THE EPISTLE:

May 1, 2025

The Feast of St. Philip & St. James

Mom's Group TONIGHT,

May 1 at 6:30 PM in the Parish Hall

Mom's Group meets TONIGHT, May 1, at 6:30 pm in the Parish Hall.

Mom's Group is a special ministry that is dedicated to women who have children at home 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!

Praying the Rosary with

Fr. Donavan returns TOMORROW,

Friday, May 2

The Rosary is prayed at St. Thomas every other Friday at 12:05pm in the Nave of the church and returns tomorrow, Friday, May 2nd.

Each prayer session lasts around half an hour and includes a reading from the scriptures for each of 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. Please come pray the Rosary at St. Thomas every other Friday, beginning May 2nd, at 12:05pm.

Invite, Welcome, Connect Ministry

Newcomer Social

Friday, May 2

Calling all Newcomers to St. Thomas! If you've joined the church in the last year, the Invite, Welcome, and Connect Ministry invites you to a Newcomer's Social. Please join us Friday, May 2 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in the Narthex for heavy hors d'oeuvres, desserts, beer, wine, and soft drinks. Come mingle with other Newcomers, meet members of the IWC and the clergy, and have a great time!

Come welcome our Parish Newcomers!

All adult members of the parish are invited tomorrow, Friday, May 2 6:00 - 8:00 pm to join the Invite, Welcome, and Connect ministry in welcoming some of our newcomers to St. Thomas. Enjoy a variety of heavy hors d'oeuvres and beverages, as well. The event will take place in the St. Thomas narthex. 

The Bailey Cove Farmers Market Opens Saturday, May 3!

Come check it out this weekend and sign up THIS SUNDAY to Volunteer

The Bailey Cove Farmers Market at St. Thomas kicks off this year THIS SATURDAY, May 3! But we can’t make the biggest Farmer's Market ever work without you! Please volunteer to help this year by signing up on the poster on the bulletin board in Information Hall. We sincerely appreciate your willingness to help out! Then start making your Farmers Market grocery list!

Rector's Forum with Fr. Donavan this Month in the Parish Hall

For the "Merry Month of May," Fr. Donavan will be hosting a Rector's Forum during the Christian Formation hour each Sunday in the Parish Hall. Every Sunday morning, Fr. Donavan will begin with a specific topic on his mind related to our faith and spirituality today. After that, you are invited to bring your own questions to add to the discussion. So come join the conversation! Enjoy a nice Sunday morning breakfast, grab a refill on your cup of coffee, and then stick around for a special May Rector's Forum with Fr. Donavan.

Super Sunday Celebration on

Sunday, May 11:

Youth Sunday, Mother's Day, & Welcoming of New Youth Minister, Ethan Evans!

YOUTH SUNDAY

On Sunday, May 11, we will be recognizing St. Thomas' graduating high school seniors. One of our seniors, Grayson Brewer, will be preaching the sermon at the 10:30am service. Each of them will be presented with a special gift and memento from our St. Thomas family. If you know of a graduating high school senior, please email Laura Beth at children@stthomashuntsville.org by May 4. We will have a special reception after the 10:30am service to honor our graduating seniors. Please stay to have a slice of cake and congratulate and wish well each one!

CELEBRATING MOTHERS

Mother's Day falls on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, and at St. Thomas, we traditionally offer special prayers for all mothers, grandmothers, and mother figures in our lives on Mother's Day, as well as offer special gifts presented by our amazing Flower Guild. 

WELCOMING ETHAN EVANS

Our new youth minister Ethan Evans will be joining us for his first Sunday on May 11 -- there are two opportunities to ask him about youth, raptors, and the can-jo! We will have a special Q&A during breakfast in the parish hall between the morning services. Then join us after the 10:30am service in the Parish Hall to welcome Ethan and celebrate our high school graduates over cake and Ethan's favorite snacks!

Sponsor the Special Session Yearbook for just $10!



Please help us offer a much-beloved part of Special Session! The brainchild of Mary Nell Sloan, a yearbook commemorating Special Session, a session at Camp McDowell for adults with special needs, is gifted to each camper and staff member.

The yearbook is presented to campers and staff members shortly before the dance on the last night of camp. Campers and staff spend Happy Hour (a daily pause for lemonade, water, and snacks) signing yearbooks for each other. The yearbook is a vitally important part of the camp experience at Special Session. We know of one camper who carries two or three copies of his beloved yearbooks, covering different years, to his day center each day. His father tells us that he has had to replace their covers several times because they have worn out.

Each yearbook is roughly $10 to prepare and includes the costs of printing the yearbook and its binding. All photos are taken by staff and provided to us at no cost. To keep costs as low as possible, we bind the yearbooks ourselves once they are printed. Please consider sponsoring one or more campers. If you choose to sponsor, you may submit your donation to the Finance Office at St. Thomas or click HERE to donate. Please indicate SS Yearbook with your donation. We love and appreciate your willingness to consider this opportunity to bring joy to our community!

Special Session Needs Your Recyclables

Ruth Erwin is the resident decorator for Special Session and has been for nearly 20 years! She needs 3-4 empty metal coffee cans and No. 10 sized vegetable cans that will be used for decorations at Special Session. Size no. 10 cans are generally the restaurant size anywhere from 98 oz - 114 oz. Special Session takes place June 2-June 7 and this year's theme is BEACH! We can accept donations up until May 26.

UPCOMING

Scrapbookers and Crafters Event

Saturday, May 10

9 AM-3 PM, Parish Hall

Please join us May 10 from 9-3 for fellowship and to work on your scrapbooking or crafting projects. Lunch will be provided. Contact Rebekah Callahan at 256-603-0219 if you plan to attend.

St. Thomas Presents:

Concert with

Parker Hastings, NEXT SATURDAY,

May 10, 5 PM

We are happy to announce an encore concert with award winning Nashville guitarist and singer, Parker Hastings, on Saturday, May 10 at 5 pm. Parker, has won numerous awards, including Thumb-picker of the Year for his Merle Travis/Chet Atkins style guitar playing, and he is a member of the Nat'l Pickers Hall of Fame. Parker performs in the spirit of "music to make you smile," so you don't want to miss this most entertaining, guitar swinging concert. All concerts are free of charge.

Non-Perishables Wanted

The Little Free Pantry needs your help! Please consider buying an extra jar of peanut butter, jelly, spaghetti sauce, tuna, chicken, soup, or anything you think would be a nice addition to the pantry. Donations can be dropped off in the Little Red Wagon in Information Hall or place it in the Little Free Pantry yourself. Thank you for supporting this important ministry.

Daughters of the King Clothes Drive

A huge thank you to all who have supported St. Thomas’ Clothing Drive for Manna House. They are always so grateful and amazed at your generosity! The new bin for clothes, shoes, socks and underwear is in Information Hall. The need is greater than ever. Remember, as the seasons change, it’s a great time to clean out your closets!

Children's Chapel and Christian Formation

Children and Youth Christian Formation

See 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!

"Come As You Are"

5pm Holy Eucharist

Every Sunday, at 5pm in the Nave, you are invited to a "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.

Habitat for Humanity House

Calling all volunteers! Volunteers are needed for construction of this year’s Habitat house. The address is 4305 Blue Spring Rd NW. Please join in if you are 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.

Phone: 256.880.0247

Email: StThomas@stthomashuntsville.org