St. Matthew's 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.

 

Vestry Corner by Ted Sawyer

As the Vestry Liaison to Inreach, I have a major focus on Pastoral Care as
an essential part of the Inreach ministry. Pastoral Care is important
because it helps people feel seen, supported, and connected as they
navigate life and faith. Through listening, prayer, guidance, practical help
and shared community, our church supports people in grief, illness, conflict,
doubt and major life changes.

It also strengthens the whole congregation as people build trust, care for
one another, and grow in compassion and faith. Pastoral Care does not
replace professional assistance when someone needs it; it can offer
spiritual and community support along with it.

Here at St Matthews, we are blessed with strong pastoral leadership and a
dedicated group of parishioners who support this effort. They take this care
directly to heart. I am confident that this effort will continue as we pursue
Jesus’ call for love and support for our neighbor.



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A Celebration of Saints: Join Us This Sunday at St. Matthew’s

This Sunday, we gather for one of the most profound and joyous occasions in our liturgical year: All Saints’ Day. As a major feast day, it anchors our spiritual life, inviting us to pause, recognize our place in the vast communion of saints, and acknowledge the great cloud of witnesses who surround us.

This week’s worship will be rich in tradition, memory, and promise. Together, we will renew our baptismal vows, reaffirming our shared commitment to Christ and to one another. In a particularly moving part of our liturgy, we will read the names of those who have died over the past year, honoring their memory and giving thanks for their enduring presence in our hearts and in the church triumphant. To make this celebration even more meaningful, we encourage you to bring your wooden crosses to church to adorn the altar. Whether your cross is dedicated to a saint who has gone before, to a living saint whose faith continues to inspire your journey, or to us, bringing it serves as a beautiful, visible testament to the faith passed down through generations.

As we reflect on our spiritual heritage and the legacy of those who laid the foundation for our parish, we also look forward to our future. Please bring your 2027 financial pledge cards to worship this Sunday so we can bless them at the altar. Your generous commitments are vital to sustaining our ministries and supporting the work God is calling St. Matthew’s to do in the year ahead.

Immediately following the 10:30 service, we are excited to kick off St. Matt’s 101. This welcome and introduction class is a great opportunity for newcomers, new members, or anyone who wants to learn more about our church to connect, ask questions, and discover what it means to be part of the St. Matthew’s family.

Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend! Please remember the time change before you go to bed so you don’t arrive an hour early for the service.

Major feast days always bring new faces and returning friends to our pews. Please make a special, intentional effort to warmly welcome visitors to our worship and community. A simple smile, a greeting, or an offer to help someone navigate the bulletin goes a long way toward sharing the loving hospitality that makes St. Matthew’s so special.

I look forward to worshiping, remembering, and celebrating with you this Sunday!

Father Tim



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Flower Guild Training

The Flower Guild members have been blessed to attend Faith Flowers’ Flower Arranging classes this Fall. The members have taken Ceremonial Flowers, Fall Arrangements with Grocery Store Flowers, Tall Arrangements, Art of Compote, and Vase Arranging. We are so excited and motivated to share what we have learned in our St. Matthew’s Altar Flower arrangements.



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From the Senior Warden on Stewardship

Dear Friends,

Jesus promises us, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places” (John 14:2). We believe this means that God’s love is wide enough to hold us all, and that we are bound together in holy community.

This year’s theme, Plenty Good Room, reminds us that stewardship is not only about financial and in-kind gifts. It is also about relationships – the ways we are connected to God, to one another, and to our neighbors.

Our parish budget is one way we tell the story of those relationships. Each pledge and gift sustains our common life: children growing in faith, neighbors receiving meals and care, worshippers being welcomed, and friends finding hope. Our budget is more than numbers; it is a reflection of our values and our mission.

Next week, you will receive a final letter with details about how to make your commitment to this year’s campaign. For now, I invite you to consider the relationships that have sustained you in this church, and how your generosity can help extend that welcome to others.

There is, indeed, plenty of good room in God’s house. Together, let us make room for one another at St. Matthew’s.

In Christ’s service,

Dave Lott

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. – John 13:34-35, NRSV



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Fr. Tim’s Letter to the Parish

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And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8, NRSV

Dear Friends in Christ,

Jesus assures us, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places” (John 14:2, NRSV). These words remind us that God’s abundance is spacious and generous. God’s household has plenty of room for each of us.

This year’s stewardship theme, Plenty Good Room, invites us to recognize the abundance God has already entrusted to us. Even amid uncertainty, we are called to trust that there is enough: for our families, our church, and our neighbors.

One way we live into this truth is by sharing our resources – our money, time, and talents – to support St. Matthew’s mission and ministry. These gifts support worship that lifts our hearts, teaching that shapes disciples, fellowship that strengthens our bonds, and outreach that embodies Christ’s love.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus invited people into relationships with God and their neighbors. Relationships require effort and sustain us through good and bad times. They help bring out the best in us. They help us remember our past, consider where we are, and discern where God is leading us. As we consider how we will express our appreciation for God’s abundance, how have your relationships at St. Matthew’s drawn you closer to God and to your neighbors?

Over the next several weeks, you will hear from parish leaders about Plenty Good Room and how our generosity makes a difference. Today, I ask you to begin praying with this theme, reflecting on the resources God has entrusted to your care, and considering how you might share them joyfully in the year ahead.

Together, let us rejoice that there is always plenty of good room in God’s house, and plenty of good work for us to do.

Faithfully,

The Rev. Tim Meyers, Rector



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YOUTH Updates

View November Calendar

Upcoming November Dates

  • Sun, Nov 1 (5:00 PM): Pumpkin Patch Strike & Pizza Dinner. (Early birds welcome at 4:00 PM to help, officially starts at 5:00 PM).
  • Sat, Nov 7: Vintage Bazaar. Youth are running concessions for the event. Donations of brand name canned sodas or water appreciated. Please leave them in the office by Thurs Nov 5. Thank you!
  • Sun, Nov 8 (10:30 AM Service): Blessing for all New Beginnings (NB) participants, staff & sponsors.
  • Sun, Nov 8 (5:00 – 7:00 PM): Thanksgiving Feast & Communion Bread Baking.
  • Sun, Nov 15: No evening youth group. Car caravan leaves St. Matthew’s at 10:30 AM for the NB Closing Eucharist. All parishioners are invited!

Diocesan Youth Events

New Beginnings 52 (Nov 13-15 @ Mikell) | Participant Registration 
Renewal weekend for Middle School youth held at Camp Mikell in Toccoa GA

For more information on St. Matt’s participation in these fun weekends, please see Christina. You can also find diocesan youth retreat information here.



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