St. Thomas Tidings: August 17, 2023 Edition
There is no special commemoration on today’s calendar. The collect of the day is the collect for this past Sunday: Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Vacation Reminder: Mother Sharon and Mike will be away from August 18-30. Father Gary Commins will preach and preside on August 20 and 27, and Father Michael Fincher will cover pastoral care during that time. Please keep Sharon and Mike in your prayers for a safe, restful trip.
Fall Christian Education: You are invited to take part in a diocesan program meant to bridge the divide that is present in many of our Christian denominations today. Beginning Wednesday, September 13, we will be reading and discussing Christian Nationalism, using as our primary text The Psychology of Christian Nationalism by Pamela Cooper-White. Classes will run from 6:30-8:30 on September 13 and 27 and October 11 and 25 and will be on Zoom. If you would prefer to meet in person, St. Gregory’s will be running the same class on Sunday afternoons. You can get more information by contacting the St. Gregory’s office at info@stgregoryschurch.com For more information on our class, please talk with Shelley Arnold or email her at shelleyarnold1@aol.com
“Welcome Back Sunday” September 10: Please mark your calendars for our annual Welcome Back Sunday on September 10. We will have special coffee hour treats and information about our ministries. Members of the Bishop’s Committee will be available for questions. For more information, please speak with Jane Gordon-Topper.
Diocesan Climate Change Summit September 16: The Bishop’s Commission on Climate Change invites every congregation to send a representative or team to attend, either in person or online, a meeting on Saturday, September 16 at St. Paul’s Commons in Echo Park. Summit topics will include priorities of reducing carbon footprints and adopting green technologies throughout the diocese. The program is coordinated by Lucy Jones, Ph.D., a Cal Tech seismologist who co-chairs the diocesan Disaster Resiliency Subcommittee. Reservations may be emailed to bishopsoffice@ladiocese.org All are welcome to register for either the in-person or online program. Box lunches, available for a donation of $12, will be provided during the 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. program. St. Paul’s Commons, the diocese’s administrative and ministry hub, is located at 840 Echo Park Avenue, Los Angeles, with free parking available in the on-site garages. Further information may be requested from Samantha Wylie, coordinator of Diocesan Convention, by email to swylie@ladiocese.org.
Sanctuary Lighting: We are very fortunate to have Long Beach Chorale and Chamber Orchestra using St. Thomas for rehearsal and performance space for the rest of 2023. In order to help with rehearsals, we have two small work lights at the front of the sanctuary, to boost the lighting at night. Since we’ve had comments that parts of the altar area are quite dark when viewed on a computer, we’re going to experiment with the lights when we livestream as well. The lights are out of the way of Altar Guild and cleaning folks, so they shouldn’t come to any harm. Thanks for your patience as we try new things, and mark your calendars for the Chorale performances in December!
Labor Day Closures: The church office will be closed on Monday, September 4, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.
The Piano Man is Coming!: Please join us on Saturday, September 16 at 4:00pm for our “Piano Man” fundraiser! Kevin Wood, Long Beach singer-songwriter, will entertain us with old favorites and original compositions. There may also be some surprise guest artists! A reception will follow the concert, and Kevin’s CDs will be available for sale. Tickets are $20 at the door, and all proceeds go to our “Raise the Roof” capital campaign.
Musical Instruments Wanted: Do you have an unused instrument in reasonable repair? Would you like to brighten the lives of students who can’t afford to purchase their own instrument? Or give an instrument to a veteran or other person in need? If so, please consider making a donation, either instrumental or monetary, to the Collage Instrument Donation Program. Collage is dedicated to helping musicians have instruments and a place to play them, and is a non-profit organization, so your donations are tax-deductible. You can find out more about the program at https://www.collageartculture.org/instrument-donations-student-programs To make a donation or find out specific donation details, email richard@collageartculture.org
Raise the Roof Reminders: We have events planned through the rest of the year, and we hope you have your calendars marked to take advantage of our concerts, BBQs, and other events. And please be thinking about what you might do as a fun event next year. If there’s something you like to do and would like to share, chances are others in our community will enjoy it too. It doesn’t have to be elaborate to be fun! If you have any questions or ideas, please speak with Shelley Arnold or Mother Sharon.
Are You Interested in Genealogy?: Questing Heirs, one of our newer community groups, invites us to visit their meetings and explore our heritage. They meet the third Sunday of every month at 2pm in Larkin Hall.
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.