A warm welcome to our visitors! We pray that your visit to St. Matthew’s will richly bless you and that you will come back again. Please fill out the Welcome Card located in the chair slot in front of you. Place the information portion in the offertory plate and affix the name tag so that we may identify and welcome you. And we have a special gift for you so please stop by the Welcome Table in the foyer after the service. For information about St. Matthew's, call Dedee Norman at 345-8314 Ext. 229 and visit our web site at www.StMattsAustin.org

St. Matthew’s offers nursery care from 8:00 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. on Sundays. Nurseries for children 0-18 months are located in Huffman Hall on the parking lot side of the hallway. The nursery for children 18 months - 4 years is in the Education Building. There is also a cry room upstairs for parents with unhappy babies.

When life's challenges appear overwhelming, we encourage you to call on your St. Matthew's family for love, prayer, the support of a friend, or a meal in time of need. With loving respect and confidentiality, we offer these and many other pastoral care services to our church family. Contact the church office, 345-8314, with needs and requests. In case of emergency, St. Matthew’s clergy may be reached by calling 771-0680

Homebound? If you or someone you know are unable to come to church and would like Holy Communion brought to you on Sunday, please call Jim Sparks at 345-7757.

*Did you wear your nametag today? If you need a new one please see Dedee Norman at the Welcome Table in the Commons right after church.

*TODAY We welcome Steven Tighe who was commissioned to serve as a missionary from St. Matthew’s. He is associated with Gateway Missions Training Center in El Paso where youth and adult leaders are trained for mission service. St. Matthew’s members, adult and youth, have recently participated in Gateway sponsored mission trips to Juarez.

*TODAY Adult Education Council brainstorming and planning session at noon in Room B-13. Anyone interested in Adult Education at St. Matthew’s is encouraged to participate. Please bring a brown bag lunch and your ideas.

*TODAY Arts Festival Meeting (Sept. 6-7--get that on your calendar ASAP): Needed--a few chiefs and a bunch of Indians. Now. Meet after church today in B-14 for short meeting and heap good snacks. We are especially interested in anyone who would like to work on the children's program and anyone who has expertise in communications/marketing/advertising. THANK YOU!!

*TODAY The Xplorers, a fellowship/study group for young adults, invites you to join us after church today for a potluck lunch. We are having lunch and then we'll be singing some praise songs and talking about today's scripture verses. Visitors and newcomers most welcome (no dish necessary!). Next week we'll be talking about divorce/how to deal with this. Call Robisons, 339-4063, or Sommervilles, 996-8913, for more information.

*TODAY Attention Singles: There will be an Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social with homemade ice cream and cookies this afternoon, at 4:00 p.m. at Rather House at the Episcopal Seminary. This party is sponsored by St. David’s Church --- please RSVP to tudy@st.dave.org

EPISCOPAL CHURCH WOMEN (ECW)
*Coming for the Women of St. Matthew’s and their guests…an "In-House" Retreat led by The Rev. Susan Barnes. Friday and Saturday, August 2 and 3. For more details and to sign up visit the ECW table in the Commons today. Reservations are required! For more information call Kay Whitney 345-0574.
The Episcopal Church Women are compiling a cookbook and we’d like to include your family favorites! The book will be a fund raiser for both the September arts festival, Opening Our Hearts to the Arts, and for the ECW 2002 Annual Meeting on November 1 and 2 at Camp Allen, sponsored by St. Matthew’s ECW. To send your recipes see instructions in the July issue of The Word but please use a different email address (oops!) Send your recipes to smcookbook@hotmail.com

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY
*VBS plates have arrived. If you made a plate at the Friendship Blast, please come by the Huffman Hall office or call Heather (418-9343) to arrange a time to pick up your plate!

Job Cards Need You! We have completed the posting of our annual parish-wide "Job Cards", in order for you to help prepare for fall Chapel and Sunday School. Furniture needs to be cleaned, materials freshened, paper cut, curriculum sorted, and errands run. Thursday Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study are cleaning baseboards and sweeping out cobwebs and pill bugs for the fourth year in a row. Would you be willing to give an hour or two, also? Follow the notices and signs to the door of B-17, where Job Cards are posted!! Thanks so much.

Speaking of Fall…Is it your time to help work with our children? All training and materials are provided. Also provided is the reward of watching the almost imperceptible – but real – signs of spiritual growth in our children. Chapel, Sunday School, and special events will have a place for your caring participation. Call Barbara Pitts, 345-8314, x221.

*Cursillo Outlook For August: Cursillo # 196 at Camp Allen, August 1-4; Closing 4 p.m. at All Saint’s Chapel, Camp Allen on August 4. How about some candidates? We have none so far! Convocation Ultreya August 11at St. Philip the Joy Giver, 6 p.m. Submitted by Dyke Miller

*The Buildings and Grounds Commission reminds us that cash donations are always welcome to buy small plantings to supplement the larger beds.

Are You Up to Date on Your Pledge?

Save the Date! Sunday, July 28 at 7:00 p.m., Jeff Macklin
a special concert of Praise and Gospel music at St. Matthew’s. Accompanied by our own Blue Howlers, Jeff will sing an hour of contemporary and traditional songs and tell his inspirational personal story; how he was released from prison and now is worship leader at Glory Ministries in Fairfield, Texas. A love offering taken at the concert will help underwrite his mission trip to Zimbabwe in the fall. Please read the July issue of The Word for details and come share the joy with Jeff!