From the beginning, Holy Scripture conveys the truth that we who are made in God's image are called into community. A faith-community gathers; it is taught, forgiven, nourished and empowered - then disbanded and sent into the world for mission.

 

Our worship on Sunday - our Eucharistic meal - has the single most profound influence on St. Thomas's as a faith community: gathering to hear the Word of God, proclaiming the Word in a great variety of preachers and preaching styles, responding to the Word, lifting up private and corporate concerns in prayer, anointing and healing (Unction) and feasting on Eucharistic bread and wine - all these are at the center. Participating in the four-fold action of "taking," "blessing," "breaking," "giving" continually forms and re-forms our faith-community.

 

Worshiping together naturally overflows into fellowship together - that's why you will find such an emphasis on "Coffee Hour" here. Whether the fare is "simplicity personified" or a board laid out for brunch - whether store-bought or homemade - those who host coffee hour do so as though they host the Risen Christ. Indeed, the Divine is in our midst. Hospitality to strangers, as well as family and friends may be our "entertaining of angels, unaware"; in fact, we believe it to be so.

 

With regularity, a forum of some kind is available for our continuing spiritual formation. Discussion groups form spontaneously to respond to the sermon, a series of presentations may revolve around common concerns and contemporary issues. Those participating in internet studies, Ecclesia, meet together for monthly dialog.

 

A recent survey identified more than forty ministries one might be involved in for the nurture and maintenance of community. Also identified were more than one hundred outreach or charitable endeavors supported by individual members of St. Thomas's. These range in scope from small local home-grown ministries to international relief agencies