ST. THOMAS LIFELINES VOLUME 25, NO. 10 NOVEMBER 2018

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1 ST. THOMAS LIFELINES VOLUME 25, NO. 10 NOVEMBER 2018 Dear St. Thomas Family, I invite you to take a few moments to consider with me how our parish and its members have touched your life during this past year and through the years that you have been a part of our family. To start in the most obvious place, let s start in our worship space where we gather as a visible body each week. Our church nave, chancel, and altar are beautiful, lovingly cared for, and even awe-inspiring. I love to spend quiet time in the church as much as I enjoy gathering for Sunday worship. We are able to keep our doors open during the day to allow our neighbors a refuge of peace and holiness. St. Thomas is a place and a people with deep roots in Christiansburg, but also a community that is blessed to welcome new members in the name of Christ. St. Thomas is also a gathering of faithful people who go forth into the community and into the world to offer the love of God to others. We work through other service organizations to help provide food and other assistance to those around us in need. We open our parish hall to groups that offer support to neighbors who find themselves in troubling situations. We take care of our own, too. Our members reach out to each other in times of hardship, sorrow, and sickness. We share meals with each other, offer words of encouragement, and make ourselves available just to listen as friends. We also celebrate together the birth of a child or grandchild, school graduations, job promotions, recovery from illness or injury, or even just a birthday or anniversary! Through our caring for each other, we form a tight-knit family and more, the incarnation of the body of Christ in this place and time. Another way we touch the lives of each other, while also being blessed ourselves, is by sharing our faith stories as well as the traditions of the church with each other and especially with our younger or newer members. Through Christian Education programs like Church Upstairs and our Adult Forums, Backyard Bible Study and our Lenten Gatherings, Acolyte training and confirmation classes, we continue to grow in the faith that Jesus commends to us. Our choir, altar guild, lay readers, acolytes, and ushers allow many of us to offer our talents to enrich our worship. We have been blessed with many resources, the talents of our members, a good financial base, and a great physical place to call home. The leadership of this parish is committed to seeing that our future together is provided for and that we serve the ministry and mission that God calls us toward. For us to continue in our life and work together, we need your support and we need your commitment and part of that commitment is financial. On November 4, All Saints Sunday, we will distribute pledge cards and we ask that you prayerfully consider a regular contribution to meet our ministry needs for next year. Please continue to hold our family of St. Thomas in your prayers, that we may offer ourselves to God in fulfillment of the work that we have been given to do to love and serve the Lord, and each other, in Christ Jesus. Yours in Christ, Mark Hymn 291 We plow the fields, The Hymnal 1982

2 NOVEMBER 2018 ST. THOMAS LIFELINE S PAGE 2 Vestry Member Search Committee The vestry is seeking nominations to fill three seats. Members serve a three year term. Vestry member responsibilities include attending the monthly meeting, being a liaison between vestry and a committee or ministry, sharing the weekly announcements on Sunday morning, and counting the weekly collection. Serving on vestry is a great way to learn more about St. Thomas! A vestry member must be at least 18 years old, a confirmed communicant, and a member for at least one year. Vestry members are committed to supporting the life and activity of the parish both through their financial and personal involvement. The outgoing members of the vestry, Ann Alexander, Lora Beeken, and Royal Cummings, form the search committee for nominations to fill the open seats. New vestry members will be elected at the annual meeting on Sunday, Dec. 9th. If you have any suggestions for nominees, would like to add yourself, or would like more information, please get in touch with Ann, Lora, or Royal. BACKPACK PACKING PARTY Help stuff backpacks with the fruit cups and granola bars we ve been donating at the Backpack Program s packing party Wednesday, Nov. 7th at 7pm. The packing will take place in the gymnasium on the Ignite College campus. We need 8-10 volunteers to help out. There s a signup sheet in the parish hall or you can signup on our website. For more information, contact Danielle Bland. Trex Challenge We are well on our way to earning our bench! Please continue to bring in your plastic bags! (See below for acceptable bags.) Look for the collection box in the parish hall, and please donate your recyclables. What can be recycled? Grocery bags Ziplock and other re-closable bags Bread bags Produce bags Dry cleaning bags Bubble Wrap Newspaper sleeves Salt bags Ice bags Cereal bags (cereal box liners ) Wood pellet bags ALL PLASTICS MUST BE CLEAN, DRY, AND FREE OF RESIDUE. Pledge Update Thank you pledging members! Pledge statements went out at the end of October, and we are just shy of 75% of this year s collection. If you did not receive a statement and would like one or have questions about pledging, please contact our pledge custodian, Jenny Stalvey. UTO INGATHERING There will be an ingathering for the United Thank Offering Sunday, Nov. 25th. The United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of The Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through UTO, individuals are invited to embrace and deepen a personal daily spiritual discipline of gratitude. UTO encourages people to notice the good things that happen each day, give thanks to God for those blessings and make an offering for each blessing using a UTO Blue Box. UTO is entrusted to receive the offerings, and to distribute the 100% of what is collected to support innovative mission and ministry throughout The Episcopal Church and Provinces of the Anglican Communion. -from the UTO Website Look for more information about our ingathering in bulletin and announcements. THANKSGIVING DINNERS We are giving Thanksgiving Dinners through the Backpack program again this year. A donation of $50 is requested, but any amount is appreciated! The outreach committee will purchase the items for the boxes, and we will have a Thanksgiving Box Assembly time during coffee hour on November 11th. Christmas Store Collections This year we are collecting soups, particularly chicken noodle, vegetable beef, and tomato for the Christmas Store. We are also collecting full-size shampoo, shaving cream, soaps, and creams for the senior department of the Christmas store. A collection box will be in the parish hall for all donations. FALL YOUTH EVENT FYE is open to everyone in 9th-12th grades. It will be held at Phoebe Needles Center Nov. 9th-11th. This year s theme and program, decided and created by the Youth Mission Team, is Speak God, I am ready to listen. The challenge to everyone is to bring a guest/friend to the event. The cost is $95. For more information and to register, to go the Diocesan Youth website: youth.dioswva.org. Financial Snapshot January 1 September 30 Total Income: $89, Total Expense: $92, Net: ($3,268.72)

3 NOVEMBER 2018 ST. THOMAS LIFELINE S PAGE 3 Servers for NOVEMBER Area of Acolytes: Server, Crucifer Church Upstairs S: Cameron Graham C: Casey Graham S: Uche Okoronkwo C: Amara Okoronkwo S: Macaela Richmeier C: Bridget Miller Altar Guild Bev Moulse Bev Moulse Kathy Pollard Lynn Straub Kathy Pollard Lynn Straub Announcements Val Tweedie Royal Cummings Farrell Doss Bill Kennan Chalice Bearer Bill Kennan Judy Koland Danielle Bland Jennifer Miller Cleaning Crews Coffee Hour Lora Beeken Danielle Bland Liz Swinfen Jane Carper Bonnie Smas Scott Farmer Mark Priest Carol & Royal Cummings Charlie & Lynn Straub Barbara Peirsol Gwynn Polidoro Danielle Bland Lay Reader Church Upstairs Emily Marx Rebecca Mays Joel Hagen Nursery Jenny Stalvey Kelly Stalvey Marie Painter Macaela Richmeier Anna Frazier Dara Ndem Sarah Farmer Marie Painter Ushers Church Upstairs Gwynn Polidoro Mark Priest Francis & Janet Webster Mark Miller Seth Richmeier Birthdays 5 Jane Carper 15 Shirley Hallock 17 Jacquie Graham 21 Margaret Craft 23 Elise Greene 25 Bev Moulse Anniversaries 9 Jenny & Paul Stalvey 10 Emily & Jeff Pasciak 19 Barbara & Joe Straub The first Sunday of every month is designated as FOOD BANK SUNDAY. In October, 80 food items were delivered to MCEAP. The next Food Bank Sunday is November 4th. The last of the summer gleaning harvested 127 lbs. of veggies. Save the Date! Advent Quiet Day Saturday, December 15th More info available later this month and in the December LifeLines. St. Thomas People As a member of the parish who comes regularly during the week I want to thank the USHERS.. every time, and it is well more than occasionally, I meet and welcome someone visiting, I know that when I open the Red Doors, the inside of the church will be neat and welcoming! Such a delight and the result of their careful work after the Sunday Eucharist. we all THANK YOU ALL! Do you have news to share? We d love to hear from you weddings, births, graduations, new jobs, moving, etc. Thank you for continuing to bring in granola bars and fruit cups! In October, we collected 11 boxes of granola bars and 9 packages of fruit cups.

4 NOVEMBER 2018 ST. THOMAS LIFELINE S PAGE 4 NOVEMBER 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Rev. Mark s Office Hours Thursdays 4:30 6: All Saints Day Hospitality & Food Bank Sunday 10am Holy Eucharist 11:15am Fellowship & Refreshments TOH OSLC FALL BACK! Daylight Saving Time Ends. 5 TOH OSLC 6 TOH OSLC ELECTION DAY 7 7pm Backpack Packing Party Fall Youth Phoebe Needles (11/9-12) 11 The 25th Sunday after Pentecost 10am Holy Rail 11:30am Thanksgiving Dinner Boxes 12 VETERANS DAY :15 Daughters of the King The 26th Sunday after Pentecost Loose Plate Offering~Rector s Discretionary 10am Holy Rail 11:30am Adult Forum 12pm Vestry THANKSGIVING DAY Christ the King The Last Sunday after Pentecost 10 am Holy Eucharist 11:30am Adult Forum

5 ST. THOMAS LIFELINE S St. Thomas Episcopal Church 103 East Main St. Christiansburg, VA mysthomasoffice@yahoo.com