Parish Weekly-October 31, 2024

Mission: St. Thomas' Episcopal Church is a welcoming spiritual community dedicated to following the teachings of Christ Jesus. We grow through learning, celebrate joyful worship, and serve our neighbors.

Vision: We open hearts and minds to create community in Christ.

Briefly Noted

It's time to roll back your clocks!

As you plan your weekend, please remember that this Sunday, daylight savings time officially ends at 2 a.m. on November 3, and we will "fall back" an hour.

Do you contribute information or submit articles for the Parish Weekly?

To ensure your content is included in the newsletter, please email your news to Patty Corvaia at pattyc@stthomasrochester.org no later than Tuesday at 9 a.m.

A Note from the Rector

I am grateful to the Stewardship Team, which has worked closely with other ministry teams to provide a broad look at how our lives together can thrive when we share our resources, gifts, and talents. (Yes, I said "we" as I pledge to St. Thomas', too.) Sharing our time, talent, and financial resources with the church has an enormous impact outside the church walls, as well as the difference it makes in the lives of those we pray and worship alongside.

Our history of sharing resources sometimes gets lost. Just like the love of Jesus can not be contained to a building or one person, the ministry of the church is about the healing and wholeness of all creation. (That comes from the articles of faith in the back of the Book of Common Prayer.) This happens in small ways, little by little, as we build relationships, share our resources, and show up to our neighbors. Our hearts are changed by those acts of love, and in turn, that makes a difference in the world.

Now, I am not just talking about the finances we give to our partnership and community that our fabulous Community Engagement Committee does so well. I mean the relationships we make in those partnerships, in our neighborhoods, through our caring and sharing as we learn better ways to follow Jesus as we Walk in Love.

Walking in Love has a great impact when:

• I am present with our faith leaders to build a relationship of trust and authenticity. This relationship is helpful when our larger community needs support.
• I pray last rites with a family that isn't associated with St. Thomas'. In this sacred time, our parish is practicing care for sick and dying people and their families. We represent the hospital institution that we care for, and we are not bound by membership; we exist to care for all people.
• We serve on diocesan committees and share our financial resources in our yearly diocesan apportionment; we are making a difference throughout Western New York and larger churches.
• When we share our space with others, we communicate a sense of hospitality and inclusion as a gathering place.
• We use our crafty skills to make hats, blankets, prayer shawls, and mittens for children at Rochester City School District School #8, women at "Meal and More," or baby layettes for the Refugee Resettlement. We are pouring the love of Jesus to offer healing through warmth and comfort.
• We participate in the Roc Pride Parade. We are communicating by word and deed that we care for our LGBTQIA+ siblings, who often have been hurt by the church, that they are beloved, and we stand with them.

My hope is that stepping out of the church and meeting people where they are might contribute to healing and wholeness. Maybe that healing is our wounds, and perhaps it is the one we seek to show up for.

I am proud of our Youth Group for their participation in the Grocery Run. It is another way of showing up to our Rochester community and contributing to the healing of the wounds of poverty through presence and donation. 

This list isn't all-inclusive by any means. We have so many ways that we share the love of Jesus with our neighbors. Sometimes, it is good to stop and think about the impact of relationships and the work we do together.

We are better together. Let us continue to Walk in Love! 

Faithfully, 

Amma Leslie+ 

Stewardship Time Is HERE!

Thank You

A big "thank you" to all who attended last Sunday’s Planned Giving presentation! For those of you who were not able to make it, you can find the presentation here.

November 3

In-Gathering of Pledges this Sunday is dedicated to the in-gathering of our pledges for the year ahead. This event is the culmination of our Stewardship month, which included the Ministries Fair, the William and Margaret Jarvis Memorial Concert , and presentations on Creation Care and Planned Giving. 

Each Sunday in October, we highlighted ways in which we can thank God for the blessings bestowed upon us personally and as a parish, providing us an opportunity to consider the best means of offering our resources. During our service, we will give thanks for the generosity and thoughtfulness of our congregation as we plan for the new year.

Following the service, please join us in the Lower Hall for a simple luncheon of homemade soup, breads, and desserts, which will include vegetarian and gluten-free choices and mac & cheese for the children. This meal together gives us the occasion to reflect on how our church community can continue its Walk in Love: St. Thomas is the bricks-and-mortar structure which houses our spiritual home. Our myriad ministries help maintain the building where we are one in the Spirit, serving God and one another in the parish and answering the call to venture beyond our walls to serve Christ by tending to those who need God’s love and care.

Let us “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts” (Psalm 96:8)

Pledging Update

Have you returned your pledge card yet? You can pledge online here!

Vestry Nomination News

Leadership Accepting Nominees for 2025 Vestry

The Wardens will be accepting nominations for the 2025-2028 Vestry until November 22. Serving on St. Thomas’ Vestry is an enriching experience and can be considered a rewarding part of your stewardship within our parish! The Vestry, in partnership with the wardens and rector, have a fiduciary responsibility, and are accountable for protecting the vision and mission of our parish.

Full details of Vestry duties can be found here. If you feel called to leadership at

St. Thomas’ through vestry service, or have questions, please contact Vicky Rupley at vrmail@rochester.rr.com or at (585) 233-2546.

Children and Youth Ministries

Walking in Love in the New and Old Testaments

In Sunday School, we have mostly followed the Gospel of Mark, as Jesus and his disciples have been traveling toward Jerusalem, using the same Gospel lesson that is read in church.

In last week’s lesson, Jesus restored the sight of a blind man named Bartimaeus, after Bartimaeus showed his faith in Jesus. His sight restored, he chose to follow Jesus.

This week, we will hear the beautiful Old Testament story of Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth, as the children see the love and care shown in our families as a model of our love of God and God’s love for us.

I am filled with gratitude for the many ways our children—and we!--are shown to Walk in Love in our Bible stories!

Have questions or need further information? Please contact me! Maggie Detty at loganchem@aol.com.

We're Hiring!

St. Thomas’, Rochester is seeking an Associate Priest who will share in the sacramental, pastoral, and priestly ministry and life of the church. 

Do you know someone who may be interested in this ministry opportunity? Please share the attached job description with them!

Worship Ministry News

All Saints Dedication

All Saints’ Day, which we will observe on Sunday, November 3, is a special time of our church year for remembering our loved ones who have died. These persons may be family members or special persons who have brought us closer to Christ. At our service on November 3, we will pray by name for members of our parish who died in the past year. The service bulletin will also list other loved ones whose names have been submitted by parishioners.

Attitude of Gratitude

Thank you to...

• Richard Yate for his presentation on Sunday about Planned Giving.
• Vicky Rupley for her creative PowerPoint.

This stewardship presentation spurred questions and curiosity about various ways we can be good stewards of our resources to participate in the church's life. 

Financial Information

Weekly Financial Report 10/31/24

Budget Pledges Year to date: $316,959.02

Actual Pledge Payments Year to date: $285,647.76

Year to Date Financial Report to 10/31/24

Year to date Revenue: $ 547,351.23

Year to date Expense: $ 588,168.15

Net loss to date: ( $ 40,816.92 )

Leaf Raking Helpers Needed... and Gardeners, too!

We're looking for volunteers for our annual leaf pick up and for fall garden clean up.

We’ll meet with our rakes, tarps, clippers, gardening tools and leaf blowers in hand on Saturday November 16 starting at 9:30 a.m. (Sunday afternoon available if needed). Companionship, coffee, cider, and apple cider doughnuts will be provided!

St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church of Rochester, New York stands behind the “Racism is a Public Health Crisis” declaration by the Greater Rochester NY Black Agenda Group. As a community of faith and followers of Jesus Christ we believe that every person is continually made in the image of God beautifully and wonderfully. We are committed to do the hard work of love. We are dedicated to the practice of growing and learning how to know and love our neighbors as we seek to create community. We hold the hope that love does win through forgiveness, kindness, and transformation. We desire to be a people who work for the equity of all. We work to acknowledge our complicity and part in racism, and we are committed to work together to tackle injustice in our life, in our church, in our community and in the world. We are proud to stand with the Greater Rochester Black Agenda Group and its declaration that “Racism is a Public Health Crisis".