COMING UP SUNDAY- DEC. 30

This is the 1st Sunday after Christmas.  There will be a service at 9 am.  Church school will not meet.
Did you know that the 12 Days of Christmas actually begin on Christmas and end with the Feast of the Epiphany on Jan. 6.  This is also known as 3 Kings Day and we will have a celebration during coffee hour that Sunday.
The Christmas Eve celebration at St. Thomas was lovely- thanks to the hard work of the altar guild, musicians and all who prepared the church.  Photos are posted on the Facebook page (see lower right column).

COMING UP SUNDAY- DEC. 23

This is the 4th Sunday of Advent.  Church school will not meet this week.  This is the last Sunday in our Advent Way of Love sermon series.  The Christmas tree in our sanctuary is filled with ornaments that tell how people having been practicing the Way of Love this season.
The Christmas Eve service will be at 5 pm.
On January 6, we will celebrate Epiphany at the 9 am service followed by a 3 Kings party.

COMING UP SUNDAY- DEC. 16

This is the 3rd Sunday of Advent- also known as Gaudete Sunday.  Read about it in the tab at the top of the page labelled, What is Advent?  Church school will meet this Sunday and the monthly WARM meal will be prepared.
Our Way of Love Advent sermon series will continue.  There is a Way of Love Christmas tree in our sanctuary- photos are posted on our Facebook page (see link on lower right). Each week people add new ornaments as they journey on the Way of Love.
The Christmas Eve service will be at 5 pm.  All are welcome.

COMING UP SUNDAY- DEC. 9

This is the 2nd Sunday of Advent.  Church school will meet and there will be a vestry meeting after church.  Remember to bring some socks for residents of the WARM Center.
The Way of Love at Advent sermon series continues this week. Last Sunday members of the congregation were given Way of Love Advent calendars and ornaments.  Everyone is encouraged to write down one of their Advent actions on an ornament and decorate our tree. For more information, see the post on the right column, or come to church and see for yourself!
St. Thomas' has a new roof!  Thanks to the Church Insurance Company, our leaky, wind damaged roof has been replaced and it looks great!

COMING UP SUNDAY- DEC. 2

This is the 1st Sunday of Advent.  It is the beginning of the new liturgical church year.  Church school will meet.  Advent is an important season for the Church.  To learn about it, visit the tab at the top of this page. 
During the month of December, the sermons at St. Thomas' will focus on the Way of Love which will be adapted from the Presiding Bishop's Way of Love Advent curriculum.  See the post on the right. You can download your own Advent calendar here.   Another way to observe a faithful Advent is to get an Advent word in your inbox each day (see left column). 
Join us for worship each Sunday as we take this journey together. 

COMING UP SUNDAY- NOV. 25

This is the Last Sunday after Pentecost and it is the last Sunday of the church year.  Advent begins on Dec. 2 and with that, a new liturgical year.  This final Sunday is called Christ the King Sunday because it celebrates the hope that one day Christ will have eternal rule- and in the meantime, we wait and work to establish the kingdom of God on earth now.
Church school will meet this week. This Sunday, stewardship pledges will be collected.
The Thanksgiving Ecumenical Service will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 7pm at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Hope Valley.  All are welcome!

COMING UP SUNDAY- NOV. 18

This is the 26th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 28).  Church school will meet and the WARM meal will be prepared.  Last Sunday, there was a wonderful celebration of veterans and baptisms!  Check out the photos on the lower right side of this page from our Facebook link.
November is stewardship month as the congregation reflects on ways to support St. Thomas' ministries.
The Thanksgiving Ecumenical Service will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 7pm at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Hope Valley.  All are welcome!

COMING UP SUNDAY- NOV. 11

This is the 25th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 27).  Church school will meet.  There will be a special Veterans Day celebration this week.  Worship is at 9 am and the reception starts at 10am.  All veterans and friends and families are welcome!    At 11 am next week, we will ring the church bells in honor of the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI at 11am on Nov. 11.
Baptisms will also be celebrated this Sunday.  Contact the priest for more information.

COMING UP SUNDAY- NOV. 4

This is All Saints Sunday- it is one of the major feasts in the Christian church year.   All Saints Day always falls on November 1 and is preceded by All Hallows Eve- also known as Halloween!  Read the tab at the top of the page for more information!  All Saints Day can be transferred to the following Sunday, so we will celebrate it on November 4.  There is no church school this week so that every member of the congregation can take part in the worship service.
Our annual Veterans Day celebration will be held on Nov. 11.  There will also be baptisms that day.  Worship is at 9am and the reception begins at 10 am.  See the flyer on the left.  All veterans are welcome!

COMING UP SUNDAY- OCT. 28

This is the 23 Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 25).  Church school will meet.  The sermon this Sunday will be the 3rd in a series about Healing.  During the service, there will be a time for the laying on of hands for healing.
Baptisms will be held at St. Thomas on Nov. 11 at the 9am service.  Contact the priest if you would like to be baptized.
On Saturday, Oct. 27, there will be a Halloween Village event at the Episcopal Conference Center in Pascoag from 1-5pm.  There will be a costume parade and trick or treating.  Click here for more information.
The annual Convention for the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island will meet on Nov.2-3 at St. Luke's in East Greenwich. Visit their website for more details.

COMING UP SUNDAY- OCT. 21

This is the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 24).  Church school will meet. The sermon this Sunday will be the 2nd in a series of three sermons that focus on the Healing Ministry of the church.  Then on Oct. 28, there will be a time for the  laying on of hands  as part of the 9am service.  After worship this week, we will show the short video from our Presiding Bishop, in which he invites us to take part in The Way of Love.  You can also watch it here.
On Saturday, Oct. 27, there will be a Halloween Village event at the Episcopal Conference Center in Pascoag from 1-5pm.  There will be a costume parade and trick or treating.  Click here for more information.
The annual Convention for the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island will meet on Nov.2-3 at St. Luke's in East Greenwich. Visit their website for more details.

COMING UP SUNDAY- OCT. 14

This is the 21st Sunday after Pentecost.  Church School will meet and this week they will prepare the monthly meal for the WARM Center.  There will be a vestry meeting after church. 
Beginning this Sunday, there will be a 3 week focus on healing.  The sermons will teach about healing miracles in the Bible, and the healing ministry that is accessible to all.   On Oct. 28, there will be a laying-on-of hands for healing as part of the Sunday service.

COMING UP SUNDAY- OCT. 7

This is the 20th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 22).  Church school will NOT meet this week because it is a holiday weekend.   Last Sunday we celebrated the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (see above tab) with the Blessing of the Animals.  There were 3 horses, 1 fish, several insects, 4 dogs and 15 humans.  There are pictures posted on the Facebook page (see lower right column).
This Sunday, a married couple will renew their wedding vows during the 9 am service.  If anyone would ever like to renew their own vows in the future, contact the priest.

COMING UP SUNDAY- SEPT. 30

This is the 19th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 21).  Church school will meet. 
This Sunday at 1:30, there will be a Blessing of the Animals service in the church parking lot.  Last year we had dogs, horses, goats and humans.  All are welcome- and if you don't have a pet to bring, you can bring your favorite stuffed animal.  The Blessing of the Animals is a celebration done near the beginning of October to celebrate St. Francis of Assisi whose feast day is Oct. 4.  Francis was a compassionate, loving Christian from the 13th century who loved animals.  To learn more, click the tab at the top of this page.

COMING UP SUNDAY- SEPT. 23

This is the 18th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20).  Church school will meet.  All students in grades K-6 are welcome. 
Last Sunday a group of parishioners visited the cemetery of The Rev. Daniel Davis and his family.  It required a  2 mile hike in the woods, but it was a great experience.  There are photos on the church Facebook page (see lower right column of this page). And on Monday, 15 members of the congregation enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the Richmond Country Club.  Those pictures are posted, too.
On Sunday, Sept. 30, there will be  Blessing of the Animals service at 1:30 in the church parking lot.  Bring your favorite pet! There will be refreshments for all two and four legged animals.

COMING UP SUNDAY- SEPT.16

This is the 17th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 19).  The WARM meal will be prepared this Sunday.

And Church School begins this Sunday for students in grades K-6.  All are welcome.  There is one multi-age class and this Fall the curriculum will be based on The Way of Love (see post to the right).

The parish luncheon will be held on Monday, Sept. 17.   

This is the time of year when we start thinking about our Diocesan Convention which will be held Nov. 2-3.  There are pre-Convention budget meetings next week on Sept. 17 and 20 from 7-8:30.  For more information, visit the Diocesan website.

COMING UP SUNDAY- SEPT. 9

This is the 16th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 18).  There will be a vestry meeting after church this Sunday. 
Last Sunday there were 7 students, 5 teachers and 10 backpacks and backs that were blessed at our worship service (check out the photos on the Facebook link on the lower right side of this page).  What a wonderful way to start the school year!
Church school begins next Sunday, Sept. 16.  Our parish luncheon will be held on Sept. 17 at the Richmond Country Club.  Contact the priest for more information.

COMING UP SUNDAY- SEPT. 2

This is the 15th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 17).  During the worship service this week, there will be a Blessing of the Backpacks and special prayers for students, bus drivers, teachers and all school staff.  It is a great way to start the new school year.  Bring a backpack or any other item you would like to have blessed!

Church school will resume on September 16.  There is a parish luncheon on September 17 (contact the church for details).

COMING UP SUNDAY- AUG. 26

This is the 14th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 16).  Join us for worship in our air-conditioned church, followed by coffee hour and fellowship in the parish hall.
On Sunday, Sept. 2, we will the Blessing of the Backpacks!  Students are encouraged to bring their backpacks to church.  And teachers and school bus drivers are invited to bring any items for blessing, too.  It is a great way to start the school year and a wonderful opportunity to bring a friend to church.  All are welcome!
This is the last Sunday that we will collect money for St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Carolina, Puerto Rico.  If you would like to contribute, you can send a check to the address listed in the "Contact Information" tab.

COMING UP SUNDAY- AUG.19

This is the 13th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 15).  Join us in our air-conditioned church for worship followed by coffee hour in our air-conditioned sanctuary.  Flowers from summer gardens adorn our altar every week!

On Sunday, Sept. 2, our Sunday morning liturgy will include a Blessing of Backpacks.  Students are encouraged to bring their backpacks to church.  In addition, teachers and bus drivers will receive a special blessing.  All are welcome and bring a friend! 

COMING UP SUNDAY- AUG. 12

This is the 12th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 14).  There will be a vestry meeting after church.
Our congregation is pleased to announce that we have raised $2500 for St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Carolina, Puerto Rico.  Read the tab at the top of the page for more information. We will continue to accept donations until the end of August.
We had a wonderful parish picnic last Sunday- there were 26 people who enjoyed great food, fellowship and a swimming pool. There are photos posted on our Facebook page (see lower right column)
Join us for worship in our air-conditioned sanctuary at 9 am.  All are welcome!

COMING UP SUNDAY- AUG. 5

This is the 11th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 13).  Join us for worship at 9 am in our air-conditioned sanctuary. 
During the month of July, our church raised over $2500 for St. Thomas' Church in Puerto Rico (see top tab). That is enough for them to replace 4 windows at their church.  We will continue to raise money through the end of August.  This is hurricane season and they are hoping to repair the windows before another storm hits.
Our parish picnic will be on Saturday, Aug. 4.  Contact the church for more details.

COMING UP SUNDAY- JULY 29

This is the 10th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12).    Join us in our air-conditioned sanctuary for worship followed by coffee hour in our air-conditioned sanctuary. Coffee hour follows in the air-conditioned parish hall.
This is the last Sunday in July, which means our July challenges are coming to an end.  The first challenge was to learn the Nicene Creed.  We say it most every Sunday in church.  The other challenges this month was to attend church at least 4 Sundays (there were 5 in July). Each time a person attends a service, she/he gets to put a ticket into the bucket.  This Sunday we will draw 2 names from the bucket and the winners will get special prizes.  

COMING UP SUNDAY- JULY 22

This is the 9th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 11).  Join us in our air-conditioned sanctuary for worship followed by coffee hour in our air-conditioned sanctuary.
Our congregation continues to collect money for St. Thomas' Episcopal Church in Carolina, Puerto Rico.  So far we have received over $2000 in donations which will allow them to replace 3 windows. Thank you to everyone for such generosity!  For more information, click on the tab at the top of the page.
General Convention of The Episcopal Church ended last week.  For a rundown of the resolutions that were passed and for all the highlights, visit their website here

COMING UP SUNDAY- JULY 15

This is the 8th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 10).  Join us for summer worship in our air-conditioned sanctuary and parish hall.  Beautiful wild flowers adorn our altar!
The Audit committee will meet after worship this week.
The General Convention of the Episcopal Church will end this Friday.  Follow the link on the right side of the page for all the latest news.
Our project to collect money for St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Carolina, Puerto Rico is going very well!  We have received donations from parishioners, and also from several community members who are inspired by their story.  So far we have enough money for almost 2 windows!!!  Read more about by clicking the tab at the top of the page.

COMING UP SUNDAY- JULY 8

This is the 7th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 9).  Join us for worship at 9 am in our AIR CONDITIONED church.  Coffee hour and fellowship will follow in our AIR CONDITIONED parish hall!.
St. Thomas was in the news two times this week!  There was an article in the Westerly Sun newspaper about our outreach to St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Carolina, Puerto Rico.  Read it here.  Our church was also featured in the online news from the Diocese of Rhode Island.  It spoke about our Puerto Rico project and also the help that the Narragansett Deanery provided to a daycare center in Puerto Rico.  The photo in that article shows one of our young parishioners and all of the items she collected.  Read that  article here.  If you would like to receive this diocesan news blast in your own email, sign up with them by following this link.

COMING UP SUNDAY- JULY 1

This is the 6th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 8). Join us for Morning Prayer with music at 9am this week followed by coffee hour and fellowship.
Our outreach effort to St. Thomas in Carolina, Puerto Rico is underway (see above tab) and there has been very kind response to this appeal!
The General Convention of the Episcopal Church and the Triennial meeting of the Episcopal Church Women will take place in Austin, Texas from July 5-11.  Read more about these important meetings in the right column.

COMING UP SUNDAY- JUNE 24

This is the 5th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 7).  Worship is at 9 am followed by coffee hour and fellowship.
A group from St. Thomas' is participating in the Westerly area Relay for Life that will be held on June 29.  If you would like to make a donation to their team, you can contribute here.
St. Thomas has started  a fund raising adventure to help the people of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Carolina, Puerto Rico.  Their church building was damaged in Hurricane Maria last fall.  They still have not been able to afford the repairs and now a new hurricane season is upon them.  Read more about by clicking on the TAB at the top of the page. 

COMING UP SUNDAY- JUNE 17

This is the 4th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 6).  And it is Father's Day!!!  The WARM meal will be prepared after the service.  This is the last Sunday to make a card to send to our military friends.  We will send the cards and boxes out so they can get them by the 4th of July.
A group from St. Thomas' is participating in the Westerly area Relay for Life that will be held on June 29.  If you would like to make a donation to their team, you can contribute here.
St. Thomas is getting ready to embark on a fund raising adventure to help the people of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Carolina, Puerto Rico.  Their church building was damaged in Hurricane Maria last fall.  They still have not been able to afford the repairs and now a new hurricane season is upon them.  Read more about it in the left column.

COMING UP SUNDAY- JUNE 10

This is the 3rd Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 5).  There will be a vestry meeting after the service.
A group from St. Thomas went to visit Church Beyond the Walls last Saturday.  It was a sunny afternoon in Burnside Park and about 60 people gathered to for singing, worship and Eucharist.  CBW meets every Saturday at 2pm and visitors are always welcome!  Check out the photos on our Facebook page (there is a link on lower right column)
Our congregation is collecting items and writing notes to send to our deployed soldiers.  We will send the boxes by June 20 so that they can receive them by the 4th of July.  All contributions are welcome!

COMING UP SUNDAY- JUNE 3

This is the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 4) and the beginning of the Green Season (read about this on the right column).  This Sunday after church there will be a reception to honor our high school and college graduates.
Our congregation will be collecting items for our deployed friends.  During coffee hour we will write cards for them with personal notes.  These boxes will be shipped so that they will be received for the 4th of July.
During the month of June, the congregation has 2 challenges.  The first is to visit RICAN which is located just down the road from the church.  The second is to pray with someone- not in church.

COMING UP SUNDAY- MAY 27

This Sunday is Trinity Sunday.  The Sunday after Pentecost is the day to celebrate the 3 Persons of God.   During coffee hour we will make cards and write notes to send to our military friends who are serving overseas.
Speaking of Pentecost- last Sunday we celebrated 6 baptisms and the sanctuary was full of the Holy Spirit!  Click on the Facebook link on the lower right of this page to view some photos from the day.
This is also the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.  We will read aloud the names of our loved ones who have died and had served in the military.  Contact the priest if you want to add a name to the list.

COMING UP SUNDAY- MAY 20

This is the Feast of Pentecost!  Wear red to church this day to symbolize the tongues of fire that descended on the crowd as the Holy Spirit blew through Jerusalem on that Jewish holiday.   The sacrament of baptism will be celebrated- there will be 4 children baptised!
The WARM meal will be prepared this Sunday.
On Monday, May 21, Strong Arms Support Group will have its first meeting at St. Thomas beginning at 7pm.  This group is for parents who have children addicted to opioids or who have lost a child to an overdose.  Click on the tab at the top of the page for more information.

COMING UP SUNDAY- MAY 13

This is the 7th Sunday of Easter.  And it is Mother's Day!  Church school has finished for the year.  Thanks to all of the teachers and students who participated.  The emphasis on worship, love and being the hands of Christ in the world is embodied by out students and teacher even when class is not in session!
On Saturday, May 19, a group of parishioners from St. Thomas will take a trip to worship at Church Beyond the Walls which meets at Burnside Park in Providence.  Come meet us there at 2pm!
Baptisms will be held on Pentecost- May 20.  Contact the priest if you are interested (see contact information tab above). 

COMING UP SUNDAY- MAY 6

This is the 6th Sunday of Easter.  Church school will meet and there will be coffee hour following the service. 
Ascension Day is Thursday, May 10.  We will have a service at 6pm followed by a hotdog-potluck dinner.  The church supplies the hotdog and rolls- you bring a dish to share.
Baptisms will be celebrated on Sunday, May 20- The Feast of Pentecost.  If you are interested in baptism, contact the priest (see Contact Information tab at the top of the page).

COMING UP SUNDAY- APRIL 29

This is the 5th Sunday of Easter.  Church school will meet. During coffee hour this week, there will be an informal discussion about "Making your final arrangements."  Forms will be available for those who want to plan their own funerals.
This is the last Sunday for the April challenge.  At the end of the worship service, there will be a ticket drawing for all those who did acts of evangelism during the month of April.  So many people spread the good news about Jesus and St. Thomas- there are lots of tickets in the bucket!
Parishioners from St. Thomas are taking part in the WARM Center Penguin Plunge on May 5  and the Greater Westerly Relay for Life on June 28.  Contributions are welcome!

COMING UP SUNDAY- APR. 22

This is the 4th Sunday of Easter.   It is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday as the Scripture readings appointed for the day are reminders that God loves and cares for all people as a shepherd cares for a whole flock.
Church school will meet and there will be coffee hour.  After church, there will be a discussion about the Book of Acts as part of the Good Book Club (see left column).  Join the conversation even if you have not read the Book of Acts.
Last week Gallup published the results of a recent poll about why Americans go to church.  Why do you go?  Read the results here.
To learn about activities coming in the following weeks,  click on the tab above.

COMING UP SUNDAY- APR. 15

This is the 3rd Sunday of Easter.  Church School will meet and the monthly WARM meal will be prepared.  This Sunday, as part of the 9 am service, there will be a dedication of the new Paschal Candle and the newly rebrassed pulpit.  Coffee hour will follow the service and will include special Resurrection Biscuits prepared by the Church School class.
The collection for the daycare center in Puerto Rico is underway.  We are joining Episcopal churches across our deanery for this project (see the post on the lower left for more information)

COMING UP SUNDAY- APR. 8

This is the 2nd Sunday of Easter- The beauty of Easter flowers and music continue to fill the sanctuary!  Church school will meet and there will be a vestry meeting after the service.
There will be a parish luncheon on Monday, Apr. 9 at the Richmond Country Club at 12 noon.  All are welcome (each person pays for her/his own lunch).  
Our congregation is working to help the people of Puerto Rico in two ways.  We have extended an offer of help to St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Carolina, PR.  It is a small mission congregation that was damaged in the hurricane last September.  In addition, our Deanery is working to re-stock a daycare center that was nearly destroyed by the hurricane.  See the notes in the left column under "Food of the Month."
During the month of April, our congregation will take on 2 challenges.  One will be to learn the Pascha Nostrum.  This is an ancient hymn that we say every Sunday during Easter season.  It means "Christ our Passover" and the words come from Scripture (Romans and 1 Corinithians).  It is found on page 83 in the Book of Common Prayer.
The other challenge is to be better social media evangelists!  Parishioners are encouraged to post things on their social media pages that proclaim the Good News of Jesus. 

COMING UP SUNDAY- APRIL 1

This Sunday is Easter!  There will be a service at 9am followed by coffee hour and an Easter Egg hunt for the children.
During the month of April, our congregation will take on 2 challenges.  One will be to learn the Pascha Nostrum.  This is an ancient hymn that we say every Sunday during Easter season.  It means "Christ our Passover" and the words come from Scripture (Romans and 1 Corinithians).  It is found on page 83 in the Book of Common Prayer.
The other challenge is to be better social media evangelists!  Parishioners are encouraged to post things on their social media pages that proclaim the Good News of Jesus. 

COMING UP SUNDAY-MAR. 25

This Sunday is Palm Sunday.  Our worship service will begin at 9 am with the Blessing of the Palms in the meditation garden behind the church and we will process into the sanctuary of the church.  There is no church school this Sunday. Our Gospel lesson will be the Passion of Christ.
Holy Week, which is the week between Palm Sunday and Easter, is the holiest week in the church year.  Click on the tab at the top of the page to learn more about the services during this week.
On Easter Sunday, we will have a service at 9am followed by and Easter egg hunt for the children and coffee hour.  All are welcome!

COMING UP SUNDAY- MAR. 18

This is the 5th Sunday in Lent.  Church school will meet.  This Sunday, our special guest will be Ms. Joanne Harrison.  She is on staff at the ECC- the Episcopal Camp and Conference Center in Pascoag.  She will tell us about updates at the camp and encourage some of our young people to take part in camp sessions this summer.
Next Sunday, Mar. 25 is Palm Sunday.  For a complete list of Holy Week services and information about this week, click on the tab at the top of the page.

COMING UP SUNDAY- MAR.11

This is the 4th Sunday in Lent. It is also known as Mid-lent Sunday (see the description to the left).  This week at coffee hour, a special treat known as Simnel Cake will be served.
Church school will meet this Sunday and there will be a Vestry meeting following the service.
Remember to turn your clocks ahead 1 hour on Saturday night. 
Our parish continues to do things to keep a Holy Lent.  We are following in the Good Book Club (see left column), we are learning the 10 commandments and we are reaching out in love to those who are in need.  Come join us at 9am Sunday to learn more!

COMING UP SUNDAY- MAR. 4

This is the 3rd Sunday in Lent.  Church school will meet.  Following the worship service there will be a discussion about the Gospel According to Luke.  Have you been taking part in the Good Book Club this Lent?  What verses have popped out to you?  Do you see a theme in Luke's writing?  Join us in discussion after church that day.
Last Sunday, the members of St. Thomas welcomed Deacon Christine Cassels who spoke about her work with Dorcas International  Our congregation collected 102 items for her to deliver to the immigrant and refugee families that are newly settled in RI.  Check out the photo on our Facebook page (lower right column)

COMING UP SUNDAY- FEB. 25

This is the 2nd Sunday in Lent.  Church school will meet.  The guest preacher this week will be the Rev. Christine Cassels.  She is a deacon in the Episcopal Church and serves at St. Luke's in East Greenwich. She will tell us about her work as a deacon and the deacon's ministry with Dorcas Institute.  This organization helps to settle refugees in RI.  Currently they are helping 7 families from Puerto Rico who have recently moved to Rhode Island.  The parishioners from St. Thomas are collecting personal care items for these families.  The goal is to have 100 items (currently there are 77 in the basket!).
As part of the our Lenten discipline, parishioners at St. Thomas are participating in the Good Book Club (check out the links on the right and left sides of this page).

COMING UP SUNDAY- FEB. 18

This is the 1st Sunday in Lent.  Church school will meet and the WARM Center meal will be prepared. As part of the liturgy this Sunday, we will use the Litany of Penitence found in the Ash Wednesday service in the Book of Common Prayer.
Following the service this week, there will be a discussion of the book, Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh.  The group will meet from 10-10:30.  You are welcome to join in even if you have not read the book.
Just a reminder that St. Thomas is participating in the Good Book Club.  We are reading the entire Gospel According to Luke for the season of Lent.  Read the post on the left side of this page for a link to the readings.  And to watch 5 instructional videos, see the post on the right side of this page.

COMING UP SUNDAY- FEB. 11

This is the Last Sunday after Epiphany.  Church school will meet and there will be a vestry meeting after worship.  Last week our church participated in the Souper Bowl of Caring and we collected $80 and 14 cans of coffee for Church Beyond the Walls.  Check out the photo on our Facebook page
During the month of February, our congregation is participating in two challenges.  The first is to collect 100 items for refugees in RI who are supported by the Episcopal deacons in this diocese.  The second is to become familiar with the Ash Wednesday liturgy in the Book of Common Prayer.  It is a powerful liturgy that addresses the issues of sin and repentance as we begin the season of Lent.
On Feb. 14, there will be an Ash Wednesday service at 10am at St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church in Hope Valley and a 7pm service at St. Thomas. All are welcome!

COMING UP SUNDAY- FEB. 4

This is the 5th Sunday after Epiphany.  Church school will meet.  This is an exciting Sunday at St. Thomas for two reasons.  It is Boy Scout Sunday and we will welcome scouts and leaders from some local troops.  It is also Super Bowl Sunday which means it is the Souper Bowl of Caring.   See the post on the right to learn all about it.  At St. Thomas, we will have a soup pot out and ask each parishioner to donate $1.  This year our contributions will be given to Church Beyond the Walls in Providence.

COMING UP SUNDAY- JAN. 28

This is the 4th Sunday after Epiphany.  The annual parish meeting will be held after worship. All are welcome- bring a potluck dish to share.  The children are welcome to attend, or they can make Valentine's Day crafts instead.
Sunday, Feb. 4, is Boy Scout Sunday.  All Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts are welcome to join us and we will have a special coffee hour reception following the service.  It is also the same day as Souper Bowl Sunday!  See the explanation in the right column.  Bring $1 to put into the soup pot!

COMING UP SUNDAY- JAN. 21

This is the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany.  Church school will meet.  The sermon this week will take a look at the Gospel According to Mark.  This is Year B in the lectionary cycle and most of the Gospel readings this year will come from Mark (and some from John),
Next Sunday will be the annual parish meeting which will include a potluck brunch.  All are welcome.
Looking ahead- On Sunday, Feb. 4, St Thomas will take part in the Souper Bowl of Caring. (see post on the right column).   This year our donation will be sent to Church Beyond the Walls.  This is a specialized mission in our Diocese that hold weekly worship services in Burnside Park in Providence.

COMING UP SUNDAY, JAN. 14

This is the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany.  This season of the church begins on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany and continues until Ash Wednesday.  The color for this season is Green.
Church school will meet this Sunday and there will be a vestry meeting after worship.  The WARM meal will be prepared this week, also.
The annual parish meeting will take place on January 28 following the worship service.  There will be a potluck brunch.  We will use this time to review our accomplishments of  2017 and discuss new ways to be the Body of Christ in our community in 2018,

COMING UP SUNDAY- JAN. 7

This is the 1st Sunday after Epiphany (learn more about the season by clicking here).  Church school will resume.  During coffee hour after worship, we will have a discussion to talk about parish goals for 2018.  All are welcome to attend.
In December, the congregation collected 15 gifts for children and families in the community.  In addition, there were 95 pairs of socks that were donated for distribution at the WARM Center.  Thanks to all who took part in these efforts!