St. Matthews Episcopal Church

Episcopal Church in Snellville, GA

“I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” Acts 2:17

St. Matthew’s 40th Anniversary Celebration

Y’ALL COME!

–All members, former members, and residents of the local community are invited–

Sunday, September 22

we will celebrate

St. Matthew’s 40th Anniversary –

Single Service at 10:00 a.m.

Worship and give thanks for the ministries begun at St. Matthew’s

and the people who have given of their time, talent and treasure

to make those ministries a reality.

 

Followed by a huge pot luck dinner—

Members are invited to bring one or more of your favorite covered dishes
to share–
main dish, salad, side dish, or dessert.

Register & Sign Up on REALM / Events

/go to Sept 22

(Non members please email registrar@stmatthewssnellville.org to let us know you will attend. 

Games and activities

**Don’t miss it**

IT’S THE PEOPLE!



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Youth Retreat / Youth Program Information Meeting and Permission Forms

Hello all! I hope everyone has had a great summer–and is ready for school to start next week, too! I must admit the end of summer crept up on me, and I’m sorry for the lateness of these reminders!!

It’s hard to believe it’s already time for our annual Fall Youth Retreat**, but we are less than TWO WEEKS AWAY from the coolest camp of the year!

**[FALL YOUTH RETREAT — for all St. Matt’s Youth (6th through 12th grades) next weekend, August 9-11, at Camp Tugalo in Toccoa) Meet at the church at 5:30 p.m. Friday, return Sunday around 3 p.m. $40 (some scholarships available).]

Parents, there will be an informational meeting IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE 10:30 SERVICE SUNDAY, AUGUST 4. This is for you to ask any and all questions you have about the retreat, the program, and the upcoming year, as well as fill out the release forms needed to allow us to take your kids off-campus for events. (It’s also a great time to volunteer to provide dinners, drive kids to events, and maybe even lead a lesson are for those considering volunteering in the youth program; please prayerfully consider how you may be able to help us grow our program!)

St Matts Release Form 2019      St.-Matts-Driving-Policy (1)

Thank you for being a part of our amazing youth program, and I look forward to seeing y’all Sunday!!

Faithfully,

Mara DiGiovanni

 



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May Food Drive – Outreach At St. Matthew’s

This year, May is the month in which St. Matthew’s will focus on collecting special items for the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministries.

The Co-op asked we collect Shampoo, 1 lb bags of white or brown rice, Canned chicken, and Canned pineapple

The pineapple is always in high demand and just seems to fly off the shelves.

The Outreach Committee will be handing out bags with attached food list after both services, so please fill the bag and return to the barrel outside of the Parish Hall.

Volunteer Opportunity: This year, all the food we collect during our special May food drive will be delivered to the Co-op all at once, on Saturday morning, June 1st. We would like volunteers to help bring the food over, stay and help sort the food and then take the opportunity to tour the facility. This is a great opportunity to see where and how your donations are used and what an impact St Matthew’s Church has.

Summer Manna/Fun Under the Big Top at the Co-op

Families with school aged children often experience food insecurity during the summer months due to the suspension of school breakfast and lunch programs. The Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry assists these families by allowing them to visit the Co-op twice during the summer months. These extra visits put a huge burden on the volunteers who work in the Pantry. St. Matthew’s has agreed to assist by providing volunteers to work alongside the regular Pantry volunteers on May 29th and May 31st. There is a sign-up sheet posted on the Outreach bulletin board. In the Pantry, youth volunteers must be Middle School Age (with a parent/guardian) or High School Age (solo/no parent). ALL Pantry volunteers MUST WEAR closed toed shoes…. NO sandals.



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St. Matthew’s Annual VBS Coming July 8-12, 2019!

St. Matthew’s VBS offers children Pre-K through rising fifth grade a fun and rewarding week of fellowship, games, crafts and story time, all centered around God’s love for us.

Our 2019 VBS will be held July 8-12, 2019.

9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Cost: Before June 15 — $20 per child

After June 15 — $25 per child

(payable ON REALM when registering, at church office by check, or on first day of camp)

Camper Registration

 School Level: Pre-K through rising 5th Grade (4-11 yrs. old)
Volunteers are needed! Register to volunteer ON REALM
Information on Special Needs VBS (Tuesday & Thursday, modified hours) coming soon.



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2019 Vestry Candidates

St. Matthew’s Annual Parish Meeting

9:00 a.m.: Coffee & donuts & Sign In  
9:30 a.m.: Annual Meeting:
Election of four vestry members
Click here for candidate information
Parish business
Forum discussions
followed by one combined Service. 
12:30 p.m (time approx.): Annual Brotherhood Fish Fry!

CANDIDATES FOR VESTRY 2019:

Elliot Griffiths

Elliot was “brought” (he didn’t have a choice at the time) to St. Matthew’s in the mid-late 80’s by his father Tom Griffiths.  We quickly found this to be our church home and were very active until the early-mid 2000’s.  He now attends with his own family: Jenny (wife), Ian (son age 11), and Ethan (son age 8), can be found at church most Sundays.

Elliot works as a Supervisor to the emergency services division of a restoration company which is why he always has one eye on the “bat phone” (yes even in church… sorry, Mtr Liz).  He went to college for music and spent some time touring around the southeast in his younger(dumber) years.

He was heavily involved with the youth and the New Beginnings movement as a participant at weekend number….. drum roll………….1.  He served on team and didn’t miss a single New Beginnings weekend for nearly 15 years.  As a young adult he led music on the weekend and in general, helped set the stage for how the weekend currently stands…..which is awesome 😂….. Recently, since his return, he is more involved with the children’s ministry and education (having children in the program and also teaching J2A).

Elliot’s vision for St. Matthews is steady, smart growth.  To continue the trend of the Episcopal Church in its methodology of accepting all no matter what, under GOD. We all have something to give to the church just like we all have something we can take away from the church in our own individual lives. He would like to also see further development within the youth programs.  As a product of the church, he always had the feeling that he was really a part of something special.  While he does not spend as much time in the youth today as he once did, he would like to become familiar enough to ensure that the feeling is still thriving.  Our youth make up the future of our church (and world).  Molding these lives with productivity, GOD and love are absolutely paramount in these times.

Bernard McGhee

Bernard was raised Roman Catholic but became an Episcopalian as an adult. He started going to St. Matthew’s about two years ago after moving to Gwinnett County from Atlanta, where he and his family went to St. Luke’s.

He grew up in the New Orleans area and majored in Mass Communication at Xavier University of Louisiana. After graduating from college, he started working for The Associated Press, where he spent time at AP bureaus in Seattle, Iowa and South Dakota, before coming to Atlanta in 2004. He currently works as an editor on the news agency’s South regional desk in downtown Atlanta.

Bernard is married to Elizabeth, who also attends St. Matthew’s, and they have a 7-year-old son named Maxwell. When not working, Bernard enjoys reading, writing fiction, listening to music and watching movies.

Becky Olbon

Becky was born in Boaz, Alabama but grew up in Bowling Green, Kentucky. She has been married to Clay Olbon for 27 years and they have two adult children, Tara and Nate. Becky was baptized and confirmed at the Cathedral of St Phillips in 2002.

At St. Matthew’s, Becky is currently a member of the Outreach and Finance committees and serves as the 1C1P liaison with the Snellville PD. She also serves as a greeter and as a member of the Preschool executive board.

In the past she has served on the vestry as the Building and Grounds liaison and as the Youth liaison as well as Junior Warden,

Becky’s vision for St. Matthew’s is one in which we continue to grow our Inreach and Outreach ministries so that we are serving God and our community to the best of our abilities.

Sam Rotella

My choice to become a member of the Episcopal Church was an easy decision my wife Priscilla you either join or there’s no us. Both were 2 of my best life decisions.

My now 47 year career spans leadership, sales, business development, facilitation and working with clients to achieve their vision. As a business we look at our purpose is to” give back the gifts of our skills and learning with passion and commitment to make a difference for our clients”

At St. Matt’s I have chaired long range planning for 2 1/2 years, worked on a series of projects for Mother Liz and the Vestry as well as currently being involved in Christian formation.

It is not my job to determine the vision of St. Matt’s but rather to facilitate the achievement of an aligned parish vision.



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New Vestry Members Elected At the Annual Parish Meeting January 27, 2019

Congratulations to our newest vestry members Eliot Griffiths, Bernard McGhee, Becky Olbon, and Sam Rotella, elected at the Annual Parish Meeting. They will serve a three year term. Members also reviewed the 2019 budget and participated in table discussions  about the year(s) ahead. This year kicks off a celebration of St. Matthew’s 40 years of ministry in the Snellville / Gwinnett County area, as the parish looks ahead to the next forty years and beyond.

A single combined Eucharist service followed the meeting, and the Brotherhood of St. Andrew hosted its annual Fish Fry after the service.

St. Matthew’s extends heartfelt thanks to Oscar De Leon, Mara DiGiovanni, Scott McEvoy and Beth Still for their faithful service on the vestry these past three years, and thanks to Eliot, Bernard, Becky and Sam as they begin their three year term.

 



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Musings from Mother Liz

Dear Beloved, Advent is upon us! What is known in the world as the Christmas Shopping Season has an almost opposite meaning in the Church. Rather than the busyness that inevitably comes with this month before Christmas, Advent invites us to slow down and reflect on the miracle that gave us the reason for Christmas: God chose to become incarnate and dwell with us in the Person of his Son Jesus Christ. Last Sunday, we finished Year B with acknowledgement of Christ as King. This Sunday, we begin the story again, but told through the voice of St Luke.
It is my favorite season, and I think I put more emphasis on the first Sunday of Advent than January 1st as the start of a new year. That’s because this time in the church calendar invites us into a season of hope – hope that counters the encroaching darkness of winter; hope that tells us that as difficult as things may be, the resiliency and persistence of God in Christ to bring light into that darkness perdures (endures).
I mark time using an Advent wreath at home that I light as I begin evening prayers. There is something about the light of those candles as the day goes dark and cold that is meaningful to me. I keep the wreath lit through the reciting of the Phos hilaron (BCP 118), so that the candles might last the whole season of Advent. The lighting of the wreath and the praying of the Evening Office settles my heart and mind for the evening. All the stress of the day fades as I consider the miracle of God’s love in the gift of his Son.
Last year, I put together a list of readings materials that are good to mark the season. If you would like a copy of the list, send me an email and I will send it to you. This year, I would like to share a couple of websites that will have Advent meditations on line. The first is from my seminary in Austin, the Seminary of the Southwest. The link can be found here: https://ssw.edu/blog/advent-meditation-sunday-december
If you click on the link, on the right side you will see a place where you can enter your email to sign up.
The other link is from Virginia Theological Seminary. The link can be found here:
There may be other places on-line, but these are two good ones with which to start.
I pray that you are able to set a side time for prayer, or reflection, or just time to be quiet, so that you are able to prepare your heart for God’s gift to us at Christmas: Emmanuel, God with us.
Advent Blessings,
Liz+



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The Advent Wreath: A Home Tradition

The season of expectation, called Advent, is upon us.  Advent begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas and marks the start of a new liturgical year.  This new year, which we begin on this Sunday, is noted as Year C, and our gospel focus moves from the Gospel of Mark (Year B), to the Gospel of Luke.

The four Sundays of Advent are also commemorated by the lighting of the Advent Wreath.  According to information provided on Wikipedia[i], the concept of the Advent Wreath originated with the Lutherans during the 16th century. It was a way to mark time from the first Sunday of Advent to Christmas.  The original Advent wreath had 20 small red and four large white candles.  A small candle was lit successively on weekdays and Saturdays and on Sunday a large white candle was lit.  The use of the wreath changed to marking only the four Sundays in Advent, and some churches added a fifth white candle in the center, which was lit on Christmas.  The Roman Catholic Church in Germany adopted the custom in the 1920’s and it spread to the United States sometime in the 1930’s.

Today, many denominations use an Advent wreath during Advent.  The wreath is circular, representing eternity.  Four or five candles are arranged on the wreath, depending on whether a center candle for Christmas is used.  Set on the outer wreath are four candles: three are either blue or purple, and one is rose.  One candle on the outer ring is lit each Sunday.  Whether the wreath uses four or five candles, the idea is that the wreath, and the lighting of the candles successively each Sunday, represents the light of Christ coming into the world.

The first blue or purple candle that is lit is called the “Prophecy Candle”, reminding us of the prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah. This first candle represents HOPE.  The second purple or blue candle that is lit represents LOVE.  Some traditions have named this candle the “Bethlehem Candle”, representing Christ’s manger.  On the third Sunday, the rose candle is lit.  This candle is called the “Shepherd’s Candle” and it represents JOY.  The fourth candle is often referred to as the “Angel’s Candle”, and it represents PEACE.  On Christmas Eve, the white center candle is lit.  This candle is called the “Christ Candle” and represents Christ coming into the world[ii].

Using an Advent Wreath at home is a wonderful way to mark the season.  You can find advent wreaths in many craft shops, in Christian Bookstores, and on-line.  There are also some available at the Cathedral Bookstore at St. Philips in Atlanta.  The candles are often sold as a four pack, with three blue or purple and one pink or rose in the box.  You can set the wreath on a plate or a charger, and then decorate the wreath with Christmas greenery.  The candles can be lit in the same way we light them on Sunday.  On Sunday evening, perhaps before dinner, light one or more of the candles, depending on which Sunday it is, and share a prayer of either thanksgiving (how has God blessed me this week), or a prayer of hope (what does it mean to you that Christ comes into the world?).

The Advent wreath is a home tradition that I adopted many years ago.  It has infused an added level of spirituality and reflection in what would otherwise be a very hectic season.  I highly recommend it!

Advent Blessings, Mother Liz+

[i] Wikipedia, “The Advent Wreath”, found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath, accessed 11-30-18.

[ii] “The Advent Wreath”, Terra Sancta Guild.



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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.