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The Weekly Word
December 1, 2002
Today marks the First Sunday of Advent, the day when we begin Year B of the Liturgical Year.
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
Excellent, Experienced Child Care for Your Young Children is Offered from 8:00 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. 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 comfortable, soundproof room upstairs for adults who wish to keep their babies with them during the service.
Need a Shoulder for Support? 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
Home Delivery of Holy Communion if you are unable to come to church and would like Holy Communion brought to you on Sunday, please call Jim Sparks at 345-7757.
For a Weekly Update on Parish Activities, Simply Subscribe to the Communications Commission’s Email Notification Service by sending a blank email to
StMattsEMail-subscribe@yahoogroups.comThanks for Wearing Your Nametag!
If you need a new nametag please see Dedee Norman at the Welcome Table in the Commons right after church. Thanks for faithfully wearing your nametag each and every Sunday.*Items marked with an asterisk* are being run for the first time today.
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(and every Sunday) Prayer Teams are available during Communion at Prayer Stations on either side of the sanctuary. One station is located on the east side, by the windows, and the other station is on the west side in the gallery. Prayer requests and discussion are completely confidential.*today
Visitor’s Orientation will be held this morning. If you are visiting today and would like to know more about St. Matthew’s and what it has to offer you, please gather with The Rev. Merrill Wade at the front of the sanctuary immediately after the 10:30 service for a brief orientation.*today
GOOD FAITH FUND As this is the first Sunday of the month, the loose offering and so-designated checks will be given to the Good Faith Fund. These funds are used to support those in need.*A New Adult Education Class Begins Today: On December 1, 8, and 15, 9 - 10:00 a.m. in Huffman Hall, Dean Busboom, retired Lutheran pastor and member of St. Matthew’s, will teach a class on the Advent Season entitled Christmas: The Real Story. Learn the true meaning of Advent in preparation for the Savior’s second coming. All are welcome!
*Another Adult Education offering on Sunday morning includes the ongoing Spirituality Class based on Anthony de Mello’s book Walking On Water, led by Annelle and Russ Adams and Sharon Lowe. This class meets in Room B-14. All are welcome!
*Advent Take-home Packets To enrich this season of preparation and waiting, please stop by the Commons to pick up a packet of activities suitable for children of pre-school and school age – one per family unit, please.
*St. James’ Episcopal School will hold an Open House on Thursday, December 5, 2002, at the school 3701 E. Martin Luther King, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. St. James’ presently enrolls children ages 3--6 and has openings for entrance in January, 2003. Financial aid is available. Everyone is welcome.
*Christmas Bells And Christmas Ribbons! We are going to present St. Matthew's with a beautiful new Christmas Processional Banner! We want it to come from contributions from our parish. There is a Bell and Ribbon Basket in the Commons for your contributions. We need Brass Bells, no larger than 3 inches. We need beautiful cloth Christmas Ribbon to attach the bells to the banner Approximately 3-3 ½ yards each. These can be gold or Christmas red, or combinations thereof. Other colors won't work. Each time the banner passes, you can say, "I hear my bell, isn't it beautiful!" Please contact Rita Eccles, 345-7396 jandr@austin.rr.com, LuAnn Barrow 345-4544, or Babs Clendenin 795-8894, ba69claus@aol.com Gifts accepted through December 15.
*YOUNG AT HEART (all church members age 50 and over - no dues, no duties, just bring a covered dish) meets Friday, November 1, in Huffman Hall. At 11:00 is our joint meeting with Senior Activity Center for a speaker. At 12:00 is the covered dish luncheon. Questions? Call Billie or R. C. Thompson, 795-0736.
*The Xplorers, a fellowship/study group for young adults, invites you to join us after 10:30 church today to go out to lunch together. No study today; just come and have fun! Meet in the Commons after church. Next week we'll have a potluck lunch and wrap up our discussion of Episcopal history. Bring a dish to share for the lunch if you can! NOTE: We'll meet in B-14 on Dec. 8. For more information: Robisons, 339-4063 or kristi_robison@gsdm.com or Sommervilles, 996-8913.
*The Women of St. Matthew’s invite you to the Annual ECW Advent Coffee on Saturday, December 7, 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. Mary Nell Frucella will welcome us to her home at 4005 Enclave Mesa Circle (off Mesa Dr. between Far West Blvd. and Greystone Dr.) Please anticipate good conversation and fellowship in a beautiful setting as we begin the Advent season. Child care is available upon request (Kay Whitney, 345-0574) and you are encouraged to bring family (age 12 and older) and friends.
*If you would like to share your culinary skills with the Advent Coffee attendees (or your culinary-buying skills), Please phone Kay Whitney (345-0574). "Pick Up" taste treats are just what we need…cookies, small sandwiches, etc.
Reception Honoring Bishop Payne And Newly Confirmed and Received: The Hospitality Committee is planning a reception on December 8, 2002, following the 10:30 service. Would you please help us with the refreshments? We need 25 people to make 3-dozen cookies each; these can be regular cookies, bar cookies or brownies. Please arrange your cookies on a suitable serving plate (preferably with doilies underneath) and bring them to the kitchen before the 10:30 service. If you can make cookies, please call or email Katie Lane as soon as possible. Her phone is 252-7084; email katie.lane@unisys.com
*The Undesignated Offering at services next week will go to Bishop Claude Payne’s Discretionary Fund.
Vestry Nominations are now being accepted for the five places being vacated. Complete information on qualification, requirements and nomination forms may be downloaded from www.StMattsAustin.org Completed forms must be signed and turned into the Church Office. There is no nomination deadline, however, in order for your information to be printed in The Word for January, we ask that you turn it in by 4:00 p.m. Thursday, December 12. Vestry election is at the Parish Meeting on January 12, 2003.
And while you are online, please go to www.StMattsAustin.org to check out the latest activities in our parish! What a wealth of information there is waiting for you there
FYI There is a wonderful website for Morning and Evening Prayer at www.missionstclare.com. Follow directions on the first screen and you will come to an index page. In the Calendar column, click on Read Online. On the next screen, scroll down to today’s date and click on morning or evening prayer. It will bring up the complete service for both morning and evening prayer. No need to look up lessons and psalms -- they are printed there along with a short homily on the saint who is being remembered that day.
Now that the new sound system is installed, the church is looking for a group of volunteers to operate it. No experience necessary; training will be offered. Responsibilities primarily include the weekly operation of the system during the Sunday morning service. We hope to spread this across several people so that it becomes a monthly or bi-monthly job for each individual. Contact Jason Sommerville at jdsommer@mail.gbronline.com or 996-8913.
For the latest information on what’s happening here, please go to www.StMattsAustin.org
Family to Family:
Questions? Call Barbara Pitts 345-8314 or Holly Decherd 328-3944
