THE EPISTLE:

February 13, 2025

Come help us say "Thank You!" to the Pi Kappa Alpha men THIS SATURDAY at St. Thomas!

We are having a our Annual Appreciation Dinner to thank the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at UAH for their help with Lobsterfest 31 THIS SATURDAY, February 15! The dinner will be from 2-5pm, and we have the Parish Hall reserved for set up and take down from 12-6pm.

There will be around 70 people arriving at St. Thomas for the dinner, so we need your favorite pot-luck dish as a side. The St. Thomas BBQ Bandits will smoke pork butts and chickens for the dinner.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO DONATE A SIDE, WHETHER YOU SIGNED UP IN INFORMATION HALL BEFORE HAND OR NOT, WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET, SO PLEASE BRING SOMETHING TO ADD TO THE MEAL!!

We could also use a few more volunteers to help with setup and clean up on Saturday for the dinner. If you have any questions, contact Tom Perry at (256) 348-4313 or email him at perrytbne@aol.com.

The Blood Mobile Returns THIS SUNDAY, February 16th,

7:30am - 1:30pm

Have a heart and give some blood this Valentine's weekend at St. Thomas! The LifeSouth Blood Mobile is returning to St. Thomas this Sunday, February 16th, from 7:30am to 1:30pm. If you are coming to church and are able to donate, please sign up either online HERE or on Sunday in Information Hall. One donation can literally save as many as three lives!

Register for the St. Thomas Parish Retreat NOW!

March 7-9 Camp McDowell

Parish Retreat 2025

Join us for March 7-9 for our Parish Retreat at Camp McDowell! We have lots of fun planned-- canoeing, hiking, art, farm activities-- and plenty of social time on Saturday. We will close our weekend together with Eucharist on Sunday, March 9. You are welcome to come both nights, one night, or just for the day on Saturday, March 8.  Click this LINK HERE to register you (and your group). The registration deadline is February 28.  Please note that while using your Realm account would help speed up the registration process, an account is not required to register for Parish Retreat. A limited number of paper registrations will be available in Information Hall. 

An individual room is for 1-2 people while a family room is for 3-4 people. Be sure to sign up for meals after you select your room type. St. Thomas will cook hamburgers and hot dogs for those interested on Friday night. Saturday and Sunday meals will be through Camp McDowell. In the "Memo" section, please indicate if you would like to share a room and/or cabin with someone, need a mobility accessible room, or need gluten-free meals.  



Contact Deacon Jeannie regarding financial assistance to attend retreat. Contact Laura Beth Bestor or Scott Moore if you have questions regarding registration. 

Interested in the Medical Mission to Honduras?

Calling all Missioners! SIGN UP NOW! Honduras Medical Mission March 22-29

There is still time to inquire and sign-up for persons interested in being a part of the 2025 Medical mission trip to Honduras, which is March 22 - 29, 2025. We are looking for folks in the medical and dental field, as well as folk who are handy with a hammer and a paintbrush. We also need people who can count (pill packers). Also looking for people and those who like working with children. In other words, if you have an interest, we will find you a job! The ability to speak Spanish is a plus but not a requirement or necessity. If you are interested let Jeannie Randall, Brett Tomlin, or Tracy Ganem know.

Recent Change to 2025 St. Thomas Vestry

This past month, Fr. Donavan was notified by Mark Mohler, who was elected to our vestry in 2024, that he needed to resign early from his vestry term. The current draft of Bylaws for St. Thomas, presently in front of the Vestry for adoption, gives the sitting Vestry the authority, when needed, to appoint a new person to finish out the term of any member who needs to resign or can no longer finish their term. With that in mind, the Vestry voted on January 25th to call Mr. Tony Loop to join the Vestry and finish out Mark Mohler's remaining two year term. Tony, who was nominated and stood for election to the Vestry at the January 12th Annual Meeting, accepted the Vestry's appointment and will join the Vestry at their February meeting.

Silver Saints Presents: You've Got Mail Thursday, February 20

Since February is our Valentine Month we have for the Silver Saints Movie Matinee, a light, happy, delightful movie for the mood. We are offering the movie; You’ve Got Mail with Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan, a romantic comedy of two people in an online romance who are unaware they are also business rivals. We will show this feel-good movie Thursday, February 20 at 1:00 PM in the St. Thomas Parish Hall.

As always, the Silver Saints Movie Matinee offers fun and fellowship with our parishioners and visitors with free movies and a social time with those we love. Snacks and beverages are available, and we will provide transportation if you wish. We offer comfortable seating and a break half way through the movie. Call Jack or Becky Stokes at 256-881-4748 or the church office for planning purposes. Please call a day ahead if you will need a ride with us. A rewarding afternoon awaits you. Please come join us.

First Stop Volunteers Needed!

St. Thomas serves a hot breakfast at First Stop on 206 Stokes Street in downtown Huntsville on the first and second Friday of each month to First Stop clients. We need more helpers to assist with preparing food and serving for the first Friday breakfast team. We serve from 8:15 – 9:00 a.m.

If you are interested in helping, please call Patty Moy 256-655-2756. Thank you!

A New Habitat for Humanity House is about to go up in Huntsville! Come help us build it!

Calling all volunteers! Habitat for Humanity will begin building this year’s new house later this month. They are looking for volunteers to assist in the project. If you are willing and able, please contact George Harriman at 256-509-6666. We are also looking for a new lead contact person for Habitat for Humanity at St. Thomas, as our dedicated past leader, Elouisa Stokes, has stepped down after many years in that role.

Join the women of St. Thomas and the whole Diocese and register for the Diocesan Women's Retreat. Simply click the image below, scan the QR code, or visit https://www.dioala.org to register.

Happening #86

March 7-9

St. John's in Decatur, AL

Attention all youth grades 10 - 12, Happening 86 is March 7-9 @ St John’s Episcopal Church.

Happening is a peer-led weekend retreat where young people encounter the living Christ as expressed in the traditions of the Episcopal church. 

For more information and instructions on registration contact Jeannie. She will be available during the Christian formation time Sunday morning. You can also click the image to register. Deadline for registration is Feb. 15. 

Adult Christian Formation Class -

Credo: What the Creeds say today & where they come from 

This year, 2025, is the 1,700th Anniversary of one of the most important parts of our Christian worship each and every Sunday, the Nicene Creed. In this new class, led by Fr. Donavan, we will take a deep dive into both the Nicene and the Apostles Creed, seeking to better understand what the Creeds actually profess and the where and why they were developed for the early church in the first place.  Find out about the early controversies and heresies which brought about the need for creeds and the inevitable further controversies and divisions the creeds caused in the Western and Eastern Church. Join Fr. Donavan in the Parish Hall at 9:30am this Sunday!

Praying the Rosary with

Fr. Donavan, every other Friday, at 12:05 pm

The Rosary is now prayed at St. Thomas every other Friday, which includes February 21, March 7 & 21, April 4 & 18 (check calendar for Good Friday Rosary), and May 2, 16, & 30. 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 Gathering Continues this Sunday at 3:30 PM



Creation Care’s Earth Prayer gathering continues this Sunday at 3:30 pm in the Parlor. As well as Holy Scripture, we will be hearing from modern writer John Philip Newell. Join us for this time of quiet prayer for Earth, our planet home. Questions ? Contact Belinda Greenaway HERE.

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. The next Sunday Supper is March 2, 2025. 

Volunteers Needed for Sunday Morning Refreshments



February is full but we still need a few more individuals or families to help to keep the refreshments coming on Sundays following the 10:30 am service. Bring homemade or store-bought sweet treats for a Sunday so that we can spend a few minutes gathering after worship. Please sign up using the poster in Information Hall. Instructions are in a manilla envelope under the signup sheet. Thank you for helping us keep this vital part of our parish thriving!

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