Wednesday Word from Rev. Grace & Mrs. Erin

21st Century life is very transient. Families move. Children often attend many schools. In these transitions, children learn resilience and coping skills that serve them well in life. Still, being surrounded by a stable, caring community of adults - for a few years or for decades - is a powerful gift in a child's life.

That's the gift St. Thomas offers to children and families. As they come to know God, hear the stories of the Bible, and learn to worship, they do so in a community that loves and cares for them from childhood to adulthood.

Children and families at St. Thomas have been deeply blessed by Mrs. Erin's love and care. For almost 14 years she has led children's ministries as a staff person, in addition to volunteering in many ways before that. What a rare and special gift she has been.

We can't thank her enough, of course, but we will try this Sunday. Join us at the 10:30 service to thank Erin Redden as well as Katie Buckley who has served for several years as children's assistant. Stay for a potluck lunch and celebration after the service. We also plan to take a group picture with Erin and any present and former Episcokids. Information about how to contribute to a gift is below. We have much to celebrate together!

Blessings -

Grace

It has been a pleasure and an honor being St. Thomas’ Christian Formation Director. I am so proud of all we have accomplished over the years, and the lifelong relationships I have made because of the time spent with each of you.

I was hired as a soloist by Dr. Bill Bullock, then choirmaster, in 1996. Roger and I had gotten married that year and we quickly became involved in all that St. Thomas had to offer us. Like many, it was the music that brought us but the sense of community and “family” that made St. Thomas, home.

Madison was born and baptized by Father Paul Cosby in 1998 and Hugh was born and baptized by Father Doug Hahn in 2002. My cradle Episcopalians, now adults, were raised to live into the their baptismal covenants at St. Thomas.

As I raised my children and always felt a pull to work with the youngest members of our church family, I became the Children’s Choir Director. I learned that I could share the liturgy and traditions that I loved about our church to the children through music. We worked on building weekly attendance, memorizing the hymn of the month and how to participate in worship by offering anthems and songs of praise!

When Maddie and Hugh were at their youngest, and mom and dad were “working,” I never had a moment of worry because they were either cared for by our professional nursery staff or the other “mothers” of the church. One of my favorite memories was learning that Maddie had been difficult to console in the nursery one Sunday and former member, Edie Teal, went in and took Maddie, laid her on her chest and bounced her until she became calm. The nursery workers, stared at her and Edie said y’all are too skinny. Maddie is used to a more “curvy” place to settle in. Looking back you could actually see the promises being made at baptism at work. People were there to help Roger and I raise our own kiddos, so I answered a higher calling to begin volunteering.

In 2000, I stepped up to lead Vacation Bible School. There were not a lot of resources readily available for formation being written in the Episcopal church so I set a goal to write a VBS with Fr. Doug’s help we presented, The Creation Sensation.

After that summer, I became a regular volunteer leading a Sunday School class each week. In 2015, I officially became the Director of Children’s Formation and I began to explore my passions for formation at the diocesan level, regionally- with the help of Kanuga’s Christian Formation summer conference and nationally as a board member for FORMA. I became a sponge and wanted to learn as much as possible so that in turn I could share it with our children, families and other formation friends throughout the United States.

While being very passionate about sharing the teachings of Jesus and traditions of the Episcopal Church, I also taught elementary music fulltime and attended graduate school receiving a degree in Instructional Leadership. It had been my goal one day to became a school administrator. That being said, I accepted the call to become an Assistant Principal at Russell County High School for the 2023-2024 school year. I am passionate about serving the needs of all children and youth. Because I need to give this new job 100% of my time and energy I felt this was the time to resign from my position at St. Thomas. I still consider St. Thomas my home, so My family and I will continue to worship their after I take some time to reflect and rest.

Looking back, some of my favorite memories include but are not limited to- Maddie being a lamb, wearing a coffee filter with construction paper ears in the Paper Bag Christmas Pageant at 2 months old, trick or treating with the Barrington and Teal families, Wesley Nicholson and David Baggett consuming an entire loaf of french bread and container of grape juice during a lesson about communion, Sam Olive- Allison appearing as an angel in her slip because the angel costume hurt, Lawrence Akyempong and Chloe Olive-Allison as Joseph and Mary rocking and singing to baby Jesus in the Virtual Christmas Pageant, Darla Farrow hanging from a tree in her Easter dress while hunting eggs, watching all the kiddos dress up and share about their favorite saints on All Saints Sunday, forgetting where I had buried the Alleluia’s one Shrove Tuesday, making rainbow cupcakes to share about the diversity of God’s kingdom, crowning the kings and queens of Epiphany each year, Jesus (William Sealey and Steven Slater) riding “triumphantly” into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey on Palm Sunday, Elyse Dahlgren and Asha Hostetter sharing their performances learned at Camp Mikell, accepting invitations to serve as a witness and godparent to Katie Spencer Sealey, William Sealey, Ta’Kira Williams and Ky Goodman, Springer shows with Lola Beth James, 5th grade graduation of Steven and William Slater and shopping for Easter dresses with Delilah Farrow, celebrating a drive through, spider themed birthday for Kingston Olive-Allison, hanging out with Dorothy, Evie, Alaina and story in the nursery, working with an amazing staff, working with Rev. Grace and learning to look at the entire church year as a formation gift while planning, Patty finding a Cart of Erin in a storage closet, Rick playing the chimes on the organ after the children would sing in worship, Zoe Helke-Pierce singing a beautiful solo in the children’s choir, Carter, Erin, Lauren, Lauren and friends showing up to help stuff Easter eggs as long as I had food prepared to bribe them with, dancing with Jacob Sholtis in Savannah to live music while on a youth trip, knowing that Momo and B are waiting for me on the nursery gate to greet me on a Sunday morning, the list goes on and on…

The Holy Spirit is moving me to serve in a new way, and I have no doubt that with God’s help, St. Thomas will continue to thrive and grow. I cant wait to witness and experience all this incredible church and it’s people has to offer.

Much love,