Spring has come to South Jersey! St. Thomas’ campus is blooming, just in time for Holy Week!

This weekend members of St. Thomas’ and Good Shepherd met on the campus of Rowan University to celebrate the Holy Eucharist. Our gracious host was the Interfaith & Spiritual Exploration Center, a first-of-its-kind department among New Jersey universities and a function of the Office of Social Justice, Inclusion, and Conflict Resolution.

As we have watched Rowan University blossom alongside our own church campus, we have been praying about how we might serve that community and reflect God’s own love. College is a critically important time for development of all aspects of a human being — including the spiritual. It is our mission to be a supportive community for everyone seeking God/truth/goodness, and our privilege to carry out that mission on the campus of Rowan University.

Every other month our dedicated team of Lectors gathers to read the Scriptures and to select opportunities to serve in liturgy. Would you like to join us? Talk to Kathy Iannacone about getting on the schedule. We are particularly short-handed in our Saturday/5.30 and Sunday/8.00 services!

Ash Wednesday: St. Thomas’ celebrated with Ashes to Go early and late, Ash Wednesday services in the middle. This also marked our first Ash Wednesday offerings on the campus of Rowan University. It was below freezing, but more than 40 people came out to answer the invitation to a Holy Lent, remembering their mortality and God’s care for them.

The Kitchen of Hope Banquet was a huge success! The room was packed (an extra table had to be set up), the baskets were plentiful, and our Bishop and Canon to the Ordinary were both present to offer their blessings. Thank you, St. Thomas’, for the amazing work you do in support of causes you believe in!

Several from St. Thomas’ attended the “Way of St. Paul” training offered by the Diocese of New Jersey in Pennington, NJ. The Way of St. Paul aims to help churches grow by “Keeping the main thing the main thing.” For a church, the main thing is forming disciples of Jesus Christ, and the context for the main thing is in relationship. Ask us about what we heard!

Why I love St. Thomas’ #1403: Last night and this morning it was announced that there were bags of dirty laundry from IHM/Family Promise (housing families in transition on our campus for a week at a time) in the back hall. Everyone was invited to take one home and wash it. Today after coffee hour, this bag is all that was left!

Our youth group had its first monthly Game Night of the new year! All youth, 6th to 12th grades, are welcome to join us on the first Sunday of each month from 6-8pm. Thank you to Dan Owen for organizing this exciting new opportunity for fellowship and fun!