St. Matthews Episcopal Church

Episcopal Church in Snellville, GA

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1b

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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Parish Retreat At Stone Mountain–Make Your Plans Now!

Stone Mountain Park
October 19th, 20th & 21st

Fall 2018 Weekend Parish Retreat

Greetings!
The weekend of October 19th through the 21st we will be celebrating a weekend of “Fun, Food and Fellowship” at Stone Mountain Park. This parish-wide event is for the entire family.

We are planning a weekend full of activities to allow for our church family to build community, have fun and grow spiritually. Activities are in the works that include parishioners of all ages and all our ministries at St. Matthew’s. Please plan to attend the activities for the weekend.

We have secured the “J” camping trail at Stone Mountain. for this event. All parishioners that want to camp will be able to do it. The park also has RV camping available (reservation info below), two hotels on-site (see registration phone numbers for these below) and for those who prefer to go in for the day, they will be able to do that as well. We will have Holy Eucharist at the park on Sunday October 21st.

Details of cost and activities schedule below. Pick up a parish registration card at church to help us plan food quantities and activities.

Peace be with you!
Your Fellowship Committee

 

Cost: (Early Bird Special–price increase after Sept 1)

Individual – $45

Couple -$80

Family of four – $108. Any additional person over age 5 –  $20/each

Attendance Sign Ups — pick up a registration card at St. Matthew’s beginning August 12. Online registration available soon.

 

Many activities are planned, beginning with set up, dinner and evening service on Friday, Activities, meals and prayer on Saturday, and concluding with Holy Eucharist and breakfast on Sunday. Special activities each day–stay tuned!

**Camp in a reserved section of the park campground, bring your RV, or stay in park facilities at the Inn or Evergreen Marriott. For more information contact Oscar De Leon.

Lodging Reservatons: (make your reservation plans early!)

  • Camping sites are included with your St. Matthew’s registration/fee. 
  • To make RV reservations contact 770-498-5710.
  • To make hotel reservations at a park facility,  call 1-888-670-2250



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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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A Thank You Note From Mother Liz+

This last Sunday’s service of Pentecost was a great celebration – of the coming of the Spirit, of the reflection of the Holy Spirit as seen in baptism of three new children into the body of Christ, and in the welcome of new families to membership at St. Matthew’s at both the 8 and 10:30am services. AND we celebrated graduation of six high school seniors!

I would like to thank all of those who worked to make the Sunday so special: the altar guild, the flower guild, the great decorations, the choir, the children’s participation, Tammy Pearson’s altar flowers – there are so many more people I could list – it just goes to prove our motto – it REALLY is the people! Thank you! Mother Liz+



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Episcopal Church Women (ECW) Is Back!

ECW (Episcopal Church Women) is BACK! All women of the church are automatically members, and are invited to attend a Salad Social and Organizational Meeting on Sunday, June 10th at 12:15. Please bring any kind of salad to share with your fellow sisters. Drop your salad off before church and we will keep it in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve. We will hold a short organizational meeting to ask for volunteers to be on our board and we are looking for a treasurer and a scribe. Please call Rebecca Bowen 404-808-6408 or Nancy Drury 678-779-3482 with any questions.



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Police Appreciation Week

St. Matthew’s partnered with Snellville Police Department as part of the One Congregation One Precinct (1C1P) initiative started by Movement Forward. The program is designed to foster better communication and cooperation between law enforcement and local congregations. Part of the program is showing appreciation for the Snellville Police Department, but during Police Appreciation week (May 13-19), we decided we would honor two of our very own parishioners who are police officers! Dennis Doane is an officer with the Gwinnett County Police Department and John Hansen is an officer with Dekalb County Police Department. On Sunday, May 13, Mother Liz presented both of them with a police car box filled with a gift card, candy, St. Michael medal, and donuts!

On the same day Mother Liz blessed the thin blue line prayer blankets made by the Knit, Crochet and Pray ministry to be given to police officers who are injured or are sick.

St. Matthew’s showered the Snellville department with love throughout the week with Chick-fil-A biscuits on Tuesday morning, home cooked dinners on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights, donations of donuts, chips, candy and police car treat boxes filled with all kinds of goodies! We were even able to donate treat bags to the Lilburn Police department on Wednesday because of your generosity.

While Police Appreciation week may be over you can still make our Snellville Police department feel the St Matthew’s love by making a homemade birthday treat for an officer’s birthday. If you would like more information about this wonderful outreach ministry, please contact Becky Olbon at beckyolbon@yahoo.com or by calling 770-923-9186. We so appreciate all our police do to keep our communities safe. God’s blessing on all who serve this or other communities.



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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.