Dear Friends in Christ,

We have made a wonderful new beginning in the Diocese of El Camino Real. At our annual Convention on Oct 26 and 27, we have significantly changed our Constitution and Canons, in order to create a diocese where each part is connected to the whole, and is responsible for well-defined tasks. Two bodies which have been separate for many years, the Corporation and the Diocesan Council, are now combined into one Board of Trustees. I am happy to tell you that Pat Williams was elected to this new Board, and will provide continuity from her year as chair of Council. Equally important is that our Bishop-elect, Mary Gray-Reeves, was invited by the Ecclesiastical Authority, to chair the convention. She gave a sermon at the opening Eucharist, and an Address on the second day, both of which you can read on the diocesan website www.edecr.org.

Bishop Mary (as she will be by the time you read this!) asked us to observe together a Year of Wonder, which she called a spiritual skill essential to Godly action. She hopes we can suspend both judgment and action in order to remain in God's presence for long stretches of time, and to be guided by the Spirit. She wants us to be free to wonder in God's presence, and to enjoy the landscape of peaceful inner stillness. Out of this time of wondering, she hopes that every congregation will have one new thought, one transforming thought that shifts something, and leads to a new action. She also said, we must be willing to risk, to fail, and to try again.

I am happy to report that the Presiding Bishop, Katherine Jefferts-Schori, asked to meet with clergy and diocesan leaders the day before the consecration of Bishop Mary. There was a 3 hour session with her at St. Stephen's, San Jose.

We hear that the consecration will be recorded, and DVDs will be made available. We are pleased and proud that our own Linda Ormiston has created such an elegant cope, mitre, chasuble and stole for Bishop Mary. Photos can be seen on the bulletin board next to the columbarium.

ESL is underway for the fall term. Classes are held on Fridays in the Education Bldg.

Time: 10:00–11:30 am. The last class in Dec 2007 will be on the 7^th.

Bridge parties are held, usually the 2nd Saturday evening of each month, from 7–10 PM, in the Disciple’s Room of the Education Building at St. Thomas Church. The dates for 2007–2008 are: Dec. (No bridge ), Jan. 12, Feb. 9, Mar. 8, April 12, May 17 (3rd Sat to avoid Mother’s Day), June 14 and July 12.

Planning for a Diocesan mission trip is underway! Bishop Mary, Leann Brooks and Robin Denney are coordinators for next summer’s Sierra Service Project trip, an annual Diocesan service opportunity in which youth spend time serving in Native American communities.

The first trip will be held June 29- July 5 and offered to high school students. Experienced counselors, including Bishop Mary, will accompany the youth. The second trip will run July 14-19 and will be the first mission trip in our Diocese that is designed specifically for junior high school students. In each of these mission trips, students will serve by repairing homes in the communities they visit.

This year’s St. Nicholas Feast will emphasze the “spirit of sharing” similar to the making of “Stone Soup” that was served at our recent Stewardship Luncheon. However, instead of just providing a “stone”, PEP will provide a choice of sumptuous main entrée that will befit our holiday celebration. Bread and drinks will also be provided. We ask that you bring a side dish such as appetizers, salads, vegetables, or desserts to share in complementing the feast.

The evening will have many program activities that should appeal to both young and old:

• We will have ornament making craft items available for those who are either artistically inclined or prefer to keep active rather than dabble in idle chit-chat. Prizes will be awarded to the best looking ornaments in both adult and children’s categories
• Lawrence Robles, director of SMUM, Santa Maria Urban Ministries, will be here to describe their work with people in the “inner city”. It has been our tradition to honor the philanthropy of Saint Nicholas by offering a collection for SMUM. For Santa Maria, we have been requested not to bring toys (they have plenty for children) but to bring gifts for teenagers, such as gift cards for book or music stores.
• Of course, St. Nicholas will be here with some goodies of his to share!
• The Bell’s Angels Bell Choir will be here to perform a medley of Christmas tunes. Part of their program will involve a “Ring-Along” where the audience is invited to participate in the playing of Christmas Carols as everybody sings.

• 13^th Annual St. Nicholas Feast, December 8^th – See above for information on this event
• Christmas Midnight Service Reception, December 24^th – After the service, we will host a reception of spiced hot apple cider and cookies in the Narthex area of the sanctuary.
• 12^th Night Service Reception, January 5^th – After the service, we will host a champagne and Epiphany cake reception in the Narthex area of the sanctuary. The champagne and epiphany cake will accompany the crowning of the King and Queen of Epiphany and other activities that follows.
• Brainstorming for Year 2008 activities, Jan 8^th – At our January meeting we try to plan out the list of activities for the coming year to help us determine and allocate our resource requirements. In doing so, we also try to come up with ideas for something novel and interesting to add to the list.

Many families make Advent wreaths together and say special Advent prayers each night at dinner. Consider assembling a Jesse Tree in your home or just sing Advent carols together.

Advent Angels is an intergenerational secret pals program that will last throughout Advent.

Everyone is warmly invited to the annual St. Thomas Christmas Pageant on December 23rd at 10:30 am! This year’s Pageant is called A Welcome for Baby Jesus and will replace the sermon. Adults and teens are invited to help out behind the scenes.

December 22nd, 4:30 pm--Dress rehearsal

December 23rd, 10:30 am (please arrive by 10:00)--Christmas Pageant!

FINANCE REPORT: Jim Cobb reported that pledges looked acceptable for the month of August and the totals for the year-to-date are good. The Finance Committee has been asked to review a solar proposal and will meet with the Akeena representatives to talk about details. Planning for the 2008 budget has begun.

STEWARDSHIP: Fulvia Govetto, Chair of the Stewardship Committee, discussed the plans for the Stewardship Drive. The theme for this year’s drive is “Living Bread—Food for the Hungry Soul”. Activities start October 7. The Stewardship Luncheon with “Bread and Stone Soup” and a budget presentation will be October 21. Pledge Sunday is October 28. Time-and-Talent donations should be considered. Wendy responded that there will be a celebration of significant birthdays (parishioners reaching 80 years and above), with a focus on recognition of what these folks have given in terms of gifts of time, talent, and general contributions to the life of the parish.

PLANNED GIVING: Jon Aderhold reviewed plans for Planned Giving and the structures of the proposed Endowment Fund. More needs to be done to evaluate different choices, including choices of investment companies. Wendy thanked Jon for his presentation.

VESTRY NOMINATIONS: The outgoing Vestry members—Pat Williams, Chris Schmidt, Wendy Tracy and Elaine Timm—will serve as the Nominating Committee.

TRANSFER CENTER: Pam Storrer reported on the progress of the Transfer Center. This program will begin operation on October 12 with continued service on the 2^nd and 4^th weekends of each month.

FUNDRAISING: The Nite in N’Orleans fundraiser did extremely well, surpassing expectations and everyone had a good time. Wendy Tracy thanked all who helped, with special mention of PEP for its organization and for Chris Schmidt and C.J. Gomez who enthusiastically announced the basket contents for the bidding. The Vestry applauded Wendy and her committee for all of the hard work.

• FRIENDSHIP: Newcomers’ Brunch will be on October 14. Wendy was pleased that several first-time attendees have commented to her enthusiastically on the openness of the community.

• SERVICE IN THE WORLD: The t-shirt sales have gone very well. A parish-wide service project is being encouraged in order to enhance the visibility of St. Thomas.

• PROPERTY: Tree trimming will be scheduled soon.

• DIOCESAN REPORT: There has been a resolution from the Diocese asking each parish to plan a period when people who are attending services could contribute $1 for use with the millennium goals of the Diocese.

• Wendy announced that, Mary Gray-Reeves, our Bishop-elect, intends to meet with all rectors before the October 2007 diocesan convention.

RECTOR’S REPORT: Wendy reported that our outreach worker, Emma Valdez, is working very well. She has provided significant help to ODB patrons.

We congratulate Pat Williams on being elected to the Board of Trustees of our diocese, at Convention on Oct 27th. She will provide much needed continuity from the work of Diocesan Council this last year, to the new structure of the Board of Trustees.

Linda Ormiston was one of the important people at the consecration of Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves on Nov 10th. Linda designed and sewed the cope, mitre, chasuble and stole in which the Bishop was vested in the service.

Our Senior Warden, Pam Storrer, saved a life on November 4th. She was attending Calvary, Santa Cruz, to help them start a Transfer Center, when one of the chalice-bearers collapsed from a heart attack. Pam did mouth to mouth resuscitation until the paramedics arrived. Thanks be to God for her quick action and knowledge of CPR!

A large number of people came to Lillian Pang's memorial service. Lillian had been active in many local organizations, from the Sunnyvale Historical Society to the American Heart Association to the Cupertino Senior Center, and was remembered fondly.

St. Thomas was represented well at Diocesan Convention, not only by our delegates and clergy, but also by Carol and Dave Campbell with the Resource Center display, and Pam Storrer with a Transfer Center display.

It's the gathering of donations time for Our Daily Bread's "goodies" bags!

Again we'll be distributing the "goodies" to all the adult diners, and small toys, like Beanie Babies, to the children. The bags will include the toiletries that you and we save all year for this occasion, plus some extras to put smiles on their faces. Please mark “ODB XMAS” on bags and put them in or by the box labeled “ODB” in the Narthex of the sanctuary, or bring them to the church office by Friday, December 14.

Our crew of workers will bag these items between the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services on December 16. You are all invited to take part in this fun and lively activity.

Men and women need almost the same toiletries, except for the obvious, like shavers and shaving cream for the men.

The extras they like receiving are: candy, gum, granola bars, large tooth pastes, talcums, soaps, shampoos, combs, dental floss, colognes, and scarves.

We'll need your almost new Beanie Babies, or new similar toys.

Homeless people need more practical items, like sweat shirts, tee shirts, new socks, briefs, knit watch hats, and gloves. They receive the normal "goodies" as well. At least thirty of these super bags will be prepared. These items get distributed all year, both to our needy homeless diners and to our Social Ministry recipients.

We'll be traditional about serving turkey at our Thanksgiving meal on November 21. We use turkeys all year, so your extras can be put into our walk-in freezer. For Christmas dinner on Monday, December 24, we'll serve boneless ham, so we're in need of donations for that meal.

The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’ Birth, by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan. The authors show how history has biased our reading of the nativity story as it appears in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. They explore the beginning of the life of Christ, peeling away the sentimentalism that has built up over the last two thousand years around this most well known of all stories to reveal the truth of what the gospels actually say. They show that the Christmas story, read in its original context, is far richer and more challenging that people imagine. (from Harper’s website)

October 2007 again brought new guests to St. Thomas. Coming for shelter, nourishment companionship and escaping despair, nearly a dozen men called Cowans Hall their home. Sponsored by Faith in Action, a Cupertino Community Services outreach, the shelter has grown over the last sixteen years to include 12 congregations, service organizations and businesses engaging numerous volunteers in a variety of roles. St. Thomas hosted the lodging, provided shoppers for lunch and breakfasts, and organized over one hundred and fifty dinner meals complete with a personal representative of our parish to greet the men and share conversation during dinner.

I want to personally thank everyone who participated:

Chris and Randi Schmidt, Walt Modic, Jan Camp, Courtney Tan,
Jan Letson and her sister Jean, Elaine Timm, Harvey Brenner,
Ray and Wendy Barnes, Evelyn Andrews and Carolyn Wallace,
Lester Gadson, Bob Williams, Meredith Ross, Fran and John Hostettler,
Betsy Randolph, Pam Storrer, Anil and Sandy Phailbus,
Robert Field, LaVerne and Ollie Martin, Mimi Daw,
The St. Thomas Choir,
Fulvia Govetta and Tricia Pietrzyk, Linda Alcock,
Margaret Jungling and Hathalie Monfort,
Michelle and Pat Turnbull, and Christina Seymour.

ODB Coordinator David Barnes also helped and coped graciously
with the inevitable wrinkles change brings.

The combined efforts of our congregation and surrounding community meant that during the month nearly ONE THOUSAND additional hearty meals blessed the dozen men endeavoring to improve their quality of life. Without a doubt, the conversations shared gave me renewed gratitude for my own blessings of employment, health, support and optimism, as well as a wider fellowship in knowing that so many people care enough to include the shelter guests in their cooking, shopping and prayers.

October 2008 is our next scheduled hosting of the Rotating Shelter. Sandyha Phailbus has been Co-chair for two years now and is well prepared to take charge and recruit another Co-chair. It is a heart warming and mind-expanding ministry! Talk to Sandyha or Rev. Wendy if you feel moved to share your leadership talent and put your faith into action.

48 months to our Centennial (December 2011)

After watching the movie Elizabeth I: The Virgin Queen, this thought occurred to me—If there had been a transfer center in the 1500’s, perhaps Anne Boleyn would have not been executed by Henry VIII and Elizabeth would have had both of her parents in her life. That probably would have changed history. Currently we are changing the history of the lives of two children and hopefully by the time of this writing, yet another child’s history will change. How wonderful this is! At the first transfer, referring to the center, a child said to his Dad “I wasn’t afraid”. The Dad’s response was “You shouldn’t be. These are good people”.

Kara is a nonprofit organization that provides counseling and education to people who are living with issues of death and grief. A support group for men will begin the week of Dec 3^rd, and continue for 12 weeks, at 7:00 pm. For information call 650-321-5272 or visit www.kara-grief.org.

ANNIVERSARIES