St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

Episcopal Church in Snellville, GA

St. Matthew’s strives to be a welcoming home for all who
seek Jesus Christ as we share God’s Love with the community.

 

Rector’s Corner:

As the weather continues to cool and we move deeper into this beautiful autumn season, we have so much to celebrate and look forward to in our parish life and community.

Third Annual Fall Bazaar – This Saturday!
Join us this Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the church’s front parking lot for our Third Annual Fall Bazaar! It will be a wonderful time of fellowship, fun, and community. Please bring your friends, family, and neighbors to enjoy the festivities and support our vendors and ministries. We can’t wait to see you there!

Prayers for the Annual Diocesan Council
This weekend, representatives from our church will attend the annual diocesan council at St. Philip’s Cathedral. Please keep our St. Matthew’s delegates—Eric Stokely, Karen Whitehead, Chris Rouse, Debbie Lott, Caroline Bowen, and me—in your prayers as we represent our parish and participate in the governance, vision, and fellowship of our wider diocesan community.

Special Blessings at the 10:30 a.m. Service
During this Sunday’s 10:30 a.m. worship service, we will share in two special moments of prayer and dedication: one for the Altar Guild and another for the New Beginnings Team and Participants. We will bless and commission our dedicated Altar Guild. Their faithful work prepares our sanctuary for worship each week, and we are deeply grateful for their beautiful behind-the-scenes ministry. We will also offer a special blessing for the team and participants heading to the New Beginnings retreat next weekend. Please pray that they have a joyful, safe, and spiritually enriching weekend at Camp Mikell.

2027 Stewardship & Pledges
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who submitted their 2027 pledges last week! Your faithful generosity enables St. Matthew’s to plan with confidence for a vibrant year of ministry, worship, and community outreach. If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to submit your pledge, we kindly ask that you do so. You can place your pledge card in the offering plate this Sunday, mail it to the church office, or submit it securely online. Every pledge makes a vital difference, and we are incredibly grateful for your continued support of our shared mission.

Gratitude for the All Saints’ Crosses
Finally, I want to express my deepest thanks to the congregation for the beautiful All Saints’ crosses on display during last week’s worship services. The visual reminder of the saints who have gone before and who live among us was deeply moving, bringing reverence and beauty to our space as we celebrated the feast day together. If you would like to keep your cross, please pick it up when you come to worship on Sunday.

I look forward to another weekend filled with hospitality, community, gratitude, fellowship, and blessings within our parish community!

Faithfully,

Father Tim



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The Cranes Come Down

 

If you looked up in church on Sunday, you may have noticed an absence of cranes! They have been carefully removed by Greg Andrews and his magic magnet crane-remover. They will be carefully stored as Pam Kohler-Camp coordinates their safe “migration” to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park for display at the Children’s Peace Monument. We will miss them! Learn more about the Children’s Peace Monument in the Peace Park Hiroshima Japan!



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Vestry Corner by Ted Sawyer

As the Vestry Liaison to Inreach, I have a major focus on Pastoral Care as
an essential part of the Inreach ministry. Pastoral Care is important
because it helps people feel seen, supported, and connected as they
navigate life and faith. Through listening, prayer, guidance, practical help
and shared community, our church supports people in grief, illness, conflict,
doubt and major life changes.

It also strengthens the whole congregation as people build trust, care for
one another, and grow in compassion and faith. Pastoral Care does not
replace professional assistance when someone needs it; it can offer
spiritual and community support along with it.

Here at St Matthews, we are blessed with strong pastoral leadership and a
dedicated group of parishioners who support this effort. They take this care
directly to heart. I am confident that this effort will continue as we pursue
Jesus’ call for love and support for our neighbor.



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A Celebration of Saints: Join Us This Sunday at St. Matthew’s

This Sunday, we gather for one of the most profound and joyous occasions in our liturgical year: All Saints’ Day. As a major feast day, it anchors our spiritual life, inviting us to pause, recognize our place in the vast communion of saints, and acknowledge the great cloud of witnesses who surround us.

This week’s worship will be rich in tradition, memory, and promise. Together, we will renew our baptismal vows, reaffirming our shared commitment to Christ and to one another. In a particularly moving part of our liturgy, we will read the names of those who have died over the past year, honoring their memory and giving thanks for their enduring presence in our hearts and in the church triumphant. To make this celebration even more meaningful, we encourage you to bring your wooden crosses to church to adorn the altar. Whether your cross is dedicated to a saint who has gone before, to a living saint whose faith continues to inspire your journey, or to us, bringing it serves as a beautiful, visible testament to the faith passed down through generations.

As we reflect on our spiritual heritage and the legacy of those who laid the foundation for our parish, we also look forward to our future. Please bring your 2027 financial pledge cards to worship this Sunday so we can bless them at the altar. Your generous commitments are vital to sustaining our ministries and supporting the work God is calling St. Matthew’s to do in the year ahead.

Immediately following the 10:30 service, we are excited to kick off St. Matt’s 101. This welcome and introduction class is a great opportunity for newcomers, new members, or anyone who wants to learn more about our church to connect, ask questions, and discover what it means to be part of the St. Matthew’s family.

Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend! Please remember the time change before you go to bed so you don’t arrive an hour early for the service.

Major feast days always bring new faces and returning friends to our pews. Please make a special, intentional effort to warmly welcome visitors to our worship and community. A simple smile, a greeting, or an offer to help someone navigate the bulletin goes a long way toward sharing the loving hospitality that makes St. Matthew’s so special.

I look forward to worshiping, remembering, and celebrating with you this Sunday!

Father Tim



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Flower Guild Training

The Flower Guild members have been blessed to attend Faith Flowers’ Flower Arranging classes this Fall. The members have taken Ceremonial Flowers, Fall Arrangements with Grocery Store Flowers, Tall Arrangements, Art of Compote, and Vase Arranging. We are so excited and motivated to share what we have learned in our St. Matthew’s Altar Flower arrangements.



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“Lord, I love the house in which you dwell
and the place where your glory abides. *
Psalm 26:8