THE EPISTLE:

October 1, 2026

Join us THIS SUNDAY,

October 4th at 3 PM to celebrate St. Francis of Assisi

This year, St. Thomas will celebrate the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and the environment, by hosting a Blessing of the Animals and Trees. Make plans for you and your pets to join us at 3 pm on Sunday, October 4 on the north side of the property. We'll bless animals of all kinds-- the 4-legged kind, the swimmers, the crawlers and the hoppers. Afterwards, we'll move to the trees planted along the Aldridge Creek Greenway and bless these recently planted trees, donated by St. Thomas in a project led by our Creation Care Committee.

Youth Dog Wash THIS SUNDAY

from 1:30 PM - 2:40 PM

Is your dog in need of a bath? Do you want them to smell great for the Blessing of the Animals? Then bring them on down to Saint Thomas for a bath! The Youth will be taking donations for the Greater Huntsville Humane Society in exchange for washing your canine family member on October 4 from 1:30-2:40 pm. Suggested donations for the wash are $5 for small dogs and $10 for large dogs. Washes will be first come, first serve. The wash will end at 2:40 pm. Blessing of the Animals follows the Dog Wash at 3:00 pm. While we would love to see your cats and exotic pets at the Blessing of the Animals, we will not be washing them before the service.

Sign up NOW for this year's Adult Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation Class, set to begin on Sunday, October 18th

Adults who are interested in Confirmation or Reception into the Episcopal Church, as well as any St. Thomas parishioner wishing to Reaffirm their faith, are invited to sign up NOW for classes set to begin on Sunday, October 18th and run through Sunday, November 8th. Anyone interested should sign up before, Sunday, October 11th.

This year, Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation will be offered in a very special worship service on Lobsterfest Sunday, November 15th. This will be the first visit to St. Thomas of our new Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Richard Lawson. Fr. Donavan and Deacon Dave will offer the Adult Confirmation class with a light lunch each Sunday, beginning October 18th, immediately following the 10:30 am Holy Eucharist in the Parish Hall.

To get on the list this year, either sign up on the sheet in Information Hall or send an email to the church office by clicking here. And if you have questions about confirmation, reception, or reaffirmation, email Fr. Donavan here or simply catch him or Deacon Dave any Sunday before or after the church services.

If you have a youth who wants to be confirmed, please contact either Ethan Evans here or Laura Beth Bestor here.



A Letter from Stewardship Campaign Chair, Bryan Dodson

Dear Friends in Christ,

Jesus said, "In my Father's house, there are many dwelling places," John 14:2, NRSV. This promise of abundance and welcome lies at the heart of our 2027 stewardship theme: Plenty Good Room.

In recent months, you have heard how we are called to share our resources and nurture our relationships. Now it is time for our response. Stewardship is our faithly reply to God's generosity. It is gratitude put into action.

Very soon, pledge cards will be in the mail, and I invite you to prayerfully consider your response. We ask that you return it by Sunday, October 25, 2026. All of your pledges will be blessed at our Ingathering on All Saints Day, Sunday, November 1, 2026. Every gift matters. Every commitment sustains our worship, our learning, our staff, our fellowship, our buildings and grounds, our children and youth ministries, our music, and so much more.

This is not only an appeal for funds- it is an invitation to claim your place in God's household, to make room for others, and to live into God's abundance. When we respond together, we come the church God is calling us to be: a community with plenty good room for all.

Thank you for your faithful and generous response to this call.

With gratitude,

/s/ Bryan Dodson

Campaign Chair

Special Prayers & Blessing for St. Thomas' Pilgrimage to Ireland, Scotland, & England, THIS SUNDAY

The St. Thomas Pilgrimage to Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England begins on Wednesday, October 7th, with 24 pilgrims led by Fr. Donavan to some of the holiest sites of Ancient Christianity in Ireland & the British Isles. To kick off their journey, this Sunday, October 4th, at both the 8am and the 10:30am Eucharist, Fr. Donavan will call those going on our pilgrimage to come forward for special prayers and for a blessing.

While Fr. Donavan is away, Dcn. Dave Drachlis and the Rev. Jeannie Randall will be assisting with pastoral care and emergencies, and our Sunday morning Eucharists will be led by the Rev. Keith Cook, former Pastor of All Saints Lutheran Church, on October 11th, and by the Rev. Amy Diller-Quida, recently received from the Lutheran Church as a priest in the Episcopal Church, on October 18th. Our 5pm Eucharists will be led by our very own, Rev. Jeannie Randall, on both Sundays that Fr. Donavan is away.

Finally, be on the lookout for a special Adult Christian Formation presentation by Fr. Donavan and all the St. Thomas pilgrims on Sunday, October 25th, with a slide show and discussion about our pilgrimage. Look for more information in the next Epistle!

Pray the Rosary Friday at

12:05 PM



Join us to pray the Rosary tomorrow, October 2, and every other Friday at 12:05 pm in the Nave of the church. Each prayer session lasts around half an hour and includes the reading of each scripture passage for the five decades of either the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, or Luminous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. If you’ve never prayed the Rosary before, we always have Rosary beads available and written directions to help you fully participate in this meaningful, scriptural, and contemplative prayer practice.



Help save a life by donating blood this Sunday, October 4!

LifeSouth's Bloodmobile will be at St. Thomas from 7:30 am until 1 pm on Sunday, October 4. Sign-up for a specific time slot by using this link, Walk-ins are also welcome. All donors receive their choice of a breast cancer awareness or Halloween t-shirt.

A Message from Your Lobsterfest Queen

Wishing a warm greeting to my beloved church family! Zach and I wanted to invite everyone to stop by our  "Cracking Claws Corner," located inside the Parish Hall between the 8 & 10:30 services. Volunteer sign-up sheets for this year's Lobsterfest are now posted there, and we would love to have you join us! There is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to contribute to St. Thomas in their own unique way, even if you are unable to attend on the day of the event.

While you are visiting "Cracking Claws Corner," be sure to check out our exciting 2026 Lobsterfest merchandise—we have T-shirts, stickers, and koozies available for purchase! For those attending the 5:00 pm service this Sunday, we will be at our table in the Parish Hall prior to the service to help you purchase gear and answer any questions.

Thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you at "Cracking Claws Corner"!

Soups & Savories Is Calling All Chefs!

Calling all chefs! Want to help out Lobsterfest but can't handle the crowds? Soups and Savories (S&S) is your best bet! Every year volunteer chefs prepare and freeze one or more very special and delicious dishes (four to choose from). These dishes are pre-sold on the Lobsterfest webstore. As an S&S Chef, you need to SIGN UP (clipboards and materials in Information Hall) for a specific dish or dishes, then take home the recipes, labels and containers. Prepare, label and freeze your dishes, then stash them in the Walk-In Freezer at church between Sunday, October 18 and Sunday, November 8. This year, I am ably assisted by Gwen Munroe (256-479-5362) or Sonya Carrier (601-917-9039) in October while I'm away. Please contact one of these fine ladies if you have questions in October. I'm back on board November 4th to see us through the season of Lobsterfest.

-- Frances Steel, Soups & Savories Chair; (256) 508-0133. 

Lobsterfest 5K

Don't forget to register to run or walk in the Lobsterfest 5K at 8 am on Saturday, November 7! Go to this link on RunSignUp to register or use the QR code below.

Interested in becoming a Lobsterfest 5K Sponsor? Check out this year's sponsorship levels in the graphic below and then scan the QR code or click here to donate.

St. Thomas Creates at the Lobsterfest Artisan Fair welcomes your creations!

Do you realize that Lobsterfest is only two months away? Last year, the St. Thomas Creates booth at the Artisan Fair was a resounding success. We will once again be looking for hand-made creations from our talented congregation. Perhaps you would like to donate something you've created to Lobsterfest. This is just a little reminder to start thinking about what you might like to create this year, so you can plan ahead and get to work before November 14 arrives . Contact Donna Clark via her email with any questions.

UPCOMING

Next Book Club

October 12 at 10 AM

The Monthly Book Club is reading In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende for their October 12 meeting at 10 am in the Parlor. Since the church office will be closed that day in observance of Columbus Day, please enter through the Parish Hall. We are glad to have folks from outside St. Thomas so if you know someone who would like to join us, please invite them. Some of us go to lunch afterward. Come meet fellow book lovers!

Holy Hikes Return

October 17 at 9 AM

Our next Holy Hike will be at Wade Mountain on Saturday, October 17th at 9 am. We’ll hike approximately 3.5 miles, with about 275 feet of elevation gain along the way. Our turnaround point will be the “Devil’s Racetrack,” which offers some expansive views of the surrounding North Alabama landscape. The hike should be fairly moderate and give us a great opportunity to enjoy some time outdoors together. You may want to bring a snack and something to drink, as well as a hiking stick or trekking poles.

We’ll meet at the Spragins Hollow Trailhead (10130 Spragins Hollow Rd NW, Huntsville, AL 35810). If you have any questions, please contact Brett Byford (brettbyford59@gmail.com, 256.808.5776).

Next Meeting

November 2 at 6 PM

Everyone is invited to join us at our next Local & National Outreach (LNOC) meeting on November 2nd at 6 pm. . We invite anyone who has a Holiday charity that they would like to present to LNOC for funding or participation to join us and present for their charity. If you have any questions, or if you would like to present, please contact Travis Lee at tlee777790@gmail.com or 850-503-5587. Thank you.

Also, if you are cleaning out your closets over Fall Break and have some new or gently used blankets and adult sized cold weather gear (coats, jackets, gloves, socks, thermal underwear, toboggans, sweatshirts, sweatpants, warm scarves, and sleeping bags), save them for our upcoming Blanket and Cold Weather Gear drive. Stay tuned for details on when and where the collection point will be.

Youth Christmas Conference (Dec. 28-30)

Registration Open

All 10-12th grade Youth are invited to Christmas Conference at Camp McDowell on December 28-30th at Camp McDowell! This year’s program is “Unwrapping Your Faith,” which will be led by Bishop Richard Lawson. Registration and more information can be found in this link. Contact Grace Turner at alabamayouth@gmail.com with questions or for more information.

Adult Formation Class: ONE FAITH, MANY MEMBERS - Different Denominations & the Episcopal Church

Fr. Donavan is leading his final installment of his Adult Christian Formation class on different denominations THIS SUNDAY, October 4th, in the Parish Hall. We have been discussing where many denominations come from, how they have developed in the United States and their presence here in North Alabama, and how each one is related to and different from our Episcopal Church.  So if you’d like to know what makes a Baptist different from a Presbyterian or a Missouri Synod Lutheran different from a ELCA Lutheran, or if you’d just like to be prepared to explain what makes the Episcopal Church different but also similar to the church your neighbor attends, then this is a conversation you will not want to miss! Join us this Sunday at 9:35 am in the Parish Hall! 

Children and Youth Sunday School

The Children's Ministry invites you to Sunday School from 9:30 am - 10:15 am. For pre-K through 1st graders, Ms. Renee' is leading our Godly Play class in Hiers 4. Second through 5th graders participate in the Love First class led by Ms. Laura Beth in Hiers 2. Email our Children's Ministry Coordinator, Laura Beth Bestor, here for more information.



Middle Schoolers are encouraged to join our new Sunday School class just for them (6th-8th graders)! Titled Expanding Our Roots, and led by Kathleen Brewer and Kathie Clayton, we will meet in the new Middle School classroom in Hudson Hall.

Ninth-12th graders, please join us in the Youth Room for the senior high Sunday School titled Sharing the Fruits led by Ethan Evans. Contact Ethan Evans here if you have questions.

First Stop Explained

By Tim Davis, Board of Directors, First Stop



We continue to learn how First Stop Encounters, Connects, and Empowers Huntsville's homeless to Independent, Sustainable Living. This week, we learn how the First Stop clients can connect to services needed for them to move towards independent, sustainable living.

In October 2023, with great support from our city, First Stop started a Substance Use Disorder (SUD, a.k.a. addiction) Services program. We hired a licensed therapist as our SUD Services coordinator to organize a wide range of partnerships and our Encounter, Connect, and Empower staffs. In 3 years, we identified 774 people with SUD symptoms, evaluated 300, recommended 260 for in/outpatient therapy, and placed 172 in therapy. More than 70 have graduated to our Post Recovery program. 

Knowing addicted people do not succeed in, we open a path to remove a barrier. One more step to independent, sustainable living.

This Afternoon, Thursday, October 1

4 pm- Centering Prayer, Crossroads Room

Friday, October 2

10:47 am- Bible Study, Conference Room

12:05 pm- Pray the Rosary, Nave

Sunday, October 4

8 am- Holy Eucharist Rite II, Nave

9:30 am- Christian Formation for Adults, Youth, & Children (Parish Hall, Youth Room, Hiers Hall)

10:30 am- Holy Eucharist Rite II with Children's Moment & Children's Chapel, Nave

5 pm- "Come As You Are" Holy Eucharist, Nave

Monday, October 5

8 pm- Compline (Book of Common Prayer, page 127) with Rev. Jeannie on Facebook page link here

Wednesday, October 7

9:30 am- Bible Study , Conference Room

5 pm- Bible Study, Library

Thursday, October 8

7 am- Morning Prayer, St. Anne's Chapel in Hiers Hall

4 pm- Centering Prayer, Crossroads Room

Phone: 256.880.0247

Email: StThomas@stthomashuntsville.org