We are a Christ-centered community that lives, shares and celebrates God's grace with all people!
Welcome to St. Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church. St. Thomas is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). We celebrate 50 years of ministry in the Bloomington and Monroe County, Indiana area in 2010. We celebrate the Eucharist every Sunday and encourage visitors from other Christian traditions to join us at Christ's "open table."
(Fall/Winter Schedule effective August 28, 2011)
8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Sunday
Nursery care is provided at each service
Enjoy coffee or other refreshments while visiting in the narthex/lounge or on the patio. Many regular participants keep their own mugs at the church, but there are always plenty of visitor cups. Our washable mugs are symbols of commitment to care for God's gift to us of the planet and our coffee is from Lutheran World Relief's Equal Exchange Coffee Project.
Lutheran Outdoor Ministries is offering four scholarships for this summer's camp program to families who are new to Outdoor Ministries (children or their siblings have never attended LOMIK). Two scholarships for July 29th — August 3rd are available for the Pioneer age level, entering 4th-6th grade, and the other two are available for July 29 — August 1 for Pilgrim age level, entering 1st-3rd grade. If you are interested in this new program please contact Karl Teskey. For other LOMIK programs and funding support information check out their website at www.lomik.org.
Kids Corner: Offering Update, ELCA Good Gifts As of 2/19/12 the children have contributed a total of $319.00. With this we can buy a Fish Farm for $250, a goat for $50.00 and a flock of chicks for $10.00
Join the Summer Trip to Living Waters Cherokee ELCA Church!
The mission committee is trying to get together an intergenerational
group to travel to Cherokee, North Carolina this summer to visit our
new friends at Living Waters ELCA church. At the moment, we are
hoping to travel by van in June and spend a long weekend there so
that we may worship together, learn more about each other and perhaps
participate in a small project together. This ELCA church integrates
some Native American customs alongside the ELCA liturgy, which should
make this a rich experience for us to share worship together. See
the mission blog for some photos from this congregation and their
newsletter on the welcome center by our front doors. Please let the
church office or the mission committee (Shari) know if you are
interested or would like more information.
The Lay Care Ministry is seeking donations of cards and postage stamps. This ministry plans to send cards to those who note that this would be welcomed when they contact the church to be put on the prayer list or prayer chain. We are seeking sympathy, get well/illness, thinking of you and blank cards. Please note that we do not need birthday cards at this time. Donations of cards and stamps may be left in the church office. Thank you!
Build Hope with Habitat for Humanity! Whether you know a lot about construction or have never held a hammer, you can build a home for a Monroe County family in need. Come join Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County's Midweek Crew! We work Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8-4 (you can come for a half-day shifts too). A small volunteer group of all ages helps complete construction tasks to prepare Habitat houses for the families that will make them homes. The atmosphere is relaxed and no construction experience is required. We will teach you everything you need to know. To sign up or for more information call 812-331-4069 and ask for Adrian Starnes, Construction Leadership Coordinator (starnes@monroecountyhabitat.org), or Megan Ionoff (ionoff@monroecountyhabitat.org), Volunteer Liaison. Thanks!
Please note: The December newsletter 2011 issue was the last
issue that will be mailed to the entire congregation. Beginning in
2012 the St. Thomas News will be sent by email through Mail Chimp.
If you are expecting any change in your email address, have a
particular address that you would prefer we use, or just need to
check to see if we have your address, please visit the table in the
narthex and fill out a form.
For those few members who do not
have email we will continue to mail your newsletter and there will be
a few print copies available in the narthex.
By moving to electronic mailings of the newsletter we will save
hundreds of dollars a year in postage, paper and time. It is also
better for the environment.
In continuing our efforts to become a green congregation, our Task of
the Month for May is "Clean Up Your Laundry Act!" Wash clothes in
cold water. Air dry your laundry in summer.
Tips for doing
without a dryer: Install a clothesline. Plan to do laundry on sunny,
breezy days whenever possible. Wash and hang clothes in the morning.
Using the dryer for just a few minutes can help "fluff them up" so
they dry without wrinkles. This is especially helpful with
front-loader washers, which spin so fast that clothing is often
pressed together. Hang shirts on plastic hangers to dry. The hangers
can be hung on your clothesline outside, on your shower bar, or on a
closet rod installed in your laundry room. Use folding racks to dry
things indoors. A retractable clothesline installed in the basement
adds drying space when needed, but is easily out of sight when not in
use. Clothes last longer when not subjected to dryer heat. If your
laundry smells of mildew, it probably not drying fast enough; hang it
as soon as the wash cycle is done and make sure there is sufficient
air circulation around each item. Also try adding a small amount of
vinegar to the rinse cycle.
We encourage you to
go to www.EarthCareIndiana.org for more information. Families are
signing Care Pledges to show that they are making or have made an
effort to work toward reducing their energy usage. Forty-two
households have currently signed a pledge. If you have not signed a
pledge yet, forms are available on the Welcome Counter. For answers
to questions, talk to Rita Pavolka pavolka@iupui.edu or Kathleen
Boggess boggess2@comcast.net
St. Thomas generous folk sent 6,321 pounds of food to the MCUM pantry in 2011. While that amount is greatly appreciated, we KNOW we can do better... How about EVERYONE bringing at least one item each week for the food basket this month? We won't be unhappy if we have to make TWO trips to the pantry to carry all the food. The need is great...let's all help those in need in our community. THANKS for all you do!
ELCA Disaster Relief Fund is requesting contributions for the recent earthquakes in Chile, Haiti, New Zealand, and Japan and tornadoes in the US. Much help and supplies are still needed.
Did Santa bring a new washer and dryer last Christmas? How about new beds or other furniture? If your old appliances and furniture are still in good shape please donate them to St. Vincent de Paul, an all-volunteer group that serves our neighbors in need. Remember, donations are tax deductable. If you cannot bring your items in yourself, SVdP will pick them up. Just contact us at 961-1510 or pickup@bloomintonsvdp.org, or St. Thomas members Larry Berg, David Nixon, Gene Laughman.
ELCA's Domestic Disaster Response are providing information on Swine Flu.
The mission committee is considering forming a variety of interest
groups surrounding important mission related topics, as a way to
encourage broader and deeper participation. You do not need to be a
member of the mission committee to join these interest groups. Some of
the first potential interest groups being formed are:
1) Sister Parish
Interest Group - be involved in discerning the best direction for this
relationship with our Sister Parish in Chichipate, Guatemala.
2) Micro Loans Interest Group - help have an impact
on poverty by providing direct loans to entrepreneurs around the
globe. Consider joining an interest group to discuss and make these
investment decisions together, connecting with the entrepreneurs via
the internet. To learn more, contact: Chris Ogan;
3) Missionary
Interest Group - We are considering forming a Missionary Interest
Group to sponsor an ELCA missionary, support them in prayer and learn
about what they are doing. If you are interested in helping form this
interest group, please contact Lyman Hitchcock for further
information.
4) Please contact any member of the Mission Committee if
you have other ideas for interest groups.
The Mission Committee has a blog for their latest news.
Keep up with the Youth Group on their new website.
Have you remembered to bring your gifts of food to church?
MCUM's pantry needs food:
Food Needs: Baking
mixes, especially muffins; fruit juice; canned fruit, especially
Mandarin oranges, pears, and apple sauce; beans — black, great
northern, navy; pudding and Jell-O mixes
They cannot accept perishable, home-canned, opened
packages, or expired food.
Please don't forget: diapers and baby wipes; household cleaners; deodorant, especially for women
During an average week, the pantry distributes 140 bags of
groceries, filled to the rim with household staples and a five-day
supply of nutrition for each family member.
You have
been generous in the past and we know you will help again. St. Thomas members gave over 6,000 pounds of
food in 2011, the second highest amount from city churches. Please
continue to bring your donations to the basket in the narthex to
support this important service.
Last update: Thursday 17 May 2012 10:41
