It has been so much fun for me to work with John Buck, the Archives Committee and the Parish Event Planners, to put together our celebration of the 40th anniversary of our sanctuary. Remembering how exciting our renovation project was in 2002–03, I can just imagine the excitement of the parish as the new church began to take shape. It is wonderful that we have as many photos as we do, along with many of the original documents. We also have one member of that 1966 Vestry still attending St. Thomas: Gene Fife, as well as one of the three architects, Carroll Rankin. It is important to remember that it is our 3rd sanctuary. The first was built by parishioners in 1915, and the second is now Cowans Hall, built in 1955. In all three, members of the parish contributed significantly to the process. A major contribution to the new sanctuary was made by the Vestment Sewing group, which was organized in 1965. The group was started by Mary Ann Maloney and Joyce Hoover, and they began by making purificators. Soon they were working with Keith Boyle, the artist who designed the panels. He also designed the vestments, and the Sewing group began with the green ones, since they expected the dedication to be in the green season. The Vestry set aside $400 to pay for all the materials for the Vestments, and some experts from Grace Cathedral came to give advice. Carol Morris did all the embroidery on the green vestments. Lorraine Fife remembers that they were given the wrong dimensions for the altar, and had to redo the fair linens for the altar. The following people still at St. Thomas were involved with this work: Dorothy Ames, Ruby Brenner, Claribel Dare, Lorraine Fife, Jan Letson, and Jane-Marguerite Russell. There was also a Gentleman's Auxiliary to the group: Harvey Brenner did art work, Frank DeMuth made embroidery frames, Bill Cowans made needlepoint frames, and Gene Fife repaired the frames. Some of you know that I walk my dog every morning after breakfast. On November 1st, I was dismayed to see a big display of red bows and Holiday Greetings hung on my neighbor's fence. I'm sure the family who did this, thought they were doing a good thing, "in the spirit of the season". In the Episcopal Church, we choose to prepare for the Incarnation of our Lord, by a season of quiet reflection, in which we remember the prophecies and the hopes which the birth of Jesus fulfilled. For the most part, we begin our celebrating on Christmas eve, and then we continue it for the 12 days of Christmas. I say for the most part, since we do have a St. Nicholas Feast, and an Advent Tea, which both have quite a Christmas-y atmosphere to them. Why not have your own little Advent rebellion this year, against all the Christmas music and advertising we face in the stores and in the media? Why not take some time at home, in the privacy of your room, to read and reflect on the prophecies which Jesus fulfills? Here is a partial list of them:
And why not reach out a helping hand to the needy, since Jesus came to bring good news to the poor? Although the provision of gifts for needy children has a place, most poor individuals and families need food, clothing and shelter much more urgently.
Then complete your Advent rebellion by continuing to observe Christmas for the whole 12 days, through January 5th.
Farmers' Market / Christmas Boutique -- Sunday Dec 3, after each am serviceby Peg Prior The final Farmers' Market event of the year will be the Christmas Boutique held after the morning services on Dec.3rd. The Friday Craft group has been making a variety of unique handcrafted items for this event. Please save this date to do some of your holiday shopping. Many thanks to all those who have contributed items to the Farmer's Markets & to all who have purchased items as well. Reserve your St. Thomas Calendars for 2007 by Pat Dare We are working on a St. Thomas Calendar for the year 2007. It will be similar to our previous calendars except the pictures will reflect this past year’s activities. It is expected that the calendars will be available for sale at $25 each during our Christmas Boutique on Sunday, Dec. 3rd. Because of the high costs involved in printing them, we would like to take orders on reservation to determine how many we should make available for sale. So, if you want one or more calendars, please call the church office to reserve the quantity that you want, and we will have them, available for you. Let’s Put on a Christmas Pageant! by Rosemary Halas Parker This year’s Christmas pageant will be on Sunday, December 24th in place of the 10:30 service. This liturgical performance piece will be an extended version of last year’s pageant, with more songs and, by the grace of God, a bigger cast! Parts were assigned during a meeting on October 22nd and rehearsals will begin on Sunday, December 3rd during Sunday school time. Adult and teen volunteers are still needed to help out behind the scenes! Please contact Rosemary Parker directly if interested. Bridge Party -- NO Bridge in December—Next Bridge is Sat Jan 13; 7 pmby Linda Alcock There will be a bridge party held on Saturday evening in the Disciple's Room of the Education Building at St. Thomas Church from 7 to 10 PM. The dates are no bridge in December because of holidays, Jan. 13, Feb. 10, Mar. 10 or 17 (date depends on Our Daily Bread annual dinner), April 14, May 19, June 9, July 14. Call Linda Alcock for more information or if you are interested in playing. Continuing onTuesdays at 1 pm by The Rev. Wendy Smith We do not define what later life is, so there is no age requirement for the group . . . just an interest in discussing the spiritual and psychological dimensions of growing older. Celebrating St. Thomas' Sanctuary 40th anniversary with the Pieces of Our Lives! by Peg Prior The Creating Friendship & Belonging Commission has developed a plan for a year-long celebration of this important anniversary where we would share our stories & memories of our parish. As an outward symbol of this, we are planning to ask everyone to contribute a small piece of fabric that will be pieced together in a quilt depicting the Jerusalem crosses which are on the front doors of the church. The background of this quilt will have neutral color blocks giving some of the history of the church. We are looking forward to having get-togethers throughout this next year where we can work on this project. PEP Talk -- "In community we have love, through community we have strength."by Pat Dare A Retrospective on the Pledge Drive, “It Hasta be Pasta”. Luncheon We had an outstanding turnout for the Pledge Drive Luncheon held on Oct. 29th. Whether it was because of the “It Hasta be Pasta” theme or that you wanted to know more about the church’s finances, we thank you for your support. When cooking the different pastas (we had 4 varieties), I noticed that all the ingredients were the same. Putting on the right sauces and toppings is what transforms them into special delicacies. Then, I came up with the anecdote comparing churches to pasta. “Churches are like pasta. They come in all shapes and sizes. It’s what you put into them that make them special.” 12th Annual St. Nicholas Feast, Dec 9th , 5:30 pm, Cowans Hall This St. Nicholas Feast will follow the same tradition as in previous years and provide the following: Delicious, full-course, holiday meal Good company and joyous atmosphere Fun entertainment Low price of $5.00 per person and free for children less than Invite your friends to come and join in the festivities! Since we want to plan and provide properly for this event, we ask that you buy tickets ahead of time so we’ll know how many to expect. Tickets will be available after each church service and at the church office approximately 3 weeks before the event. If you want a vegetarian meal, please inform the ticket seller when you buy your tickets . Planning Meetings, Dec 1st- 4:00 pm and Jan 2nd - 7:30 pm, in the Disciples Room Our December meeting is on a Friday rather than our usual 1st Tuesday of the month format. For that meeting, we will work on the St. Nicholas Feast and various receptions that are held during the Christmas season. At our January meeting, we will work on the reception for Bishop Romero and select a calendar of events to support for the Year 2007. If you would like to help, or have any ideas that you would like us to consider, please come to the meeting. The work is both fun and spiritually rewarding. by Carol Campbell, our Librarian Unwrapping the Christmas Creche by Lisa Flinn This delightful book follows a child's thoughts and actions as the Christmas crèche is unwrapped. Each figure comes to life in this Advent adventure! Read this with your favorite young person and create memories and traditions of your own. I particularly liked the unwrapping of the three wise men. They were wrapped together the previous year so they could “share words of wisdom”. Waiting for Christmas: a story about the Advent calendar by Kathleen Bostrom This charming story set in the late 1800s in Germany teaches young readers how the tradition of using an Advent calendar to count down the days to Christmas began. There are 5 very simple Advent traditions included. For those of you who have enjoyed Unplug the Christmas Machine: a guide to putting love and joy back into your holiday celebration, by Jo Robinson and Jean Coppock, you will also enjoy a new book Simplify & Celebrate: embracing the soul of Christmas. It gives great ideas for having a meaningful, less commercial celebration. One of the writers is Joan Chittister. by Carol Campbell A DVD of the very moving investiture of our new Presiding Bishop has been ordered for the library. It will be shipped as soon as it is made available. We have also placed an order for A Wing and a Prayer by Katharine Jefferts Schori, to be released in February 2007. < http://tinyurl.com/y7ymsl > -- Tue Dec 12, 3–5 pm by the Rev. Wendy Smith
Countdowns by John Buck This month (Dec 2006) is the 40th anniversary of dedicating our sanctuary, but we commemorated it on Sunday, November 12, 2006 2 months to the 30th anniversary of Wendy’s ordination to priesthood (Feb ’07) 60 months to our Centennial (December 2011) by Jan Camp Each year ODB takes part in the spirit of giving at Christmas by providing a small present to our diners. Traditionally, this consists of a festive-looking bag with lots of "goodies" inside that you help collect now and continue to do so all year! Yes, toiletries are definitely needed by many all year long, so we keep a supply in our storage area in Cowans Hall. These toiletries become extras to give our Social Ministry recipients Tuesday afternoons, so please know these items are very important to many people. Men and women need almost the same toiletries, except for the obvious, like shavers and shaving cream for the men. The basics include shampoo, lotion, soap, deodorant, tooth paste, and tooth brushes. Any size is acceptable because we use the large Smart & Final plastic bags. Now for the extras they would love to receive: Candy, combs, hair brushes, decks of cards, dental floss, colognes, and scarves will enhance the "goodies". Homeless people need more and are extremely grateful receiving "super" bags with socks, sweat shirt, underwear, and granola bars. Yes, we usually know who needs the extra help and have a system worked out that enables us to carefully do this without hurting people's feelings! For Christmas dinner, we're serving boneless ham, so we're in need of donations. No turkeys are needed for Thanksgiving, but if you receive free ones, bring them in to our ODB walk-in freezer because we prepare meals using turkey all year. All these "goodies" bag items can be left in either the ODB or church office, or left in the entry area at church where a big box will await your contributions. 315 bags were prepared and distributed last Christmas. Please come to Cowans Hall on Sunday, December 17th, starting at 9 a.m., to help us fill the bags, and to clean up afterward. by the Rev. Wendy Smith Advent Lessons and Carols: we will NOT have a Lessons and Carols service this year, because Advent is effectively only three weeks long (with the 24th falling on a Sunday), and the choir needs the time to rehearse for Christmas. We will have Advent Lessons and Carols again in 2007. Christmas Eve: Sunday December 24th 8:00 am Holy Eucharist, Rite I, celebrating the 4th Sunday of Advent 10:30 am (morning) Holy Eucharist, Rite II, beginning the celebration of Christmas, with the Christmas Pageant "People Look East" presented by both the children and some adults of St. Thomas. It is a unique pageant, because the story is interwoven through the whole service, and is very closely based on the actual words of scripture. It will include some familiar old hymns, as well as some Christmas songs we don't often sing in church (Patapan, Go Tell It on the Mountain, Tomorrow Will Be My Dancing Day, and I Wonder as I Wander). People bringing grandchildren to church are encouraged to sit in the front rows!NOTE: On Dec 24, there will NOT be a 5:30 service. 10:30 pm (evening) Festive Choral Eucharist Well, actually its a Carol Sing at 10:30, following by the Festive Eucharist at 11:00 pm. This will, of course, be a candlelight service. It will be our principal celebration of Christmas, with special anthems by the choir, and the celebration of Holy Eucharist Rite II. This is a special time to praise God for the gift of the Holy Child Jesus, and to reflect on the blessing we have received from God's incarnate presence. Following the service, we will share not cider and cookies in the narthex before we go home. Christmas Day, Monday December 25th 10:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I —A faithful crowd of 30 or 40 people come to worship in the quietness of Christmas morning. We will have sermon and hymns, rejoicing in the birth of our Lord.First Sunday of Christmas, December 31st 8:00 am, Holy Eucharist Rite I, and 10:30 am, Holy Eucharist Rite II, and 5:30 pm Holy Eucharist, Rite III— We will continue our celebration of Christmas, singing more of our favorite Christmas hymns along with Christians around the world, who observe the 12 days of Christmas.Twelfth Night, Friday January 5th, 7:30 pm On this 12th night of Christmas, the eve of Epiphany, we celebrate and re-enact the visit of the Three Wise Men to Bethlehem, in a special candlelight service. After the Wise Men come, we remember how the 12 apostles gave witness to Christ, creating the church, and how that witness has come to us. Then we will eat Epiphany cakes, and discover who the King and Queen of Epiphany are. After they have given us their decrees, we will each choose a star from the walls of the narthex, with the special word that is to guide us in the year to come. All these events take only one hour all together, so that children can get home to bed at a reasonable hour. This is indeed an inter-generational event! This Advent Season in Family Ministry Rosemary Halas Parker, Family Ministry Director Observing Advent at Home One of the best ways of teaching faith to children is by doing faith. This Advent, consider teaching -and learning from– your children through small family rituals that honor the season. Many families make Advent wreaths together and say special prayers each night at dinner. Some families observe Advent through projects and activities that help the needy. Our parish library is full of great Advent resources for families. Ask Rosemary Parker or Carol Campbell, our parish librarian, for suggestions! Secret Goings on at St. Thomas! Advent Angels is an intergenerational secret pals program that will last throughout Advent.Last Sunday, on Advent 1, Angels had their first Sunday of secret deliveries to their unknowing Angel pals! The secret gift exchange will continue on each Sunday in Advent. Advent Angels will reveal their true identities to each other at a reception on 4th Advent (December 24th) after the 10:30 service and Pageant. Let’s Put on a Christmas Pageant!Everyone is warmly invited to the annual St. Thomas Christmas Pageant on December 24th at 10:30 am! This year’s Pageant will be an extended version of last year’s liturgical piece, People, Look East!, and will replace our regular 10:30 worship service. Adults and teens are invited to help out behind the scenes. Please see the Pageant rehearsal schedule below.
by Ruth Hoffman and the Rev. Wendy Smith; edited for publication
October 17, 2006 Meeting FINANCE REPORT: Jim Cobb, Finance Committee Chair, reported that September pledge payments and general fund donations were good. The figures for the first nine months of the year are better than the budget. Jim Cobb submitted a letter from the Audit Committee for 2005. The letter reported that the financial records are well maintained and in good order.Jim Cobb made the first budget presentation for 2007. The Diocesan Personnel Committee has submitted guidelines for clergy compensation, which are being considered. Budget aims or goals:
Budget issues will be discussed at the meeting on December 5 and decisions will be made on December 12. OUTREACH FOR CHILDREN: Pat Williams made a presentation for the possible development of a preschool. ARCHITECTURAL COMMITTEE: Chris Schmidt reported on some possible solutions for creating more comfortable warmth for the church during the hot weather. Some suggestions have been made and discussed. Some funds are available. Chris was asked to obtain cost estimates. PROPERTY: Chris Schmidt reported on the need to clean the heating ducts in the church. Wed Nov 29, 7:30 pm by the Rev. Wendy Smith On Wednesday evening November 29th, I invite you to the Library at 7:30 pm, for a discussion of Grief and the holidays. When someone we love has died, whether recently or not-so-recently, OR when we have experienced a dramatic change in our lives, such as retirement, marriage, divorce, child gone to college or the Navy, new job, etc., it is normal to feel uncomfortable with the celebration of Christmas and the hoopla of New Year's. Let us gather to discuss strategies for dealing with the holidays, and to share how various strategies have worked in the past. by the Rev. Wendy Smith, and John Buck We have heard from Chris McVey that he is doing well in his first weeks of basic training in the Navy. Please keep him in your prayers. One of the newcomers on Nov 5th remembers being in the Youth Group at Trinity, Menlo Park, when Wendy was both Interim Rector and Youth Director (1987-88)! By the time you read this, the Hostettlers will have another grandchild. Please keep the Rev. Becky Shan's son Benedict in your prayers. It was good to have Lester and Pat Burdick come to our 40th anniversary; he was the chair of the Building Committee for the sanctuary. Another Burdick, Judy, recently had successful […] surgery. Our second-oldest parishioner, Evelyn Lloyd, celebrated her […] birthday at our Anniversary Lunch on Nov 12th. We are so grateful to Courtney Tan, Colin Paterson, and Gary Letson, for making the connection between the WiFi, the computer, and the projector work, so that 37 people could watch the Investiture of Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori on the big screen Nov 4th. We also thank Steve MacKenzie for his early work on the project, and share his regret at not being able to participate at its end. People came to see the webcast from St. Jude's, Cupertino, St. Andrew's, Saratoga, St. Luke's, Los Gatos, Trinity, San Jose, Good Shepherd, Salinas and St. Mary's, Pacific Grove! The young man who drove his car into the corner of the church in July 2005, continues to make restitution payments for the damage, for which we are grateful. A big THANK YOU to all the people who helped the guests of the Rotating Shelter, while it was here in October. Rich Randolph and Sandhya Phailbus were our coordinators. Those who provided dinner were: Peg Prior, Randi Schmidt, Fran & John Hostettler, Jan Letson & Betsy Randolph, Jon Aderhold, Donna & Jim Cobb, John & Susan McVey, Ted & Eri Weber, our Choir, Anil & Sandhya Phailbus, Linda Alcock, Mimi Daw & LaVerne Martin. The Greeters, who came for an hour each evening to be the parish hosts,
were And we had shoppers, who went to the grocery store for breakfast and
lunch supplies: In addition to these good folk, dinners were also provided by Good Samaritan Methodist Church, Trinity Methodist, St. Luke's Lutheran, St. John's Lutheran, Latter Day Saints, Union Church of Cupertino, the Cupertino Rotary, and Silicon Valley Kiwanis. Details: Between Christmas and New Years by the Rev. Wendy Smith The parish office will be closed during last week of the year, from December 26th through December 29th. However, the Treasurer of the parish, Mel Hoffman, will be busy that week, collecting final pledge payments which come in the mail, or through the mail slot! Please be aware that if your check is mailed, in order for it to be treated for tax purposes as a 2006 donation, it must be postmarked in 2006. Of course, your checks given in church on December 31st will be counted as a 2006 donation. If you have any questions about these matters, please call Mel at home. Sun Jan 7, 2007 by the Rev. Wendy Smith The Annual Meeting of St. Thomas will take place on Sunday January 21st. In order to prepare for that meeting, every person who is the chair of a committee, commission or group at St. Thomas, is expected to write a report of the activities of 2006, to be turned in by Sunday January 7th. These reports may be emailed to the office, sent by US postal service to the office, or placed in the "Office file" in the Parish box on the Information table. Sun Jan 7, 2007 by the Rev. Wendy Smith The Rt. Rev. Sylvestre Romero will make his last visit to St. Thomas on Sunday January 7th, 2007. He will be the celebrant of the Eucharist, the preacher, and he will confirm and receive people into the Episcopal Church. If there are candidates for baptism, he will also baptize. If you want to be baptized, or want your child to be baptized, please speak to me well before Christmas, so that I can provide the necessary preparation. Wed Eves, Jan 10, 17, 24, 31, 7:30 pm by the Rev. Wendy Smith In January, we will have 4 evenings of Adult Education focusing on the election of a bishop. We will learn about, and discuss,
In the 4th session, we will hold an election, and vote on which of the eight candidates to call. This series will begin on Wed Jan 10th, at 7:30 pm in the Library, and continue on the 17th, 24th, and 31st. Our actual election of our 3rd bishop for El Camino Real, will take place on June 16th, 2007. American Institute of Architects, San Jose Chapter 2006 Design Awards The 25 year Award, intended to recognize was given to St. Thomas Episcopal Church on October 26, 2006 Worsley, Rankin and Williamson, architects Sat–Wed, December 2nd–6th, noon–9 pm by The Rev Wendy Smith and Carol Campbell, edited for publication Once again this year, we expect the St. Thomas Crèche will be part of the Exhibit at the Mormon Church in Palo Alto, at 3865 Middlefield Road, one block north of East Charleston. The exhibit will be open from 12 noon until 9:00 pm, Saturday–Wednesday, December 2nd–6th. It includes 500 Nativity scenes from 65 countries and holiday music as well. This is a wonderful event for people of all ages. We believe our crèche is the only one from a local church that is invited back year after year. Of course, our crèche will return to us in time for our Christmas services later in the month! For more information: http://www.christmascreche.org/ .
Sundays
Mondays Office is closed on Mondays, and Dec 26—29, 2006 10 am Holy Eucharist Rite I—Christmas Day only 2–4 pm Monday’s Crew 8 pm AA
Tuesdays Upcoming Newsletter deadlines: Dec 5, Jan 9 10 am Library, Resource Center 1 pm Later Life Group 7:30 pm PEP Talk—1/2 only—NOTE: December Meeting is Friday Dec 1, 4 pm 7:30 pm Ministry Network—1/9 only 7:30 pm Vestry—12/12 and 1/16 only 8 pm Alanon Wednesdays
Thursdays
Fridays ESL 4 pm PEP Talk—12/1 only 7:30 pm—Twelfth Night—1/5 only Saturdays Altar Guild Men’s Spiritual Growth Group—12/2, 12/16, 1/6, 1/20 only
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