THE EPISTLE:

October 9, 2025

St. Thomas' Stewardship Campaign for 2026 Begins

NOW! Look for your pledge card in the mail this weekend or pick one up in the church this Sunday!

Dear St. Thomas family,

As we prepare for our 2026 Stewardship Campaign, our theme this year, “Tell Out My Soul,” invites us to echo Mary’s song of joy and gratitude: “Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!” from the Gospel of Luke 1:46–55.

At its heart, stewardship is more than giving — it’s how we proclaim God’s goodness through our gratitude, generosity, and service. Each gift we share tells the story of God’s love at work in our community. Through your faithful giving, St. Thomas continues to be a place where worship inspires, outreach transforms, and faith deepens. From our altar to our classrooms, from pastoral care to community outreach, your support helps us live out the Gospel in word and deed.

As we look toward 2026, we’re invited to prayerfully consider how our gifts can “tell out” God’s greatness in new and joyful ways. Every pledge, every act of love, strengthens the ministries that make this church a beacon of hope and welcome. Stay tuned for more information about Stewardship Sunday and ways to make your pledge. Together, let us “tell out our souls” — proclaiming the greatness of the Lord in our worship, our giving, and our daily lives.

Faithfully,

David Hattaway

Stewardship Chair

St. Thomas Episcopal Church

Next St. Thomas Holy Hike set for Blevins Gap

THIS Saturday, October 11 at 9 AM

Our next Holy Hike will be at the Blevins Gap Preserve on Saturday, Oct 11 at 9 a.m. We’ll hike sections of both the Certain and West Bluff trails to a spot with some spectacular views of the valley below (you can barely see St. Thomas from the top). The first half-mile has some uphill hiking, but after that it’s very flat. You may want to bring a snack and something to drink, as well as a hiking stick or trekking poles.

We’ll meet at the Blevins Gap Trailhead (3470 Cecil Ashburn Dr SE, Huntsville, AL 35802). There is a portable toilet near the trailhead. If you have any questions, please contact Brett Byford at brettbyford59@gmail.com or 256.808.5776.

New Adult Christian Formation THIS SUNDAY

with Mtr. Katie:

Collects and Prayers

Where do all those little prayers come from in the Sunday morning liturgy? What is a "collect," and how are "collects" different from other prayers? Join Mtr. Katie in the Parish Hall this Sunday at 9:30 AM for a new series on the Collects in the Book of Common Prayer. Bring your BCP if you have one, but we will also use a digital BCP on the big screen!

New Sunday morning Book Study with Fr. Donavan begins this Sunday: Supernatural-What the Bible teaches about the unseen world & why it matters

Join Fr. Donavan this Sunday in Conference Rm. 1 for the introduction of a new book study just in time for the month of October, Supernatural by Michael S. Heiser! This book takes on the strange and sometimes avoided passages of the Old and New Testament. It isn't that these passages from the Bible are avoided or passed over by preachers because they about hot-button issues or hard to understand, they are avoided because they are about the supernatural and what Heiser refers to as "the unseen world." Find out what the Bible actually has to tell us about the strange and the supernatural, and how what the Bible has to say about the "unseen world" actually matters today for our world and our deeper understanding of our faith.

The audio version of the book Supernatural can be checked out through the online Huntsville Public Library App Hoopla, or you can purchase a Kindle version of the book through Amazon for only $5.99.

Join Fr. Donavan THIS SUNDAY at 9:30 AM in Conference Rm. 1!

Compline Online

Mondays at 8 PM

with Dcn. Jeannie

Looking for a new prayer opportunity and a way to center yourself in prayer each week? Beginning THIS UPCOMING Monday, October 6 at 8 PM, you’re invited to join Dcn. Jeannie online for Compline. Compline is a brief evening prayer service and a peaceful way to set your week with intention and to end your day with a sense of completion and stillness.

The service lasts just 15 minutes and can be accessed on St. Thomas’ Facebook page. You simply need a Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and to turn to pg. 127.

It will be LIVE every Monday at 8 PM.

Please contact jrann228@gmail.com or the front office for more information.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Monday, October 13, 10 AM

It's time for Spooky Frankenstein!! Hope you have had a chance to read it. We will discuss it on Monday October 13 at 10 a.m. in the Youth Room. This is to celebrate Halloween!! Anyway, we'd love to see all of you that morning and then go to lunch if you would like. For more information call Elouisa Stokes at 256-604-8669. See you then!!



P.S. We will not meet in November because of the season of Lobsterfest. Our December book will be Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg.

Morning Prayer at St. Thomas will begin next Thursday, October 16 at 7am in St. Anne's Chapel in Hier's Hall

Starting next Thursday, October 16, at 7:00 am, join us for Morning Prayer each Thursday in St. Anne’s Chapel at the end of Hier's Hall. Simply enter Hiers’ Hall and follow the hallway all the way to the end. There will be signs directing you. As we seek to expand our options for praying together during the week, we hope to see our early birds–and any brave night owls–at this service of prayer and Scripture. You don't have to know how to read Morning Prayer; we'll teach you!

Mom's Group

will meet NEXT THURSDAY, October 16!

Due to Fall Break this week, the St. Thomas Mom's group will be meeting next Thursday, October 16th. Due to the set up for wedding and reception at St. Thomas next weekend, the Mom's Group will meet at a site off campus. Check the St. Thomas Mom's Group Facebook page and next week's Epistle for more information!

St. Thomas’ Mom's group ministry for mothers with children ages 0 - 18. 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 HERE for more info.

Help Build Beds!

October 19, 2–5 PM

Sign-up TODAY!

St. Thomas has just a little over two weeks to give 40-50 children in Huntsville a bed to sleep in at night rather than sleeping on the floor or a couch! No woodworking skills are necessary, just a desire to help children in need. 

This is a great event to share with the family as we need help with many aspects. Teens can help with the bed building process, and children can help create no-sew pillows. Laura Beth Bestor will be aiding the children with making these items. Please contact Laura Beth HERE if you plan to attend with kids.

The Sleep in Heavenly Peace bed build is Sunday, October 19 from 2-5 p.m. at their warehouse at 6000 Technology Drive. Directions will be sent to the volunteers prior to the project. 

Sign up sheets are available at the church office or contact George Harriman at 256-509-6666 or georgeharriman51@gmail.com. If you cannot attend but would like to contribute in another way, twin bedding sets and pillows are needed. These can be purchased online at major retailers such as Amazon or Walmart. Please drop them off at the church office, or bring them along if you are attending the bed build. 

Monetary donations made out to “SHP Huntsville AL” can be sent to the church or dropped off at the church office. Thank you in advance for your support.

UPCOMING

Silver Saints Presents: We Are Marshall

Thursday, October 16 at 1 PM

Since it is now “football season” once again, it is appropriate to watch an excellent football movie as part of St. Thomas’ Silver Saints Movie Matinee. We will show on Thursday, October 16, the inspirational movie We are Marshall; depicting a true story as an university attempts to recover from the loss of their entire football team in a fatal airplane crash returning from a game. Starring Matthew McConaughey and Matthew Cox, it offers a God-fearing resilience drama with lessons to be learned by all.

As always. the Silver Saints Movie Matinee offers fun and fellowship with our parishioners and visitors. We offer free snacks and beverages, and we will even pick you up and return you home if you wish. We offer comfortable seating and a time-out break half way through the movie. Please bring your friends and ask people from our neighborhood. Call Jack or Becky Stokes at 256-468-2743, or the church office at 256-880-0247. Please call 24 hours ahead if you will need a ride. Please come join us.

Bishop Glenda Curry visits St. Thomas on

Sunday, October 26

Bishop Glenda Curry will be with us at St. Thomas at both the 8 a.m. and the 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist on Sunday, October 26, to preach and to offer the sacrament of Confirmation. The Bishop will also receive new members into the Episcopal Church and reaffirm the faith of the St. Thomas members who have been attending Sunday's Adult Confirmation class.

This year for Bishop Curry's visit we are again planning a special, celebratory breakfast, beginning immediately following the 8 a.m. Eucharist to welcome Bishop Curry and to honor our confirmands and new and reaffirmed members. At 9:45 a.m., Bishop Curry will be invited to address the church in the Parish Hall, and everyone is encouraged to attend. There will also be a light reception after the 10:30 a.m. Eucharist.

Please plan on welcoming Bishop Curry and celebrating our newly confirmed, received, and reaffirmed youth and adults on Sunday, October 26!

Halloween Celebration with 'Trunk or Treat' and a Family Dinner on Sunday, October 26!

We invite you to celebrate Halloween by  joining us for dinner in the Parish Hall at 5:30. Dinner will be “Ghoul-ash”, buttered green beans and garlic bread. We ask that you provide a scary dessert to share. 

After dinner the children will go trunk or treating in the parking lot. This is usually very fun and popular so we hope to see you there!

We will need lots of decorated trunks to visit. There will be a sign up sheet in Information Hall or you can contact Laura Beth Bestor if you plan to be in the parking lot. Vehicles will be lining up outside the Parish Hall under the parking lot lights.

LOBSTERFEST 32

Volunteers for Lobsterfest Needed

WE NEED YOU FOR LOBSTERFEST 32

Sign-Up in the Narthex

With Lobsterfest 101 under our belt, it is offically Lobsterfest season at St. Thomas! Don't forget that volunteer sign-up sheets for the many different aspects of Lobsterfest are in the Narthex for you to let us know when you'll be able to take a shift between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to help make Lobsterfest 32 a success! 

Not able to help on Lobsterfest Day November 8?  You can help our Bake Sale Committee led by Kathie Clayton, Kelly Evans, Gwen Monroe, & Martha Wilson, by baking cookies, bars, cakes, and pies or provide an item or two for Soups and Savories led by Frances Steel. Contact Frances Steel HERE if you're interested in helping with soups and savories or Martha Wilson HERE to contribute to the bake sale.

Stop by Information Hall on Sundays to purchase your Lobsterfest t-shirt and pick-up yard signs or stickers to update a previous yard sign.  

We are excited to announce that the St. Thomas Children's Ministry is presenting the first ever Kids' Makers Market at St. Thomas Lobsterfest. Young artisans are invited to sell their self-made goods—creative art, slime, jewelry, knit/crochet, soaps, candles, birdhouses, woodwork items, etc., in 2 hour timeslots from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. The church will provide the tent, table, and chairs. The young artisans get to keep their earnings. 

There are no booth fees, but application via THIS LINK or by the QR code in the attached flyer by October 29 is a MUST. Please share this with folks that might find this interesting and view THIS PDF for all the info!

Artisan Fair at Lobsterfest

Update for

St. Thomas Creates at Lobsterfest

St. Thomas Creates is ready to receive your art and craft donations. Please bring them to the Volunteer’s desk just inside the office door. There are stickers for you to mark the price and your name, and a form to accompany your donation(s) at the desk. All items will be kept in a secure room until Lobsterfest. We will continue to receive your creations until November 7th.

Thank you for donating your time and talent to St. Thomas Creates. All proceeds go directly to Lobsterfest. 

Please contact Donna Clark donnadfclark@gmail.com or Maggie Hall at Maggie.carter.hall@gmail.com

All proceeds go to Local Outreach and the Honduras Medical Mission. Support the cause by donating below. You can also CLICK HERE.

Registration for the Lobsterfest 5k is OPEN! CLICK HERE to register NOW!

ONGOING

Pray the Rosary

Friday, October 17

12:05 PM

Join us to Pray the Rosary next Friday and every other Friday at 12:05 p.m. Each prayer session lasts around half an hour and includes the reading of each scripture passage for the five decades of either the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, or Luminous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. If you’ve never prayed the Rosary before, we always have Rosary beads available, and written directions to help you fully participate in this meaningful, scriptural, and contemplative prayer practice.

Treble Choir Rehearsals Continue through Fall!

The Treble Choir sings approximately once a month at the 10:30 a.m. worship service and our special services this year will include Lessons and Carols and Christmas Eve. All children in 2nd-8th Grades are invited to join! Bring a friend!

The Treble Choir schedule is available HERE and is posted on the bulletin board leading to Hiers Hall, the choir bulletin board in Hudson Hall, and the St. Thomas Website. Rehearsals are Sunday afternoons 3:30 – 4:15 p.m. Please email Miss Kathy at music@stthomashuntsville.org for details!

Join the St. Thomas Adult Choir

You don't have to be a kid to sing! The St. Thomas adult choir is returning after the summer and welcoming new members. Click HERE to see and hear the St. Thomas choir practicing their anthem for this Sunday.

Children's Sunday School continues this Sunday at 9:30am-10:15am! Join us in Hiers Hall as we gear up for a year of faith, love, and fun! 

Godly Play class for Pre-K through 1st graders is led by Renee' Redfield in Hiers 4. 

Storymakers for 2nd and 3rd graders is by Nichole Hargrove in Hiers 6. 

Thou Art class for 4th through 6th graders led by Laura Beth Bestor in Hiers.  

Our nursery is open from 7:45 a.m.-12 p.m. on Sundays for those younger than Pre-K. We have our Play'n'Worship curriculum available for those in the nursery to enjoy on Sunday mornings. Contact our Children's Ministry Coordinator via email at children@stthomashuntsville.org.

Do you have questions about the Bible? Have you wondered about what everything in the Book of Common Prayer means? Come to Youth Sunday School to try and answer those questions and more! 7-12th graders meet during formation time in the Youth Room at 9:30 a.m. every Sunday to talk about Covenants in the Bible!

7-12th Graders! Weekly EYC (Episcopal Youth Community) has RETURNED. EYC meets Sunday evenings from 6-8 p.m. Got Questions? Contact our Youth Minister, Ethan Evans, HERE for more information.

EYC RETURNS THIS SUNDAY OCT. 12

Phone: 256.880.0247

Email: StThomas@stthomashuntsville.org