Register your car, truck or motorcycle HERE.
Saturday, October 16, 2021
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rain or Shine!
A judged event for cars, trucks, and motorcycles!
Food–Fun–Family-Event
2021 Tenth Annual Car Show – October 16, 2021
Update On Masking Policy From the Diocese
The CDC, local Public Health Authorities and the Diocese have issued updated guidance on the COVID virus and the continuing pandemic as infections are again on the rise and hospitalizations are increasing quickly. The only change to St. Matthew’s current practice is that masks should be worn when there are gatherings at the parish. The Diocese has not “changed” any of the other options. Fully vaccinated choir members can still sing without masks (although we want them in the choir loft 20 ft. from the congregation) and the clergy and other fully vaccinated individuals actively leading worship are also able to read and sing without masks (again those activities take place away from the gathered congregation). Masks are still required for clergy and others during the administration of the bread during communion because of our close proximity to each person who will be removing their mask to receive communion.
Therefore, the Vestry and clergy strongly encourage everyone wear a mask regardless of vaccination status while in the parish buildings (both pre-school and parish). On Sundays, the ushers will have masks available for anyone who does not have one. Everyone is welcome to attend worship at either service as there are no numeric limitations on attendance.
Fully vaccinated small group gatherings can decide when they have gathered, if they wish to wear masks during their meeting or if they feel comfortable deciding to remove their masks for their time together. Our goal remains the same to protect the vulnerable and to extend hospitality to everyone by taking on the responsibility of wearing masks at worship and in larger gatherings in order to prevent an outbreak of the latest viral variant which spreads so easily. We appreciate your willingness to protect those around you by wearing a mask. We invite your prayers for those impacted by the pandemic and for those who are sick.
The Rev. Dr. Pat Miller+
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Intergenerational VBS Meets Every Wednesday In July
Wanted By God: Intergenerational VBS
Wednesday Evenings in July (7th, 14th, 21st, & 28th)
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Week 1: We had a great evening creating our riding partners for our journey of faith. Not only did we make horses out of pool noodles we also discussed how the concepts of loyalty and commitment are important to our faith journey, using the book of Ruth as our setting. This coming Wednesday, July 14th, we will be discussing Moses’ encounter with the burning bush. See you next week!
Week 2: This week we had a wonderful time creating beautiful string art projects of crosses, hearts and horses. We also discussed Moses and the burning bush and how we can practice being aware and present to what God is doing within our world.
Week 3: We decorated and adorned our Prayer Journals and played BINGO. Journaling can help in many ways from helping to create a gratitude list, to writing about how your day went, as well as clarifying your thoughts. We discussed how journaling can assist us when we journey through those times of testing, similar to when Jesus entered the wilderness. We have one VBS Night left, Wednesday, July 28th. We will be visiting Jim & Susan Jung’s barn, giving us a truly authentic western flavor. If you are interested in attending please contact me so we have enough supplies. Fr. Tommy
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St. Matthew’s God Bless America 4th of July Picnic
Sunday, July 4 in the parish hall
After the 10:45 a.m. service (about noon)
Let’s celebrate coming back together in a big way!
The Fellowship committee will serve a holiday meal
of fried chicken, potato salad, individual bag of chips
and a brownie.
Water and tea will be provided.
Please Register On Realm to give us a head count for the meal.
A love offering will be accepted to cover the cost of the food and supplies.
You may want to bring lawn chairs, games (indoors or outside) or cards to play, or sidewalk chalk, etc. for the children.
(Be sure to dress in red, white and blue!)
Don’t miss it!
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Fun, Free Fellowship Wednesdays At. St. Matt’s
Wednesdays In June
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
All are invited.
Gather with friends (or make new ones!) and reconnect with your parish family
for an evening of fellowship and games every Wednesday evening in June.
Outdoors or in the parish hall depending on weather conditions.
Outdoor Tic Tac Toe, Corn Hole, and others.
Bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating outdoors
Bring your own picnic or snacks & drinks if desired.
Have a game to share, or have any questions?
Contact Trisha Voiles or Becky Olbon
See You There!
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St. Matthew’s Service Schedule
St. Matthew’s offers in-person worship opportunities on Sundays and during the week. Visit our Location and Worship Information page for the current schedule.
Note: May 28, 2023 Pentecost — ONE SERVICE AT 10 A.M.
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Volunteers Needed — SE Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry
The National Guard soldiers who have been assisting at the Co-Op since the beginning of COVID, have been recalled, and there is a dire need for more volunteers to help ensure the continued smooth process of food distribution to the clients. Anyone interested please contact Dot Desjardin at ddesjardin@segwinnettcoop.org
Volunteer Skills Needed:
• Able to easily lift 20 lb box
• Ability to stand and walk on concrete floor for long periods of time
• Willing to take and follow directions from team leads and CoOp management
• Set up Canopy Tents and 6-8ft tables outside
• Easily work both indoors and outdoors as needed
Special Volunteer Skills
• Able to use a pallet jack to help unload and safely move pallets of food
Pantry Shift Hours:
• Mondays 1st shift: 9am-1pm 2nd Shift: 2pm – 7pm
• Tuesdays and Thursdays: 9am – 12n
• Wednesdays and Fridays: 8:30am – 12n
• Saturdays: 10am -12n
All volunteers must:
• Wear closed toed shoes
• Masks are required for unvaccinated volunteers and anyone preferring to wear one
To see other current outreach needs and area resources, please visit our Outreach page.
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Hymn Highlights: Music For Rogation Days
Our opening hymn this coming Sunday (5/8/2021) is hymn #292, “O Jesus, crowned with all renown”, a hymn for Rogation Days by Archbishop of Canterbury Edward White Benson (1829-1896). Archbishop Benson is perhaps best remembered as the creator of Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in 1880 when he was Bishop of Truro. Hymn 292 was written in 1860 whilst he was headmaster of Wellington College. This hymn first appeared in The Hymnal 1916.
Traditionally, the three days before Ascension Day are observed as Rogation Days. The Sunday before the Ascension, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, is traditionally known as Rogation Sunday. These are days of prayer to ask God’s blessing on crops, for an abundant harvest, and protection from natural disasters. Traditionally the parish vicar, wardens, choir boys, and others would process around boundaries of the parish, carrying long sticks, while occasionally stopping to recite or chant Psalms or the Litany of Saints. This procession around the geographical area of the parish was known as “beating the bounds”. Rogation days were also a time for people of the parish to settle disputes and disagreements to come together as a community. See the following link for more information on the history of Rogation Days: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eLmFv-ilXA
In The Hymnal 1982, hymn #292 is paired with the tune Kingsfold. Kingsfold was originally an English folksong that Ralph Vaughan Williams arranged for The English Hymnal, 1906 where it was paired with the text “I heard the voice of Jesus say”. Vaughan Williams first heard the tune in the village of Kingsfold in northwest Sussex where the text was about “Dives and Lazarus”. The tune was used by Vaughan Williams in Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus for string orchestra and harp which you can listen to here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQoP9iLwoos
O Jesus, crowned with all renown
1. O Jesus, crowned with all renown,
since thou, the earth hast trod,
thou reignest and by thee come down
henceforth the gifts of God.
Thine is the health and thine the wealth
that in our halls abound,
and thine the beauty and the joy
with which the years are crowned.
2.Lord, in their change, let frost and heat,
and winds and dews be given;
all fostering power, all influence sweet,
breathe from the bounteous heaven.
Attemper fair and gentle air
the sunshine and the rain,
that kindly earth with timely birth
may yield her fruits again:
3.That we may feed the poor aright,
and, gathering round thy throne,
here, in the holy angel’s sight,
repay thee of thine own:
That we may praise thee all our days,
and with the Father’s Name,
and with the Holy Spirit’s gifts,
the Savior’s love proclaim.
Edward White Benson (1829-1896)
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Warden’s Corner April, 2021
Spring has sprung and we are moving right along with preparations so that we can get everyone back in the sanctuary. The replacement of the fabric on the organ speakers is taking place this week and the HVAC replacement in the sanctuary will take place during the next month.
The Flower guild had planned a plant and flower sale for this Saturday, but the predicted rain means that it must be rescheduled for May 8th. If you still have plants or flowers to donate, please contact Trisha Voiles or Janis Williams. The funds raised will help with our ongoing Buildings and Grounds expenses.
The Buildings and Grounds committee has planned a Parish Workday Party for May 15, and I know I will see all your smiling faces there eager to help them clean and organize our Parish home! For more information, contact Steve Charron or Janis Williams.
We just found out this week that we have another unit that needs to be repaired and the estimate is $2,500.00. Anybody have some spare change?
Since we are speaking about money, I would love to say Thank you to all who are continuing to give online, through the mail and in person. In the first quarter, the operating revenue was $96,223.00 and operating expenses were $92,459.00 which meant we had a surplus of $3,764.00! Having a surplus is great but we must understand that the main the reason our expenses were lower is that we have not been paying a full-time rector and we are using restricted funds to pay for Father Tommy’s expenses.
Thanks to the hard work of Chuck Marsh, we were able to secure another PPP loan for $45,530.00 which will used for salaries for the upcoming months and we hope it will be forgiven as the last PPP loan we received in the fall. We are still waiting to here back from the Diocese on whether our loan application has been approved which will be used to fund the HVAC sanctuary repairs and AV upgrades. So please continue to send in your offerings and continue your prayers for St. Matthew’s.
In February, Canon Alicia Schuster-Weltner joined us through Zoom to explain the Interim and rector search process that we will be going through over the next year or two. In that meeting, she addressed that Father Tommy would have to look for another job as his contract with St. Matthew’s ended when Mother Liz retired. We have been truly blessed to have him at St. Matthew’s and he will be missed. He has begun to have interviews and hopes to have something in place by the end of May. I will be speaking with Canon Alicia next week about our next steps in the process.
The Vestry has been working on putting together a list of names for the nominating committee this past month as well as working on updating our website and ministries information. Please continue to pray for guidance and discernment your Vestry.
Blessings and Peace,
Becky Olbon
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Confirmation Service For Three Parishes At St. Matthew’s This Sunday April 18
Congratulations to those being confirmed this Sunday:
Becky Barringer, Jessie Barringer, Caroline Bond, Nadira Desamu-Thorpe, Neema Desamu-Thorpe, Jacob Steven Hurst, and James Chester Piechowiak.
They will be part of a group of 20 individuals from St. Matthew’s, St. Michael & All Angels parish in Stone Mountain and St. Patrick’s, Dunwoody, who will be confirmed by The Right Reverend Robert C. Wright this Sunday at 2:00 p.m. here at St. Matthew’s. Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions on large gatherings, the service will be open to immediate family members by invitation only. ** Please keep our confirmands in your prayers as they take this step along their faith journey.
**You can watch the service livestreamed at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, April 18 at