St. Thomas ALL ARE WELCOME! Volume 6, Issue 6 June 2018

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1 St. Thomas Episcopal Church News Volume 6, Issue 6 June 2018 ALL ARE WELCOME! Reflections from our Rector: We are moving into summer with all its events: Clean-up Days at church and in Town Park, the Swedish Smorgasbord, the ECW Square Dances, the Ice Cream Social, the weekly Farmers Market, hosting bicyclists and hikers, a new music ministry, and all the other local events. All these things are very important. They help support our church and our community and provide fun and safe activities for both residents and visitors. But they are also important because they are concrete expressions of being the Body of Christ in the world, making Jesus visible to those we encounter. They are ways in which we live into our baptismal covenant. Frederick Buechner, in his book Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC, says, The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world s deep hunger meet. In other words, those things that speak to our hearts are gifts from God, and can meet the needs of the world if we are willing to share them. During our sabbatical time this winter we all had the opportunity to experience how the things about which we are passionate our deep gladness can be a means of connecting to God and making God manifest in the world. A group of St. Thomas members who are passionate about writing explored the spiritual dimensions of poetry. Sylvia Crouter led the group, selecting poems to generate discussion. The group members also brought in poetry they found and shared original writings and poems. They found the joy of the Spirit in their time together and have shared the fruits of their work in a binder in the Coffee Room. Several church members were interested in exploring scripture and better connecting it to their own faith and life. They joined Walt Seeley in a Bible study course that required no prior knowledge, only a willingness to share one s thoughts and listen respectfully to other s ideas. The participants take turns leading the lessons and bringing a light supper, which is reminiscent of gatherings of the early Church. They have found that sharing understanding with one another can open the scriptures in new ways. We all can find those same depths of feeling in our busy summer lives if we are willing to see God breathing through whatever we are doing. Just as Jesus was present to people as they fished or hauled water or ate bread and wine, so he can be present to us and the world as we pick up trash, serve food, host travelers, and share music. Whatever we care enough to do, God does with us and in us. Melinda+ Rooted in the Liturgy that sustains us and inspires us to be Christ in our community and the world. 1

2 St. Thomas Episcopal Church P.O. Box S. 1st ST Dubois, WY Phone: stthomas.wy@gmail.com The Rev. Melinda Bobo Rector Twila Blakeman Senior Warden Carol Petera Junior Warden Peter Gottfried Treasurer Lary Treanor Clerk Mandy Rose Vestry Member Ram Packs Coordinator Julia Royall Vestry Member Farmers Market Coordinator/ Community Garden Co-Chair Chloe Chantry Farmer s Market Associate Coordinator Larry Lawver Community Garden Co-chair Rick Metzger Food Bank Manager Connie Ticknor Parish Administrator Cindy Lewis Pianist Sue Bodar Choir Director Sylvia Crouter Worship Committee Chair Sundays: St. Thomas Services 10 am - Holy Eucharist, Sanctuary 2 pm - Holy Eucharist, Wednesdays: 5:30 pm - Evening Prayer, Sanctuary Please join us for Bible Study Wednesdays at 6:00 pm Our Adult Study Group is studying the Letter of Paul to the Romans on Wednesday evenings. We meet for a light dinner at 6 pm, and the Bible Study begins after that. Everyone is welcome! Church Office Hours Tuesday - Friday 9 am - noon, 1:30 pm - 4 pm or by appointment Melinda Bobo, Rector, Office Hours Wednesdays 10 am noon; 1-4 pm We remember Chuck Dziatkiewicz, Deb Hitchcock, Leota Didier, the Rev. Ann Fontaine, the Rev. Daphne Grimes and Dubois residents Tony Kane, Todd Carson, Bob Arnold, Bruce Fritzler, Suzan Moulton, and Mary and Jane Allison. May their souls and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. 2

3 Vestry Doings Work on keeping our physical plant in good shape continues. The vestry secured a grant from the Foundation for the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming to pay for a building inspection, repairing and refinishing the logs, and a new roof for the Coffee Room and Community Room. The inspection and the log work are already complete. The vestry has appointed a Buildings and Grounds subcommittee that will prioritize the needed repairs and report to the Junior Warden. This committee will develop a 5-year plan using the recent building inspection as the base. The Annual Clean-up Day was held June 2nd. Thanks to Twila Blakeman, Dick and Kathy Hodge, Mandy Rose, Peggy Davis, Larry Lawver, Randy and Sandy Lahr, and Melinda Bobo for cleaning the buildings and grounds. They made a huge difference - thank you! The Cyclist/Hiker Ministry is experimenting with some changes this year. Our guests will be limited to the Community Room, and the door into the hallway and kitchen will stay locked. There will be an limit of 8 guests per night. Requests to host large groups under 30 will be exempt from these rules. Pat and Jennet Ballinger have donated a microwave for guests to use. We are looking forward to providing a safe, dry place for them to sleep and rest on their travels. June 8th Pat and Jennet Ballinger Please call the church office at to add your name to our Birthday and Anniversary list! Congratulations on your graduation, Dalton Finley! Dalton has been an Acolyte at St. Thomas for many years. We thank him for his service, and wish him the best in the coming years. 3

4 June 2018 Events, Services, Meetings Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 3 10a Holy Eucharist 2p Holy Eucharist at 10 10a Holy Eucharist 2p Holy Eucharist at 17 10a Holy Eucharist 2p Holy Eucharist at 24 10a Holy Eucharist 11a Congregation Mtg. 2p Holy Eucharist at 4 5 9:30a Bible Talk at :30a Bible Talk at 8-9:30p Square Dance at the Rustic Pine :30a Food Bank truck delivery 9:30a Bible Talk at 4p Vestry Meeting 8-9:30p Square Dance at the Rustic Pine :30a Bible Talk at 8-9:30p Square Dance at the Rustic Pine 6 5:30p Evening Prayer 6p Bible Study 13 9a Smorgasbord: Making cookies 5:30p Evening Prayer 6p Bible Study 20 5:30p Evening Prayer 6p Bible Study 27 5:30p Evening Prayer 6p Bible Study 7 5-7p Farmers Market 14 9a Smorgasbord: Making hardtack 5-7p Farmers Market p Farmers Market 28 4p Christ for Community Cleanup in Town Park. 5-7p Farmers Market a Smorgasbord: Making meatballs/ potatoes 16 9a Smorgasbord: Making cabbage rolls by 3:30p Bring Desserts, Bread for Smorgasbord 5&6p Swedish Smorgasbord

5 June 2018 Worship Ministries June 3 2 Pentecost Lector Jake Isaly Eucharistic Minister Sheryl Isaly Acolyte Kay Jacoby Fellowship Jake and Sheryl Isaly Altar Flowers Pat and Jennet Ballinger Celebrant / Preacher Melinda Bobo June 10 3 Pentecost Lector Winifred Gallagher Eucharistic Minister Randy Lahr Acolyte Nancie Vion-Loisel Fellowship Julia Royall Altar Flowers St. Thomas Plants Celebrant / Preacher Melinda Bobo June 17 4 Pentecost Lector Pamela Glasser Eucharistic Minister Mary Ellen Honsaker Acolyte Sheryl Isaly Fellowship Ian and Cindie Watson Altar Flowers Melinda Bobo Celebrant / Preacher Melinda Bobo/ Sylvia Crouter June 24 5 Pentecost Lector Connie Mock Eucharistic Minister Mary Ellen Honsaker Acolyte Dalton Finley Fellowship Twila Blakeman Altar Flowers Ian and Cindie Watson Celebrant / Preacher Melinda Bobo 5

6 St. Thomas Episcopal Church is contemplating starting a MUSIC ministry. We contemplate having music jam sessions on a regular basis highlighting professional and amateur talent in the Dubois area, not unlike the Thursday night jam sessions at the Occidental Hotel in Sheridan. In addition, we want to embrace the talent we have in Dubois by showcasing this talent in several different venues. Our goal is to use music as a tool to entertain, to minister to those in need, and provide opportunities for spiritual growth to all. If you are a professional or amateur musician and/or singer and are interested in helping start this exciting new ministry, please contact Peter K. Gottfried petergottfried@gis1.com Please remember to keep your pledge up-to-date so that St. Thomas can continue our work and worship. If you have not pledged but would like to, please contact Connie at or stop by the office for a pledge card. Thunderhead Episcopal Center 2018 Summer Youth Camps June Open to all entering 9th or 10th grade June Open to all entering 5th or 6th grade July 8-14 Open to all entering 7th or 8th grade July Open to all entering 11th or 12th grade Contact the Rev. Portia Corbin at portia@episcopalchurch.org or Genie at genie@wyomingdiocese.org The cyclists/hikers are here! We are looking for people to greet cyclists and hikers and let them into the Community Room. We will have a rotating list so you would serve no more than one day a week. If you would like to help, please call the office at

7 Coming up: Square Dances begin June 12 Cooking for Swedish Smorgasbord June Swedish Smorgasbord June 16 Vestry Meeting June 19 Food Bank Truck Delivery June 19 Congregation Meeting June 24 (right after Sunday service) Christ for the Community Clean-up Thursday, June 28 Making Ice Cream for Ice Cream Social Tentative: July 2-3 Ice Cream Social Tentative: July 4 Opportunity Shop Silent Auction July 14 Bishop s Annual Visit July Farmers market in the st. thomas community room By the Grace of God and the consent of God s people in joy and celebration The Right Reverend John Smylie Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming will ordain To the Sacred Order of Deacons Linda Anderson Bonnie Deyo Carey-Lea Dmytriw Lara Gilbert Margaret Hotchkiss Saturday, June 30, 2018, 11 o clock a.m. St. Matthew s Episcopal Cathedral 104 South 4th Street Laramie, WY Reception to follow in the Parish Hall Steven Davis Thursday, June 21, 2018, 6 o clock p.m. Holy Communion Episcopal Church Rock Springs Reception to follow in the Parish Hall Sydney Johnson Wednesday, July 25, 6 o clock p.m. All Saints Episcopal Church Torrington Barbecue to follow on the church lawn To the Sacred Order of Priests Pamela Bright Friday, June 22, 2018, 6 o clock p.m. St. Paul s Episcopal Church Evanston Your prayers are requested and presence welcomed Pre-Convention: Save the Date The 2018 Regional Diocesan Pre-Convention meeting will be held on August 11th, 2018 from 12:00 noon 2:50 p.m. The meeting will be presented via a diocesan-wide Zoom teleconference with each Regional Diocesan Council Representative acting as host in the regional site(s). Diocesan Convention delegates and alternates should plan to attend. Site locations and regional meeting information will be finalized following the Diocesan Council meeting on June 27 and 28. 7

8 St. Thomas Episcopal Church P.O. Box 735 Dubois, WY Are you looking for a way to serve and get involved? We are all blessed by God with different talents, and St. Thomas offers many different ways to serve through their ministries. Our ministries would be happy to have new members join them. Our year-round volunteer ministries include the following: 1. Altar Guild 6. Lectors 11. Opportunity Shop 2. Acolytes 7. Worship Leaders 12. Food Bank 3. Greeters 8. Vestry 13. Farmers Market 4. Lay Eucharistic Ministers 9. Worship Committee 5. Lay Eucharistic Visitors 10. Ram Packs Summer brings a flurry of activities that always need helpers, among them: 1. Cyclist/Hiker Ministry 4. Ice Cream Social 2. Community Garden 5. Opportunity Shop Silent Auction 3. Tuesday Night Square Dances 6. Swedish Smorgasbord If you would like to help out, or just want more information, contact the office at