St. Matthews Episcopal Church

Episcopal Church in Snellville, GA

 “Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
I will enter them; I will offer thanks to the Lord..” Psalm 119:19

A Huge Thank You From the Knit, Crochet & Pray Ministry

The Knit, Crochet, Pray Ministry (KCP) at St. Matthew’s thanks all people who donated money, yarn, hats, scarves, gloves or mittens to our drive for Rosebud Episcopal Mission in Mission, SD.  From this particular donation (starting our 2022 contribution), we mailed 36 hats/scarves/gloves sets, 17 hats/gloves sets, 24 extra pairs of gloves, and one pair of socks. These items were mailed last week when the temperatures were from -12-6 degrees F. The Rosebud Lakota Reservation has over 4,000 children between the ages of 4-18 years. Hence, you understand why this project is ongoing for KCP, even though our biggest collections are in the winter.

We also appreciate your donations for prayer shawls (which go to parishioners or their family/friends in need of support because of illness, death, other hardships) and/or chemo caps (which go to the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Hospital) and/or hats and scarves for the local homeless.

Last year, KCP donated the following items, thanks to your support.

Prayer Shawls given – 89

Chemo caps – 72

Rosebud Reservation:
63 hat, scarf, gloves/mitten sets
32 hat, scarf sets
13 hats
5 scarves
10 pairs of gloves
1 pair of socks
4 headbands
Clean, but gently used:
10 hat, scarf, glove sets
5 scarves
5 pairs of gloves
4 headbands

Homeless at the Church of the Common Ground
30 hat/scarf sets
Box of flat flashlights

We are so grateful for your help, and we hope you will consider assisting us in the future.

Thanks and Prayers,

Beth DiGiovanni



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Episcopal Relief & Development’s Gifts For Life Catalog

During the holiday season, Episcopal Relief & Development encourages friends and supporters to give a gift that will transform a life with Gifts For Life, an alternative giving catalog that offers tangible and meaningful ways to create lasting change in communities around the world.

“Gifts for Life is a tangible way to bring the work of Episcopal Relief & Development to life,” said Betsy Deisroth, Vice President of Advancement for Episcopal Relief & Development. “We know that many churches and individuals look forward to participating each year and we hope you will join them, and us, this holiday season.”

The Gifts for Life program enables individuals and groups to empower transformation in communities worldwide through the purchase of gifts to support those communities. The catalog features a wide range of gift options from $15 to help parents nurture and nourish a child to $1,284 to provide a complete care package to empower a community.

The catalog also includes a new offering to help give children with special needs the opportunity to participate meaningfully in the life of the community. Hearing aids, glasses and other assistive devices are life-changing to children with physical challenges. Additionally, disaster relief kits, drought-resistant seeds, vocational training and bicycles are just a few of the other gift options.

This year, the Gifts For Life catalog is organized to align with the organization’s three key program priorities: helping communities promote the rights of Women; supporting and protecting Children so they reach appropriate health and developmental milestones; and working with families and communities to adapt to the effects of a rapidly changing Climate.

“Organizing the gifts by priority program areas allows supporters to see just how each gift contributes to Episcopal Relief & Development’s work to benefit Women, Children and Climate,” said Esther Cohen, Chief Operating Officer for Episcopal Relief & Development. ”With each order you can be a part of making lasting change for an individual or family, both now and for years to come.”

Gifts for Life purchases are fully tax-deductible, and an excellent way to support the organization’s life-giving work and share that impact with family and friends. These items can be ordered online at episcopalrelief.org/gifts, and donors can choose to send a customizable e-card or a beautiful printed card to tell the recipient about the life-changing gift made in their honor. Orders can also be made over the phone by calling 1.855.312.4325 or via mail through the instructions on the catalog or brochure.

Additionally, supporters can download digital resources such as prayers, bulletin inserts, and an Advent calendar poster from the online Advent Toolkit to help dioceses, congregations or groups plan, construct and host an Advent campaign to support Gifts for Life.

For over 75 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for more than 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate.



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Rt. Rev. Dr. Todd McGregor To Speak At St. Matthew’s

Sunday, October 14, St. Matthew’s welcomes the Rt. Rev. Dr. Todd McGregor as Guest Preacher at both the 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. services. The Rt. Rev. Dr. Todd McGregor and the Rev. Dr. Patsy McGregor have been serving in the mission field since 1991 in church planting, health care, theological education, managing a retreat and conference center, building churches, schools and a Cathedral, providing educational scholarships and leadership development in both Kenya and Madagascar.

Currently, Todd and Patsy live in the coastal city of Toliara in southwestern Madagascar, where Todd serves as the first Anglican Bishop in the Diocese of Toliara and plays a significant role in the Province as the Chair of Mission and Evangelism for the Anglican Church of the Indian Ocean. Patsy serves as a Diocesan priest, hosts pilgrimages and missionary teams to Madagascar, leads local ministries focusing on children’s education and empowering women’s development. She is the author of many books and has co-written a Christian musical, Miaraka: A Time to Dance which has been performed internationally and has also been translated and performed in Malagasy.

In conjunction with People Reaching People, Inc. (PRP), Patsy and Todd serve the people of the Diocese of Toliara through engaging partners in evangelism, education, and economic development. (PRP was formed by the McGregors and several of their supporters in 2007.) The Diocese of Toliara, is one of the poorest areas in one of the poorest countries in the world. Even though the population faces chronic poverty, famine, malnutrition and has limited infrastructure, health care and economic opportunity, the Diocese of Toliara experiences steady growth. In 2007, only 11 churches and 300 Anglican worshippers were in the area. Now there are over 80 churches and 8,000 parishioners in the Diocese. The work of the McGregors and PRP in the name of Christ provides transformation and hope, all to the Glory of God.

To learn more or to provide support for this work, please visit: http://www.peoplereaching.org/
https://www.facebook.com/People-Reaching-People-398417923648889



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Helping Hurricane Victims Through ERD

As we watch the news stories of those affected by Hurricane Florence, it may seem like it is a disaster so large that any small thing we may do to help will be a drop in the proverbial bucket. But, as with other disasters around the world, Episcopal Relief and Development is there, helping put lives back together in many ways.

Now is the time to help them help others. Here’s a letter sent out on Friday, September 15, 2018, as Hurricane Florence approached landfall on the Carolinas.

Dear Donors and Friends,

Even as we pray for those affected by Hurricane Florence and begin to provide assistance through our diocesan and church partners, I am reminded of the long-term nature of recovery from these storms.
My latest story from Texas on the first anniversary of Hurricane Harvey describes a ministry that has been serving one community since the early days of that recovery. Here is the link:
https://www.episcopalrelief.org/stories/two-women-and-a-truck-help-put-a-community-back-together
Thank you for supporting the work of Episcopal Relief & Development.

Mike
—
Mike Smith
Major Gifts Officer
Episcopal Relief & Development | 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017
D 212.518.0526 | M 646.407.0068 | T 855.312.HEAL (4325) | F 212.687.5302
msmith@episcopalrelief.org | www.episcopalrelief.org | Facebook/Twitter: EpiscopalRelief
Twitter: @mikesmithny1



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Reading Camp at Snellville

Sponsored by St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church

Update:

Many, many thanks to all of you who supported our 6th Reading Camp through your volunteer time, your donations and your prayers.

We had a fantastic week with 17 really personable campers. Of those, over 60 percent of them demonstrated an improvement in their reading skills.

Without all of you, none of this would have been possible.

God’s Peace,

Your Reading Camp at St. Matthew’s Team

 

Reading Camp at Snellville, held annually since 2013, will be up and running again this year from June 18-22. It is modeled after the Reading Camp program begun by the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky.

A non- religious, no-fee camp, the camp focuses on campers who are rising 3rd, 4th and 5th graders and who demonstrate a deficit in reading skills. Campers participate in morning learning centers and afternoon traditional camping experiences. Nutritious meals- breakfast, lunch and two snacks are provided.

The 2018 camp, whose theme is “Alone and Brave”, is an all day camp Monday to Friday, June 18th- 22nd. The morning focus will revolve around “The Island of the Blue Dolphins”. The afternoon programing will include a guest children’s author and book signing, gardening, crafts, soda straw rocket making, yoga, cabin reading and a program presented by the Gwinnett Co. Public Library.

Our campers come primarily from the greater metro area, including public, parochial, and home schools. Although the campers are English speakers, many languages are spoken in their homes including Korean, Chinese, Amharic, French, and Creole. Many qualify for free and reduced meal programs.

For the 2018 camp we have an adult volunteer staff of 30+ and 6 teen counselors, five of whom are former campers. We are fired up and ready to enjoy a fun week with our 20 campers!



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“Go” Summit Saturday, February 10 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

If the old Diocesan Ministry Fair and the annual Global Mission Conference had a baby, it would be the Go Summit: Local and Global Mission in the Diocese of Atlanta. This conference will be held February 10 at the Cathedral of St. Philip.
Collaborate with Bishop Robert C. Wright,  Toxic Charity author Robert Lupton, and those in our diocese working on innovations in both local and global ministries. Please encourage those in your ministry with big ideas, dreams, frustrations, and questions to register and attend.
Click here to learn more.



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At St. Matthew’s, our MISSION is to continue the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, by serving the greater community through loving its children, caring for the unfortunate and witnessing to the healing power of God’s love.