St Thomas

Prayer Ministry Today: Members of the Prayer Ministry will be available in the Loft during Communion at the 10:00 service, and will be in the rear of the church after the service. You are encouraged to share in this ministry if you desire prayer for yourself or others.

Wednesday Eucharist and Healing Service: We offer a service of Holy Eucharist and Healing at 6:00 pm each Wednesday. This service is designed so that you can come to either or both parts of the service. Eucharist is celebrated first, and there is a dismissal for those who leave at that time. You may remain for healing prayer and anointing, which can be offered for yourself or for others about whom you might be concerned.

Parish Picnic on August 17. Old Fashioned Dinner on the Grounds. Please Invite Friends: After the 10:00 am service on August 17 we will have our annual Parish Picnic, which will be centered at the pavilion to the west of the church. The committee has named it “An Old-Fashioned Dinner on the Grounds” where everyone brings a dish and the church provides beverages. Sign-up sheets are in Johnson Hall for attendance and food. We also encourage you to invite your friends and neighbors who do not attend St. Thomas. A separate sign up sheet is available to give us the names and addresses of people you would like to invite, and then we send special invitations to them. You also may contact the office with names and addresses. This is an excellent opportunity for people to learn more about St. Thomas.

Prayer Vigil for Bishop Gray at the Lambeth Conference: Every ten years the Bishops of the world-wide Anglican Communion meet at Lambeth Palace in London. That important meeting is this year from July 16 through August 3. Several controversial issues will be discussed. The Diocese of Mississippi is planning a 24 hour prayer vigil for Bishop Gray during the entire meeting, and many parishes are participating. St. Thomas’ time is Wednesday, July 30, from 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight. We ask you to sign up for one-half hour slots of prayer during this time. A sign-up sheet is in Johnson Hall.

Sunday Morning Gumbo Continues: During the rest of July we will continue to offer our traditional Sunday Morning Gumbo. Once again, this will provide an opportunity for people at St. Thomas to gather for a free flowing discussion of any kinds of theological, biblical, or church questions and issues that are of interest. Fr. Bill will have his own recipe of a dash of Scripture, a pinch of history, a tablespoon of Catechism, and a smidgen of theology to add to the discussions.

Blessing of the Backpacks and Teachers, and Backpacks for the Needy. Spaghetti Lunch: On August 3, the Sunday before school starts, we will have a brief service of blessing of the backpacks at the 10:00 am service. Kids, bring your backpacks and anything in them you want blessed. We also will bless all our schoolteachers at that time.

In addition we would like to purchase some backpacks for needy kids in Grades K-5. Cost of a backpack and school supplies is $30.00. We also want to get $30.00 gift certificates for kids in grades 6-12 because their school needs are more variable. School counselors will identify the kids who have needs. These items also will be blessed on August 3. Please sign up in Johnson Hall, where there are more detailed instructions, or contact Penny Edwards.

Also on that day, August 3, the youth will put on a spaghetti lunch for everyone in the parish after the 10:00 am service. Please be sure to stay around for this great event.

EYC Kickoff, Blessing of the PIT: EYC will begin after the 10:00 service on August 10. We also will have a brief service of blessing of the PIT (Parishioners in Training), which is the room the young people share with the Flower Guild.

Economic Stimulus Reminder and St. Thomas’ Debt: In April Paul Montjoy sent a letter to all church members with a one-time request that you consider allocating a portion of your Economic Stimulus Payment from the IRS to St. Thomas for the specific purpose of retiring the Church’s debt of about $19,000. This is special request that is not part of our stewardship program, and thus anything from 0% to 100% is appropriate. We will continue to receive pledges or payments through July. If you can help, please return the card in Paul’s letter, or respond at the collection on any Sunday and mark your check “debt retirement,” or let the church office know your plans.

Ministry Sign-Up Sheets: Sign-up sheets for St. Thomas’ ministries and programs are on the table in the foyer under Bishop Gray’s picture. Please consider areas in which you can assist the church as we extend ourselves to each other and to the community.

	St. Thomas Episcopal Church