Logo_White-01.png
Facebook      Instagram      YouTube

THE EPISTLE: March 30, 2023

This Week: March 30th - April 5th

THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 1ST! Clean Up Day at St. Thomas!


Please join us THIS SATURDAY, April 1st, for a great breakfast, good fun, and joyful fellowship as we tidy up St. Thomas for Holy Week & Easter. A wonderful breakfast will be served at 8am and the clean up will start at 8:30am. Please bring your work gloves and favorite gardening tools. Call either Ted Evans (256 457 9460) or David Hattaway (256 337 0973) if you have any questions.

"Crosses & Creole" for Regeneration Young Adults & Young Families


Join us THIS SATURDAY, April 1st from 5PM-7:30PM as Young Adults and Adults with Children ages 0-18 gather to make Palm Crosses in preparation for Palm Sunday! This is a fun event for the adults to better get to know one another and our children to have fun! Dinner is provided for children. Children ages 0-5 will be in the nursery and we will have Kid's Movie Night for ages 6-10 in the Youth Room. If you would like your child to participate in making crosses, we ask that each child have parental supervision if not participating in the nursery or the Movie Night. At 6:30 all ages will gather together for a bonfire and s'mores! Dinner for the adults will be a bit of a Creole mix! We will have some crawfish but also a build-your-own grits bowl with delicious Creole toppings! Please bring your own wine or beer-- non-alcoholic beverages will be provided. Please RSVP to Michell York at michelldyork@gmail.com. 

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday/ the Sunday of the Passion this Sunday!


This Sunday at St. Thomas, at the beginning of both the 8am and the 10:30am Holy Eucharist, we will gather in the Parish Hall for special prayers, the reading of the Palm Sunday Gospel, and the Blessing of the Palms. After that, the entire church is invited to participate in a Palm Sunday Procession out of the Parish Hall and to the outdoor cross to change the Lenten purple hangings to the red hangings of Holy Week. We will then continue our procession into the church where we will sing the hymn "All Glory, Laud, and Honor," before moving into the Sunday of the Passion, with the reading of the Passion from the Gospel of Matthew.


This is the beginning of the holiest time of the entire Christian Year, and you are invited to come worship God and walk with Jesus down the Mount of Olives and into Jerusalem, to the upper room of the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, towards the Cross on Good Friday, and, three days later, to the glory of the Empty Tomb on Easter Sunday morning!

Palm Sunday, April 2 - 

Procession of the Palms, Passion Gospel, & Holy Eucharist at 8 AM & 10:30 AM

 

Holy Monday, April 3 -

Holy Eucharist at 6:00 PM

 

Holy Tuesday, April 4 -

Seder Supper in Parish Hall at 6 PM

 

Holy Wednesday, April 5 -

Choral Meditation at 6:00 PM


Maundy Thursday, April 6 -

Foot Washing & Holy Eucharist at 6 PM

Good Friday, April 7 -

Stations of the Cross - 11 AM & 5PM

Good Friday Liturgy at 12 PM & 6 PM

 

Holy Saturday, April 8 -

Children's Easter Egg Hunt & Cookout at 10:30 AM

The Great Vigil of Easter followed by Reception at 8 PM

Incense will used during the Vigil

 

Easter Sunday, April 9 - 

Festival Choral Eucharist at 8 AM Festival Choral Eucharist with Brass at 10:30 AM

Easter Brunch at 9:30 AM 

Special Choral Meditation on the Passion of Christ for Holy Wednesday, April 5th, at 6pm


Our amazing & talented St. Thomas Choir will be leading the church in a special Choral Meditation on the Passion of Christ on Holy Wednesday, April 5th, at 6pm. This service will include scripture readings and prayers lead by the clergy, along with choral anthems, carols, and a motet sung by the choir and hymns sung by the congregation. The music chosen for this special service has been written for the Passion story from the Bible by some of the great musicians of the Christian tradition, past and present. Be sure to add this meditation of music and prayer to your Holy Week calendar and join the St. Thomas clergy and choir on Holy Wednesday at 6pm.

Final Sunday for Easter Memorial Flower Donations


Easter flower dedication envelopes are still in the pews if you'd like to make a donation ($50) in honor, in memory or in thanksgiving for someone special. It's a wonderful way to both beautify our church and honor loved ones at the same time. Please be kind and print clearly to ensure correct spelling. The envelopes can be left in the offertory plate or in the church office. All memorial envelopes must be received in the office before this upcoming Tuesday, April 3.

Upcoming

The St. Thomas Easter Egg Hunt & Cookout is April 8th!


Bring friends and come fill your Easter baskets at the St. Thomas Easter Egg Hunt at 10:30am on Saturday, April 8! After the Easter Egg Hunt, stay for a hot dog lunch and say "Hello" to the EASTER BUNNY!  We are still collecting filled Easter eggs. Just look for the festive basket in Information Hall and drop off your filled eggs there. Thank you! Email Laura Beth Bestor, our Children's Ministry Coordinator HERE if you have any questions.




You are invited to visit the Stations of the Cross by the St. Thomas Children's Ministry in Hiers Hall. This child-friendly exhibit features our "Love First" Sunday School class' depictions of Jesus' last day on Earth. The drawings will be displayed starting this weekend on Palm Sunday. 

A St. Thomas Tradition on Easter Sunday


Easter Day is right around the corner and once again the choir will be inviting members of the congregation to join us in singing the Hallelujah Chorus at both the 8:00 and 10:30 services. Sheet music is available from the music office if you’d like a copy in advance. If you need to dust off your part, there are many tutorials on YouTube. Questions? Contact Miss Kathy: music@stthomashuntsville.org or 614.329.5991.

Young Adult Pub Theology will be on Tuesday, April 11th


Young Adult Pub Theology will be postponed next month from Monday to Tuesday, April 11 from 6-7:30PM. Join us on the patio of Mellow Mushroom (2230 Cecil Ashburn Dr SE). We will be discussing the problem of evil-- where it comes from, what forms it takes-- through the lens of discipleship and faith! We look forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions, please contact Ranie at associate@stthomashuntsville.org.

Save the Date: April Blood Drive

Sunday, April 23rd


The next Blood Drive at St. Thomas is set for Sunday, April 23rd! More info to follow soon!

ONGOING

Stations of the Cross for Lent Continues this Friday, March 31s, at 12:10pm, and on Good Friday at 11am & 5pm


This Friday & next, Good Friday, Fr. Donavan will open up the church to lead anyone who'd like to join him through the fourteen Stations of the Cross. The final Stations of the Cross service this year is on Good Friday, just before the Good Friday Liturgy, at 11am & 5pm. Make the Stations of the Cross a part of your Lent and Holy Week devotion this year at St. Thomas.

Adult Christian Formation Offerings Every Sunday:

It isn't too late to join us!


You're welcome to join Fr. Donavan every Sunday in the Parish Hall this Lenten Season, beginning at 9:30 AM, for a conversation about 20 important scripture passages all followers of Jesus should know.

OR


Join Ranie for a book study in the Conference Room to discuss The Night is Long but Light Comes in the Morning: Meditations for Racial Healing by Dr. Catherine Meeks. She pursues healing through the faithful question: do we really want to be well?

AT A GLANCE: March 23 - 30

Everybody's Pub Theology at PaPPo's Pizzeria!

Our "Godly Play" and "Love First" Children's Sunday School classes working on the Children's Stations of the Cross

Fr. Donavan's final "Lent & the Blues" Wednesday Lenten Series

Facebook  Instagram  YouTube

Phone: 256.880.0247

Email: StThomas@stthomashuntsville.org

Logo_White_Stacked-01-01.png