THE FALL TIME CHANGE IS HERE!

DON'T FORGET TO SET YOUR CLOCK BACK ONE HOUR THIS SATURDAY NIGHT OR YOU WILL ARRIVE TO CHURCH EARLY THIS ALL SAINTS SUNDAY!

THE EPISTLE:

November 2, 2023

All Souls Day

Moms' Group Meetup

TONIGHT, Nov. 2nd, at 6:30



St. Thomas’ brand new Mom's group ministry for mothers with children ages 0 - 18 is meeting again TONIGHT, November 2nd, at 6:30pm.

The monthly Mom's Group will be 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 hope to 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 audreysherkin@gmail.com for more info.

Lobsterfest 5K is this Saturday!

Volunteers still needed!

It's the 30th anniversary of Lobsterfest at St. Thomas, and the SHELL-ABRATION kicks off THIS WEEKEND! The Lobsterfest 5K is THIS Saturday, November 4 at 3:00 p.m. The race is family-friendly. Runners and walkers of all levels are welcome.

We could STILL use a few volunteers to help with set up, take down, and mile markers for the run/walk. If you can help this weekend, contact Jenna or Lloyd at jennapirani@gmail.com.

Come out this Saturday afternoon, and let's have a great showing of parishioners at this wonderful community event! 

All Saints Sunday will be the final Sunday for St. Thomas organist Melanie Payne

Our longtime church organist and talented singer and musician, Melanie Payne, who has served at St. Thomas for 10 years, is leaving us. Melanie recently accepted an offer to become the new organist for Messiah Lutheran Church in Madison, and this Sunday will be Melanie's final Sunday at St. Thomas. We will be recognizing Melanie for her service during the announcements at both worship services this All Saints Sunday. Please come ready to honor Melanie and to wish her well this Sunday.

Choral Evensong for All Saints' Sunday, combining St. Thomas & Nativity Choirs, this 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.

The Rev. Virginia Monroe returns to officiate this Sunday's 5pm Holy Eucharist, with Dinner immediately following!



This All Saints' Sunday, November 5th, the Rev. Virginia Monroe has been invited to celebrate St. Thomas' "Come as You Are" 5pm Sunday worship service! Virginia served as our Interim Rector last year, and she is excited to come lead us in worship while Fr. Donavan, Mtr. Ranie, and Dcn. Jeannie are with the St. Thomas choir at the Church of the Nativity downtown for a special Choral Evensong. And dinner will be served this Sunday evening immediately following worship! If you're not planning to attend the St. Thomas/Nativity Evensong, please come help Virginia welcome THIS SUNDAY AT 5PM for our special "Come As You Are" Evening Holy Eucharist, with simple hymns from the Alleluia III hymnal, a good sermon 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.

Giving for Growth Stewardship Campaign Update!



St. Thomas is blessed in so many ways and none more so than your generous financial support. As of Ingathering Sunday, we received118 pledges totaling $558,000. We are in the process of winding down our campaign for 2024 and soon will begin the preparation of a budget for next year.

If you haven’t had a chance to turn in your pledge card, there is still time! Additional pledge cards will be available in the church office and in the Narthex. At your earliest convenience, please complete and return it to the finance office or place in the offering plate.

Thank you for “Giving for Growth”,

Your Stewardship Committee

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

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

Lobsterfest Sunday is November 12th! One morning Eucharist only, followed by Parish Dinner! Sign up now!

The Sunday following Lobsterfest has been declared "Lobsterfest Sunday" here at St. Thomas. It is a time to come together after the hard work of a successful Lobsterfest to offer thanks, to worship, and to enjoy fellowship together! This year, we will again have ONE EUCHARIST on Lobsterfest Sunday, with special guest preacher, the Rt. Rev. Lloyd Allen, the Bishop of Honduras. Immediately following our worship together, we will gather as a church family in the Parish Hall for a special Lobsterfest Sunday Parish Dinner (sign up for the Parish Dinner below now!).

THERE WILL BE AN EVENING HOLY EUCHARIST AT ST. THOMAS THIS YEAR AT 5PM, LED BY MTR. RANIE.

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.

The Friday evening pre-Lobsterfest Eucharist is returning this year, led by Fr. Donavan and the new Lobsterfest Prayer Committee. All committee members and volunteers are requested to take a short break at 6pm in the Nave for a simple Eucharist to begin Lobsterfest weekend with prayers and thanksgivings. There will be childcare for the service

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. 



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 Baker's Choice Needed

We need still need a few cooks for Baker's Choice items. Contact Debbie Harriman dharriman5817@gmail.com or Martha Wilson martha.wilson380@gmail.com for questions and recipes.

If you have any questions about where you can get plugged in, please email Mike and Laura Beth Bestor at malbb12@gmail.com

CASA TEMPS Fun Day Saturday, November 4th

Please come join us for a fun day with ENABLE (CASA) TEMPS this 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.

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

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

Fr. Donavan's Adult Christian Formation

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.

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.

Adult Christian Formation Book Study

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. 

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. 

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.

Habitat for Humanity

Our homeowner, Vicki, admiring her new house. Sod was laid Saturday. Thank you to all who helped.

Call Elouisa Stokes at 256-604-8669 for information.

Acolyte Sign-Up Genius is now available!

Calling all youth and children 2^nd 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.

At A Glance: October 26th - November 1st

Phone: 256.880.0247

Email: StThomas@stthomashuntsville.org