Dear St. Thomas friends,

Please enjoy this issue of our E-NEWSLETTER! Please check your e-mail each week to read our news and events. To read more information, you can now find us on Facebook!  

 About Lexington and the Future

Dear Friends,
One the the things I have learned about a Bishop election process is that candidates have lots of opportunity to reflect and speak about their current ministries, and you, Dear People of God, are the source of much light shining in the world. I have enjoyed bragging about you.

I have been able to speak of your steady commitment to congregational growth and generous stewardship; your wide open spirit to new people, new diversity, and new ideas. I have been able to point to our music, education for all ages, and outreach programs as models in our diocese.  I have been able to tell how our eyes are focused on the world around us, and how the Spirit has led us to wonderful shared ministries with our ecumenical and interfaith neighbors.

Some of our ministries are more known than you might imagine. Our choir, our Infusion program, the McCann African Mission, and the work we do through Chattahoochee Valley Episcopal Ministries, are known in many circles.

And within the life of our parish - and I say this from personal experience -  you are always a continued source of love, support, and care for one another.  You ARE the body of Christ.

I say all that, knowing that as I write these words I have no idea what our future will bring. But I do know some things: I know St. Thomas will continue to be a shining ministry to its members and the wider world; I know that I will have a marvelous place to serve God's people, whether as the Bishop of  Lexington or as the Rector of St. Thomas. I know that God "will fulfill our desires and petitions as may be best for us, granting us in this world knowledge of truth, and in the age to come life everlasting ..."

Christ's Peace,
Fr. Doug

P.S. The election for Seventh Bishop of Lexington will take place this Saturday. We will send a parish email as soon as we have the election results, which may not be decided until mid-afternoon. To learn more you may visit diolex.org. Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Lexington.

  Youth leading

 the way ...

Two of our young people, Wilson Ford and Jacob Sholtis, are helping spread the word about the good work of St. Thomas. Throughout the month of July, Wilson collected pennies and gave the proceeds to Valley Interfaith Promise, a ministry to homeless families. St. Thomas is one of the host churches. Jacob, a football player and freshman at Columbus High School, has an ad (click here to see it!) in the booster program urging his friends to join him in worship on Sundays. Kudos to Wilson and Jacob!

Photo: Malinda Shamburger, the St. Thomas VIP coordinator, hugs Wilson Ford after last Sunday's service in which Wilson donated his pennies.

Cathedral Bookstore rep here Sunday

Support Children's Formation by shopping with the Cathedral Bookstore from the Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta. A large supply of books, gifts and Bibles will be available for purchase on Sunday. Make plans to shop during the Sunday School hour and before or after the 10:30 am worship service.

Dear Parish,

I am sad to announce that Ms. Brantley Lewis is step

ping down as our Youth Ministry Coordinator. After three years working with our youth, she has decided to shift her attention to other areas of her life and the church.

Brantley has done a fantastic job working with our youth. She has led them through confirmation, retreats and educational trips to Atlanta and Washington, and a variety of special events.

She has managed a wonderful set of teachers for Sunday morning classes, recruited teens to serve in VBS and other ministries, and been a valuable presence to individual youth in their faith journey. We will miss her presence in that work.

We will have an opportunity to thank Brantley for her work on Sunday, Aug. 26. She will still be an active parishioner, so make sure you join me in giving her a personal word of thanks for her work.

The Vestry Children and Youth Commission--Julia Slater, Joe Mills and Malinda Shamburger--youth teachers Perrin Nicholson, Travis Wade and Jennifer Gray,along Mother Lorna Erixson and me, are planning a way forward for our young people.

I, along with all the parish leadership, value the role of youth in our parish, and we will assure a smooth transition into future staffing and program solutions.

Christ's Peace

Fr. Doug

God our Father, you see your children growing up in an
unsteady and confusing world: Show them that your ways
give more life than the ways of the world, and that following
you is better than chasing after selfish goals. Help them to
take failure, not as a measure of their worth, but as a chance
for a new start. Give them strength to hold their faith in you,
and to keep alive their joy in your creation; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, 829)

Where in the world is St. Thomas Parish?

St. Thomas Episcopal Church

St. Thomas Episcopal Church 

office@stthomascolumbus.org