The peace of Christ be with you! I am happy that you are interested in
learning more about our church. St. Thomas is a community of seekers who are
doing our best to live in the Way of Jesus and to follow the guidance of the
Holy Spirit. We affirm the historic expression of the Christian faith in the
Nicene Creed each Sunday, and at the same time we allow room for different
understandings of the meaning of that faith. We are a multi-cultural parish,
with members whose backgrounds are Chinese, Caribbean, Norwegian, Sri Lankan,
Canadian, Native American, Japanese, Afro-American, Hispanic . . .and many
others.
We love children at St. Thomas, and strive to include them in our worship. Most Sundays, the children are invited to the altar for a short children's sermon, which is interactive whenever possible. Once every 6 weeks, we have a Celebration Sunday when the children are present for the whole service. On those Sundays, the children sometimes take on additional responsibilities as readers or ushers, or leaders of prayer.
We have a strong orientation toward prayer and spirituality at St. Thomas. The outward expression of this commitment is seen in our Intercessory Prayer Chain, our Healing Ministry, and the long list of people for whom we pray by name each Sunday. An extension of this commitment is the pastoral care we give to one another in times of need, whether it be transportation to church or to a doctor's appointment, or providing meals after a member's surgery, or support for those who are grieving over the death of a loved one.
We are an outreach-oriented parish, sustaining Our Daily Bread, a hot lunch program that serves 200 people each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as well as participating in the Rotating Shelter (usually in October) and giving our Christmas and Easter offerings to worthy causes, such as Santa Maria Urban Ministry, Habitat for Humanity, Friends Outside, and the Battered Women's Shelter.
When a newcomer comes to St. Thomas, we try to welcome her or him warmly, without pushing them into activities. There are many ways to get involved, and we recognize that people may want to take their time to get acquainted with the people and the parish, before they sign up for any particular activity. We often have extra events before or after our main service on Sunday (which is at 10:30), such as a Chinese New Year celebration, an educational presentation on a topic of interest such as mental illness, or an event including a meal, such as the Stewardship Brunch in the fall.
Our worship is always recognizably in the Episcopal (Anglican) tradition, and from time to time we draw on the whole range of possibilities, from Rite I to the New Zealand Prayer Book, from traditional hymns to contemporary songs, and in preaching from a quiet meditation on the Scripture, to the arrival of St. John the Baptist "in person".
Please come and join us on Sunday morning! Else give us a call during the week at 408-736-4155 or email me at RevWendy@stthomas-svale.org ; I will be happy to answer your questions or provide more information.
The Reverend Wendy Smith +