Spotlight on Ministry Archives - St. Matthews Episcopal Church

A Word from Mother Pat+: Annual Meeting

January 28, 2022

What a great annual meeting! It was wonderful to see so many people in person and on zoom for the annual meeting. Thank you for your participation in the meeting, and a special thank you to everyone who gave of their time and talent in ministry this past year. St. Matthew’s has continued to thrive even in the midst of a pandemic. That success is because of you.

I invite you to read the full ministry reports which are on-line. If you prefer a print copy, just stop by the office and pick one up. Also, if you were not in person for the meeting, we have a St. Matthew’s pen for you whenever you come to the church.

The website and other resources will be updated for the new vestry and wardens. In case you missed it, Trisha Voiles is the new Sr. Warden and the vestry re-elected Jack Denton as Jr. Warden to provide continuity in this year of transition. Our thanks to the newly elected vestry members who stepped up to serve on the Vestry for the next three years – Carolyn Coil, Sharon Hansen, Jay Jones & Clay Olbon. It is always a joy to share ministry with a dedicated group of leaders. St. Matthew’s has certainly benefitted from the gifts of Becky Olson, Elliott Griffiths, Debbie Stallings, and Kim Williamson who faithfully completed their three year vestry terms. Those Vestry members continuing on are Mindy Barringer, Jack Denton, John Eberhart, Joan Kengla, Judith Kimsey, Karen Wilson, and Trisha Voiles. More information will be shared by the Vestry as they organize and begin their work. You are certainly invited to share your leadership talents not only by serving on the Vestry but by working on the ministries and committees of the parish.

For most of us, the work of finding and nominating that next rector has been invested in the nominating committee of the parish, so our work is to pray for that on-going ministry of discernment and nominating. In the next few weeks, the committee will seek your input, then put together a profile of what attributes of a new rector will best enhance the mission and ministries of St. Matthew’s. Then we wait again, for those whom God invites to explore their gifts and ministries with the nominating committee. And finally, after all the prayer, mutual discernment, evaluation and conversation, the committee will nominate a few individuals for the Vestry to consider extending a call. Even at that point, we won’t know about the progress until the mutual conversation of the vestry with a clergy person results in a formal agreement.

Pray for the process and be patient in the interim time, for God’s timetable is not always our own. Remember this is a process designed to find the best match of gifts and skills between the parish and the new rector; even though we may get impatient at what seems like a long process, behind the scenes there is significant work being done. Pray for that work.

Below is the prayer that the nominating committee has developed for our use during this search process:

Omniscient and All-Loving God, you know the needs of this parish and its people before they are spoken; look upon us graciously, we pray. Send your Holy Spirit to guide us, unite us, and uplift us as we search together for a new rector; and to those leading the search grant minds open to your wisdom and hearts open to your love. Set our feet and our wills on the path you have laid for us, that we may walk in your ways and be your Light in the world, to the Glory of Your Holy Name. Amen.

Remember that “Together we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us”. So, live into St. Matthew’s mission of continuing the incarnation of Jesus Christ by serving, loving, caring and witnessing to God’s love. May we have the wisdom to discern God’s will and the courage to act. For there is much to be done in this “interim” time.

Blessings, Mother Pat+

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A Word From Mother Pat+: Growing Deeper

January 21, 2022

Perhaps on occasion you’ve wondered what the Vestry does. Well, part of the role of the vestry is to serve as spiritual leaders of this faith community. Not only do they have responsibility for the temporal (financial) affairs of the Church, but they also share with the Rector the responsibility for the spiritual health of the parish. Over the past four months, the Vestry has reflected on the core values which the parish should uphold. The first core value which ranked the highest in the minds and hearts of the Vestry is spiritual growth.

When you think of spiritual growth perhaps you imagine getting wiser or taking on new rules of life or feeling more pious in worship and prayer. However, spiritual growth is not necessarily something you can see or measure, at least not on the surface. One analogy is to consider that spiritual growth is like a plant or tree putting down deep roots, even if the part of the plant above the surface looks short and stubby or the plant is attempting to grow amid the weeds.

Jesus told many parables about spiritual growth using agricultural images. Based on scripture, Jesus tells us that roots matter more than stems or the height of the tree. Bigger is not always better, and in fact pruning may allow the plant/tree to send more energy to the roots allowing for a more mature and fruitful plant to emerge.

In many of his letters, St. Paul is writing to congregations who have missed the point. Paul reminds us over and over that one spiritual gift is not better than another, and that spiritual growth is not about gaining power or prestige. Set your heart on sustainability instead of looking only for visible results. The challenge for us in this season of Epiphany is not only to look for the manifestation of God in our lives, but to then use those moments to focus our energy on growing deeper roots which can sustain us in times when challenges come.

In this pandemic, we have been continuously challenged with factors outside our control, but we can still use those times of difficulty to put our energy into growing deeper spiritual practices. Be part of weekly worship in-person, if you’re able, and on-line if your health does not permit your physical presence. Commit to daily prayer for discernment and growth. Make it a point to engage in weekly study with other Christians so we are challenged to think in new ways and we get the nourishment we need to continue our journey. In a way, this pandemic has forced us to “cease” doing many of the activities we have done in the past, and the blessing of this pause allows us to evaluate how we resume our common life together. The Vestry will continue to discern how to focus on this key core value in a way which supports our individual and communal growth.

Blessings and see you soon, Mother Pat+

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Annual Meeting — Reports and Vestry Candidates 2022

January 20, 2022

Annual Parish Meeting

January 23, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. in the parish hall or online via Zoom (see newsletter for details)

You will be able to vote in person or via Zoom:

Ballot Link for Zoom Meeting attendees.

Please view the reports here:

Annual Report 2021 Complete-Candidates and Reports

Dec 2021 Financial Stmt

St Matthews Annual Mtg Minutes 2021 2.21.21 Final

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

January 13, 2022

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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A Word From Mother Pat+: Invitation

January 13, 2022

The Invitation

I think we all have immediate reactions to an invitation we may receive. Perhaps it is a dinner invitation or an invitation to go to a movie, or even an invitation as we recently received to attend a virtual ordination last month for Karen. Some invitations we are able to accept, and others we may have to decline. Some invitations evoke a sense of joy and surprise while others give us a feeling of concern or regret.

When we accept an invitation it is an opportunity to celebrate or to deepen a relationship by spending time in the company of another person. In scripture Jesus seemed to extend invitations all the time to people on the street, in the synagogue, and almost any place you can think of. It is interesting that Jesus does not seem to judge the response. Some people asked questions; others hesitated; and still others decided to decline the invitation; but Jesus simply invited people to be part of God’s work. In John’s gospel (Chapters 1-6) you will find at least five invitations that Jesus makes, and perhaps you can see yourself in some of those responses. Jesus accepted more than a few invitations himself, like the Cana wedding feast, dinner with new friends, and of course Jesus accepted the invitation to engage in the work God called him to do. Invitations, when accepted, invite us into relationship.

Epiphany is that season where we encounter the mystery and the wonder of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry, and this is the season that we are invited to participate with God in the work of God’s kingdom. Recently I read that Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry said, “We’re all invited to throw ourselves into the arms of Jesus”. Now that is quite an invitation! I imagine that for those of us introverts, the idea of throwing ourselves into the arms of Jesus might be more than we want. However, I do believe that God continually invites us into relationship, and each day we make a decision to join God in the work of ministry and service, or we find other invitations more compelling.

In your quiet time and in your prayers, listen and watch for the invitation to engage with God, using spiritual disciplines of prayer, study and worship to grow in God’s love and grace. May your life be filled with Godly invitations. Mother Pat+

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A Word From Mother Pat+: Perseverance

December 17, 2021

How long Lord, do we have to wait?

I am not good at waiting! If someone puts me on hold on the phone, I look around for something else to do. But in every day there are times when we must simply wait. When night comes, we can’t rush the dawn – it simply is not in our power to do so. We can get up and turn on all kinds of electric lights, but we can not make the daylight come any sooner than God plans.

In this season of the Church year that we call Advent, we enter a season of waiting. Many of you are like me and you dislike waiting in line or waiting in traffic and you may even dislike waiting for dinner to cook. That is why I like to microwave everything! Sometimes we are so impatient that we try to figure out which grocery line is moving the fastest or which lane of slow traffic will get us there more quickly. But Advent is not like that. Waiting in Advent can’t be rushed. Advent is always four weeks in length and no amount of hoping and praying will bring Christmas any sooner.

So here we are in the third week of waiting and perhaps we have already fallen into the chaos of the world rushing to buy presents and hurrying to get decorations up? As Christians, we are supposed to prepare for Christmas in a different way. We are invited to slow down, not speed up. We are invited to wait to light that beautiful green tree until Christmas actually arrives. We are encouraged to prayerfully seek out gifts for others which remind them of the love God has for us.

The primary reason for gift-giving at Christmas time is to remind us of God’s great gift of love to each of us. Perhaps you can slow down enough to pray each day and to attend worship each week. Come and slow down for just a few minutes in the presence of God. Then you can go out into that busy world renewed and refreshed. The waiting of Advent is somewhat like the waiting of a couple for that new baby – it is the waiting of anticipation and it is the waiting of mystery and hope.

Light your Advent wreath candles (one each week, so we are up to three) and say a short prayer every day recognizing that each candle represents the Light of Christ coming closer and closer to our hearts and lives. May this season bless you with a sense of God’s peace and may you find yourself ready to welcome the Christ Child this Christmas with an open heart.

So how long Lord do we have to wait? Just long enough, God tells us, so that our hearts once again become mindful of Christ’s love and just long enough so that we become a hopeful people ready to light up the world for God.
God’s peace, Mother Pat+

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A Word From Mother Pat+: The Advent Wreath

November 24, 2021

The Advent wreath is a circular ring symbolizing the unbroken and unending love of God. The green symbolizes life everlasting and the four blue candles mark our earthly time of waiting and anticipating the coming of Christ.

In the last 20 years, the Church has elected to use sarum blue in Advent instead of purple to mark the difference between the purple of Lenten penitence and the Advent season of waiting and preparation. The tall white center candle focuses our attention on the light of the world, Jesus, whose presence is central to our lives. The white center Christ Candle is not lit until all the other candles are burning, so in a way it reminds us how important our own lives are in helping bring light to the world while we wait on Christ’s return. The Advent wreath continues to be used through the Feast of the Epiphany, with all the candles blazing to mark the light of God in the world during the season of revelation – Epiphany.

The four blue candles can symbolize many things; however the themes of each week tend to reflect the lectionary readings – Week 1: Anticipation of the coming Messiah – Christ child; Week 2: Preparation for the Light of Christ coming into the world; Week 3: Rejoicing for God is near us; and Week 4: Hope for the Prince of Peace comes into the world. Others see the four candles as reminders of the four gospels or the ever brightening light of Christ coming into the world to banish sin and darkness. When purple and pink candles were used, the purple was for penitence and the third week pink candle was a “lighter” purple to allow for Joy to lessen the penitential nature of the season.

Since the change to Sarum Blue for the Advent season, the focus has been one of anticipation, preparation, joy and hope that we might wait expectantly for God to act in our lives and in the world. May this Advent provide you a quiet space so you can prepare your heart and mind for the gifts God has for you. In this first week of Advent simply take time to wait in prayer for God to guide you – Anticipate with joy the days to come.
Have a blessed and holy Advent. Mo Pat+

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A Word From Mother Pat+: Centered In Christ-A Reflection Of Christ To the World

November 18, 2021

St. Matthew’s mission statement starts out this way, “We are to continue the incarnating work of Christ”…. This season is the time when we re-examine our lives not looking at our sinfulness, but looking at how we reflect Christ’s image in the world. How do we incarnate the love of God as lived out in the life of Jesus?

We are Christians and we are supposed to be living icons so that others see Christ through us. An icon is simply an image which provokes and evokes something greater than itself. So when people see us, they are reminded of God in some small way by our words, our actions and our willingness to be Christ-centered. Yet, often the demands of family, work, play, exercise, and service crowd out Christ from the center of our lives. We fall prey to trying to “balance” or “juggle” all the demands on our time. Most of us find it impossible to truly “balance” family, work, God, ministry, and personal time to take care of ourselves. So we skip exercise or we are too tired to pray or play with our children. Balance is not possible unless we put Christ in the center of our lives.

When we center ourselves in God, we put God in the middle of our day and the middle of our life. The outer particles of an atom can orbit at great speeds only because of the stability which the atom’s center provides. So it is when we center ourselves on the one absolute, the one thing in life which is constant and stable. God’s presence is always with us. God’s love is always there. Christ has done the work for us – his life, death, and resurrection have given us the “center”. All the rest of our lives may spin in what seems like a wildly erratic pattern, but with Christ at the center we can be sure that we will always be in God’s loving presence; and we can draw upon God’s Spirit for strength and guidance.

So, stay centered in God through prayer and worship. Jesus modeled a life “centered” in God. He faithfully worshiped, prayed and lived in community in order to keep himself centered. Take care of yourself so that you can mirror Christ to the world. Christ is risen and the world has been forever changed. Stay centered in the One who is the center of all that is. Reflect the love of God to everyone through your centeredness in God. We are those people who continue the incarnating work of Christ.

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A Word From Mother Pat+: Saints and Mission

November 10, 2021

Stanley Hauerwas, a contemporary theologian said this: “The work of Jesus was not a new set of ideals or principles for reforming or even revolutionizing society, but the establishment of a new community, a people that embodied forgiveness, sharing and self-sacrificing love in their lives. In that sense, the visible church is not to be the bearer of Christ’s message, but to be the message.” That also is the stated mission of St. Matthew’s parish – to continue the incarnating work of Christ.

We just celebrated All Saints Day remembering those who have left a name and whose stories we know like St. Simon & St. Jude, St. Mary & Martha, St. Peter, St. Matthew or St. John. But we also remember all the faithful departed whether they made a mark in the world or not; the saints who are known to God alone.

Each of us has prayerfully completed a ministry commitment form to help St. Matthew’s know where God is calling us to give our efforts of time and talent and how to best use our resources for the building up of God’s kingdom.

So we pray that we might live our lives as the “visible church” knowing that we are the message of Jesus in this time and place. And we remember those who have died because their faithful life and witness reminds us what it means to be baptized: to live our lives focused on God’s eternal presence.

At baptism we are given the seed of eternal life and we become a saint of God. Then we begin the journey of discipleship so that we may with God’s help have the strength to live as peacemakers, as pure and humble before God, as beloved children of God for that is what we are.

We are not trying to live into a new set of ideals or principles in order to reform or even revolutionize our society, rather we are called to be a Christ-centered community which embodies forgiveness, sharing and self-sacrificing love. We are called not to be the bearer of Christ’s message, but to be the message.

As the body of Christ gathered and formed by God into this community of faith called St. Matthew’s, we offer ourselves anew to God giving of ourselves and our resources for the work of God’s kingdom. See you Sunday, as we journey together toward the fulfillment of God’s plans. Mo Pat+

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A Word From Mother Pat+: “Remember, Commit, Give – Be the Church”

November 4, 2021

Remember who you are

Commit to God

Give of yourself and the resources you have been given by God

Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, we are all baptized by the one Spirit into one Body, and given gifts for a variety of ministries for the common good. We are the church. The building may be where we gather to worship and to study and to serve others; but we are the church, not the building. One of St. Matthew’s parish tag-lines is “it’s the people.” So, remember who you are as a child of God, beloved by God, made in the likeness and image of God, and called to follow Jesus Christ as Lord. Each new day is a gift from God.

At our baptism, we committed to God with our whole being. Don’t look back at yesterday and dwell on the failures or on the successes, because we don’t live in the past. Live today as the gift that it is. We only have today, there is no promise of tomorrow and we can’t re-play yesterday. So, commit yourself to living the life you were meant to live, a life of love and joy in the fullness of God’s presence and in the company of the people of God who travel this road of discipleship with you.

This week the church celebrates All Saints Day which falls on Nov 1st, and then again on Sunday, Nov 7^th we remember all the saints whose work has enabled us to gather in praise and worship. We remember all those in our families and our communities whose lives have touched our own and whose example has inspired us to faithful discipleship. We also renew our own baptismal vows to God.

Give of yourself and your talents, in ministry to others. Give of yourself in praise and worship to God. Give of your treasure in support of God’s work in the world. Give of your time in prayer, worship and in ministry. Give the greatest gift of all, yourself to God in moments of prayer throughout each day and in weekly worship.

Be the Church because that is what Jesus calls us to do. The church is the body of Christ and as such we become what the world sees. Of course, our buildings are a visible reminder of God’s presence and the buildings are a wonderful place for us to worship and to do ministry together; but the buildings are not the church – WE are the body of Christ, we are the church. It takes each of us joined together to show the world the fullness of God’s grace and the joy of a life lived in Christian discipleship.

Remember that you are the beloved of God and live like it. Commit to be an active part of the body of Christ, the Church. Give yourself to God’s work and together we will show the world the love and grace of God by being the Church, the body of Christ in this time and place.

It is time to commit our time, our talent, and our financial resources to the work of God’s kingdom in and through St. Matthew’s. The body of Christ, the Church, is incomplete without your gifts. Tell us how you plan to serve God’s kingdom in this coming year.

Come and worship, come and serve, commit to being the Church. Mother Pat+

PS, don’t forget to turn your clocks back 1 hr this Saturday night Nov 6^th before you go to bed or you will be really early for worship. See you Sunday.