St. Thomas Episcopal Church

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1 O C T O B E R P r o v i d e n c e R d T o w s o n, M D S u n d a y S e r v i c e 9 : 3 0 A M I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e : Sr. Warden 2 St. Thomas Episcopal Church GOOD NEWS LETTER A Message From Our Rector R e v. L o r e e A. P e n n e r This morning on my way to work, I went to Starbucks, sitting between two busy streets on the lot where the Bel-Loc Diner used to be. It was difficult to get into, just as the diner was with heavy traffic on both Loch Raven Boulevard and Joppa Road. I remember the controversy regarding Starbucks purchasing that lot. There were so many people that wanted the historic Diner to stay, or another Diner take its place, with the same ambiance, the same historic feeling. But Starbucks won out, and it is doing a thriving business. Vestry Corner 3 Sunday School 3 Blessing of the Animals 4 Altar Guild 5 Book Club & Shred-It Day Christian Stitchin 5 6 Basket Bingo 6 ACTC Thanksgiving Food Drive Student Support Network & Loose Change Food for Thought Town Hall Meeting Birthdays & Prayer Requests Text Giving Calendar 12 Things change. We all know that. The things we love disappear and new things come to replace them. Eventually, we get used to the change, and while some hold on stubbornly to their idea, the majority end up taking the change in stride, even enjoying the new products or stores or ideas that replaced them. St. Thomas has been in a long change, and continues to be. In 2000, after a disappointing Capital Campaign which was to build a new Fellowship Hall, the beautiful building was replaced with our current temporary building four modular trailers set up as one room. People were upset, and began to leave. More left when Charles Cloughen retired, and more during the long interim period. Others left when faced with a woman Rector, when we joined the services together, and when we hired and fired a music director who turned out to be a poor fit. Now, because of all this change, we find ourselves having to make up our funding by renting our building to a variety of non-profits, churches, and individuals. October is the month when we begin to talk about Stewardship how we give of ourselves to God through time, energy, and resources. I am noticing once again that time and energy are at a premium so many of our people have very little time or energy to give, because life is full filled with long work hours, commutes, and children s activities. That leaves our resources. This year, we are doing Stewardship differently. We will talk about gratitude, and give you opportunities to express your gratitude to God in creative ways.. In terms of resources, we re asking you to add to your pledge the equivalent of one trip to Starbucks or wherever you get your coffee, each week. I just spent $8.00 at Starbucks. At Dunkin Donuts or McDonalds, that amount would be different. We hope that each person can add 5.00 to 8.00 a week to their pledge. For me, this means mean I would give more a month than I am giving now. If ALL of us were to do that, we could make up the deficit left by some very strong givers who have either moved or died or transferred to assisted living. I know all can't give that much. But lets try, shall we? Let's see what God will do. Time.Energy.Resources. I hope to find creative ways to enable you to connect with God and with our church while you are at home. While I do that, can you find a way to give $6.00 $8.00 a week more in 2019? Lets work together to meet the needs of one another, and touch this neighborhood for Christ.

2 P a g e 2 From Our Senior Warden, Diane Flayhart GRATITUDE So, last month I introduced the Loose Change Counts Challenge. How s that working for you? Are you digging out your loose change and making that offering plate ring with the sound of those nickels and dimes? Have you taught your children the importance of giving? It doesn t have to be confined to just coinage, either. Even those extra one-dollar and five-dollar bills count. Keep tossing your loose change in the offering plate, or in the jar in the narthex, and we ll see what a difference we re making! Gratitude what are you grateful for? At St. Thomas, we are grateful that we have a place where we can gather for worship. We are grateful to the many members of our community we ve been able to help with your generosity, like the Student Support Network, Paul s Place, ACTC (more on that later), etc. We are also grateful that we are able to offer our facility to our many renters to supply financial support for the work we do here at St. Thomas. As I mentioned last month, though, our aging buildings are taxing our treasury with continued maintenance and upkeep, and our pledge totals have decreased in the past few years. Soon we will be gathering our pledges for the upcoming year. Express your gratitude for St. Thomas and your many blessings by prayerfully considering an increase in your pledge this year. Even just a small amount could make a big difference. We are entering the season of Fall, and soon we will be making plans for Thanksgiving. What are YOU thankful for? Having the basics necessities of housing, clothing and food is probably something we take for granted. However, there are many families that don t always know where their next meal is coming from. That s why it s important for us to support the work of the Assistance Center of Towson Churches (ACTC) in their annual Thanksgiving Basket Food Drive. Information on this year s drive can be found elsewhere in this edition of THE GOOD NEWS. Further information will be posted in the upcoming bulletins regarding grocery stores that will be offering complete baskets for sale. As I close, keep that Loose Change Challenge going every little bit counts!! Blessings, Diane Flayhart Senior Warden

3 P a g e 3 October 2018 Vestry Corner At our September 9 th meeting, the Vestry discussed the following: 1. A Lunch with Santa event is being planned to be held on Saturday, December 1, along with a Nearly New Event in lieu of our Annual Christmas Bazaar. The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. ~Mahatma Gandhi 2. Plans are being finalized to pre-sell Christmas trees in conjunction with the Providence Volunteer Fire Department. People will be able to pre-order their trees, and they will be available for pick-up and possibly delivery on a specified date. Proceeds will be divided between the Fire Department and St. Thomas. Watch for details. 3. A Property Committee meeting will be scheduled to discuss many maintenance issues, including those with the Fellowship Hall. 4. This year s Stewardship Campaign is approaching, and we are looking for someone to chair this event. We also welcome any additional ideas or concerns you may have. The Vestry is here to serve you. Respectfully, Diane Flayhart Sr. Warden Sunday School Join us for Sunday School in classroom 5 at 9:15am, with the fun beginning at 9:30am. We will welcome children ages pre-k and up to join us for lessons and fun during the first half of worship. The children will join the service during the peace. We would love to have your family participate. Please Tracey Daniels (tracey3579@gmail.com) or Nicole Zollickoffer (nickyz1101@gmail.com) and let us know if you would like to help, or are interested in bringing your children.

4 P a g e 4 St. Thomas' invites you to join us on October 7th at 9:30am for our Annual Blessing of the Animals! People and pets of all faiths are welcome. This will be a simple service filled with faith, fun and fellowship. Please ensure your pets are properly leashed or contained.

5 P a g e 5 Altar Guild Dedications can be made in memory of a loved one, a celebration for a birthday or anniversary, or in thanksgiving of any life event. For the month of October, the following dedications are available: Wafers Eucharistic Candles Sanctuary Candle Altar arrangements for the 3 rd Sunday The cost of each dedication is $30. Please contact Diane Flayhart, or dflayhart.stthomas@gmail.com, or the church office, or stthomastowson@gmail.com, if you are interested in reserving a dedication. Thank you. Monthly Book Club Interested in joining a newly forming book club? The first meeting will be held on November 5th at 7pm, and we will be discussing the book Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown. The first meeting will be held at St. Thomas Church on Providence Road. All are welcome to attend, so please come and bring a friend! #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER; A timely and important new book that challenges everything we think we know about cultivating true belonging in our communities, organizations, and culture, from the #1 bestselling author of Rising Strong, Daring Greatly, and The Gifts of Imperfection. FREE Community Shred-It Day To begin your Fall house cleaning, please stop by St. Thomas' on Saturday, October 6th : from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm to shred loose paper, old magazines, bills, tax returns, checks and investment statements. Chesapeake Shredding will not accept any electronics, items in binding clips or 3 ring notebooks. Stapled sheets of paper are fine.

6 P a g e 6 Hooks and Needles and Autumn Oh, my! Prayer shawls, scarves, hats, baptism blankets, lap covers--and these are only the projects we ve done recently! Our group is open to anyone interested in pursuing or learning a creative stitching endeavor. We will next meet on Saturday, October 13th at 10:00am at St. Thomas on Providence Road. Many of our hands are currently working on knitted and crocheted scarves for Meals on Wheels clients. Last fall, we shared over 200 scarves!! Even though we try to match or exceed the previous year s number, we will give what our skilled knitters and crocheters have made. You can help even if you aren t able to come and stitch with us by making a scarf (or 2 or 7) at home when the time is good for you! All scarves should measure 5" - 7" wide and 60" - 72" inches long. They need to fit in gallon size Ziplock bags. (We will provide the bags.) Feel free to contact Beth at bcrosby.saintthomas@gmail.com with any questions. Longaberger Basket BINGO Basket Bingo will be held on Friday, October 12th. Volunteers are needed to donate desserts, and to help with setting up, selling tickets and bingo supplies at the door, selling food, and cleaning up. Please contact Vicki Sappe, or vsappe@hotmail.com, if you are able to help in any way. Tickets are on sale now for $20. Tickets for chances on special baskets are also on sale for $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00. You do not need to be present at the bingo to win the special baskets. Please contact Diane Flayhart for tickets at This is an important fundraiser for our parish, and a good time for all who attend. Please support us!

7 P a g e ACTC Thanksgiving Baskets Please include ONLY the following items in each basket: (All additional items should be in separate bags and marked MISCELLANEOUS ) 1 can sweet potatoes/yams (23-29 oz can) 2 cans meat/main dish (example: beef stew or chili oz cans) 1 large can fruit (20-30 oz can) 4 cans vegetables (example: green beans, peas or corn-15 oz cans) 1 cranberry sauce 2 pkg. macaroni & cheese 1 box instant mashed potatoes 1 cake or brownie mix 1 bag or box of stuffing mix 1 lb. bag or box of rice **PLEASE DO NOT PUT MONEY OR GIFT CARDS IN BAGS. TIPS FOR PACKING: Pack large cans on bottom & lighter items on top. If possible use a Reusable Grocery Bag /OR a double brown grocery bag inserted in double plastic bag. Mark bags as COMPLETE or INCOMPLETE (list what is missing). You will have the opportunity to purchase pre-packed Thanksgiving Baskets from several supermarkets in the area for a reasonable price. Detailed information for this option will be coming to you soon! Please place items in the Bride s Room off the Narthex. All donations must be received by Sunday, November 11 th. Thank you for your continued generosity!

8 P a g e 8 Student Support Network Folks who donated to our back to school back pack project asked if we could do it closer to the start of school next year so it would be easier to find supplies at good prices. I ve talked with the Social Worker, Caryn Putchat, at LRHS and the answer is YES. As long as the back packs are at the school by the first day (which is now the day after Labor Day), the school will see that the students know where to pick them up. Again, many thanks to all who donated their treasure and time to this project! As you may already know, our Annual Fundraiser is on Tuesday, October 16 th at 7pm in St. Thomas Fellowship Hall. We ve changed the theme this year and will have delicious chocolate, cupcakes and coffee this year. Tickets are selling fast and are limited. If you d like to join us, please go to studentsupportnetwork.org/events to purchase your tickets. Looking forward to seeing many of you there! In November, we will be having a Fall Donation Drive on Friday, November 9 th and 10 th. Flyers will be coming out at the beginning of October; so look for them in the Narthex for a list of the schools we will be supporting (maybe as many as 22!) and the supplies that are needed. If you have questions or want to volunteer your time at the drive, please contact Jan Bahner at jbanhner.ssn@gmail.com or at The holidays are coming! It seems early to be planning for Christmas this soon, but we want to have the students/families identified for our Loch Raven Network Adopt a Family project by November 1 st. This means we need donors to match with them by November 1 st as well in order for folks to have time to shop. Maybe you belong to a book club or have co-workers who might want to go together to adopt a family. Last year we supported 32 students and their families. If you d like to participate in this holiday project, please talk with Jan Bahner or contact her at jbahner.ssn@gmail.com. As always, there is much more information on the Student Support Network and the Loch Raven Network on our newly updated website (studentsupportnetowrk.org). Thank you again for your continuing support to help minimize the impact of homelessness and severe poverty on students of Baltimore County! Loose Change Counts! Feel like a treasure hunt? Flip those sofa cushions, clean out the bottom on your purse, that cup holder in your car, and the infamous junk drawer! Collect all that loose change, and bring it to St. Thomas. We d like to see everyone make a habit of including their loose change with their offerings on Sundays, or by placing it in the Loose Change jar in the Narthex. Read more about this challenge in this months Senior Warden s report. I knew a homeless guy who'd give all the copper coins that people gave him to charity. So I think there's something that makes us want to give. For me, it's quite a selfish luxury: you feel enlivened, deepened and self-nurtured by generosity. ~Tamsin Greig

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10 P a g e 10 TEXT US WHEN THE SPIRIT MOVES YOU Help support St. Thomas' Church & Community Center. Text STTHOMAS $10 ($3 minimum amount) to We are working to become a vital one-stop-shop for community members to access education, theater arts, youth and senior programs, commodities, and have a safe place to participate in recreational activities and special events. Every extra dollar you can spare goes a long way in helping us to grow and strengthen our community. We could not do what we do, without you! Funds received will be used to support the continuation and expansion of the programs and services offered. St. Thomas' Episcopal Church is a 501(c)3, non-profit organization.

11 BIRTHDAYS 2 Noah Griffith Kim Sappe 3 Jason Kaff 4 Joseph Greenbeck, IV 13 William White, Jr. 17 John Lyons Kim Lyons 26 James Reilly Griffin Walter 31 Ronald Reichert Prayers for Healing are requested for those who are ill or in any need: Mo Otradovec, Dottie D., Jan Jr., David J., Jeri Adams, Robert Yoos, Andrew Bures, Bill D., Rick D., Pete, Leigh, Vera O., Wanda S., Dowell S., Bill F., Mary Lou P., Curtis Meador, Lou W., Amy S., Janet, Kathy, Larry, Tammy J., Doug H., Donna and Joe Greenbeck Jr. And for those who are homebound: Theresa Welsch, Mary Shorter, Nan Fitzgerald, Charles and Susan Harryman, Carrie Hemberger, Susan Herring, Ellen Monahan, Connie Waxter, and Dan Licht. 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. 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. S u n d a y S e r v i c e T i m e : 9 : 3 0 A M

12 22 Office Closed 31 Halloween 19 Office Closed S t. T h o m a s E p i s c o p a l C h u r c h w w w. S t T h o m a s T o w s o n. o r g OCTOBER 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 7 9:15am Sunday School 9:30am Blessing of the Animals 10:30am-Forum 3pm Theatre Group 14 9:15am Sunday School 9:30am Worship 11am Vestry Meeting 3pm Theatre Group 21 9:15am Sunday School 9:30am Worship 10:30am-Forum 3pm Theatre Group 28 9:15am Sunday School 9:30am Worship 10:30am - Forum 3pm Theatre Group 1 7pm NA Meeting 8 6:30pm Scouts 7pm NA Meeting 15 7pm NA Meeting 7pm NA Meeting 29 7pm NA Meeting 2 6:45pm Yoga 9 6:45pm Yoga 7pm Theatre Group 16 6:45pm Yoga 7pm Student Support Network Fundraiser 7pm Theatre Group 23 6:45pm Yoga 7pm Theatre Group 30 6:45pm Yoga 3pm Theatre Group 3 6pm Ski Club 7:30pm Greater Baltimore Church 10 7:30pm Greater Baltimore Church 17 7pm Johns Hopkins Parkinson s Support Group 24 7:30pm Greater Baltimore Church No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face." John Donne [The Autumnal] 4 7pm Theatre Group 11 1:30pm- Johns Hopkins Parkinson s Support Group 7pm Theatre Group 7:30pm Music Practice 18 1:30pm- Johns Hopkins Parkinson s Support Group 7:30pm Music Practice 25 2pm- Johns Hopkins Parkinson s Support Group 7pm Theatre Group 7:30pm Music Practice 5 7pm AA Meeting 12 6pm Basket Bingo 7pm AA Meeting 7pm AA Meeting 26 6pm Scouts 7pm AA Meeting 6 10am Shred It Day 13 8am Church Work Day 10am Christian Stitchin 11am Food For Thought Meeting (Holy Comforter) Some private events may not be included on this calendar. Please contact the office to reserve a meeting space or stthomastowson@gmail.com 20 27