September 30- October 7, 2007
The Church Offers Nurturing, Experienced, Child Care: For the 8:00 a.m. services, the nursery for infants and children up to 4 years old is available in Room 5 of the Education Building Nursery. At 9 a.m. children below 2 years old are taken to the Nursery located down the hallway on the parking lot side of Huffman Hall. The 2 to 4 year olds remain in Room 5 of the Education Building Nursery. Both Nurseries close at 12:15 p.m. There is also a comfortable, sound proof room in the Sanctuary balcony for adults who wish to keep their babies with them during the services.
3 and 4 year old children have two options on Sunday mornings. ALL children, through age 4, are welcome in the nursery on Sunday morning. Those children who are reliably potty trained and developmentally ready for a more structured environment are invited to attend Sunday School from 9:15 - 10:15 in B16 and Chapel in the Choir Room from 10:30 - 11:00.
Thanks for Faithfully
Wearing Your Nametag each and every Sunday!
If
you need a new nametag, please visit the Welcome Table in the Commons right
after church.
Personal Prayer Teams are available during Communion at Prayer Stations on either side of the sanctuary. One is located on the east side by the windows, and the other one is on the west side in the gallery. Prayers will also be offered immediately after church by the team near the windows. All prayer requests and discussions 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 Weekly Word deadline is Noon on Wednesdays. If you have an article for the Weekly Word please email them to Office@StMattsAustin.Org and JeriM@austin.rr.com
Be in the know! Subscribe to the St. Matthew's Email Notification Service. On average, you will receive only one email per week. The parish email keeps you informed about all the important events happening at St. Matthew's. Subscribe yourself by sending a blank email to: StMattsEmail-subscribe@yahoogroups.com You can unsubscribe yourself at any time.
*Items marked with an asterisk (*) are run for the first time today.
*New Orleans Reminder Notice: Participants in the New Orleans mission trip October 9-13 will gather in Room B-13 immediately following the 10:30 service today for a half-hour meeting to review carpool opportunities, clothing and equipment, and food requirements for the trip. Contact: Jim or Linda Fryer, 258.2571.
St. Matthew’s Youth News
As young members of Christ’s Church, we strive to be better stewards of our local and worldly community, our environment and our own self care. Through the outreach opportunities at St. Matthew’s, we will work together to bring peace to the world. One way we can work towards this goal is through the Alternative Gift Market. Our youth will meet at 5:30 PM in Huffman Hall to begin planning the Alternative Gift Market, which takes place during the Advent season at St. Matthew’s. This time will be a time of discussion and planning, but of course we will also play games, eat, worship, and have a good time! We will conclude the evening at 7:30 pm and pick up will be at Huffman Hall. On Sunday October 7th we will have our “At Church Activity,” full of games, dinner and worship from 5:30 to 7:30 in Huffman Hall. For more information concerning the youth group at St. Matthew’s please contact The Rev. Kevin Schubert at 512-345-8314 ext. 232 or via email kevin@stmattsaustin.org
*Attention Moms: Spend some time visiting with other moms while we assemble Baby Gifts for El Buen and the kids play. We'll gather Wednesday, October 3 from 9:30 to 11:30 at Carol Webb's home at 9705 Rainlilly Lane. Please email Carol if you'll attend -- carol@ezzellwebb.com.
*Coffee and Conversation: If you are visiting or new to St. Matthew’s, we invite you to join members of the Newcomers Council for "Coffee & Conversation" on Sunday, October 7th, 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. If you or someone you know would like to attend this coffee, please call Barbara Haynes at the church 345-8314 or Glenda Monroe at 250-5139.
Men's Fellowship Event with Olympic Swim Coach Eddie Reese ,
On Monday, October 8, at 7 PM in Huffman Hall, Coach Eddie Reese, current swim coach of the University of Texas and the Head Swim Coach of the United States Olympic Swim Team, will be our speaker for a St. Matthew's Men's Fellowship Event sponsored by the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. In a conversational format directed by our Rector, Coach Reese will address questions about his history as a coach, ways he has been shaped by mentors in his life, his understanding of human flourishing relative to motivation, perseverance, endurance, expectation and coping with loss. Coach Reese is the 6th consecutive fall speaker from the sports world to come and address our Men's Fellowship. Past speakers were Coach Augie Garrido, Lawrence Sampleton, Randy Peschel, Jerry Sisemore and Lance Gunn. All men of the church are invited to attend and are encouraged to bring their sons and friends. Light refreshments will be served. Please email the Rev. Merrill Wade merrill@stmattsaustin.org with any questions you would like to ask Coach Reese. This Men's Fellowship event is sponsored by the Brotherhood of St. Andrew chapter of St. Matthew's, a men's group devoted to a rule of prayer, study and service.
*Kairos News Kairos Prison Ministry is alive and well at St. Matthew's. On October 3rd Dan Henshaw will be heading to Gatesville to be a team member for Hughes Kairos #19. Dan is responsible for 75 dozen cookies. On October 10th, Susan Barnes, Mary Lou Henshaw, Janice Watkins, Peggy and Steve Ryder, and Margaret Carpenter will be on the Lane Murray Kairos #5 team. Each of us needs to supply 50 dozen home baked cookies. St. Matthew's parishioners have been so generous in the past by providing cookies, prayer and financial support. We thank you and we are asking for help again. If you are willing to bake cookies, please bring them to the church kitchen. Danny needs his by Tuesday, Oct 2nd and we need cookies for the women's team, but Tuesday, October 9th. Thank you in advance for your help, without which this very important ministry would not happen.
*Discovery Class – for Visitors and
Newcomers Beginning
Sunday,
October
14, I will lead a class designed for visitors and newcomers to St. Matthew’s.
It will be held during the 9:15AM Sunday school time in Room B-18 below the
Sanctuary. This class is designed to prepare those attending to join St.
Matthew’s and to be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church, if needed,
when our Diocesan Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Don Wimberly, is present at our 10:30AM
service on Sunday, December 16, 2007. This class will run weekly, with a few
breaks, from October 14 until December 16. If you are new to the church and
want to learn more about me personally as the rector, St. Matthew’s Church or
the Episcopal Church, this is a good orientation. You do not have to be
committed to join the church to enroll in the class. Please email me at merrial@stmattsaustin.org and let
me know if you are interested or need more information.
*Women Story Circle: October 14. "Choose to Live an Abundant Life" will be the topic of speaker Sally Byrom at the Women’s Story Circle October 14 luncheon in Huffman Hall following the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service. She will talk about some of the developmental stages people go through and discuss the promises of God and how we can claim them for our own. The Women’s Story Circle is a monthly luncheon (donation $5) and fellowship event for women of all ages, featuring a woman from our parish telling her spiritual story. Babysitting is always provided.
*Is your child starting to ask "hard" questions about church? Is your child asking to receive communion? Perhaps your child has been receiving communion since they were very young, but has never been in a setting where the "hows" and "whys" and "what ifs" were openly invited. St. Matthew's will offer Children's Communion Classes during the month of November to create an environment where children can "wonder" together about the mysteries of God's grace and love, and ask those important questions that brew in their hearts. All baptized children are invited to receive communion at St. Matthew's, regardless of age and whether or not they have had formal communion instruction, but formal instruction is important when the time is right for your child. If this is the right time for your child to explore this "next step" in your child's life, or if you have questions about whether or not the class might be right for your child, please contact Kathy Dugat (343-7989 or kdugat@austin.rr.com).
Classes to be held Nov. 4th, 11th and 14th, 5:30 PM - 6:15 PM
Children's Communion Celebration Sunday, Sunday, November 18, 2007
We're still dancing! We have three weeks left in our "Let's Dance" Children's Sunday School session. We are using the lyrics of that wonderful song, Lord of the Dance, by Sydney Carter to help us discover what it feels like to dance with joy as we follow Jesus, THE Lord of the Dance! We've discovered that some of us dance fast and some dance slowly...some of us dance gracefully and some of us dance a little more awkwardly...but we can ALL dance for JOY and Jesus invites us to join him in the dance every day of our lives. What a wonderful feeling it is to know that we are loved and that we have so much to dance about! Children ages 3 years through current fifth graders are invited to join us each Sunday morning at 9:15 in the basement of the sanctuary to do a bit of dancing for themselves.
*To All Who Love to Read: Join the 3rd Monday Book Group in reading The Witch of Cologne by Tobsha Learner. Its a little bit of historical fiction , a little bit of Harry Potter and a little bit of a faith journey. Start reading now. We will meet on October 15th to discuss this book. For questions, contact Susan Robertson, srobertson44@austin.rr.com or 453-4115.
*Outreach at St. Matthew’s: Last year, St. Matthew’s adopted a resolution to accept the Millennium Development Goals. One of the goals is to eradicate extreme hunger and poverty. St. Matthew’s commitment to this goal is illustrated by our support of the Capital Area Food Bank and Caritas. In addition to food items, financial support includes $3,000 to the Capital Area Food Bank and $2,400 to Caritas. We appreciate Ann Hart and son, John’s efforts delivering food every week. Thank you St. Matthew’s for fulfilling our mission statement by helping those in need.
*Capital Outreach Funds: Thanks to your generosity and continued spirit of giving, funds are available for capital outreach projects from donations pledged through the Building Our Sure Foundation Campaign. Parishioners are invited to submit an application on behalf of your favorite ministry or non-profit agency. Applications will be accepted for capital needs only. Applications are available in the office or on the St. Matt's website www.stmattsaustin.org and due by November 15. If you have questions, please contact Esther Garcia, emgarcia@austin.rr.com at 918-3359.
St.
Matthew’s Gratefully Acknowledges
Commemorative Gifts
to the St.
Matthew’s Permanent Endowment Fund
in the past 7 days:
In Loving Memory of the Rev. George Wilson by
Jeri Muhich
Susan Ledenham
Carol Price
If
you desire to honor or commemorate a loved one, the envelopes styled
“Permanent Endowment Fund” are provided in the seat back in front of you.
*Diocesan ECW Annual Meeting Oct. 26: Women of St. Matthew’s: mark your calendars to attend the 106th Annual Meeting and Retreat for the Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Texas on October 26-27, 2007, at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church, 6221 Main St., Houston, TX. Registration should be made by Oct. 12 for the two-day Annual Meeting and Retreat. Cost is $75, which includes four meals, all workshops and more. On-line registration is available through the Diocesan website (www.epicenter.org) by clicking on the Diocesan Calendar; Visa and Mastercard are accepted. Separately, you may make hotel reservations at the nearby Hampton Inn & Suites, 1715 Old Spanish Trail, Houston; phone 713-797-0040. Double and king rooms will be available for $89 and suites for $109. Come enjoy the fellowship of women from churches throughout the diocese at this wonderful weekend retreat.
St. Matthew's Women's Calendar for October
October 7: Registration begins for St. Matthew's Women's 2008 Retreat, February 15-17, October 14: Sally Byrom to speak at Women’s Story Circle, noon, Huffman Hall, October 17: Girls’ Night Out, 5-8 p.m. at the Veranda, Northcross Mall, October 26-27: 106th Diocese of Texas ECW Annual Meeting, Palmer Memorial, Houston