ST. THOMAS’ LIFELINES VOLUME 26, NO. 8 AUGUST 2019

BACKPACK PROGRAM

Thank you for your continued donations for

the Backpack program.

Dear St. Thomas Family,

I hope everyone is having an enjoyable and restful summer. I have enjoyed the

change of pace, not having to get up quite so early every morning. Not having

to spend so much time working at a desk. More time outdoors gardening and

appreciating nature and the warmth of the season. I’ve done some travelling

and I have enjoyed hearing about some of the travelling you have done. I have

gotten some reading done, worked with a student on a research project, and practiced the art of

pizza making. It has been a nice pleasant summer, right at three months since I finished teaching

for the year, but I feel the end of this season is just about over.

Our activities at St. Thomas have also been slower-paced during the summer. We have continued

to gather each Sunday morning, but many of our usual activities have been on pause. This easier

routine has allowed us to spend more time in conversation with each other, to greet visitors, and to

appreciate how amazingly well the squashes are growing in the front garden! Such times of respite

re-energize us and help to knit us together as a family. It will soon enough be time to restart the

programs that we have during the program/school year, to prepare for and celebrate the seasons

of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter, and to in general, just get busier—all of which is OK.

So enjoy the short time we have left for summer, and when you are ready, take a look at this edition

of Lifelines where you will find the beginnings of our re-entry into church as usual. Please pay

attention to the article about Christian Education this fall, and if you have ideas, please let us know.

Also, one specific Sunday to look forward to: Bishop Bourlakas will be with us on October 13. I

believe we will have several confirmations and a baptism to celebrate with him. Look inside to see

more information about this, especially if you or someone you know and love would like to be

confirmed.

Yours in Christ,

Mark

Thank You St. Thomas’ Folks!

Thirteen bike helmets were donated for Boys Home!

O Eternal God, bless all schools,

colleges, and universities, that they

may be lively centers for sound

learning, new discovery, and the

pursuit of wisdom; and grant that

those who teach and those who learn

may find you to be the source of all

truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

BACK TO SCHOOL!

8/12 Roanoke County

8/14 Montgomery County

8/20 City of Roanoke

9/3 Salem

8/26 NRCC, Radford,

Virginia Tech, & VWCC

S T . T H O M A S’ L I F E L I N E S AUGUST 2019 PAGE 2

Ideas for Christian Formation at St Thomas during 2019-2020

The term Christian Formation broadly includes all of the opportunities through which we—individually and

corporately—grow into the body of Christ. Worship, educational programs, outreach events, fellowship

times—all of these are ways through which we love God and our neighbors. If you’ve ever thought ‘I’d really

like to . . . .’ or ‘I really got a lot out of . . .’, please share your ideas with Fr. Mark or Amy! The calendar’s not set

yet! But to get your thoughts flowing and perhaps build your enthusiasm, here’s how the program year is

shaping up so far.

• Our first Sunday of educational offerings will be September 8th, and we’ll have a festive end-of-the-year

party during Coffee Hour on Pentecost, May 31st.

• The backbone of our educational offerings for all ages will be the ‘Lesson Plans that Work’ curriculum,

which is published by the national Episcopal Church. This program provides age-targeted discussion

questions and activities on the Gospel reading for each week.

• Church Upstairs will comprise kids in kindergarten through 3rd grade. As we did last year, we will start at 10

am and rejoin Church Downstairs at the Peace.

• Our first Church Together service will be All Saints Sunday, November 3.

• Like their peers elsewhere, St Thomas youth in grades 4 through high school are busy people! In particular,

they increasingly participate in worship as acolytes, torchbearers, crucifer, ushers, and lay readers. This

service is an important part of their Christian formation—but it (and various other non-church

commitments) conflicts with their weekly participation in a traditional, at-church educational offering

during or after the service. For these young people—and ‘computer-comfortable’ adults—we’re

introducing Church Online this year.

• As currently envisioned, Church Online will present the ‘Lesson Plans that Work’ material in the context of 2

parallel ‘discussion boards.’ These boards both will contain the same basic content but ‘packaged’ for

the particular participant group—one for 4th through 8th graders primarily, and the other for people 9th

grade and beyond. For optimal internet safety, the boards will be accessible only by password through

the St Thomas website, and each will be monitored by at least 2 moderators. Our hope is that having

related content but separate venues will encourage group members to ‘speak up’ candidly on the peer

boards and then use anonymous snippets of those encounters to foster discussions in their own families

and among the St Thomas family as a whole. Stay tuned for more details regarding Church Online!

• Because many of us learn best by doing, our weekly Lessons will be supported through regular ‘Christian

service learning opportunities’—otherwise known as service projects or outreach events. Lay Weeders

Day, Acolyte Appreciation Day, St Francis Day Festival, visits to English Meadows—these are just some of

the potential offerings under consideration. Some of these events will take place at St Thomas, in support

of our own family here; others will enable us to work with other groups to serve our neighbors here in

Christiansburg, in Appalachia, and worldwide. We hope to offer a service opportunity every 2 or 3 weeks.

• Nurturing relationships and fostering community is another important part of Christian formation. And we

usually have a pretty good time when we get together—and eat! In this regard, what do you think about

having the traditional Advent supper and study at church, so that we can accommodate a program (and

nursery care) for our ‘non-adults’?

More ideas are swirling, and many more details (once clarified) will be shared! Are you getting excited yet?!?!

The first Sunday of every month is

FOOD BANK SUNDAY.

The next Food Bank Sunday is August 4th.

Birthdays

2 Bayne Sandridge

Kelly Stalvey

Liz Swinfen

6 Carol Cummings

8 Mollie Straub

14 Royal Cummings

17 Cynthia Berthold

19 Janet Webster

24 Bridget Miller

28 Taylor Webster

Anniversaries

8 Graham & Liz Swinfen

12 Gail & Harvey Leist

14 Gwynn & Roger Polidoro

The Ann-Frances chapter The

Daughters of the King extend a

hearty thank you to all of you

who supported our desire to fund

school supplies for Grace House on the

Mountain! A total of $240 dollars was collected on

the two Sundays in July, and the total was mailed

to Anita Boyd, the director, on July 23, 2019, in time

for Grace House volunteers to purchase the much-

needed school supplies.

We will keep you posted on the progress and

activities at Grace House on the Mountain

located in St. Paul, VA.

We appreciate your interest and support.

~Rebecca Mays, DOK member

Mary Stuart says ……

A heart full of thank-yous to everyone for mak-

ing my Birthday such a happy event! I know

this next decade will be a joyous challenging

time, and with our wonderful church commu-

nity around me, I really look forward to it! Life

and Love are so important to share!

As you know I asked my family to say ‘no gifts’

at that fabulous party ….. and I was humbled

and over some to send a check to Grace

House for almost $500.00. I have written you

all who gave checks, and I send the same

thanks to the many of you who gave cash ….

and Grace House sends their deepest thanks

also!

Thanks to all of our ink cartridge recyclers! We

received $25.25 for our last shipment. Used and

unused Canon, HP, and Epson ink cartridges can

be left in the box in the parish hall.

S T . T H O M A S’ L I F E L I N E S AUGUST 2019 PAGE 3

$$ Financial Update $$

January 1—June 30, 2019

Income $61,901.63

Expenses $57,180.33

Net $ 4,721.30

The Ann Frances Chapter of the Daughters of

the King will meet on Thursday morning,

August 29, at Rebecca's home. More

information will be available before that

date! Contact Mary Stuart Cosby for further

information.

Trex Bench Update Thanks for continuing to bring in your plastic bags!

We are up to 429lbs—very near our goal for this 6

months and our second Trex bench!

Remember to check out the flyer in the parish hall

for the correct types of plastic bags to bring in.

The Bishop is coming, the Bishop is coming!!

The Right Reverend Mark A. Bourlakas will join us as

celebrant on Sunday, October 13. As is the

custom for an episcopal (bishop’s) visit, he will

confirm and baptize those who are presented for

the appropriate sacrament. Father Mark will serve

as the instructor of candidates for confirmation

and baptism. If you are interested in being

confirmed or baptized, please contact the St.

Thomas office (mystthomasoffice@yahoo.com) or

Father Mark (frazimw9@gmail.com). We plan to

have an informational and introductory meeting

after church on Sunday, August 25th , upstairs in the

library area.

S T . T H O M A S’ L I F E L I N E S

SERVERS FOR AUGUST Area of Service 4 11 18 25

Acolytes S-Casey Graham S-Akan Ndem C-Dara Ndem

S-Natalie Miller C-Allie Prescott

S-Uche Okoronkwo C-Amara

Okoronkwo

Altar Guild Kathy Pollard Lynn Straub

Kathy Pollard Lynn Straub

Lora Beeken Judy Koland

Lora Beeken Judy Koland

Announcements Susan Bathgate Farrell Doss Bill Kennan Harvey Leist

Chalice Bearer

Bill Kennan Judy Koland Harvey Leist Rebecca Mays

Cleaning Crews

Gail Leist Lynn Straub

Farrell Doss David Jones

Cleaning Service Gail Leist

Lynn Straub

Coffee Hour Rebecca Mays Bonnie Smas

Lay Reader Amy Frazier Bridget Miller Tom Bernard Emily Marx

Nursery Anna Frazier Sara Stauffer

Uche Okoronkwo Amara Okoronkwo

Marie Painter Dara Ndem

Stella Okoronkwo

Ushers Gwynn Polidoro

Mark Priest Mark Miller

Seth Richmeier Sarah Farmer Scott Farmer

Francis & Janet Webster

Serve at St. Thomas!

Share your time and talents!

Summer Acolytes

Thank you to all of our adult

acolyte volunteers!

Many of whom are recruited and

trained the same morning! They

have helped give our youth

volunteers time to vacation and

enjoy summer with their families.

Pictured here with our verger,

Harvey, is Emily Marx, summer

recruit.

July Red Door Schedule

Sundays: Fr. Mark/Harvey—Open

Mary Stuart—Close

Mondays: Val—Open & Close

Tuesdays: Val—Open & Close

Wednesdays: Jenny—Open

Bridgett—Close

Thursdays: Ann—Open & Close

Fridays: Judy—Open

Bridgett—Close

Saturdays: Judy—Open

Mary Stuart—Close

Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven

and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen

the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant

us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all

to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through

Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

~Prayer for the Parish, BCP 817

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St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church 103 East Main St.

Christiansburg, VA 24073 540-382-4365

mysthomasoffice@yahoo.com http://www.stthomaschristiansburg.dioswva.org/

S T . T H O M A S’ L I F E L I N E S