News from St. Thomas' Parish Episcopal Church, Washington, DC. http://www.stthomasdc.org Thu, 17 May 2012 23:54:20 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.stthomasdc.org/images/M_images/St-T-Logo-round.png http://www.stthomasdc.org News from St. Thomas' Parish Episcopal Church, Washington, DC. http://www.stthomasdc.org/general/special-screening-of-love-free-or-die-with-bishop-gene-robinson.html Mark your calendars and bring your friends and family to a “Grow with Us” fundraiser: A screening of LOVE FREE OR DIE on Friday, May 4 at 7:30pm at the DCJCC Sun, 15 Apr 2012 19:22:40 +0100 http://www.stthomasdc.org/general/daylight-savings-time-begins-march-11.html Remember that Daylight Savings Time Begins THIS Sunday, March 11 Spring Forward 1-Hour Otherwise we'll see you and the end of whatever worship service you normally attend on Sunday! Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:01:33 +0100 http://www.stthomasdc.org/vestry/vestry-nominations-for-2012.html The Vestry Nominating Committee (Clinton Anderson, Matt Cloninger, Barbara Hays, Kurt Jacobs and David Swanson) is very pleased to nominate Ashley Greaf for Junior Warden and Bettina Hager, Dave Vanneman and Mark Wherry for Vestry. Each of these Parishioners has agreed to be nominated and, if elected by the congregation at the Parish's Annual Meeting on Sunday, March 4, to serve on the Vestry for a three-year term. Ashley Greaf- 2012 Junior Warden Candidate I was born in San Francisco and my mother always reminds me that I am a California Native. I was baptized at St. James Episcopal Church in San Francisco several months after birth. When I was approximately 7 years old my family moved from the bay area of California to Long Island, NY. The first Episcopal Church we went to in New York was a small mission level church, All Souls, in Stony Brook, New York. There I began to get involved in the church serving as their sole acolyte and being the youngest lay reader. My parents decided to switch to a church where there were more youth as I got a little older, so that I would be able to participate in more youth activities. At Caroline Church in Setauket, New York I participated in the acolyte program and became a member of the Order of St. Vincent several years later. I was also heavily involved in their music program. I was confirmed by the Bishop at age 16 at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in East Hampton, New York. After coming to Washington, DC for college in 2004 I explored several Episcopal Churches trying to find the right fit for me. In 2009 I found St. Thomas' on Easter and have been attending regularly since. That evening I felt welcomed by the members of the church, more than I had ever felt at another church in DC. Shortly after I realized that this was my new home. Since I have been attending I have become involved in the Godly Play program, playing violin at Taize services, helping with the Capital Campaign Kick Off Dinner, and most recently joining altar guild. I work for a private company doing Government Affairs work focusing on federal government ethics and compliance issues. I have a B.A. from the George Washington University in International Affairs with a concentration in European Studies. For my junior year in high school I lived in Hungary which caused me to become extremely interested in foreign affairs issues and politics. In college, I went back to Budapest for a semester where I interned for the Hungarian Ministry of Culture and Education and studied at Corvinus Egyetem. I am very honored to be a candidate for the vestry at St. Thomas'. I believe that by serving on the vestry it would allow me another opportunity to give back to the church which has given me so much over the past several years. Bettina Hager- 2012 Vestry Candidate Bettina Hager is enjoying her third year of full-time DC life, having lived the prior 5 part-time with her family. She currently works at the National Women's Political Caucus, serving as the organization's Programs Director. She advocates daily on behalf of women, striving to increase their political participation at all levels of government. Throughout her years at St. Thomas' she has found herself a joyful home. She serves on the Communications, Stewardship, Administration and Lay Committees. She also volunteers occasionally as guest musician on the Oboe and English Horn and is excited to join the choir in the upcoming weeks. Following the Sunday service, she often volunteers with Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind as a reader and helper, an organization she has been with for 5 years. In her free time, Ms. Hager enjoys running, reading and attempting to relax. She is ecstatic to have recently finished her first marathon at DC's Marine Corp Marathon, running with the Human Rights Campaign. Hager graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN with a major in Biology and concentration in Women's Studies. While in college, she spent a semester tutoring Math and Science to at risk and ELL students part-time at an inner city St. Paul High School. Dave Vanneman- 2012 Vestry Candidate Like many of our parishioners, Dave Vanneman had visited several other parishes before settling at St. Thomas' 11 years ago. He was attracted to St. Thomas' community outreach mission and the intimate feel of the worship space. Raised in the United Church of Christ, Dave was drawn into the Episcopal Church as a music student at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, and later as a paid chorister at Christ Episcopal Church. Over the next several years he sang professionally at other Episcopal churches: Old St. Paul's, St. David's Roland Park, and Mt. Calvary Church in Baltimore. Eventually, he was confirmed as an Episcopalian. Dave was born in Baltimore where most of his family still lives; he has six siblings and is the proud uncle of 13 nieces and nephews. As a sales executive, Dave has worked in many industries including international shipping, telecommunications, insurance, financial services, medical consulting and information technology. Currently, he's Vice President and COO of Dominion Technology Services, an IT consulting company headquartered in Vienna, VA. What people may not know about Dave is how active he is in the parish life of St. Thomas'. He currently serves on the Building Committee, is a former Co-Chair of the Capital Campaign, and served on the Discernment Committee. Dave has been a Vestry member, served as Vestry Secretary, Building Grounds Committee member, Pastoral Care Committee Co-Chair, and Chair of the Hospitality Committee (now known as Parish Life). On top of his busy work and church life, Dave is also active in the Johns Hopkins University Alumni Association. He lives in Alexandria, VA with his dog Lazlo and cat Hector. Mark Wherry- 2012 Vestry Candidate I grew up in the Minneapolis suburb of Wayzata, Minnesota. In 1998 I enrolled at North Dakota State University where he graduated in 2003 with the degrees of a Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design. After college, I moved to the Washington DC area to work for the US Air Force as a Project Manager/Architect. In 2006 I took a job with the Army Corps of Engineers where I currently oversee our Facility Management section outside Ft. Meade Maryland. In September 2008 I moved to the Northwest neighborhood of Bloomingdale. Since joining St. Thomas' in April 2009 I have been very active in the parish. I first volunteered to serve on the Building Campaign Committee which began the work of designing and planning the construction for the new sanctuary in 2009. Since the fall of 2009 I have been chair of the Buildings and Grounds committee overseeing the property of St. Thomas' parish. In the spring of 2010 I was asked to chair the Parish Operations Cluster and have done so since. I have been very dedicated and involved in the mission of St. Thomas' parish. I look forward to being able to continue and enhance my role in the life of St. Thomas'. I am honored to be nominated to serve on the vestry of St. Thomas'. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:25:11 +0100 http://www.stthomasdc.org/education-formation/two-lenten-christian-formation-opportunities.html march 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 - 6:30 p.m. Margaret Guenther, The Practice of Prayer. Lent is the perfect time to begin or deepen a practice of contemplative prayer in our lives. Join facilitators Topher Bengtson and Kevin Montgomery in discussion and prayer the Thursdays of Lent, centered on a reading Margaret Guenther's The Practice of Prayer , a practical guide to what contemplative prayer is and how to incorporate it meaningfully in everyday life. Each evening will conclude the dinner and discussion with thirty minutes of guided contemplative prayer in the Sanctuary. The first discussion session and meditation will take place on Thursday, March 1st at 6:30 pm in the Fellowship Room. march 6, 13, 20, 27 - 6:30 p.m. or march 11, 18, 25, and april 1 - 12:30 p.m. Brian McLaren, Finding Our Way Again. Our new Bishop Mariann Budde has invited the entire Diocese of Washington to join her in a study of Brian McLaren's book, Finding our Way Again. As Bishop Budde's invitation says, Before we Christians were people of religious doctrine, we were people of the Way -- living together in shared values and walking the path of Jesus. Join us in Lent to explore those roots and deepen your spiritual experience. Join Wayne Floyd following the 11:00 a.m. Sunday service for four weeks beginning March 11 and continuing through Palm Sunday, April 1, OR on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. on March 11, 18, 25, and April 1, for a spirited discussion of what it means here at St. Thomas' Parish to take seriously our Christian identity as People of the Way. There will be additional study and discussion resources available online on the diocesan website at www.edow.org. Copies of both books will be available for sale following the 11:00 a.m. Worship Service on February 26th or you can order a copy at any local bookstore or online at Cokesbury, Abebooks, or Amazon.com. A sign up sheet will be located in the Guild Room downstairs for those interested. For more information see the St. Thomas' Parish website at www.stthomasdc.org or email the parish office at info@stthomasdc.org. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:42:49 +0100 http://www.stthomasdc.org/outreach/samaritan-ministry-spring-gala.html Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:24:16 +0100 http://www.stthomasdc.org/inclusion-/foyer-dinner-signups-through-feb.-26th.html FOYER DINNER SERIES SIGN UP PERIOD BEGINS! Your dining room doesn't look like this?! Thank Goodness! You're who we're looking for!! The Foyer Dinner program has been a long standing St. Thomas' tradition that brings small groups of parishioners together each month to share a meal in each other's homes. These are wonderful get-togethers where conversations are wide-ranging and laughs are many! There's not an easier way to get to know one another. Nearly thirty parishioners participated in the last series. Please join us! The dinner groups will be assigned after the completion of the sign up period. Each group is limited to about six or seven parishioners - a number which allows for great conversation and community building in even the smallest of apartments. Participants gather for four meals during the three month early March to early June period. The dates and times of the gatherings are flexible and decided the month before by the consensus of the group. Your faithful participation in the series helps St. T's to build community one meal at a time. The sign-up sheet is located on the Guild Room doors leading to the Coffee Hour. If you have a spouse or partner who would like to participate, please sign both of your names on the list. The sign up period extends through Sunday, February 26th. For further information, see or e-mail Jerry Donahoe at maineescape@aol.com (mailto:maineescape@aol.com). Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:06:38 +0100 http://www.stthomasdc.org/parish-life/mardi-gras-party-feb-21.html Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:47:20 +0100 http://www.stthomasdc.org/education-formation/spring-confirmation-may-12.html Preparation Classes for Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation of Your Baptismal Vows 12:30-2:00 p.m. Sundays March 11 - May 13 at St. Thomas' Parish The next diocesan service for confirmation, reception, or reaffirmation will be on Saturday, May 12, 2012, at Washington National Cathedral. Preparation classes are being offered by the Rector and members of the Formation Committee. These will be held March 11, 18, and 25; April 1, 15, 22, and 29; and May 13. There is also a half-day mini-retreat held at the parish on Saturday, May 5 (10 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.). If you are interested in confirmation or in reception into the Episcopal Church or in publicly reaffirming your Baptismal Vows, or have questions, please talk to Nancy Lee. A sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board in the hallway outside the Guild Room. We will be using Jenifer Gamber's Your Faith, Your Life: An Invitation to the Episcopal Church. Jenifer also has a website that goes along with it (http://www.yourfaithyourlife.org/) . Copies of the book will be available at the beginning of Lent at coffee hour on February 26. Dates and topics include: 3/11 -- Ch. 1 Transforming Questions Ch. 2 Beginnings 3/18 -- Ch. 3 Bible Stories 3/25 -- Ch. 4 History 4/1 -- Ch. 5 Faith: Whom Do We Trust? 4/8 (off for Easter) 4/15 -- Ch. 6 Navigating the Church 4/22 -- Ch. 7 What Is God Calling You to Do? 4/29 -- Ch. 8 Spirituality: Created for Prayer 5/5 (retreat) -- Ch.9 Worship: Responding to God's Blessings Ch. 10 Sacraments 5/12 -- Service at Washington National Cathedral 5/13 -- wrap-up/debrief, moving forward A good, downloadable description of how the Episcopal Church views Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation can be found here (http://stbenedicts.episcopalatlanta.org/images/customer-files/St_Benedict_s_Episcopal_Church/confirmationfaq.pdf) . Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:38:28 +0100 http://www.stthomasdc.org/outreach/souper-bowl-of-caring-feb.-5.html Souper Bowl Sunday - Feb 5 Football Food . . . and Madonna! Join us on Sun, Feb. 5, after Taizé (~6PM), for the heavenliest Super Bowl party around. Of course there's football on the big screen in the Guild Room. Also, in coordination with Souper Bowl of Caring, we are asking people to bring money and/or canned goods/non-perishable food items which will then be donated to Martha's Table. Bring food and drinks to share. Bring money or food to donate. And most importantly bring yourself + partner or spouse or friend/other to enjoy the game and help fight hunger. (Btw, Madonna's doing the halftime show.) Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:36:31 +0100 http://www.stthomasdc.org/general/calendar-of-2011-holiday-services.html The Rev. Dr. Nancy Lee Jose, Preacher and Celebrant (staff-profiles.html) Christmas Day: Sunday, December 25 11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist with The Rev. Dr. Nancy Lee Jose, Rector, as Preacher and Celebrant (staff-profiles.html) New Years Day: Sunday, January 1 11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist with The Rev. Olivia Hilton, Preacher and Celebrant Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:17:51 +0100