This Week At St. Matthew's
Sunday, October 28, 2018
The Twenty-third Sunday After Pentecost
Proper 25 Year B
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Twenty-third Sunday After Pentecost
8:00 a.m. Eucharist
9:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:30 a.m. Sunday School and
Christian Education
10:30 a.m. Eucharist
Service from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer
READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY :
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The 1662 Book of Common Prayer is loved for the beauty of its language and its services are widely used. It is also the foundation of a tradition of common prayer and a key source of the Church of England's doctrine.
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Adult Christian Education
Connecting Through Holiday Traditions
10/ 28: 11/ 4, 11: 12/ 2, 9, 16
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DON'T FORGET!!
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS
NEXT SUNDAY,
NOVEMBER 4th
.
SET CLOCKS BACK ONE HOUR SATURDAY NIGHT!
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NEW THIS SEASON:
ST. MATTHEW'S CHRISTMAS PAGEANT!!
Our seminarian, Karen Anderson, is leading the plan to offer a Christmas pageant at St. Matt's for the Family Service on Christmas Eve (at 4:00 p.m this year).
To do this
, we are looking for
children ages 6-12 who want to be involved in some fashion in helping us tell the story of the birth of Jesus. We have parts for kids who want to practice their theater skills and share some lines from memory with us, and we have roles for those who would prefer to simply be part of the fun! Rehearsals will be on Sunday afternoons in November and December.
An information meeting will be held
this Sunday October 28th at 2: 00 p.m.
in the parish hall.
We are also looking for parents, older youth and other adults
who would commit to being part of the team to make this a success, including costumes, lighting, sound, etc, and assistants to the director. We would really like this to be a parish-wide effort to tell the story of the birth of our Savior!
Contact Karen Anderson
for more information on getting involved:
(770) 979-4210, ext 200
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NOVEMBER 4, ALL SAINTS SUNDAY
6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Quiet Reflection
7:30 p.m. Memorial Service with
Reading of the Names
St. Matthew's will celebrate the lives of our family and friends who have gone on before us with a special evening service incorporating some of the traditions used by cultures around the world. There will be
quiet time beginning at 6:30 for various kinds of contemplation. The sanctuary and the Coil Chapel will be reserved for silent prayer. The labyrinth will be set up in the parish hall for prayer walks. Mother Liz will be available for those who just want to talk to someone.
At 7:30, a brief memorial service will be held in the sanctuary during which the names of those we have lost will be read.
If you have friends and family you would like commemorated during this service,
PLEASE USE THE RED SIGN-UP BOOK IN THE PASS-THROUGH BETWEEN THE MAIN HALLWAY AND THE NARTHEX. All names should be submitted by
Wednesday, October 31st
. All names will appear in the bulletin on Sunday, November 4th.
We hope that you will join us to light a candle, place a flower on the cross, place a stone on the cairn, or simply say a prayer as you search for your own peace and understanding of that most mystifying aspect of life: death.
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CHOIR PRACTICES
Come join the choir!
Cherubs, Children's, Epiphany, Bell Choir, or Sanctuary--there's something for everyone!
for information on dates and times.
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PJ Says...
Y
OUTH
G
ROUP
H
ALLOWEEN
P
ARTY!
This Sunday, October 28 at 6:00 p.m. Come in costume for a spooky fun time!
YOUTH GROUP meets
Sundays at 6:00 p.m
. in the Undercroft. ALL youth of the parish 6th - 12th grades are invited to be a part of this exciting year. For more information, contact
Holly Bond or
Amanda Livermont.
DIVE BIBLE STUDY FOR HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH
meets
Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. in Mother Liz's office. For more information on this dynamic Bible study please contact
Mother Liz or
Amanda Livermont..
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"Other Than Sunday" Offerings During the Week
Click the Icons below for more info:
Wednesdays With the Word
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November 3rd at 10 a.m. - Identity Theft
What is the Dark Web? How do we protect ourselves from Identity Fraud?
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ADULT CONFIRMATION CLASSES
will begin in January. If you would like to be confirmed in the Episcopal church, or have been confirmed in another Christian denomination and would like to be received into the Episcopal Church, please plan on attending these Sunday morning classes.
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The next date traditionally reserved for baptism in the Episcopal Church is SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4,
ALL SAINTS SUNDAY.
If you or your child would like to be baptized, please email Susan Carson at
registrar@stmatthewssnellville.org
or complete a pre-baptismal form in the office
BY MONDAY, OCTOBER 29 so we may set up a meeting with Mother Liz.
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Opportunities For Engagement
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JUNIOR WORSHIP NEEDS YOUR HELP!
Can you volunteer an occasional Sunday helping in Junior Worship? The purpose of Jr Worship is to help prepare the children ages 5-7 to be able to worship alongside their families by learning about worship and answering any/all questions they may have about the church. Worship comes in ALL forms and it takes more than a few participants to make things happen every week.
Junior Worship takes place during the first part of the 10:30 service most weeks during the school year. The children are led out by the verger, who then leads them back into church at the Peace. Your presence with the children shows them in a tangible way how our church family loves and serves one another in the body of Christ and the church. .
Thank you!
Debbie Inman - Junior Worship Lead
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THE STEPHEN MINISTRY CORNER
What a Stephen Minister is Equipped To Do
While much has been written about a Stephen Minister’s role, and additional info is available on the St. Matthew's
website or from
stephenministries.org
, many people do not get the whole picture of what a Stephen Minister is equipped to do.
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MEETINGS/GROUPS THIS WEEK:
Sunday, Oct 28
2:00 pm Christmas Pageant Meeting .
Thursday, Nov 1
10:00 am Knit Crochet & Pray
6:00 pm Finance Committee Mtg
6:15 pm Building & Grounds Mtg
6:30 pm Long Range Planning Mtg
Saturday, Nov 3
8:00 am Brotherhood of St. Andrew
10:00 am Cafe Theology
All committee meetings and groups are open to everyone. Come get involved!
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THE LOOSE PLATE OFFERING
next week on the 1st of each month traditionally goes to the Rector’s Discretionary Fund. Please give generously as you are able.
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ST. MATTHEW'S PRESCHOOL CORNER
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ST. MATTHEW'S PRESCHOOL
ANNUAL PUMPKIN AUCTION -
EXTENDED
THROUGH SUNDAY,
OCTOBER 28
Pumpkins will be on display for auction and voting
through October 28th
in the church office.
Be sure to stop by to vote for your favorite pumpkin displayed in the office, and make a bid to take it home for Halloween! All proceeds from the auction go to the preschool.
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ROSEBUD WARMTH
We are once again collecting donations for the Rosebud reservation in South Dakota.
Click here
to learn more about donating handmade or purchased hats, gloves and scarves to the children of the reservation.
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St. Matthew's Turns Forty Next Year!
Do you have photos or memorabilia from St. Matthew's people or events in the "old days"? If so, please consider getting them out and dusting them off to share. Please contact
Diane Eberhart or
Marsha Elixson for more information..
Be sure to put
Sunday, September 22, 2019 on your calendar. It will a Homecoming Sunday you won't want to miss!
H
ave you noticed the directory posted on the bulletin board? Please write in your birthplace or where you or your family is from beside your name in that directory. We'll be putting up a map next year showing where our parish family comes from! We'd like everyone to be represented on the map!
Photo: Altar in original St. Matt's sanctuary (now the parish hall), 1981
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MUSINGS FROM MOTHER LIZ
I don’t know about you, but I found this past week a difficult one to navigate. Saturday, Gwinnett police officer Antwan Toney was shot and killed while approaching a car parked near Shiloh Middle School. On Monday, the alleged shooter, Tafahree Maynard, was shot and killed by a Gwinnett officer as they sought to take him into custody. That same Monday, an eighth grade student at Trickum Middle School in Lilburn stabbed his language arts teacher in the chest with an 8 inch butcher knife he brought to school.
As a pastor, I mourn both lives lost, and I pray for the teacher who was wounded and for the student who would commit this act. And I pray for those who are impacted by these acts of violence – a ripple that goes far beyond these four people.
I have heard from people who are angry and afraid. I deeply wish I could offer wisdom, but that would be trying to explain the illogical with logic. So I offer compassion, and prayers, and a listening ear to anyone who might need to talk, whether about these events or anything else that is weighing you down. And please know that I am not the only one available if you need to talk. Susan Jung and our Stephen’s ministers would like to help, and you can ask for prayers from our Daughters of the King and St. Luke’s chapters. Father Doug is helping me right now with parish pastoral care when he is in town, and he’s a good listener.
I hope you realize that if you are struggling, you do not need to walk alone. Call me at St. Matthew’s – I now have an extension (109) and voicemail, so if you don’t reach me, you can leave a message. Or you can call my cell (770-820-9448). This is what being in community is all about. And I give thanks to God each day that he led me to St. Matthew’s.
In Peace,
Liz+
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The Search for an Associate Rector
Recently, several people have asked me about the way we are going about calling an Associate Rector. Since it has been so many years since St. Matthew’s had an Associate, I thought it might be helpful to share how the Episcopal Church goes about this process.
The canons ascribe the search for personnel as the purview of the rector. At St. Matthew’s, using a search committee to identify qualified persons has worked well in the past. So, it made sense to use a committee for this search.
One of the goals in putting together the search committee was to have good representation from groups in the parish that do not receive a lot of clergy support. There was also a desire to include several parish members who had not previously been involved in a search process. A third goal was to have youth representation on the committee. Katherine Reynolds agreed to chair this committee, and together we prepared a list of 28 people who we believed would be good candidates. From that list, seven adults accepted the invitation to serve, and three youth members of the youth board were added. Joining Katherine Reynolds on the team are David Chandler, Katy Hansen, Debbie Inman, Joan Kengla, Amanda Livermont (vestry liaison), Andrew Whatley and Karen Wilson, along with three youth representatives. The committee began work in September and is close to having a position description ready to post.
Given the special services in September and our busy October schedule, we will commission the search committee during services on November 4. Please keep the search committee in your prayers.
"
Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
". (BCP, p.817)
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What A Weekend!
Dear Sisters and Brothers from Saint Matthew’s!
A few years ago, the parish provided feedback that an event, like a weekend retreat, was something the majority will welcome. After more than a year of planning, this past weekend that retreat was a reality; an effort that brought so many parishioners together in love, harmony, worship and fellowship to the glory of God.
The setting was the magnificent Stone Mountain Park campgrounds. The weekend activities provided opportunities to all present, to get to know each other and work, have fun and worship together. It was a weekend where young and old mingled and learned from each other. The campfire provided a magical moment for all to keep warm and connect through stories and music.
The fellowship committee would like to express the utmost gratitude to all who attended and others that works so hard to make this retreat happen. Special thanks to Terri Ingalls, our professional story teller, that allowed her craft to teach us how, and the importance of, telling our stories; to Mindy Barringer for the gift of live music for the campfire and the worship service; to the parenting group that handled most of the meals; and to the countless volunteers that ensured this successful event.
Thank you and may the peace of the Lord be always with you!
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OFFICE NOTE: A locked drop box
has been installed in the door to the office. You may drop completed membership forms, pledge cards, or checks in this secured box any time the office is closed. It will be retrieved by office staff and distributed.
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Diocesan Convention, also known as Annual Council,
will be held at Holy Innocents Episcopal Church/School, 805 Mount Vernon Highway, Atlanta, on
Friday, November 9 and Saturday, November 10.
The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Michael Curry will attend the Friday portion
of the meeting and will preach at the Eucharist scheduled for 3:30PM on Friday.
If you have seen Bishop Curry preach, or have heard of his preaching, you know this is an event not to be missed if at all possible. Visitors are welcome to attend council, although space can be a little limited. However, anyone who wishes to attend Eucharist may do so. The staff at Holy Innocents has made arrangement for overflow seating and live stream of the service, if everyone cannot fit into the nave. I hope you will consider attending.
St. Matthew's delegates to Diocesan Council this year are Greg Andrews, Jay Jones, and Janis Williams.
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Events and Serving Schedules
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SERMON ON THE AMOUNT - SEPTEMBER 2018
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St.Matthew's Episcopal Church | P770-979=4210 | stmatts@bellsouth.net | itsthepeople.org
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