Parish Weekly January 16, 2026

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.

Rector's Notes

Dear St. Thomas', 

Thank YOU!

Thank you for a festive and full celebration of our life together over the last ten years!
I appreciate each person present and the efforts it took to bring it to completion. From the stole, to food, to decorations, to pie and cake, it was such a gift to celebrate with you. Please know that your care is received and valued. 

I am especially fond of the meaningful notes you wrote as you reflected on our journey through the years. We have come a long way. We grieved together, and we have shared joyful celebrations. Wow! Thanks be to God! 

Thank you for being you! It continues to be an honor to be your priest, Rector, and your companion.

Annual Parish Meeting

And guess what, we get to celebrate again at our Annual Parish Meeting on Sunday, January 25. We will reflect on 2025, give thanks for our current amazing leadership, and elect another fabulous group of new Vestry members. Zoom will be available. 

If you are planning to attend and need childcare during the meeting, please let us

know by completing the form provided in the link below.

Faithfully, 



Amma Leslie

Mark Your Calendars

• Recycling Recycled Presentation, Sunday, January 18, following worship service, Lower Hall
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 19, Parish Office closed
• Annual Parish Meeting, Sunday, January 25, 2026, Great Hall
• Pledges & Recurring Donation Presentation, Sunday, February 1, following worship, Great Hall

New Year, New Calendar

Please email Anita Herring at finance@stthomasrochester.org with meeting schedules

for 2026, and if you require a Zoom link or a Lounge/Conference room reservation.

Parish Drop Off Box

When the office is closed, please drop off items (i.e., checks, etc.) in the secure white Parish Drop Off Box located outside of the Parish Office. Thank you.

Financial News

Year-End Statements Available

2025 tax statements are available by logging into your St. Thomas Connect (STC) account and following these simple steps:

Select "Giving" from the menu on the left of the homepage ($ icon)

Select "My Giving" from the submenu

Click "Giving Statement" (black box, right side of page)

Select "Family" for type and "Last Year" for range

Select "Run Report"

If you require assistance or need a copy sent via email or USPS, please email
your request to Anita Herring, Director of Finance & Administration at finance@stthomasrochester.org, or call 585.442.3544, x102.

Submitting a Pledge & Setting Up Automatic (Recurring) Donations

Join Anita Herring, St. Thomas' Director of Finance & Administration, after worship on Sunday, February 1, in the Great Hall to learn about the differences between pledges and donations, and how to set up and maintain an automatic (recurring) donation. 

Stock Transfers

Thank you for your continued support of St. Thomas'. Please note that the information needed for the broker/firm has changed:

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

DTC#: 0164

Receiving Account: 6270-2009

Account Registration: St. Thomas' Episcopal Church

Schwab's Address: 200 S 108th Avenue, Omaha, NE 68154

Please contact Anita via email at finance@stthomasrochester.org to alert her of any incoming deposit to this account, or call 585.442.3544, x102 with any questions.

Liturgical Ministry

Altar Flowers

If you appreciate the beauty of altar flowers, have an occasion to give thanks for, wish

to celebrate a special event, or want to honor a loved one, consider sponsoring flowers for our weekly worship services. There are many available dates in the coming months for you to make a donation.

Signing up is easy and fast! Call the Parish Office at 585.442.3544 or click the link below. For more details, contact Vicky Rupley at vrupley@gmail.com or 585.233.2546.

Spiritual Formation

Episcopal 101

In preparation for the Bishop's visit on Sunday, April 5 (Easter morning), we will hold classes for those who want to learn more about the Episcopal Church. It is a class that prepares one for Reaffirmation, Reception from another tradition, such as Catholic or Lutheran, and Confirmation. This class will meet on Sundays, March 1, 15, and 22, after worship in the lounge. Please register for the class using the link below. If you have questions, please contact Amma Leslie at leslie@stthomasrochester.org.  

Community Engagement

Brighton Food Cupboard Requests

January donation needs for the Brighton Food Cupboard include life staples such as rice, cereal, shelf-stable milk, and instant oatmeal packs. Shop grocery sales now and stock up for our February Souper Sundays soup and crackers tradition, which supports this wonderful cause. We all know food

is love!

Collection boxes are located at each of the church entrances. Thanks for caring and sharing in the love!

Children and Youth Ministry

The Lamb of God

This week in Sunday School, we will explore how people came to know Jesus at the beginning

of his ministry. The scripture for the day will

be John 1:29-42. In this reading, John the Baptist tells his followers that Jesus is the Lamb of God and has come to save all people. The lessons will focus on the different names we have for Jesus, what those names might mean, and the ways God is at work in the world today, helping us to be part

of each other’s salvation.

In keeping with our new Emergency Preparedness Plan, it is important we have your contact information. If you are new to our Sunday School/Nursery Program and/or if you have not yet filled out a registration form, please click on the following link.

Youth Group

This week will be continuing our exploration of the theme: Made in God’s Image.

We will discuss and do activities around things that we are grateful for and things

that give us hope even in the midst of troubling times.

The group will also get an overview of Confirmation—what it is, why we do it, and

how they might participate this year. (See more information below).

In keeping with our new Emergency Preparedness Plan, it is important we have your

contact information. If you are new to our Youth Program and/or if you have not yet

filled out a registration form, please click on the link provide above.

The Youth Group will meet the first and third Sunday of each month. All are welcome. Please contact either Paula Gitlin at paula@stthomasrochester.org or Rev. Lydia at lydia@stthomasrochester.org with any questions or concerns.

Confirmation Class 2026

Any youth of the parish are invited to attend Confirmation Classes this Lenten season.

Confirmation is a rite in the Episcopal Church where candidates "express a mature

commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and

the laying on of hands by a bishop" (Book of Common Prayer, p. 860). This is done

by publicly reaffirming their baptismal vows in the presence of the bishop and

congregation. Prior to confirmation, it is customary that candidates attend classes

in which they discern their call to be confirmed, explore what the baptismal covenant means for them and their lives, and examine scripture, tradition, and theology that are fundamental to the faith.

Classes will be held on February 8, February 22, March 8, March 22, and March 29 from 11:15 am to 12:30 pm. (Location to come.) The Confirmation rite will be part of our liturgy on Easter Sunday, April 5, when Bishop Kara Wagner-Sherer is present for her annual visit.

If your child is interested in attending classes, please fill out the form by clicking the link provided below.

Please direct any inquiries about Confirmation to Rev. Lydia at 585.442.3544, ext. 104 or lydia@stthomasrochester.org.

In Case You Missed It

Recycling Recycled: Now What? Presentation

Join St. Thomas' Creation Care Ministry's Lisa Hand

on January 18, after service in the Lower Hall, for an engaging, informative presentation on sustainability and learn more about caring for our earth. Prizes will be given.

For more information, please contact Lisa Hand

at lisahand711@gmail.com.

City of Rochester Public Education Sessions: Opioids in Our Community

Share your perspectives on how the opioid epidemic

is affecting our community and its families, what resources are available to prevent overdose, and what you observe

as barriers to care at the Cameron Community Ministries public education sessions on Wednesday, March 18,

and Wednesday, June 24, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm,

at 28 Cameron Street in Rochester. For more information, contact the Office of Special Projects and Educational Initiatives at 585.428.7192.

Sunday Live Stream Service at 10:00 am is available on St. Thomas' YouTube channel—St. Thomas Episcopal Church of Rochester, NY. The live stream can

be viewed any time after 10:00 am throughout the week. 

Daily Devotional (Forward Day by Day): click here for the link.

For Prayer Requests, click here or on the link at the bottom of this page.

Emergency Contacts

Brighton Food Cupboard

(585) 271-5355

Centers for Disease Control

cdc.gov

Episcopal Relief

& Development

(faith-based response

to epidemics)

bit.ly/2VMcNuu

Interpersonal

Violence Hotline

(for physical and mental related to interpersonal violence and trauma)

(585) 275-HEAL

Monroe County Department of Health

monroecounty.gov/health-coronavirus

National Child

Abuse Hotline

(800) 342-3720

National Suicide Prevention

988

New York State Mental

Health Provider Hotline

(844) 863-9314

NYS Office of

Addiction Services https://oasas.ny.gov/ 

Rochester AA Support

(585) 232-6720

Willow Domestic
Violence Center

(585) 222-SAFE

The Trevor Project

(for LGBTQ youth, 13-14)

1 (866) 488-7386

St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church of Rochester, New York, is proud

to stand with the Greater Rochester Black Agenda Group and its declaration that “Racism is a Public Health Crisis." 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 doing 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 working together to tackle injustice in our lives, in our church, in our community, and in the world.