RALLY DAY IS COMING ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 13TH! READ ALL ABOUT IT IN THE 'UPCOMING' SECTION BELOW! | |
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THE EPISTLE:
July 27, 2023
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"Everybody's Pub Theology" returns TONIGHT at PaPPo's!
Sit down with St. Thomas friends & clergy TONIGHT for food, drinks, and conversation from 6-7:30 PM at PaPPo's Pizzaria, 7540 Memorial Pkwy SW! Text Jeannie and let her know you plan on joining us at 256-348-9918 or email Ranie now HERE!
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Fr. Donavan's discussion on Celtic Christianity continues this Sunday with Part II of his discussion of Skellig Micheal
Join Fr. Donavan as he continues his summer Sunday morning Christian Formation class on Celtic Spirituality and early Irish Christianity, beginning at 9:30am in the Parish Hall.
For this week's class, Donavan will continue his discussion of the amazing and ancient island of Skellig Michael. He will again be sharing photos of his personal pilgrimage to Skellig Michael earlier this year, as well as talking more about the history of the island and its important place in early Irish-Celtic Christianity and our ideas of Celtic Spirituality today.
If you’re interested in Celtic Spirituality or just want to understand the history of Christianity in Ireland and the British Isles, come join Fr. Donavan for this month-long class every Sunday through August 6th at 9:30am in the Parish Hall!
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BBQ BANDITS ARE BACK!
Special Fundraiser for Patterson Place! ORDER NOW!
The BBQ Bandits are firing up the smoker to support Patterson Place. This year’s event is just a couple of weeks away, on August 5th!. The website is available NOW for online orders HERE and there is also be a link on the church website. Please email us HERE NOW to get included if you are not already on our distribution list, and see below for more information about Patterson Place.
Patterson Place is a very “out of the box” innovative vocational community for adults with special needs right here at St. Thomas! We are a place where our citizens with disabilities will continue to learn and work; being celebrated and empowered in a God-centered environment as they engage in meaningful work and service. Our program currently runs Tuesday-Thursday each week. We want to change the way our world views this population by letting these individuals create beautiful, marketable items to sell to help sustain the vocational community they enjoy every day. They will become artisans, bakers, card makers, jewelry makers, and more.
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St. Thomas now has a VENMO account for easier online giving!
Forget your checkbook or cash and want to contribute to St. Thomas? Consider using our brand new VENMO account! If you have a VENMO account, you can now look for our new VENMO QR code (included here!) in the church and parish hall, or simply search on your VENMO app for @StThomasHsv. And please help the Finance Office by being sure to note where your contribution should go in the "What's it for?" line (e.g., breakfast, supper, donation, pledge, baseball game, Clergy Discretionary account, etc.).
And THANK YOU to Gail Perna and members of our Finance Committee for doing the hard work to bring the ease of VENMO to St. Thomas!
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Are you looking to deepen your faith? Join us for EfM: Education for Ministry
Do you want to know more about the Bible, Christian Tradition, and Church History? Are you hoping to understand how your personal experiences and beliefs bring you closer to God and God's people? If "yes," EfM (Education for Ministry) may be for you.
EfM is a four-year Christian Formation program founded and administered through the School of Theology of the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee. Through study, prayer, worship, and reflection, EfM seminar groups journey together through scripture, church history, and theology.
Graduating members of the EfM Program here at St. Thomas will be recognized at the 10:30am Holy Eucharist on Sunday, July 30th, and registration for the 2023-2024 year is almost here. The St. Thomas group meets on Tuesday evenings, September to May. There is a tuition fee to Sewanee and financial assistance is available.
There will be current EfM members available in Information Hall between services the next few weeks to answer questions. Look for the red buttons "Ask me about EfM," or contact Sally Barnett at 256-651-6545 and leave a message.
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St. Thomas Upcoming Youth Events: HAPPENING THIS WEEK!
SAVE THE DATE: THIS SUNDAY, July 30th, we are going to see a Trash Panda game along with others from the parish.
And on August 4, we will go on a weekend retreat at Camp McDowell. For those that have started school already, it will be a great time to decompress, and for those who haven’t begun it will be a great last hurrah. Fr. Donavan will be a special guest for our retreat that weekend! If you have any questions, you can call Noah at 256-701-6134 or call Jeannie at 256-348-9918.
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Blessing of the Backpacks: August 6th during the 10:30am Children's Moment!
Join us for our annual Blessing of the Backpacks on Sunday, August 6th, during the Children's Moment of the 10:30am Holy Eucharist! All children and teachers are invited to come up to the front of the church with their backpacks and school bags for a special blessing from Fr. Donavan. Backpack tags will be available at all three Sunday worship services.
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Get Ready for RALLY DAY! Fun, Food, & Fall Program Year Kick Off!
Sunday, August 13th
St. Thomas is reworking three of our end-of- summer events - Family Fun Day, Ministry Fair, and Rally Day- into ONE, BIG, EXCITING, FUN FILLED, FALL KICK-OFF RALLY DAY on Sunday, August 13th! That morning, we will have special music at the 10:30am Holy Eucharist followed immediately by a Fall Kick-Off Parish Luncheon, supplied by our Barbecue Bandits! While everyone is enjoying lunch, information will available with sign-up sheets for all our parish ministries inside the Parish Hall. And for kids and families, we will have an outdoor picnic area set up on the southside of campus, complete with a Bouncy House for little kids, a Waterslide for children, young and old, and a Velcro Wall for our older youth! It's all a new way to celebrate and kick-off of our Fall program year at St. Thomas, enjoy our church family, and INVITE FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS TO JOIN US AND SEE WHAT MAKES ST. THOMAS THE INCREDIBLE CHURCH COMMUNITY WE ARE!!!
So please mark your calendars NOW for Sunday morning, August 13th, for St. Thomas' NEW RALLY DAY, and start reaching out and inviting your friends to join us!
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Extra Help needed for Rally Day Outdoor Activities
The Children's and Youth Ministries need your help for Rally Day on Sunday, August 13! We are looking for responsible adults who can help make sure our young parishioners are playing safely on the bouncy house, water slide, and velcro wall. There are two shifts available: 11:30am-1:00p and 1:00p-2:30p. Email our Children's Ministry Coordinator, Laura Beth Bestor (children@stthomashuntsville.org), if you are interested in helping out.
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Jonathan Daniels Group Pilgrimage August 11 & 12
You are invited to join St. Thomas as we go down Hayneville, Alabama and participate in the Jonathan Daniels and Martyrs of Alabama Pilgrimage! Participating in this event inspires us as individuals and as a parish community to carry on the work of building the beloved community. If we have enough members of the parish interested in going, we will leave on the evening of Friday, August 11 and have dinner followed by a brief Eucharist to center ourselves before a full day of events on August 12. If you would like to know more please click here for more information or to register for the event. If you would like to know more about the event, have questions, or are interested in going please email Ranie at associate@stthomashuntsville.org.
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ST. THOMAS BLOOD DRIVE
SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 2023
7:40 AM – 1:30 PM
So many people are in need and St. Thomas is always willing to help.
Thank you for your kindness and generosity.
Tell your friends! They may be ready to give, too!
Link to sign-up online: CLICK HERE
All donors will receive a $20 gift card.
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St. Thomas Book Club
After a great discussion about our book last month, we are ready to do it again with The Midnight Library by Matthew Hagg. Please join us on August 14 at 10 a.m. in the Parlor. Everyone is invited whether you have read the book or not. See you there, Elouisa Stokes 256-604-8669.
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Bring diapers for the DoK Diaper Drive this Sunday!
The Summer Diaper Drive sponsored by Daughters of the King is here! Diapers aren’t fun or cute, but they are crucial to children going into Foster Care or adults being cared for by the state. Please help! There is a box in Information Hall for collecting diapers and wipes.
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...and all women of St. Thomas are invited to join the Daughters of the King!
If you are searching for more in your spiritual life, more in your prayer life, more in your connection with God and His people (that’s all of us), then I encourage you to consider Daughters of the King. We are beginning a training program of discernment to become a Daughter starting August 24th through September 28th. These will be six sessions from 6pm to 7:30 in which we will discuss what The Daughters of the King is about and how it can enrich your life. There will be time for study, reflection, and discussion for community building. If this interests you, come join us on Thursday August 24th and see what we’re all about.
For further questions, ask me or anyone wearing the cross. Blessings, Barbara Meyer at bmeyer2944@gmail.com.
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The Bailey Cove Farmers Market at St. Thomas is open every Saturday!
The Bailey Cove Farmers Market at St. Thomas is open from 8am to 12pm every Saturday all summer long through September 2nd!
And you can help! Sign up to volunteer for 'Set up' and 'Take down' any weekend in Information Hall. Or, if you'd like to assist, call Kim Cantrell at (256)508-2363, and she will give you all the info.
Hope to see you at the Farmers Market THIS SATURDAY at St. Thomas!
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Habitat for Humanity Work Opportunities
We are making great progress on our house. Join us at 3126 Andros Road anytime after 8 until 3 on Saturday. We will install insulation. Lunch is served. For more information, call Elouisa Stokes at 256-604-8669.
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Join us every Sunday at 5PM for a
"Come as You Are"
Holy Eucharist!
Every Sunday this summer, St. Thomas will continue to offer a more "Laid Back" worship service at 5pm in the Nave. Come join us for simple hymns from the Alleluia III hymnal, good sermons preached from the floor, Holy Communion, and (most Sundays) a simple dinner in the Parish Hall immediately following the Eucharist! Come as you are and invite a friend to join you for the 5pm Sunday Evening Holy Eucharist at St. Thomas.
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Don't forget, St. Thomas has a NEW mailing address
The Post Office incoming mail manager wants to remind everyone that ALL mail sent to St. Thomas must have the church name on it. To avoid delay, our Post Office Box number (14509) must also be used. If you send an envelope to our finance office, here’s what it should include: St. Thomas Episcopal Church: attention Finance, P.O. Box 14509, Huntsville, AL 35815.
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Caregivers Support Group
If you or someone you know is or has been a caregiver for a loved one, we have a Caregivers Support Group at St. Thomas. This group wants to be a community support for caregivers and we welcome anyone who needs that resource whether or not a parishioner here. We have a volunteer licensed therapist, Jane Allgood, as group facilitator. We meet every other Wednesday from 1 until 2:30 pm in the Crossroads Room. If you are interested just show up then. If you have any questions about the group, call or email Mona Parker: 256-599-9942, mona.s.parker@gmail.com
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AT A GLANCE: July 21 - July 26 | |
VBS Backpack Booster/Little Free Pantry Backpack & School Supplies Distribution! | |
Sunday Evening Dinner at St. Thomas with "Chefs" Ted and Grant! | | | | |
