Laity make such a difference in the local church. St. Thomas UMC  is Feeding God’s people. The congregation is an awesome example of how lay leadership is important and making difference for the entire community. 

Three hundred thirty people live in the town of St. Thomas, North Dakota. An average of 20 people attend in-person worship at the United Methodist Church. Each week people in the community, a farming community located 30 miles from the Canadian border, can be fed in body and soul by the United Methodist Congregation.

There is no pastor appointed to the congregation. Worship is lead by a lay leader Karen Bigwood. Sue Green plays the piano and members of the congregation take turns reading scripture and doing other jobs to make worship happen. Once a month Rev. Jerry Bass, a retired elder of the Dakotas Conference, travels from Grand Forks, North Dakota, to St. Thomas to give a sermon and preside over communion. The remaing Sundays, the congregation watches a recorded message from Pastor Jerry or another pastor fills the pulpit with a message.

 St. Thomas, installed a “Little Free Pantry” inside the local building that houses the community’s post office and cafe. An unused newspaper dispenser was transformed into a food pantry. 

Each fall, St. Thomas UMC invites families to a God’s Pumpkin Patch at the church that includes games, supper, a Bible lesson, and pumpkins.