g{x `ÉÇ àéü March 2017 St. Matthew s United Methodist Church 2738 MacArthur View, San Antonio, Texas 78217 www.smumcsa.org Work With Me On This One of the things that got me to thinking was a question that the pastors were asked at the Bishop s Convocation. This is a question I don t feel that any one person in our church can answer for the entire church. Here is the question. What spiritual difference is St. Matthew s making in our neighborhood? Another way of asking is: If St. Matthew s closed its doors, would anyone in the neighborhood care and why would they care? It is easy to jump to the defense of a church that we love. When I did that, the answers weren t for the neighborhood, but for the members. Yes, the members collectively do a lot to help people. But, the help is not growing the Kingdom. We are helping the poor, but do they know why we are helping them, or do we just assume they know? When the fire broke out in the apartments, people saw that we were genuine in our desire to help. Those we helped were glad St. Matthew s was here. Veronica has a Bible study in Spanish that is bringing people into the church. They would miss the church if it wasn t here. The help I need from all of you is to make a list of everything this church does that reaches into the neighborhood and draws people to Christ. What difference does St. Matthew s make to the people in our neighborhood? It is so easy to take an attitude of they will like us if they come. I agree that is true but that isn t reaching out is it? People who drive by the church have no idea what happens behind our doors. Either we need to invite them in or we need to have events that they will want to come check out (if they know about it). If we are going to get young families interested, it will have to be very interesting indeed. The church is not even in their thinking process. In This Edition: Page 2 Information, Admin Board Attendance Page 3 Sunday School Classes Page 4 Wednesday Night Free, PNO Page 5 UMW Page 6 UMM/UMW Page 7 New Men s Group Lunch Bunch, Children s Choir Page 8 Ministry Outreach Page 9 Calendar Page 10 Prayer Concerns Page 11 Day School Page 12 Youth News Page 13 Rio Texas Conference/Under the Bridge Ministry Page 14/15 Evangelist Wes- Before we come up with all the possible things we can do to attract people, ley Putnam it would be good to assess what we are doing now that works. It is easier to build Page 16/17 Agua Viva on strengths than just flail away. For instance, we have a very strong scouting program. Are we doing anything to advertise that strength in the neighborhood? Are we doing anything to get to know the parents and develop relationships? Do you believe St. Matthew s is vitally important and would be willing to financially make sure it continues to be viable? That is the real test, our pocketbook. So, when you put your list together, only put the things on your list you believe are necessary for us to continue to make a difference in our neighborhood.. I look forward to hearing what you have to say. Email me at: aland@smumcsa.org Alan 1
WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Sunday Morning Worship 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship Service/ Sanctuary 11:00 a.m. Blended Worship Service/ Sanctuary Sunday School 9:45 a.m. CHURCH STAFF Pastor Alan Delafield Administrative Pastor Susan Porr Associate Lay Pastor of Agua Viva Veronica Harvey Business Administrator Children & Family Ministries Director Judy Langford College/Youth Ministries Director Tim Diemert Day School Director Nikki Irving Secretary Diana Garza Music Director Amy Ballenger Pianist Richard Castillo Nursery Coordinator Annalie Tamez Custodian Raul Menesess Church Office Hours Monday-Thursday 9:00 am to 4:00pm Friday - 9:00 am to 12:00 pm Phone: (210) 822-0252 Fax: (210) 828-2195 Church Email Address Information@smumcsa.org St. Matthew s Website www.smumcsa.org St. Matthew s Day School Phone: (210) 826-4850 Bible Studies at St. Matthew s Monday: Monday Night Bible Study, 7:00 pm, Room 105 Women s Bible Study, 6:30 pm, Abel Chapel Tuesday: Women of Faith, 8:00 am, Room 105 Tuesday Morning Bible Study, 9:30 am, Room 105 Wednesday: Agua Viva Woman's Bible Study 10:00 am, Fellowship Hall Agua Viva Spanish Discipleship Class, 6:45 pm, Room 301 Pastors Bible Study, 6:45 pm, Room 603 Administrative Board 2017: Chairman Mike Langford Vice Chairman Vivian Taylor Lay Leader for 8:30 am Jo Reinschmidt Lay Leader for 11:00 am Anne Verner Conference Delegate Kathy Cain Conference Delegate Alternate Sandy Beard Treasurer Mike Verner Secretary Jeanie Etter MCC Chair Eugene Hileman Finance Chair Fred Long SPRC Chair Lucy Hoover Trustee Chair Month Church Sunday School Small Groups February 188 112 Average Church and Sunday School Attendance February 2017 2
9:45 am PRESCHOOL 3 TO 4 YEAR OLDS Meet in Room 606. Contact person: Judy Langford (822-0252 ext. 105) KINDER THROUGH 1ST GRADE Meet in room 604 Contact person: Judy Langford (822-0252 ext. 105) ELEMENTRY 2ND THROUGH 4TH GRADE Explore the Bible using music, art, science, games, story, and cooking. They meet in Room 611. Contact person: Judy Langford (822-0252 ext. 105) TWEENS: 5 TH THROUGH 6 TH GRADE Meet in room 602 Contact person: Judy Langford (822-0252 ext. 105) YOUTH 7 TH THROUGH 12 TH GRADE Meet in the Youth Building. Contact Youth Team: Tim and Kelli Diemert (940-594-8633) COME AND SEE CLASS (All ages) Meet in Room 301 (Deats Bldg). A discipleship class on knowing Christ and making him known. Studying Book of Daniel. Contact person: Jim Humphries (494-0112) assisted by John Shero NEW SEASONINGS CLASS (Middle Adult) Meet in Room 603. Will be starting a new study on the book The Grand Paradox by Ken Wytsma Contact person: David Mack (654-0162) SONSHINE CLASS (Senior Adult) Meet in Room 605. Studying The Book of Jeremiah. Contact person: Marsha Humphries (494-0112) VOYAGERS CLASS (Senior Adult) Meet in Room 601. Adult Bible Study Workbook/Study (Spring 2016). Contact person: Frank Tyk (655-2324) FRIENDS OF FAITH CLASS (Young & Middle Adult) Meet in the Fellowship Hall. Contact person: Greg Klaerner (402-3711) COVENANT BELIEVERS CLASS (All Ages) Meet in the conference room. Starting a new study The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel. Contact persons: Anne Verner (655-7380) or Judy Langford (822-0252 ext. 105) 3
Wednesday Night F. R. E. E. (March 1st & 15th NO WEDNESDAY FREE) Fellowship Relationship Educate Energize Supper, worship, study for children, youth and adults 5:45-6:15 Supper 6:10-6:40 Children s Choir (Abel Chapel) 6:15-6:30 Worship 6:30-7:30 Study for all ages Pre Kindergarten - 1st grade Second & Third Grade Fourth Grade thru Sixth Grade Youth: Seventh grade through High School Parents Night Out March 3rd 6:30 9:30 PM Ages 12 months to 5th grade Volunteers are always needed for our monthly Parent s Night Out Ministry Scheduled on the first Friday night of each month. Getting involved is such a blessing to the children. The children arrive at 6:30 pm for play, dinner, story, crafts, and games and stay till 9:30 pm. We are using our Power Xpress Sunday School curriculum as a basis for planning each month s activities. It s a blessing to reach children with the Good News of Jesus Christ. This outreach is a living expression of the vitality of this church. If you have any questions, please contact Maria Cantu at 270-505-3578 4
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METHODIST MEN - Well, our meeting on February 12th didn t resolve the absence problems of our two officers, but we did enjoy a good breakfast and the company of Scout representatives from St. Matthew s. Our ground approved continuing to support this program and also sponsor a scout on the Lexington trip. Larry Etter informed our group about a program to provide personal hygiene items to folks during the feeding of the homeless event and Methodist men agreed to furnish 25 packets. We ll meet again on March 12th at 8:00 am in the gym. UMW ADELE SPENCER SCHOLARSHIP The United Methodist Women of St. Matthew s will again present the Adele Spencer United Methodist Women s Scholarship for 2017. The scholarship is funded by the St. Matthew s UMW. This scholarship is available to all ages, male or female in the amount of $500. The applicant could be a graduating senior, a student presently enrolled, or someone returning to school to complete a degree. Please contact Susanne Garvin at 653-5293 for the specific guidelines. Applications are available on the table located in the Narthex, church office or from the members or the UMW Scholarship Committee. The deadline for re- turning applications is April 3, 2017. Scholarship Committee Susanne Garvin, Debbie Barrow and Barbara Gadsby. Donations to this fund are also, welcome. We would invite you to remember this fund when considering an honorarium or memorial gift. 6
NEW MEN S GROUP We are offering a new fellowship opportunity for men to work and play together. Every Thursday at 9am, following the 7:30 am men s Fellowship breakfast at Jims Coffee Shop, we will meet at the church to work together on projects. Some of these could be chores at the church, could be helping our less able members with some needs, or some other activity that will make us smile. Larry Etter is leading this venture, but input will come from whoever has a good idea. We hope to plan one week in advance so we can resource the project. Recent projects include repairing a bathroom stall, replacing a dead bolt lock, swapping light bulbs, and minor plumbing repairs. The time frame is 9 am until noon, with lunch out in one of our neighborhood cafes. All are welcome: No skills required! Help us choose a name. Interested in great conversation, good food and wonderful fellowship? Start the New Year off with a fun group as we explore our local restaurants on the second Wednesday of every month at 11:30. Our next adventure will be at Tommy s restaurant at 13835 Nacogdoches (near O conner intersection). on March 8th. We will plan to meet at the restaurant at 11:30, but if you need a ride let Leila Hileman or Judy Langford know. We also are interested in other outings such as movies, field trips, or museum visits. Come and be a part of planning our spring schedule and picking out restaurants to visit. See you there. Children's Choir Rehearsal & Performance Dates MARCH 1, 8, 22, 29 - PRACTICE 6:10-6:40 PM NO CHOIR WEDESDAY MARCH 15 - SPRING BREAK Singing in both worship services March 5th @ 8:30 and 11:00 am 7
The March communion offering will be for the pastor s discretionary fund, directly providing Pastor Alan a means to assist members of our neighborhood. The February communion offering for Human Relations Day raised $340. The last Sunday in March is UMCOR Sunday, the successor to One Great Hour of Sharing. UMCOR is the humanitarian and development arm of the United Methodist Church. Through UMCOR, we reach worldwide to provide relief toward Hunger, Health, Refugees, Emergencies, and Relief supplies. Pastor Susan is organizing ASHES TO GO on Ash Wednesday. We need assistance with this neighborhood outreach effort. On February 25, St. Matthew s hosted the monthly clinic at JFON, Justice for Our Neighbors, with breakfast and lunch. One of the UMC Advance Specials, this group s mission is to welcome immigrants by providing affordable, high quality immigration legal service, engaging in advocacy for immigrant rights, and offering education to communities of faith and to the public. Pastor Susan serves on the Board of the local chapter. February 19th was our semiannual collection day for food donations to Agape Ministries. This ecumenical outreach serves our area as food pantry, clothing distribution, and some utilities cost assistance. The April communion offering will go to our Rio Texas Conference Disaster Response fund, lending assistance to survivors of local disaster. April will be the next 5-Sunday month, and another opportunity to feed the homeless and hungry under the bridge. St. Matthew s has participated in this for close to twenty years. The location has changed twice, but the mission continues: help the least of us. In January, we also distributed socks and jackets (well received). For April 23, we will be distributing hygiene packs: bags of toiletries and such. This is a terrific Lenten project for classes, bible studies, or social groups. For about $8, a kit can be assembled that will provide something more lasting than a meal. We are hoping to distribute 150 hygiene packs. The United Methodist Men have pledged 25. Details are available at the GIVING BENCH in the Fellowship Hall. 8
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PRAYER CONCERNS UPDATED 2/28/17 Please review our prayer concerns list below. If you notice an individual has been blessed by healing, or if you feel your name or another name should be removed from this list, please notify the church secretary to remove the name. Church office 210-822-0252 or email information@smumcsa.org St. Matthew s Church Family who are hospitalized or need prayers for healing and other ongoing prayer needs: Tracy Brown Doug Campbell Al Cargen Norma Evans Jackie Fleenor Frank Fleenor Richard Hargis Chuck Howell Marsha Humphries Carol Keim Nancy Leonard Linell Pipes Lisa Strand Zach Thompson This is for family and friends of our Church Family: Meagan Wall, (Jerry Harvey s Granddaughter) Michelle & Paul (Niece of Jackie Ledford) Jim (Sandra Beard s friend) Melissa Bradberry (Martha Bane) Geoffrey Scrimsher (Jas Marlin s Dad) Tracy (Niece of Steve & Carolyn Schrader) Milton (Friend of Steve & Carolyn Schrader) David Stringo (Austin Marlin s Uncle) This is for family and friends who have lost loved ones: Family and Friends in Healthcare Facilities: Priscilla Grammer @ San Pedro Manor #312 Jeff Coffey @ Independence Hill Maurine Wells @ Emeritus Oakwell Farms Carol Keim @ Los Patios #226 Ylita Hoffman@ Los Patios Janet Leader @ Los Patios Jean McPherson @ Los Patios Church Family and Family Members in active military: Trey Willette, brother of Ginger Klaerner (Afghanistan) Kirk Hebert, nephew of Jeanne & Richard Adams (Afghanistan) Andy Miscisin, son-in-law of Lucy & Jack Hoover (Air Force) Jarrett Sonnen, grandson of Helen Olson (Afghanistan-Navy Seal) Dan and Stephan LaMothe (Air Force) Anna Virdell (Air Force) Matthew McConnell, grandson of Nilda McConnell (Navy) Zachary Herrmann, (Army) Tim Humphries, grandson of Jim and Marsha Humphries (Wisconsin, Army) Christian Wosnig, grandson of Linda Wylie (Marines) Kristen Jankoski, granddaughter of Carolyn & Steve Schrader (Navy) Paul Franco, Jackie Ledford son-in-law (Marines) Christian Cantu (Army) 10
St. Matthew s UMC Day School 2738 MacArthur View San Antonio, TX 78217 (210) 826-4850 Fax: (210) 822-5425 www.smumcsa.org Upcoming Events Look at the excitement that is coming Birthdays Happy Birthday to our friends: March 2nd Dr. Seuss Birthday Celebration (Follow Special Event Schedule) March 7th Dentist Day (Follow Special Event Schedule) TBD March 17th St. Patrick s Day (Wear your Green) March 20 th - 24 th Bike Safety Week March 24th Trike-A-Thon (Follow Special Event Schedule) Damien M. 3/1 (Yellow) Abigail P. 3/5 (Magenta) Donteace M. 3/15 (Orange) Aldo M. 3/15 (Blue) Ms. Deborah. 3/26 (Red) Parents please help us catch our teachers being awesome! On the sign in and out table there are some caught you being good slips. In the event that you see a teacher doing something that you really enjoyed, made you happy, or smile, please fill one out. Then turn it into the office. The teachers are win special incentives of their choice for each slip received Thank You. (Please remember to always check our Parent Board for updated information) Past Events We re you able to enjoy the fun? St. Matthew s had a lot of fun with the Mommy and Me dance. Everyone was able to enjoy themselves and have a very nice dinner. Thank you to everyone who came out and made this special event and joyful moment for the children to learn and have fun at the same time. Thank you from the staff here at St. Matthew s Day Parents if you are looking for more information on child growth and development several resources are listed below. https://extensiononline.tamu.edu/secure_index.php https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/ index.html http://www.pbs.org/parents/child-development/ 11
The month of February has been great. The youth have enjoyed doing our annual boys verses girls events. We look forward to our lock-in on the first weekend in March. The College ministry is going strong with weekly small group times on Wednesdays. We are excited to see this group continue. We ask you to continue to keep this group in prayer as we know Gods hand is in this ministry leading them. St Matt's Youth Ministry attended Midwinter at Mt. Wesley. They were able to enjoy worship, small groups, games, and just hang with youth from all over our conference. We are excited to be attending ~~Fiesta Time ~~ Fiesta tickets are going fast!! We are excited to see all the members that purchased tickets. This is a fun fundraiser to support the youth/tweens ministry. Can't wait to see you all at the parades. Battle of Flowers- April 28, 2017 Fiesta Flambeau- April 29, 2017 Boys verses Girls Lock-in March 3 - March 5 LOCATION: St. Matthews Youth Building Boys Verses Girls Lock-in is a weekend to relax but dive into scripture about being a godly man/ woman. Its a time for games, and contest with boys against girls. This is always an exciting weekend. Mark your calendars and make plans to join us. Fiesta Parades April 28 - April 29 LOCATION: San Antonio April 28-29 is the big fundraiser weekend for the youth department. The youth/tweens will be at both parades setting up/taking down chairs. The youth always have a fun time while doing hard work for these parades. If you are there we hope to see you. 12
St. Matthew s UMC DONATE HYGIENE PACKS BY APRIL 23, 2017 WE WILL DISTRIBUTE UNDER THE BRIDGE Pack IN Gal zip-lock metal nail clipper/file Hand sanitizer Comb (6 ) Deodorant bath size soap Disposable razor granola bar Washcloth Toothpaste Toothbrush (in original package) 13
Evangelist Wesley Putnam ***Coming to St. Matthew s*** Palm Sunday April 9th 8:30 & 11:00 am April 9th April 12th 6:00 pm Children s Programs 7:00 pm Adults and Families Gathering/PROGRAM Invite your family, friends & neighbors (Free Child Care provided) His visit is hard to define. It s a unique blend of music, drama, and children s outreach, combined with a good measure of lively, relevant preaching. Wesley has been a full-time evangelist since 1981. A musician, dramatist and storyteller, his ministry crosses denominational and demographic lines. Most of all, he s a believer who wants to glorify God and build up the Kingdom. (A Freewill Offering will be gracefully appreciated) We need everyone s help to make this A Joyous St. Matthew s UMC and Community Disciple Outreach Experience Committees are being formed and we need YOU: Chairpersons and Disciple Volunteers are needed to serve 14
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fàa `tàà{xãëá United Methodist Church 2738 MacArthur View San Antonio, TX 78217-4503 March 2017 Trust in the Lord with all your heart!! Check out our awesome website at - www.smumcsa.org Comfort-Air Engineering, Inc. A New Generation of Comfort! Robert & Georganne Freund Commercial / Residential / Sales & Service 11403 Jones Maltsberger / www.comfort-air.com / Phone: 210-494-1691 20