St. Thomas Office will be closed Monday, January 20, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

THE EPISTLE:

January 16, 2025

St. Thomas Annual Parish Meeting & Vestry Election: THIS SUNDAY, January 19th

St. Thomas' Annual Parish Meeting & Vestry Election is back on for THIS SUNDAY, January 19th, between the 8am and 10:30am Eucharists, during the breakfast/Christian Formation time. 

A faster, continental-style breakfast, prepared by the A Team, will be offered this year, beginning at 9am, and the meeting will begin promptly at 9:15am. The election of new Vestry Members will begin immediately following the opening prayer at the beginning of the meeting this year. After voting begins, Fr. Donavan will present his "State of the Parish" report, followed by the presentation of the 2025 Budget by the Treasurer, recognition of members going off the Vestry, and announcements of important upcoming events. Before the closing prayer, Fr. Donavan will announce the newly elected members of the St. Thomas Vestry. 

The nominees for the vestry this year are Natalie Brock, Doug Eskew, Maggie Hall, Linda Hanson, Paul Heim, Crystal Knickelbein, Tony Loop, Penny Nielson, and Frances Steel. Short Bios for each Vestry Nominee, along with photos are available HERE, and there will be hard copies of the bios on each table in Parish Hall. Thank you to each person who agreed to stand for Vestry election this year!

Please plan on being present for this important Parish Meeting next Sunday, January 19th, beginning at 9:15am in the Parish Hall!

PARENTS: Drop Sunday School Children off in Heirs Hall before Annual Meeting THIS SUNDAY!

In order to help our Annual Parish Meeting start on time, breakfast for children will be offered at 9:00 am in Hiers Hall Room 3 THIS SUNDAY before children's Sunday school classes start at 9:30 am. The Youth will meet at 9:00 am for breakfast in their respective Sunday school classrooms in Hudson Hall. 

St. Thomas Presents: "Heaven & Nature Sing" with the Calhoun Chorale, THIS Saturday, January 18th

The Calhoun Chorale of Calhoun Community College in Decatur, under the direction of Granville Oldham, will offer a free concert at St. Thomas on Saturday, January 18th, at 4pm in the Nave! The Chorale will be offering pieces of Classical and Modern choral music from the works of Byrd, Passereau, Debussy, Mendolssohn, and others in a concert entitled "Heaven and Nature Sing". A reception will immediately follow the performance in the Parish Hall. Please invite your friends and the "St. Thomas Presents" Concert Series for this free performance of the Calhoun Chorale!

Youth Ages 6th-12th Grades headed to FLOW!

THIS Saturday, January 18

Let's go to FLOW! The youth ministry at St. Thomas invites your young people to join us at FLOW Huntsville from 1:40-3:30 p.m. THIS Saturday, January 18.

St. Thomas will provide tickets for 1.5 hours of jumping. Please make sure your young person (or persons!) wears required grip socks. These socks will be included in our Youth Group Jump Package. Friends of our youth are welcome to join. The tickets for our group were discounted to $15/person with socks included. We can adjust how many kids up to the day of our jump, but they must have the attached waiver completed by their parent/guardian or they will not be able to jump. Please, give us notice if you plan to attend and/or if you plan to bring a friend so we can give FLOW staff a good number of expected guests. Contact Grace Casey HERE to RSVP, as well if you have any questions about the event.   

Transportation: Please meet at 1:40 p.m. at the front door of FLOW; you may drop off your well behaved young person at that time for pick up at 3:30.

To ensure your spot, please complete this waiver for any young people under 19 years of age: https://flowhuntsville.centeredgeonline.com/waivers.

St. Thomas' 'Holy Hike' with the Sandhill Cranes is set for THIS MONDAY, Martin Luther King Day, January 20th

Our next Holy Hike, originally planned for last weekend, has been moved to THIS MONDAY, January 20th, for the MLK Jr. Holiday! We will take a trip to see the annual sandhill crane migration at the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge in Decatur. This will be a shorter walk (a mile or so) with several stops along the way to witness the cranes in action.  

We'll meet at the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (3121 Visitors Center Rd, Decatur, AL 35603) at 10am. Bring binoculars if you'd like!  Those who'd like to carpool, meet in the South parking lot at 9am on Monday, January 20th. Contact Brett Byford with any questions brett256@gmail.com, 256.808.5776.

Please Note: Dogs are not allowed in the Refuge's observation buildings. Also, this will be during the Refuge's "Festival of the Cranes," so you're welcome to stick around town and attend presentations for that event. Its schedule can be found here. 

Yearly Contributions Envelopes Available in Finance Office

To help you stay consistent with your weekly giving, numbered boxes containing 52 envelopes are available for pick-up. These envelopes are a simple and convenient way for you to track and organize your contributions, ensuring your contributions make a meaningful impact throughout the year. If you’d like a box set, please contact Irene or the Front Office to request one.

If you'd like to give to help those suffering from the wildfires in Los Angeles, bring your donation THIS SUNDAY!

As we continue to watch the devastation happening in the communities impacted by the terrible wildfires burning around Los Angeles, California, St. Thomas is working to collect donations and get them to those who are offering assistance and help. If you'd like to donate, all you need to do is bring your monetary gift to church THIS SUNDAY. Either write "Wildfire Relief" on the memo line of your check or on the front of your Contribution Envelope, put it in the offering plate, and Fr. Donavan will see that your donation is immediately sent directly to the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, which is on the ground and working through local churches to get help to those who need it. Click HERE to see where St. Thomas' Donations will be given, and bring whatever you have the ability to give THIS SUNDAY to the 8am, 10:30am, or 5pm Holy Eucharist. Thank you, and please continue to pray for the people and communities of Los Angeles!

Silver Saints Presents: Dreamer

January 23 at 1pm

It is a new year and time for us to watch a good movie!

The January 2025 movie will be Dreamer, starring Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning, a wonderful film inspired by a true story. It is about an amazing young girl who believes that she can bring back a horse to great things. Yes, it is a horse story which you will love. Please come join us for a fun afternoon at the St. Thomas Parish Hall on January 23, beginning at 1:00 PM. As always, we will serve snacks and beverages, provide comfortable seating, and transport you to/from the Parish Hall if you so desire. This will be a great way to start your New Year. Please join us and bring your friends and neighbors. Please give us 24-hour notice if you will need a ride. Call Jack Stokes at 256-683-2743.

Everybody's Pub Theology Thursday, January 23!

Sit down with Fr. Donavan, Mtr. Katie, and Deacon Jeannie on Thursday, January 23rd, from 6-7:30pm, at PaPPo's Pizzeria, at 7540 Memorial Pkwy SW, Huntsville, for great fellowship, good food, tasty drinks, and hearty discussion!

Email Jeannie at jrann228@gmail.com and let her know if you plan on joining us!

Praying the Rosary with

Fr. Donavan returns Friday, January 24th at 12:05 pm

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, as well as written directions to help you fully participate in this meaningful, scriptural, and contemplative prayer practice.

Earth Prayer Offering during Epiphany, beginning Sunday, January 26



Join Belinda Greenaway in the Parlor for 4 Sundays during Epiphany, for a prayerful gathering centered around Creation.

We will meet from 3:30 - 4:40 pm beginning Sunday, January 26th. Questions ? Contact Belinda at Belinda223@gmail.com.

Phi Kappa Alpha Appreciation Dinner, February 15th: SIGN UP THIS SUNDAY

We will be having a Pot-luck dinner for the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity that helps with Lobsterfest on Saturday, February 15th. The dinner will be from 2-5pm, and we have the Parish Hall from 12-6pm. The St. Thomas BBQ Bandits will smoke a coupe of Pork Butts and Chickens for the dinner. A signup sheet for volunteers to make food for the dinner has been posted in Information Hall.

Sunday "Come As You Are" Eucharist

"Come As You Are"

5pm Holy Eucharist

This Sunday, and every Sunday, at 5pm in the Nave, you are invited to the "Come As You Are" Holy Eucharist at St. Thomas. The 5pm Holy Eucharist features joyful hymns from the Alleluia III hymnal, special gospel music chosen by our amazing pianist and organist, Sam Wright, and casual sermons preached from the floor. On most months, the first Sunday of the month includes a simple dinner in the Parish Hall immediately following the Eucharist.

News from the Creation Care Committee:

We really need your help with recycling. Please contact Richard Williams at rbwilliams67@gmail.com if you can help. A second prayerful gathering around the sacredness of Creation will be offered on Sunday afternoons for 4 weeks during Epiphany.

Operation Christmas Cleanup, offered by the City of Huntsville Green Team, will take place at John Hunt Park Saturday January 11th from 8am until 1pm. They'll take live Christmas trees for mulching, flattened cardboard boxes and electronics. Contact Belinda Greenaway at belinda223@gmail.com for more information.

Children's and Youth's Ministry every Sunday at St. Thomas

Now you can find out the regularly scheduled Children and Youth Sunday School offerings by simply clicking the link below. You can also find both Adult and Treble Choir rehearsal times and times for Bell Choir rehearsals with just a simple click of the button below!

Phone: 256.880.0247

Email: StThomas@stthomashuntsville.org