THE CIRCUIT BOARD January 2014

St. Matthew s United Methodist Church A Place for All God s Children www.stmatthewsumc.org 703-978-3500 THE CIRCUIT BOARD January 2014 Join us for worship on Sunday mornings: Traditional Worship: 8:15 & 11:15am Modern Worship: 9:45am Classes & Studies for all ages: 9:45am The 11:07 Adult Sunday School Class: 11:07am CHILDREN Girls/Boys Sleepover Club 56 Service Day Weekday School Reg. Parent s Night Out Toddler Time Wesley Housing Thanks YOUTH Handbell Dessert Tickets Youth Summer Missions ASP Reflection Trad. Music Schedule Happy New Year! From all of your friends at St. Matthew s United Methodist Church January 6th - March 2nd The Gifting Continues... Sunday Worship Theme January 10th - 11th Children s Ministries Girls Sleepover (7:00 PM) January 11th - 12th Adult Handbell Retreat January 15th In-House Weekday School Registration Begins January 19th Hold Me Tight Marriage Study Begins (6:00 PM) St. Matthew s January Events January 20th MLK Youth Service Day Club 56 Service Day Church Office Closed No Faith Enrichment or Children s Choirs January 24th Children s Ministries Boys Sleepover (7:00 PM) January 26th New Members Lunch with the Pastors (12:30 PM) All Month: Reserve your tickets for the Handbell Dessert Concert on Feb. 9th. PRAYER & MISSION Worship Theme Congregation Updates January Prayer Focus Youth Summer Missions New Members ASP Reflection Adult Handbell Retreat Lunch with Pastors Worship Volunteers Club 56 Service Day Marriage Study Wesley Housing Thanks IN THIS ISSUE: Pastoral Ponderings Worship Theme Bell Dessert Tickets Congregation Updates Staff Thank You January Prayer Focus Youth Summer Missions New Members ASP Reflection Adult Handbell Retreat Trad. Music Schedule Lunch with Pastors Worship Volunteers Boys/Girls Sleepover Club 56 Service Day Parent s Night Out Toddler Time Marriage Study Wesley Housing Thanks

2 Pastoral Ponderings Worshipful Beginnings of the New Year A part of my process for beginning the new year, is to find a place for gifts I have received at Christmas: dresser or closet, or tool rack on the workbench, or bookshelf. My desire is to appreciate and employ these gifts in my life, and to be thankful for both the gift and the giver. The gift of God in Jesus has a complexity, mystery, and depth that defies any possibility of simply finding a place to put it! Our worship theme for the Epiphany Season of the Church Year (January and February) will take us on a journey of exploration and celebration of this gift of Jesus. Jesus, our Savior and Lord, is a gift that goes on and on, teaching us volumes about ourselves and our spiritual journey. So.... in Jesus... the gifting continues! Let us be thankful for both the Gift and the Giver!! Happy New Year, Jay Join us for our annual Handbell Dessert Concert on Feb. 9th, featuring two of our youth handbell choirs with special appearances by one of our adult handbell choirs and our children s handbell choirs. You won t want to miss this year s show! Secure your tickets now for either the 3:00 or 6:00 performance by sending an email to: handbelltickets@yahoo.com. Tickets run $15 per adult, $12 per student, $8 per child age 6 or under. Dessert Selections: Chocolate Mousse (regular and gluten free), Praline Cheesecake (regular and gluten free), Carrot Cake, Lemon Roll, Fruit Cheese/Crackers Plate, Cookies for Children We will also serve coffee, tea & hot chocolate.

AMONG OUR CONGREGATION: December In Sympathies Warren B. Luttrell, husband of member Glenna Luttrell - our prayers are with Glenna, family and friends. Bertha Randolph, mother of member Nancy Randolph - our prayers are with Nancy, family and friends. Phyllis Taylor - our prayers are with Eugene, Alison, Dennis, Jessie, Danny, family and friends. AMONG OUR CONGREGATION: December Births Zachary Thomas Gracon - born November 16, 2013. Zachary is the son of Laura & Bill Gracon, brother of Isabel & Annie, and grandson of Thomas & Jean Johnson. Andrew Robert Burnkrant - born on November 19th. Andrew is the son of Rob & Hana Burnkrant. William Christopher & Colin James Endicott - born on November 24, 2013. William & Colin are the twin sons of Katie & Chris Endicott and the grandsons of Karen & Jim Bickley. Ezekiel Frederick Jonah Johnson - born on December 16, 2013. Ezekiel is the son of Kim & Brian Johnson and brother of Jeremiah Johnson. AMONG OUR CONGREGATION: December Baptisms Ayla Jane Palacios - baptized on December 15, 2013. Ayla is the daughter of Katherine and Ramon Palacios. Haley Lynne Moore - baptized on December 29, 2013. Haley is the daughter of Justin & Stephanie Moore, great-granddaughter of George & Louise Moore, niece and goddaughter of D Angelo Boyce. Thank You! The members and friends of St. Matthew s UMC have been most generous this Christmas, in their love gift to the staff of St. Matthew s. We want to take this opportunity to thank you for your gift, which has been distributed by members of the Staff-Parish Relations Committee to each staff person, along with a beautiful Christmas card. It is both our joy and privilege to serve God through our employment in this church, and we thank you for your partnership with us in ministry. May God continue to bless and guide all of us as we work together for cause of Christ in our church and community. Again, many thanks for your gift to us. Sincerely, Grace, Lynne, Carrie, Emily, Nancy C., Nancy M., Carol, Tammy, Erin, Andrea, Jackie, Anita, Brian, Lien, Nelson, Bill, and Jay January Prayer Focus I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord Jeremiah 29:11 Youth Summer Missions Preparations begin! During the month of January, our youth begin preparations for their summer mission projects. In early July, the Senior High youth will spend a week in Western VA participating in home improvement projects to support low-income, elderly, and disabled persons and families with the Appalachia Service Project. At the end of July, the Junior high youth will be in Winchester, VA for home repair missions and spiritual formation with the Jeremiah Project. We invite you to join us as we begin our preparations. Throughout the month of January, there will be an insert in your bulletins for you have an opportunity to support our youth. We thank you for your continued support as we live into God s kingdom. 3

4 Join us in welcoming some of St. Matthew s newest members! Emmy Lee Emmy Lee, a native of Korea, comes to St. Matthew s through transfer of membership from McLean Bible Church. She is an instructor at Midwest University. While her husband currently resides in Korea, Emmy and their son, Charlie, live in Fairfax. Emmy shared with us her joy in being baptized here at St. Matthew s on the morning she joined. She is proud to be the first baptized member of her family and feels great responsibility in being a spiritual leader of her family. Emmy looks forward to singing in choir. In her free time she enjoys walking and crocheting. Welcome Emmy!! Sal Olivo Sal Olivo, a native of Nutley, New Jersey, came to the DC area to attend American University, and has been in the Metro area ever since. He teaches history at West Potomac High School where he is also student government advisor and Chair of the Social Studies Department. Sal grew up singing and ringing in church choirs. He has been attending St. Matthew s for a while and has been impressed with the spirit of the congregation and number of activities our church supports. In his free time, Sal enjoys walking, reading, and watching sports. Bruce & Ann Thomas Bruce and Ann Thomas had been very active members of The Falls Church Anglican congregation when they decided to look for a church closer to home. After visiting several churches, they settled on St. Matthew s because they felt an immediate warm feeling here. Bruce, a Pennsylvania native, is a software developer, and Ann, a native of Annandale, is a trademark secretary. They have three grown sons and two precious grandsons. In his free time, Bruce enjoys skiing and kayaking. Ann is already active in St. Matthew s Monday night Women s Spiritual Practices class. Welcome Bruce and Ann! Nancy Bangura Sia Nancy Kpakima-Bangura is a native of Sierra Leone. Raised a United Methodist in Sierra Leone, she missed worshipping with her Methodist community when she moved to Northern Virginia. While searching for a new church home, she was struck by the friendly welcome she received here at St. Matthew s. Nancy is currently studying to be a nurse. She and her husband, Gibriel, have two young sons, Sibril and Jamaal. Please be sure to gjve the Bangura family a warm welcome!

Appalachia Service Project Reflection by Cara Delvecchio (Cara is a senior at Lake Braddock High School) 5 Six pairs of shoes, a bag full of makeup, a hair dryer, and seven carefully picked outfits later, I am ready to embark on Appalachia Service Project, a mission trip sponsored by my church to help low-income families with home repairs. It is the summer after my freshman year and I have no idea what to expect. I wind up staying in a rundown college in Knoxville, Tennessee, sleeping on the floors in stifling dorm rooms and taking ice cold showers in a moldy tub. I look back on my first year of this mission trip asking myself, What was I thinking? I had blown the fuse with my hair dryer and quickly learned that it is hard to keep makeup from melting off your face in the sweltering heat with no air conditioning. It turns out those things are not really important when you are building a wheelchair ramp for an elderly couple living in the mountains of Tennessee. Never would I have thought that I would fall in love with a trip full of sweat, dirt, and frizzy hair. The next summer, I made some changes when packing for my second trip to Inez, Kentucky. I left my hair dryer at home and packed less makeup. We stayed in classrooms at a mountainside middle school, and I worked for Linda and her grandson, Brandon, putting up siding on their mobile home. Every day we would eat lunch with Linda and share stories. The more I learned about Linda, the more I realized what an incredible person she was and how lucky I am to have met her. She lives such a different life than me, but is so happy even though she does not have a lot. Thoughts of my makeup, clothes, and shoes, things which seemed to be so important back home, immediately became overpowered by the importance of helping my new friends in Appalachia. This past year I went to Spruce Pine, North Carolina, packing absolutely no makeup and only one pair of shoes besides my work boots. Once again, we stayed in classrooms at the local middle school. I worked for a man named Tiny, who lived by himself in a trailer home with no electricity or running water. The environment was extremely muddy, and my team and I worked hard to build Tiny a set of stairs and to put up skirting around his home. I loved being covered in mud and dirt. I loved sleeping on the floor. I loved the cold showers. I realized that it is not about looking your best; it is about doing your best and helping others. Sometimes you need to give up what you have and what you think is important to find your true self. Mascara and lip gloss can never match the joy I feel while in Appalachia. Join us in welcoming some of St. Matthew s newest members! Josh & Sarah Harrison Josh and Sarah Harrison chose to join St. Matthew s because they saw it as a vibrant congregation with lots of opportunities to nurture each other and the broader community. Josh, a native of Pennsylvania, works as a Director of Financial Reporting at PTGI Holding, Inc. Sarah, a native of White Stone, Virginia, is a reading specialist with Alexandria City Public Schools. In their free time, they enjoy running, soccer, wine-tasting, and geo-caching. They have been active in many different areas of their previous churches, and look forward to helping with St. Matthew s local missions. Welcome Josh and Sarah!

6 Adult Handbell Retreat: The Mitchell & Peace Ringers will attend an Adult Handbell Retreat at Hallowood Retreat Center in Comus, MD. We will leave on Saturday, January 11th at 8:00 AM and return Sunday, January 12th at 4:00 PM January 5th January 12th January 19th January 26th February 2nd February 9th February 16th February 23rd Traditional Sunday Worship Choir Schedule: January & February 8:15 - Chapel Choir 11:15 - Sanctuary Choir 8:15 & 11:15 - St. Matthew s Brothers (Men s Ensemble) 8:15 - Sanctuary Choir, Mitchell Ringers; 11:15 - Chapel Choir, Celebration Ringers 8:15 - Sanctuary Choir, Peace Ringers; 11:15 - Chapel Choir, Carol Ringers 8:15 - Chapel Choir, Tower Ringers 11:15 - Sanctuary Choir 8:15 - Altar Choir, Wesley Choir, Chancel Ringers 11:15 - Sanctuary Choir 8:15 & 11:15 - Women s Ensemble 8:15 - Chapel Choir, Carol Ringers 11:15 - Sanctuary Choir, Peace Ringers Join us in welcoming Ayla Jane Palacios, daughter of Katherine and Ramon Palacios. Ayla was baptized at St. Matthew s on December 15th. LUNCH WITH THE PASTORS Are you new to St. Matthew s? Come have a casual lunch with the pastors on Sunday, January 26th, after the 11:15 service (approximately 12:30 PM). Bring your family and enjoy meeting others who are also new to the church as well as getting to know Pastors Jay, Brian, and Bill. Please RSVP to our Director of Welcoming Ministries, Lynne (lstudeman@stmatthewsumc.org) by Thursday, January 23rd. SCRIPTURE READERS & COMMUNION SERVERS NEEDED We are looking for people of all ages to help lead us in worship as Scripture Readers and Communion Servers! Look for sign up sheets at the Welcome Center near the church entrance, or go directly to the online sign up links: Communion Sign Up: www.signupgenius.com/go/9040c49acaf2a1-communion1 Scripture Readers Sign Up: www.signupgenius.com/go/9040c49acaf2a1-scripture1

Boy s Sleepover Jan. 24th (7:00 PM) - 25th (8:00 AM) Children s Council will host a sleepover at the church for all boys kindergarten through 6th grade. All dad s are invited to come join in the fun! 7 Girl s Sleepover Jan. 10th (7:00 PM) -11th (8:00 AM) Children s Council will host a sleepover at the church for all girls kindergarten through 6th grade. All mom s are invited to come join in the fun! Parent s Night Out Feb. 14th Mark your calendars now for Parent s Night oot on Friday, Feb. 14th from 6:00-9:00 PM. Children s council will host your children (birth 6th grade) at the church for an evening of fun, while parents enjoy an evening out on the town. This is a great opportunity to have a Valentine s Day Date! RSVP to Carrie Schwab aby Sunday Feb. 9th at cschwab@stmatthewsumc.org Club 56 Service Day Monday Jan. 20th Club 56 will meet on Monday, January 20th from 10:00 AM 1:00 PM to participate in a creek clean up with Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment. After working we will stop at Pizza Hut for lunch. Weekday School Registration St. Matthew s Weekday School registration for 2014/2015 begins on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 for In-House eligible students. Parents may register via the WDS website: www.stmatthewswds.com. Please follow the instructions exactly. General registration for all students begins on February 26, 2014. Toddler Time in the Library: (Monday, January 27, 5:00-5:30 PM) Toddlers and preschoolers, ages 18 months-5 years, are invited to a Biblical story time in the Library (off of the Information Hallway). Children will listen to stories, sing songs, and make a craft. Parent/caregiver attendance is required. This event is open to the greater community, so feel free to bring a friend or neighbor along! Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love This will be an 8 week, small group marriage enrichment experience based on the book, Hold Me Tight by Dr. Sue Johnson. All of us have a deep need for emotional connection, yet in our marriages we are often too stressed or tired to remain open, attuned and responsive to each other: the very conditions that help us feel emotionally connected. With Dr. Johnson s guidance our group will focus on key moments in our relationships and use them as touchstones for having seven healing conversations that can guide us in reshaping these moments to create a secure and lasting bond with each other. We will use the book, Hold Me Tight, videos of couples engaged in each of the conversations, conversations with our spouses, and group discussions to help each of us enrich, revitalize or heal the rough spots in our marriages. Group will meet Sunday evenings 6:00-8:00 PM beginning January 19 in room 302. We will not meet on February 2. Babysitting provided. Leader: Rev. Judy Hall.

St. Matthew s United Methodist Church 8617 Little River Turnpike Annandale, VA 22003 December 16, 2013 Ms. Carrie Schwab Director of Children s Ministries St. Matthew s UMC 8617 Little River Turnpike Annandale, VA 22003 Dear Ms. Schwab, Thank You from Wesley Housing On behalf of the Board of Directors of Wesley Housing Development Corporation, the staff, and the residents of our communities, I would like to thank St. Matthew s United Methodist Church for your recent donation of $76.37 which as requested has been designated for Wesley Housing s after-school programs. The continued support of St. Matthew s UMC is helping us meet the challenges of these difficult economic times as we work together with our faith community partners to make a difference in the lives of individuals at risk of homelessness in Northern Virginia. For four decades, we have served more than 25,000 persons providing permanent, affordable housing and supportive services-including our successful Housing Stability Initiative which is lowering evictions and preventing homelessness. This impactful program--counseling, crisis intervention, referrals, computer training, job search assistance, and other employment tools-provides our residents with the skills to become self-sufficient. We are also striving to give a stable home to greater numbers of our at-risk neighbors by developing and preserving more affordable communities. At Pierce Queen Apartments in Arlington, we will add 76 units of affordable housing, including critically needed family-sized units. Thank you again for partnering with us to build brighter futures for low-and moderate-income families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities and special needs in our community. Sincerely, Shelley S. Murphy President/CEO The Circuit Board is a publication of St. Matthew s United Methodist Church 8617 Little River Turnpike Annandale, VA 22003 www.stmatthewsumc.org 703-978-3500 Senior Pastor: Jay M. Hanke Associate Pastor: Brian Johnson Assoc. Pastor of Senior Adult Ministries & Visitation: Bill Moberly Director of Children s Ministries: Carrie Schwab Preschool Ministries Coordinator: Emily Yosmanovich 9:45 Worship Leader: Nelson Cowan Bookkeeper: Andrea Crews Finance Secretary: Jackie Dinker Office Resource Vol.: Claire Adams Director of Music: Nancy Cappel Senior Administrative Assistant: Nancy Manning Worship Media Coordinator: Director of Youth Ministries: Grace Han Director of Welcoming Ministries: Lynne Studeman Director of Communications: Erin Trost Music Assistant: Tammy Freeman Organist: Carol Workman Dan Frakes Preschool Director: Anita Gioconda Preschool Assistant: Laura McLean