St. Thomas’ e-Epistle
February 20, 2008
Debt free, We will be, At Fiftyyy, Thanks to thee.
In the five short weeks since our Parish meeting on January 13, our building debt has been reduced from $115,000 to $10,000. And we have more than enough pledge payments coming to pay off the rest, plus interest. While Corky Carlisle’s lead gift of $1,000 was an inspirational catalyst in this happy process, it is the deep and enthusiastic generosity of a number of parish families that made this happen. As Kee said in his last good-bye sermon, “There is no limit to what people of good will can do empowered by the spirit of God.” You have done a marvelous job of living out his prophecy.
Please don’t take this announcement as a close-out of the campaign. There are many things that need to be done to enhance our facilities, and additional funds will be well spent. If you have been motivated by this effort and just haven’t got around to it, the plate will accept building fund contributions on any Sunday. Thank you for sharing your blessings with your parish family, and congratulations on ridding yourselves of this debt service drain on your operations budget.
A Note About Haiti
Dear Friends,
On February 2nd, Sharon Drachlis and I accompanied five other folks from around the Diocese on a Medical Mission to our Companion Diocese of Haiti. It was a life-changing week that I thought you might like to know a little bit about. With us were Gerri Ashton, a Deacon and Haiti Commission member from Birmingham; C.J. Ross, a hospice nurse from Birmingham; Camille Cornett, a nurse and Haiti Commission member from Montgomery; Rev. Dr. Foster Eich (a pediatrician) and his wife Ginger, from the Florence area. We arrived in Port-au-Prince with 13 suitcases full of vitamins and medical supplies (Carmel purchased lots of prescription medications in advance with money we sent ahead.) and met up with the remainder of the team, which consisted of 4 nurses, a physician, and 3 healthcare workers, as well as Carmel and Fr. Fritz (Pere Val) Valdema and their staff. The team visited 4 different clinics (schools and/or churches where Carmel has her Nutrition Program in place) in and near Port-au-Prince and treated 462 patients, some with potentially life-threatening ailments such as malaria, asthma, and malnutrition.
Everyone worked hard under the coordination of Carmel and I think the team made a significant contribution to the care of some of the most desperately poor people I’ve ever seen. I’ve been to Honduras and seen poverty and malnutrition many times, but I’ve never before seen babies so severely malnourished that they couldn’t hold their head up. And I’ve never before seen people that had to walk for hours to get water. And I’ve never before seen cookies made of mud and shortening and salt that children eat because there is nothing else. But that’s the way life is for many people in Haiti. . . no jobs, no food, no water, no medical care. But they do have hope. . . hope that life will get better someday.
Our own Deacon Dave has submitted an article to the Diocesan website that will also be printed in the upcoming Apostle. On the website, after reading the article, click on the links for more information about the trip, reflections by Dr. Eich, Gerri Ashton, Jane Berry (who was on the construction team last October), and me, as well as great information from Dave himself.
Sharon and I brought back several pieces of beautiful Haitian metal art that will be available for purchase at the Diocesan Convention February 21-23. All proceeds, as well as any donations you make, will go to the Nutrition Program in Croix de Bouquet. Please visit the Bookstore where the items will be displayed . . . and please be generous to this wonderful, life-saving program.
Cindy Atkins
Spring Cleaning!!
On Friday and Saturday, March 14 and 15, we’re planning an Inside Spring Clean-Up Day here at St. Thomas, your home-away-from-home. We desperately need lots of bodies, ranging from the not-so-able to those with superhuman strength, so that we can get things in order around here. We’re going to focus initially on the inside. . . .mainly the attics, closets, kitchen, library, conference room, and AV room. We will have a big roll-off dumpster delivered to the south parking lot and we’re CLEANING HOUSE!! If you have items stored in any of these focus areas that you do not want thrown away or donated somewhere, please call or come by the church and let us know what it is and where it is so that we can tag those items and help make arrangements for them to be delivered to you.
On Saturday, March 29, we will have an Outside Clean-Up Day, so please mark your calendars for that day, too. Look for more information about this later.
If you are willing to coordinate any of these focus areas or are willing to help tag items for disposal, please call me at 880-2296 or 679-0298. Thanks, and I look forward to seeing you on the Ides of March.
Cindy Atkins, Jr. Warden
Habitat for Humanity
The wood is cut and all we need is YOU to help build walls on Saturday, February 23. If you can hammer, read, or carry, there is a job for you. If you can’t, there is still a job for you! We start at 8 am in the Warehouse on Pratt and Washington Streets. We should be done by noon. Hope to see you there!
A Vestry Change
The canons prevented John Hanson from serving a successive term to fill the vacancy left by Gene Lawson’s resignation. So, the vestry elected Will Avant to a one-year term. This will leave one 2-year term and four 3-year terms to be voted on at next year’s Annual Parish Meeting.
Diocesan Convention
Please keep our delegates and clergy in your prayers as they attend the Diocesan Convention this week.
Daughters of the King
The Daughters of the King will host a Quiet Morning, Saturday, March 1st from 9 to 11 am in the Chapel. We listen to a meditation then remain in quiet prayer until the next meditation. Come for a few minutes or the whole two hours. It is a great way to get away from our busy lives for a little while in contemplation for Lent. Everyone is invited.
Lenten Program Invitation
We have a Lenten Program on Wednesday evenings starting at 5:30 to which we have invited an impressive group of speakers! We begin with a light supper in the Parish Hall followed by a program at 6:30 pm. Hope to see you there! Our speaker for this for next Wednesday is:
The Rev. Walter Brownridge: “Will You Proclaim by Word and Example the Good News of God in Christ?”
Children’s Lenten Program
The children are invited to watch a video based on a different Old Testament story each Wednesday in Lent. We will meet in the CrossRoads room during the adult program time from 6:45-7:30. The videos are appropriate for elementary-aged children. The nursery will be available for younger children.
Mites Needed…
Mite boxes have been distributed to all of our children during Sunday School. Families are encouraged to contribute loose change daily to the mite box which will be returned to the church on Easter Sunday, and collected at the 9:15 and 11:00 services. This offering will be used to purchase cross necklaces for the children in Honduras which are taken by our medical mission team to Honduras in June.
Adult Christian Ed Classes
Adult Christian Formation Classes that are currently available are: Lectionary Class, led by Thad Mauldin in the Conference Room; Rector’s Class, “Calling All Adults,” led by The Rev. Corky Carlisle in the Parish Hall, “Married with Children” led by Elaine Poplin in the Den, and “Listening to God-The Millenials Generation” led by Rev. John David Barnes in the Coffee House Room in Hiers Hall. For a more detailed description of the classes, check the bulletin board in the Narthex.
New Friends and Family Prayer List Process
We continue to remind you that we are starting a new process for the weekly “Friends and Family Prayer List’ to keep the list more current. Prayer requests will stay on the list through the month following the request. For example, if you give us a prayer request the second week of February, it will automatically come off at the end of March. Names on the list prior to February 1st will remain until the end of February. If you would like your prayer request to remain beyond that you simply resubmit the request. This way the minimum amount of time a prayer request will be on our list is 1 month and the maximum time is 2 months, unless we hear from you.
Acolytes Have Their Own Webpage
The acolytes have their own web page complete with serving dates and a manual. Go to: www.freewebs.com/stthomasacolytes
Found
A small white sequined coin purse in the shape of a butterfly with keys and others articles inside was found sometime in the last several months and remains unclaimed at the Secretary's desk. If it is yours, please call Linda at 880-0247.
Lay Ministers for the week of February 25
Altar Guild Barbara & Larry Meyer, Vicki Bell & Ann Bayruns
Flower Guild Lenten Schedule
Meals on Wheels Nancy Mohlere, Kay Strobel & Susy Thurber,
Virginia Fowler, Al & Elouisa Stokes, Larry & Barbara Meyer
8:00 am
Eucharistic Ministers Nick Pawluk & Jane Berry
Lectors Pat Johnson
9:15 am
Eucharistic Minister Elaine Poplin
11:00am
Eucharistic Ministers Jeannie Randall & Polly Robb
Lectors Barbara Meyer & Linda Mixon
Acolytes
8:00 am Ben Ward & Lydia Allison
11:00 am Allie Below, Sarah Macala,
Tyler Harvey & Ben Jacobson
Ushers
8:00 am Pat Stueck & Michael Jones
11:00 am Dick Branick & Larry Hill
Greeters
8:00 am Marjorie Ashcraft
9:15 am Ledyard Family
11:00 am Richard Williams
Readings
Exodus 17:1-7
Romans 5:1-11
John 4:5-42
Psalm 95
Please check last week’s Epistle, February 13 for more information on, Aquarius Club Lunches and Youth News.
The Search Committee has been Chosen and Installed
In case you missed church this Sunday, the Search Committee was announced and installed at each service. The members are: Polly Robb, Chair, Chrissie Bannister, Elaine Poplin, John Hanson, Jeannie Randall, Will Avant, Gail Perna, Larry Hill, Sally Upchurch, and Michelle Box. Please keep them in your prayers as they do their work this coming year.
