THE EPISTLE:

October 16, 2025

Help Build Beds!

THIS SUNDAY

October 19, 2–5 PM

Sign-up TODAY!

St. Thomas will build beds to give 40-50 children in Huntsville a bed to sleep in at night rather than sleeping on the floor or a couch! No woodworking skills are necessary, just a desire to help children in need. 

This is a great event to share with the family as we need help with many aspects. Teens can help with the bed building process, and children can help create no-sew pillows. Laura Beth Bestor will be aiding the children with making these items. Please contact Laura Beth HERE if you plan to attend with kids.

The Sleep in Heavenly Peace bed build is THIS Sunday, October 19 from 2-5 p.m. at their warehouse at 6000 Technology Drive. Directions will be sent to the volunteers prior to the project. 

Sign up sheets are still available at the church office or contact George Harriman at 256-509-6666 or georgeharriman51@gmail.com. If you cannot attend but would like to contribute in another way, twin bedding sets and pillows are needed. These can be purchased online at major retailers such as Amazon or Walmart. Please drop them off at the church office, or bring them along if you are attending the bed build. 

Monetary donations made out to “SHP Huntsville AL” can be sent to the church or dropped off at the church office. Thank you in advance for your support.

Sign up sheets are still available at the church office or contact George Harriman at 256-509-6666 or email George HERE.  If you cannot attend but would like to contribute in another way, twin bedding sets and pillows are needed. These can be purchased online at major retailers such as Amazon or Walmart. Please drop them off at the church office, or bring them along if you are attending the bed build. 

Monetary donations made out to “SHP Huntsville AL” can be sent to the church or dropped off at the church office. Thank you in advance for your support.

Silver Saints Presents: We Are Marshall

TODAY, October 16 at 1 PM

Since it is now “football season” once again, it is appropriate to watch an excellent football movie as part of St. Thomas’ Silver Saints Movie Matinee. We will show on Thursday, October 16, the inspirational movie We are Marshall; depicting a true story as an university attempts to recover from the loss of their entire football team in a fatal airplane crash returning from a game. Starring Matthew McConaughey and Matthew Cox, it offers a God-fearing resilience drama with lessons to be learned by all.

As always, the Silver Saints Movie Matinee offers fun and fellowship with our parishioners and visitors. We offer free snacks and beverages, and we will even pick you up and return you home if you wish. We offer comfortable seating and a time-out break half way through the movie. Please bring your friends and ask people from our neighborhood. Call Jack or Becky Stokes at 256-468-2743, or the church office at 256-880-0247. Please call 24 hours ahead if you will need a ride. Please come join us.

Mom's Group

TONIGHT, October 16

El Vaquero at 6:30 PM

Due to the set up for wedding and reception at St. Thomas, the Mom's Group will meet at a El Vaquero, 10020 Memorial Parkway SW, 35803. It is right in front of the Home Depot.

St. Thomas’ Mom's group ministry for mothers with children ages 0 - 18. The monthly Mom's Group is 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 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 HERE for more info.

Pray the Rosary

THIS Friday, October 17

12:05 PM

Join us to Pray the Rosary every other Friday at 12:05 p.m. 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.

Bailey Cove Farmers' Market

Pop Up Event

This Saturday, October 18!

The Bailey Cove Farmers Market at St. Thomas is hosting its October 18 Pop-Up Market from 8 a.m.–12 p.m. Come see your regular season favorites and meet some new local vendors. There will be more than 35 vendors with a variety of local produce, baked goods, local honey, hand crafted treasures, goats to pet, and more!

St. Thomas' Stewardship Campaign for 2026 Begins

NOW! Turn in your pledge card soon!

Dear St. Thomas family,

As we enter our 2026 Stewardship Campaign, our theme this year, “Tell Out My Soul,” invites us to echo Mary’s song of joy and gratitude: “Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!” from the Gospel of Luke 1:46–55.

At its heart, stewardship is more than giving — it’s how we proclaim God’s goodness through our gratitude, generosity, and service. Each gift we share tells the story of God’s love at work in our community. Through your faithful giving, St. Thomas continues to be a place where worship inspires, outreach transforms, and faith deepens. From our altar to our classrooms, from pastoral care to community outreach, your support helps us live out the Gospel in word and deed.

As we look toward 2026, we’re invited to prayerfully consider how our gifts can “tell out” God’s greatness in new and joyful ways. Every pledge, every act of love, strengthens the ministries that make this church a beacon of hope and welcome. Stay tuned for more information about Stewardship Sunday and ways to make your pledge. Together, let us “tell out our souls” — proclaiming the greatness of the Lord in our worship, our giving, and our daily lives.

Faithfully,

David Hattaway

Stewardship Chair

St. Thomas Episcopal Church

Adult Christian Formation continues THIS SUNDAY

with Mtr. Katie:

Collects and Prayers

Where do all those little prayers come from in the Sunday morning liturgy? What is a "collect," and how are "collects" different from other prayers? Join Mtr. Katie in the Parish Hall this Sunday at 9:30 AM for a new series on the Collects in the Book of Common Prayer. Bring your BCP if you have one, but we will also use a digital BCP on the big screen!

Sunday morning Book Study with Fr. Donavan: Supernatural-What the Bible teaches about the unseen world & why it matters

Join Fr. Donavan this Sunday in Conference Rm. 1 for the continuation of his October book study on, Supernatural, by Michael S. Heiser! This book takes on the strange and sometimes avoided passages of the Old and New Testament. It isn't that these passages from the Bible are avoided or passed over by preachers because they about hot-button issues or hard to understand, they are avoided because they are about the supernatural and what Heiser refers to as "the unseen world." Find out what the Bible actually has to tell us about the strange and the supernatural, and how what the Bible has to say about the "unseen world" actually matters today for our world and our deeper understanding of our faith.

The audio version of the book Supernatural can be checked out through the online Huntsville Public Library App Hoopla, or you can purchase a Kindle version of the book through Amazon for only $5.99.

Join Fr. Donavan THIS SUNDAY at 9:30 AM in Conference Rm. 1!

Compline Online

Mondays at 8 PM

with Dcn. Jeannie

Looking for a new prayer opportunity and a way to center yourself in prayer each week? Continuing every Monday at 8 p.m., you’re invited to join Dcn. Jeannie online for Compline. Compline is a brief evening prayer service and a peaceful way to set your week with intention and to end your day with a sense of completion and stillness.

The service lasts just 15 minutes and can be accessed on St. Thomas’ Facebook page. You simply need a Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and to turn to pg. 127.

It will be LIVE every Monday at 8 PM.

Please contact jrann228@gmail.com or the front office for more information.

Morning Prayer at St. Thomas, Thursday mornings, beginning on October 23 at

7 AM in St. Anne's Chapel

Beginning next Thursday, join us for Morning Prayer in St. Anne’s Chapel at the end of Hiers Hall. Simply enter Hiers Hall and follow the hallway all the way to the end. There will be signs directing you. As we seek to expand our options for praying together during the week, we hope to see our early birds and any brave night owls at this service of prayer and Scripture. You don't have to know how to read Morning Prayer; we'll teach you!

UPCOMING

Bishop Glenda Curry visits St. Thomas

Sunday, October 26

Bishop Glenda Curry will be with us at St. Thomas at both the 8 a.m. and the 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist on Sunday, October 26, to preach and to offer the sacrament of Confirmation. The Bishop will also receive new members into the Episcopal Church and reaffirm the faith of the St. Thomas members who have been attending Sunday's Adult Confirmation class.

This year for Bishop Curry's visit we are again planning a special, celebratory breakfast, beginning immediately following the 8 a.m. Eucharist to welcome Bishop Curry and to honor our confirmands and new and reaffirmed members. At 9:45 a.m., Bishop Curry will be invited to address the church in the Parish Hall, and everyone is encouraged to attend. There will also be a light reception after the 10:30 a.m. Eucharist.

Please plan on welcoming Bishop Curry and celebrating our newly confirmed, received, and reaffirmed youth and adults on Sunday, October 26!

Halloween Trunk or Treat 

and Family Dinner

Sunday, October 26!

We invite you to celebrate Halloween by  joining us for dinner in the Parish Hall at 5:30 p.m. Dinner will be “Ghoul-ash”, buttered green beans and garlic bread. We ask that you provide a scary dessert to share. 

After dinner the children will go trunk or treating in the parking lot. This is usually very fun and popular so we hope to see you there!

We will need lots of decorated trunks to visit. There will be a sign up sheet in Information Hall or you can contact Laura Beth Bestor if you plan to be in the parking lot. Vehicles will be lining up outside the Parish Hall under the parking lot lights.

LOBSTERFEST 32

Volunteers for Lobsterfest Needed

WE NEED YOU FOR LOBSTERFEST 32

Sign-Up in the Narthex

With Lobsterfest 101 under our belt, it is offically Lobsterfest season at St. Thomas! Don't forget that volunteer sign-up sheets for the many different aspects of Lobsterfest are in the Narthex for you to let us know when you'll be able to take a shift between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to help make Lobsterfest 32 a success! 

Not able to help on Lobsterfest Day November 8?  You can help our Bake Sale Committee led by Kathie Clayton, Kelly Evans, Gwen Monroe, & Martha Wilson, by baking cookies, bars, cakes, and pies or provide an item or two for Soups and Savories led by Frances Steel. Contact Frances Steel HERE if you're interested in helping with soups and savories or Martha Wilson HERE to contribute to the bake sale.

Stop by Information Hall on Sundays to purchase your Lobsterfest t-shirt and pick-up yard signs or stickers to update a previous yard sign.  

We are excited to announce that the St. Thomas Children's Ministry is presenting the first ever Kids' Makers Market at St. Thomas Lobsterfest. Young artisans are invited to sell their self-made goods—creative art, slime, jewelry, knit/crochet, soaps, candles, birdhouses, woodwork items, etc., in 2 hour timeslots from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. The church will provide the tent, table, and chairs. The young artisans get to keep their earnings. 

There are no booth fees, but application via THIS LINK or by the QR code in the attached flyer by October 29 is a MUST. Please share this with folks that might find this interesting and view THIS PDF for all the info!

Artisan Fair at Lobsterfest

Update for

St. Thomas Creates at Lobsterfest

St. Thomas Creates is ready to receive your art and craft donations. Please bring them to the Volunteer’s desk just inside the office door. There are stickers for you to mark the price and your name, and a form to accompany your donation(s) at the desk. All items will be kept in a secure room until Lobsterfest. We will continue to receive your creations until November 7th.

Thank you for donating your time and talent to St. Thomas Creates. All proceeds go directly to Lobsterfest. 

Please contact Donna Clark donnadfclark@gmail.com or Maggie Hall at Maggie.carter.hall@gmail.com

All proceeds go to Local Outreach and the Honduras Medical Mission. Support the cause by donating below. You can also CLICK HERE.

Registration for the Lobsterfest 5k is OPEN! CLICK HERE to register NOW!

ONGOING

Treble Choir Rehearsals Continue through Fall!

The Treble Choir sings approximately once a month at the 10:30 a.m. worship service and our special services this year will include Lessons and Carols and Christmas Eve. All children in 2nd-8th Grades are invited to join! Bring a friend!

The Treble Choir schedule is available HERE and is posted on the bulletin board leading to Hiers Hall, the choir bulletin board in Hudson Hall, and the St. Thomas Website. Rehearsals are Sunday afternoons 3:30 – 4:15 p.m. Please email Miss Kathy at music@stthomashuntsville.org for details!

Join the St. Thomas Adult Choir

You don't have to be a kid to sing! The St. Thomas adult choir is returning after the summer and welcoming new members. Click HERE to see and hear the St. Thomas choir practicing their anthem for this Sunday.

Children's Sunday School continues this Sunday at 9:30am-10:15am! Join us in Hiers Hall as we gear up for a year of faith, love, and fun! 

Godly Play class for Pre-K through 1st graders is led by Renee' Redfield in Hiers 4. 

Storymakers for 2nd and 3rd graders is by Nichole Hargrove in Hiers 6. 

Thou Art class for 4th through 6th graders led by Laura Beth Bestor in Hiers.  

Our nursery is open from 7:45 a.m.-12 p.m. on Sundays for those younger than Pre-K. We have our Play'n'Worship curriculum available for those in the nursery to enjoy on Sunday mornings. Contact our Children's Ministry Coordinator via email at children@stthomashuntsville.org.

Do you have questions about the Bible? Have you wondered about what everything in the Book of Common Prayer means? Come to Youth Sunday School to try and answer those questions and more! 7-12th graders meet during formation time in the Youth Room at 9:30 a.m. every Sunday to talk about Covenants in the Bible!

7-12th Graders! Weekly EYC (Episcopal Youth Community) has RETURNED. EYC meets Sunday evenings from 6-8 p.m. Got Questions? Contact our Youth Minister, Ethan Evans, HERE for more information.

Phone: 256.880.0247

Email: StThomas@stthomashuntsville.org