St Thomas

Our Annual Stewardship Ingathering will be on Sunday, November 11 at both services. It is that sacred time when we bring our pledge cards to the altar as a symbol of giving back to God from what God has generously given to us. If you have already turned in your pledge card, great! At the time of the procession bring a blank card to the altar as a symbol of your commitment. After the 10am service on that same day, we will host the recipients of our 2018 Outreach Grants. This year your Outreach Committee distributed funds to Promise House and to Legacy Counseling Center. Come and hear about how your generosity is transforming our community.

Harvie and I have spent the better part of 2 years in training, preparing to be a Therapy Dog Team. We are so excited to announce that WE MADE IT! My friend and trainer Susan Geib is also certified as a handler. We will be working together as “Team Harvie.” We are very excited to be volunteering at Vogel Alcove, a school for homeless children, where we can play and entertain the children and staff. Another volunteer opportunity that fits us is, Our Friends Place, an Alzheimer’s daycare in Richardson. In this environment the clients sit in a circle in one big room. We go person to person for hugs and petting then we get in the middle of the circle and perform tricks. We love this new and rewarding ministry, and we look forward to years of being a Therapy Dog Team. – Lisa Cain and Harvie

Last week I had the opportunity to read a poem published by my cousin Ryan’s husband, Richie Hofman. Richie is an accomplished poet and I share this poem with his permission: Book of Statues Because I am a boy, the untouchability of beauty is my subject already, the book statues open in my lap, the middle of October, leaves foiling the wet ground in soft copper. “A statue must be beautiful from all sides,” Cellini wrote in 1558. When I close the book, the bodies touch. In the west, they are tying a boy to a fence and leaving him to die, his face unrecognizable behind a mask of blood. His body, icon of loss, growing meaningful against his will. As you may have surmised, the poem is about Matthew Shepard who died on October 12, 1998 after being beaten, murdered for who he was, a gay man. One of…

This Sunday, October 14, there will only be the 10 am service (no 8 am service). Please plan to attend the Ministry Fair and vote in our annual Parish Elections. Ballots will be available in the Narthex. View list of nominated candidates > A catered lunch will also be provided, and ‘Vivacious’, a group within the Women’s Chorus of Dallas, will perform for us. Rain or shine it will be a great day and we look forward to seeing you all as we kick off a new year in ministry together! Eucharist Location: Inside the Church Time: 10:00 am (one service only) Parish Elections Location: North Room Times: 9:00-9:45 am and 11:15-12:00 pm Ministry Fair Location: Tables set up in covered areas by North Entrance and outside Parish Hall Times: 9:00 am-12:30 pm Lunch and Concert by Women’s Chorus of Dallas Location: Parish Hall Time: 11:15 am-12:30 pm