APO - St. Thomas the Apostle
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A P U B L I C A T I O N OF SA I N T TH O M A S THE A POST LE EPISC O PA L CHURCH
The
APO STLE Bac
Backk-t-to-Sc
o-Sc hool 20
o-School 20118
“Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like “struggle.” To love someone is to strive to
accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.”
“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say “It’s not my child, not my
community, not my world, not my problem.”
Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.”
—- Fred Rogers
I made my children go see the movie “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” when it f irst came out. There
were two reasons: 1)it was a chance to talk with them about a person who had fundamental influence
on me as a child; 2), it was a chance for them to see a man who was kind, gentle, clear-minded and
loving to those he lead and worked with. They both were impressed and brought to tears by some of the
actions and words they witnessed in the excellent f ilm.
I really think we need a lot more people like Fred Rogers in the world. One thing that is sometimes
missed is exactly how his FAITH was a foundation of everything he stood for. Mr. Rogers was living out
his walk with Christ in each episode, in each action in his life. There is no question that he was seeking
to live out the commandments of Christ.
We are about to begin another season of education and formation at St. Thomas. We have f inished a
long summer of busy and active, outreach and mission work. Now we shift to taking some time in our
faith journey to learn about our faith. For our children, this includes Sunday school, Children’s Church,
children’s choir and a variety of other activities. For our youth, this includes Sunday school, youth group,
assisting in worship, conf irmation classes and occasional retreats and other events. For the adults we
have adult forum, small groups, Education for Ministry, the Women’s Retreat, Cursillo, choir, praise
group and many other activities and ministries.
The purpose of all of these formation activities is simply to learn to love one another as Christ loves us
and to share that love with the world. This is how we get more “Mr. Rogers” in the world. As the quote
above says, “it is no easy task;” our classes and activities need to be very serious and well-done to accom-
plish this goal, and all of us have work to do to be more Christ-like.
I hope you join a class, a group or f ind a ministry that can challenge and lift you up to this higher
calling. I hope your heart and mind are transformed, and you seek to actively love yourself and those
around you. I hope you become Christ’s hands and feet in the world. And I hope you say “yes” to being
that loving neighbor to all you encounter in the world.
See you in the neighborhood….
Father Gar Demo
2 THE APOS TLE • B A C K - T O -S C HOOL •20
POSTLE •20118
FOOTNOTES WARDEN’S WORDS
The summer was great fun.
Our ensembles never missed a We are already in the second half of
beat. They were there making 2018, and school will be starting again
music for our services the soon.
entire summer. Of course, the Dr. Beth L. St. Thomas is having another very
Elswick, good year. Our youth activities (ROTC
musicians did take time away Director of
from St. Thomas. Maybe it Music and VBS) have
Ministries been a tremen-
was divine intervention
coupled with careful planning dous success with
and selection of music, be- at capacity par-
cause we always had suff icient numbers to sing and play the ticipation and
Bruce
selections that f it the readings in the lectionary and gave added another outstand- Henricks,
energy to our services. ing mission trip. Senior
Warden
Thank you, choir, band, and college students, for sharing your Participants
talents. Thank you, members and clergy, for your added support from the trip to Houston will be mak-
and kindness. The f ine esprit de corps at St. Thomas makes ing presentations soon to highlight
worship a wonderful experience that could not possibly happen their scope of activities and emphasize
without the commitment and energy of all of us who attend and the opportunities realized for personal
participate. growth and outreach.
Our summer included wonderful experiences at Arts Camp. Financially we are in a very solid
The theme was the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den, and our position for the year with your steward-
elementary students made artworks, had culinary projects, sang, ship commitments being met in a
memorized lines, and danced. Many kids displayed hidden timely fashion. Your continued gener-
talents. We hope these folks and our other St. Thomas singers osity and attention to keeping your
will join children’s choir which meets on Wednesday evenings pledges funded through the year
at 5 pm beginning this fall. eliminates many f iscal concerns that
For the Fourth of July, as we were reminded of the founding can hamper our programs and efforts to
fathers and early American music, our praise band musicians stay on budget.
tried their hands at playing blue grass. We had such fun and All of you should have received a
discovered some string players who will be joining the band. letter about the opportunity to join
Even though he owns his own set of tympani that we will use for many of your fellow parishioners in
festivals, our new drummer played spoons for the patriotic blue funding a new organ for St. Thomas.
grass songs. Please share your voices and talents for the 8:45 This unique project will greatly
service. We rehearse Wednesday evenings, at 6:30 p.m. expand our musical and organ capabili-
Our 5:30 Saturday musicians kept the service flowing. Emma ties and do so at a fraction of the cost
Ferrin and Dillon Worthington are so very talented, and we all (less than 10%) of a used or new pipe
value their musicianship and dedication to excellence at St. organ. We are close to our goal and
Thomas. would like to move ahead immediately
Our traditional choir always prepare anthems associated with in hopes of having the new organ and
the text of the lectionary. Over the years, this group has devel- console potentially available for this
oped an extensive repertory of seasonal, lectionary-based an- year’s Advent season.
thems. It is a joy to f ind appropriate anthems, bring them to the This project is budget neutral and
loft, and know that the group will be able to make the music with will not add to our debt. It has arisen
a lighter, summer rehearsal schedule. Of course, the talent in solely from an outpouring of generosity
this group allows us to offer more challenging music for our by so many at St. Thomas. Please
specials seasons. Please note that we rehearse Wednesday consider being a part of this project.
evenings at 7:30 p.m. May God’s grace and blessings be
yours.
On behalf of your vestry,
—Beth —BruceTHE APOS TLE • B A C K - T O -S C HOOL •20
OSTLE •20118 3
Work hard, play hard REFLECTIONS
If summer 2018 could be easily
Our teens in Houston
summed up by a phrase, it would
be “work hard, play hard.” Once
The Rev. Kelly
again our young people chose to Demo,
spend some of their summer Assistant
Rector
vacation days trying to make the
world a little bit better. Through
our various ROTC (Reaching Out to The Community) camps,
our children and youth worked at homeless shelters, food
banks and community gardens while learning some basic
realities of urban poverty and homelessness. Each day after
our volunteer work we would venture out to have fun like
going swimming, heading to the movies, and even going to
Worlds of Fun!
This year, for our Senior High ROTC, we expanded on a
program we began last year. My goal was to begin to expand
the youth’s understanding of poverty beyond urban poverty
and explore issues of rural poverty. We partnered with a small
Episcopal church in Parsons, Kansas to offer a free vacation
Bible school to the community. The youth got to know the
children who were attending, many of whom came from very
diff icult situations. Our youth also learned how to plan and
lead activities, how to gently discipline and guide children,
and how to shoot from the hip when lesson plans have to
change! For our “fun” activity we rented two cabins on a rural
lake and just hung out, swam, cooked s’mores and debated
politics and religion. It was a great time for us all.
You can learn about our mission trip from the article
written by one of our summer interns, Rachel Hall [on page
9]. As I said above, one of my goals this summer was to begin
to explore different aspects of poverty in America. Our older
youth are well-versed in issues about urban poverty and
homelessness, having worked several mission trips, growing
up doing ROTC every summer, and simply being part of a
community in St. Thomas that focuses so much on reaching
out to the world.
With this mission trip we began to explore how our chang-
ing environment impacts those living at the margins. The
people whose homes on which we worked were in a low-
middle income bracket. These were making it, but just barely.
Then something like Hurricane Harvey hits; that puts them
over the edge. They have no safety nets and they lose every-
thing! We learned about FEMA, flood insurance and the
power of grassroots movements in communities. The youth
will be producing a video about our experience in the coming
weeks, but I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone
who supported the youth to have this life changing experi-
ence. You should be very proud of the young people of St.
Thomas.
—Mother Kelly4 THE APOS TLE • B A C K - T O -S C HOOL •20
POSTLE •20118
Pedaling: The Sole of an Organist Our current console
During the summer, the Guild of Organists held their annual conven-
tion in Kansas City. In addition to hearing and seeing insightful organ
masterclasses, exciting competitions, debuts of choral music, presenta-
tions by the Hymn Society, and having fun with colleagues, I had the
opportunity to hear and experience the best pipe organs and music
programs in the Kansas City area.
As you know, our organ at St. Thomas is very limited. The instrument
was designed before the use of digital technology. At the time of its
inception during the Roman Empire, the organ was one of the most
Note the Stop tabs with labels of
technologically advanced machines of its time. (I believe the organ and stops that have been changed over
the clock were considered to be the most advanced machines in the the years with Magic Marker. ——
Renaissance.) However, our 1945 Kilgen has not kept up with the times. Not too professional, but a cost
saving procedure.
Playing 21st century literature on the old organ is comparable to creating
copies of the Sunday bulletins using carbon paper. The pedal board in
our current instrument does not include the standard number of
pedals nor is it the current size of the American Guild of Organ-
ists standard measurement.
In spite of its limitations, our organ has the crucial components: a
wind chest and pipes. For this reason, we are deeply indebted to the
members of St. Thomas who ventured to the Church of the Holy Spirit
in Highland, Michigan to dismantle the instrument and bring the
components back to St. Thomas in 1994. Those initial workers include:
Don & Mary Woerner, John McNown, Denis Peters, Bill Gintzel, The intended toe-studs for piston
Bill Werner, Ron Dellinger, Rick Bush, and Ernie Lowden. Their changes were never completed.
The console simply has holes in it.
work laid the foundation for a f ine music program at St.Thomas.
At the Convention, every venue had a pipe organ. Every instrument
had the gift of a live column of air. There were no solely electronic
church organs used in the presentations of ecclesiastical music. How- The proposed
ever, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the organ was a Johannus console
hybrid. The instrument included both acoustical and digital sounds.
Besides having the depth of the pipe sound, the instrument had the
versatility of the digital console, a variety of satisfying digital sounds,
and the valuable capacity to pre-set the combination action for many
services, many pieces, and many different organists.
The size of their loft and their choir was about the same as that of St.
Thomas. The instrument was a wonderful solution to upgrading their
Rufatti pipe organ and maximizing the space in the choir loft. Clearly,
the Cathedral had chosen the upgrade in a way that enhanced both
ACOUSTICAL sound with the help of current technology and encour-
aged the growth of musicians in the loft.
As you know, St. Thomas is exploring the possibility of upgrading our
pipe organ with a digital hybrid. Moving ahead with the help of digital
technology would be, I believe, a wonderful opportunity. I want to Finally, I must express my
express my gratitude for the use of the pipes for the past decades. gratitude to the people of St.
Playing a pipe organ every Sunday is a treat. The sound of the hybrid Thomas, the Vestry, and clergy,
organ will be exceptional. The technology is state of the art in organ and other supportive staff mem-
building. The console presents a very professional appearance for guest bers. This is fun.
musicians. —BethTHE APOS TLE • B A C K - T O -S C HOOL •20
OSTLE •20118 5
Pastoral Care at St. Thomas
It is good to keep all of you informed about our pastoral care at St. Thomas. I think a helpful reminder about
the how, when, why and where is important. Pastoral care is the TOTAL responsibility of the entire congrega-
tion. It is not just up to the clergy; it is up to all of us. Here are some basic questions and answers about our
care system.
When should I call the church/clergy?
If you are being hospitalized, having surgery, have a pastoral emergency or a death in the family, it is best to inform the church
as soon as possible. We can walk with you through these diff icult times. As a reminder hospitals will not notify the church if
you are admitted; it is a violation of HIPPA for them to do so. So, it is up to you to notify us!
Will the clergy visit?
The clergy at St. Thomas will make house calls and make visits to the hospital upon request. If you or a loved one are in the
hospital, simply notify the off ice or any of the clergy and we will make sure to come see you. We also make “rounds” to our
shut-ins and those unable to attend services.
How can I get on the prayer list? How does the prayer chain work?
We have two means for people to request prayers. One is our weekly prayer list that is read as a part of our worship. You can e-
mail/call the off ice or the clergy, and we will get your request added. Generally, we leave the person on the list for three weeks
unless we are asked to keep the name on the list longer.
We also have a prayer chain. This consists of a group of people committed to intercessory prayer. You can make a request at
any time by e-mailing/calling the off ice or our prayer chain volunteers. Once a request is made, the call will go out via our
OneNote calling system. We ask that if you have prayers from someone outside of your immediate family that you get their
permission f irst, before requesting the prayers. You can be added to the prayer chain by asking Meribeth in the off ice or any of
the clergy.
Do we take communion to the homebound/sick?
Yes! We have a dedicated group of lay people who take communion out each Sunday to anyone who cannot make it services. If
you would like to receive this ministry you can call the off ice or Deacon Fran (who coordinates). Provided we have the
volunteers, we can visit weekly, bi-weekly or monthly depending on the person’s needs and desires. If you would like to
participate as a Visiting Eucharistic Minister, be in touch with any of the clergy.
Will the church help with meals after a baby is born/ surgery/ funerals?
YES! We have a ministry called “St. Martha’s Guild” which is made up of people who have committed to supporting people
during times of positive and negative crises. We can help with meals for up to two weeks. The clergy will check with you if this
is a service that would be helpful or you can make a request through the off ice. Sue Strom is our coordinator.
The church can also provide a reception after funeral services/ celebrations of life. Generally, we provide f inger food, cookies
and drinks. If you would like to help with this ministry be in touch with Dola McNown or Sue Elliot.
What if I need a ride to church or an appointment? Can the church help?
We have a Transportation Ministry lead by Phil Childress. If you are needing a ride to church, or to a doctor’s appointment, he
will do his best to f ind someone who can help.
How do we support families after a birth or adoption?
We have a wonderful ministry called “Guild of the Christ Child.” When a family is welcoming their new child, we will deliver a
layette that has some basic provisions, including diapers, a prayer shawl and other needed items. Suzie Bowden is the coordi-
nator of this ministry.
Continued on page 66 THE APOS TLE • B A C K - T O -S C HOOL •20
POSTLE •20118
MINISTRIES :OUTREACH Continued from page 5
What is the Prayer Shawl Ministry? How do I send one
The Johnson County Interfaith Hospitality
or receive one?
Network continues to be very active.
One of our f irst small groups was for people who wanted to
Our 7th Annual IHN Auction held on Thursday,
knit and pray together. This has turned into a powerful
June 14th, at the Overland Park Convention Center
ministry called “Prayer Shawls”. Anyone can request a prayer
netted a little over $103,000! There were 262 paid
shawl for anyone they know. You simply need to call the
attendees as well as 64 volunteers working to sup-
off ice or be in touch with Linda Manuel or Suzie Bowden.
port the event. Thanks to all of you who attended
The prayer shawls are blessed by our parish clergy and are
and helped to propel our mighty mission forward
made as an act of prayer for those in need.
and make this dinner/auction an incredible success.
Currently, excitement abounds as IHN prepares
How do we support people in times of pastoral need?
for an initial Host Week at St. Thomas. On Sunday,
Are there support groups?
August 19th, one Sunday School classroom will be set
Currently we have two support groups. One is for caregivers
up as one of the IHN bedrooms, and an Open House
and friends of those who are going through memory changes
will be held at 9:45 am.
or Alzheimer’s. This group meets on the f irst Sunday of every
Father Gar and Mother Kelly will bless the Sunday
month at 4 pm and is offered in partnership with the
School and Assembly Rooms which will now be used
Alzheimer’s Association. One of the Association’s trained
4 times a year to provide hospitality and overnight
facilitators is present at the meeting.
shelter to IHN guests. All parishioners are invited to
The second group is for those who are in the process of
the blessing.
mourning a loved one. This group is called “Walking the
On Sunday, August 26th, IHN guests will arrive to
Mourners Path.” We have a number of trained facilitators
spend their evenings and overnights at St. Thomas
who partner with our clergy to offer these groups. The
for a week that ends on Sunday morning, September
program lasts about eight weeks and is offered periodically. It
2nd.
is recommended that you wait until a few months after your
On Wednesday, September 19th, from 6:30
loved one has died to begin this process. If you have any
through 8:30 pm, an IHN Volunteer Training will be
question feel free to be in touch with Father Gar, Leila
held in our Parish Hall. All volunteers who interact
Potts, Deb Lang, Kay Childress, Lynn Elman or Heather
with guests must complete the 2-hour training
Sommer.
conducted by the IHN Training Team; in addition,
trained volunteers must attend every 3 years as a
Do we offer the sacrament of confession?
refresher. Attendees must arrive on time and stay
Yes! Any of the priests (Father Gar, Mother Kelly, Father
until the program is completed to be considered
Kevin) who serve at St. Thomas are available by appointment
trained.
to hear confessions. Confession is a time to bare one’s soul to
Sign-up sheets are posted on the bulletin board
God and ask for forgives and penitence. While each weekend
beside the church off ice for food and supplies
service includes a time of corporate confession, individual
needed. Untrained volunteers are needed to set up
confession offers an extended time of one on one counsel and
and take down; trained volunteers are needed for all
pastoral care. The priests who hear confession are bound to
other positions.
strict conf identiality are not allowed to speak of the confes-
IHN serves situationally homeless families and
sion again.
single women in Johnson County. Currently being
served by IHN are 2 families (Mom and Dad plus
What if I have a personal crisis or need pastoral coun-
one child, and one Mom with three children) as
seling? Who can I see?
well as 2 single women. The guests in the program
All of the clergy at St. Thomas are trained in pastoral
are subject to change.
counseling. We can meet with individuals or couples for up
to three sessions to help with any crisis or to help f ind a
Questions about our IHN Host Week? Please
recommended referral for more long term counseling.
contact Margaret Walkenshaw (913-897-4766) or
Sometime people just need someone to listen to them, help
Dola McNown (913-526-3573).
get a problem solved, get another perspective or have a time
of prayer.THE APOS TLE • B A C K - T O -S C HOOL •20
OSTLE •20118 7
MINISTRIES: SMALL GROUPS ENRICHMENT
Solos Dining Out
We started as a Small Group, but have grown to be more of a fellow- The B-I-B-L-E,
ship of about 16-20 members. We enjoy dining out at one of the many
Johnson County restaurants on the second Tuesday of the month at 5:15 Yes, that’s the book for me!
pm, April through December. We do not meet January through March
due to wintry weather. The theme of Vacation Bible
Each month one of our members hosts the dining out venture. This School this year was The Building
person chooses the restaurant, receives our RSVPs and makes the Blocks of Faith. Using stories
reservations. This year so far, we have been to Houlihan’s in Olathe, from the Bible (of course), the
Carrabas, and started Solos students studied hope (Noah),
Dining Out 2018 with a Pot- patience (Abraham and Sarah),
luck at the church. For August, faith (Hannah) and prayer
we will be going to the Blue (David). Through the course of
Moose in Lenexa, and in Sep- our reading, we have discovered
tember to Miyabi Japanese/ stories and verses of encourage-
Asian restaurant. We have a ment that speak to us, today. We
great time dinig together for have found humor, courage and
fellowship. great sadness. We have found a
At our June meeting, we ate people who lived more than
at Houlihan’s and we toasted 2,000 years ago who experienced
Solos Dining Out founder, joy, love, lust, envy, greed, fear
Mary Scott who started our and courage as well as the
group about three years ago. emotions and dilemmas we face
The photo with this article is everyone toasting to Mary and thanking today.
her for starting the small group. Mary, you are in our prayers. We have found a people who
When we go to the Blue Moose in August, we are going to add a are like us. The Bible tells us of
couple of activities to our eating together. Each person will choose a their choices and the results. The
number and sit with the two others who have the number before and Bible reminds us that God can
the number after theirs. We are also going to bring our most unusual work through us, in spite of our
piece of jewelry to talk about it. It will be a wonderful time for everyone. own shortcomings, to accom-
If you want to join our group or have questions, please let me know. plish his purpose.
Please contact Susan Strom at 244-6402. At this point, early September,
we are half way through and
have read half of the Bible!
Contemplative Prayer Congratulations! Remember, if
Our Small Group is grounded in Christ and St. Thomas and will meet you f ind that you have missed a
the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month in the sanctuary of St. Thomas at few days- skip those and pickup
7:00 pm. Though we will begin by reading and discussing a book, we with today’s date. If you didn’t
are not a book study; specif ically, we want to pray together and care for begin with us in January, it isn’t
each other. Culturally, Contemplative Prayer is a cousin of “Mindful- too late! Purchase a One Year
ness,” and has similar chacteristics. Contemplative Prayer is a pivotal Bible, NIV and start with the day
way to listen to that “still, you receive it. Those earlier days,
small, voice” of the Holy Spirit those days you missed, they will
since God never yells. We be read next year.
aren’t experts, and no experi- Questions? Comments? Check
ence is required. Please join out the St. Thomas the Apostle
us. Contact Steve Connolly One Year Bible Facebook page.
at stevencps12@gmail.com if
you have any questions. —Sheryl Roller8 THE APOS TLE • B A C K - T O -S C HOOL •20
POSTLE •20118
MINISTRIES: GLOBAL OUTREACH Invite Welcome Connect (or IWC)
Kenya: Ten ways we made a difference is for ALL
During our summer visit to Kenya, we saw a lot of action at Agatha
Amani House “AAH”, a shelter for women who have been victims of sexual Invitation
and domestic abuse. We accomplished ten things during our trip. We all know people or family members who
1) We took Esther home to her parents; she has late stage HIV and is are looking for a new church home. Ways to
not strong enough to participate in daily activities at AAH. It is very sad, invite:
but unfortunately not uncommon; 2) we helped Jane move forward with “I just love our church home. Have I told you
schooling in hair styling, and she will be leaving soon; 3) Mercy continues about St. Thomas? Maybe you would like to
her college studies in Nakuru and will be half-way through her degree in join me next Saturday or Sunday for worship
hospitality management. We continuously look for opportunities for all service.”
our survivors when they are ready to leave AAH.
4) We resolved the issue of children of poor families not receiving Welcome
lunch at Ngeya Primary School; 5) we provided funds to Mr. Kimani, the Everyone likes to feel welcome in a new
Head Teacher, for lunches for approximately 150 children who are not place. Please take the time to make visitors
currently receiving lunch because they come from very poor families who and new members feel like they belong at St.
cannot afford a small fee for lunches; 6) we also agreed to contribute Thomas. Ways to welcome:
approximately half of the money required to purchase and install a new “Hello.” “Welcome to St. Thomas.” “I don’t
sufria (cooker) that is needed to cook enough food at the same time to think we have met yet. My name is
feed all 2400 kids at lunch time. Once they have raised their portion of ____________.” “It’s nice to meet you.”
the money we will deliver our part; 7) our team conducted family life “Would you like to join me for coffee hour?”
education classes for the 8th grade girls and the 8th grade boys. We “I would like introduce you to __________.”
concentrated on telling the boys that it is not okay to hit or abuse the girls Connect
in any way; 8) the women on our K2K Team conducted three conferences Once you f ind your church home, a great
for women in three different locations. Topics included information way to get to know other parishioners is to
regarding health, gender equality, entrepreneurship and women’s rights. ‘get involved.’ Find a ministry that you are
Over 250 women attended these three conferences. passionate about and you enjoy. This is good
We met with Sharon Mbaya at the Osborne Library as well as with advice for long time members as well as those
Father Maina at All Saints ACK and 9) we agreed to fund repairs and new to St. Thomas. Be brave and volunteer
improvements to the library including repairing and placing tile on the to lead a ministry. Ways to make connec-
floors in the library, off ice and outside waiting/walk area as well as tions:
painting the interior walls of the library. Nyakio will inspect the work and “Are you interested in helping homeless
make the payout before she returns home in September. women and families?” “Do you have a pas-
For the third year in a row, 10) we delivered bulk food such as flour, sion to help at the food pantry” “Does chil-
sugar, rice, beans and cooking oil to Prayers Beyond Boundaries orphanage dren or youth ministries interest you?” “Have
which houses primarily orphans whose parents died from AIDS. The you considered joining one of the small
supplies we delivered will sustain the basic food needs at the orphanage groups?”
for approximately three months.
All of the recipients of funds from K2K are extremely appreciative of There is a Description of Ministries offered at
the support they have received from K2K and asked that we convey their St. Thomas on the Welcome table in the
appreciation to Director Jim Cummins, the Diocese of Kansas and St. narthex. Or you can refer to the St. Thomas
Thomas Parish. website for ministry details. https://
In summary Nyakio and I thank everyone at St. Thomas for supporting www.stthomasop.org.
the mission of K2K in Kenya. We encourage any of you that might be
interested in joining the 2019 K2K Community or Medical Teams to contact Come, Grow, Serve: Make a Difference
us for details. It is a perfect time to start a conversation about that —Jean Adam
possibility.
IWC Warden
—Joe Bob & Nyakio LakeTHE APOS TLE • B A C K - T O -S C HOOL •20
OSTLE •20118 9
Youth Group Mission News
The youth group had an amaz- teamed up with West Side for the hurricane. Our youth changed
ing experience last week in Hous- week to help a man named Jesse the lives of all the people they
ton! We went with the goal of and his family. Jesse had severe helped last week and, in turn,
helping hurricane victims, but we flood damage; his walls were these families changed the lives
came away with relationships that caked in mold and his yard was of our youth.
will last a lifetime. covered with flooded trash. Our In the evenings, the entire
In the mornings, our group youth tore down the ruined walls youth group worked with Friends
would split up between junior high and put up new drywall in three of Northside to do community
and senior high. The junior high bedrooms. The work was very canvassing. For this project, we
worked with Meals on Wheels intense, but very rewarding went door to door asking what
delivering hurricane preparedness because Jesse was so thankful. the people of Northside, a lower-
packages. They also put together Later in the week, the junior income community, felt they
lunch packs for Lord of the Streets high also teamed up with West needed most. Although the week
a local Episcopal homeless ministry. Side and helped prepare a house was full of hard work, we also had
The senior high worked with an to be painted. The elderly woman a lot of fun. On Thursday night,
organization called West Side who lived there was in waist high we went to a church that holds a
Recovery. The group head, Andrew, water for three days during the breakdancing contest every
went house to house in a canoe hurricane before someone in a Thursday night. It is a ministry
rescuing people during Hurricane boat came by to rescue her. The for young people who have been
Harvey. This organization is a junior high also helped move in the system (prison, foster care,
group of Houstonians who saw a furniture that was being donated. immigration systems). Tons of the
need among their low income Some of the senior high took on community’s youth showed up
neighbors even a year after the the challenge of digging a trench and performed. This was an
hurricane. Everyday they rebuild for a gas line in a woman’s back- experience that none of our youth
houses that have been damaged yard. The woman who lived there would have witnessed anywhere
from Harvey. The senior high hadn’t had hot water since the else. That night, we also met the
high school soccer team that won
the state championship in Texas.
The team is made up of immi-
grants and refugees; seven of the
players got full ride scholarships
to State Fair Community College
in Sedalia, Missouri. It was great
for them and our youth to make
connections that we can pursue
in the future because they are so
close to the church.
We spent our fun day, Friday, at
the beach in Galveston. It was
extra fun because the soccer team
met up with us! The week was full
of new experiences for all of the
youth and they won’t forget any
Fall 2018 will see the kick off of youth group starting on August 19th. of it.
We meet (almost) every Sunday from 6-8 starting with dinner and
moving to games, program, and worship. All youth 6-12th grade are
—Rachel Hall
Summer Intern
welcome!!10 THE APOS TLE • B A C K - T O -S C HOOL •20
POSTLE •20118
SUNDAY SCHOOL
tr
Building sstr ong hear
trong ts…building sstr
hearts…building tr ong
trong
friendships…building strong faith
through our St. Thomas Children’s Programming Barbara McCall,
Director of
Children’s
Ministry
Another incredible summer of activities for children have helped us to
kick off and capture our 2018 message of “Building Faith!”
During the f inal week of June, 19 Children and Youth came together to
learn about the courage Daniel displayed in sticking to his faith in the
face of great danger as they produced a variety of art and culinary projects and performed the musical
“Daniel’s Dilemma” at our annual Arts Camp, led by Dr. Beth Elswick.
In mid-July, 27, 3rd through 5th grade students from St. Thomas and the Overland Park community gath-
ered for our annual Elementary Reaching Out to the Community program. The children learned f irst-hand
about poverty in the Greater Kansas City area as they worked at the Catholic Charities and Harvesters food
distribution centers, the pantry and community garden at CrossLines, KCK, and in the transitional housing
facilities at ReStart of KCMO and Hillcrest Transitional Housing of KCK. They also built understanding about
working as a community as friendships and teamwork blossomed as they worked together each morning and
played and socialized each afternoon with visits to the skating rink, pool, Pump It Up (inflatable gym), movie
theatre and Dave & Busters.
Finally, during the last full week of July, this year’s “Building Faith Brick by Brick” Vacation Bible
School turned our education wing, assembly room and Parish
Hall into a Lego Wonderland – which you can still see today -
and hosted 28 “Master Faith Builders” aged preschool through
sixth grades along with an incredible group of youth and adult
volunteers. For f ive days, our children explored stories of
“God’s Master Faith Builders”—Noah, Abraham and Sarah,
Hannah (mother of Samuel) and David—through biblical
storytelling by some of our very talented St. Thomas parishio-
ners, games, music, and of course, LEGOS. The children
learned about the “Building Blocks” of our faith: hope, pa- The are the Master Faith Builders:Noah, Abraham and
Sarah,Hannah and David.
tience, prayer, inner spirit and their own “special” powers of
being the unique, interesting, important individuals that God
created them to be.
We will develop these ideas further as we continue to “Build Faith” and friendships through the coming
Sunday School year which, believe it or not, is just around the corner. Soon, our children will be making their
way back to school, which means it’s time for us as a parish to gear up to support them on their journey
through their academic learning and spiritual growth.
On Sunday, August 19th we will host a re-vamped version of our old “Rally Day,” to include our traditional
Blessing of the Backpacks, along with a Children, Youth & Families Ministry Fair where families can verify or
add their information to our mailing lists (which will include information for Nursery, Sunday School and
Youth Group), and our children & youth may sign up for Junior Ushers (Grades K through 5), Ushers (Grades
6+), Children/Youth Choirs (Grades 1 and up), Acolytes (Grades 3 through 12) and Youth Group (Grades 6-
12), and Lay Readers (Grades 6+). We’ll enjoy a photo op (with opportunity to sign our photo release), a
cookout with potluck sides and deserts and the coolest Slip & Slide you’ve ever seen! Bring your swim gear
and towel.
As our school year approaches, I wish our children and families the very best on a new school year, and I
look forward to seeing you all at our Rally Day on August 19th and when we return to Sunday School on
September 9th. —Ms. BarbaraTHE APOS TLE • B A C K - T O -S C HOOL •20
OSTLE •20118 11
The Summer in snap shots Parish Notes
Our
) led
Baptisms
“M
Lyon recyc aster Fa
r n P arker our daily float
lable ith B
u
te
mer in ids explo
red befo materials ilders co
(sum k re sin t n
king o see ho structed
a tman here the
B
Lego GO lab w
or tip w “a
ping. many L rks” out On July 8, 2018
E EGO of
our L s.
them
e
brick
s cou
ld
Maeve Patricia Kimbrell,
was baptized.
She is the daughter of
Katherine Laird Kimbrell
& Sean Kimbrell,
and the granddaughter of
Tom & Julie Laird.
Marriages
The marriage of
Jessica Booth and Robert Weick
took place on June 2, 2018.
Best wishes to you both.
Deaths
VBS The sympathy of the St.Thomas
community is extended to the
Our kids enjoyed rocking each night to favorite songs like
the LEGO version of “Pharoah, Pharoah.”
following members:
Marianne Pena
on the death of her mother,
MARIE D. HOFFMAN;
Jim Perdew
on the passing of his mother
EDNA PERDEW;
Heather Bradley-Geary
on the loss of her aunt
Elementary CORENE DEMARANVILLE;
ROTC does
outreach at
Crosslines Brenda Ross
on the death of her brother
JOHN WILLIAM HALL;
John Dodderidge
rrots! on the passing of his mother
sort ca
tary ROTC
Elemen ANN DODDERIDGE;
Priscilla Cox
ROTC on the death of her husband, JOE;
Lois Colgrove
on the death of her daughter
ROTC kids have a relaxing afternoon at the pool. NANCY COLGROVE HELLER.
All photos/Barbara McCallSt. Thomas the Apostle Church
12251 Antioch Road NON-PROFIT ORG.
Overland Park, KS 66213 U. S. POSTAGE
• phone: 913-451-0512 • PAID
• fax: 913-451-1966 •
www.stthomasop.org
KANSAS CITY, MO
PERMIT NO. 82
RReetur
turnn Ser vice RReq
Service eq ues
uestted
eques
Our
service hours
Saturdays
5:30 Holy Communion
Sunda
Sundayys
8:45 Holy Communion
with praise music & band
The next deadline for the
10:45 Holy Communion
with traditional music APOSTLE is
September 16, 2018
Calendar in brief
AUGUST:
19: Rally Day and Blessing of Backpacks with all-parish picnic
lunch and inflatable Slip and Slide!
The Parents’ Day Out program YOUTH GROUP BEGINS TODAY at 6 pm
will begin on Monday, 26 - 9/2: IHN HOST WEEK
September 10, 2018.
Our Open House is on SEPTEMBER:
September 6th.
8: St. Paul’s Food Pantry
We have space for enrollment in 9: SUNDAY SCHOOL BEGINS at 9:45 am
both the toddler and 10: PDO begins new school year
Preschool age classrooms.
OCTOBER:
Contact Director Meghan Chaney
through email: 6: Our Annual Blessing of the Animals at 4 pm.
Mchaney@stthomasop.org 13: St. Paul’s Food Pantry
18-20: Diocesan Convention, Topeka
The Apostle is a publication of St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church which is located at 12251 Antioch Road, Overland Park, KS 66213. This newsletter is published on an
irregular basis. This current issue is Vol. 29, number 4. Our email address is stthomas@stthomasop.org. Our staff includes: The Rev. Gar Demo, Rector; The Rev.
Kelly Demo, Assistant Rector; The Rev. Kevin Schmidt, Assisting Priest; The Rev. Fran Wheeler, Deacon; Beth Elswick, DMA, Director of Music; Barbara McCall,
Director of Children’s Ministry; Jillian Hardeman, Intern for Youth & Children’s ministry; Meribeth Risebig, Parish Administrator; and Rosemary Abbott, Editor of The
Apostle; Jean Adam Apostle proof reader. All articles are edited for space, good writing, as well as clarity. Please email editor at strgzr622@att.net.You can also read
