Lenten Bible Study Begins
Sunday, March 10
by Leslie Klingensmith
Lent will be here soon! Think about participating in our Lenten Bible Study to make the season more meaningful. The study is from The Thoughtful Christian curriculum and is titled Faithful Citizenship. Participants can choose between attending at 9:00 am on Sundays or 12 noon on Thursdays. The first sessions will be Sunday, March 10 or Thursday, March 14. This is a 6-week study. Come and join us!
Visitor's Orientation, Sunday, March 10
The Evangelism Committee is sponsoring an orientation session for visitors who are interested in learning more about St. Matthew and exploring the possibility of becoming members. The orientation will be held on Sunday, March 10 from 11:30 am - 1;00 pm. A light lunch will be served. If you would like to attend, please let Leslie or Elder Kit Boyle know so we have plenty of food and materials prepared.
St Matthew Celebrates Our African American Heritage, Sunday February 24th
by Glenda DeJong
St. Matthew will celebrate Black History Month on Sunday, February 24. Our guest speaker will be Elder Tressie Muldrow from Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church. Elder Muldrow will share with us in worship about her experiences participating in the integration of the Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, NC. We will have a potluck luncheon after church in the Fellowship Hall. Plan to attend this interesting and inspiring event
ADULT BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP
Our next book will be Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State. We will meet on Wednesday's, February 13, at 7:00 pm in the Agnes Wilson Room. We will read chapters 1 through 4. Plan to join us for thoughtful conversation about a timely read. The book is available at local bookstores or through Amazon.com.
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
There will be a brief congregational meeting after worship Sunday, November 25, for the purpose of electing Deirdre Gallagher to the Session. Deirdre will be elected to finish the term of Karen Brown Gonzalez who recently relocated to Tennessee. All voting members are encouraged to attend the meeting.
Rise Against Hunger
St. Matthew sponsored a meal packing event for Rise Against Hunger on Sunday, October 14 2018
140 St. Matthew members and friends assembled 15,120+ meals, and donated $4,326.
The time, work, and donations are going to make an important difference to hungry school children in Zambia.
Thank You Volunteers!
New Member Orientation
The Evangelism Commission will sponsor an orientation class
for visitors to St. Matthew who are interested in learning more
about St. Matthew and exploring the possibility
of becoming members.
The class will be held on Sunday, November 11
from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm in the Agnes
Wilson Room. We will serve a light lunch.
If you are interested in attending, please let
Leslie or Elder Kit Boyle know
St Matthew Presbyterian Church,
God’s Puzzle
Playing Your Part in 2019
Time Talent Tithe
Dear Members and Friends of St. Matthew
Sunday October 28th marks the beginning of this year’s stewardship campaign. This year’s theme is St. Matthew, God’s Puzzle: Which Piece are You? Our campaign celebrates the more than 12,600 hours of time and talent contributed by our members and friends each year to serve our community and our neighbors. In 2017 and 2018 we focused on much needed upgrades and maintenance of our campus, which along with our volunteer hours are the foundation for all of our ministry. Our conversation regarding this fall’s campaign is centered around a narrative budget, which shows how fixed costs such as staff salaries, insurance, and utilities contribute to the total ministry of the church (click here for the budget brochure). For purposes of this discussion, we placed all expenses in one of four ministry categories. Those categories are Fellowship, Education, Worship and Mission. We believe God is doing inspiring things in all these areas – and your pledge helps make it happen.
Where Are We? In 2018 our total budget was $379,800 of which $302,000, 84% came from pledges. Of the approximately 150 families in the St. Matthew faith community, 108 pledged last year with an average pledge of $2800. (A breakdown of all income sources is on the reverse side of this letter.) This year your pledge is especially important. Due to an unusually large number of members passing and moving away and combined with funds spent on the property improvement projects, we are starting 2019 with about $30,000 less than last year. Therefore, to make up that deficit, our goal this year is $324,000, an 8% increase over 2018. This amount will allow us to continue to support the important mission, education, worship and fellowship activities of our church without having to cut budgets
Where Do We Go from Here? If you are currently pledging to St. Matthew, we ask that you consider increasing your pledge by 8%. If you are a new member or have not pledged, we ask that you consider doing so. Your pledge is completely confidential. No one knows the amount except you, God and our Financial Secretary. Commitment Sunday is November 18th, but you can turn in your pledge anytime - Just fill in the on line pledge card below. What vital piece are YOU in God’s puzzle? We need everyone’s participation to be the community we are called to be!
Thank you for your consideration,
Rev. Leslie Klingensmith Paul Neal, Chairman
Pastor Stewardship Commission
Time to catch up......
Summer has come to a close and kids are back in school or off to college. It’s been a busy summer with our Property Improvement Projects (which are just about complete) as well as our usual monthly operating expenses. With summer vacations and missed Sunday’s it is easy to fall behind with your pledge. As of September 9 we are $11,000 dollars behind where we should be in our pledge revenue at this time of year. We would like to try to close that gap before we get far into the Fall. Please check your pledge status in Breeze by going to your profile clicking on Contributions on the left then on Pledges to see where you are or ask Terry or Glenda DeJong for an update. You can reach Terry and Glenda at 301 460 8523 ordejongt@verizon.net. Your efforts to get us back on track this fall are greatly appreciated.
Dinners for Six
St. Matthew has offered the Dinners of Six program for almost 50 years, continuing to provide members and friends of the church the opportunity to get together on a regular basis and better know each other. You will attend three dinners (four guests plus the hosts) served between October and May. You will be asked to host one of the three dinners. Now is the time to consider joining the program which is an excellent way to get to know other members of the congregation. You can register on the sign up form in the narthex or submit the form below. If you register using the form below, be sure to scroll to the bottom and click submit.
University of Livingstonia in Malawi
Fund-raiser Sunday September 23
The University of Livingstonia Foundation will be holding its annual fund-
raiser on Sunday, September 23rd at 3:00 pm in the Commons. St. Matthew has been a long-time supporter of the University of Livingstonia in Malawi, and the Foundation raises funds in theUnited States to support scholarships, purchase of IT and science equipment, and other needs ofthe University. Please join us for an afternoon of education, music, food and fellowship. Guest speakers will be Rev. Tyler Holm, professor of Theology at UNILA and Ken Gentili, long-time volunteer at UNILIA. We can also use help in setting up the fellowship hall following worship on the 23rd, next Sunday. Please contact Donna Chirwa if you can help.
Celebrating 25 Years of Ordained Ministry
Sunday, September 16, we celebrated Leslie’s 25 years of ordained ministry with the Presbyterian Church, USA. She was ordained in 1993 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Alexandria, VA, and installed as pastor of St. Matthew in 2002. Members of the congregation joined with family and friends for a pot-luck luncheon following
the morning service.
PIP Improvement in the Commons
IMPROVEMENT IN THE COMMONS: As many of you know, The Commons is getting a facelift this summer. The painting and tiling of the building are almost done. There is still some touch up that needs to be taken care of. Next step is to move furniture and back into the offices. We will need help please watch your email for date and time. Our next initiative is to completely remodel the restrooms in the narthex. One bathroom is completed.(see below) Therefore, only one restroom will be available for the next few weeks. We encourage you to plan ahead…or use the restrooms in The Commons. Thanks for your patience.
A Note From Our Pastor on the Issue of Immigrant Children
Several people have inquired about opportunities to advocate for immigrant children or to assist with reuniting families that have been separated at our border. The following organizations (some of them local) are working on this if anyone wants to inquire with them about volunteering or donating. The Mission Commission will continue to explore ways that St. Matthew can assist with this important work.
American Immigration Lawyers’ Association Immigrant Justice Campaign
CARA Pro Bono Project for family detention centers in TX
ALDEA – the People's Justice Center at the Berks County Detention Center in Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, www.nwirp.org.
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is a national non-profit organization that provides legal services to children in immigration court. They also advocate for the rights of child migrants.
Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition (CAIR) provides legal services to detained immigrants in Maryland and VA.
Al Otro Lado is a binational organization that offers legal services to deportees and migrants in Tijuana, Mexico.
RAICES is an immigration non-profit in Texas that provides legal services to immigrant children and families.
Summer Lunch Program
June 26 through August 31
Once again this summer, St. Matthew will be running a lunch program. This exciting program works like this:
First, a counselor at Bel Pre Elementary School will identify children (children, not families) whom she feels are in serious need of supplemental food; this year we have a group of 19 children from 7 different famalies who have been identified. Then St. Matthew family and friends will pack and deliver lunches to these children twice each week throughout the summer.
Each lunch will have a minimum of: A sandwich; a bag of chips, pretzels, etc.; a piece of fruit or an individual serving of fruit or applesauce; a dessert; and a drink. The lunch program will run from the week of June 26 - August 31st. Lunches will be delivered on Tuesday and Friday between 10:30a and 11:30a.
How can you help? You can pack lunches and bring them to the church. You can volunteer to deliver pre-packaged bags to the families or better yet do both. You can donate money to help purchase supplies. Or you can bake some goodies. Donate some individual bags of chips, trail mix, juice boxes, Capri suns, etc.
The children will all be from our immediate neighborhood. If you're interested in helping, please let Konni know. (301 598 4400 or stmattkmb@hotmail.com)
The schedule is posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex.
Property Improvement Projects Update as of 5/28
Work on our property improvement projects has begun. The 3 initial high priority projects have begun. The new railing is finished. The contract for the new lavatories has been signed and work will begin after Vacation Bible School. Prep for painting and repair in the commons has begun and the project will be completed after Vacation Bible School. Commons floor tile will is being bid. l Total cost for the initial 4 projects is $62,000 and is funded with funds on hand and generous gifts from the congregation. The Next project is new carpeting in the Sanctuary, Narthex and Agnes Wilson Room. This project can't be completed until the lavatories and painting is complete and awaits funding. Other projects include parking lot lower entrance, sign at point, . Many members have expressed interest in contributing to this effort separate from your 2018 pledge, and we are encouraged by your willingness and enthusiasm. Any contributions that we receive soon will be used to pay for the short list, high priority projects, reducing (or even eliminating) the need to use deferred maintenance funds. For additional information on how to support this effort see Phil Tarnoff or Rev. Leslie Klingensmith or click on link to Property Improvements letter below
Vacation Bible School
God's Puzzle
June 25 - 29th 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
St. John’s Lutheran Church and St. Matthew Presbyterian Church
present their
ANNUAL VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL:
Vacation Bible School is for children **4 years old through those who have completed 5th grade.
** Children need to be 4 by September 1, 2018 and be potty trained.
Where?
St. Matthew Presbyterian Church
4001 Bel Pre Road Silver
Spring, MD 20906
(301) 598-4400
(back in the woods at the corner of Georgia Ave. and Bel Pre Road)
Cost?
$30 per person (family maximum- $70.00)
Please make checks out to St. Matthew Presbyterian Church
Registrations are due by June 10th
Drop off or mail completed forms with checks to St. Matthew at the above address
St. John’s Preschool families may put their registration and check in the box outside the preschool office.
For more information contact:
Tom Hickman, at St. John’s: 301-929-9660 or ctmar28@yahoo.com
Chris Howard, at St. John’s: 301-570-1754 or garbarek@comcast.net
ANNUAL CHURCH PICNIC
Sunday June 24th
ANNUAL CHURCH PICNIC – You are invited to join the congregation for our annual picnic at the Lessig's Farm, Sunday, June 24. Bring enough fried chicken for your family and a side salad, vegetable or dessert to share. Drinks will be provided. Don't forget to bring chairs and/or blankets for your personal comfort. There will be lots of fun exploring the farm and the creek along with games, water balloons and plenty of time to socialize and enjoy being outside. Carpools will be arranged from the church if you need transportation. The Lessig Farm is located at 21000 Georgia Avenue, Brookeville.
GARDEN PLANTING
It’s time! We will plant the summer 2018 garden Thursday, May 24 from 4:00-5:30 PM. Everyone is invited to bring plants or seeds and come help that day. We know that we will be planting tomatoes, peppers and squash. If you would like to participate but cannot be with us on the 24th, you are welcome to bring plants or seeds to the church beforehand and we will see that they get planted. We are especially looking for tomatoes (preferably full size - a few cherry tomato plants are fine to cook with but last year we had too many), beans, peppers (in a variety of colors and heat), and squash.
Question Call the Church Office 301 598 440
Pop Up Choir May 20th
POP-UP CHOIR: If you missed out on the fun of the last Pop-Up Choir, here’s your chance! To celebrate Pentecost (May 20), the day when the Holy Spirit descended and people spoke in tongues yet understood each other, we will host another Pop-Up Choir. We will sing Common Threads by Pat Humphreys. Everyone, young and old, is invited to join the choir which will practice after church for around 30 min. May 6 and May 13 (we promise to be done by noon so you can take Mom to lunch.) In keeping with the spirit of the day, we especially welcome singers who speak other languages. Come, join the fun!
CHANGE FOR CHANGE -
Sunday, May 6, St. Matthew’s youth will lead the worship service, reflecting on gun violence and what young people can do to create a more peaceful society. The youth are requesting that any coins left in the offering plate next week be donated to gun violence prevention. Please plan to bring some extra change to drop in the plate for a worthy cause!
MOVIE UNDER THE STARS
On May 4 we will be hosting fun-filled evening watching The Queen of Katwe. We will have chili, and marshmallows for s'mores! The chili will be served at 7:30pm and the movie will be starting at 8pm. Bring your own lawn chair, or blanket for your own comfort. Please feel free to bring your own snack, or chili to share with others as well. Weather permitting, this event will be held outside the Commons. Please let the Ministry Commission know if you are coming or sign up on the bulletin board in the Narthex.
ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING
ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING: Responding to disasters, feeding the hungry
and help-ing people build up their own livelihoods – these are all ways that your gift to One Great Hourof Sharing can change the world. This special offering at Easter supports the PresbyterianDisaster Assistance Program and the Presbyterian Hunger Program. If we all do a little, itadds up to a lot. There is more information about many of the projects the One Great Hour of Sharing supports on the bulletin board in the narthex. Any questions may be directed to
Julia Mc Bee.
Mary Martha Circle
WOMEN OF THE CHURCH: The meeting will be held this Wednesday, April 11 at 10:30am in the Agnes Wilson Room. We will continue our study of the Cloud of Witnesses. Nell Taylor will present the lesson. A brief business meeting will be followed by lunch. Our hostess will provide coffee/tea and dessert. Any questions may be directed to Ruth Sasscer or Julia McBee.
Diaper Cake Workshop
A workshop to make the diaper tiered cakes is scheduled for Friday afternoon, November 17 from 2-4 pm. Bring disposable diapers and/or any of the following items and enjoy the fun. Please let us know if you plan to attend by using the sign-up sheet in the narthex.
These are the supplies needed to make a diaper cake.
• About 60 disposable diapers of any size
• Rubber bands of all sizes
• Ribbons for decoration
• Small toys, baby lotion, shampoo, and wash cloths
Hurricane Relief
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is already on the ground and assisting our neighbors in Texas as they begin the long process of rebuilding from Hurricane Harvey. Those interested in contributing to the relief efforts can send a check to the following address: Presbyterian Church (USA) P O Box 643700 Pittsburgh PA 15264-3700 Write “DR000169-Harvey” on the memo line of your check. You can also give using your credit cards by visiting presbyterianmission.org/GIVEHARVEY or by calling 800-872-3283.
Get plugged in to St Matthew
Sundays 10a - 11a
Special Services: Easter, Easter Sunrise, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Advent, Longest Night
christian Education
Church School - Sunday 10a - 11a preschool through high school
Youth Activities - Camp Joy, Vacation Bible School, Overnight mission events
Discussion Groups - Bible Study, Mary Martha Circle, Study groups
Educational Gatherings - Meeting with Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin of the the Israeli Knesset, Meeting with Local Mosques
At Home: Shepherd's Table Community Food Garden, Linkages to Learning,Remembering Caring and Sharing, Stop Hunger Now meal packing event, Unified Mission Interfaith, Mid County Ministries, Dinners for Sophia House, Rainbow Place......
Globally: University of Livingstonia Foundation fundraiser for Malawin students
Presbytery: Church World Service
St. Matthew is a close knit congregation that seeks to care for one another, spend time fellowship time together and support the local community. Our care ministries include visiting teams for the ill or homebound, driving teams to help get people to services, and meal trains families in need, Throughout the year, we sponsor many events to promote fellowship such as the coffee following church services, the Easter Breakfast, Church Picnic, Dinners for Six, and the Thanksgiving Luncheon. We sponsor many events throughout the year for all generations.
International Pot Luck Luncheon
Help us kickoff St. Matthew potluck luncheon of international foods on Sunday, September 17, after morning worship. Just bring a dish or two of food from your favorite country or native culture along with a bit more to share. We will have fun making new friends, reconnecting and enjoying new foods and flavors.
Guest Preacher Elizabeth Hagan
Elizabeth is a pastor from the American Baptist tradition who currently serves churches through short-term interims. She is an advocate for children and founder of Our Courageous Kids, a foundation providing educational and enrichment opportunities for children growing up in international orphanages. She is also an author of Birthed: Finding Grace Through Infertility and blogs regularly at elizabethhagan.com. She lives in northern Virginia with her husband, Kevin, and daughter, Amelia. Click the links below for Elizabeth's latest sermon, read her blog and get her book.
"Parables in Pop Culture"
MaryAnn McKibben Dana
This July's sermon series “Parables in Pop Culture,” is an exploration of well-known books and movies, to see where we might experience the gospel message in unlikely places. Should you want to catch up on any of the sermons you may have missed click on the week below for the PDF of the sermon.
July 2: Comic Book Superheroes - Superman
July 9: Comic Book Superheroes - Wonder Woman
July 16: The Gospel and The Hunger Game
Background: Rev. MaryAnn McKibben Dana. MaryAnn is a writer, pastor and speaker living in Virginia. She is author of Sabbath in the Suburbs and the forthcoming Improvising with God. Her writing has appeared in TIME.com, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Religion Dispatches, Journal for Preachers, and the Christian Century, and in a monthly column for Presbyterians Today for three years. She was featured on PBS’s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly for her work on Sabbath and was recognized by the Presbyterian Writers Guild with the 2015-2016 David Steele Distinguished Writer Award. She is a mother of three, a haphazard knitter, and an occasional marathoner. Most importantly, she’s been a friend of Leslie’s for fourteen years!
Benediction: Attributed to the Franciscans
Connect with MaryAnn at her website, The Blue Room https://theblueroomblog.org
Sermon: How to be Love in a Challenging World
Annual School Supplies Drive
St Matthew members and friends are invited to contribute to the annual school supplies drive conducted trough Interfaith Works and it Interfaith Clothing Center. Donations left in the narthex will be delivered to the Center by Betsy Witte. Cash or checks are also welcome. (see Betsy)
The top 5 items needed are: Packages of lined filler paper, tab dividers, 2-pocket folders, pencil pouches, backpacks. Other desired items include 1-subject notebooks, composition books, red and black pens, colored pencils, scissors, and rulers.
Advent Calendar
It is hard to believe that the season of Advent is upon us. We have many special programs and opportunities available here at St. Matthew to help us prepare our hearts and souls to welcome that little babe, born so long ago, in Bethlehem. Of course all our programs are open to the community. Come, join us, and bring a friend.
For More information, call the church at 301-598-4400 or click the link below for our Advent Flyer
Schedule Adjustments
Due to an illness in our Church family
the children's Christmas Play "It's Not About A Date" will be rescheduled
Trunk or Treat
Sunday, October 30
In the upper parking lot after church (about 11:30 a.m.)
Great Trick or Treating Fun in a family friendly atmosphere and sharing the holiday spirit with others. Gather your favorite Halloween candy or treat to share and wear your best costume. Decorate your trunk, hatch, or tailgate with a family friendly theme, and come share in the fun and also share the message of God's love for us.If you plan to participate, park in the upper lot with trunks facing the interior of the lot. Children will don their costumers and gather around the circle outside the Sanctuary to parade to the lot with great expectations that your trunks will offer lots of treats!
St Matthew Presbyterian Church Monthly Calendar
St Matthew Calendar
Special Events
Weekly Standing Events
Monday Gentle Yoga 11a -12noonThursday
Choir Practice 7:30pn to 9pm
Sunday Choir Practice 9:15am to 10am
