To know Christ, grow in Christ, and share Christ's love.
Dear Friends,
Our holy and life-giving church mission is much on my mind as this New Year begins. I want to announce the formation of fellowship groups which will meet every week on Sunday mornings at 9:15AM beginning Sunday, January 15. This is a change of format for our Adult Education programs and I believe you will find it exciting, simple to understand, and easy to join in.
There will be a host team in each of four classroom spaces: namely B-14, B-21 and B-18 downstairs and Huffman Hall. Each of the host teams will prepare learning information along the following lines:
Huffman Hall – Living What We Believe in Every Area of our Lives
B-14 – Practicing the Inner Spiritual Life
B-21 – Exploring the Sunday Bible Lessons
B-18 – Family Life
This new format is based on the recognition that our Adult Education offerings have been focused on teachers and topics instead of building relationships between parishioners and welcoming newcomers and visitors. The members of the host teams are preparing information about themselves and the topics they will discuss and you will receive information that will help you select the class you might choose to join. You might receive a personal invitation to join a class by a member of a host team. Our goal is to “build up the Body of Christ at St.; Matthew’s by inviting adults to share their daily lives, hopes and aspirations as Christians, in order to develop lasting bonds of friendship, to deepen the inner spiritual journey, and to foster the will to serve God’s world individually and together.” A noble goal, indeed. And as your Rector it is important for me to tell you that you will not be assigned to a group and that though I hope that you will find a group and settle in, you should feel free to move from group to group as you see fit. More on this exciting development in the coming weeks!!
On Sunday morning, January 8th, I will lead a class at 9:30AM in Huffman Hall focused on the themes and Scriptures of the Epiphany Season. I love to teach and I am particularly moved by this season and the powerful themes of enlightenment or transformation or being “born again”.
Finally, this issue of the WORD is in a new and briefer format. Our goal is to reduce costs, from around $11,000.00 per year, to under $5,000.00 per year, and to move longer epistles and articles to E-Mail Notification and www.stmattsaustin.org for broader and quicker distribution. I hope you will enjoy our new format, and please understand that our new Monthly WORD will be a work in progress for several months!
Finally, elsewhere you will find announcements about the Annual Meeting on the evening of January 8th I have always considered the Annual Meeting something of a “command performance”. Please make every effort to attend this year!
To know Christ, grow in Christ, and share Christ's love.
