ST. THOMAS LIFELINES. Dear St. Thomas Family

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1 ST. THOMAS LIFELINES VOLUME 25, NO. 11 DECEMBER 2018 Dear St. Thomas Family Today (November 28) at our Wednesday Eucharist, we celebrated the feast of St. Andrew, whose feast day is actually not until November 30, but that s just how we roll with the Wednesday Eucharist. St. Andrew is considered to be the first of Jesus s twelve disciples. He Is the first that Jesus noticed along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and he is the brother of Simon Peter. Because he is first, his feast day, by some reckoning, is the first day of Advent, and therefore the first day of the liturgical year. In any case, the church is decorated in Advent blue, and although we will wait until Sunday to light the first candle of the Advent wreath, it felt like the start of the season. It is a pretty intense time of the year for many of us. The last month of the year is a time to wrap up semesters (if you are a student or teacher), deal with year-end activities at work, and then there are all the holiday activities: parties, shopping, concerts, charity events, and fund-raisers. I feel like I have a to-do list three pages long, and I haven t even written down half of what I would like to do over the next few weeks. All this is the lead up to the celebration of Christmas and the worldly New Year s Day lots of stuff to wrap up and get through, and then we can maybe relax and enjoy a bit. We are at the beginning of this on-the-way-but-not-there-yet period of a few weeks, known by us Episcopalians as Advent. This little season has a lot to offer if we shift, or at least part of, our focus away from all the things that we think we have to do to participate in the holiday routine and bring at least part of our attention to the practice of joyful, hopeful Advent waiting. Observing a holy Advent is the difference between anxiously anticipating Christmas Day and expectantly, prayerfully preparing for the coming of Christ into the world, into our lives, and into our hearts. Please don t think of Advent as something else you ought to do. Think about practicing Advent more as a gift you give yourself and also as an offering to God. As you prepare to welcome Christ the Prince of Peace, pray for peace, inner peace, peace in your relationships, and peace in the world. Make it a practice to read scriptures, perhaps take your bulletin insert home and re-read the lessons of Sunday. Look for chance opportunities to connect with someone you might not otherwise connect with, perhaps through an act of kindness or by offering kind words, knowing that when you do, Christ is near. And oh yeah, I encourage you to worship with us on Sunday, hear Advent hymns instead of premature Christmas songs, blue and rose instead of red and green, and calm instead of anxious rushing around. My prayer for you is that you remember who it is we are preparing for and know that Christ is with you in the midst of all that you do. May you have a blessed Advent, watching and waiting for the coming of the Lord. Yours in Christ, Mark

2 DECEMBER 2018 ST. THOMAS LIFELINE S PAGE 2 GIVE THANKS Many thanks to all that continue to support the Backpack Program! The collection box in November overflowed with donations! Fifty boxes of granola bars were donated as well as 11 fruit cup packs! On Wednesday, November 7, several St. Thomas folks showed up at the Ignite Campus to bag the back packs that go out weekly to those in need at CPS and CES. 625 packs were assembled that evening! This included snack packs for November and the two weeks that school is in session in December., Together Thanks for all the positive feedback about our All Saints celebration! One thing the kids upstairs really enjoyed about participating in the service was in their words having jobs to do. In that regard, our next youth-led Together service will be on December 16, the third Sunday of Advent. Instead of a sermon, you ll hear about traditions and symbolism associated with the Christmas Crèche as the children assemble the scene. In addition, we encourage you to wear pink the color for Gaudete (Joy) Sunday for our worship that day. And, of course there will be cake afterward! Christmas Store Collections St. Thomas Backpack Packing Crew THANKSGIVING DINNERS Thank you to everyone who donated to the Thanksgiving Dinner boxes that St. Thomas provided to the Backpack Program through Christiansburg public schools. On Sunday, November 11, parishioners packed 12 boxes of food and made a donation of $290 to the Backpack Program. Thanks to for decorating the boxes, and thanks to all who helped assemble and load them for delivery. A total of 40 boxes were distributed through the Backpack Program to families in need. Trex Challenge The Trex Challenge is well on the way to meeting the six month goal of 500 lbs. of recyclable plastics. Please note that only certain types of clean, dry plastics are acceptable. Look for the poster beside the collection boxes or the poster on the bulletin board in the parish hall to see what you can contribute. Our total for the past three months is 367 lbs! What can be recycled? Grocery bags Ziplock and other re-closable bags Bread bags Produce bags Dry cleaning bags Bubble Wrap Newspaper sleeves Salt bags Ice bags Cereal bags (cereal box liners ) Wood pellet bags ALL PLASTICS MUST BE CLEAN, DRY, AND FREE OF RESIDUE. Order a poinsettia for the greening of the church on Sunday, Dec. 16th. Order forms are in the Sunday bulletin and in the parish hall. Thank you for your donations to the Montgomery County Christmas Store! We sent 97 cans of soup and 86 toiletry items to the store. There will be an open house at the store on Sunday, December 2, at 4pm. Everyone is welcome to stop by to learn more about the store and view it. Pray Sing Be: Music and Faith Everyone is invited to attend the Advent Quiet Day sponsored by the Ann-Frances Chapter of the Order of the Daughters of the King on Saturday, December 15th, from 8:45am-1pm. Cara Modisett, Postulant for Holy Orders and Director of Music at St. Elizabeth s, Roanoke, will be the leader. Fr. Mark will be the celebrant. The Morning begins with quiet time in the sanctuary. Opening reflections and quiet time are followed by reflection and Holy Eucharist. Then stay for a luncheon of soup and bread. Please call Mary Stuart Cosby, , or the Office, , for more information and to make a lunch reservation. Pledge Update Thanks to all who have pledged to St. Thomas in 2019! As of Nov. 30th, we have 34 pledging members pledging a total of $89,760! If you would like to pledge or learn more, contact the pledge custodian Jenny Stalvey. If you would like an update on your 2018 giving before the end of the year, please contact Jenny.

3 DECEMBER 2018 ST. THOMAS LIFELINE S PAGE 3 Servers for DECEMBER Area of Acolytes: Server, Crucifer, Torchbearers S: Akan Ndem C: Dara Ndem TB: Patience Okoronkwo TB: Seth Richmeier S: Natalie Miller C: Bridget Miller S: Macaela Richemeier C: Sara Stauffer S: Uche Okoronkwo C: Amara Okoronkwo Altar Guild Judy Koland Judy Koland Gail Leist Bev Moulse Gail Leist Bev Moulse Kathy Pollard Lynn Straub Announcements Val Tweedie Jeff Pasciak Susan Bathgate Joanne Stauffer Farrell Doss Chalice Bearer Cleaning Crews Coffee Hour Rachel Morgante- Richmeier Scott Farmer Mark Priest Rebecca Mays Bonnie Smas Danielle Bland Carol Cummings Bill Kennan Judy Koland Irma Pillsbury Shirley Sparrow Mary Stuart Cosby Jennifer Miller Lay Reader Bill Kennan Joel Hagen Farrell Doss David Jones Charlie & Lynn Straub Stella Okoronkwo Amy Frazier Betty & Bill Kennan Rebecca Mays Nursery Amara Okoronkwo Uche Okoronkwo Sarah Farmer Marie Painter Jenny Stalvey Natalie Miller Marie Painter Dara Ndem Stella Okoronkwo Ushers Sarah Farmer Scott Farmer Jeff Pasciak Gwynn Polidoro Mark Priest Natalie Teel Bev & Greg Moulse Francis & Janet Webster Birthdays 1 Joel Hagen 5 Uche Okoronkwo 10 Lilah Harrell 11 Christian Straub Judy Nichols 15 Gwynn Polidoro 16 Farrell Doss Caleb Kennan 17 Seth Richmeier 18 Stella Okoronkwo 24 Michael Alexander Lisa Earp 26 Michael Bathgate 27 Vivian Richmeier 29 Anna Frazier Emilia Frazier Chris Hagen 30 ChiChi Okoronkwo Anniversaries Dec. 24 Ben & Jacquie Graham The first Sunday of every month is designated as FOOD BANK SUNDAY. In November, 53 food items were delivered to MCEAP. The next Food Bank Sunday is December 2nd. St. Thomas Annual Meeting Sunday, Dec. 9 Lunch provided by the Vestry. Presentations of the 2019 budget, Wardens reports, Rector s Report, Committee reports, and the election of new vestry members! First Sunday of Advent, Dec. 2nd Advent Wreaths will work on kid friendly wreaths. Supplies will be out for everyone to make a wreath during fellowship time! Please bring greenery to share and clippers for trimming. Advent Calendars are here! Pick yours up in the parish hall.

4 DECEMBER 2018 ST. THOMAS LIFELINE S PAGE 4 DECEMBER 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Rev. Mark s Office Hours Thursdays 4:30 6: The 1st Sunday of Advent Hospitality & Food Bank Sunday 10am Holy Eucharist 11:15am Fellowship & Refreshments & Advent Wreaths The 2nd Sunday of Advent 10am Holy Eucharist & Healing Rail 10am 11:30am Annual Meeting & Luncheon :45am Advent Quiet Day 16 The 3rd Sunday of Advent Loose Plate Offering~Rector s Discretionary 10am Together Blessing of the Creche, Holy Eucharist & Healing Rail, Greening of the 12pm Vestry :30am Holy Eucharist & Healing 7pm Unity Women s Group 20 10:15 Daughters of the King 21 St. Thom8as Day The 4th Sunday of Advent 10 am Holy Eucharist 10am 24 8pm Christmas Eve 25 10am Christmas Day The 1st Sunday after Christmas Day 10 am Holy Eucharist 10am 31 New Year s Eve HE&HS: Holy Eucharist & Healing UNRV-WG: Unity Women s Group NA: Narcotics Anonymous

5 ST. THOMAS LIFELINE S In honor and in memory of beloved St. Thomas members, James Edward Buddy Earp Sr., and his wife, Jane Hatcher Earp, the family has given two engraved silver cruets, vessels provided for unconsecrated water and wine, which will be used weekly at St. Thomas during Holy Eucharist. The cruets were blessed during the service on Sunday, November 25th. Buddy Earp Sr., who passed away February 24, 2016, was a lifelong educator (teacher, coach, and principal) and a retired colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. Buddy was a member and leader at St. Thomas Episcopal for 62 years. He was always available for whatever was needed including serving on the vestry, acting as senior and junior warden, participating on search committees and the every member canvas. Buddy ushered most every Sunday and was even known to mow grass and shovel the walkway when needed. The Earps always sat on the back row of the church where they could ensure that the church service ran smoothly! Buddy s wife, Jane Hatcher Earp (whom he lovingly stated was the best thing that ever happened to me ), passed away on Friday, October 27, Jane worked for Montgomery County schools and is remembered as a caring, loving, and kind person to all whom she encountered a true example of a Christian woman. Jane also was a member and leader at St. Thomas Episcopal for 52 years. She served on the Altar Guild and the Parish Life committee and was a true friend to many in the church. Jane often served the church in activities behind the scenes and was always available for whatever was needed. The Vestry and members of St. Thomas are truly grateful for the generous, loving gifts given in memory of Buddy and Jane Earp. St. Thomas Episcopal 103 East Main St. Christiansburg, VA mysthomasoffice@yahoo.com