St. Matthews Church - Ministries

Thank you to all who contributed to Haiti for Episcopal Relief and Development - we raised over $1600 in 2 weeks!

Thank you to Bob Townsend and crew for serving up a delicious "Benefit Breakfast for Haiti" and raising $277 for the ministry rebuilding efforts of the Sisters of St. Margaret.

Thank you to the Friday Knitters who made 101 sets of winter hats, mittens and scarves for our neighbors in South Worcester, keeping them warm this winter!

Thank you to all parishioners and friends of St. Matthew's who have made a donation or pledge to the Parish Restoration & Renewal Fund! Special thanks to the Fuller Foundation for the $11,500 grant!!!

Thank you to the hardworking men of our Property Committee who continue to keep our sacred space in good repair.

Thank you to all of you for all you do to help out at St. Matthew's and in witness to the Gospel in your Daily Lives. God Bless you all!

It's time to take up our needles again! Join us for "First Friday Night Knitters" on Friday, March 5th, 6:30-8:30 PM. If you don't knit or crochet but would like to learn, please join us. We have needles and yarn aplenty!

Prayer Shawl ministry - If you know of someone who is ill, grieving or in other crisis, consider giving them a prayer shawl. Those who have received these beautiful, soft and warm shawls, knit by women of our church, report that they have found and received great comfort from the thought that each shawl is created prayerfully, with care, concern and love for those who suffer. If you would like to give a shawl, please speak with Patti or the Rector.

The Interfaith Coalition to Prevent Family Homelessness invites you to help prevent homelessness in our community. Food cards for local supermarkets will be available for purchases beginning in August right at St. Matthew's. 5% of all proceeds will assist families at risk. Food cards can be used while shopping at all Big Y, Shaw's and Stop & Shop Supermarkets. These cards can make a huge difference and don't cost you anything! Please see Patti for more information.

The emergency food pantry at the South Worcester Neighborhood Center receives the non-perishable food items that are contributed to the Saint Matthew’s weekly Food Offering.

We have been learning that need for emergency food is increasing in our neighborhood and the area served by our Neighborhood Center: more individuals and families are applying, and qualifying, for assistance, and our gifts matter!

Please consider making a weekly food donation to the Food Offering. If that will create a strain on your own household’s food budget, please consider offering something once or twice a month. Watch for the sales at your grocery store: a can of soup, a box of pasta, a carton of cereal can help one of our neighborhood families a lot! Thanks for your faithfulness and generosity.

Saint Matthew’s Reading Group will be meeting on March 17th at 7 pm to discuss, Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion by Sara Miles. This moving spiritual memoir traces the journey of a young woman from atheism to Christian faith, through experiences as a cook in New York City, a war correspondent in Central America, and finally as a single parent in San Francisco, who wanders into an Episcopal Church and finds God.

Recent book club choices have included: Peace Like a River, Velva Jean Learns to Drive, The Good Earth, The Shack, Three Cups of Tea, A Thousand Splendid Suns.

All are welcome to come join us! Speak with the Rector, Wendy Piscitelli or Cathy Goodwin if you are interested or need more info.

Next meeting: March 18th at 7:00pm in the Parlor. Mother Nancy will be our Lenten guest.

All women who are members of St. Matthew's are members and are encouraged to attend meetings held on the third Thursday of the month in the Ladies Parlor.

Annual events include the Mother and Daughter banquet, church fair, helping families in need at Thanksgiving and Christmas and providing camp scholarships to Summer Camp.

The Scholarship Committee offers scholarships every year to our young people to attend Bement Summer Camp and Colleges & Universities. Applications are due on the third Sunday of April (April 18th) and are available in the Literature Rack opposite the Parish Office.

Applications for Campership assistance are also due on the 18th of April. Letters of request must include the name and location of the church-related summer camp that the child plans to attend. Notice of campership awards will be communicated to families of campers by May 18th.

We all have to think long and hard to see what we can give to help St. Matthew's continue to do God's work in these trying times. Think of all that we do have and how we can share with others. Thank you.

To date $68,000 has been donated or pledged to this fund! Thank you one and all!!!!!

We would like to thank the parishioners and friends who have committed gifts and pledges of almost $54,000 the “Parish Restoration and Renewal Fund” Campaign to restore and preserve our spiritual home. This is great start to our parish’s ambitious effort to raise approximately $195,000 for much needed capital repairs – some of which are already underway – but we have a long way to go!

If you are among those who have not yet stepped forward to make a commitment to help maintain our sacred space, please think and pray about how you and your household will participate. We know that the present economic climate is very challenging, but we are encouraged by the commitments that have already been made, and we hope that you are also encouraged and inspired by them as well. We want you to know that “Every giver matters, and every gift counts,” and we need as much participation as possible from all of our parishioners.

Saint Matthew’s is a dynamic parish and provides a spiritual base for so many. This has been made possible by the vision, faith and hard work of our clergy and laity. This has been made possible by YOU! Help us to fulfill our parish’s mission “to build on the past, while looking to the future, and provide a Christian community for worship and fellowship that extends to others in joy, witness and outreach.”

So, take a moment: locate the packet you received in May, and prayerfully complete the card for pledges and gifts that was included. You can place your card (in its envelope) on the Offering Plate, or mail it to the Parish Office. If you’ve misplaced the packet or the card, paper copies of the pledge/gift card are available on the table in the Common Room – pick one up! If you are one of several parishioners who made a commitment to an earlier Capital Campaign, and are continuing to pay those pledges, we still need to hear from you, as your payments will be credited towards this campaign. Your gift in thanksgiving or in memory of a loved one will be acknowledged in the Remembrance Book located in the church.

Fair for All Seasons

Pam Wilson & Linda Albinson, Co-Chairs

Thank you to all who worked so hard and made our fair so successful once again!

Plans are underway for next year. Next planning meeting, Sunday, January 10th after the 10 am service. Come and join us! Bring your ideas to make next year's fair even better.