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THE EPISTLE:
October 26th, 2023
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Everybody's Pub Theology TONIGHT at 6pm at PaPPo's Pizzeria
Sit down with Fr. Donavan and Mtr. Ranie TONIGHT, October 26th, from 6-7:30pm, at PaPPo's Pizzeria, at 7540 Memorial Pkwy SW, Huntsville, for great fellowship, good food, tasty drinks, and hearty discussion! Our theme tonight will be everybody's favorite 'Priest on the Hot Seat' night! Come and bring your questions and see what Fr. Donavan & Mtr. Ranie have to say! And don't forget, buying a priest a beer is fully encouraged and supported by the Bishop of Alabama (...Fr. Donavan asked her this past Sunday)!
Email Ranie at associate@stthomashuntsville.org and let her know if you plan on joining us!
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Stewardship Ingathering this Sunday...and it will include PIES! There's still time to turn in your Pledge Card!
Join us THIS SUNDAY, October 29, for Ingathering Sunday at all three services. All pledges received whether from the offering plate, mail, or online will be brought to the altar for blessing. If you haven’t submitted your pledge card, pick one up in the Narthex or ask the ushers. Once completed, drop it in the offering plate. Your response to Giving for Growth so far is 90 pledge cards totaling $415,949. Thank you for your generosity, and if you haven't turned in your pledge card yet, please help us keep those numbers going up!
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Be sure to take a minute this Sunday to check out the Stewardship bulletin insert. We offer two “pie” charts showing where our actual revenue comes from and where it goes as a percentage of the whole pie. On the flip side of the insert is a “Giving for Growth” conversation with Debbie Harriman highlighting The Little Free Pantry, one of the “where it goes” pieces of the pie.
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All Hallows' Eve Holy Eucharist
and Trunk or Treat, THIS SUNDAY, Oct. 29th!
It's that time of year when all the ghosts, ghoulies, long-leggity beasties and those things that go bump in the night come out to party! Join us at 5pm on Sunday, October 29 for a special All Hallows' Eve Eucharist before we adjourn to the Parish Hall for supper. Afterwards, we will go to the parking lot for Trunk-or-Treat. If you plan to decorate your trunk, please contact our Children's Ministry Coordinator, Laura Beth, at children@stthomashuntsville.org
For those with decorated trunks, please pull into the designated areas for trunks in the St. Thomas parking lot.
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Attention all Greeters and Ushers: Lunch & Meeting THIS SUNDAY, Oct 29th
Please join us for lunch and a meeting with Father Donovan following the 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday, October 29, 2023, in the parish hall. If you are interested in joining or learning more about the Greeter and Usher Ministry, you are invited too. RSVP to Donna Palumbo, dapal1961@gmail.com, or Preston McGill, mcgillpb@yahoo.com.
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Fellowship Chair Needed!
St. Thomas is looking for someone to bring people together to organize parish events for roughly six events a year. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of explaining what this looks like. The work is organizing the many helping hands at the parish to gather people to decorate for events, order food, and coordinate people to chip in all for the ministry of hospitality as special parish events. If this sounds like something you are able to offer the parish, please contact Ranie or any of the clergy in the church office or at associate@stthomashuntsville.org
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All Saints' Sunday is
Nov. 5th: Turn in names of remembrance by Oct 29th
Sunday, November 5th is All Saints' Sunday. Our custom is to read the names and ring the bell for those family members who have died within the last year. If you have a loved one whose name you'd like to include, please email the our Communications Coordinator, Carey McIntyre at communications@stthomashuntsville.org by October 29th.
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CASA TEMPS Fun Day Saturday, November 4th
Please come join us for a fun day with ENABLE (CASA) TEMP$ on Saturday, November 4. We will be winterizing four homes of elderly people in our local neighborhood who are trying to stay in their homes. The work includes placing plastic over windows, caulking around windows and doors, repairing storm doors, and patching exterior holes.
We will start at 7:15 AM with a scrumptious breakfast by the DOK in the Parish Hall, some instructions, and a prayer, and then drive to the houses here in the southeast. We should be finished by kickoff time (early afternoon). If you would like to do some fun hands-on Christian work, please come share with us in this very special ministry. Contact Jack Stokes at 881-4748 or jackstokes@comcast.net or call the Church Office to volunteer.
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Choral Evensong for All Saints' Sunday, combining St. Thomas & Nativity Choirs, Sunday, Nov. 5th at 5pm
The Choirs of St. Thomas and the Church of the Nativity, with Fr. Donavan officiating, will be offering a special Choral Evensong for All Saints' Sunday, at 5pm, November 5th, downtown at the Church of the Nativity. The choirs will be performing classic pieces from Richard Ayleward, George Dyson, Charles Stanford, and others, along with hymns assigned for All Saints Day. Please come join St. Thomas at the Church of the Nativity as we continue your celebration of the All Saints Feast Day. Questions? Contact Miss Kathy at music@stthomashuntsville.org.
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Young Adult Pub Theology Nov. 6th at 6pm
Calling all young adults out in the working world! Young Adult Pub Theology will meet November 6 at Melt in downtown Huntsville from 6-7:30PM. If you have any questions please email Ranie at associate@stthomashuntsville.org
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Film Screening of the Philadelphia Eleven, November 18th, at Nativity
Did you know that The Episcopal Church did not always have women priests? Get to know their story and celebrate that history through the new documentary The Philadelphia Eleven. The film will be screened at The Church of the Nativity in downtown Huntsville on November 18th at 6PM. If you have questions please email Mtr. Ranie at associate@stthomashuntsville.org
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Are you NEW to St. Thomas? Newcomers Class set for November 19th!
Come learn all about our church and our history in our new monthly Newcomers Class!
Newcomers: We are really excited to have you here at St. Thomas. Newcomers 1 will be held on November 19th. We will tell you the story of St. Thomas and show you where things are here. Just follow the blue signs each morning.
Call Elouisa Stokes for more information at 256-604-8669
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Lobsterfest Update
The webstore is now open! Click here to pre-order your lobsters, BBQ, soups, casseroles, and desserts!
Lobsterline is available from 10am-3pm, Monday through Friday by calling the church office at 256-880-0248. Menu flyers are available at the volunteer desk or in Information Hall for you to share with your friends.
Lobsterfest volunteer sign-up sheets are on the Information Hall bulletin board. Lobsterfest volunteer sign-up sheets are on the Information Hall bulletin board. We are in need of drivers for the church van to shuttle volunteers, day-of kitchen, and runners/distribution help. If you have any questions about where you can get plugged in, please email Mike and Laura Beth Bestor at malbb12@gmail.com
Parish Dinner Sign-Up Now Available!
The Parish Dinner will be held after the 10:30am service on Sunday, November 12 to celebrate the conclusion of Lobsterfest. We will be offering lobster entrees for $25 and chicken entrees for $15. Make sure to reserve your meals and seats by clicking here or signing up in Information Hall before Tuesday, November 7 or your meal selection(s) will not be guaranteed.
Lobsterfest Volunteer Parking
Lobsterfest volunteers will be parking in the All Saints parking lot on November 11. The St. Thomas van will be shuttling volunteers to and from St. Thomas to the All Saints parking lot throughout Lobsterfest day. Please make sure you consider this when arriving for your volunteer shifts. The South parking lot will be used for customer parking while the North parking lot will be used for the entertainment tent, drive-thru, and customer parking.
Don't forget to purchase your Lobsterware in Information Hall on Sunday mornings! We've got magnets, long sleeve t-shirts and a few short sleeve t-shirts available. You can also pre-order food at these times.
We are collecting old newspapers for the eat-in portion of Lobsterfest day. Drop them off at the volunteer desk from 10am-3pm, Monday-Friday.
Be sure to follow Lobsterfest at St. Thomas on Facebook and St. Thomas Lobsterfest on Instagram! Help get the word out to the Greater Huntsville community by liking, sharing, and commenting on our Lobsterfest posts on social media
Lobsterfest Cooks and Bakers Needed
We need cooks and bakers to help make our Bake Sale offerings! Check out the sign-up sheets in Information Hall or the following link to sign up to make specific items. Consider getting a group of friends together (a supper club, reunion group, etc.) in our parish kitchen to enjoy some fellowship while making a larger batch of an item.
Bake Sale Sign-Up Genius click here - Contact Debbie Harriman dharriman5817@gmail.com or Martha Wilson martha.wilson380@gmail.com for questions and recipes.
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Lobsterfest 5K
It's the 30th anniversary of Lobsterfest at St. Thomas, and we want YOU to join us for the SHELL-ABRATION! Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 4 at 3:00 p.m. The race is family-friendly. Runners and walkers of all levels are welcome. With your race entry, you'll receive a cool sweatshirt to keep you warm all winter long. To sign-up NOW click HERE!
If you can't make the run/walk in person, you may order a sweatshirt for a minimum donation of $30 to the Lobsterfest 5k through mid-October. See Jenna or Lloyd for this option.
Let's have a great showing of parishioners at this wonderful community event; sign up TODAY to walk, run or sponsor the Lobsterfest 5K!
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Fr. Donavan's Adult Christian Formation returns
this Sunday, Oct 29th
Fr Donavan's Christian Formation class, "Remembering & Refreshing our Faith" focuses on the the primary foundations of our spirituality and faith, as Christians and as Episcopalians in the Anglican Communion. We will look at the Bible, the Creeds, the historical 39 Articles of the Anglican Reformation, and the present Catechism in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. If you're new to the Episcopal Church or if you just want to revisit the history and teachings of the church, this is a great class for you. Within our weekly conversation, Fr. Donavan will lay out church history, how the Anglican idea of "Via Media" continues to attempt to hold us together, and what we do (or don't do) within our liturgy and worship! Come join Fr. Donavan at 9:30am in the Parish Hall for "Remembering & Refreshing our Faith."
This Sunday class is meant to go deeper than our monthly "Newcomer 1 & 2" classes, while being a bit lighter than a Confirmation class.
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Children and Youth Christian Formation Information
St. Thomas' Children and Youth Christian Formation classes are now underway every Sunday! 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: Science & Religion with the Rev. Jeannie Randall; Confirmation Classes starting Sept. 3 with the Rev. Ranie Neislar - 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.
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Adult Christian Formation Book Study returns this Sunday!
In the Conference Room at 9:30am, the Adult Formation Book Study will continue the book Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans. Evans knows firsthand how a relationship with the Bible can be as real and as complicated as a relationship with a family member or close friend. In Inspired, Evans explores contradictions and questions from her own experiences with the Bible, including:
- If the Bible was supposed to explain the mysteries of life, why does it leave the reader with so many questions?
- What does it mean to be chosen by God?
- To what degree did the Holy Spirit guide the preservation of these narratives, and is there something sacred to be uncovered beneath all these human fingerprints?
- If the Bible has given voice to the oppressed, why is it also used as justification by their oppressors?
If you are interested in joining us we will be ordering books this coming week to purchase through the church for $10. Please email Ranie at associate@stthomashuntsville.org.
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"Come As You Are" Sunday Eucharist and Dinner Nov. 5th
St. Thomas' "Come as You Are" 5pm Sunday worship service is here to stay. Dinner is now offered on the FIRST SUNDAY of each month, which includes November 5th and December 3rd. Our special "Come As You Are" Holy Eucharist will continue every Sunday, with 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.
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Tuesday Nights at St. Thomas!
Join us Tuesday nights in Conference Room 2 from 6-7:30PM, as we dive into Paul’s Letter to the Romans!
Many of our Christian beliefs are deeply formed by this sacred text from the New Testament. Bring a Bible, something to eat and drink, and come prepared to enjoy fellowship and learn "What Saint Paul is saying to the Romans" and what it means for modern-day disciples! Mtr. Ranie will be leading the class. If you have any questions please email her at associate@stthomashuntsville.org.
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Habitat for Humanity
Join us Saturday as we landscape and sod two houses. The house is on Nassau Drive and we will start at 8 am and should be done by noon. We need lots of hands to make this light work. Call Elouisa Stokes at 256-604-8669 for information.
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Cold Weather Collection
Cold Weather Collection New or gently used adult sizes only, please Blankets Sleeping Bags Coats/Jackets Toboggans Gloves/Socks Sweat Shirts/Pants Thermal Underwear Warm Scarves All donated items will be distributed through First Stop. Place donated items in the marked bin in Information Hall
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Acolyte Sign-Up Genius is now available!
Calling all youth and children 2nd grade and older to help serve our Church by being an acolyte! Click to access the 10:30am Acolyte Schedule Sign-Up Genius which schedules through January 2024. Please consider signing up 2-3 times to share your works. Contact Jeannie at jrann228@gmail.com with questions.
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At A Glance: October 19th - October 25th | |
The Building and Grounds Committee would like to give a big thank you to the following individuals that took time out of their busy Saturday to install the labyrinth benches: Jack and Becky Stokes, Mike Bestor, Clint Bestor, George Harriman, David Hattaway, Scott Moore, Brett Tomlin, Foster Tomlin, and Mark Dixon. The benches look wonderful. Great work everyone! | Bishop Glenda Curry visits St. Thomas! Congratulations to our 28 parishioners, youth & adults, who were Confirmed, Received, and Reaffirmed! | |
Fr. Donavan presented a special "Thank you" gift to Kelly Evans from the Adult Confirmation, Reception, & Reaffirmation group for Kelly's hard work providing a nice lunch each week during Fr. Donavan's Sunday afternoon Confirmation Class! | |
Pumpkins, Pumpkins, and more Pumpkins! | | | | |
