GOOD NEWS MARCH 2017 ST. THOMAS EPISCOPAL CHURCH. Moving Forward in Faith Faithfully, The Reverend Loree Penner, Rector

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1 GOOD NEWS ST. THOMAS EPISCOPAL CHURCH Moving Forward in Faith Faithfully, The Reverend Loree Penner, Rector MARCH Providence Road Towson, MD For those of you who were unable to be there, here is the report I gave at the Annual meeting on February 12. It has been an extremely busy year, focused mainly on the work of Blue Horizons. We have completed that process now, and this is where we are: First, let me say that all of us want this church to be full we would love to see it back like it was in the golden years, with many children and youth and young adults. Whether that happens or not depends more on you than on me or the Vestry. We can govern the church, and create programs that we think will interest people, but the way churches grow is through personal invitations. If you want the church to grow, take the responsibility to invite people to church. They may come, they may not. But continue to invite people. Continue to stay positive. Continue to promote the ministry of St. Thomas offering Christ centered nourishment for body and soul. I wish I could promise you that St. Thomas would always be here, as we know it now, or even as we knew it before. I can t promise any of that. In talking with retired priests who had successful churches, they saw them begin to change, to become smaller. One of them said to me, Ministry is very different now than it used to be. Its much harder. People aren t coming to church like they used to. The church needs to find different ways to do things, because what used to work doesn t any more. Second, one of the things we will begin this year is small groups dinner groups, lunch groups, home bible studies so that people can get together on a regular basis with like minded others, share fellowship, prayer, and study. If you are asked to host one of these groups, please prayerfully consider doing so. Home groups are known as the one of the main ways people come into the church. You might have neighbors that don t want to come to church but if they have a desire for spirituality, they may come to the group that meets in your home. You can be a gateway for someone else into a life with God. What a wonderful way to be the light of the world. Third, our two committees, FOG, and Sharing Space will continue to explore options for renting our space, sharing our space with another church, merging, and selling or developing part of our land. We will continue to seek a way forward that brings some financial stability. Fourth: I hear people say, where is so and so? Why aren t they in church? This church a community. I usually call people when I don t see them. But I am not the only person with a phone. Pick up the phone. Call someone you don t see, or if you hate phone calls, them. People want to know they are missed by more than the priest. Your phone call or could make a difference today.

2 2 Moving Forward in Faith Rector s Report Continued Fifth: Our adventure this year will be to write a grant to begin a mobile feeding ministry. Did you know there are over 300 families at Parkville High School that are living under the poverty level? Did you know there are many homeless children at Loch Raven High School and Hampton Elementary? What if we had the means to go into the neighborhood on a Saturday, and feed people? Pray for them, spend time with them? We are looking into different ways to do this; it is our hope that this creative way of feeding people will begin in As I said in my sermon, God has a plan for this community. We don t know it yet. We are in that Cloud of Unknowing, not sure what the future holds. But guess what God s plans are for the good of his kingdom, and we are part of that kingdom. No matter what change our future holds, we have today. Today, Let us as a church embrace life embrace the life God is bringing to this church. Today, Let us embrace the great adventure that God has in store for us - to give nourishment to body and soul to all who come through these doors, and to those who are afraid to enter, and might need a different way in. Today, Let us remember that this is not my church, it is not even your church it is God s church and through God we can create a strong future if we are willing to step out into the darkness, into that cloud of unknowing, and seek the abundance God has for us. It may never be an abundance of money, but with or without, God can give us abundant life. God has plans to prosper us, not to harm us. God has plans to give us a future and a hope. Today, let us move into that future in faith.

3 A MESSAGE FROM OUR SENIOR WARDEN, Jan Bahner 3 This month I d like to share in writing the Blue Horizon Update that I gave at St. Thomas Annual Meeting on February 12 th. For those who attended the Annual Meeting, it will be a repeat message. I hope that this will provide a reference for any questions that might arise. For those who were unable to attend the annual meeting, I hope you ll take the time to read this and to contact me if you have any questions. We have completed our work with the other 3 churches in the area and with the outside consultants. While we will keep in touch with them, there will be no further formal joint meetings. Report from the Annual Meeting Rev. Loree+ called Blue Horizon a 9-month program in her e-news letter in early February. We ve also called it a project, hope for our future, and at times the team called it things we probably shouldn t mention in public. Blue Horizon is our future. We began this work 9 months ago having waited for many months for Diocesan assistance in recasting our assets and not having that program develop. So we began with mixed messages Blue Horizon was going to help us recast our assets (after all, the consultants had been part of a nationwide program to do just that). And then the Blue Horizon work began. We found that the consultants didn t have the answer. That the Dioceses was not going to step in to help. They offered examples, but those didn t seem to fit our situation. As we continued working, we became more aware of a different focus for this work. We would be learning how to change church culture. We would be discovering our Why why are we here, why are we here? No one would debate that the church has changed in recent years. We ve seen evidence here at St. Thomas. Young families have many obligations (2 parents working, sporting events) that keep them from attending every week. In fact today s norm is closer to attending church once a month. Younger people looking for a less formal spiritual experience than walking through church doors on a Sunday morning. Then there is the aging of the majority of the Episcopal Church here at St. Thomas 40% of our annual budget is based on pledges from parishioners who are 70 years old and older. We conducted faith interviews out in the community; asking what would your ideal spiritual experience be if you had an hour a week to spend. No one said go to church and sit in a formal liturgy. While we recognize that for many of us that is our norm, it s what brings us comfort, it s what we want. And we want to keep that. But not everyone wants this! We are called to share the Gospel. How many different ways can we do that? Our Blue Horizon work gave the team insight into our personality types (helping us to understand how we work together), our church culture ( and we now understand just how inwardly focused we are), the reality

4 A MESSAGE FROM OUR SENIOR WARDEN Continued 4 of our future (which coincided with a significant drop in pledges for 2017), and how to better recruit and organize our volunteers. So how do we secure St. Thomas future? We ve learned how to look at our assets for different purposes. We ve formed two teams to look to securing our financial future: Financial Options Group (FOG) this group is going to get us through the current fog of multiples choices from selling part of our parking lot to joint ventures with day care centers to installing a solar farm. - Sharing Space Group (SSG) how many different ways can we share our space? This group will assist in sorting out these options: renting spaces to individual practitioners that share our mission or having another church join us forworship at St. Thomas. Your Blue Horizon team will continue to work to sort out opportunities to secure our future in the ways just described. But we need each of you to help us on this journey. Commit today to inviting a friend or neighbor to church leadership can t grow the church single handedly. Keep communication flowing with the church leadership. Reading your Sunday bulletin, the Good News, the new bulletin board we will be creating in the Fellowship Hall in the coming weeks, talk with leadership your Vestry, your Blue Horizons team, your Wardens, your Rector, and with each other. And talk with God continue to pray for our future, for His guidance and direction, for the Holy Spirit to lead us forward. Most importantly be open to informed change. We will have to change in order to secure a future for St. Thomas. We are no longer a 300-person parish. We can no longer afford to care for these buildings forever without additional funding. We will have to reach out out into the world of our community out into the world that God calls us to serve. St. Thomas offers the spiritual comfort of Christ centered nourishment. Take our new mission statement to heart. If it doesn t resonate with you, tell us! Nothing but the Ten Commandments is written in stone. As we find our way in providing nourishment to mind, body, and spirit we ll find our way into our mission and we may find ourselves editing our mission statement. That s not what really matters. This is what really matters Feed and be fed you ll hear this in the coming weeks. Our communication team calls it our new tag line, (Amy Shimonkevitz came up with this during thoughtful prayer in a Blue Horizon meeting); it will be a simple representation of what we are about. Feed we are called to feed our neighbors, literally physically as we do with ACTC and Loch Raven Network and spiritually as we do with our worship offerings, and in ways we have yet to articulate. and Be Fed spiritually through giving of your time, talent, treasures.

5 5 A MESSAGE FROM OUR SENIOR WARDEN Continued Be part of this exciting journey to answer God s call. Look around you do you know your neighbors, do you have a spiritual gift to share, do you want to grow with us? The Blue Horizon team will be meeting every other month with your Vestry. We will be updating you through all our communication vehicles, including our website. We will be inviting our community to join us, volunteer with us, feed and be fed with us. Get engaged! We learned a lot about ourselves through this Blue Horizon work not project or process work that needs workers, volunteers. Work that will be ongoing. Work that will secure the future of St. Thomas. Because after all we are the future of St. Thomas. Each person sitting in a pew today and the neighbors and strangers we ve yet to meet. God s work to be done to love our neighbors as ourselves. Join your Blue Horizon team and leadership in any way you d like. St. Thomas offers the spiritual comfort of Christ-centered nourishment. Feed and be fed! Respectfully, Jan Bahner Sr. Warden

6 6 THE VESTRY CORNER! From Our Senior Warden In February, the Vestry said good-bye to Diane Flayhart, John Condon and Ginger Ross. We thank them for their faithful leadership and look forward to working with them as they continue their leadership at St. Thomas! After the Annual Meeting, we welcomed Tracey Daniels as our new Vestry member and Amy Shimonkevitz as our new Registrar. We look forward to their contributions! At our February 19 th meeting, the Vestry accepted Chon Winger s resignation from the Vestry and the Mission and Ministry Team. Chon has accepted the position of Music Director for St. Thomas. We thank Chon for volunteering his time in the interim and look forward to working with him in his new role! With a vacancy now on the Vestry, Rev. Loree+ reached out to Debbie Hood to ask her to become our newest Vestry member. Debbie graciously agreed. We are so grateful for Debbie s leadership and look forward to working with her! In her new role as a Vestry member, Debbie will be co-chairing the Ministry and Mission Team with Diane Flayhart. The Vestry has approved an annual plan for We committed to three major goals for the coming year: To secure the financial future of St. Thomas Church To establish small groups To establish a mobile food ministry Detailed plans for all ministry teams are highlighted in the following pages of the March Good News. Copies are also available via or hard copy by contacting Jill Dumser in the Church Office promises to be an exciting, busy year!!! Find your passion and volunteer to join us on the journey! Respectfully, Jan Bahner Sr. Warden

7 7 ADMINISTRATION ANNUAL PLAN FOR 2017 MISSION: St. Thomas offers the spiritual comfort of Christ-centered nourishment. ANNUAL GOALS: To secure the financial future of St. Thomas Church To establish small groups To establish a mobile food ministry VESTRY The Vestry shall be agents and legal representatives of the Parish in all matters concerning its corporate property and the relations of the Parish to its Clergy GOALS Work with the Blue Horizon Team to secure St. Thomas financial future Oversee the establishment of Small Groups and a Mobile Food Ministry ADMINISTRATION TEAM To provide effective oversight and communication of the operations of the church ACTIONS: Document and keep current all administrative procedures (Rector & Parish Administrator) Gather all St. Thomas documents from parishioners who might have stored them and create an archive of all records (Parish Administrators & Parishioners with church records) Keep website current and train an additional administrator (Donna Lettow) Secure additional renters (Parish Administrator) Market space and outreach ministries to the Community (Communications Team and Parish Administrator) Establish a Volunteer Program (Parish Administrator) Note from Sr. Warden: As you can see, our Parish Administrator has a lot to accomplish this year! If you have church records or skills, which might assist her, please give Jill a call at the church office!

8 8 ADMINISTRATION ANNUAL PLAN FOR 2017 FINANCE TEAM Prudently and profitably invest such funds of the Congregation as assigned by the Vestry for investment ACTIONS: Recruit additional members Judiciously manage the Heritage Fund and the Outreach Fund for growth Report activity quarterly to the Vestry Note from Sr. Warden: Helen Wiley has begun transitioning the role of Committee Chair for the Finance Committee to Barry Jones. Many thanks to you both! This Committee doesn t meet often but is essential to our future success. If you have skills or an interest please see either Helen or Barry. PROPERTY COMMITTEE To preserve, maintain, and improve, as needed the physical property of the church ACTIONS: Establish an inventory process for all property Solicit AC/Heating companies for annual maintenance contract following warranty period from PIPCO Continue maintaining building and grounds, prioritizing & implementing repairs and improvement as deemed necessary and appropriate, with final approval from the Vestry, within budget constraints Note from Jr. Warden: The second Saturday of each month is a workday to provide simple repairs and clean up that does not require an outside contractor. All are encouraged to stop by for even an hour between 8 am & 12 noon to lend a hand. Not all work requires physical skills. Sometimes, just sorting and setting things straight are in order. Please mark your calendars to lend a hand to keep your church beautiful!

9 9 CHRISTIAN FORMATION CHRISTIAN FORMATION ANNUAL PLAN FOR 2017 Mission: To nourish through discipleship, learning, and fellowship ACTIONS: EFM (Steve Penner, Amy Shimonkevitz) Forum (Rev. Loree+) Small Groups/Spiritual Gifts (Rev. Loree+, Vicki Sappe, Jan Bahner) Cursillo (Barb Lewis, Chris Snead) VBS (?) Tuesdays at Tom s (?) Bible Study (Rev. Loree+) Note from Sr. Warden: Since Rev. Loree+ will be away during VBS this year, we are looking for a willing volunteer to lead the team planning VBS. Are you that person? You d have a great team working with you! Debbie Hood had offered to coordinate Tuesday at Tom s prior to joining the Vestry and taking on co-chair of the M&M Team. Activities are planned. We re looking for someone who can organize 3 dinner meals for this activity. You don t have to cook if you can find a friend to do it for you! Are you this person? WORSHIP TEAM WORSHIP TEAM ANNUAL PLAN FOR 2017 Mission: To nourish the soul through the beauty of holiness 2017 Actions: Evaluate Celtic Prayer Service (Rev. Loree+) Recruit musicians and lay leaders for Evening Song (Rev. Loree+, Chon Winger) Organize an outdoor service (Rev. Loree+) Paws for Prayers a pet friendly service (Rev. Loree+) Recruit a Music Director (Rev. Loree+) DONE! Ongoing critiques of the 9:30 worship service (Rev. Loree+, Chon Winger)

10 10 CELTIC EVENING PRAYER Celtic Evening Prayer meets at 6:30 on Wednesday evenings. Join us for silence, meditation on scripture, and prayers for the church and the world. We are usually done by 7:00 pm, and while short, our prayer time is refreshing and fruitful. SUNDAY EVENING SERVICE 4:30 pm every Sunday: Evening Song a short, simple liturgy of contemporary music, prayers, scripture and Eucharist. If you have trouble getting to the morning service because of work or children s activities, come join us for Evening Song. We will spend about 30 minutes together singing, praying, and sharing communion. ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES, MARCH 1st Lent begins March 1st, Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday Services: 7am in the Chapel Noon Quiet Service 7:30pm Eucharist ALTAR GUILD Dedications can be made in memory of a loved one, a celebration for a birthday or anniversary, or in thanksgiving of a person or an event. The following dedications can be reserved for the month of March: * Branch Candles * Wine The cost of each dedication is $25. Please contact Diane Flayhart, or dflayhart.stthomas@gmail.com, or the church office, , if you are interested in making a dedication. Thank you.

11 11 LENTEN FORMATION Beginning in Lent: A book study for the Whole Congregation Every Earthly Blessing, by Esther de Waal, available from the office, or from Amazon.com. Each week our Spiritual Director-in-Residence, Debra Barton, will write a reflection on the chapters assigned for that week. The reflection will be available in the E-Newsletter and on the website. Each Sunday, for those who want to discuss the book, the Forum will host a conversation. Every Earthly Blessing by Esther de Waal describes the spirituality of Celtic Christianity. It is a spirituality heavily influenced by the dramatic landscapes of the Irish seacoast and wind tossed moors. Rain, wind, snow and sudden inexplicable shafts of ethereal light were constant companions for those making their way in cottages and crofts. As they worked they worshipped, every moment or activity had a corresponding prayer. They perceived themselves to be on holy ground and behaved accordingly. Recently, much has been written about this way of expressing a spiritual life. The hunger for holiness, and being grounded in one s life as a spiritual being, have fueled this interest Early celtic saints and pilgrims are our ancestors in the faith. They left for us a way of truly engaging with the present moment. De Waal s book includes history, prayers and practices. It is a rich companion for your Lenten journey. Week One-Introduction and God s World-In the Celtic World there is no place that God is not already present, and therefore each event or place or person becomes a gospel sign of the in-breaking of God s presence. Week Two-The Dedicated Life-Persons who are devoted to the practice of both seeking and walking within the Presence of God were known as saints. Some of these were monks and hermits, some priests and soul friends, some pilgrims and neighbors. To dedicate one s life to God became a way of spreading the light of Christ. Week Three-The Universe, Common Creation-The Celtic emphasis on the sacredness of creation reminds the Christian church that before there were environmentalists, there was a religion that responded to and nurtured the created order. Week Four-Healing-Celtic understanding of healing emerges from the holiness of creation. God is in all and longs to restore all to health. The elements and rhythms of nature aid in the recovery of health for humanity. Week Five-Sin and Sorrow, Salvation-Alas, upon the rose bush is the thorn. A common Celtic understanding of sin was as a part of creation. The desire for salvation from the thorn reminds us that we need to bind ourselves with the power of the Trinity. Week Six-The Cross, A World Made Whole-The Celtic cross, with its prominent circle, illustrates the movement of redemption. Suffering comes, and yet in Jesus all things are made whole.

12 12 LENTEN FORMATION CONTINUED We hope EVERYONE will pick up Every Earthly Blessing. Here are the steps to use this book as a guide for Lent. Purchase the book from Amazon.Com, Barnes & Noble, or call Jill and she will order it for you. Read the chapters that are assigned for each week, as stated above. Read Debra s reflection in the E-News or on the website. Come and hear Debra talk about Celtic Spirituality on Wednesday, March 22 at 5:30 pm, then join us for Celtic Prayer. Come to the Forum each week for conversation about Every Earthly Blessing. Debra will join us on the 5 th Sunday of Lent, April 2. SERMON SERIES: THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF CHRIST Beginning March 5th: Seven Last words of Christ have been part of many traditions on Good Friday. During the hours from noon to 3:00, reflections are given on each of the seven words. These "words" are really phrases that Jesus spoke while on the cross, according to the Gospels. Instead of offering the Seven Last Words on Good Friday, these devotions will form the sermons for Lent and Holy Week. In this way, Lent becomes an extended meditation on the Cross. March 5: "Father, forgive them..." March 12: "Today you shall be will me in Paradise" March 19: "Woman, behold your son..." March 26: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" April 2: "I Thirst." April 13: (Maundy Thursday) "It is Finished" April 14 (Good Friday Noon) "Into your hands...i commend my spirit."

13 13 STEWARDSHIP TEAM STEWARDSHIP TEAM ANNUAL PLAN FOR 2017 Mission: To nourish through inspiration and engagement in the sharing of time, talent, treasure, and fellowship ACTIONS Secure funding for Re. Loree s+ sabbatical (Laura Doles) Recruit a consistent team of Counters (Laura Doles) Continue fundraising efforts through the Christmas Bazaar, Basket Bingo, Fruit Sales and Flea Market (Individual Team Members) Prepare a Stewardship Campaign for 2018 (Stewardship Co-Chairs) ONLINE GIVING Finally, in an effort to keep up with the times, we now have online giving at St. Thomas'! Hearty thanks goes out to Jill Dumser, our Parish Administrator, and Donna Lettow, vestry member and communications expert in making this possible! Please visit our website at and select, Ways to Give to check it out. This new means of giving does not replace but augments our other methods of giving for pledges, special holiday offerings and other fund raising events. Envelopes will still be available and cash or check donations will remain as a means of giving. We have enlisted REALM computer systems who partner with VANCO to provide these services. After much research we decided that this would be the company to provide these services which are employed by over 20,000 churches, schools and faith based organizations. They have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, are encrypted and secure, and less expensive than other companies such as Paypal. Some benefits of this online giving system include, keeping up with the times and younger populations' way of handling financial transactions, user ability to track giving and user ability to print tax statements. Methods of giving with this system include credit/debit card transactions, checking/savings account transfers and text giving. If you are interested but are unsure of how to access this new feature or have any questions, please contact Jill in the office at or send to stthomastowson@gmail.com.

14 14 OUR RECTOR S SABBATICAL STEWARDSHIP TEAM Our rector, Loree+ has been with us now since 2011, about 5 1/2 years now. Prior to her coming she was at St. James and was about to go out on Sabbatical but chose to forgo the Sabbatical to come here to serve as our Rector. Because of her unwavering love of the Lord and commitment to serve Him, she chose to come here and fill our need. The time has come, though, for her to finally take that Sabbatical, to relax, renew and recharge! The subject was discussed at our vestry meetings and it was decided that Loree+ should go on Sabbatical and that we would have a fund raiser to cover the costs. I decided to volunteer to lead the fund raiser, not because I am co-chair of stewardship but because I have witnessed Loree+'s hard work and efforts in service to the Lord and our Church. Prior to being on the vestry, I had no idea how much work goes into being a rector. I had Jill give me the job description and on it were a total of 44 items! What was not on there is the weightiness of the spiritual care of people who have put their trust in you with their lives and souls. While many occupations have a lot of responsibilities, none come close to those of the reverend. The job is really 24/7, days off are not guaranteed and can be rescinded at any time! It is imperative to remember everyone, their cares, concerns and problems. Those are shoes that I could never fill! Loree+ is planning her Sabbatical to begin at the end of May and will culminate at the end of August. During this time we will have Rev. Ron Fisher serving as our rector. The cost of the Sabbatical is $15,000 but the Episcopal diocese will cover one third of it. A very gracious donor has come forward to cover another third of it and we are asking St. Thomas Church members to contribute the remaining $5000. Please prayerfully consider donating to this fund raiser which will run through May 1, Contributions can be placed in the offering plates, mailed in or done through our new online options on our website. Please indicate on any checks that the monies are for Sabbatical. Thank you! Laura Doles

15 15 FRUIT SALES STEWARDSHIP TEAM St. Thomas Church has sold fruit to our parishioners and neighbors for over 38 years. We pride ourselves in providing the best available fruit at very competitive prices. Simply order your fruit by: Calling the , Sending us an stthomastowson@gmail.com, Visiting Our Website, Mailing Order Form to the Office. To pick up your fruit, arrive on the delivery day between 9am-11am to pay for your order. The next date of sales will be on Saturday, March 11th. Mission: To feed and be fed 2017 Actions: MINISTRY AND MISSION TEAM MINISTRY AND MISSION ANNUAL PLAN FOR 2017 Pastoral Care (Betty Wilson) Hospitality (Barbara Lewis) Newcomers (Jo Leslie) Christian Stitchin (Beth Crosby) Connect with Renters to engage them in outreach opportunities Connect mission opportunities with one another Salvation Army (Linda Condon) National Night Out (Jill Dumser, Jan Bahner) Loch Raven Network (Jan Bahner) Paul s Place Fruit (John Windsor), Clothing (Harrymans) Woodbourne School (Diane Flayhart) ACTC (Diane Flayhart) Pet Ministry (Jill Dumser) American Red Cross (Diane Flayhart) Note from Sr. Warden: Thank you for your generous giving in the past! Please make 2017 the year you reach out and feed to be fed! Any one of these activities would benefit from your active participation as well as your donations!

16 16 MINISTRY AND MISSION TEAM LOCH RAVEN NETWORK: SPRING BREAK FOOD DRIVE Students suffering from food scarcity are particularly vulnerable during periods when their school is closed. To assist our at-risk students at Loch Raven High School during their spring break, we are collecting grocery store gift cards for them and their families to use. Gift cards from Giant, Safeway and Walmart and cash will be collected in the box in the Narthex during the month of March. Any cash donated will be used to purchase gift cards at these stores. Thank you in advance for your continuing generosity in sharing God s gifts with these students! LENTEN MITE (LOVE) BOXES This year the Lenten Season begins on Ash Wednesday on March 1, A longtime tradition at St. Thomas includes the use of Mite, or Love, Boxes. When one practices sacrifice during Lent, such as giving up a food item or other monetary expenditure, the funds not spent for those items can be deposited in the mite box. Then, at Easter, the mite boxes are included in the offering, and the collected funds are given to designated recipients. This year we will be dividing the proceeds of the mite boxes between ACTC (Assistance Center of Towson Churches) and the Loch Raven Network. So be sure to use the mite box you received last month when you prayerfully consider your Lenten practice this year and remember to bring your mite box to church at Easter. Thank you ST. THOMAS BLOOD DRIVE, MAY Hearty thanks to all of you who so generously donated blood to the American Red Cross in January. Your gift of life is invaluable. The next blood drive will be May 14 20, 2017, and, as usual, it will NOT be held at the church. You just need to sign up to give blood at any of the local donor centers during a time that is convenient for you during that week. For your information, the two donor centers closest to St. Thomas are: Timonium Donor Center White Marsh Donor Center 2405 York Road, Suite Sandpiper Court, Suite 118 Lutherville, MD Baltimore, MD Call RED CROSS ( ) to schedule your life-saving blood donation today!

17 17 MINISTRY AND MISSION TEAM ANNUAL OUTREACH CALENDAR Here s a look at this year s schedule for our outreach efforts. You may have a particular interest and we thought this calendar would give you the opportunity to sign up with the M&M Team for your favorite activity. January February March Paul s Place Fruit, Blood Drive Paul s Place Fruit, ACTC Paul s Place Fruit, Mite Boxes (ACTC/LR Network 2017), LR Network Grocery Cards April Paul s Place Fruit, Mite Boxes (ACTC/LR Network 2017) May Woodbourne Center Summer Gift Cards, Blood Drive June LR Network Backpacks July LR Network Backpacks August Open for your suggestions! (Pet Ministry?) September LR Network Food & Snacks, Blood Drive October LR Network Toiletries November ACTC Thanksgiving Baskets, Salvation Army Stockings, Paul s Place Fruit December Paul s Place Fruit, Salvation Army Field Trip to Warehouse Year-round activities include our Card Ministry, Christian Stitchin, Lay Eucharistic Visitors and Rides to Church. Please see Diane Flayhart or Debbie Hood for contact people and to find out how you can reach out to our community. PASTORAL CARE A Little Birdie Told Me..The Pastoral Care Folks would like to know when you or your fellow parishioners are sick, ill, or have something to celebrate, and you are the little birdies! We need your help! Rev. Loree+ is very busy on a Sunday morning and sometimes people mention to her that they have upcoming surgery or something that needs prayers. She does a good job of remembering, but occasionally there are just too many requests to remember them all. The Pastoral Care Group would like for you to call the Church office or contact Betty Wilson, or oomawilson11@gmail.com. We need all the Lil Birdies to chirp to us so we can visit or send cards. Please help by being one of our birdies!

18 18 CHRISTIAN STITCHIN PET MINISTRY As many of you know, St. Thomas began a Pet Ministry last year. For those wondering what the purpose of a pet ministry is, you only have to look into the eyes of an owner and their animal companion to witness the spiritual comfort and nourishment of that familial bond. For most of us, our pets are family, and at St. Thomas we recognize this and foster that interconnectedness. Our Pet Ministry allows us to extend this outreach into our community by having pet adoption and donation events, supporting initiatives like the Maryland SPCA's Humane Education program, Meals on Wheels Kibble Connection and offering pet-friendly worship services. The outreach that we strive for extends much further than the animals themselves, but into the lives of their owners. If you would like to get involved, please contact Jill Dumser in the office at or by , stthomastowson@gmail.com. Kibble Connection: a program that provides pet food to local Meals on Wheels clients. Some Meals on Wheels clients are sharing their meals with their pets and not getting enough to eat. Kibble Connection helps ensure that Meals on Wheels clients and their pets maintain good nutrition. MD SPCA s Humane Education Program: an initiative to promote community giving and education in animal welfare issues. Community Outreach and Education programs are an important component of our mission. Adoption & Donation Events: throughout the year we will have opportunities to meet rescue animals that are looking for their fur-ever homes, pet supply donation days, and the chance to socialize your pets and join in fellowship. Paws for Prayer: stay tuned for a pet-friendly worship service coming this Fall! Submitted by, Jill Dumser, Pet Ministry Chair MINISTRY AND MISSION TEAM Members from the Church of the Holy Comforter joined the St. Thomas Christian Stitchin group on Saturday, February 18 th. We learned about their efforts to revive the group at Holy Comforter and shared ideas and patterns. The St. Thomas Christian Stitchin group will visit Holy Comforter for our March meeting Saturday, March 18 th from 10 am to 12 noon at 130 W Seminary Ave. Please consider joining us if you knit, crochet or do any type of needle work or if you d like to learn!

19 19 A COLLABORATION OF MINDS As each of us has a wealth of individual experience and knowledge to draw upon, teamwork is one of the most essential and vital aspects of a successful community. Developing an allegiance to our work doesn't necessarily come with an understanding of the benefits of teamwork. The collaboration of minds offers wonderful possibilities. Yet, our fears and insecurities often stand in the way of building a successful team. A change in environment is naturally threatening, and instinctively we may adopt a defensive attitude. Being creatures of habit, it can be difficult to change this behavior; however, we must work to find a balance between self-protection and vulnerability - something we have all struggled with at some point. Our fear of failure also limits our ability for wholehearted collaborative work. No one enjoys the realization that they've made a mistake, much less one made publicly within a group; successful groups recognize this and strive to foster an environment of trust and mutual support, recognizing that the profits generated by teamwork far outweigh the costs of individual mistakes. A successful team isn't born, it is created - and attaining this goal requires everyone's commitment. Carl Jung once wrote, The greater the tension, the greater is the potential. Great energy springs from a correspondingly great tension of opposites. We're built of energy, and such a divine force cannot help but touch us all. We pass energy to one another day after day, spawning new ideas, thereby generating differing emotions. Choose to demonstrate your vitality and encourage others to follow. Voice your opinions, share your experiences and listen to what others have to share. Effective communication is the heart of any successful group effort; your personal success and the health of this church depend upon our ability to work well together. Without trust and dedication, a group effort is vulnerable to fears and negative attitudes, which can quickly have a devastating effect on productivity. Learning to recognize the early warning signs of these situations allows us to gain control before any real harm is done. Prevention is as simple as taking the time to listen to your teammates - this helps you understand their frustrations, their expectations, and the incentives that drive them. Ask for their opinion; not only does this demonstrate your respect, but sharing ideas is the core of collaborative work. Time spent listening is time wellspent, and because all our time is scarce, it vividly conveys your appreciation of your teammates. Preemptive initiative is a learned process that we must enact daily. In essence, be filled with pride rather than fear; focus on solutions, not problems - know that your experiences and knowledge are valued and essential to the success of the church. And in the security of a supportive team, feel free to venture forth with new ideas, bold concepts and fantastic visions -the future of our church is in your hands. Submitted by, Jill Dumser

20 20 ST. THOMAS RESIDENT BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT I guess you could say it all started with termites! I m Bill McAllen, I have lived in Hampton for 22 years and I have been making my incredible chocolate almond toffee for over 25 years. This past autumn, I decided that it was time to see if I could turn a hobby, which I enjoyed, into a successful business. McAllen s Best is now being sold in small specialty stores all over the Towson area but the BEST way to try my toffee is to visit my website listed below. I always knew my toffee was really outstanding because it was made with the best butter, sugar, roasted almonds and dark chocolate but the real affirmation occurred many years ago when I got a phone call one day from a pest control company that had done some work at my house. As the inspectors were leaving my house after their inspection, I had given each one a gift package of my toffee. One year later, to the day, I got a call back from one of the inspectors wondering if I was home and if so, could they stop by and do a free inspection and get some more toffee! It seems that the toffee had been such a big hit in their office that they had made a note to call me back one year later. Each holiday season for the past 25 years I would get more and more requests for my toffee. New customers would become repeat customers. People who had received the toffee as a gift would demand it the following year. I kept my business just between friends no websites, not available in any store. Yet every year, more and more people wanted more and more toffee. For many people and companies who were connected to me, my toffee became the perfect gift for them to give for the holidays. folks at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, which is located on Providence Road near Hampton Lane I now have a certified kitchen in which to manufacture my product. After many hours of paperwork and inspections, I was cleared by the state to manufacture my product. Now I ll see if my chocolate almond toffee can make it in the real marketplace. Reception by local stores like The Pigheaded Butcher in Lutherville and similar small business, such as florists and gift shops, has been very good. Sales continue to grow and I m adding more locations. My ideal location is a small specialty shop featuring fine wine, beer and other gourmet products. I am staying small and within a ten mile radius of my home. You can t get much more local than that. One of the best parts of the business has been meeting new people and hearing their ideas. I m sure there are many talented people in the Hampton neighborhood who have ideas about how to grow my business. I would love to get you to sample my toffee and to hear what you have to say. Right after Thanksgiving, the calls or s would start to come in and I would have standing orders for 20 to 40 packages. I enjoyed the process of making the toffee in my home but I knew I had to have access to a commercial kitchen in order to go the next level. Thanks to the good Please contact me at : Website: Facebook: McAllen's Best Chocolate Almond Toffee mcallentoffee@gmail.com

21 21 MINISTRY AND MISSION TEAM GOD PLANNED YOU FOR A PURPOSE MARCH BIRTHDAYS 1 Mary Lou Pfeifer 1 Frank Robinson 2 Nichole Horner 2 Max Jemellaro 3 Nancy Woodring 5 John Frederick 5 Peggy Lighthiser 8 Cindy Christopher 12 Joanna Shuba-Oakey 15 Tracey Daniels 20 Neil Schmidt 28 Ryan Christopher 30 Constance Waxter 31 Debbie Dunn Birthdays and anniversaries are always celebrated and prayed for during Sunday services. We would also like to put monthly birthdays in each issue of The Good News. If your birthday is not listed when it should be, please contact the Church office, or stthomastowson@gmail.com, or Betty Wilson, or oomawilson11@gmail.com. If you have a March birthday and your name does not appear on this list, please notify the Church office or Betty Wilson (oomawilson11@gmail.com) We are trying to remember our elderly and homebound parishioners with cards of their birthdays and special occasions. If anyone has cards they would like to donate to this cause, please leave them in the basket in the Narthex. They will be much appreciated.

22 MARCH Lent 1 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 9:30am Worship Service 10:30am The Forum 11:30am City Light Worship 4:30pm Worship Service 12 Lent 2 -Daylight Savings 9:30am Worship Service 10:30am The Forum 11am Vestry Meeting 11:30am City Light Worship 4:30pm Worship Service 19 Lent 3 9:30am Worship Service 10:30am The Forum 11:30am City Light Worship 4:30pm Worship Service 26 Lent 4 9:30am Worship Service 10:30am The Forum 11:30am City Light Worship 4:30pm Worship Service 6 7 6:30pm EfM :30pm EfM 20 Good News Submissions Due 21 6:30pm EfM :30pm EfM 1 Ash Wednesday 7am Worship Service 12pm Worship Service 7:30pm Worship Service 8 6:30pm Celtic Prayer 7pm City Light Music Practice 7pm- Bible Study 15 6:30pm Celtic Prayer 7pm City Light Music Practice 7pm- Bible Study 7pm Johns Hopkins 22 6:30pm Celtic Prayer 7pm City Light Music Practice 7pm- Bible Study 29 6:30pm Celtic Prayer 7pm City Light Music Practice 7pm- Bible Study 2 7:30pm Music Practice 9 1:30pm Johns Hopkins Parkinsons Support Group 7:30pm Music Practice 16 7:30pm Music Practice 23 2pm Johns Hopkins Parkinsons Support Group 7:30pm Music Practice 30 7:30pm Music Practice 3 7pm AA Meeting 10 7pm AA Meeting 17 7pm AA Meeting 24 7pm AA Meeting 31 9am Johns Hopkins Support Group 7pm AA Meeting am Work Day 8:30am Planned Giving Workshop 9am Fruit Delivery 18 10am Christian Church of the Holy Comforter 25

23 St. Thomas Good News St. Thomas Episcopal Church 1108 Providence Road Towson, MD Time Dated: February 27, 2017 RETURNED SERVICE REQUESTED NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Timonium, MD Permit 246 MISSION St. Thomas offers the spiritual comfort of Christ-centered nourishment.