THE EPISTLE:

July 25, 2024

The Feast of St. James the Apostle

BRING YOUR SCHOOL BACKPACKS TO THE 10:30 EUCHARIST THIS SUNDAY!

Join us for our annual Blessing of the Backpacks this Sunday, July 28, at the 10:30am Holy Eucharist. All children and teachers are invited to come up to the front of the church after the Passing of the Peace with their backpacks and school bags for a special blessing from Fr. Donavan with his "Holy Water Super Soaker!"  Backpack tags will be available at all three Sunday worship services.

Join us for Everybody's Pub Theology TONIGHT!

Sit down with Fr. Donavan and Deacon Jeannie tonight, Thursday, July 25, from 6-7:30pm, at PaPPo's Pizzeria, at 7540 Memorial Pkwy SW, Huntsville, for great fellowship, good food, tasty drinks, and hearty discussion!

Email Jeannie jrann228@gmail.com and let her know if you plan to join!

Pray the Rosary 

TOMORROW, July 26

The St. Thomas Rosary Prayer Group gathers every other Friday in the church at 12:05pm to pray the Rosary. 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, we always have Rosary beads available, as well as written directions to help you fully participate in this meaningful, scriptural, and contemplative prayer practice. If you would like to join us, the Rosary will be prayed again at St. Thomas Friday, July 26, at 12:05pm.

Youth Ocoee Rafting Trip

TOMORROW, July 26

There's still time to join the fun! The cost is $20.00 and scholarships are available (must be 12yrs of age). Text or email Jeannie for more information 256-348-9918 or jrann228@gmail.com.

EYC/YP where WE LEARN ABOUT GOD, INCREASE OUR FAITH,

AND SERVE THE PARISH.

Little Free Pantry

Backpack Distribution

Today & Tomorrow!

We are distributing backpacks starting today through tomorrow, July 25-26. Please join us for this heartwarming experience! If you have any questions or wish to join us handing out backpacks, contact Debbie Harriman at 256-509-6606 or dharriman5817@gmail.com.

Thank you, St. Thomas!

Last week, St. Thomas was transformed into Narnia as nearly 40 children attended Aslan Is on the Move VBS. Fr. Donavan and I both have fond memories of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe being part of our childhoods; and we appreciate the many people in this parish who helped the VBS children create their own magical Narnian memories while learning about Jesus. From those who loaned, created, or hung up props and backgrounds; those who dressed up as characters; those who prepared and served snacks and lunch; those who led Bible stories, activities, music, games, and crafts; those who took photographs; and those that helped make sure the children were having a good, safe time, it took a village to pull the week off.  Thank you for spending your time with the children.  

Last week, VBS students brought nearly 250 items for our Little Free Pantry.  They also packed nearly 200 snack packs for the Little Free Pantry with the bulk of those coming from your donations. Thank you for giving them hands-on experience about being the branches to Jesus' vine.

With humble gratitude,

Laura Beth Bestor

Children's Ministry Coordinator

Our New Associate Priest, the Rev. Katie Kirk arrives NEXT SUNDAY, August 1st!

We are thrilled to welcome the Rev. Katie Kirk to St. Thomas as our new Associate Priest! Mtr. Katie is an Alabama native and a graduate of Auburn, where she received her Bachelor's degree in Philosophy. She received her Master's of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School, with an Anglican Studies diploma from Berkeley Divinity School. Mtr. Katie was ordained as a priest earlier this year at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Birmingham, and she is currently working as the Interim Global Relations and Networking Officer for the wider Episcopal Church. Katie's current job finishes later this month, and she will join us at St. Thomas on August 1st, with her first Sunday set for Sunday, August 4th. Plan for a special breakfast "Meet and Greet" with Mtr. Katie after the 8am Eucharist on August 4th and a welcome reception in the Parish Hall immediately following the 10:30 Eucharist. St. Thomas is very excited to welcome Mtr. Katie to our church community!

2024 Lobsterfest Season is Here!

The 2024 Lobsterfest season kicked off in June, with David Hattaway and Tom Perry chaired as co-Kings. This year's Lobsterfest offers a variety of opportunities for everyone, featuring both Drive Through and Eat-in options.

Several committees play a crucial role in making Lobsterfest a success. If you're interested in leading one of these committees, please contact David Hattaway at (256) 337-0973 or hattaway.david@gmail.com, or Tom Perry at (256) 348-4313 or perrytbne@aol.com. You can also reach out to any member of the steering committee. There's a book in the Information Hall that outlines the roles and responsibilities of the committee chairs, and past chairs are available to provide guidance.

The committees include BBQ, Lobster Alley, Lobster Rolls, Parish Dinner, Kitchen (Preparation and Serving), Bake Sales, Soup & Savories, Concessions, Meal Distribution, Music Tent, Children's Activities, Artisans/Crafters, Event Set-Up, Parish Hall Clean-up, T-Shirts, Decorations, and Parking.

Rally Day is Coming!

Save the Date NOW for, Sunday, August 18th!

St. Thomas' Rally Day Sunday is less than a month away, so SAVE THE DATE NOW for Sunday, August 18th! This year, for Rally Day, we will have ONE MORNING EUCHARIST at 10 AM to bring our church family together, with special Southern Gospel Music, lead by our Choir, our talented Gospel pianist, Sam Wright, and special musical guests! After worship, we will have a Parish lunch in the Parish Hall, where our Ministry Fair will be on display for the upcoming Fall season. And for children and families, we will have a big water slide, a smaller water slide/bouncy house combo, and a 2-station sports inflatable. We need responsible adults who can help make sure our young parishioners and friends are playing safely on the water slides and bouncy house. There are two shifts available: 11:30-1:00 and 1:00-2:30pm. Email our Children's Ministry Coordinator, Laura Beth, (children@stthomashuntsville.org) if you can help.

Thursday Centering Prayer and Book Study returns

next Thursday, August 1

The weekly Centering Prayer gathering resumes on Thursday, August 1, from 4-5pm in the Newcomers Room. We will begin reading Richard Rohr's book, Just This. If you are new to our group, WELCOME! Dan Miller will be leading our first gathering on August 1, so please let him know if you plan to attend so he can open the door and let you in. Email Dan at danmiller.ret@gmail.com. We begin each gathering with a 20 minute silent prayer and then share, read, and discuss our book. Looking forward to seeing you all in August!

Annual Parish Outing to Trash Pandas Game August 11! Purchase your tickets now!

It's time to start purchasing our seats for our annual parish outing to a Rocket City Trash Pandas baseball game. Join us on August 11 to help show the Rocket City some St. Thomas spirit as our choir sings the National Anthem before the Trash Pandas take on the Birmingham Barons. First pitch is at 4:05 pm at Toyota Field. If we have at least 50 in our group, we will become candidates for someone from our party to throw the first pitch, so buy your tickets early. Purchase your ticket(s) online directly by clicking on this link. There is a deadline of August 10, 2pm CST to purchase tickets. Financial assistance is available by contacting Fr. Donavan or Deacon Jeannie. If there is enough interest, we will take the church bus to the Trash Pandas game. For help ordering tickets or if you're interested in riding the bus, contact the church office at 256-880-0247 or email Laura Beth (children@stthomashuntsville.org).

"Come As You Are"

5pm Holy Eucharist

This Sunday, and every Sunday, we have our "Come As You Are" Holy Eucharist. Our 5pm Holy Eucharist features joyful hymns from the Alleluia III hymnal and gospel music chosen by our skilled keyboard master, Sam Wright. We also have good sermons preached from the floor. Come as you are and invite a friend to join you for the 5pm Holy Eucharist at St. Thomas.

We are looking for Eucharistic Ministers, greeters, and readers for our 5pm Holy Eucharist services. Please look for a signup sheet in the Narthex where the Hymnals are placed. No experience necessary!

The Bailey Cove

Farmer's Market

Please come out this weekend, support our local farmers, and get a taste of all our Farmer's Market at St. Thomas has to offer! If you'd like to help, we still need volunteers for set up and take down throughout out the season! You can volunteer to help by signing up on the poster on the bulletin board in Information Hall. We sincerely appreciate your willingness to support and help our Bailey Cove Farmers Market!! Start making your Farmers Market grocery list now!

Closing day of VBS 2024 last week!

Phone: 256.880.0247

Email: StThomas@stthomashuntsville.org