October 2000
The Deacon's Desk - The Rev. William D. Oldland
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The noticeable change in temperature outside has been a chilly reminder that Fall is now upon us. As I walk or ride through town I witness an astonishing number of Fall activities. I see people’s busy schedules, school buses, football games, and the plans for Fall festivals. I also see the fruits of the Fall harvest; pecans, pumpkins, apples, and various grains. All of these sights indicate a sense of movement or change from one season or time to another.
Yet, the movement from Summer to Fall is gradual. The amount of sunshine each day slowly changes. The leaves begin to change color. The types of vegetables and fruits one buys changes gradually from tomatoes and corn to Fall produce. The movement is slow and gradual and it is also steady.
These thoughts about Fall have caused me to contemplate our life together at St. Thomas’. It seems to me we are also experiencing a movement or change within our community. Sunday School has started. The Youth Groups are busy planning events. Plans are being made for Fall festivals and antique shows.
In addition to these plans we have had a few new events and activities. We are offering Adult Sunday School and Evening programs. We had a wonderful night of food, fellowship, singing and laughter at the Shrimp Fest. The number of people present during the evening was wonderful.
These are some of our activities. What are the signs of our Fall harvest? We have seen an increase in participation in our services. The number and variety of people at the Shrimp Fest was wonderful. People of all ages and from all over Reidsville came for this event. Everywhere I go in town people are speaking about St. Thomas’. Most of all, we worship together. In our worship, God’s Word is spread and we celebrate God’s presence in our lives at the Lord’s Table. These are all signs of the harvest.
Yet, the harvest is not complete. Jesus tells us the harvest is plentiful in the ninth chapter of Matthew, but the laborers are few. At St. Thomas’ I see plenty of laborers. How can we help with the plentiful harvest? Do we know someone who could benefit from being a part of God’s community? They may need to hear God’s word. They may need to know God cares. They may need to know God loves them. If we know someone with these needs, perhaps we could invite them to join us. To extend this invitation we don’t need special tools. The only tools we require are open hands and open hearts. With these tools we just might be the laborer to help a person experience God’s love. So, during this Fall season we might pray what Jesus told the disciples to pray, "ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
Peace,
Bill Oldland+
Bill Oldland+
October Parish House Cleaning Committee:
Dot Trent
Anne Donecker, Chairman, Starr McHugh, Freda Watt, Melody Moore
The morning chapter of the ECW will meet at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 11 at the home of Dot Ferneyhough, 719 S. Main Street. Charlotte Whitsett is co-host.
Here are three ways to help the St. Thomas’ Endowment Fund grow.
1. Make gifts of appreciated stocks, real property and other assets.
2. Give to the Endowment for memorials and to honor friends and family members.
Acknowledgement will be made in Tidings unless anonymity is requested.
3. Remember the Endowment in your will.A gift to the Endowment Fund is a gift that keeps on giving to St. Thomas’ – year after year – it is a wonderful legacy. Talk to Bob Lee Watt or John Garrett about special ways to help the Fund.
Income: August 2000 Expense: August 2000
Pledged $ 10,341.00 Received $ 6,497.00 Shortage $ 3,844.00
Budgeted $ 10,721.00 Spent $ 9,409.00 Under spent $ 1,312.00
"You are the light of the world" - Matthew 5:14
As God’s stewards, we have a responsibility to let our light shine through the darkness of this world. Many times we become overwhelmed with the thought "how can I even begin to make a difference? " Well, let me tell you a story.In May of this year, Marilyn, a person who works in our Customer Service Department had to take a leave of absence for surgery. My job was to find someone to fill in on a temporary basis for a period of three to four months. Just before Marilyn left, Joann placed an application in our office. She had recently been a casualty of downsizing in her previous job. Joann seemed shy and reserved in our initial meeting but excited about the prospect of a new job. I talked to several other people but no one was interested in a position that was only temporary. The department manager interviewed Joann and she made a good enough of an impression to receive a job offer.
Since coming to work, however, Joann has been pretty amazing. She begins her job by arriving at 7:15am, 45 minutes before her co-workers, to line up orders in her department. Whenever she finishes her tasks, Joann goes around to each person asking if she could help in any way. I don’t think this had been done before. For a group of people who weren’t particularly close-knit, Joann has made everyone look at themselves a little differently and caused them to work more unselfishly with each other. In speaking with her the other day, Joann smiled and told me, "this is the best job I have ever had." When I repeated this to her department manager, he said that’s surprising because she’s really doing a lot of detail work. And there is a happy ending. Instead of Joann’s job coming to a close, she was given a choice between two full-time jobs in our company.
We all know people like Joann. Those people who come out of nowhere to brighten up our lives. It could be the cashier at the grocery store or the mailman or the hairdresser or the waitress at the restaurant. By being positive, kind and helpful, these folks have blessed us with their presence. In turn, we can add a brightness to their lives. Isn’t this part of our job as people of faith? Hopefully I can remember Joann whenever I think that what I do has no effect on those around me.
Tom Balsley
News from The Episcopal Day School
ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT– Shelly EllingtonWe kicked our school year off with a plant sale and what a turn out!! Thank you for all of your help with our Fall Mum Sale! SPECIAL THANKS to Mrs. Dot Reilly, who always helps the school to coordinate the sale! We have broken another record this year with profits totaling approximately $1,080. We sold 635 mums and are so excited!!! The money will be used for classroom supplies as needed, extra car seats for field trips, and more hand bell music. Can’t wait to play for the church again! We are truly blessed with outstanding support from everyone involved!
PRESCHOOL REPORT – Carol Puryear
The Preschool year is off to a great start – full class with full days! And we are especially thankful for our new teacher assistant – "Miss Jessica" (Mrs. Phillip Camp) We’ve spent our first month together getting to know one another and working with simple science, rhythm & movement and this week we’re sculpting and painting. And we had the best plant sale EVER. Thank you for your participation! We are now able to get some special supplies that will make our time at EDS even better!
KINDERGARTEN REPORT – Cori Anderson
Dear Church Family,
Just an update of all that has been going on in kindergarten. The past three weeks have been a review of our colors, shapes, numbers, and opposites. We are learning to follow directions on each of our assignments. Last week we started our alphabet. We are learning the sounds of each letter and we have started writing Upper and Lowercase letters. For the Letter A, we are having Carol Cockran, an artist, come in to paint with the children. For B week, we are going on a bike ride. Each week we will have a big activity or a special guest to represent each letter. Our culinary skills center around our alphabet study. (There are pictures outside of the classroom.) We had Grandparent’s Day, Friday, September 15th. They ate snack, played board games, and read stories about Grandparents. Everyone had a good time.
ttttt
Thank You Notes Dear Rev. Bill Oldland,
I appreciate the trust and faith you had in hiring me with my little experience and giving me the opportunity to prove myself. Hope I met your expectations and did a good job. I would also like to thank Mary Brent Trigg and Mavis Simon for befriending me and for "showing me the ropes", Laura Felts for the beautiful roses, St. Thomas’ for the gift certificate that I have already used. And for you and Ellen taking me out to lunch. I really enjoyed working closely with you over the past few weeks and getting to know the church family. I wish you the best in your ministry. And congratulations to Edie on her new addition to her family. Hope to see you soon.
Love in Christ,
Courtney Allen
Excerpts from letter…
Thank you for your recent gift of $123.00 to The Annual Fund of Virginia Theological Seminary. We count on the generous contributions from you and other congregations across the country to our annual operating budget.
We celebrated Commencement in May, with 51 men and women from dioceses across the United States and from three other countries receiving degrees or diplomas. Several have been called to church plantings and others have begun their ministries in parishes across the country. Our international students have returned to serve parishes in their countries where people are often struggling under terrible conditions but alive with faith.
Thank you again for your generosity, your prayers, and your commitment to the Seminary’s mission.
Sincerely,
The Rev. Robert A. Burch
Director of Alumni & Alumnae Affairs
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
October 1 Giles October 8 Moffitt October 15 Rhodes October 22 Trent October 29 Donecker
ECW Fall Flea, Bake Sale and Luncheon Friday October 27th
The Episcopal Church Women will hold their annual
Fall Flea, Bake Sale and Luncheon on Friday, October 27th
From 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
in the Parish HouseLunch will be served
from 11:00 a.m – 2 p.m.There will be raffle tickets available for the drawing of a
$500 gift certificate for travel,
provided by Ashcroft Traveland
$100 Gas Allowance,
provided by Rentz Oil.Homemade goodies will also be available. Tickets will be available soon from any of the church women.
Mark your calendar now and make plans to attend.
Proceeds enable the ECW to help a number of worthy causes in our community, state, nation and the world!
EVERYONE IS WELCOME!
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS!
A Clergy Conference will be held at The Summit on October 9-11. Rev. Oldland will be out of the office during these dates. The Wednesday Healing Service will be changed to Thursday, October 12 at noon.
ST. THOMAS’ MUGS FOR SALE!We have St. Thomas’ mugs available for sale. The white mugs have a picture of St. Thomas’ on one side and our name on the other. If you are interested in purchasing one, please come by the church office. The cost is $3 for one or $5 for a set of two.
Welcome to the following people who have recently joined St. Thomas’ by letter of transfer: Ellen, William & Daniel Oldland
Larry & Jenny Johnson
Elizabeth Campbell
Billy, Leslie & Eryn Phipps
United Thank Offering (UTO)
November 5 is the fall ingathering of the United Thank Offering. UTO was begun in 1871 as "a way of showing the connection between giving thanks and giving money, united in sharing and prayer." The money collected is used to alleviate human needs world-wide. The November newsletter will include a blue UTO envelope.
AN APPEAL FOR "TREASURES" YOU NO LONGER NEED
The ECW will sell these items at the Fall Flea on Friday, October 27. Monies raised at the Fall Flea and Salad Bar Luncheon make up the majority of the ECW budget for the year and is given to help many worthy causes in the world, the community, and St. Thomas’ Parish.
Look in your attic, basement, garage and closets (no clothes, please). Bring to the Parish House on Thursday, October 26 from noon until 7:00 p.m.
OCTOBER IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH
HELP, Inc. announces the following events:Join us Tuesday, October 17, 2000 at 6:30 p.m. in front of First Baptist Church in Reidsville (409 S. Main St.) for a Domestic Violence Awareness March. We will begin in front of First Baptist and will march to downtown Reidsville and end the march back at the church.
On Saturday, October 21, 2000 Help, Inc. will host a one woman production at the Whitcomb Student Center at Rockingham Community College. The play will begin at 6:00 p.m. The event is free of charge and open to the public. Wambui Bahati will perform I Am Domestic Violence. She created and performed this compelling play for the North Carolina YWCA’s Week Without Violence event in October. Since then she has present I Am Domestic Violence to churches, elementary, middle and high schools, women’s organizations, YWCAs, girl scout troops and conferences. For additional information regarding these events please call Pat marsh at Help, Inc. at 342-3331 ext. 12.
Calling all experienced APPLE PIE Constructors - both dough and filling!
Please call Outreach Commission Chairman, Bettie Benton Rhodes (342-4897) if you are willing to help make dough, filling, cook, sell, or encourage others. Recipes are available for cooking at home and dried apples are at the church.
We will have two cooking nights at the church: Wed. & Thurs., Oct. 11 & 12 at 6:00 p.m. Music to cook by and lots of fun!
For Saturday morning, Oct. 14, we need apple pie cookers, coffee makers, sellers, and smilers. If you have an hour to offer, please call.
We want St. Thomas’ to shine that Saturday
!
Homemade Fried Apple Pies &
St. Thomas’ Coffee Mugs (w/hot coffee!)
FOR SALE in the St. Thomas’
Booth - Farmer’s Market
Downtown Celebration & Antique Alley
District Street Festival
Saturday, November 14
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
(ANNUAL PARISH MEETING – NOV. 12, 2000)
Should you feel a call to this service, or if you would like to name a fellow parishioner, talk to one of the retiring vestry members, Laura Felts, Bob Foeller or Kris Rogers, who make up the Nominating Committee
.The nominating committee will present a slate of candidates whose number equals the number of positions to be filled. This will be done soon enough to get the names into the November newsletter. At the same time, the congregation will be informed that if they wish to nominate persons other than those presented by the vestry, they must do TWO things:
- Get the permission of the person they wish to nominate
- Inform the vestry no later than October 31.
This will be done so that the nominating committee will have an opportunity to find additional nominees to bring the total number to twice the number of vacant positions.
Candidates for Vestry…
5. Should be aware of oversight responsibility of a given area of congregational life (currently defined as Worship, Membership, Christian Education, Outreach, Stewardship, Buildings & Grounds, Parish Life and Pastoral Care)
