St. Thomas Tidings: April 18, 2024
Today we commemorate Juana Inés de la Cruz, Monastic and Theologian (1695). Here is the collect for the day: Almighty God, source of all knowledge, we give you thanks for the witness of your servant Juana Inés de la Cruz in her fierce passion for learning and creativity. Teach us to be faithful stewards of our minds and hearts, so that, following her example, we might forever proclaim the riches of your unending love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Jesus Christ who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Day by Day: The May-July edition of Day by Day, the daily devotional booklet, has arrived and is available in the narthex. Please come pick one up if you enjoy using the booklet. We will also mail or deliver one to you if you can’t get to church – just let the church office know.
Supporting Local Veterans: We are starting a new ministry with veterans at Century Village. We’ll be providing hygiene kits for ten veterans, and there are opportunities to buy items, make baskets, write notes, and help with expenses. There’s an information meeting Monday, May 6 at 4pm in Larkin Hall, and a basket-packing party Monday, May 24 at 4pm in Larkin Hall. More information is in the flyer attached to this email.
Ascension Day Service: Mark your calendars now for our Ascension Day Service on Thursday, May 9 at 7:00pm. We have held joint Ascension Day services for the past two years with our siblings from St. Luke’s and St. Gregory’s, and this year St. Gregory’s will be hosting the service. Look for more information the May Canterbury Tales.
Clergy Conference Reminder: The annual Clergy Conference is May 6-8 in Riverside. Both Mother Sharon and Father Michael will be out of town attending the conference. There will be no Morning Prayer May 7-8 and no Evening Prayer May 7. Please keep all the clergy of the diocese in your prayers as they seek to discern God’s will for all our ministries.
Livestream Assistant Wanted: We still need someone who is willing to learn our livestreaming system to fill in when John Mitchell is away or sick. We don’t want to deprive our livestreaming siblings of the services they rely on! If you are interested, please speak with John or Mother Sharon.
Service Reminder: All our services stay on our Facebook page so you can view them whenever it’s convenient for you. It’s always better to view a service later in the day than not at all! The link to the page for all our services is here: https://www.facebook.com/Saint-Thomas-of-Canterbury-Episcopal-Church-of-Long-Beach-CA-124554214274325
Share Our Services: Please feel free to share our Morning Prayer and Sunday services. The more people we reach, the better we do at evangelism. People are hungry for what we have to offer, and I encourage you to do your part to share our services with your friends and neighbors. Send them the link when you email them, invite them to join you on Facebook or in person… whatever way works best for you to share what we have to offer.
Episcopal News Updates: The email updates from the diocese are a great way to stay informed about what’s happening all over our six-county diocese. If you want to receive the Episcopal News, visit https://diocesela.org/episcopal-news/contact/ and enter your email address in the box provided.
In Case of Emergency: Notify your priests! With our combined ministry program comes additional coverage for pastoral emergencies. In the event of a hospital stay, illness, death in the family, or other pastoral emergency, please call Mother Sharon on her cell phone (562-833-3393) any day except Friday, her Sabbath day. Father Michael Fincher covers emergencies in both communities on Friday, just as Mother Sharon covers emergencies in both parishes on Monday, Father Michael’s Sabbath. Father Michael’s cell phone is 909-373-6478.