St. Thomas will be closed Monday, September 1, in observance of Labor Day.

THE EPISTLE:

August 28, 2025

FINAL DAY TO PREORDER: BBQ Bandits St Jude's Children Hospital Benefit

The BBQ Bandits are firing up the smoker to support St Jude's Children's Hospital. This year’s event is THIS Labor Day Weekend Aug. 30-Aug. 31, 12-2 PM, and the deadline to PREORDER your favorite BBQ is TODAY! The website is still available for online orders HERE and on the church website. Please email us at stthomasbbq@gmail.com to get included if you are not already on our distribution list!

Everybody's Pub Theology

TONIGHT, August 28,

6 PM at PaPPo's

Please join Fr. Donavan for Everybody's Pub Theology tonight, Thursday, August 28, from 6–7:30 p.m., at PaPPo's Pizzeria, at 7540 Memorial Pkwy SW, Huntsville!

And back by (somewhat) popular demand, there WILL BE A TOPIC FOR THEOLOGICAL & EXPERIENTIAL DISCUSSION TONIGHT: Where have you had your closest experience with God in your life? What locations from your past and present experiences in life do you consider truly "Holy Places"?

Join us at Pappo's Tonight, starting at 6pm, for great fellowship, good food, tasty drinks, and hearty discussion!

The Bailey Cove Farmers' Market Summer Season ENDS This Saturday

The Bailey Cove Farmers' Market at St. Thomas finishes its very successful summer season for 2025 THIS SATURDAY MORNING, starting at 8 AM! Don't miss your final chance to shop your favorite Farmers Market Grocery list one more time before the summer season wraps up!

And be on the lookout for special "Pop Up" BCFM@St. Thomas THIS FALL! That's right, beginning in September, the Bailey Cove Farmers' Market will RETURN to St. Thomas for special "pop up" installments of many of your favorite vendors once a month through December!

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS VOLUNTEERED AND ASSISTED OUR BCFM COMMITTEE IN MAKING THIS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL SUMMER SEASONS EVER! And if you'd like to get involved, please talk to our BCFM Committee Chair and Junior Warden, David Hattaway, to volunteer for the Farmers' Market "Pop Ups" this Fall!

Sign up NOW for this year's Adult Confirmation Class, beginning Sunday, Sept. 21

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 beginning next month on Sunday, September 21st! 

This year, Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation will be offered on Sunday, October 26th, during Bishop Glenda Curry's visit to St. Thomas. Fr. Donavan & Mtr. Katie will offer an Adult Confirmation class with a light luncheon each Sunday, beginning September 21st, immediately following the 10:30 am Holy Eucharist. The class will run from September 21st through October 19th this year.

To get on the list this year, SIGN UP IN INFORMATION HALL THIS SUNDAY or send an email to Kathie in the church office by clicking HERE! And if you have questions about confirmation, reception, or reaffirmation, email Fr. Donavan HERE or Mtr. Katie HERE, or simply catch them this Sunday before or after the church services.

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! 

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

Storymakers, our new class for 2nd and 3rd graders, will be led by Nichole Hargrove in Hiers 6. 

Laura Beth Bestor will lead our Thou Art class for 4th through 6th graders.  

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. We are going to the Trash Pandas with the Parish this Sunday and will NOT MEET THIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 28! We will return to our regular schedule Sept. 7. Got Questions? Contact our Youth Minister, Ethan Evans, HERE for more information.

"How Faith Brings Hope & Balance to our Best of Times & Worst of Times" continues this Sunday in the Parish Hall!

This Sunday, at 9:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall, Sunday Adult Christian Formation continues with a series of classes led by Fr. Donavan! Through Sunday, September 14th, we will discuss the ways in which our Christian faith and the church can bring us the hope, balance, and rhythm of life we desperately need today, in our best times as well as during times of worry, anxiety, fear, and struggle in our life.

In his sermon on Rally Day this year, Fr. Donavan said, "The church is, above all else, a hospital and a health care facility for the care of our souls." With that proclamation in mind, this Adult Formation Class is meant to be a kick-off to an entire season of Christian Education offerings focused on how our faith as Christians is meant to be medicine that heals our spiritual wounds, gives us strength to face the struggles of life, and keeps us spiritually resolved and focused. Whether you come to the 8:00 a.m. Eucharist or to the 10:30 a.m. Eucharist, please plan to either come early or stay late for a great breakfast and this important discussion on putting Christian faith to work in our busy lives!

Memo from the Finance Office:

Thank you for your continued faithful giving to St. Thomas. Above is a snapshot of our year to date gifts through August 24, 2025 received through pledge payments and plate receipts. Please contact the Finance office at finance@stthomashuntsville.org or call the church office 256.880.0247 if you have any questions.

Sunday Suppers Are Back!

Beginning Sunday, September 7

SIGN UP NOW!

On Sunday, September 7, we will have our first Sunday Supper of the fall. The supper will start at approximately 6 PM, after the 5 PM Eucharist. Enjoy an evening of no cooking and good company. John Callahan has graciously offered to grill hamburgers for us. We want to be sure to have enough, but we don't want to cook a whole lot more than we need. If you'd like to join us, please sign up HERE. Looking forward to seeing everyone on September 7th!

Request from the Flower Guild: Please Return Vases

Many of you have been blessed to receive flowers from our Flower Guild, and we are so grateful to share these arrangements as a sign of beauty and care within our parish family.

If you have received flowers recently, we kindly ask that you return the vases once you are finished enjoying them. Our supply is limited, and returning them helps us continue this ministry of sharing.

Vases may be placed outside the Flower Guild Room, which is the first door on the right inside Information Hall.

Thank you for helping us continue to brighten our parish with flowers each week!

UPCOMING

Acolyte Training

Children and Youth

3rd Grade and Up

Sunday, Sept. 7 at 10:30 AM

Are you in 3rd-12th grade? Do you want to carry the torches? The Cross? The Gospel Book? Have we got an opportunity for you! Saint Thomas wants YOU to come to Acolyte Training on September 7 after the 10:30 a.m. service! Contact Ethan, our Youth Minister and Acolyte Director HERE or at youth@stthomashuntsville.org.

Treble Choir Rehearsals begin on Sunday, September 7th!

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



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. beginning September 7.

Please email Miss Kathy at music@stthomashuntsville.org for details!

LOBSTERFEST 2025!

Artisan Fair at Lobsterfest

Are You an Artist?

Showcase your talents with

St. Thomas Creates at Lobsterfest

We are seeking hand made items created by our members for our brand new “St. Thomas Creates” tent at Lobsterfest. Examples include stitching, knitting, painting, photography, woodworking, or stained glass. 

All proceeds go directly to Lobsterfest. 

Questions - please contact Donna Clark donnadfclark@gmail.com or

Maggie Hall 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

Training for DOK

Ladies, if you are searching for more in your spiritual life, your prayer life and are seeking more connections with God and His people (that's all of us!) then we encourage you to consider the Daughters of the King (DOK).

DOK will begin a training program of six weekly sessions of discernment for those interested in learning more about DOK. Each Thursday, beginning Aug. 21 through Sept. 25 from 6–7:30 p.m. We will explain what DOK is and how it can enrich your life. There will be study, reflection and discussion.

If this interests you, consider joining our order. Commitment to membership is after all our sessions. Please come TONIGHT to learn more! For information contact Gayle Dodson at hbd@hiwaay.net or 256-508-2651 or ask any DOK member- we all wear our DOK crosses so we are easy to identify!

Phone: 256.880.0247

Email: StThomas@stthomashuntsville.org