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shopping and concerts and gift giving. All can be wonderful! But then Advent, that special time that prepares our hearts and souls, is somehow vanquished to an hour or two on Sunday.
So, at St. Matthew’s we are un-vanquishing Advent again this year. We are reclaiming this ancient time of hope, peace, love and joy. The church will use the blue color of Advent, the color that connotes Mary and also the waters of creation. The blue of Advent offers us a hint of both expectation and anticipation of the dawning of Christ. The lectionary readings assigned for the year will not change; fortunately they lend themselves to Advent. We will introduce Advent music, of course.
The hope is that we will take time for Advent, that the extra weeks will allow the deep mystery of our God, the poetry of creation, to envelop our souls. And if there are parties and celebrations weeks before Christmas, so be it. There will still be time to wonder. To still complicate the God of whom it is written, “Behold, I make all things new!”
The glory of God shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together,
Pastor Hollis
THE EVANGELTHE EVANGELTHE EVANGELTHE EVANGEL T H E M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T TT H E M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T TT H E M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T TT H E M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R O FE R O FE R O FE R O F
S T . M A T T H E W ’ S E P I S C OS T . M A T T H E W ’ S E P I S C OS T . M A T T H E W ’ S E P I S C OS T . M A T T H E W ’ S E P I S C O P A L C H U R C HP A L C H U R C HP A L C H U R C HP A L C H U R C H
Youth & Family
Advent Plans/Study/Play Rehearsal
Ministry News
Ministry News
Missionary Letter/Benedictine Retreat
Poem/Stewardship
Ministry Schedule
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Treasurer’s Report
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November 2017
Inside this issue:
Dear Friends,
Advent means arrival, or coming. Maybe it’s redundant to say Advent is coming! In any case, Advent begins here at St. Matthew’s on the weekend of November 11-12. A lot of churches don’t
start Advent this early. If you have friends at other mainline churches, they probably won’t begin Advent until December 2. So, what are we doing?
Technically, we’re taking three weeks that are considered “Ordinary Time” and saying they are Advent. There is some precedent. About the year 500, churches (they were all Roman Catholic or Orthodox then) began celebrating Advent on November 11 with the feast of St. Martin. So the season of Advent would run for 43 days, right up to Christmas Eve. There doesn’t seem to be a record of why Advent was shortened to just four Sundays and the attached weeks. And clearly there is nothing wrong with it, as most churches follow this shortened approach.
Advent offers us something special, a time of reflection and contemplation. Our celebration of the mystery and beauty of God coming into the world is timed with (in the Northern Hemisphere) the days beginning to get a little longer. There is a little more light. And as we read in the Gospel of John, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” From the darkness comes a new beginning! From the darkness comes the transforming love of Jesus!
In a less commercial world, I think four Sundays of Advent might be enough. But we all know what happens? Christmas celebrations begin right after Thanksgiving. We emphasize parties and
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Becky Vroman
Youth and Family
Nursery:
-During the 8:00 and 10:00 services, children ages newborn-4 socialize and play in a safe and fun environment. Our nursery supervisor, Jaymee Galbasini,
and staff, Amanda Acke, Madelyn Vroman, and Harley Galbasini are Safeguarding God’s Children certified and are all passionate about children and their development. Stop by and say hello!
CALLING ALL KIDS!
This year’s Nativity play is quickly approaching! We need the help of all of St. Matthew’s kids to participate in this year’s play! There are various parts, some speaking and others not, including: shepherds, angels, stable animals, innkeepers, and Mary and Joseph! If your child(ren) would like to participate, please let Becky Vroman know! Please specify their preference or desire for a speaking or non-speaking role. Rehearsals for the play will occur during the Advent study, Thursdays from 5:30-7:00 November 30th, December 7th, and 14th. The play will be performed on Christmas Eve at the 5:00PM service. If your child would like to sing or play an instrumental solo, please let Becky know. We would also love help from our teens– standing with and supporting the kids really helps their stage fright.
Sunday School:
The sounds of laughter and fun can be heard drifting down the hall during the 10:00 service as the kids learn about the parables of Jesus through crafts, songs, games and storytelling! We will finish our lessons on the parables November 12th. We will then begin rehearsing for the
Nativity play.
Shannon Castañeda has begun working with our Sunday School class! She is currently teaching them a song for advent.
If you would like to get involved with Sunday School, new volunteers are always welcome! Please call the church office at 970-242-3293 and talk to Becky!
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Plan for Advent & Christmas 2017
Nov 11-12 Advent A
Nov 18-19 Advent B
Nov. 25 Salvation Army Angels available (approx. date)
Nov 25-26 Advent C
Nov 30 Advent Study & Play Rehearsal
Dec 2 Chrismon Tree & Greening of Church 9:30 AM
Dec 2-3 1 Advent
Dec. 7 Advent Study & Play Rehearsal – visit from St. Nick
Dec 9-10 2 Advent
Dec 14 Advent Study & Play Rehearsal
Dec 16-17 3 Advent
Dec 21 Labyrinth Walk at dusk - Lit with candles - winter solstice 5 pm
Dec 24 no morning services Quiet Christmas 3 pm
Children's Play & Communion 5 pm Festive Eucharist 9 pm Dec 25 Sunday, no services
The Redemption of Scrooge is a special adult discussion forum for Advent. Come consider the wisdom of Christmases past, present and future and how these really do relate to our faith, as we proclaim: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again! Three Thursday evenings:
November 30, December 7 & 14 5:30 Potluck Supper
6-7 PM Adult Forum (also children’s play rehearsal)
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Salvation Army Angel Tree
The Angel Tree program is a way we can put new clothes and toys under the tree for less fortunate children in the Grand Valley who usually have to go without Christmas gifts. Anonymous donors adopt these little "angels" in an expanding Christmas tradition that makes the season brighter for both the gift giver and receiver. Saint Matthews has committed to adopting 80 angels this holiday season. Tags, placed on our Angel Tree in the gathering space, will be available in mid November. We will let you know when the tags arrive. Thanks in advance for your support!!
The Chrismon Tree
The practice of having a Chrismon Tree began with Lutheran Pastor George Pass in 1940 and the idea spread from there to other Christian churches. Chrismon are nondenominational handmade tree decorations that teach the word of God.
In the fall of 1993, many women of St. Matthew’s began working on Chrismons to decorate a special tree displayed in the gathering space at St. Matthew’s for all to enjoy.
End of Daylight Savings Time November 5th
Remember to set your clocks back one hour before you go to bed Saturday night!
Study of the Bible Fr. Nick Mayer’s current Bible Study class of the Old Testament will be resuming on September 12th with a new study of the Gospel of Matthew. Tuesday mornings at 10:00 AM. All are welcome, no need to sign up. Please bring your bibles!
St. Matthew's Shuttle
This ministry still needs a few good men or women to drive the bus. Please contact Linda Jameson (255-1679) about joining this community outreach ministry.
YOGA CLASS NEEDS PARTICIPANTS!
Wednesdays 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM. Yoga helps with flexibility, balance and overall health. Open to men and women, a donation of $2 - $5 is recommended. Both floor and chair
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Artist of the Season “A Country Cottage”
by Bud Smock
Blessing of the Animals Our 9th annual Blessing of the Animals was held in the new pavilion on October 4th. This blessing, held annually, is to honor St. Francis, known as a great lover of all animals. It is also in memory of The Rev. John Millen, who was a great lover of animals, and taught Pastor Hollis the value of blessing God's creatures.
MOSM Service Brigade - If you
need help with a project, or maybe repairs and maintenance, the Men of St. Matt’s are taking requests and are available Saturdays upon appointment. Contact Ron Kupinski at (303) 668-7453 or [email protected], or fill out a form at the back of the gathering space and the guys will get back to you.
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Dear Partners in Mission,
You may have heard about some storms that wreaked havoc throughout the Caribbean in September. The first to visit was Irma, which passed north of my island, though destroyed Barbudos and St. Martin before giving Cuba and the Turks and Caicos severe damage and then heading to Florida. School was cancelled for the three days I have classes as Irma passed, given the severity of the storm and anticipated path. Two weeks later, Maria came to visit. Again, we were blessed with much lighter effects than Puerto Rico, Dominica (a different island to mine) and St. Croix. However, Maria gave us much more rain than Irma
and classes once again were cancelled. Several communities were cut off due to the swollen rivers and flooding. Churches around the country collected items to give to people living in the affected areas, with our donations given to a town a 45-minute bike ride away.
While we escaped severe damage, there are still many families in Santa Fe living in flimsy conditions. God has used the construction ministry to assist some folks, at least a couple of whom gave shelter to others thanks to the dry home they now have. Please join me in giving thanks to God for those who have supported the construction ministry with specific gifts over the year. Should more funds arrive, we’d love to extend the help to other families in our community. (Gifts should be made by check to SAMS with “Donahoe Project” in the memo line.)
In Christ,
Cathy Donahoe
Letter from St. Matt’s Missionary in the Dominican Republic
Cathy Donahoe is a missionary with SAMS, the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders. She is serving in the Dominican Republic as a physical therapist in San Pedro de Macorís and Santo Domingo.
E-mail: [email protected] Donations (checks made to SAMS with Cathy’s name in the memo line): PO Box 399, Ambridge, PA 15003. Snail mail: Apartado 587, San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic 21000 website: www.cathydonahoe.net
NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER RETREAT DAYS
WHITEWATER BENEDICTINE COMMUNITY November 18 GRIEF AND LOSS A workshop that helps participants to reflect on losses in their lives and how to integrate them into one’s spiritual journey. PRESENTER is Mary Ellen Ireland. Mary Ellen is a retired hospital chaplain with extensive experience in grief counseling and spiritual direction. SUGGESTED DONATION is $30.00 December 2 ADVENT WOMEN: Celebrate the Original Risk Takers Not always virtuous, the women of Advent are endlessly creative, necessarily defiant, occasionally manipulative, and absolutely faithful to God. Learn from Old and New Testament women – without whom there would be no Christmas. PRESENTER is Lyn Fraser, D. Min, who has written 2 books on the psalms and most recently, Advent Women, which will be available for sale. SUGGESTED DONATION is $30.00 December 16 REFLECTING ON THE CHRISTMAS STORY A day of quiet prayer and some sharing on the deeper meaning of the Incarnation in today’s world. Presenters are Sisters Anne Brost and Mary Glenn Suggested donation is $25.00 All the retreats are on Saturdays at the Whitewater Benedictine Community, 8250 Kannah Creek Rd., Whitewater, CO 81527. All are from 9am to 2pm and include lunch. Register by calling 970-241-3847 or emailing [email protected]
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Stewardship
Join Hands!
We are happy to join hands with you in supporting St. Matthews’! Our spiritual lives are encouraged to grow as we join together to worship and to serve God. Each person here matters to us, and so we are pledging our support for 2018. We hope you will join us, and thanks to those who have already pledged. Pledges to date total $331,330. We are getting closer to our goal of $460 thousand. Your pledge is deeply appreciated! Faithfully,
The St. Matthew’s Vestry
2018 Estimate of Giving
Name(s): ___________________________________________
Phone: _____________ Email: __________________________
As faithful stewards of the time, gifts and financial resources the Lord has given us, I/we are blessed to pledge:
$________ Operating Budget weekly monthly annually
$________ Expanded Ministry weekly monthly annually
For a total of $ ___________ for 2018
Join Hands:Join Hands:Join Hands:Join Hands:
Together in Faith!Together in Faith!Together in Faith!Together in Faith!
Let us stand firm in the one Spirit striving together as one for the
faith of the Gospel.(Phil1:27b)
Out of the Ethos
I am standing on the seashore, white foam flowing over my toes,
Inviting me, luring me to step again, deeper into the water,
Now, washing across the tops of my feet and rising to my ankles.
All the while, the rising tide moves relentlessly and unapologetically higher,
As it must, in concert with the pull of the moon and the same gravity
That holds me on the shoreline,
Until the deepening water rises above my own center of gravity and at last sets me afloat,
Free of my grounding to the land.
And now, awash in the sea more powerful than me, I ask
Is this the Divine or is this Eternity?
Dare I let go of my resistance to be taken out into this sea?
Or fearfully, safely,
Ride the next wave back to shore?
Rene Crow
October 26. 2017
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Ministry Schedule - November 2017
Ministers
If you have dates between December 1 and March 1, that you cannot serve, please let the church office know at 242-3293 or email [email protected].
November 5 November 12 November 19 November 26 December 3
8:00 Altar Minister Altar Minister Acolyte Lector OT/PS Lector NT/PP Usher Usher
Terry Farina Sherry Farny Jan Smith Rene Neal Terry Farina Dave Farny Sherry Farny
Judy Schneider K. Roy Jones Carol Jones Ken Brownlee Marilyn Ruland Bud Smock Marilyn Ruland
Jim Paronto Laurie Kadrich Jan Smith Jim Paronto Peggy Pretti George Dunham Lynn Dunham
Terry Farina K. Roy Jones Carol Jones Matthew McGraw Laura Mockler Lucia Webster Mary Mills
Judy Schneider Sherry Farny Jan Smith Don Schneider Rene Neal Deb McLaughlin Laura Mockler
10:00 Altar Minister Altar Minister Acolyte Acolyte Acolyte Lector OT Lector NT Lector PP Usher Usher
Jeanette Benson Tonya Wren Rebecka Plank Payton Levine Youth Youth Becky Vroman Merrilyn Simpkins Youth
Barclay Jameson Anna Driggs Bickhams Casey Wren Sarah Bouwhuis Justin Day Brian Turco Jim Campbell
Allan Conrad Sharon Conrad Gustafsons Elise Forte Brian Turco Lee Wyman Barclay Jameson Linda Jameson
Cora Galbasini Ann Hayes Jim Sidwell Collin Blanchard Reese Blanchard Ron Kupinski Ann Hayes Chris Parsons Norm Fillinger Margery Fillinger
Marjorie Suedekum Jeanette Benson Rebecka Plank Payton Levine Youth Youth Becky Vroman Merrilyn Simpkins Youth
Coffee Fo-L M-Pa Pe-Z A-Fi Fo-L
EVs Commons
Barclay Jameson Linda Jameson
Cynthia Mill Laura Mockler
Rocco DeBona Sugar Rabel
Kathy Morgan Jeanette Benson
Carol Jones K. Roy Jones
Evs Home Jim Campbell Jeanette Benson
Rich Paul Anna Crickmer
Mary Mills Lois Jarre
Barclay Jameson Linda Jameson
Jim Campbell Deb Feeley
Tellers Sharon Conrad Con Litz
Sue Emerson Justin Day
Jason Hughes Barb Schaak
Ron Kupinski Deb Feeley
Don Schneider Nancy Groenert
Altar Guild
Deb McLaughlin Jeanette Benson Joan Karp Jean Koizumi Joan Wright
Marjorie Brown Margery Fillinger Joyce Grove Carol Jones
Merrilyn Simpkins Lynne Bird Peggy Pretti Sue Sidwell Marjorie Suedekum
Mary Mills Beve Farina Dorothy Stevenson M. K. Carlson
Deb McLaughlin Jeanette Benson Joan Karp Jean Koizumi Joan Wright
Saturday Celebrant Officiant Acolyte Ps OT NT Gospel Meditation Usher Usher
November 4 Rev. Vern Hill Barb Schaak Deb Feeley Rev. Vern Hill Rev. Vern Hill Don Aust Buzzie Aust
November 11
Rev. Tom Lee John Bayley Barb Schaak Clare Dupont Pastor Hollis Pastor Hollis Rocco DeBona Sugar Rabel
November 18
Rich Paul Marjorie Suedekum Barb Schaak Spike Howard Rich Paul Marjorie Suedekum Spike Howard Lori Howard
November 25
Rich Paul Barb Schaak Deb Feeley Rich Paul Rich Paul Clare Dupont Deb Feeley
December 2
Pastor Hollis Barb Schaak Don Aust Pastor Hollis Pastor Hollis Don Aust Buzzie Aust
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St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
3888 27-1/2 Road
Grand Junction, CO 81506 Phone: 970-242-3293
Email: [email protected]
Rector: Hollis Wright
Email: [email protected]
Deacon: Rich Paul Email: [email protected]
Assisting Clergy: Nancy Angle, Bob Engels, Vern Hill, Nick Mayer, Judy Schneider & Lee Wyman
Church Office Hours
Monday thru Thursday, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, and meetings with staff are available by appointment.
Finance Office Hours
Monday - 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Tuesday - 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Thursday - 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
STAFF
VESTRY
Sharon Conrad Justin Day Janette Deagle
Debra Feeley Barb Schaak Nancy Groenert
Jason Hughes Con Litz Don Schneider
Parish Administrators Beth Fisher
Desiree Bougeaux
Youth Minister
Special Projects Mgr. (temp)
Justin Day
Jill Turco
Director of Children’s Ministry Becky Vroman
Music Director Richard Morgan
Contemporary Music Shannon Castañeda
Nursery Supervisor Jaymee Galbasini
November Birthdays
11/2
11/3
11/4
11/7
11/7
11/9
11/10
11/11
11/16
11/16
11/18
11/23
11/24
11/25
11/26
11/28
11/29
Pam Huber
Shirley Ann Crocker
Lauren Smith
Ellece Murphey
Gretchen Lubinski
Joyce Grove
Chip Newton
Kenna Galbasini
Bob Lubinski
Corky Perry
Lynn Dunham
Dani Galbasini
Azell Chase
Roberta Forte
George Dunham
Heather Knavel
Tanya Davis
Sr. Warden Ann Hayes Treasurer Cody Moore
Jr. Wardens Ron Kupinski
Sue Emerson
Clerk Linda Morehouse
11/7
11/24
11/24
11/24
11/24
11/27
11/28
Jim & Sue Sidwell
Ed & Nancy Groenert
Norm & Margery Fillinger
Gary & Lynne Bird
Rocco DeBona & Sugar Rabel
Lee & Judy Wildhaber
Philip & Kathy Morrow
November
Anniversaries
September YTD
Other Income 157 3,847
Expanded Ministry Giving 4,562 51,807
Total Income 30,267 342,433
Operating Expense 29,757 287,416
Expanded Ministry Expense 1,399 50,858
Total Expense 31,156 338,274
Net Income -889 4,159
Giving 25,548 286,779
Treasurer’s Report September 2017