St. Thomas Tidings: December 7, 2023
Today we commemorate Ambrose of Milan, Bishop and Theologian (397). Here is the collect for the day: O God, who gave your servant Ambrose grace eloquently to proclaim your righteousness in the great congregation and fearlessly to bear reproach for the honor of your Name: Mercifully grant to all bishops and pastors such excellence in preaching and faithfulness in ministering your Word, that your people may be partakers with them of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Men’s Breakfast December 9: All men of the parish and any friends who identify as men are welcome to come to the Men’s Breakfast this Saturday, December 9. Meet at the Denny’s at South and Bellflower at 8:00am for food and fellowship.
Long Beach Chorale Concerts: As you know, Long Beach Chorale has been using our sanctuary for rehearsals since August. Their holiday concerts are also in our sanctuary this weekend, December 9 and 10 at 4:00pm. Tickets are available on their website https://longbeachchorale.org/tickets/ Full-price tickets are $40, but there are also student tickets for $15 and a “pay what you can” option so that no one is left out. Please take advantage of this opportunity to see Long Beach’s best volunteer choir in action – you don’t want to miss hearing the brass, organ, and choir all making a joyful noise!
Christmas Flower Donations: We are always grateful for the donations that make our church beautiful for Christmas. Envelopes are available to make donations in honor or memory of friends and loved ones, or in thanksgiving for something in your life. Donations must be received by December 17 to be included in the Christmas bulletins. Thanks for your help!
Advent Lessons & Carols and Dinner: Please come to Advent Lessons & Carols on Sunday, December 17 at 3:00pm, and then stay for a delicious Advent Dinner. The service is, of course, free and open to all; dinner will be $10 minimum donation and requires a reservation so we know how much food to prepare. You can RSVP in the narthex or by emailing the church office before December 10.
Quilt Raffle: Deborah Wright has made and donated a gorgeous Christmas quilt as a fundraiser. Raffle tickets are $5 and can be purchased through Advent Evensong on December 17. The winning ticket will be drawn at the Advent Dinner; winner need not be present to win.
Pledge Income: Our pledge income is down significantly from our projections at the beginning of the year. If you regularly give or pledge to St. Thomas, you should have received a third-quarter statement in your pledge drive envelope. If you are behind in this year’s pledge, please do your best to catch up by the end of the year, so that we don’t end the year with a deficit. Remember that Mother Sharon and the Bishop’s Committee are always available if you have any concerns or pastoral needs.
Prayer Tree: We are revamping our community prayer tree. A small and dedicated group of people prays for those on our prayer list and are alerted when new prayer needs arise. If you would like to be part of this praying network, please contact Jane Gordon-Topper.
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.