for more info.

Praying the Rosary with Fr. Donavan returns, TOMORROW, February 2nd, at 12pm, with a special evening Candlemas Eucharist & Q&A on the Society of Mary

With the great turn out and interest in praying the traditional Rosary during the season of Advent last year, Fr. Donavan is planning to offer a new, twice monthly, Rosary prayer group, which will gather two Fridays each month at 12 noon to pray the Rosary in the Nave. This new bi-monthly prayer offering at St. Thomas will begin on the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the Feast of the Presentation and Candlemas, tomorrow, Friday, February 2nd.

And in honor of this special feast day for the church, which comes each year 40 days after Christmas, Fr. Donavan will also offer a Candlemas Holy Eucharist at 6pm in the church, with hymns and music provided by Kathy Heim.  Following the 6pm Candlemas Eucharist, anyone interested in learning more about specifically Anglican/Episcopal devotion to the Blessed Mother of God, is invited to a Q & A session with Fr. Donavan in the Parish Hall, with special information on the Episcopal devotional society, the Society of Mary, which Fr. Donavan has been a member since 2008.

If you'd like to pray the Rosary, join Fr. Donavan again TOMORROW, February 2nd, at 12 noon in the church, and then come back at 6pm for a simple celebration of the Holy Eucharist for Feast of the Purification with a Q&A on Mary afterwards in the Parish Hall.

Lobsterfest Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity Dinner

THIS Saturday, Feb. 3

The Lobsterfest Steering committee in the past has provided a dinner to the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity for their support to Lobsterfest. Lobsterfest could not be the success it is without the support that the fraternity guys provide to St. Thomas. The dinner will be THIS Saturday, February 3rd from 2-5pm.

We have the Kitchen and Parish Hall reserved from 12-6pm. The church provides Pork Butts and chicken, but this important dinner needs home cooked side dishes and desserts! A sign-up sheet, with a tentative menu, is posted in Information Hall, but please feel free to bring any side dish or dessert on Saturday! If you can provide a side dish or dessert, please contact Tom Perry at (256) 348-4313 or perrytbne@aol.com or Flo Boyer (256) 883-8376.

THIS Sunday

"Come As You Are"

5 PM Holy Eucharist

and Dinner

St. Thomas' "Come as You Are" 5pm Sunday worship service is every Sunday. Dinner is now offered on the FIRST SUNDAY of each month. We will have dinner THIS SUNDAY, Feb. 4. Our 5pm Holy Eucharist features simple hymns from the Alleluia III hymnal, good sermons preached from the floor, and Holy Communion. Come as you are and invite a friend to join you for the 5pm Evening Holy Eucharist EVERY SUNDAY at St. Thomas.

CLASS NOW MOVING TO FEBRUARY 18TH!

What does it mean to be the 'Church' today?: A Sunday Morning Conversation with Fr. Donavan

We are now planning to offer a "REALM 101" class on Sunday, February 11th, led by Fr. Donavan and our Invite, Welcome, & Connect Ministry (IWC) , to help get off our Lenten Goal of "40 days to Sign Everyone On to Realm". Fr. Donavan has decided to move his next Adult Christian Formation class to the First Sunday in Lent, Sunday, February 11th. Look for more info on the "REALM 101" class and Lenten goal for the Parish next Sunday!

In the 21st Century, there are perhaps more ideas and understandings about what it means to be a "church" than any other century before. Is a church primarily a place of worship and prayer? Is a church a place for finding and growing needed fellowship and community? Should a church be a place chiefly for Christian outreach and care for the neighborhood, the city, and world? Certainly, all of these descriptions have their important place in the church of today, but is there something more that can bind all the definitions, ideas, and understandings together and keep the church focused and unified in its ultimate purpose and action?

For the final Sunday after the Epiphany and the first 2-3 Sundays of Lent, Fr. Donavan will be leading anyone who'd like to join him in a deeper conversation on the topic "Church." In addition to the Bible and Church tradition and teaching, Fr. Donavan will also dig into his own experience as priest, pastor, and Rector in the Episcopal Church today and share with us how his own evolving understanding of church shapes his leadership and decisions in ministry with us at St. Thomas.

Save the date NOW and REGISTER for St. Thomas Parish Retreat, March 8-10 at Camp McDowell

Come for one night or two or just come for the day for the return of the St. Thomas Parish Retreat at Camp McDowell on the weekend of March 8 - 10th! We will offer canoeing, hiking, art, a Birds of Prey show, "Meet the Animal" farm tours and activities, and plenty of social time! There will even be a concert by Fr. Donavan on Friday night, March 8th!

You can register HERE Or use the QR Code. Please note that an active Realm account is very helpful (especially if you need to update your registration), but it is not necessary to register for Parish Retreat.

Hope you and your family will join us on March 8 - 10 at Camp McDowell!

BBQ Bandits

BBQ Drive benefiting First Stop

Feb. 10-11

The BBQ Bandits are firing up the smoker for the annual Super Bowl event benefiting First Stop. This year’s event is just a couple of weeks away (Feb 10-11) so look for Charlie’s email on the menu items and pick up information. The website is available for online orders at https://st-thomas-bbq-bandits.square.site and there will also be a link on the church website. If you are not on our distribution list, please email us at stthomasbbq@gmail.com.

St. Thomas Book Club

The Secret Place

Monday, Feb. 12 at 10am

St. Thomas Book Club meets on February 12 at 10am in the Parlor. We are reading The Secret Place by Tana French. Everyone is invited to join us even if you haven't read the book. For more information call Elouisa Stokes at 256-604-8669.

Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday Feb. 13th at 5:30pm

Join us for our Shrove Tuesday dinner, Tuesday, Feb. 13th from 5:30pm-7pm. We will be serving our traditional pancakes and gumbo! There will be a special craft activity for the children. We will watch the Kiddie Krewe parade as we head outside for the burning of the palms that will be used for Ash Wednesday. Donations accepted.

YOUTH COOKING & CLEANING KREWE HELP

Youth in grades 6-12 are needed for Feb 13, 4-8 pm. RSVP to Jeannie at jrann228@gmail.com.

KIDDY KREWE PARADE

Starting at 6:15pm, the Kiddie Krewe will be donning their crafty creations and leading the parade out to Lobster Alley for Burying the Alleluia and Burning of the Palms.

ASH WEDNESDAY

Feb. 14 Holy Eucharist

at 7am, Noon, and 6pm

St. Thomas will enter into the Lenten Season again this year with three Ash Wednesday services inside the church on February 14th. The Ash Wednesday liturgy will include the Imposition of Ashes & Holy Communion and will be offered at 7am, Noon, and 6pm. The 6pm Ash Wednesday liturgy will include special music by the St. Thomas Choir. You are invited to begin your Holy Lent on Ash Wednesday here at St. Thomas

Wednesday Lenten Suppers Soup and Salad Sign-up

Looking to take on something for Lent this year?

A soup and salad supper will be served each Wednesday evening during Lent prior to the program “Satan & the Evolution of Evil in the Bible & the Church.” By popular demand, we are bringing back the “team” soup and salad meal prep 2.0.

Here is how it works. Sign-up sheets are available in Information Hall. Each Wednesday during Lent we need six to eight volunteers and one team leader. The entire team will gather in our kitchen and make supper together. The team will prepare a soup du jour, salad, and breads/crackers to serve everyone; then clean up the kitchen after supper is over. The team leader decides and shops for the menu. There will also be a “kitchen coordinator” assigned each week to assist with the process and answer questions

Gently Used Laptop and Kindle Collection for The Companion Diocese Committee

The Companion Diocese Committee would like to ask people to donate gently used Laptops and Kindles to our friends in the Diocese of Honduras. All Donated devices will be refurbished and utilized by students and faculty at the Episcopal schools in Honduras. We will accept devices here at the church Feb 1-Mar 1 and at Diocesan Convention.

D.O.K. Used Shoe Drive for the

Homeless

We are currently sponsoring a Used Shoe Drive for Huntsville’s homeless population. Please go through your closets and donate those shoes you don’t wear – especially tennis shoes and boots. No high heels please. The homeless are hard on shoes, especially in winter, and there is a tremendous need now! There is a bin in Information Hall for your donations. Thank you!

Little Free Pantry

Update for the Little Free Pantry!

We ask that you leave Little Free Pantry food donations in the little red wagon located in Information Hall. The shopping cart in Lobster alley has been removed. Bags and a shopping lists are in the little red wagon, and when you are able, please pick up a couple of extra food items and drop them off in the Information Hall. Thank you! 

Flower Dedications

Dedicating flowers for Sunday worship is a wonderful way to offer remembrance of a loved one or in celebration of special occasions such as Baptisms. You can sign up for dedications on the list tacked next to the Flower Guild room in Information Hall. We ask for a minimum donation of $60. As always, our dedicated team will make beautiful arrangements for your loved ones.

Weekly Children and Youth Formation

St. Thomas Children & Youth Formation Classes are on Sunday mornings from 9:30am-10:15am. We offer five different Sunday school classes for our children and youth!

Pre-K - 1st grade: Godly Play- Renee' Redfield - Hiers 4

2nd grade-3rd grade: Love First- Laura Beth Bestor - Hiers 2 (new room)

4th grade-5th grade: Thou Art- Kathie Clayton & Lila Powell - Hiers 6

6th grade-7th grade: My Faith, My Life- Sonya Carrier & Jane Allgood - Hiers 5

8th grade- 12th grade: Youth Room

Contact our Children's Ministry Coordinator, Laura Beth Bestor, at children@stthomashuntsville.org or our Youth Ministries Coordinator, The Rev. Jeannie Randall at jrann228@gmail.com if you have questions or would like to help out with this important aspect of our ministries.

New Acolyte Sign-Up Genius is now available!

Calling all youth and children 2^nd grade and older! The new Acolyte Schedule Sign-Up Genius, which starts February 11, is now active and can be accessed by clicking here. Please consider serving our Church by signing up once a month. Contact The Rev. Jeannie Randall at jrann228@gmail.com or our Children's Ministry Coordinator, Laura Beth Bestor at children@stthomashuntsville.org.

At A Glance January 25 - January 31

Phone: 256.880.0247

Email: StThomas@stthomashuntsville.org