October 14- October 21, 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.
The St. Matthew’s Prayer Shawl Ministry has lovingly knitted more than 80 winter scarves for the children living at the Makarye Orphanage in Kirov, Russia. Please join us at the 10:30 service today when Merrill blesses the scarves before they are sent to the children in Russia.
*Women Story Circle: Today after church, "Choose to Live an Abundant Life" will be the topic of speaker Sally Byrom at the Women’s Story Circle luncheon in Huffman Hall following todays 10:30 a.m. Sunday service. 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.
St. Matthew’s Youth
*Are you ready for some KICKBALL! Today after church we will gather in the courtyard to coordinate carpooling to Zilker Park for a game of kickball against St. Michael’s Episcopal Church Youth Group. We will arrive earlier than the beginning of the game to coordinate our game plan. The game will not begin until 1:30 pm at Zilker Park in South Austin. You are welcome to meet the group at 1:30 pm at the park, if you prefer. The fields are located on the back side of the park on Robert E. Lee Dr. Lunch will be provided. This afternoon event will take the place of our regular scheduled youth group meeting held normally at 5:30 pm in the evening
*Next Sunday, October 21, the youth group will meet in the Church for a youth service at 5:15 pm. This service is designed specifically for the youth, but we invite anyone to attend. After the service we will gather in Huffman Hall for a meal and movie. The movie we will watch is an edited version of Monty Python’s The Life of Brian. 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
*Next Ultreya: Tonight @ 6 PM at Resurrection, Burnet Lane & Justin Lane. Ultreyas are the Sunday after a Cursillo weekend, or on the SECOND Sunday of the month. Childcare WILL be available at ALL Ultreyas! .See www.jsrsys.com/cursillo for more information.
*Girls' Night Out (for grown up girls of all ages) Join us on Wednesday, October 17 between 5:00-8:00 p.m. at The Veranda in Northcross Mall. Come and Go, Have a drink, have dinner, have whatever, but come for the good time and fellowship. Sponsored by St. Matthew's ECW
Fall Fest 2007, Friday, October 19th, 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Please join us for St. Matthew’s School fall fundraiser. This is a great time to get together with friends and family. This year’s event is a carnival with a family-style dinner and entertainer, Mr. Puppet. Money is raised for the school through ticket sales for activities and dinner, carnival games, booth sponsorships, a bake sale, a class-decorated Pumpkin Auction and raffle drawings. Fall Fest 2007 carnival booths include moonwalks, a Super Playscape, pony rides, a stuffed animal walk, a fishing hole, a ring toss, face and hair painting, a bean bag toss, Doodlebug the Clown, the Fall Fest store and more! Tickets can be purchased through the school office or at the event. For further information please contact Jennifer Fleming at jennifer_gosefleming@hotmail.comor Kathryn Peele at kpeele@austin.rr.com.
Anderson High School Choir to Sing with
St. Matthew’s Choir, Sunday, October 21 at 10:30
Service!
A psalm-anthem based on Psalm 121, written by Carlton Young and commissioned especially for the Choir of Anderson High School, will be sung with our Parish Choir at our 10:30 worship service, next Sunday, October 21. The AHS choir will also bring their handbell choir to play in a section of the anthem, which features a German chorale tune from our hymnal – If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee. The AHS Choirs will again perform on Dec. 6 at the premiere of the Advent Noonday Concert series Thursdays in December beginning at 12:05 p.m. and ending at 12:40 p.m. in the sanctuary. On Dec. 13, Vista Ridge High School Concert Chorale will perform and the third concert, December 20, will feature baritone David Small and Company. These choral concerts will feature great choral literature, sacred and classical, for the Advent season as well as Christmas favorites. Please mark your calendars to attend the New Advent Noonday Concert series this December at St. Matthew’s. For more information, please call Jean Fuller – 345-8314.
*Dancing in church on the 21st!" That's right! The children of our St. Matthew's family have been using the lyrics of that wonderful song, Lord of the Dance, as their Sunday School "text" for this semester. They have discovered how much fun it is to follow Jesus..."wherever you may be"...and now they want to share that joy and fun with you! Join us in the sanctuary during the 10:30 worship service on the 21st so the children can share their joy with you! Parents...we need ALL the children here for Sunday School and chapel next week!!! It will take ALL of us (children, that is) to teach the congregation how to "dance!" :) Questions? Contact Kathy Dugat (343-7989 or kdugat@austin.rr.com)
*Open Meeting – Community Building at St. Matthew’s:
I invite you to gather with me next Sunday evening, October 21, from 6:00 – 7:00PM in Room B-13 for an “open meeting” to discuss ways to create fellowship, intimacy and small group support at St. Matthew’s Church. Please email me at merrill@stmattsaustin.org if you would like to help in this effort. The idea of the meeting is simply to share ideas and to better understand what barriers we might be facing in building strong bonds throughout the church. All are invited.
*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. On-line registration is available through the Diocesan website (www.epicenter.org) by clicking on the Diocesan Calendar; Visa and Mastercard are accepted. Come enjoy the fellowship of women from churches throughout the diocese at this wonderful weekend retreat.
Rise and Shine! Breakfast is waiting! That's right...we're fixing breakfast for you on Sunday, October 28th! Make plans now to join us in Huffman Hall for breakfast and fellowship during the Sunday School hour (9:15 - 10:15) on the last Sunday of the month. Thanks to the "Sunday Morning Book Group" for being our hosts this month. We hope you will join us for breakfast, a cup of coffee and lots of "catching up" with family and friends. (Donations to the breakfast fund gratefully accepted on the morning of the breakfast!) And by the way...a HUGE "THANK YOU" goes to the Discovering Christian Community Adult Sunday School class for hosting breakfast in September.
*Sign up NOW for Children's Communion Class...Our children's communion class will begin in just a couple of weeks. Communion instruction is an important step in the life of a child. St. Matthew's will offer a children's communion class on Nov. 4, 11 and 14, with Children's Communion Celebration Sunday to be held on November 18th. There will be a class for "younger children" offered from 5:15 - 6:00 PM in B16, and a class for "older children" from 6:00 - 7:00 PM in B17. Children's Communion Class is an "intermediate step" to assist a child in the discovery and discernment process as they begin to grow into an awareness of the presence of the wonder of God, the love of Jesus Christ, their own uniqueness, the importance of worship and what "church" means in their every day lives. The class will offer instruction in technical specifics (what to do when you get to the altar), theology and symbolism, and heritage and tradition on a child's level, supported with stories and scriptures from the Bible. If your child is at least four years old, has not yet been part of a formal Communion Class and is asking good “church” and “God” questions, think about enrolling them in this class. It is not necessary for the child to be able to read, but young children do need to be ready for a “classroom environment” (listening and following directions). Remember that ALL baptized children are invited to the communion rail at St. Matthew's, whether they have had "formal" communion instruction or not, and the parent makes the decision about when is the "right" time for a child to begin to take communion. If you have questions or would like to register your child, contact Kathy Dugat (343-7989 or kdugat@austin.rr.com).
*Our next Baptism Sunday will be on Sunday, November 4, at the 10:30 a.m. service. If you or someone you are close to, infant or adult, desires to be baptized, you are urged to contact the Church Office soon. Please email betty@stmattsaustin.org or give her a call at 345-8314 x 215. She will then get in touch with you to gather the information needed for Baptism.
*Outreach In Action: Prison Ministry is a vital and important ministry at St. Matthew’s. Thanks to many people like Margaret Carpenter, Danny Henshaw and Steve Ryder, who support the Kairos ministry by regularly visiting, praying and encouraging the incarcerated. In 2007, the Outreach Commission allocated $2,000 for Kairos. Susan LaValley and Janet Williams coordinate the Angel Tree Project, which reaches out to the children of incarcerated persons by providing Christmas gifts during the holidays. Pat Yeargain leads the Women Storybook Project, allowing imprisoned women to stay connected with their children. This year, $700 is allocated to support this ministry. Thank you St. Matthew’s for your huge heart and spirit of giving.
SAFEGUARDING GOD'S CHILDREN AT ST. MATTHEW'S
Saturday, November 10, 9:00 a.m.-12 Noon, B-18. Knowledge is the best prevention for child sexual abuse. We can make sure that St. Matthew's and all our church's are safe places for our children if we take the time to learn how to recognize predatory behavior and stop it. This excellent training, created by the Diocese of Texas, is mandatory for all people who work as staff or volunteers with children or youth. Your clergy recommend it for everyone who would like to help make St. Matthew's a safe place. Susan Barnes will lead the training. To register, log on:
http://www.epicenter.org/edot/CF_Safeguarding_Gods_Children.asp?SnID=1117969974.
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 on 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.
LEGACY SOCIETY
Our Senior and Junior Wardens and their spouses have named St. Matthew’s in their wills and therefore are members of the Legacy Society.
Tom and Kate Canby
Vicki and Guy Blumhagen
St. Matthew’s Gratefully Acknowledges
Commemorative Gifts to the
St. Matthew’s Permanent Endowment Fund:
In Loving Memory
of Gordon Hughes by
Carol Mynes
In Loving
Memory of Charles Barnes by
Carol Mynes
In Loving
Memory of Henno Keskkula by
Dr.'s
Edward and Ruth Strojny
James
W. Newman
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.