St. Thomas Tidings: May 4, 2023 Edition
Today we commemorate Monica, Mother of Augustine of Hippo (387). Here is the collect for the day: Deepen our devotion, O Lord, and use us in accordance with your will; that inspired by the example of your servant Monica, we may bring others to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Ascension Day Alert!: Due to the leadership transition at St. Luke’s we were not sure that we would be able to have an Ascension Day service. I’m happy to report that it’s on! St. Thomas, St. Gregory’s, and St. Luke’s will all join together at St. Luke’s on Thursday, May 18 at 7pm for our second annual Ascension Day service. Please come out and celebrate the feast of the Ascension and help welcome Father Antonio Gallardo as rector of St. Luke’s.
No Bunco Friday: The Bunco night planned for May 5 has been postponed. Stay tuned for another opportunity to help “Raise the Roof.”
Capital Campaign Kickoff: We have begun our capital campaign to “Raise the Roof” and make other needed repairs to our physical plant. You should have received your letter and pledge card by now; please let us know if you did not receive one, or if you would like one to give to a friend or neighbor. If you have questions or concerns, please speak with Allen Stout, Shelley Arnold, or Mother Sharon. We know a capital campaign is not anyone’s favorite topic, but it’s a necessary fact of life for us as we try to keep our buildings repaired. The organ campaign was such a success that we know we can make this work!
Reminder of May “Raise the Roof” Events: We hope you have marked your calendars for the following events: Coronation Tea Saturday, May 13, 11:00am-2:00pm for those who RSVP’d by May 3; Boot Sale Saturday May 20, 8:00am-1:00pm (rsvp to Andrea Utzman at apqueen02@aol.com).
Men’s Breakfast May 13: All men of the parish and any friends who identify as men are welcome to come to the Men’s Breakfast on Saturday, May 13. Meet at the Denny’s at South and Bellflower at 8:00am for food and fellowship.
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.
The New Website is Here!: We are proud to announce that our new website is up and running. Please bookmark the new URL: stthomascanterbury.org and use it from now on. More information about our site and its contents will appear in a separate email.
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.