"A place to feel welcome, be loved, and grow in faith."
October 28th, 2022
Live-streamed Worship
- Some folks are finding that the chat box in YouTube doesn’t open when they click the link. If that is the case, try closing and re-opening. Not sure why, but that usually seems to work.
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Look for this box on our website to access the scripture readings for each Sunday! Click on the image here to access the page, then scroll down and click the same image to view the readings.
The link updates each Monday so revisit it during the week to get an advance look at next Sunday's readings.
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The Week Ahead--(click highlights for Zoom link)
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Sunday, October 30, 10:15 AM - Holy Eucharist - Led by guest preacher the Rev Bryan Hobbs
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Sunday, October 30, 11:15 AM - Coffee Hour Reception in Rantz Hall
Hosted by Joy McIntosh and Linda Johnson
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Sunday, October 30 - Final Socktober collection of Socks
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Wednesday, November 2, 10:00 AM - Sharing Sacred Space - Outside Beckett Chapel
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Wednesday, November 2, 4:00 PM - Feed My Sheep
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Save the Date
- Nov 6, 4:00 p.m. - Requiem Mass
- Nov 6, 13 - Thanksgiving Basket Collections
- Nov 7 - Chapman Homestead
- Nov 8, 6:00 p.m. - Outreach Committee Meeting in Rantz Portico
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Rev. Bryan Hobbs will be joining us this Sunday, October 30th to supply while Father Tim is out of town. Father Hobbs has join us before on several occasions so we are happy to welcome him back with us again. Be sure to stop by and say hello at coffee hour! |
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Vestry Corner for October 2022 |
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Highlighting our month, the Vestry participated in a Parish Leadership Retreat with the trustees of our School. Fr. David Madison, head of the National Association of Episcopal Schools, led our meeting and spoke on Episcopal Identity and Board Governance. He clarified the various roles of the Vestry, School Board and Head of School. Fr. David emphasized the actions necessary to promote “being Episcopal” within the school:
School Worship – school worship must be built on the Episcopal liturgy while being inviting to all faiths
Religious formation and study – we must have substantial discussions about all religions and ensure that instruction is customized to the age of the child
Community Life – we need to emphasize the importance of caring for one another physically, mentally and emotionally
Social Justice – we need to talk openly about fairness and equity, and model diversity by including others.
In addition to the Leadership Retreat, the Vestry held their regular monthly meeting and reviewed plans for the fall months:
- The receipt of 2023 pledges,
- Outreach initiatives which will continue to assist people in need during the winter months,
- Welcoming 200 members of Daughters of the King who will be gathering at St. Thomas
- First Communion classes are underway,
- the choir will be hosting a requiem on Nov. 6
- the Men’s group will be meeting Nov. 17th.
Linda Johnson reviewed the St. Thomas Endowment structure, emphasizing the importance of investing in the future of St. Thomas. While our annual pledges pay our operational expenses. our endowment funds focus on long term growth of funds, support educational initiatives of parishioners and staff, as well as outreach programs and capital improvements. We hope you will consider making a gift to the Endowment in your will or trust.
Plans are underway for our Annual Meeting in January where we will be electing new representatives to the Vestry. We are very appreciative of our parishioners who are willing to stand for election to our Vestry.
Finally, we explored ideas for adult education and fellowship. We will provide details at a later date. In the meantime, we welcome your ideas and suggestions.
Blessings to all,
Wendy Coles
On behalf of the Vestry
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The Vestry is the body responsible for the secular and spiritual leadership of the Parish. Four members are elected to a three-year term at the Annual Meeting in January. Candidates for Vestry must be baptized Christians at least 16 years of age, must be financial pledgers toward the support of the parish, and must be faithful in corporate worship. We need people of all ages, with all sorts of gifts and viewpoints to make sure the Vestry represents the St. Thomas community.
If this calling speaks to you, please reach out to one of the representatives:
Attached is a link to the Certificate of Eligibility that you should fill out and return to Pam Normandia as soon as possible.
The link is followed by suggestions for your biography. All are welcome.
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Stewardship Kick Off 2023 |
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Keep your eyes on your mailboxes ladies and gentlemen because our Stewardship drive for 2023 is officially underway! The theme for this year is "Better Together" which could not be more appropriate for the days that lie ahead. Though the past few years were filled with separation, uncertainty, and doubt, we stand united as one parish ready to move forward with vision and enthusiasm into the years to come! Over the next few weeks we will have speakers come in on Sundays, sharing their thoughts about this church and what St. Thomas means to them.
There are a number of ways to pledge this year. The pledge cards below were mailed out to those who made their pledge last year, but will be available in the Narthex on Sundays as well for those who have not received theirs.
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Click on the Stewardship 2023 button below to access our webpage where you can make a paperless, electronic pledge for this year. Giving back to both the church and the environment! |
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Save the Date!! Stewardship Ingathering Celebration:
Sunday, November 20th we will celebrate the culmination of our Fall Pledge Drive with a fun parish family event - details are still being finalized, but be sure to hold the date - you don't want to miss this!
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A Vision for St. Thomas:
At a recent Vestry meeting, Fr. Tim shared his vision for the priorities and goals for the Parish over the coming years. He will share this presentation with the Parish Coffee Hour on Sunday, November 6 as part of our fall Stewardship Campaign.
Be sure to stop by if you can!
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All Souls Requiem Eucharist |
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St. Thomas will be resuming the tradition of a Requiem mass for choir, organ and instruments for an All Souls Service on Sunday, November 6, 2022 at 4:00 PM in the church sanctuary. This year’s music will feature the traditional Gregorian chant sung by a Men's Schola.
As in the past there will be a printed program for the mass listing the names of deceased friends and relatives of St. Thomas Parishioners. If you are interested in listing any names for the printed bulletin, please contact Lovell in the church office at lrose@stepsmia.org.
So that there will be ample time to prepare the bulletin, there will be a deadline of midnight, November 3rd for submission. It will not be possible to submit names after this time. The necrology of only those deceased within the past year will be read out loud as part of the service. Memorial contributions for the service may also be submitted to Lovell
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Sharing our plenty at Thanksgiving! |
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St. Thomas is joining St. Andrew’s Church to supply 250 Thanksgiving baskets for people who come to St. Andrew’s Food Pantry from as far south as Homestead and as far west as West Kendall. A basket of food items plus a $25 grocery gift card will be provided for each family. Instead of having a lottery this year for Thanksgiving baskets, every client who comes to the Food Pantry regularly will be given a basket. Please help us fill the baskets!
Sign up here to purchase food items:
Please bring the purchased items you signed up for or donate at church on November 6 and 13. A “packing party” of the baskets is planned for November 15th at 5:00 p.m.
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Socktober in October – Bring Socks!
Sock collection the last two Sundays was terrific! Please bring more new, clean socks for people living on the streets on October 30. The socks will be distributed by the Greater Bethel AME Church in Overtown.
Schedule of Ongoing Ministries at St. Thomas
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Chapman Partnership, Homestead – Contact Mike Fleming 786-512-1103.
- Volunteers needed November 7.
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Feed My Sheep – Contact Elena Levis 786-514-8266.
- Volunteers needed November 23.
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St. Andrew’s Food Pantry and Thrift Shop – Volunteers needed on Tuesday night, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Contact Lelia Harrington for information. 516-236-3159.
November Outreach Meeting – Tuesday, November 8, 6:00 p.m., Rantz Portico
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An annual tradition now in October, St. Thomas is participating with other churches, schools, and civic groups around the country in Socktober, which provides new socks for homeless people living on the streets.
Socks become more important as nights become chilly, and clean socks are always important for health and hygiene. The socks need to be newly purchased.
In the picture, Elena Levis and Lelia Harrington are collecting socks during Week 1 of collections, and Heather Gonzalez with daughters Grace and Julia have just donated. Collections will continue on October 30th.
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The Tiger Den
What's on the prowl at St. Thomas School
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This corner is dedicated to all announcements and events from our wonderful teachers, parents, and staff at the school. Check back here each week for updates and events happening at the St. Thomas! |
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The Gift of Altar Flowers
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On Sundays throughout the year (except during Lent) altar arrangements may be given in memory of a loved one, in celebration of a birth, birthday, baptism, engagement, wedding, anniversary, or in thanksgiving for God’s many blessings.
Altar flowers this Sunday are given to the Glory of God.
You can dedicate one of our arrangements to a person or occasion by contacting Jaisa to make a donation HERE
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Only through your generous donations are these beautiful arrangements possible. If you would like to contribute monthly to the Altar Flower fund, any amount would be helpful to keep our Altar looking beautiful on Sundays. Please email Jaisa Paz for more details. Thank you.
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Celebrating the New Ministry of Fr. Mario Milian as Rector of St. Mary’s in Tampa
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Fr. Mario will be installed as Rector of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Tampa on October 29th. If you would like to send a contribution to his discretionary fund as he begins this new ministry, you are invited to donate online or in person to St. Thomas, noting that your donation is for the “Rector’s Discretionary Fund, St. Mary’s, Tampa.” The collected amount will be given to Fr. Mario from “Friends from St. Thomas.”
If you would like to send a note, letter, or card to Fr. Mario to be included in a collection of notes, you may give it or mail it to Debby Hutchins. Notes will remain unopened and placed in the larger envelope to be given to Fr. Mario. Address your note to Debby Hutchins, and write on the bottom of the envelope, “For Fr. Mario.” Debby’s address: 16100 SW 87 Ave., Palmetto Bay, FL, 33157.
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COMING SOON: Confirmation at St. Thomas 2022-23 |
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Stayed tuned for more information in the coming weeks about confirmation classes for 2022-2023! The course is specifically for teenagers who want to make an adult affirmation of faith and further explore their journey with Christ. Classes will begin in Advent and finish by Easter.
If you are an adult who would like to explore our Episcopal Faith in greater detail, either in preparation for Confirmation and Reception or just for your own development, contact Fr. Tim about an Enquirer's Class.
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Help support St. Thomas at no additional cost to you by shopping through Amazon Smile! Click on the link above and search for "St. Thomas Episcopal Church Coral Gables" to select it as your charity of choice. So far Amazon has donated over $1000 to the church through the smile program! |
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Opportunities to Continue Giving
Text Giving-Text amount to 786-686-2130
GivePlus App: Donate and Track
Venmo: @stepsmiachurch
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Don't want to be bothered with writing checks and remembering to pay your pledge? You can set up an automatic pay with your credit card or one-time payment.
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Lord, hear us as we pray... |
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Please Help Us Keep the List of Prayers for Healing to Date
When you add someone to the prayer list, the name will be on for four weeks, and you may always extend that time by contacting the Church Office. Thank you for helping keep the list current.
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PARISH CYCLE OF PRAYER:
BIRTHDAYS: Michele Watson, Gina Hernandez, Joe Hutchins, Terri Eckblom, Jason Chang, Charlotte Machiels, Dorothy Machiels, Oliver Machiels, Carolina Lopez, Deborah Klem-Pergakis, Stewart Lundeen, Lucas Seifart, Gregory Healy, Mary Kalbac, Elizabeth French, Karen Wagshul
DEPARTED: The Rev. Charles Cannon
IN NEED OF HEALING: We hold up to God's healing touch and love the following individuals:
Joseph Ramirez, Flo Garcia, J.J. Harding, Steve Coldren, Nick Arroyo, Dan Bartholomew, Bob Freyer, Ron Thompson, Charles Knight, Brendan Daria, Sarah Gable, Mary Ann Brooks, Betty Phillips, Devin Bennar, Shelley Weymouth, Heather Nagel, Mary Lou Shad, Gwynn Elias, Reuben Trane, Allison Langer, Eloine Villarinoi, Kerry Corlett, Carol Catalano, Bryce Laury, Patricia, Ani Cata Taylor, Clara Montoya, Karen Payne, Jane Ann Wise, Ralph, Ed Hammatt, Betty Curran, Monica Oritz, Judy Stowe, Jim Berlin, Larry Miller, Doreen, Sandy, Lourves Garcia
SERVING IN THE MILITARY:
Edel Sanchez, Elizabeth Fleming, Aurora Fleming, Michael Berger, Lyn Juarez, Alexander Barry, Mario Milian, Juan Garcia, Yunior Santana, Robert Lawton, Robert Nottingham, Lillian Marie McBee, Maile Torres, James Pyles, Kirby Elizabeth Battle
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Have an announcement you'd like to share with the parish? Send it electronically and see it posted on the next InSTEP! All new submissions are subject to approval and edit, and must be sent by 5pm the Wednesday before each publication for it to be posted that week.
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Get in touch with the Vestry at St. Thomas |
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Chancellor: Suzan Ponzoli
Treasurer: Peter Zubizarreta
Lawrence Brown
Vivian Cortinas
Kevin Orgill
Deborah Klem-Pergakis
Dr. Charlie Mitchell
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Jr. Warden: Shannon Hanson
Clerk: Mary Lou Shad
Tina Lane
Michael Maguire
Colin Ramsay
Juan E. Rodríguez de Hostos
Ashley Cusack
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Rector: Reverend Timothy Fleck
Music Director: Dr. Eugene Greco
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Financial Secretary: Jaisa Paz
CFO: Amanda Thompson
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Church Administrator: Lovell Rose
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