The Weekly Word

December 18, 2005

To Know Christ, Grow in Christ and Share Christ’s Love.

LOVE LETTERS: “I love a congregation that truly enters into the spirit of our beautiful services.”

[Note: The Love Letter quotes printed here each Sunday are randomly selected from remarks written by parishioners in response to the question, “What do you like most about St. Matthew’s.” ]

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Welcome to Our Guests! We pray that your visit to St. Matthew’s will richly bless you and that you will come back again soon. 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. From there, step out to the porch and enjoy a cup of coffee or a cold glass of lemonade with the church family. For information about St. Matthew’s, call Barbara or Betty at 345-8314 and visit our web site at www.StMattsAustin.org

The Church Offers Nurturing, Experienced, Child Care for children who are infants to four years of age. Because of the small number of children who attend the 8:00 a.m. nursery, all children ages infant to years of age four are in the Education Building nursery beginning at 7:45 a.m. At 9:00 a.m., children below two years old are taken to the Huffman Hall Nursery (located on the parking lot side of the hallway) and children from two to four years are cared for in the Education Building nursery. Both the Huffman Hall and the Education Building nurseries close at 12:15 p.m. There is also a comfortable, soundproof room in the church balcony (sanctuary) for adults who wish to keep their babies with them during the service.

Thanks for Wearing Your Nametag! If you need a new nametag please see Betty Mitchell 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.

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 the church office at 345-8314.

If you attend church but are unable to walk to the altar for Holy Communion, please notify an usher and the communion elements will be brought to you where you are seated.

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.

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.

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

End of Year Contributions

Timing your end of year contributions for a 2005 tax deduction will require a little planning and forethought this year. With January 1^st,2006 falling on a Sunday, there only two Sunday’s left in 2005, this one and Christmas Day. Please keep in mind that checks mailed by December 31^st will be posted as a 2005 contribution. All other contributions should be received in the office by Friday, December30th. We will close 5:00PM that day.

*TODAY Adult Education in B-18 at 9:30 a.m.– Marty Novak will teach an interesting class on “Joseph and the Siblings of Jesus”

*TODAY Think past Christmas: On January 1 Interfaith Hospitality Network families arrive to call St Matt’s home for one week. We will host 3 families (5 adults with 11 kids ages 1 – 15 years!) We can use as much help as possible for meal service and in the evenings. Be an evening host -- you can watch Bowl Games here and we have nice airbeds now. Be a dinner host -- help cook a yummy hot meal. Signups after service TODAY or call Amy Novak (795-8089

*TODAY Young adults! Are you looking to connect with friends and fun at St. Matt's? Xplorers may be for you. The Xplorers is a fellowship group for
young adults that meets for social times and does service projects together.
We are heading out to lunch together TODAY after the 10:30 service to Brick Oven. Meet in the Commons and we'll carpool or follow each other over. We are always happy to have new folks and visitors! For more information, contact Heather Walter, 627-6938, or Kristi Robison, kristidoglady@yahoo.com.

*TOMORROW Club 4-5 goes to the new movie release of The Chronicles of Narnia on December 19, with ice cream afterward. To get your 4^th or 5^th grade child in on the fun, contact Marti at pricegals@aol.com. $10 per child.

*An Updated Advent and Christmas schedule is included with your service leaflet this morning. Please note: Incense will NOT be used on Christmas Eve at the 7:00 p.m. service. Incense WILL be used at the 10:30 pm. service.

A Gift to Our Children: Thanks to the Children’s Council for providing each family with the 2005 edition of The Seek ‘n’ Find Advent Devotional Book. Also available are extra copies of the Sounds of Christmas Advent Calendar given to children by their Sunday School teachers. Both of these gift items can become part of your family’s Advent traditions and are available in the Commons.

*New Ways to Engage Your Children during the Service: In the Commons we now have half sheets each Sunday that connect directly to one aspect of the liturgy or the life of the church. These activities are meant as learning tools, rather than quizzes, meaning your pre-reading children can engage happily with them on their own, using the colored pencils provided. Older children will enjoy reading on their own, but don’t miss the opportunity of learning from them by initiating conversation about worship and their church. Sometimes the children will need for you to help lead them, to discover the answers by themselves. Your taking time to visit with them can help your children connect at a deeper level, as well.

For our youngest children during the service: Children feel included in the worship service when they better understand what is happening. Look for a basket in the Commons where you will find new board books, such as Colors I See in Church, and Things I Do…, and …I Hear in Church …. As Advent gives way to Christmas, more board books will be introduced. These are visual feasts for your youngsters while you are involved more directly in worship. What added pleasure for your child, if you snuggle and whisper with them during communion and help them find in our environment, what is shown in the book.

The registration balance of $85.00 is now due for the Women’s Spiritual Retreat, February 3-5 at Camp Allen. Space is still available for a total cost of $170.00 for adults and $90.00 for teens. Single rooms are $200. For more information contact Diane Sparks at 345-7757 or diane_sparks@sbcglobal.net

*Thank you, Women of St. Matthew's for helping the ECW Baby Basket
Project start 2006 with a bang! Your donations at the ECW Advent Coffee will help fund the project for half of the year. The Baby Baskets, filled with baby essentials like diapers, wipes, and onesies, are delivered to the El Buen Samaritano Clinic each month to be given to new mothers. If you missed donating at the Coffee, you can support this ministry anytime. Just drop a check with ECW Baby Baskets noted in the memo line in the offering plate or at the church office. Any amount helps!

No Experience Required! Training Available! Volunteer Now!

We are in urgent need of several volunteers to serve as money counters on Monday mornings. Our current team has faithfully been on duty for a long time and has earned a well deserved break. Three counters serve for about two hours each Monday. If we had six volunteers they could rotate Mondays so that the work was well divided. Contact Dave Bowman in the church office, 345-8314 x 213, if you are interested in helping.

*Sunday, January 8 will be the next time for Baptisms at St. Matthew’s. If you or one you know desires to receive the Sacrament of Baptism, please contact Betty Mitchell right away. 345-8314 x 215 or betty@stmattsaustin.org

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TRADITION AT ST. MATTHEW’S:

THE SUNDAY EVENING SERVICE

Each Sunday evening there will be a service in the Sanctuary at 5:15 p.m.

Some days it will be Contemplative Eucharist, some days it will be Youth Led Worship. It may be Compline, it may be Taize music or a Healing service. Whatever the service, it offers you an additional opportunity for Sunday worship at St. Matthew’s. And to fit into your family schedule, we will do our best to complete the service in 45 minutes. Please join us!

TODAY: Youth Led Eucharist in the Sanctuary

Next Week, December 25 Contemplative Eucharist in the Sanctuary

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Youth Celebration is Tonight!

Everything starts with a special youth-led Eucharistic service for the whole family at 5:15 p.m. All of the music will be performed by our own youth orchestra. There will be great food, some fun games, and a “white elephant” gift exchange (funny gifts valued at $5 or less).

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TODAY!!

You and your family are invited to an

Old Fashioned Family Christmas Party

This Afternoon

3:00 p.m. in Huffman Hall

We’ll make decorations and trim our Christmas Tree;

we’ll sing your favorite carols and enjoy homemade treats;

and we’ll share the warmth of hot cocoa and good friends.

There will be craft tables for the kids and the

traditional story time with Jolly Old St. Nicholas!

3-4 p.m. Kids’ crafts, tree trimming, cocoa, treats

and sharing of holiday cheer.

4 – 5 p.m. Story time with Old St. Nicholas and

Christmas sing a long with Tim Smith

Sponsored by the Associate Vestry

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Outreach In Action

A Katrina Christmas……St. Matthew’s is in the process of creating a Christmas experience for our three “adopted” Katrina families. Sally Byrom has agreed to coordinate this project. We would like to provide a gift for each family member. There are many ways to help. If you would like to be a part of this effort, please email Marti Price at pricegals@aol.com

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There is still much Katrina debris to be cleaned up in East Texas and there is still a need for a cleanup crew to go to Silsbee to help. We are planning another trip January 13-15 to the Silsbee area to help with repairs and clean-up. If you would like to join us, please call Susan Robertson 453-4115 or email her at srobertson44@austin.rr.com.

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Annual Parish Meeting News

Sunday, January 8 should be a red letter day in your new calendar!

That is the day of the Annual Parish Meeting and Chili Cookoff.

It is now time for you to get your chili cookers organized and be thinking of how you will WOW the judges this year! If you plan to enter the competition this year, call Jack Eccles at 345-7396

The new St. Matthew’s Parish Video will make its premier at the Annual Parish Meeting. Jeri Muhich has worked very hard on this production, making the rounds and filming many groups and gatherings.

YOU might be a star – come and see for yourself!

On January 8, members will elect:

5 new members to the Vestry

2 delegates to the Diocesan Council and

5 members to the Endowment Committee

(formerly named the Special Gifts Committee).

Nomination forms are available today in the Commons.

Stop by the Visitor Welcome Center credenza today, pick up a nomination form, read through the requirements to hold office and prayerfully consider the possibility of running for one of these positions.

Endowment Committee membership increased. The Vestry at its November 29 meeting approved a proposal by the Endowment Committee to increase the Committee from seven members to ten. It is expected that increasing the size of the Committee will broaden the scope of experience and expertise available to the Committee and help increase support for St. Matthew's endowments. Currently, the seven-member committee is composed of six elected members, plus the Senior Warden who serves ex officio. Under the ten-member proposal approved by the Vestry, there will be nine elected members, plus the Senior Warden.

Election of members to the Endowment Committee. With the Vestry-approved increase in the Endowment Committee membership from seven members to ten, there will now be nine elected positions. The Senior Warden (who already serves ex officio on the current seven member Committee) will serve ex officio as the tenth member. In order to retain the system of staggered terms for members of the Committee, one of the new positions will be for a full three-year term, the second new position will be for a two-year term, and the third new position will be for a one-year term. A member of the Committee can be elected to serve two consecutive terms. The terms of two members on the current seven-member Committee are also expiring, so there will be five positions on the Committee up for election at the 2006 annual parish meeting on January 8. If you would be interested in serving and would like to find out more about the Committee's work, please feel free to contact any of the Endowment Committee members, who are Mike Affleck, Jack Eccles, Larry Simons, Mark Monroe, Tony Hatheway and Bert Hooper.

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