October has arrived at St. Matthew’s, bringing crisp mornings (hopefully after this weekend), leaves preparing to turn, pumpkin spice everywhere, and a calendar bursting with life. This month, our parish life is about making room—expanding our hospitality, sharing our gifts, and showing our neighbors what God’s unconditional grace looks like in real time. We will have the opportunity to celebrate our community and showcase it as a welcoming, belonging place for everyone.

Here is what is ahead for our parish community this October:

Rakes, Brushes and Elbow Grease: Fall Workday

• When: Saturday, October 3 | 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
• Rain or Shine

Grab your work gloves and favorite travel mug! Our campus is a sacred trust and our collective front porch to the neighborhood. We’ll clean and prep the grounds for the cool months ahead. Come for an hour or stay for the morning. Whether you’re spreading mulch, deep-cleaning a bathroom, or replacing light bulbs, every pair of hands makes a tangible difference. The Brotherhood of St. Andrew will provide lunch for the workday.

Music, Joy, and Our Animal Friends

• When: Sunday, October 4
• Choir Commissioning & Blessing (10:30 service):
  Our worship is carried each week on the wings of song and joyful noise. This Sunday, we will commission and bless our Adult Choir, Children’s Choir, and Handbell Choir as they begin another season of music ministry. Come, surround them with prayers of gratitude for the beauty they bring to our liturgy.
• Annual Blessing of the Animals (4:00pm)
  In honor of St. Francis, bring your dogs, cats, hamsters, turtles, lizards, well-loved stuffed animals, and pictures of deceased pets to the church for our annual blessing. It is always a delightful, chaotic, and heartwarming celebration of creation. All creatures great and small, feathered and scaled, are welcome (just keep paws and claws on a leash or safely in carriers!). If it rains, we will offer drive-through blessings and treats in the front driveway. 

The Great Pumpkin Arrival!

• Opening: Sunday, October 11

Our front lawn will turn bright orange as we launch our Brand-New Pumpkin Patch! More than just a great spot to pick up a pumpkin, this patch is an intentional ministry of hospitality. It is a place where everyone can linger, connect, and experience the warmth of St. Matthew’s. There will be a preview of the patch on October 9 and 10 before officially opening on October 11. Sign-ups for greeting and patch-tending shifts are available via the links in the weekly Messenger—come be a friendly face for our community!

Trunk-or-Treat Extravaganza

• When: Sunday, October 25 | 3:00 – 4:30pm

Decorate your trunk, break out the costumes, and stock up on treats! Our annual Trunk-or-Treat is one of the brightest ways we welcome local kids and families to our grounds for a safe, joyful afternoon of fellowship and laughter. Whether you have a themed trunk or simply come to pass out goodies and chat with neighbors, your presence embodies the hospitality Christ calls us to. This is a fun annual event at St. Matthew’s!

Fall Stewardship 2027: “Plenty Good Room”
As we celebrate these gatherings, we also enter our annual Fall Stewardship season. Stewardship is not merely about funding a budget; it is a spiritual practice of gratitude. Look around: God has given St. Matthew’s a deep spiritual heritage, a beautiful campus, and a loving parish community. When we claim the theme “Plenty Good Room,” we acknowledge two things: gratitude for the generous abundance God has poured out on us and our shared responsibility to nurture that space so more people can find a home within it. In the coming weeks, you will hear reflections from our parishioners and receive pledge materials inviting you to prayerfully consider your financial commitment to our parish’s ministries and mission for 2027. I invite you to honestly think about how your time, and treasure can help welcome all people to our community and experience God’s unconditional love.

Let us step into this October, ready to work, sing, celebrate, and love our neighbors, showing through our hands and hearts that there is always, always room at the table at St. Matthew’s. I look forward to a great month ahead!

Faithfully yours in Christ,

Fr. Tim+

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