St.Thomas Tidings - January 5, 2022 Edition
Today we commemorate Sarah, Theodora, and Syncletica of Egypt, Desert Mothers (fourth-fifth century). Here is the collect for the day: Fix our hearts on You, O God, in pure devotion, that aided by the example of your servants Sarah, Theodora, and Syncletica, the vain pursuits of this world may have no hold upon us, and that by the consuming fire of your Spirit, we may be changed into the image and likeness of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom with you and the same Spirit be all honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Last Call for Square Dance Reservations!: Shoreline Squares, our renters, are pleased to invite us to a square dance in Crosby Hall on Saturday, January 14, from 5-7pm. No experience or partner necessary! You can use this link https://shorelinesquares.com/?page_id=623 to RSVP and let us know if you will attend only the dance or if you want to stay for a simple supper afterward. You will also receive a coupon for discounted square dance lessons when they start a beginners’ class. The dance is free and open to all. Because everyone will be dancing with everyone else, vaccination status will be checked at the door. See you there!
2023 Offering Envelopes: The envelopes are available for pickup in the church narthex. Please pick up your envelopes to save us the cost of mailing them. Of course, if you have a good reason to need them mailed or delivered, please let us know! We appreciate your financial support of our community.
Advent Food Drive: Please bring your box or bag of food to either service this Sunday, January 8, where we will bless it before it goes to the Food Bank. Please remember to check the expiration dates before you bring your donations, as food banks are not allowed to distribute food that is past its expiration date. Thanks for your support.
Men’s Breakfast January 14: All men of the parish and any friends who identify as men are welcome to come to the Men’s Breakfast on Saturday, January 14. Meet at the Denny’s at South and Bellflower at 8:00am for food and fellowship.
A New Website is Coming!: We are moving into the 21st Century with a new, more user-friendly, and more capable website. Look for our new name and the unveiling soon! For now, keep using our old site: https://saintthomas.ladiocese.org/
Crosby Hall Update: We are still looking for suggestions and ideas for a new “welcome center” in Crosby Hall that can also serve as a drinks station for hall events. If you have such a unit, or would like to consider making or buying one, please contact Mother Sharon.
Grant Writer Needed: It is no secret that we need to raise money for much-needed repairs to our physical plant. We will start a capital campaign, but we also want to pursue other means of getting money. If you, or someone you know, has experience in finding grant opportunities and writing grants, please let Allen Stout or Mother Sharon know.
Online Usher Needed: We have one person who is currently serving as our online usher at the 10:15 service, but we need at least one more. You would log into the service online while being in the pew, post a welcoming comment, and keep an eye out for prayer requests in the comments section. During the Prayers of the People, you would speak out loud any prayer requests received, so that the whole community is aware of them. If this sounds like something you’d like to try, please talk with 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
Bulletin for Epiphany 1
Psalms for Morning Prayer - January 9-13
Psalms for Evening Prayer - January 9-13
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 http://episcopalnews.ladiocese.org/ 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.