St. Matthews Episcopal Church

Episcopal Church in Snellville, GA

St. Matthew’s strives to be a welcoming home for all who
seek Jesus Christ as we share God’s Love with the community.

 

40th Annual Hunger Walk

In-Person and Virtual Event: Sunday, March 10, 2024
In-Person Event at The Home Depot Backyard (1 Backyard Way, Atlanta, GA 30313)
Event Time: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Our youth are venturing down to The Home Depot Backyard to participate in the 40th Annual Hunger Walk for St. Matt’s Team supporting the SE Gwinnett Co-op and the Outreach committee is locating a virtual location near our church in case you don’t want to venture downtown. Will you be walking with our youth, partaking in the run, be part of St. Matts team as a virtual walker or maybe just donating?

Coming Soon! Watch for the link to register for the event under the St. Matthew’s Team.



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Mardi Gras Shoebox Parade

What a great time everyone had at Saint Matthew’s First Annual Mardi Gras Party this past Sunday. We had approximately 90 people attend. Everyone feasted on red beans and rice, hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and King Cake. All who found the baby Jesus in the King cake should know that the tradition is that they are now responsible for holding a party for next year’s Mardi Gras. The shoe box floats were spectacular. Amelia Furman and Jessie Hurst taking first and second place for the youth and Dallas LeDuff and Warren Drury taking first and second place for the adults. A special thank you to Nicole, Mackenzi and Tommy Hallmark and Lisa and Dallas LeDuff for their hard work in providing authentic Cajun food and drink and organizing the party.  They also brought some of their own personal decorations for the parish hall to give it that special flare. Additional thank you to Becky Olbon for purchasing decorations and supplies, Clay Olbon for the party music, Cecilia Billingsley, Judy Hobbs, Janice Milton, and Paula Pownell for assisting in setting up and cleaning up after the party.  Happy Mardi Gras!

 



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Photos from Christmas Eve

Better late than never, photos of our beautiful sacred space on Christmas Eve. Photos by Caroline Bowen!



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2024 Vestry Nominee Bios

Amanda Livermont

Amanda grew up at this church. Her family started coming here when she was 5 years old. She met her husband here and fell in love with him and his family. Their children have been raised here. This church is her family. It’s home. She’s currently involved in Youth and Communications as the committee chair for both. She’s a successful real estate agent and enjoys hanging out with family and friends, playing tennis and watching trash tv. Amanda’s vision for St. Matthew’s is that it continues to grow under Fr. Tim’s leadership and that our community focuses on Christ and each other.

Dave Lott

Dave and wife Debbie have been members of St. Matthew’s since 2015. He has been working with Treasurer Chuck Marsh in performing the monthly parish’s bank account reconcilements since 2018 and has been participating in the Wednesday Bible study group since retiring in April 2023. Prior to his retirement, Dave worked in the financial services industry for fifty years – the last ten with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta as a consumer payments risk analyst. Before returning to the metro-Atlanta area, Dave and Debbie lived on Amelia Island, Florida and were active members of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. Dave served on the Vestry and the led the parish’s community outreach and environmental initiatives. He was also a member of the parish’s Caribbean Mission Construction team that made biennial two-week visits to various Caribbean dioceses to remodel or rebuild church facilities.
On a more personal level, Dave and Debbie are celebrating their 51st wedding anniversary this month. They have been blessed with three sons whose families – including seven grandchildren – all live in the metro-Atlanta area. Dave’s leisure activities include kayaking, golf and trying to shorten the To-Do list. If given the opportunity to serve on the Vestry, Dave will work with other Vestry members, Father Tim, staff and parishioners to further our mission of being a welcoming home for those seeking our Savior Jesus Christ and sharing our resources with the community.

Jan Nabors

My husband, Dewey, and our daughter, Amanda, and I joined St. Matthew’s in 2000. We were looking for a new church home and were warmly welcomed, and quickly came to love the wonderful people, as well as the services and traditions. We previously were members of the United Methodist Church and were confirmed in the Episcopal Church in 2001. Since June 2018, I have been blessed to work for the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Egleston/Emory campus) as Executive Assistant to the Chief of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplantation. Previously, I worked for 20 years at AGSI, a management and technology consulting firm in Atlanta. Dewey and I have been married 41 years and have one child together, Amanda. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband, Jordan Conard, since December 2020. My participation at St. Matthew’s began with serving on the Altar Guild, where I remain active. I am a graduate of the EFM program and an active member of the Ruth Chapter of the Daughters of the King, where I previously held a leadership role. I enjoy Café Theology, ECW and the church-wide events that are held. Each volunteer commitment here has been a learning experience for me, as I feel the opportunity to serve on the vestry will be, should I be elected. I am excited about the positive changes at St. Matthew’s with the arrival of Fr. Tim and his family and look forward to what 2024 may bring.

Wilhemina Wilson

Wilhelmina was born on December 3, 1953, and has been an Episcopalian all her life. She obtained her elementary and secondary education from the Bravid Washington Harris Episcopal high school. She is a mother of three sons, Judson Wendell Addy, Jabez Wilhelm Addy and Dax Zachariah Addy. She has five grandchildren, Caelyn, Ian, Emsley, Israel and Ezra. They range from ages 3 to 17yrs.
In her professional life, she worked as a civil servant and administrator for many years in the public sector of Liberia. Currently, she is employed in banking and has served in this capacity for more than thirty years up to the present. She is very happy with this line of work as it gives her the opportunity to be of service to others.
In addition to spending time with the family, Wilhelmina loves to read, sing, dance and travel. She is also a member of other philanthropic organizations. Wilhelmina has been very active and present in the life of St. Matthews over the years. She has been an active member for over ten years and participates in various ministries through her talent, skills and treasure. She serves as a member of the choir, Daughters of the King, Stewardship committee member and Altar Guild. She is also a member of the Lay ministry and serves as a Lay Reader. She is still serving in all these capacities to the present.
Wilhelmina’s Vision for St. Matthew’s:
We must continue to build on those programs that make us a great place to worship and a strong faith-based community. Encouraging programs that will attract and grow our youth community is also important in the life of the church at this time.



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Stewardship Update from Terri Hurst, Stewardship Chair

Stewardship Update

Thank you to all who share their gifts with the St. Matthew’s community, whether you pledge or not. It’s important to remember that everyone has something to offer, regardless of their age, circumstances or stage of life. 

It’s with profound gratitude that I am happy to report that as of December 6, 78 families have made pledges of their Time, Talent and Treasure for 2024 and that the “Treasure” part is just under $300,000. 

If you have not yet submitted a pledge, it’s not too late to do so! Please prayerfully consider whether God is calling you to serve in some capacity (or perhaps a new role) here at St. Matt’s. If you have questions, please feel free to ask Fr. Tim, a vestry member or any committee chair. We will be happy to help you engage more fully!

As 2023 comes to a close, most of this year’s pledges are nearly or completely fulfilled, and giving has greatly exceeded the pledged amounts. If you are not able to fulfill your 2023 pledge, please do not let that stop you from making a pledge for 2024. It’s a new year and GRACE abounds. 

Also – the Stewardship committee needs some new members with new ideas. Please prayerfully consider whether the Spirit is nudging you to venture out of your comfort zone and serve with us. I’m pretty sure Stewardship is out of everyone’s comfort zone, but it’s not as scary as most people think. 

As we await the coming of Christ this Advent season, may we all be humbled and grateful for the countless blessings He has bestowed upon us. God is good!!!

May the peace of the Lord be always with you.



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Warden’s Corner 12/10/2023: What’s Going On at St. Matt’s?

Wardens Corner – What’s Going on at St. Matthew’s?
by Trisha Voiles, Sr. Warden

Hopefully you have been keeping up with everything going on at St. Matthew’s with our bulletins, newsletters, and FB page. These are the best way to get communication about St. Matthew’s.  Here is a little bit about what is going on behind the scenes with the Vestry and our Committees. All of the committees will be writing up a more detailed report for our annual meeting report coming January 28th. We have had a very productive year!

Youth – A great group of leaders and participants went to New Beginnings in November.  Fr. Tim was their weekend spiritual director.

Worship – Please note upcoming time changes for December.  The Lessons and Carols will be at 5pm this year.  December 24th and 31st will have one morning worship service at 10am.

Stewardship – We have had a positive Stewardship Drive!  Please read Terri’s update on the numbers. If you pledged, you should have received a thank you letter this past week. The Time and Talent cards will be compiled in the next month and given to the committee chairs. They should be contacting you the beginning of the new year.

Outreach – We collected $2100 for the Christmas Lights project with the SE Co-Op. Thank you to those who contributed.

Long Range Planning – This committee is working on having a campus study to pin point our needs for 1 year, 2-3 years, and 4+ years. They have contacted all the committees to see what our greatest needs are for the future.

Inreach – The Pastoral Care Team is making thinking of you bags for those they have been in contact with. If you know of someone or you yourself is needing a pastoral care visit , please let Fr. Tim know.

Finance – We have finalized the 2024 budget and will be presenting it to the Vestry for approval this month. We are on the road over the next few weeks to meet the 2023 budget!

Fellowship – We are finishing this year with our annual Lessons & Carols with Wassail & Cookies.  Please read the newsletter and bulletins for upcoming restaurant foyers and lunch bunch plans.  Read the Breakfast notice for signing up to help with this ministry. Join us December 31st for a New Years Eve Potluck Brunch after the one 10am service. If you remember our beginning of 2023 New Years Day Brunch, we had a lot of fun!

Communications – Our three Communications Sub groups have been busy reaching out to our parishioners and community. Thank you to AV, Informational, and Church Group teams! Please read the publications and check out Facebook posts. We have been working on communication this year, but it takes someone receiving the information as well.

Church Growth – We have been inviting our community through new street banners, inviting our scout and preschool families, and notices on Facebook, Snellville Spirit, and The Patch. We welcome all our newcomers. We have many newcomers who have jumped right in giving their time, talents, and treasures.

Christian Formation – We had a great turn out for the Advent Wreath Making Party. Please see Carolyn and Mona if you are called to help in the Middle and High School classes. Plans are for confirmation/receiving in March, 2024.  A Inquirers Class will begin Jan 7th for adults wanting to know more about the Episcopal Church, which can lead to being confirmed. If you have not been confirmed or received in the Episcopal church, please talk to Fr. Tim.

Building & Grounds – Behind the scenes B&G has been busy fixing blinds, replacing mops, getting bids for freezer repair, completing yearly cleanings & inspections. Grounds Team is getting ready to replace the courtyard flower pots.  The last freeze knocked off the gorgeous plants that have been faithfully been watered all summer. Thank you for always being on call for those little jobs sometimes no one knows about.

Peace and Prayers, Trisha Voiles, Senior Warden



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Advent and Christmas Service Schedule

Dec 3 — Advent I

Worship 8 & 10:30 a.m.
Christian Ed & Sunday School 9:30—10:15 a.m.

Dec 10 — Advent II

Worship 8 & 10:30 a.m.
Christian Ed & Sunday School 9:30—10:15 a.m.
(St. Nicholas Visits Sunday School classes)
Lessons & Carols Service 5:00 p.m.

Dec 17 — Advent III

Worship 8 & 10:30 a.m.
Christian Ed & Sunday School 9:30—10:15 a.m.

Dec 24 — Advent IV

One Service 10:00 a.m. (LIVESTREAMED)

Dec 24 — Christmas Eve

5:00 p.m. Family Eucharist with Christmas Pageant (LIVESTREAMED)
10:30 p.m. Carol Sing
11:00 p.m. Festive Holy Eucharist with incense

Dec 25 — Christmas Day

10:00 a.m. (spoken) Holy Eucharist
No Christian Education classes

Dec 31 — First Sunday After Christmas

10:00 a.m. (spoken) Holy Eucharist (LIVESTREAMED)
Potluck Breakfast to follow service
No Christian Education classes



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“Lord, I love the house in which you dwell
and the place where your glory abides. *
Psalm 26:8