THE EPISTLE:

November 7, 2024

LOBSTERFEST IS ALMOST HERE ST. THOMAS! LAST CHANCE TO GET YOUR ORDER IN!

Parishioners of St. Thomas, we need you to place your orders for Lobsterfest and the Parish Dinner this week! Also, encourage your family, friends and co-workers to place an order for Lobsterfest 31 now, as well! Use the link below or visit lobstersrock.com, and order today!

Bake Sale and Desserts

by the Slice

Timers are going off all over Huntsville! Lobsterfest is just days away and the bakers of St. Thomas are busy making their favorite homemade treats for the Dessert Table and Bake Sale. It’s a Baker’s Choice year–Desserts by the Slice will be selling pieces of pies and cakes and the Bake Sale will include whatever you choose to make. Please bring your delicious treats to the Parlor Friday, November 8, between 3-5 PM or on Lobsterfest morning before 9:15. Remember to package bake sale goods in clear containers or covered with clear plastic wrap. Some ribbon, a bow or decorative tag always adds a special touch. PLEASE LABEL ALL ITEMS! For Bake Sale questions contact Nancy Teasdale at 256 651-1449. For Dessert by the Slice questions contact Debbie Harriman at 256 509-6606.

Lobsterfest Sunday, is THIS SUNDAY, November 10th! One morning Eucharist only at 10 am, followed by Parish Dinner!

The Sunday following Lobsterfest has been declared "Lobsterfest Sunday" here at St. Thomas. It is a time to come together and offer thanks after the hard work of a successful Lobsterfest, as well as to worship together and to enjoy fellowship!

This year, we will again have only ONE MORNING EUCHARIST at 10:00 am this Lobsterfest Sunday. Immediately following our worship together, we will gather as a church family in the Parish Hall for a special Lobsterfest Sunday Parish Dinner.

ALSO THIS SUNDAY, in observance of Veterans Day, we encourage all Veterans who would like to do so to dress in their military uniforms. We will take time during the Peace to honor those among us who have served and ask them to stand and come forward as we offer a prayer in honor and recognition of their contribution and service to our nation.

There will be a second opportunity to worship this Sunday at the 5pm 'Come as you are' Holy Eucharist.

And Don't Forget to Register for the Lobsterfest Parish Dinner BY TOMORROW, NOVEMBER 8th!

Join us for our annual Lobsterfest Parish Dinner THIS SUNDAY, November 10, immediately after the 10:00am Holy Eucharist! We will celebrate together the conclusion of another great Lobsterfest and share the bounty (and some leftovers) of this year's festival! 

Lobster entrees are $28 and chicken entrees are $15. Reservations are required since space is limited in the Parish Hall, so please register by TOMORROW, NOVEMBER 8TH, to ensure you have a seat! You can register NOW by clicking the button below! We have just a few spots left!

Thursday Evening Book Study on William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist, continues TONIGHT, November 7

Fr. Donavan will continue his book study on William Peter Blatty’s 1971 bestseller, The Exorcist on Thursday, November 7th, at 6pm in Conference Room 1

If you’ve never read the book before, this is a unique opportunity to do so with the full support and spiritual guidance of a priest. And if you have read the book and maybe watched the 1973 film, this will be a chance to revisit it within a deep conversation on Christian faith, struggles with doubt, and encounters with spiritual evil.

Please note that this conversation is about the BOOK and not the MOVIE, though comparisons and reflections on the film will certainly come up in the discussion. Finally, due to the disturbing and mature content, this book study is for adults only. Please do not bring children.

For those without key fobs to access the office entrance to the church campus, please enter through the main Narthex entrance to the church, which will be open from 5:45pm to 6:15pm each Thursday evening.

All Sunday School Classes Resume Next Sunday, November 17

We will not be having breakfast or Sunday morning formation this Sunday, November 10 following Lobsterfest. Breakfast and formation offerings will resume Sunday, November 19th.

2024 Election of St. Thomas Delegates for Diocesan Convention

If you are interested in being a delegate for next year's 194th Diocesan Convention for the Diocese of Alabama, January 30-February 1, right here in NE Alabama in the city of Decatur, now is the time to give us your name. In the coming weeks, St. Thomas will need to elect a slate of 5 delegates plus alternates for the next year's convention. If you would like to represent St. Thomas at convention next year, please send your name to our Communication Director, Carey McIntyre, by clicking HERE.

Silver Saints

Thursday, November 21 Because of Winn-Dixie

Your Silver Saints Matinee Movie  for November 2024 is a funny, raucous story of a young girl new in town and her very special dog. Don’t worry… this is a happy dog story so handkerchiefs are not necessary. Our movie; Because of Winn-Dixie, starring Jeff Daniels, Cicely Tyson, AnnaSophia Robb, and others, is a “Sweet, Family-Friendly, Touching and Funny” story about a girl and her dog who bring magic to her community. This is a movie with a nod to St. Thomas and all of its food ministries on the door steps of Thanksgiving.  Come join us in the St. Thomas Parish Hall at 1:00 PM on Thursday, November 21, 2024. 

The Silver Saints Movie Matinee offers fun and fellowship with our parishioners and visitors much like going to a theater, but free. We offer 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 256-881-4748, or the church office at 256-880-0247. Please call 24 hours ahead if you will need a ride. Please come join us and be happy.

Friendsgiving, November 28th, at 4 pm

Thanksgiving Dinner at St. Thomas - Mark your calendar for Thursday, November 28, 2024 at 4:00 pm. Parishioners without large families nearby will be gathering at the church that day to share a Friendsgiving meal. The proteins will be provided and participants are asked to bring a side dish to share. Please complete the Google form https://forms.gle/dvbmpDksrPTTT5r69 or sign up in the church office. Join us! If you have questions on how you can help, contact Renee' Redfield at renee.redfield@hsv-k12.org or 256-698-1184.

Class on the BCP led by Mtr. Katie Resumes NEXT Sunday, Nov. 17

Join Mtr. Katie in the Parish Hall next Sunday, November 17th, to hear about her love for our Book of Common Prayer and to learn about using the Prayer Book along with online tools for personal prayer and Bible reading in an ever-ancient, ever-new tradition practiced around the world: the Daily Office! If you own a Book of Common Prayer, please bring it with you (we will have extras)!

Class canceled for November 10 and will resume November 17.

Sunday Book Study with Fr. Donavan Seculosity by David Zahl Resumes Nov. 17

The vast number of polls, studies, and reports say that religion in America is continuing to decline. But is religion and faith for Americans really going away, or is it just being REPLACED by other attempts to bring purpose and meaning to our lives? Join Fr. Donavan for his book study during the Christian Formation hour in Conference Room 1, beginning at 9:30 AM each Sunday through the end of November, with the exception of this Sunday, November 10th, on the book, “Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance became our New Religion and What to Do About it”. The book’s author, David Zahl, is on the staff for Christ Episcopal Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, and has written numerous books on Culture, Religion, and Faith. The book is available on Amazon for $12 and there is assistance available if you need help purchasing a copy. Just let Fr. Donavan know by emailing him HERE. Come join Fr. Donavan Sunday, November 17th, at 9:30 AM in what will be a conversation concerning our Christian faith and perhaps the greatest struggle it is facing in the 21st century.

"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.

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!

Phone: 256.880.0247

Email: StThomas@stthomashuntsville.org