St. Matthews Episcopal Church

Episcopal Church in Snellville, GA

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

Musings From Mother Liz

Finally! Fall is here. Last week’s car show was a great success; the fall weather arrived this week, and rain over the past few days has refreshed the area. My favorite liturgical season is Advent, but my favorite of the four seasons is fall. I love the crisp air, the smell of woodsmoke and the changing color of the trees.
I confess that I also look forward to our time of stewardship celebration. That may seem an odd term, “stewardship celebration”, but that’s the way I think of it. If you read Terri Hurst’s stewardship letter elsewhere in this e-letter, then you know that all the work we do as a community is part of our promise of stewardship – to take care of one another and of the many gifts and blessings which God has given us. This year’s theme, “Shining Our Light”, gives me context in which to do a reflection on where I am on my Christian journey. How have I allowed God’s light to shine through me? How have I offered my time, skills and financial resources to share God’s light both in the parish and in the greater community? I love stewardship because it allows me to be intentional as I realize that all that I have and all I can offer are gifts from God – I am only returning to God that which belongs to him already. If I am totally honest with myself, I must admit that on my own, I am not much, but as an instrument of God’s light and love, I can make a difference.
We have a motto at St. Matthew’s: “It’s the People”. Every month, when I meet with people new to St. Matthew’s, what they always share with me is the warmth they’ve felt from this community. I believe God has given us special gifts of hospitality and welcome, however, I believe that God does not call us to rest in this, but to continue to move forward. To do the work God has called us to do takes financial resources and the commitment of all of us.
So yes, I love our time of stewardship; I love this time of reflection on where we’ve been and where God is calling us to go. I will use these next four weeks to thank God for all the ways God has blessed me, and I will prayerfully ask God what I can offer in return. I hope you will join me this season in celebrating stewardship: by giving God thanks for his light that you have received from others; by giving him thanks for his light in you that you in turn have shared, and by making a financial commitment to God and St. Matthew’s out of the blessings you have received.
Happy Fall!!  Liz+



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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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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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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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Musings From Mother Liz: Stewardship — Where Does It All Go?

As much as we stress the spiritual discipline of making a financial commitment to the church, there are practical aspects as well.
In 2018, the vestry approved an operating budget of $567,000. A little over 50% of this amount goes towards staff salaries and benefits: pension, medical and disability insurance, travel, continuing education and social security. The cost to maintain and repair the physical plant, categorized as Buildings and Grounds, is 20% of the budget. A little over 9%, or $53,600 goes back to the diocese to help fund the cost of their operations. The cost to run the office, including office machines, computers, phone, internet and equipment replacements, requires 8% of the budget, while ministries uses 7%. Outreach is allocated 3% of the budget.
The vestry and the finance committee work hard to be good stewards of the monies donated to the church. Ideally, an increase in donations allows us to increase funds for Outreach as well as accrue funds for Buildings and Grounds to cover unexpected repairs, and expected replacement of high-priced items like air conditioners and roofs.
As you pray and discern what your financial commitment to St. Matthew’s will be, I hope learning what it takes to operate the church will be helpful to you. If you have questions about any of this, please contact our Treasurer, Chuck Marsh, the chair of our Finance Committee Mark DiGiovanni, or Bret Hurst, vestry member and liaison to the Finance Committee.
In Peace,
Mother Liz+



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It’s Fall! The Change of Seasons Ushers In Our Annual Stewardship Program

As I write this, meteorologists claim that the days of 90 degrees plus are gone for this year, and the morning temperatures over the weekend are forecast to be in the high 40’s. Fall has finally arrived! And with the start of football season, the change of the leaves and the change in the weather, another sign of Fall is our annual Stewardship program.

I Iove the fall season – it is my favorite time of year. And I love the time of stewardship. No, that’s not a misprint – I really do love the time of stewardship. It is a period of four weeks that I use for reflection about where I am in my Christian development and in my relationship to God. It is a time of daily prayer, of thinking intentionally about the many blessings that have come since last fall and how grateful I am for the St. Matthew’s community, for my life in Snellville, and for the many ways I have felt God’s love. And from those reflections, I then pray for discernment about what God expects of me and how I am called to give back this year in thanksgiving for all that God has done. So yes, I find the time of stewardship to be very special.

I also know that it is not embraced that way by many people. Somehow, the four weeks is seen as a way for the church to spend a focused period of time talking about money. And while making a financial commitment to St. Matthew’s in the form of a pledge is a key outcome of the four weeks, the time does not need to be stressful. I discovered years ago that if I focus on the spiritual, the financial follows. It just does. And more than that, it’s not painful. Honest!

Want to know more about how you can celebrate the season of stewardship instead of trying to hide from it? Tune in next week and I’ll tell you!
In Christ’s Love,

Mother Liz+



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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.