ST. THOMAS LIFELINES. Epiphany Service Friday, January 6th 7 pm

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1 ST. THOMAS LIFELINES VOLUME 24, NO. 1 JANUARY 2017 Merry Christmas! And Happy New Year! This last week of the year always seems strange, and obviously it is different from all other spaces of time. Either I m traveling and I m somebody s guest, or somebody is my guest. (Or as is the case this year, neither I m holding down the fort at home while my family travels.) Work rhythms are suspended for just bit longer this week. The days are short and chilly. There are things to do, but nothing feels too urgent. Even though this may be a time of travel, festivities, and relaxed schedules. I have also found it to be a time to rest, recharge, and to get inspired. Even though there is a lot of political and economic uncertainty swirling around and major transitions are approaching, there is also great hope which we celebrate this time of year. I choose to fix my gaze on this life-giving gift whose source is God. At this point, it has been a month since you welcomed me and my family among you, and we are most grateful for your hospitality and generosity. What I am most thankful for, is your openness in sharing your enthusiasm, your concerns, your amazing talents, and of course, your hopes for St. Thomas Church. I believe that the Holy Spirit has put together a wonderful and blessed team here to do God s work in Christiansburg and the surrounding area. I feel enormously fortunate to be with you! Looking back on the last month and my short time at St. Thomas, I have a lot to take in. We have worshipped through an entire liturgical season and a major feast day, convened an annual parish meeting, and the vestry has taken counsel together. I experienced working the VT concession stand, an Advent silent retreat, and a lively choir party. As we wind down this closing interlude of 2016, I am truly excited for the future mission and ministry of St. Thomas Church! As we begin the new year, I again want to thank everyone who worked so hard to make 2016 a great year! The Vestry and Wardens, together with the Search Committee, grappled with some difficult and important decisions, but I am certain they wisely sought the Holy Spirit s guidance. The altar guild, choir and worship leaders of the congregation have done and continue to do awesome work to make St. Thomas a holy place with holy people. And the many members involved in providing ministries in the name of our church in child care and Christian formation, in service to the community, in administration of business affairs, care of the buildings and grounds, and so many other ways. I know 2017 is going to be great! Thanks be to God for all that we have been given to share with those who God calls us to serve! I pray that each of us enjoys a healthy, happy, and joyous new year. Mark Epiphany Service Friday, January 6th 7 pm Rev. Paul Henrickson from Our Saviour Lutheran will give the sermon.

2 JANUARY 2017 S T. THOMAS L IF E LINE S PAGE 2 SENIOR WARDEN REPORT Submitted by Harvey Leist As Dr. Seuss once said, Oh the places you will go. You re off to Great Places! Your mountain is waiting. So get on your way. The past year and a half has been a journey of faith for all of us. Together we have continued the work of our Lord and St. Thomas. We have climbed many mountains and gone to many places. We have continued on our way and our spiritual journey. I want to thank all of you for your support, dedication and work during our interim time without a priest. I have been humbled and grateful to be Senior Warden. Together we have continued the vision of St. Thomas by serving our community with the gifts that God has given us. It was a group effort of many, many people to keep our direction and follow the path that was set before us. We have nourished our souls through worship, we have carried on the traditions of St. Thomas, we have continued our outreach missions and we have deepened our faith through service and prayer. The St. Thomas family is excited to travel our faith journey with Rev. Mark. Now is our day. We are off to Great Places. May God continue to bless and guide us. Presentation of the Budget Janet Webster (From the minutes of the Annual Meeting.) Reduced income from Kroger Cares program to amount closer to what we have received recently Reminded everyone that they must renew each year. Proposed setting up on Sunday for people to complete this task. Building and Maintenance was increased based on 2016 expenditures and anticipated repairs to the heat pump. Janet will apply for a grant for these repairs. There were questions regarding the mortgage balance. Janet will find out this information and send out to the parish. Budget has a net of $ which was suggested to be held for emergency. Non-pledge incomed was explained as income from sources other than pledge contributions, i.e. those who contribute regularly but do not pledge. A motion was made to affirm the budget. It was seconded and approved by the congregation. JUNIOR WARDEN REPORT Submitted by Scott Farmer 2016 was a year with a number of sizeable projects. One that was outstanding was the removal of the bee hive that had taken up residence over the past few years in one of St Thomas chimneys. Attempts to capture the hive had been made without success. Work on roof could not proceed until it was removed so bee keepers came in and relocated the hive to an aviary at Virginia Tech. The metal roof on the sanctuary reached a point where it needed to be painted. The roof was pressure washed and then painted with marine grade paint. While at it, the painters greased the bell. In addition, several loose bricks were removed and a stainless steel cap was installed to prevent the chimney from deteriorating in the future. St Thomas has a spring and fall clean up event. Both were a success and addressed many issues around the grounds and inside the church. All lights in the sanctuary were replaced with LED lights. An LED dimmer was also installed. During this process, it was noted that a few of the fixtures where the bulbs screw in have been damaged due to over tightening of bulbs and may need to be repaired or the fixture replaced down the road. One of the air conditioning units for the sanctuary has died and the other is losing all of its coolant annually ($700 per year to re-charge). The heat furnace is working. Money to replace both was approved by vestry. Work has been requested and replacement should occur in the next month or so. Adult Forum will resume the second Sunday in January, Jan. 8th, with a highly recommended DVD, The Jesus Creed and discussion led by Farrell Doss and his team. Come join us! (From the minutes of the Annual Meeting) CLEANING CREW Lynn Straub This is a relatively new ministry. There are eight teams and two substitute teams. Volunteers are always welcome! NURSERY Kelly Stalvey Although we ve had some new volunteers, the nursery needs more, especially adults 18 and over. We must have two volunteers working in the nursery.

3 JANUARY 2017 S T. THOMAS L IF E LINE S PAGE 3 LAY WORSHIP COMMITTEE Submitted by Harvey Leist The acolytes at St. Thomas have served God with dedication and faith. The group serves at the altar assisting the priest in our worship of God. We currently have 10 servers ranging in grades 4 through 12. Adults are welcome to serve as well. Just see me to volunteer. We presently have 9 chalice bearers. Chalice bearers help serve the elements during our Eucharist service. There are 6 lay readers who spread the word of the Old and New Testaments to the congregation. Twelve ushers greet the parishioners and ensure smooth flow of movement during church services. An invitation is open to all members to serve God as acolytes, chalice bearers, lay readers, and ushers. PARISH LIFE Submitted by Cindy Stone The Parish Life committee is responsible for scheduling and overseeing hospitality each Sunday as well as for handling all receptions for special events such as weddings, funerals, the bishop s visit and any other celebration. The committee is also responsible for maintaining the kitchen and supplies. We welcome anyone who would like to join this important group. Jane Carper, Carol Cummings, Cindy Stone Parish Life Co-Chairs PASTORAL CARE Submitted by Cindy Stone The Pastoral Care committee consists of several components: scheduling meals for shut-ins, home communions, prayer list and bread ministry for newcomers. During the past year, we regularly took communion to buddy Earp at The Crossings and to Evelyn Susac at Richfield. Both are since deceased. We also welcome anyone who would like to join this important ministry. Judy Koland, Cindy Stone Pastoral Care Co-Chairs ALTAR GUILD Submitted by Lora Beeken Being a member of the St. Thomas Altar Guild requires a love of your church, its traditions, and the willingness to work with a variety of church members. Altar Guild members receive training and typically work with an experienced Altar Guild member. Altar Guild members are required to respectfully handle the sacred worship objects. There are 7 members on the Altar Guild. We have ben kept busy with all the holidays and holy services throughout the year. We work closely with the Verger and Priest in following church guidelines for services. The altar guild is always looking for new members for service. THE ORDER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE KING Submitted by Mary Stuart Cosby Since 1998 the Ann Frances Chapter of The Order of the Daughters of the King has continued to be a presence in the life of our Parish. Named for the two Deacons, who faithfully served for many years in our Parish and Diocese Ann Sherman and Frances Campbell we have taken vows of service, prayer and evangelism to spread Christ s Kingdom. International in scope, The Order has thousands of members in our country and all over the world. Presently, in 2016, 9 members continue in works of service [calling on shut-ins; sending birthday/anniversary cards to parish members; sponsoring two Quiet Days Advent and Lent; and assisting the Senior Warden/Rector in any ways requested], in prayer [ holding a healing Rail monthly at the Eucharist for individual parish members to request special prayers; making, for their daily use, a monthly Prayer List of needs within the parish, community and world; praying daily for members of the Armed Forces from the parish and praying at their monthly meeting], and evangelism reaching out to women of all ages in friendship and prayer to encourage them in their journeys of the spirit. New members, any women in the Parish, are welcome. A period of study and instruction precedes a Service of Installation. Current Officers are: Mary Stuart Cosby, President Liz Swinfen, Vice-President Jane Carper, Secretary Kathy Pollard, Treasurer O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples fo the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory fact to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for every. Amen. Collect for The Epiphany, BCP p. 214

4 JANUARY 2017 S T. THOMAS L IF E LINE S PAGE 4 GLEANING COMMITTEE Submitted by Jon Greene Total impact in our community...well over 1000 pounds of food! Garden and Gleaning: Delivered 258 pounds of vegetables to MCEAP and Salvation Army. Visible, public display of our dedication to serving those on the margins from our abundance. Share the Spare: Didn t work out. Backpack Program: Contributed 155 boxes of granola bars and fruit cups to about 100 backpacks that go out every week. Contributing to Christmas breakfast baskets. Food Bank: Delivered 162 of nonperishable food items Oct-Dec. Thanksgiving Dinners: Provided dinners to 18 families. Coming Up: To Our House at Our Saviour Lutheran Jan 8-10 Please join us...many ways to contribute! To Our House Needs our Help! To Our House (TOH) is a growing group of interested citizens, faith communities, and social and human service professionals who have joined together to provide temporary winter shelter for single homeless men in the New River Valley. The mission of To Our House is providing thermal shelter and compassionate care to homeless men in the New River Valley, and to make available any resources that could help the men reintegrate into society. The gleaning committee has committed to helping this winter by volunteering to prepare a simple meal as well as pack lunches for the men to take with them the next day. The dates we will serve dinners will be January 8, 9, 10. (Sunday-Tuesday). We need folks to help! We are joining with Our Saviour Lutheran Church on Cambria Street in Christiansburg in this endeavor. There will most likely be a FULL house in January, which means we will be feeding 14 men. If you like to cook, or would like to volunteer to work one evening (or all 3!) please speak to Danielle Bland. BACKPACK PROGRAM Through your generosity, we contributed to 65 Thanksgiving and 58 Christmas baskets for Christiansburg Primary and Elementary school children. Remember to bring in your contributions of fruit cups and granola bars so that every child can have food each weekend! Donations can be left in the bin in the parish hall. RED DOOR COMMITTEE Submitted by Mary Stuart Cosby In the early winter of 2015 it came to the attention of the Adult Education Class that the doors to the church were being kept locked all day, at the direction of the Vestry. While the reasons were complex, several members of the Class felt strongly that our heritage of Open Doors was something that we hoped could be continued. The Vestry agreed that if church members took the responsibility to unlock and lock the Red Doors each day, they would agree to change their policy. Shortly after the first of January Mary Stuart Cosby took the lead and set up a rota of members for each day of the week. Scott Farmer, Junior Warden, provided keys for the members. We only a few bumps in the road we have continued to keep the Red Doors open daily from 8 am to 5 pm all year. Approximately 15 church members have been involved this year; we give thanks for their great service. Assuming the Vestry policy stays the same, new members would be warmly welcomed this winter! Contact Mary Stuart if you can help! The Red Door Committee needs help! If we are to continue to be the only church in town who keeps their doors open in the daytime, we need more members who will help! Can you come by the church once [or twice!] a day, near 8 AM or 5-5:30 PM and unlock or lock the Red Doors? Keys, of course, provided. Do call or write Mary Stuart with your offer of help! We have openings weekdays and weekend days! And many thanks!

5 J ANUARY 2017 ST. THOMAS LIFELINE S PAGE 5 FLOWERS Janet Webster (From the minutes of the Annual Meeting) This is a committee of one. Volunteers would be great. Most of the flowers come from personal gardens. Orchids are used through the winter instead of purchasing flowers. Store -bought flowers are used for special occasions. It was suggested by Janet that store-bought flowers could added a couple of Sundays throughout the winter. THANK YOU HARVEY AND GAIL! At the annual meeting Harvey and Gail Leist were recognized for all of their hard work for St. Thomas during the transition period. They were presented with a gift of a getaway to the Martha, a gift card, and a painting from the congregation. POTATO DROP The Gleaning Committee is helping with the upcoming Potato Drop. Mark Priest will be organizing carpooling to go from St. Thomas to the drop for anyone who wants to volunteer. Also, if you know of a local food bank or organization that can use the potatoes please let him know or contact the NRV Glean Team directly at the phone numbers listed below. If you would like a particular job besides the loading, Mark encourages you to sign up directly on the web site. (A link will be in the weekly announcements.) Volunteers are needed to help the NRV Glean Team at the Potato Drop on Saturday, Jan. 14th, from 6 am noon, on VT's Campus (corner of Southgate Drive and Sterrett Drive in Upper Chicken Hill parking lot). In partnership with Virginia Tech, St. Mary s Catholic Church, and the Society of St. Andrew, the NRV Glean Team will be distributing about 42,500 pounds of potatoes in 50-lb. bags to hunger relief representatives for their food pantries. Volunteers are needed to help load the trucks. Other jobs include: refreshment server, traffic director, inventory keeper, vehicle check-in, first-aid provider, photographer, and clean-up. For more information, please call John Galbraith at or Dick Neves at GARDENS Natalie Teel (From the minutes of the Annual Meeting) She received a lot of seeds. She plans to expand the gardens and plant rhododendrons in the community garden space. Volunteers are requested to help with the major overhaul of the gardens. As suggested earlier, add rain barrels to collect water for use throughout the gardens. BLACK BEAN & VEGETABLE CHILI 1 lg. onion, chopped 1 T. vegetable oil 1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes, chopped 2/3 c. picante sauce 1-1/2 t. cumin 1 t. salt 1/2 t. basil leaves 1 (16 oz.) can black beans, rinsed, drained 1 green pepper, chopped 1 can corn, drained Combine all ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Submitted to The Cooks Behind the Red Doors by Lisa Earp. The cookbook can be found in the library upstairs in the parish hall.

6 JANUARY 2017 S T. TH O M AS L IF E L I N E S PAGE 6 SERVERS FOR JANUARY 2017 AREA OF SERVICE JANUARY 1 JANUARY 8 JANUARY 15 JANUARY 22 JANUARY 29 Acolyte Volunteer Needed Casey Graham Ogechi Okoronkwo Cameron Graham Chi chi Okoronkwo Crucifer Volunteer Needed Cameron Graham Akan Ndem Sara Stauffer Amara Okoronkwo Altar Guild Judy Koland Altar Guild Member Judy Koland Altar Guild Member Kathy Pollard Lynn Straub Kathy Pollard Lynn Straub Lora Beeken Jacquie Graham Announcements Scott Farmer Jacquie Graham Kelly Stalvey Bob Stone Ann Alexander Chalice Bearer Joel Hagen Judy Koland Carol Cummings Jon Greene Bill Kennan Cleaning Crews Farrell Doss David Jones Betty & Bill Kennan Jennifer & Mark Miller Coffee Hour Liz Swinfen Jennifer Miller Stella Okoronkwo Lora Beeken Danielle Bland Cindy Burnette Carol & Royal Cummings Mary Stuart Cosby Irma Pillsbury Shirley Sparrow Volunteer Needed Lay Reader Judy Koland Bridget Miller Joel Hagen Mark Priest Ogechi Okoronkwo Nursery Volunteers Needed Natalie Miller Kelly Stalvey Cameron Graham Chi Chi Okoronkwo Sarah Farmer Marie Painter Uche Okoronkwo Dara Ndem Ushers Bev & Greg Moulse Francis & Janet Webster Scott Farmer Jeff Pasciak Mark Miller Gwynn Polidoro Mark Priest Natalie Teel You can check out the sign up sheets online to find out when and where you are serving. Signed up for a day you can t serve? Just go to your participant page and cancel your slot or contact the parish secretary at mystthomasoffice@yahoo.com. February and March sign up sheets are also available. Please sign up for only ONE Sunday each month in each ministry. If you are available more than one Sunday, please let the parish secretary know. Here s where to sign up: OR 1 Casey Graham 3 Lawson Kennan Larry Pollard 5 Natalie Teel 7 Gail Leist 9 Irma Pillsbury 14 Patience Okoronkwo BIRTHDAYS 19 Laura Earp 20 Avery Pasciak 21 Cindy Burnette 26 Mary Disa Raulfs 30 Ann Alexander 31 Maggie Straub ANNIVERSARIES 1 Brad & Sasha Hackler The first Sunday of every month is designated as FOOD BANK SUNDAY. Thanks for your donations in December! The next collection date is Sunday, January 1st. Help us fill the basket in the narthex with non-perishable food items!

7 JANUARY 2017 S T. TH O M AS L IF E L I N E S PAGE 7 JANUARY 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 The Feast of the Holy Name Hospitality and Food Bank Sunday 10 AM Holy Eucharist 11 AM Fellowship & Refreshments (PH) 6:30 PM Open Heart Yoga 6 EPIPHANY 7 PM Epiphany Service 7-8:30 PM N.A. (PH) 7 8 The 1 st Sunday after the Epiphany 10 AM Holy Eucharist 11:30 AM Coffee hour, Adult Forum, & Sunday School (PH) 12 10:15 AM Daughters of the King 6:30 PM Open Heart Yoga :30 PM N.A. (PH) AM Safeguarding God s St. John s Roanoke 15 The 2 nd Sunday after the Epiphany 10 AM Morning Prayer Loose plate offering for Discretionary Fund 11:00 AM Coffee Hour, Adult Forum, & Sunday School 12 PM Vestry Meeting 3 PM New River Christ Pulaski (PH) 19 6:30 PM Open Heart Yoga 1:30 PM Watercolor Class :30 PM N.A. (PH) The 3 rd Sunday after the Epiphany 10 AM Morning Prayer 11:00 AM Coffee Hour, Adult Forum, & Sunday School (PH) 26 1:30 PM Watercolor Class 6:30 PM Open Heart Yoga 27 Annual Convention Convention 7-8:30 PM N.A. (PH) 28 Annual Convention Convention 29 The 4 th Sunday after the Epiphany Annual Convention & Convention 10 AM Holy Eucharist 11:00 AM Coffee Hour, Adult Forum, & Sunday Rev. Mark s Office Hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30 6:30

8 St. Thomas Episcopal Church 103 East Main St. Christiansburg, VA Phone: Check out our website!