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St Thomas

Eating Well is a SNAP!

By News, Outreach

Stephen Toon is an Indiana native and a former Marine. The Reverend Virginia Holleman hails from Connecticut and is a member of the Episcopal Clergy. Together, they are a dynamic duo! When they joined the EWS! Speaker’s Bureau in 2016, Stephen and Virginia were already volunteering to help reduce food insecurity for seniors as members of St.Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church. After personally being coached by lead trainer Kyra Effren, they set out together to spread the good news of EWS! Stephen serves as the nutrition educator and Virginia shares SNAP information. Stephen adds an extra special touch by baking cookies for each presentation. He also customized the chef apparel that he and Virginia wear. Virginia shares about SNAP and its value as a supplement to the budget, addressing common myths about the program. She also researches and provides a list of food pantries nearby the site where they present….

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August 2, 2018

Outreach Grants for organizations

By Outreach

Each year the Episcopal Church of St Thomas the Apostle awards Outreach Grants to agencies in our area that address community needs with a focus on homelessness, hunger, health and health-care challenges (both physical and mental), social justice and education. This year we anticipate awarding approximately $5,000, divided among one to three organizations. Our priority is funding specific projects that would not be accomplished without our assistance. Unfortunately, we do not provide unrestricted operating funds or funding for ongoing projects and needs. In addition, organizations must be headquartered and operate in Dallas County and must be a tax-exempt organization under IRS code 501(c)(3). The process for requesting fund is simple. All we ask is for you to send a written (hard copy) letter requesting a specific amount and a one to two paragraph explanation of a specific project or use for the funding. You may also include two additional singled-sided…

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August 2, 2018

Proper 12B Sermon

By Rector's Corner, Sermons

Proper 12B, July 29, 2018 2 Samuel 11:1-15, Psalm 14 Ephesians 3: 14-21, John 6: 1-21 St Thomas the Apostle The Rev’d Joy A. Daley It happens every year. Vacation is coming so I get out my suitcase and I start deciding what I’m going to take for a week’s journey. I vow that this time I will take less, that I’ll easily be able to toss my suitcase into that overhead bin on the plane and I will not have any aching muscles in my arms the next day from the effort. My plan is that when I zip that thing up it will be flat across the top when it is laying on the floor. Then the inner conversation begins. What if it gets really hot? What if it gets cold? What if I decide to go out to someplace really good for dinner and I don’t have…

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July 29, 2018

Blood Drive was a success!

By News

A big thank you to Nancy LeGros and to all who helped make the July 22nd blood drive a success. Also, thank you to all of those who donated, or attempted to donate, and to those who supported this effort through their presence and behind the scenes through advertising in the neighborhood and beyond. A great team effort! Joy  

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July 26, 2018

Gateway of Grace volunteer opportunity for Fall 2018

By Outreach

Are you interested in volunteering to teach ESL this fall? Gateway of Grace is offering in-home tutoring classes beginning Tuesday, August 28th. Volunteers are asked to go to their website and fill out the volunteer application form: https://www.gatewayofgrace.org/join-us/ Click on ‘volunteer’. Once your application is received they will reach out to you. We hope you will prayerfully consider how God may be leading you to support His work in the lives of refugee families through Gateway of Grace Ministries! Thank you and kind regards, Alexandra Stembridge

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July 26, 2018

Proper 11B Sermon

By Rector's Corner, Sermons

Proper 11B, July 22, 2018 2 Samuel 7: 1-14a, Psalm 23 Ephesians 2:11-22, Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 St Thomas the Apostle The Rev’d Joy A. Daley “He is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall.” These words from Paul are not only for the Ephesians but also for us. They are wonderful words to hear and to experience this week. “No longer strangers or aliens but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself the chief cornerstone.” What a month this has been. A way has been opened up where there was no way, as the plea of, “All sacraments for all people,” has not only been heard but now will be a reality. After the long and tedious work by…

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July 22, 2018

St. Thomas to begin Same Sex Marriages!

By News, Rector's Corner

When I first joined the Episcopal Church over 25 years ago one of the things that impressed me was the Church’s diversity of thought, how broad and inclusive it was. At the same time I celebrated this I was also aware of the tension it created. While some have said the Episcopal church is a confusing place, many times mirroring the confusion of our culture, at the time I embraced the life of the Episcopal church I thought, “How real and honest this is, not pretending everything is neatly wrapped up and solved.” I believed then and now that the honest tension created by diverse voices is a creative tension through which new ideas emerge as God’s Spirit continues to speak to and guide the Church, the Body of Christ in the world. The expansive, inclusive love of Christ that we see in the Gospels, the way of love that…

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July 18, 2018

Proper 10B Sermon

By Sermons

Proper 10B, July 15, 2018 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19; Psalm 24 Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:14-29 St Thomas the Apostle The Rev’d Leo Loyola I’m a grown man. And yet I don’t like eating vegetables. Okay, that’s a lie. I do like some: lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach, and—what I’ve always considered a vegetable, but my wife disagrees—corn. Intellectually I know they are good for me. But knowing that doesn’t necessarily make them any more tasty or palatable. When I bite into an unadulterated vegetable, I see Melody laughing, as I grit my teeth and make a face that looks like a fake-it-till-you-make-it smile. I look at my plate, and I endure them. I tolerate them. The same can be said about how we view theology. When we hear or read Scripture each Sunday, we gravitate towards the narrative of the Gospels or the collective singing of the Psalms. But when…

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July 15, 2018

What is Foyer?

By Upcoming Events

What today we refer to as foyer dinner groups were born in the Diocese of Coventry, England, in the aftermath of the massive destruction at the height of the German bombings of London and Coventry during World War II. The fourteenth-century Cathedral of St. Michael (Coventry Cathedral) was destroyed in the nine-hour blitz of 14 November 1940, but a ministry of reconciliation evolved from that destruction. Rather than dwell on the violent loss of his beloved place of worship, Provost Howard was inspired to found a ministry of reconciliation that he called the Community of the Cross and Nails. While sifting through the rubble of the cathedral, he gathered many of the old nails that had fallen among the ruins and was inspired to have them twisted together to form a cross. This cross of nails and the words “Father, Forgive” became the unifying symbol of the International Ministry of…

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July 13, 2018

General Convention Update

By News

Mtr. Joy asked that I write an update on General Convention. Please keep in mind that, including today, there are still 3 legislative days left. The convention will adjourn this Friday, having been in session since July 4th. It was my privilege to be in attendance from the 5th through the 9th. There are always many issues taken up, and this year there are over 430 resolutions that were submitted to be dealt with by the convention. However, it is not only about legislation. There were 3 joint TEConversations, which was a new innovation this year. These dealt with Racial Reconciliation, Evangelism, and the Care of Creation. These sessions were sponsored by 3 parishes of our Church, including St. Michael and All Angels here in Dallas. Friday ended with a celebration of the Eucharist, and the United Thank Offering (UTO) Ingathering. These wonderful folks brought in over $3.2 Million from…

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July 12, 2018