St. Matthew's Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church in Snellville, GA
I am deeply honored and extremely grateful for Fr. Tim to ask me to serve as Senior Warden for this coming year. I am thankful to God for the trust placed in me and for the opportunity to serve alongside such faithful and dedicated people. It is a privilege to support the life and mission of St. Matthew’s in our shared journey.
We are blessed with Fr. Tim, parish staff and every member of the Vestry who has committed time, prayer, and thoughtful leadership to the well-being of our parish. Healthy parishes such as ours are built on shared ministry, open hearts, and a common vision. I look forward to working closely with the entire Vestry to ensure that our decisions reflect both faithful stewardship and bold hope for the future.
At the recent Annual Meeting, Fr. Tim talked about the need to experiment and try new things with the understanding that they may not always work. Yes, there is risk in change; but there is also a level of risk in not changing as the world around us certainly is in so many ways. By listening to one another, praying together, and embracing fresh ideas, we can build on the strong foundation that already exists at St. Matthew’s.
Your Vestry is tasked with looking at the big picture—balancing budgets; maintaining our wonderful but aging facilities; supporting staff; and, planning for the future. Even when decisions are complex or not universally popular, a spirit of patience and unity strengthens the entire parish. When parishioners share ideas, hopes, and concerns respectfully and constructively, it builds a culture of trust rather than tension. Ask questions of the Vestry with curiosity. Offer feedback with kindness. Assume good intentions. Vestry members are fellow parishioners who love St. Matthew’s as much as you do.
Our mission statement places a call that extends beyond our campus. We are blessed to worship and serve in the vibrant and growing Snellville and south Gwinnett community. We have meaningful opportunities to deepen our presence here. Together, we can continue strengthening our ministries, welcoming new families, supporting those in need, and being a visible sign of Christ’s love in our neighborhoods.
I thank you again for your prayers and your support.
Blessings,
Dave Lott
Senior Warden
St. Matthew’s strives to be a welcoming home for all who seek Jesus Christ as we share God’s Love with the community.
A huge thank-you to everyone involved in the Cabaret, Cabernet, & Clavier talent show! The event raised over $1000 towards the Capital Campaign projects, and ideas are already spinning for next year’s show!
This event featured 10 musical and spoken word acts from several of our talented youth, parishioners, and community members. Richard Morris wore several hats as event coordinator and organizer, emcee, and literally wore two outfits! So many volunteers were involved in the setup, decorations, lights, sound, ticket sales, concessions sales, and bartending that helped make the entire evening memorable for all involved, especially the audience members.
Lent Begins Wednesday February 18
Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m.
in the parish hall
The Chosen, Season 5
Continue the story of Jesus’ ministry through the eyes of his disciples and others around him. Bring a dish to share and watch in fellowship with others and join in the discussion afterwards.
No “Bah Humbugs” here! Thanks to an extraordinary team of 32 volunteers—including a talented cast of 15 bringing the characters to life, a visionary director and musical director, and a dedicated crew of 15 handling tech and front-of-house duties—our holiday production of Scrooge! was a success! With generous donations of time, costumes, talent, and wonderful camaraderie, these volunteers shared Charles Dickens’ timeless tale of redemption through repentance and forgiveness, celebrating the true joy of giving through charity and goodwill. The show delighted approximately 260 patrons across the holiday season. We’re filled with gratitude for everyone involved and excited for the new year ahead with fresh shows on the horizon!
Can you feel the excitement in the air? Christmas is almost here! We are in the home stretch of our Advent journey, and the energy around the parish is contagious!
Scrooge: The Musical
First and foremost, I invite you to experience a little bit of magic right here on our campus this weekend. Our production of the musical “Scrooge” is finally here! The musical will be so much fun. It’s heartwarming, hilarious, and just the kind of joy we need this season. We will also host many visitors and guests for the musical, so please help people navigate the campus and greet them with the welcoming St. Matthew’s hospitality.
To the cast, crew, musicians, set builders, costume designers, and all the volunteers who made this fantastic offering possible: Thank you! Your hard work has created a wonderful gift for our community.
The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Amid the joyful celebration, we also approach a meaningful spiritual moment: the Fourth Sunday of Advent. As we light the fourth candle on the wreath, we focus specifically on Mary and the upcoming birth of Jesus. We will also hear the Christmas story from Joseph’s perspective this Sunday. I invite you to join us for worship this weekend to take a deep breath, center your heart, and make that final spiritual preparation before the Christmas festivities begin. If you need a moment of peace, come to church on Sunday morning!
There will also be a special rehearsal for those interested in participating in this year’s Christmas Pageant. The rehearsal will be in the nave during formation starting at 9:30 am on Sunday. We invite all children to join the pageant during the 4:00 pm worship service on Christmas Eve.
A Season of Welcome and Celebration
Looking ahead to next week, we are preparing to welcome many guests, visitors, neighbors, and extended family members for our Christmas services. For many of them, this might be their first time in a church in years, or perhaps their first time at St. Matthew’s. I am asking for your help to make our parish the warmest, most welcoming place it can be. Let’s continue to show our wonderful hospitality:
Many people are searching for a welcoming, inclusive community and a spiritual home at Christmas. Your smile and warm gestures might just be what help them find it. Let’s open our doors and our hearts wide this Christmas!
We will have our worship services on Christmas Eve at 4:00 pm and 11:00 pm. Before the 11:00 pm. service, there will be a congregational sing-along starting at 10:30 pm. Additionally, there will be one service on Christmas Day at 10:00 am. The Christmas season and celebration will continue on Sunday, December 28, with one service of Christmas lessons and carols at 10:00 am. Our regular worship schedule will resume on January 4.
The parish office will be closed from December 24 to January 1. If you need to take care of any financial matters, please do so before the office closes or online through Realm by December 31. If you haven’t pledged for 2026 yet, there’s still time.
I can’t wait to see you at Scrooge and during worship this weekend and next week as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior at St. Matthew’s.
Father Tim
Wrapping oneself in a prayer shawl is a way of focusing one’s eyes and heart on God to feel his presence and loving embrace. Prayer scarves and squares are also a way of keeping focus on God as a reminder of God’s presence. This rewarding ministry brings joy, comfort, hope and God’s love to the church, the larger community and the world. The Knit, Crochet & Pray group meets on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. in the library, located off of the parish hall. All are welcome!
** We maintain a pattern book, also in the library! **
See below resources, all are suggestions and starting points — you are completely free to follow your own patterns!
Coming soon: Common lap robe pattern (36″ x 45″ is suggested)
Coming soon: Common baby blanket pattern
The Episcopal Church Women gathered yesterday for fellowship and learning as Sylvia and Vicki led us in “The Making and Breaking of the Bread.” The program began with the lighting of a candle—kept burning until the bread came out of the oven—and continued with Sylvia’s thoughtful reflections on how each ingredient and step in the process symbolizes the life of Jesus.
Of course, everyone enjoyed tasting the freshly baked (not consecrated!) bread, warm from the oven. By the end of the gathering, three women felt inspired to join the Bread Guild—thanks be to God!
This special ministry is open to everyone—women and men of all ages. If you’d like to take part in the holy work of baking our Communion bread, please reach out to Sylvia Campbell.
What a beautiful day it was for All Saints’ Day at St. Matthew’s! The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and our beloved church and grounds looked their very best. We started the morning with a full hot breakfast—good food, great company, and plenty of laughter. Our new class, St. Matt’s 101, had its first session and was a wonderful way to welcome those just getting to know our parish family and the Episcopal faith.
During both services, we paused to remember and give thanks for the saints who have gone before us, reading aloud the names of those we’ve lost this past year. In a moving part of the service, parishioners brought in small wooden crosses—decorated at home in memory of loved ones—which were placed in front of the altar as a sign of love and remembrance. The children’s choir added their beautiful voices to the day, filling the church with music and joy.
We closed our celebration with the annual In-Gathering, as congregation members placed their 2026 pledge cards in the basket—an act of gratitude, community, and hope for the year ahead.
