THE EPISTLE:

December 19, 2024

A Special St. Thomas Night Celebration, THIS Sunday evening,

December 22nd!

It is time to celebrate the Feast of our Patron Saint, St. Thomas the Apostle! 

We will begin this year with our 5pm Sunday Evening Holy Eucharist, observing the prayers and readings for the Feast of St. Thomas, which falls every year on December 21st. Then, following our worship service, we will move from the Nave into the Parish Hall at 6pm for a new St. Thomas Night Dinner Theater, followed by a carol sing-along. Come have dinner, see this year's rendition of Eek! The Musical, and get in the holiday spirit with a dessert of cookies, hot cocoa, and carols!

"A-Thomasing" is a British custom of going door-to-door to beg for alms or food for the winter on St. Thomas' feast day. In the same spirit of helping those in need, we are collecting non-perishable goods as optional admission to St. Thomas Night Dinner Theater.

Make sure you have THIS SUNDAY EVENING on your calendar for St. Thomas Night, beginning at 5pm, this Sunday, December 22nd!

Fun, Festivities, and St. Thomas Night Rehearsals for Youth and Children, THIS WEEKEND!

THIS SATURDAY, Dec. 21st, at 10:30 am - St. Thomas Night Dress Rehearsal and Children's Christmas Party- We will have our annual Children's Christmas Party, including lunch, after St. Thomas Night practice.

THIS SUNDAY, Dec. 22nd - 5:30 pm - St. Thomas Night Children's Dinner - The children of St. Thomas will be part of this year's rendition of Eek! The Musical. Those participating in the program will have an earlier dinner in the Youth Room at 5:30 pm before putting on their costumes. 

Adults are needed to assist with costuming and food on Saturday and Sunday. Please let our Children's Ministry Coordinator, Laura Beth, know if you are willing to help out by emailing her at children@stthomashuntsville.org.

Christmas Eve: Tuesday, December 24th

5:00 pm - Festival Holy Eucharist with Special Music

10:30 pm - Candlelight Festival Holy Eucharist with Special Music

Musical Prelude begins at 10:10pm 

*Incense will be used at the 10:30 Eucharist*

Christmas Day: Wednesday, December 25th

10:00 am - Holy Eucharist with Carols

The First Sunday after Christmas: Sunday, December 29th

Regular Eucharist Schedule: 8am, 10:30am, and 5pm

NO breakfast (coffee will be available), Christian formation, or childcare

The Second Sunday after Christmas: Sunday, January 5th

Regular Eucharist Schedule: 8am, 10:30am, and 5pm

Breakfast & Rector's Forum between the morning Eucharists

6pm - Twelfth Night Burning of the Greens Celebration

Special Twelfth Night Procession from the Church to South Parking Lot at the conclusion of the 5pm Eucharist, followed by Hot Cocoa & King Cake

Nominations for the St. Thomas Vestry OPEN through

December 29th

St. Thomas is preparing to elect four new Vestry members at the upcoming Annual Parish Meeting & Breakfast, set for Sunday, January 12th, at 9:15am in the Parish Hall. If you or someone you know would be interested in serving on the vestry, you can now submit the name in the box marked VESTRY in the Narthex. If you'd like to nominate someone, please be sure to discuss it with that person first to be sure they are willing to serve the three-year term. 

Vestry responsibilities include:

·Attending vestry meetings on the third Tuesday evening of each month.

·Attending the January 25th, full day Vestry Retreat at the Valley Hill Country Club.

·On a rotating basis, two vestry members count the offering and secure the building each Sunday after worship services.

·Vestry members also cook, serve and clean up breakfast on a rotating schedule, one Sunday per month. Each vestry member signs up for breakfast four times a year.

Please prayerfully consider if you, or someone you know, may be called to serve our parish in this important leadership role. Nominations will close December 29th, and nominations will not be accepted from the floor during the annual parish meeting.

To be nominated for the Vestry, per the Canons of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Alabama, a person must be a confirmed Episcopalian, a communicant in good standing, and known to the treasurer of the parish.

Advent Reflections

Saturday, December 21st

The DOK would like to invite the parish to join the Daughters in an Advent reflection time the next 2 Saturdays mornings. We will meet for coffee at 8:30 am and have reflection time from 9-10 in Conference Room 1. Reflections will focus on the meaning of the Advent wreath and candles.

Dec 21 Mother Katie leading



Take a brief break from the busyness of the season for a little quiet time!

Blessed Are You Among Women:  An Advent Bible Study with Mary, the Mother of God

Join Fr. Donavan and Mtr. Katie this Advent season for a Bible Study and discussion based on the most important saint of Christian faith, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Together, we will follow the stories of Mary in the Bible, from the appearance of the Angel Gabriel and her joyful singing of the Magnificat, all the way through to the struggles she faced during her Son’s life and death on the Cross and her place as the Mother of the Church after his Resurrection. This special Advent series on Blessed Mary, led by Fr. Donavan and Mtr. Katie at 9:30am in the Parish Hall concludes this Sunday!  

Galaxy of Lights

St. Thomas Church Bus heading to "Galaxy of Lights" on December 27th!



Come see the the "Galaxy of Lights" at the Botanical Gardens in the comfort of the St. Thomas Church bus! The bus will be available for boarding at 5:30 at the Church front door on Thursday, December 27th. There is seating for 15 people. We request that those wishing to go call Jack Stokes to verify seats available. Travel time is 20 minutes from Church to entry line, ~45-60 minutes to entrance, 30 minutes to drive through and 20 minutes back to Church, approaching 2+ hours total. There will be no cost, thanks to Fr. Donavan's Christmas gift. Please come join us! Contact Jack Stokes by clicking HERE now to confirm your seat!

Twelfth Night Burning of the Greens, Saturday, January 5th

Bring your tree and other greens to burn for our Twelfth Night of Christmas "Burning of the Greens" Celebration on Sunday evening, January 5th, at 6PM. We will be collecting Christmas trees and wreaths in the South Parking Lot after Christmas to be burned in a celebratory fire.

Join us in the church for the 5pm "Come As You Are" Eucharist, followed by a special procession to the parking lot immediately following the Post Communion Prayer and final Blessing of Christmastide for the Burning of the Greens. We will conclude the evening by feasting on King Cake (you know, "We Three Kings"), which was originally eaten on Epiphany and not Fat Tuesday, and hot chocolate as we bring the Christmas season to a fitting close! Fr. Donavan will also bless chalk to be picked up and taken home to bless your house with the inscription of the New Year and the initials of the traditional names of the Three Kings, 20+C+M+B+25, over your house door!

Don't miss one of the BRIGHTEST nights of the winter season, and invite your friends and neighbors to join us for our Twelfth Night celebration!

St. Thomas Annual Parish Meeting set for Sunday, January 12th

St. Thomas' Annual Parish Meeting & Vestry Election has been scheduled for Sunday, January 12th, between the 8am and 10:30am Eucharists, during the breakfast/Christian Formation time. 

On that Sunday, all Adult Christian Formation classes will be put on hold, while Christian Formation for children and youth will still be offered, allowing parents to attend and take part in the Annual Meeting. A faster, "Continental Breakfast" will again be offered, beginning at 9am, to get everyone settled with their food for our Annual Meeting start time, which is set for 9:15am. At that time, Fr. Donavan will begin the meeting with prayers and his "State of the Parish" report, followed by the presentation of the 2025 Budget by the Treasurer, and the election of new vestry members. 

Please plan on being present for this important Parish Meeting Sunday, January 12th, beginning at 9:15am in the Parish Hall!

News and upcoming Holy Hike January 11

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.

Watch for details to come and

contact Belinda Greenaway at belinda223@gmail.com for more information.

Heads up for the next Holy Hike which is planned for January 11th. We plan on a trip to Wheeler Wildlife Refuge in Decatur to see the Sandhill Cranes and take a walk. Contact Brett Byford for more information brett256@gmail.com.

Looking for a gift to give to the church this Christmas? Make a Donation to our Clergy's Discretionary Accounts

Did you know that St. Thomas receives calls and stop-ins regularly from people in our local community seeking direct assistance for food, rent, and electric bills? It is the church's policy to never give out cash as assistance, but we can and often do call Huntsville Utilities to help with a portion of someone's utility bills, write checks to assist with rent, and give out gift cards to help with food and gas. And our clergy also are approached occasionally by people within our own parish family who need help.

All of this assistance primarily comes from our Clergy's Discretionary Accounts. Clergy Discretionary Accounts, as stated in the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church, are set up to allow clergy to provide direct assistance for the poor and to support church and non-profit local, national, and international organizations seeking assistance for their charitable work and ministries.

Fr. Donavan, Mtr. Katie, and Dcn. Jeannie each have their own discretionary account for these specific reasons and those reasons only. If you'd like to help our clergy have funds to directly support the poor, the sick, those in specific need, and the work of the church in the world, please consider a donation this Advent-Christmas season (or anytime!) to the clergy's discretionary accounts. You can give a donation to one of our clergy's accounts specifically, or you can simply write your check and mark the check and/or envelope as a donation for "Clergy Discretionary Accounts" (make out all checks to St. Thomas) and your donation will be divided equally among St. Thomas' three clergy. Thank you!

Sunday "Come As You Are" Eucharist

"Come As You Are"

5pm Holy Eucharist

This Sunday, and every Sunday, we have our "Come As You Are" Holy Eucharist. Our 5pm parishioners find this Sunday evening worship service meets their needs or schedules better than our morning worship. The 5pm Holy Eucharist features joyful hymns from the Alleluia III hymnal, gospel music chosen by Sam Wright, and casual mini-sermons preached from the floor.

THERE WILL BE NO DINNER IN JANUARY. DINNER AFTER 5PM EUCHARIST WILL RESUME THE FIRST SUNDAY IN FEBRUARY.

Info on regular programs and rehearsals at St. Thomas are now just a click away!

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! Give it a try this week!

The Third Sunday of Advent at St. Thomas - Rose Sunday - with the lighting of the third candle of the Advent Wreath at 10:30 by Erik, Sarah, & Claire Nelson

Children, Youth, and Adult help prep for St. Thomas Night

Phone: 256.880.0247

Email: StThomas@stthomashuntsville.org