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THE EPISTLE:
September 28, 2023
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Everybody's Pub Theology TONIGHT at PaPPO's
Sit down with Donavan, Jeannie, and Ranie TONIGHT from 6-7:30pm for great fellowship, good food, tasty drinks, and hearty discussion!
Text Jeannie and let her know you plan on joining us tonight at 256-348-9918 or email Ranie at associate@stthomashuntsville.org
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Youth Acolyte Training: "Wisdom and Works in our Church," beginning this Sunday, Oct. 1st
Don't miss the Wisdom & Works in our Church series for 2nd-7th graders on October 1 and 8! Join Deacon Jeannie in the Nave from 9:30am-10:15am for acolyte training and learning about our worship space. Contact The Rev. Jeannie Randall jrann228@gmail.com for more information. Christian Formation for Pre-K through 1st graders will continue in Hiers Hall on those dates.
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Dinner This Sunday following 5pm "Come As You Are" Sunday Eucharist
St. Thomas' "Come as You Are" 5pm Sunday worship service is here to stay, but we have made a change to our Sunday evening dinner offering. Dinner will now be offered only on the FIRST SUNDAY of each month, which includes THIS SUNDAY, October 1st. We will also have dinner on November 5th and December 3rd. Our special "Come As You Are" Holy Eucharist will continue every Sunday, with simple hymns from the Alleluia III hymnal, good sermons preached from the floor, and Holy Communion. Come as you are and invite a friend to join you for the 5pm Evening Holy Eucharist EVERY SUNDAY at St. Thomas.
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Sign up now to sing with our Choir for Advent Lessons and Carols
The Choir is looking for additional singers to join us for our annual Advent Service of Lessons and Carols. This year’s service will take place on Wednesday, December 13 at 6:00 pm. Rehearsals for Lessons and Carols will kick off with an in-house mini Choir Retreat on Friday, September 29, 6:00 – 7:30 pm and Saturday, September 30, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. Following the retreat, rehearsals for L & C music will be on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm in the choir room. We’ll rehearse for 30 minutes in October and 45 minutes beginning in November. Please contact Miss Kathy at music@stthomashuntsville.org if you are interested in joining us!
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Annual Stewardship Campaign
It is almost October and “sweater weather” is just around the corner. October also signifies it is time for our our annual stewardship campaign. This year the campaign focuses on our “Giving for Growth” and begins today and runs through October 29th.
A letter from Fr. Donavan went out this morning, and in the upcoming weeks you will receive a series of letters via email and regular mail. Also be on the lookout for a weekly two-sided bulletin insert throughout the campaign. One side of the insert focuses on a variety of interviews and commentaries with reflections for you to ponder from The Episcopal Network for Stewardship. On the other side will be interviews with St. Thomas parishioners as well as other stewardship topics. We ask throughout the campaign you prayerfully consider how “Giving for Growth” connects you to St. Thomas and how you or your family can flourish within our community by giving of your wealth, works, and wisdom in the upcoming year.
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Young Adult Pub Theology returns October 2nd
Calling all young adults out in the working world! Young Adult Pub Theology will meet October 2nd at Melt in downtown Huntsville from 6-7:30PM. If you have any questions please email Ranie at associate@stthomashuntsville.org
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BBQ For Breast Cancer Awareness Month
The BBQ Bandits are firing up the smoker for the first annual Breast Cancer Awareness event. This year’s event is October 7-8 and proceeds go to the Liz Hurley Breast Cancer Fund. Order this week HERE! Please email us at stthomasbbq@gmail.com to be included on our distribution list. Let's make this initial event for Breast Cancer Awareness a BIG One!
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Election of Delegates for 2024 Diocesan Convention: Sign up now!
If you are interested in being a delegate for next year's 193rd Diocesan Convention for the Diocese of Alabama, February 8-10, in Montgomery, now is the time to give us your name. In the coming weeks, we will elect a slate of 5 delegates plus alternates for the next year's convention. If you would like to represent St. Thomas, please send your name to
Carey McIntyre at communications@stthomashuntsville.org.
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Calling All Pets
And Their Humans
Please join us for the annual Blessing of the Animals for the Feast of St. Francis on Sunday, October 8 at 3:00 PM. No matter what type of animal you have – the 4-legged kind, the swimmers, the crawlers and the hoppers – bring ‘em on! All families will receive a doggie or cat goodie bag. Even if you don’t have a pet, you are invited. It is a fun celebration of all God’s creatures and one of the church's most beloved saints, St. Francis of Assisi. Don’t miss it!
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Mom's Group
Second Meetup is
October 5th!
St. Thomas’ brand new Mom's group ministry for mothers with children ages
0 - 18 is meeting again October 5th at 6:30.
The monthly Mom's Group will be 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 hope to 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 audreysherkin@gmail.com for more info.
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St. Thomas Book Club
meets October 9th
St. Thomas Book Club is trying some old classics for October 9, we will be discussing Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington. We meet in the Parlor at 10 a.m. and would love to have you join us.
Call Elouisa Stokes at 256-604-8669 for more information.
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Are you NEW to St. Thomas?
Come learn all about our church and our history in our new monthly Newcomers Class!
Newcomers: We are really excited to have you here at St. Thomas. Newcomers 2 will be held on October 15. We will tell you the story of St. Thomas and show you where things are here. Just follow the blue signs each morning.
Call Elouisa Stokes for more information at 256-604-8669.
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Lobsterfest Update
Congratulations to Ron Deston for winning the second raffle for Lobsterfest volunteers! Lobsterfest volunteer sign-up sheets are on the bulletin board in Information Hall. If you have any questions about where you can get plugged in, please email Mike and Laura Beth Bestor at malbb12@gmail.com
Don't forget to purchase your Lobsterware in Information Hall on Sunday mornings! Our commemorative Lobsterfest 30 magnet will be making its debut this upcoming Sunday for $5. We also have long sleeve, short-sleeve, and youth Lobsterfest t-shirts available for $25, $20, and $18.
The last day to pre-order this year’s commemorative Lobsterfest 30 polos is Sunday, October 8. The cost is $45 for men's or ladies' sizes.
We are collecting old newspapers for the eat-in portion of Lobsterfest day. Drop them off at the volunteer desk from 10am-3pm.
Be sure to follow Lobsterfest at St. Thomas on Facebook and St.Thomas Lobsterfest on Instagram! Help get the word out to the Greater Huntsville community by liking, sharing, and commenting on our Lobsterfest posts on social media
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Lobsterfest 5K
It's the 30th anniversary of Lobsterfest at St. Thomas, and we want YOU to join us for the SHELL-ABRATION! Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 4 at 3:00 p.m. The race is family-friendly. Runners and walkers of all levels are welcome. With your race entry, you'll receive a cool sweatshirt to keep you warm all winter long. To sign-up NOW click HERE!
If you can't make the run/walk in person, you may order a sweatshirt for a minimum donation of $30 to the Lobsterfest 5k through mid-October. See Jenna or Lloyd for this option.
Also, you (or your business) can really help by becoming a Lobster Friend or LobSTAR race sponsor! As a sponsor, you not only directly support our St. Thomas Lobsterfest outreach ministries...your name will be featured on the sweatshirt! The deadline for sponsorship donations is OCTOBER 5. For submissions click HERE!
Let's have a great showing of parishioners at this wonderful community event; sign up TODAY to walk, run or sponsor the Lobsterfest 5K!
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Fr. Donavan's Adult Christian Formation returns on Sunday, Oct. 8th
Fr Donavan's new Christian Formation class, "Remembering & Refreshing our Faith" is taking this Sunday off and will be returning on Sunday, October 8th. This class is focusing on the the primary foundations of our spirituality and faith, as Christians and as Episcopalians in the Anglican Communion. We will look at the Bible, the Creeds, the historical 39 Articles of the Anglican Reformation, and the present Catechism in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. If you're new to the Episcopal Church or if you just want to revisit the history and teachings of the church, this is a great class for you. Within our weekly conversation, Fr. Donavan will lay out church history, how the Anglican idea of "Via Media" continues to attempt to hold us together, and what we do (or don't do) within our liturgy and worship! Come join Fr. Donavan at 9:30am in the Parish Hall for "Remembering & Refreshing our Faith."
This Sunday class is meant to go deeper than our monthly "Newcomer 1 & 2" classes, while being a bit lighter than our present Confirmation class on Sunday afternoons.
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Habitat for Humanity Work Opportunities
This is the week to floor the Nassau Drive House. Join us as we install a vinyl plank floor.
Please begin at 8 and work until it's done, about 3.
Call Elouisa Stokes at 256-604-8669 for more information.
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Adult Confirmation Continues This Sunday!
For adults interested in Confirmation or Reception into the Episcopal Church and those wanting to Reaffirm their faith with Bishop Glenda Curry on October 22, Mtr. Ranie & Dcn. Jeannie will be leading the Adult Confirmation class and luncheon this Sunday. Confirmation conclude October 22 with Bishop Glenda Curry.
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Children and Youth Christian Formation Information
St. Thomas' Children and Youth Christian Formation classes are now underway every Sunday! We offer five different Sunday school classes for our children and youth!
Pre-K - 1st grade: Godly Play- Renee' Redfield - Hiers 4
2nd grade-3rd grade: Love First- Laura Beth Bestor - Hiers 2 (new room)
4th grade-5th grade: Bible Stories & Art- Kathie Clayton & Lila Powell - Hiers 6
6th grade-7th grade: My Faith, My Life- Sonya Carrier & Jane Allgood - Hiers 5
8th grade- 12th grade: Science & Religion with the Rev. Jeannie Randall; Confirmation Classes starting Sept. 3 with the Rev. Ranie Neislar - Youth Room
Contact our Children's Ministry Coordinator, Laura Beth Bestor, at children@stthomashuntsville.org or our Youth Ministries Coordinator, The Rev. Jeannie Randall at jrann228@gmail.com if you have questions or would like to help out with this important aspect of our ministries.
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Adult Christian Formation Classes EVERY SUNDAY!
In the Conference Room at 9:30am, the Adult Formation Book Study will continue the book Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans. Evans knows firsthand how a relationship with the Bible can be as real and as complicated as a relationship with a family member or close friend. In Inspired, Evans explores contradictions and questions from her own experiences with the Bible, including:
- If the Bible was supposed to explain the mysteries of life, why does it leave the reader with so many questions?
- What does it mean to be chosen by God?
- To what degree did the Holy Spirit guide the preservation of these narratives, and is there something sacred to be uncovered beneath all these human fingerprints?
- If the Bible has given voice to the oppressed, why is it also used as justification by their oppressors?
If you are interested in joining us we will be ordering books this coming week to purchase through the church for $10. Please email Ranie at associate@stthomashuntsville.org.
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Tuesday Nights at St. Thomas!
Join us Tuesday nights in Conference Room 2 from 6-7:30PM, as we dive into Paul’s Letter to the Romans!
Many of our Christian beliefs are deeply formed by this sacred text from the New Testament. Bring a Bible, something to eat and drink, and come prepared to enjoy fellowship and learn "What Saint Paul is saying to the Romans" and what it means for modern-day disciples! Mtr. Ranie will be leading the class. If you have any questions please email her at associate@stthomashuntsville.org.
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Give to St. Thomas through VENMO!
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 in the church and parish hall, or simply search on your VENMO app for @StThomasHsv. And please help the Finance Office and 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.).
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