The Weekly Word

The Weekly Word
December 7, 2003
Assigned Vestry Members for December: Phil Hatlen and Cliff Harrison

Welcome to Our Guests! 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. 219 and visit our web site at www.StMattsAustin.org

Excellent, Experienced Child Care for Your Young Children is Offered from 7:45 a.m. until 12:15 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.

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.

The Good Samaritans Ministry offers love in the form of a hot meal for you and your family if you are in the hospital, sick, or recovering from adversity. In addition, other pastoral care services are available if you will just call the church office, 345-8314 with your needs and requests. In case of emergency, St. Matthew’s clergy may be reached by calling 771-0680.

Thanks 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.

Personal 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.

Receive weekly info and breaking parish news by subscribing to St Matt’s email. Just send a blank email to: StMattsEmail-subscribe@yahoogroups.com then respond to the confirmation email.

Visitor’s Orientation will be held every other week. At that time one of the priests will meet with you to greet and answer questions you may have. If you are visiting and would like to know more about St. Matthew’s and what it has to offer you, please gather at the front of the sanctuary TODAY immediately after the 10:30 service.

*Items marked with an asterisk (*) are run for the first time today.

*TODAY QUESTION #4 The Congregational Involvement and Assessment Subcommittee of the St. Matthew’s Music Committee wants to know how music enhances (or detracts) from your worship experience and other church activities and how we can improve the music program. This is the fourth week of a five-week survey: see the BLUE sheet in this Weekly Word for last week’s question (applied to today) and an additional question. Please fill out the survey (each week if you like) and turn this form into the black box in the Commons. Or you can go to St. Matthew’s website (stmattsaustin.org) and fill it out, or email your response to rraynolds@austin.rr.com. Thanks for your interest and response!

Bishop Theodore Daniels will visit St. Matthew’s next Sunday, December 14, for Confirmation. Following the 10:30 a.m. service, our Hospitality Committee, ably headed by Louise Waddill, will host a reception in Huffman Hall to welcome the Bishop and our new confirmands. The Bishop’s visit is a "command performance" day in the life of a parish. Let’s gather and give the Bishop Daniels and those newly confirmed and received our support, encouragement and love.

*Reception December 14: The Hospitality needs your assistance to make the reception a success. We need you to make finger sandwiches (use your favorite recipe), Hors d'oeuvres (something simple and easy to serve), and someone to make peanut butter sandwiches for the children. If you can help by creating something delicious to serve, please contact Louise Waddill as soon as possible at 343-7696 or lwaddill@austin.rr.com.

*The Xplorers, a fellowship/study group for young adults, would like to invite you to come see what we're all about. Today we continue our series of discussion and PBS videos on Luther and the English Reformation, led by Xplorer Will Lutz, who can make any political or historical topic come to life! We also have our potluck lunch after the 10:30 service in Huffman Hall as usual (visitors/newcomers most welcome! Don't worry about bringing a dish -- lunch is on us!). Annual Christmas party coming up Dec. 13! Contact Heather Walter, 627-6938, or Kristi Robison, kristi_robison@gsdm.com, for details or more info.

*Women’s Lenten Retreat: Now’s the time to sign up for the Women’s Lenten Retreat at Mo Ranch on Feb. 27-29. Focus will be on "The First and Great Commandment: Loving God" through song, visual arts and meditation on scripture. The event will be led again this year by The Revs. Susan Barnes, Posy Jackson and Cynthia Clawson. Cost will be $170 for meals, retreat costs and double occupancy rooms. Pay all or part now to reserve your room; the balance is due by January 6. Partial scholarships are available. Registration forms are available at the ECW table in the Commons. For information, see The Rev. Barnes, Leslie Kjellstrand or call the church office.

*Austin Civic Orchestra : Holiday Concert to Benefit Salvation Army on Friday, December 12, at 7:30 p.m. here at St. Matthew’s. This concert will have an active focus on children and those children present will be invited to participate at times. Admission is a cash or non-perishable food donation for the Salvation Army. For more information: 990-8ACO

*Potluck and Volunteer Training for Foundation For the Homeless/Interfaith Hospitality Network -- Wednesday, December 10, 6:30 p.m., B-14. Come learn how your skills and talents can assist homeless families as they work toward self-sufficiency. Whatever your interests-- planning, cooking, helping with homework, playing games, storytelling, music, reading, teaching, listening or being present for others, IHN wants you! A potluck/light meal and 2 ½ hour training session will be offered 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Quaynh-Anh McMahan, IHN Director, will be leading this training. Please Contact Sharon Lowe at 345-1990 or sharonylowe@hotmail.com by December 8 if attending.

*The next opportunity for Baptism will be January 11, The Feast of the Baptism of Christ. If you, your child, or one you know would like to receive the Sacrament of Holy Baptism on that day, please call Betty Mitchell, 345-8314 x 215, or email her betty@stmattsaustin.org

*Deadline for the January issue of The Word will be Friday, December 12! Submit your articles (no more than 500 words, please) to betty@stmattsaustin.org.

*Vestry Nomination Forms may be picked up in the Church Office. In order for your nomination information to be printed in the January issue of The Word, turn in your completed nomination form to the Church Office by Wednesday, December 10.

*Angel Tree signup is today in the Commons. Millie Roden and Janet Williams will be oh so glad to help you select the child of a prisoner who needs your help with Christmas gifts. Look for the Christmas Tree on the Credenza in the Commona.

Children’s Ministry has a Gift for your Children – Advent begins today, and we want to help you prepare! Please pick up your family’s copy of the 2003 Advent

Devotional Hide and Seek book in the Commons today or at Supper with St. Nicholas on Wednesday, December 3. Have a blessed Advent.

Take the chill off the Chrysalis Cottage! The 7th graders of the Rite 13 Sunday school class would love to have a few cozy afghans to wrap around themselves on a chilly winter morning. We have a heater, but by the time we get the room warmed up, it's time to go! If anyone is skilled at crochet and would like to make an afghan for the Cottage, or if you have an extra afghan you no longer need, please contact Laura Adolph at ljadolph@juno.com or at 502-1413. Even more fun would be for one of our crochet artists to visit our class and show how one long thread can become a useful blanket. Thanks for wrapping our youth in warm, wooly love!"

*Book Club Anyone? If you are interested in participating in a Book Club, please email Gidget Fisher gid92get@yahoo.com We would like to know your preference regarding meeting time (day or night?) Title selection will be by group recommendation and majority vote.

Today is Good Faith Sunday….
On the first Sunday of each month the loose offering and designated checks are given to the Good Faith Fund. Your generous gifts enable us to assist many people who need financial help to get through a crisis.
All gifts are sincerely appreciated.

*An Old-Fashioned Family Christmas Party at St. Matthew's – Please reserve Sunday afternoon, December 21 for a Good Old-Fashioned Family Christmas Party in Huffman Hall. Starting at 3:00 p.m., we'll gather together for fun and friendship. We'll make decorations and decorate our Christmas tree; we'll sing your favorite carols and enjoy homemade cookies; and we'll share in the warmth of hot cocoa and good friends. There will be craft tables for the kids and Story Time with St. Nicholas for the kids at heart. – Your Associate Vestry.