Opportunities for Involvement

Altar Guild.

The members of the Altar Guild care for all the items used in our worship, which includes washing, ironing, dusting, polishing, and safely storing.  The Altar Guild provides and sets up the wine, wafers, candles, liquid wax. and linens, and members help to decorate the church for special days.

Bishop’s Committee.

The governing board of the church is called the Bishop's Committee.  This group includes the vicar or priest-in-charge as well as lay members elected by the congregation. The Bishop's Committee ensures effective organization and planning and manages resources and finances, all while supporting the church's mission by word and deed.

2022 Members: Shelley Arnold, Camelia Jolly, Allen Stout, Cynthia Riley, John Mitchell, Jeremy Richmond, Lynne Richmond, Andrea Utzman, Lance Brooks, Jim Lisanti


Lay Eucharist Ministers.

Lay Eucharistic Ministers or LEMs administer the chalice during the Eucharist. Some LEMs are also authorized to take Communion to people who are unable to attend church.

Acolytes:

Acolytes are responsible for assisting the priest and servers at the altar and may also serve as crucifers (carrying the cross in the procession), torchbearers, and other liturgical roles.  Often acolytes are youth, and young people are welcome to become involved in this way in worship.

Men’s Breakfast.

  • The purpose of the Men’s breakfast is to provide a place for the Men of St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church and St. Gregory's Episcopal Church to meet once a month for fellowship.

    Part of good mental health is to engage with one another. Writing text and emails is no substitute for meeting eyeball to eyeball.

    We have been meeting for 44 years.

  • We currently meet on the second Saturday of each month, 8:00 AM at Denny’s located at 5520 South Street, Lakewood where our Men can connect over a good breakfast.

    Men Meeting for BreakfastAll men of the parishes are welcome to come to the Men’s Breakfast. At this time, we are asking all men attending to be vaccinated.

    Any extra money that is collected for the meal is donated to the Clergy Discretionary Fund. This we hope will help the Priests in Charge to meet some of their important outreach needs. Please come and see what it is all about.

Saint Martha’s Guild

  • St. Martha's Guild has been in place at St. Thomas for many years. It is probably the longest running group that has met regularly in the history of the church, by choice. The object of St. Martha's has been fivefold:

    We have come together to be a social group, which is very much what goes on now at our meeetings, and we welcome all who wish to join us. We have had men join us, as well as women, newcomers, and those who now find themselves with the time to come, as they have retired.

    We have done some outreach projects in the name of the church, over the years. We have responded with many different efforts, including the placing of Bibles in prisons; providing knitted caps, blankets, and burial outfits for neonatal patients; providing caps for seamen; and making donations to organizations.

    Bazaar

    We have provided money or actual items, as needed, for the use of the church.

    We celebrate many holidays, more so in the past, with gatherings for meals.

    We make items to be sold to provide funds for our activities, and we occasionally touch on items related to religion during our meetings.

    Members of St. Martha's Guild include talented knitters and crocheters, and we have done some sewing projects. Over the years, children from the Montessori School at St. Thomas have come to learn to knit or crochet, and new adult members who never imagined this would happen are also learning. They say it is good for your health to be creative.

  • St. Martha's Guild meets each Thursday from 9:30-11:30am. Please join us. We are usually a group of between five and seven crafters, but would love new members. We always have tea, coffee, and biscuits. If you need the gate to be opened, please call the office at 562-420-3577

Opportunities for Participation

  • St. Thomas of Canterbury is in partnership with the Broken Loaf Food Pantry that provides food for those in need of help. We gather food and monetary donations on the third Sunday of each month.

  • Hard working members of the parish assist with office duties by answering phones, creating and folding the weekly bulletin, and other special tasks as needed.

  • The members of St. Thomas periodically bring together home baked breads, cakes, cookies, and other treats in a sale to help support the programs of the church.

  • Each year St. Thomas Church holds a Dinner Auction, for members and friends as a fellowship and fund raising event. All who attend enjoy a delicious dinner and share in the fun of competing for the many wonderful items and services that are available for auction each year. Donations for the auction and volunteers to help with planning and managing the event are welcome.

For current information about any of these groups or events, please call the church office at (562) 425-4457.