St. Matthews Episcopal Church

Episcopal Church in Snellville, GA

“In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, 
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,  
and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke 1: 78-79

ECW Christmas Pot Luck Fellowship

The ECW (Episcopal Church Women) held their annual Christmas pot luck dinner Monday evening,December 3. Many thanks to all who brought yummy food to share, and to those who set up and cleaned up after! This year instead of doing an ornament exchange members brought socks, lotion and other items to be donated to outreach ministries selected by St. Matthew’s Outreach committee. 128 pairs of socks, candy, an umbrella, a stuffed animal, and 20 bottles of lotion were donated! The socks and some of the other items will all go to the Church of the Common Ground in Atlanta for distribution to the homeless. Many thanks to all for your generous donations. Check out the pictures of this fun evening!



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Counting Our Blessings

We at St. Matthew’s are abundantly blessed!

Our Consecration Sunday/Thanksgiving Feast was overflowing with joy, love, gratitude and delicious food!! To the many people who made the event happen, I give heartfelt thanks: the Fellowship Committee who gave their entire weekend to the luncheon, especially Nancy Drury, who organized her team while also serving on the Stewardship Committee; the Brotherhood who helped behind the scenes but especially with clean-up; the Stewardship Committee; and anyone else who was “volunteered” to help out.

I am also grateful for the people who were willing to go outside their comfort zones to share their personal stories about how the practice of stewardship has strengthened their faith and deepened their relationships with God. I pray that they are as blessed by their sharing as we are by hearing their stories.

If you are still prayerfully discerning what financial amount God is calling you to give to our parish, please complete your estimate of giving card and drop it in the lock box on the parish office door.

Should you have any questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. And as always, should you feel called by the Holy Spirit to join our Stewardship Committee, we will welcome you with open arms and grateful hearts.

Terri Hurst, Stewardship Chair

Photos from Consecration Sunday / Thanksgiving Ingathering Feast can be found here:



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News From Annual Council & One Delegate’s Impressions of the Event

Archbishop Michael Curry spoke at the 112th Annual Council Convention this past week on November 9. The convention was held at Holy Innocents Episcopal School and Parish in Atlanta as parishes from all over the diocese gathered to meet and worship together. Archbishop Curry spoke during the council meeting on Friday, and celebrated Eucharist on Friday afternoon.

To hear Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s sermon, follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ-wwhVy0Yg&feature=youtu.be&t=3037

Present at the convention were our delegates Greg Andrews, Jay Jones, and Janis Williams, along with Mallard and Althea Benton, Sheila Ferrell and Richard Morris who all sang in the choir at Eucharist, and Jessie and Jacob Hurst who attended the youth lock-in held in conjunction with the event. In addition, attendees packed  15,000 meals for the hungry to be sent wherever they are needed in the world.

Impressions of a First Time Delegate to Diocesan Council

by Janis Williams

This adventure was amazing. I was a newbie, in rooms with a lot of white collars and quite a few black cassocks, and so proud to be among them. The first familiar face after finding Jay Jones and Greg Andrews, was Bishop Wright, welcoming me. I have only been a part of the Episcopal Church for 20 years, and was thrilled to be there and to find out more about our church on a broader, higher level. In spare moments, I visited the tables from different ministries to learn more about opportunities to serve and to share.

The purpose statement of the 112th Annual Council is Challenging Ourselves and the World to Love Like Jesus. The highlight of the weekend was the Eucharistic service Friday afternoon. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry gave the sermon with an engaging story of the Good Samaritan. Greg and I participated a little later in the service project, helping to make 15,000 food packages which will be sent all over the world when and where they are needed. Many of the young people participated in a Lock-in on Friday night, where six very tall posts were made, which will travel around the world to display and convey some of their concerns today. The final worship service Saturday morning was conducted entirely by the Youth with songs, a sermon, and prayers. If I have the opportunity to go again, I would love to!

 



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Festival of Lessons and Carols — December 16 @ 5:30 p.m.

The community of Snellville and Gwinnett County is invited to attend as the Sanctuary and Handbell Choirs present a Festival of Lessons and Carols modeled after the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols of King’s College, Cambridge. The Lessons and Carols Order was originally conceived by E. W. Benson the first bishop of Truro, later Archbishop of Canterbury, for Christmas Eve 1880.  In 1918, Eric Milner-White, Dean of King’s College, adapted the Order of E.W. Benson for use on Christmas Eve at King’s College.

Musical selections will include favorite carols, anthems and readings of the season that celebrate the birth of Christ. The prelude will begin at 5:15pm.

Please plan to come and celebrate the joyous season with this outstanding musical offering by the Sanctuary and Handbell choirs. Invite your friends, family and neighbors! Everyone is welcome.



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Ingathering : Consecration Sunday is November 18

SINGLE COMBINED SERVICE

AT 9:30 a.m.

followed by a

THANKSGIVING  POTLUCK FEAST

Bring your favorite side dish or dessert to share. You can sign up to bring a dish on the poster on the bulletin board in the main hallway.

Meats and beverages will be provided.

Please plan to attend this special service and dinner.

You may complete a Consecration Sunday Reservation Card (found in the narthex) to let us know you will attend worship and the luncheon,



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What A Weekend! Retreat Note and Photo Gallery

Dear Sisters and Brothers from Saint Matthew’s!

A few years ago, the parish provided feedback that an event like a weekend retreat was something the majority will welcome.  After more than a year of planning, this past weekend that retreat was a reality;  an effort that brought so many parishioners together in love, harmony, worship and fellowship to the glory of God.

The setting was the magnificent Stone Mountain Park campgrounds. The weekend activities provided opportunities to all present to get to know each other and work, have fun and worship together.  It was a weekend where young and old mingled and learned from each other. The campfire provided a magical moment for all to keep warm and connect through stories and music.

The fellowship committee would like to express the utmost gratitude to all who attended and others that works so hard to make this retreat happen. Special thanks to Terri Ingalls, our professional story teller, that allowed her craft to teach us how, and the importance of, telling our stories;  to Mindy Barringer for the gift of live music for the campfire and the worship service; to the parenting group that handled most of the meals; and to the countless volunteers that ensured this successful event.

Thank you and may the peace of the Lord be always with you!

Oscar

 



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St. Matthew’s Parish Retreat — “Connecting Through Stories” Storytelling Workshops

CONNECTING THROUGH STORIES

St Matthew’s Episcopal Church

Storytelling Workshops

Stone Mountain, GA

October 19, 20, 21, 2018

 

Storytelling is one of the earliest forms of folk art.  They vary from simple chants praising the dawn to epic tales of heroism and adventure.  Through stories we can experience love, honor, courage, fear, and doubt. They pass on accumulated wisdom, beliefs, and values: they explain how things are, whey they are, and our roles and purpose.

This weekend we are going to explore the creation of stories and what our stories tell us about our lives and beliefs. How they have shaped our lives in the past and how they can shape our futures.

On Friday Night I’ll give you an overview of the workshops and storytelling and share a few stories around the bonfire.

At the two Saturday workshops we will explore storytelling and why it is important to our lives.  Why Fairy Tales are important; the role of folk tales; and how inspirational stories shape our world view.

We will also look at some Bible stories from different points of view and explore crafting our personal stories and how we each, as individuals, can use our life experiences to communicate, heal, and inspire.

There will be time for each of us to write our own stories of healing, teaching, and inspiration. Stories that have made us who we are.

At the Saturday night bonfire there will be a chance to share our stories with the larger group, if anyone would like to do so.

Looking forward to seeing and meeting you all and sharing stories.

Terri Ingalls

Potluck Storyteller



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Eighth Annual St. Matthew’s Car Show – How You Can Help

8th Annual St. Matthew’s Car Show

Saturday, October 13th 9:00 AM- 3:00 PM

How YOU Can Help!

As you know, the 8th Annual St. Matthew’s Car Show will be held this year on October 13th, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, rain or shine.  We are again excited to donate much of the proceeds from the show to The Place of Seven Springs.   This year, a portion of the proceeds will go to our Youth Ministry at St. Matthew’s to be used to refurnish the classrooms affected by the flood last year.

Seven Springs is part of the Gwinnett Coalition of Health and Human services.  Families and individuals are referred to them for assistance with emergency housing, utilities and non-narcotic prescription medication. They have a food co-op and operate a Summer Lunch Program for homeless children.  We encourage you all to learn more about Seven Springs and we invite you to visit their facility on Hwy. 78.

As always, the Car Show needs your help. There are many ways to do that. We will need volunteers on the day of the show, sponsors for trophies and t-shirts, raffle items, silent auction items, arts and crafts vendors for our vendor area and cars, cars, cars!!

You can also be a sponsor for the show. Sponsorship levels start at $200 and go up to $1500 and beyond.

We are also in need of Corporate Sponsorship.  Corporate Sponsorship levels would begin at $2000.  The Corporate Sponsor name would be added to all banners, our website and offered show space the day of show.  Their name would be announced throughout the day of show and a sponsor plaque would be awarded to the Corporate Sponsor the day of show.

We are looking forward to a very successful show this year, not only in raising money for two very worthy causes, but for a great fellowship event again. So please consider helping in any way you can to make this one of our best years yet.

Thanks and God Bless,

Jack Denton

St. Matt’s Car Show Chair

 



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St. Matthew’s Annual Car Show

October 13, 2018

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Rain or Shine

A judged show for all CARS, TRUCKS AND MOTORCYCLES

to be held at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church

Proceeds benefit Place of Seven Springs Ministries, Snellville, GA

Door Prizes All Day — 50/50 Raffle — KidsZone! — Concessions — Vendors

To Register A Vehicle –$15 before Oct  7, 2018 — $20 after Oct 7, 2018

For more information, visit www.stmattscarshow.com

Questions? Contact Jack Denton

 

 

 



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Photos From Worship and Celebration in Honor of Sally Ulrey’s Ministry

Check out photos of Sunday’s Celebration of Sally’s Ministry!

.

After 15 years of serving St. Matthew’s, Sally Ulrey’s last day was July 31.  We worshiped together Sunday using a liturgy that was composed in part by alumni of Sally’s youth program. Youth participatde by serving as acolytes, greeters, ushers, lectors, communion ministers and musicians. The worship music was that used during services at youth gatherings.  A reception for Sally and her family followed in the Parish Hall. We will miss Sally, and wish her Godspeed in her ministry. She was a blessing to all of us here at St. Matthew’s.

Our youth with our visitors from St. Mark’s in Jacksonville, preparing to head to the Church of the Common Ground

Youth Service Retreat “Seek & Serve”

 



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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.