My name is Joan Thelin. I joined St. Martin-in-the-Fields in September 2014. During the past 6 years I helped with the Fall Festival, the mission trips to Union Gospel Mission in Fort Worth and Vacation Bible School. I also became involved with Sisters of the Spirit (SOS) including maintaining the Pew Pockets on Monday afternoons, the Wednesday morning study class, the Bread Ministry, Schedulers, Ladies Night Out and helping with researching the 50 year history of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. I am a Lector and was a Eucharistic Minister.
Due to my husband’s employment we worshiped at several churches in the United States and on Okinawa. I learned early, as a young adult, we are stewards of God’s creation and we need to support and help in maintaining His creation. Over the years, I received many unexpected blessings, the majority of which came from God through the individuals and congregations where I worshiped. These congregations enabled me to use my gifts and talents to further my walk with God. Thus, I have a strong desire to continue to support these church homes with my time, talent, and finances.
Each fall my husband and I, realizing how much God had blessed us through the past year, would increase our giving to the church in gratitude for what God had given to us. We knew our talents and gifts would provide for the church and still maintain our everyday living. After his death in 2013, I continued this practice of showing my gratitude for the gifts I received.
As a widow, I moved to Texas to be near my daughter’s family. When I walked into St. Martin’s, I was greeted by Flo Lowery and other greeters and ushers. As I sat in the pew, I felt God’s love expressed by the people in the pews around me. It was like I had come home! As a member of St. Martin’s, I have received inestimable joy and satisfaction in using my time, talents and gifts helping others in this congregation and those living in the area surrounding this church.
In addition, I see that St. Martin’s looks outside of itself in its desire to help others who are in need. In doing this they have given hope to the young children who come to Vacation Bible School, to the homeless in Fort Worth with the sandwiches made on the Second Sunday, and to others with the various items from the many donations given by this congregation throughout the year. As a church we receive so much more than we give. Although this current pandemic may have slowed our giving of hope to others, St. Martin’s with new technology, not available when I was a child, will enable us to continue to provide hope to the community that surrounds our church building.
You are my church family. I am glad I found St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
A little bit about Joan Thelin:
Since childhood, I have been an Episcopalian. After my husband Woody died, I moved to Texas. We have three children. Our oldest daughter Daphne and her husband, Daniel live in Southlake. They have four daughters, three of whom are married. Our other daughter, G.J. lives in Fresno, CA. In 1993, my son, Will, moved to Taipei Taiwan. My last employment was at Legal Aid of Nebraska as a Certified Legal Assistant.