The Weekly Word

October 1, 2006

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

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. For information about St. Matthew’s, call Barbara 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.

10:30 AM Children’s Chapel " It IS a beautiful day -- and we invite you to join us to celebrate the day, and the fact that God loves us and we love God in Chapel each and every Sunday in Choir Room (B-7) at 10:30. Children age 3 and older, parents, and anyone who is looking for a little change of pace in their worship style are welcome to join us. We will all come upstairs at the Peace to share communion together. Questions? Contact Kathy Dugat -- 343-7989 or kdugat@austin.rr.com

Thanks for Wearing Your Nametag! If you need a new nametag please visit 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. Prayers will also be offered immediately after church by the team stationed near the windows. 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.

If you have articles for the Weekly Word please email your articles to Office@StMattsAustin.Org and to JeriM@austin.rr.com The Weekly Word deadline is noon on Wednesday.

Receive weekly info and breaking parish news by subscribing to StMatt’s Email Notices. From the address you want to receive the email, send a blank email to: StMattsEmail-subscribe@yahoogroups.com .

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

**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. Please make checks payable to St. Matthew’s marking “Good Faith” in the memo line.

*If you are visiting or new to St. Matthew’s, we invite you to join members of the Newcomers Council TODAY for "Coffee & Conversation" at Noon, in Room B6 (directly below the Sanctuary). This will be a time for you to gather in a casual setting, ask questions and express your needs. We look forward to seeing you there!

COUNTDOWN TO THE PARISH ROUND-UP, October 13-15

*Attention Parish Round-Up Participants! Please pick up your information packet today or next Sunday, October 8^th in the Commons. Packets will also be available for pick-up during the week in the church office. Packets not picked up by Sunday, October 8^th, will be mailed to participants. The packet contains lots of valuable information about the retreat so get your copy today!! They will contain schedules, directions, lists of what to bring, etc. Meanwhile, make plans to carpool if you can. Parking space at Echo Valley is limited!

October 4th Planning Meeting, Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM in Room B18. Please mark your calendar NOW for 10/04/06 @ 7:00PM. (No food) This is a vital meeting and all Round-Up planning groups NEED to be present. The purpose is to mesh all the different group plans into one master plan so to keep all the activities for ALL groups coordinated on a timed scheduled plan. This meeting will also help inform all planning groups of the over all schedule, i.e.., the adults will know where the children are and their activities, and the adults will know when it is time to eat, and Holy Smokers will know when we want to eat - you get the picture.

Please give this meeting a high priority on your schedule. We need each of you present with your plan and any other group members who may be helpful in this all important task.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW (in red ink). 10/04/06@ 7:00 PM

Thank all of you for giving your time and creativity to this great event in the life of St. Matthews. Let's polish it to a great finish. Wednesday night October 4th in Room B-18. Be there!!!

* Everyone is invited to a very special, don’t miss event. Best-selling author Susan Chernak McElroy will speak in the Sanctuary on Tuesday, October 3 at 7:00 p.m. Susan will explore what it means to relate to animals as our kin-as St. Francis did. How do we offer reciprocity for their gifts to us, in a culture that sees animals not as kin, or spiritual beings, or teachers, but as products? This promises to be a lively, profound---and profoundly humorous---look at the concept of sister cats, brother birds and divine dogs, all gathered with us at the mystery of the sacred table. Her website is http://susanchernakmcelroy.com. A love offering would be appreciated. The Junior Daughters of the King will serve lemonade and cookies on the porch afterwards. The ECW and The DoK are sponsors of the event.

Join us for the Women's Story Circle, October 8, immediately
following the 10:30 service. Cheryl McLay will share her story. A light lunch will be served for $5. Childcare is available upon request when making your reservation. RSVP to Carol Mynes at cmynes@austin.rr.com or 343-6801.

*Come worship with us as a family with the St. Matthew’s family at the 5:15 p.m. service on October 8^th. We’ll gather a little before the service at 5:00 to get comfortable with the music. The music will be easy to sing and fun music, and will include songs to praise God, prayer songs to help us to draw closer to God, rounds and echo songs to have fun with God and with each other. There will be plenty of opportunity to offer our thanksgivings and prayers for ourselves and others. --Tim

The Ladies of the Book group will meet Oct. 16th in the Bride's Room at 5:00. Our book is White Teeth by Zadie Smith. It comes highly recommended by several sources. Come join in our discussion. It should be lively. In November, we will read Guests of My Life by Elizabeth Watson. Hope to see you there.

M³ Ministry, Mission and Me: 6^th-12^th Grades
Youth Building at 9:15 every Sunday morning
and 7:00-8:30 Wednesday nights.

We are a new creation! New Youth Ministry Team. New Energy. New music on Wednesday nights. New focus. New program. We are continuing to get to know each other, and exploring our identity as a Youth Group and as part of the St. Matthew’s parish family. We are beginning to explore how God is calling us all to ministry and mission next summer. We’re having fun! Come and bring your friends.

*The next dates for Holy Baptism will be Sunday, November 5, and Sunday, January 7, 2007. If you or one close to you desires to be baptized, please notify the church office, 345-8314 or email Betty Mitchell betty@stmattsaustin.org

The St. Matthew's ECW 2007 Annual Women's Retreat will be held March 2-4,2007 at Camp Allen. Virginia Stem Owens, author and retired English Professor will be our retreat leader. Her topic is "The Spirituality of Imperfection”.Virginia is a bright, funny and inspirational speaker youwill not want to miss. Registration will begin Sunday, October 1st.
Payment of 50% of the registration fee is due at registration. The balance
is due by Jan 15th. Single room- $210 per person, Double room-$180 per person, Teens (4 to a room)-$90 per person. Registration forms will be available in the Commons or Church Office as of Sunday, Sept. 24. Please contact Debbie Marshall at 926-5424 or Janie McMahan at
341-7432 if you have questions.

*NEW ORLEANS MISSION TRIP: We have been in touch with the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana and once again offered our services in New Orleans. As you probably read, 7 of us went in June and spent a few days helping in any way we could, mostly by listening to the returning residents and giving them what we had. We are planning to go again during the week between Christmas and New Years. If you have an interest in this trip, please call Margaret Carpenter AFTER 10/1 and before 10/15, 345-7630. There are 3 work options available for us and we would be housed at a church hall as we were before. There is a possibility some of us would drive to New Orleans and those who wanted would fly. Anyone who is interested is welcome to go.

The Kerygma Bible Study training session for the Diocese will be held at St. Matthew’s Thursday, Nov. 9^th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Lunch is included. As hosts our registration fee is $10.00 per person and there is also a price reduction on materials. If you have questions regarding the program call Kerygma 1-800 537-9462 or Email explore@kerygma.com. You can register with Rita Eccles 345-7396 or Email jandr@austin.rr.com.

*KAIROS COOKIES: As you read this most of the 150 dozen cookies baked by you wonderful people will have been consumed! Thank you for being a part of this Kairos ministry. We are on the final day of the 3 day weekend at Lane Murray Women’s Unit in Gatesville. Your home baked cookies brought love to women who, before this weekend, had not experienced this kind of Agape love, not only to the participants in this Kairos, but to ALL 1200 of the inmates. Thank you, thank you! Margaret Carpenter and Shirley Meyer

Children's Sunday School: Roots and Shoots! From the first verse of Genesis to the last verse of Revelation, the Bible is full of stories about God’s great love for and faithfulness to His people. As children of God, these are stories about our family…stories of promise…stories of hope…stories of forgiveness…stories of love. Join us Sunday mornings from 9:15 - 10:15 as we examine “classic” Bible stories from the Old Testament.. Questions? Contact Kathy Dugat (343-7989 or kdugat@austin.rr.com).

Preschoolers (3 and 4 year olds) B16

Kindergarteners & First Graders Education Bldg. Room 6

Second and Third Graders B 17

Fourth and Fifth Graders B 13

We have wonderful news!...our 10:30 Chapel service is now held in the Choir Room. Precious Words,.. Interactive Liturgy. .Child-oriented lessons and songs….! Hope you will join us! Questions? Contact Kathy Dugat(kdugat@austin.rr.com)

We're looking for Angels! Our Chapel Teams are staffed by "Angels" -- folks just like you! -- who serve one Sunday a month to bring the Love of God and wonder and majesty of our liturgy to life for our children. We need your help! No teaching involved...no musical skills needed...no prep...just a willing heart and warm smile and 45 minutes once a month will change the life of a child. PLEASE...contact Kathy Dugat for more information or to volunteer (343-7989 or kdugat@austin.rr.com)

Parents: Two important Sunday School messages for you from the Children's Sunday School team...

* PLEASE sign your child in on the attendance book each week.
PLEASE sign in with your child's first and last name.

* Sunday School begins at 9:15. The classes begin their "rotations" to the Storyteller and the activity room at 9:20. If you arrive and discover that your child's class has already left their "homeroom" in the basement, don't fret! The rotation schedule is posted on the door to the classroom. Check the schedule and take your child to find his/her class and join the fun "en route." Look for our Sunday Morning Facilitator, Virginia Hauser, if you need help finding your child's class.