The SAINT MATTHEW’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH of St. Matthew’s January / February 2008 Parish Mission Statement Our mission is to be a caring, inclusive community, centered in the Eucharist and grounded in the Gospel, so that we can reach out as Christ’s hands to the world. FROM THE RECTOR Dear People of Meeting are, as the titles suggest, in St. Matthew’s, two parts. On Friday night, January 25th, we will gather in Happy New Year! Saints Hall for fellowship and fun, as What’s I pray that 2008 well as a chance to meet the Vestry will indeed be a nominees, say goodbye to the happy year for Happening? retiring Vestry members, recognize all of us. But the staff, and honor a member of St. whatever this year Miscellaneous News........ 2-3 Matthew’s with the “Unsung Hero/ brings, let us all pray to seek and ine” award. We’ve always prided serve Christ in each other and in all Adult Education .................... 4 ourselves on our desserts - and this whom we meet, to see God’s hand year we are resuming our special at work in the world about us, and Vestry Comments ................. 4 “bake-off” as part of the festivities. to know and do God’s will. Make your reservation NOW (see Vestry Nominees .............. 5-8 The purpose of this mid-January insert). On Sunday, January 27th, newsletter is to give you information the “business” part of the meeting Youth Group .......................... 9 about the Annual Dinner and Annual will be held in the church following Meeting. Pictures and biographies the 10:00 service: voting; Prayer List ........................... 10 of the 10 adult nominees, and 1 presentation of the budget; reports youth nominee, for Vestry follow. from the Rector, Senior Warden, and Parish Families.................... 11 Please try to get to know them, and Treasurer; and a chance for prayerfully consider your vote for questions or comments. the leadership of our parish. I am We hope ALL of you will be there INSERTS: grateful to all of those who have for both parts; this is our meeting, agreed to run: every single one is a The Annual Dinner our parish, our life together. Reservation Form committed, competent and caring member of this parish. Yours in Christ, Flier for Open House Our Annual Dinner and Annual + (give it away!) Lucinda A very special thanks to Barbara Ellis and the choir, who worked so hard and so well to produce glorious Christmas music! And congratulations and kudos to Lynn Miller, Ben Linder, Nicholas Eastman, Angela Koshewa, Rhody Streeter and all the other folks who made the Christmas pageant such a success! 1 MISCELLANEOUS NEWS THANK YOU! Dear St. Matthew’s Family, Thank you to all of you who contributed so generously to the gift for each of us this Christmas. Your thoughtfulness, continued support and generosity, especially through this past year, is greatly appreciated by all of us. Thank you! Lucinda, Jim, Helen, David, Moray, Barbara, Aaron, Debbi, Ann, John, Lynn, Ruth, Mo, Ben and Mardi Special thanks to: • everyone who helped deliver the poinsettias to the homebound, the ill and others we want to remember. • all our parishioners who worked so hard to make this Christmas so beautiful and joyful! Thank you to eveyone who helped to make this year’s Christmas Pageant such a success, and to all the volunteers who helped with decorating our church. Without you, it couldn’t have happened! • Don and Joy Bell, Barbara Beury, Sharon Nesmith, Louise Shawkat, Barbara Uligian, Sarah Weston and Virginia Wilson for their preparation and donation of finger sandwiches for the ordination reception for Anne Vouga on Friday, December 21! • all who participated in setting up, clearing and cleaning up after the luncheon celebration for Lucinda’s 25th Anniversary to the Priesthood on December 2! • all who participated with the Advent Tree. We supplied gifts to children from the Healing Place, CASA program and our own refugee family. Over 200 gifts were provided. Volunteers from all three programs were very grateful for everyone’s generosity. Your help is needed! Friday, January 25 Many hands will be needed to help at the Annual Dinner: set-up for the dinner; clearing off the tables after the dinner; and two crews to run the plates, glasses, and silverware through the dishwasher. People are also needed to take tablecloths home to wash. The sign-up sheet, located on the bulletin board across from the elevator on the main level, is detailed and tells you exactly how many people are needed for each specific task. Sign up there, call Ann Davis at 895-3485 ext.109, or send an e-mail to [email protected]. 2 SOCIAL CONCERNS Volunteer Opportunities Please join us for dinner at Whole Foods at 5:15p.m. Then Habitat for Humanity carpool to the cathedral at 6:00 p.m. and baby sit from 6:30 Saturday, February 2 to 7:30 p.m. We will work 9:00 a.m. to Noon for a half day or 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for a full day. Carpool from the church parking Red Cross lot at 8:25 a.m. Blood Drive Help finish up the house we are sponsoring with Holy Trinity for La Trice Cole and her family. Friday, February 8 Mark your calendar for Friday, February 8, 1:00-6:00 p.m. Calvary/ St. George’s Please plan to come and support the blood drive which will return to St. Matthew’s in Saints Hall, after being Food Collection Sunday relocated during our two years of construction. We have Food Collection Sunday is February 3! been challenged to provide 50 units of blood for the Red Cross. In order to do this, we will need at least 65 people Please bring in nonperishable items for St. George’s and to help us reach this goal. Of course it would be Calvary’s Food Pantry. Place them in the basket in the wonderful if we could exceed this goal!!! Narthex coat closet or take them to the first mission office (marked Clothes Closet) above Saints Hall. Your donations go a long way to help lessen hunger in our Wayside community. Christian Mission Cook or Baby Sit Serve lunch at Wayside Christian Mission Sunday, February 10, 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at Cornerstone To carpool, meet in the Narthex right after communion at Thursday, February 7, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sign up on the 10:00 a.m. service. Call Sarah Weston, 426-6678 or the bulletin board to cook or send food, or call Sharon Greg Petrities, at 895-6522 for more information. Nesmith, 228-5918. To volunteer to baby sit, call Diane Clark, 245-5633. We always need sitters for the large number of children who are coming to Cornerstone. The New Orleans Response Committee (“NORC”) Faith Talk is . ATTENTION: All parties interested in participating in the a time for young adults to gather and discuss issues mission trip to New Orleans, please note that the date has of religion, spirituality, books, films, prayer, and changed to Wednesday, February 27 - Sunday, March 2. whatever might strike our fancy. As we’re all on a We will convene a meeting to discuss details and fill out journey of some sort, sometimes it’s difficult to find paperwork on Thursday, January 17 at 6:30 at St. a safe and open space to discuss things of this Matthew’s in Meeting Room A. It is very important for you to attend this meeting if you are either considering or nature. This happens every other Thursday evening planning to go on the mission trip. We look forward to at 7:00. Currently, we’re meeting at Heine Brothers seeing you at this meeting and recommend that you Coffee on Chenoweth Lane in St. Matthews, check out the Louisiana Office of Disaster Relief website January 17, 31; February 14, 28, and so on. Right (www.edola.org) to give you ideas about some of the now, the age range is 18-46. Invite your friends. potential activities for volunteers traveling to New Orleans and working under the umbrella of the Office of Pray there’s enough room for us at the coffeehouse. Disaster Relief as well as working directly with St. Anna’s Bring ideas and suggestions on what you’d like to Episcopal Church. see happen with this sacred time and space. If you If you cannot attend this meeting, please contact Nan have any questions, contact Jim Trimble, Lang ([email protected]) or Bev Weis [email protected], or on Facebook. ([email protected]) ASAP. 3 ADULT ED JANUARY 2008 Parents in Conversation meets every Sunday in Parents In Conversation room (lower level). A new forum will be offered each Sunday morning, The Last Word beginning January 13. A clergy person will be on-hand in the Lounge, following the 10:00 service, to be available for discussion concerning the day’s readings, a Bible Study on the lessons, the sermon, pastoral concerns, and general chit-chat of church things. Please join us with your coffee to explore the Word of the day. January 13 & 20 Bob Mueller, author and speaker, will draw from his third and most recent book, Create a Better World. (Clingman Chapel) January 27 Annual Parish Meeting following the 10:00 service. (Church) No other Adult classes this Sunday. Church School for children and youth. (childcare for infants and toddlers) VESTRY COMMENTS by Lee Fletcher At the first adult education discussion on human sexuality in December, there was some discussion about priorities of the Vestry.