Weekly Word

November 29-December 6, 2015

Premiere of the Youth Handbell Choir and the Children’s Choir Sunday, November 29

Today is the premiere of the St. Matthew’s (Youth) Handbell Choir and the Children’s Choir at the 10:30 am Sanctuary Service on Sunday, November 29. The choirs have practiced hard and had fun getting ready for their debut! Invite your family and friends to hear and support these new music ministries! Submitted by Jean Fuller

Today’s Women's Story Circle speaker is Gloria Bankler

Come hear the fascinating story of how our Children's Minister became the amazing woman she is today. Gloria Bankler will tell her story at a luncheon meeting in the newly renovated Huffman Hall the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Plan now to join other St. Matthew's women after the 10:30 service as we all get to know more about Gloria! If you didn’t get a chance to make a reservation, please join us anyway ($7 requested donation for lunch, paya-ble at the door); childcare is available. We hope to see you! Submitted by Janice Watkins

St. Matthew’s Labyrinth ~ Contemplative Eucharist Service ~ November 29 at 5:15 pm ~ Advent Sun slowly sets outside God's presence is within Emmanuel is coming Contemplative hush begins He calls us to be still Hearts open for His coming Lights are low ~ candles glow Waiting in silence Come, Lord Jesus, come “Grant us O God the patience to wait in hope... to allow your own loving-kindness to grow in us, for the life of your world.” Amen Join us today for this last chance to BE STILL in God's presence while walking the labyrinth. The labyrinth will be folded up and put away on Tuesday, December 1, at noon to make space for all the activities in the Sanctuary during Advent. The labyrinth will reappear for Lent on Ash Wednesday, February, 10. Submitted by Judy Neely

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The Soul of a Musician Series We gather Sunday evenings at 6:30 pm at Iron Cactus, 10001 Stonelake Blvd. A link to the Soul Series can be found on St. Matt’s website, http://stmattsaustin.org/ and on Facebook at Soul of a Musician Series.

Here is the lineup for the rest of the season; hope you will join us!

November 29 – Erin Ivey – 100th show!: www.erinivey.com/

December 6 – The Hard Truth: www.thehardtruthmusic.com/

December 13 – Colin Gilmore: www.colingilmore.com/

December 20 – The Belle Sounds - A Christmas Party!: www.thebellesounds.com/

Submitted by Merrill Wade

Reminder from the Stewardship Committee:

It’s time for us to financially prepare for the coming year. If you have not sent us your pledge card, please fill one out today! They are located in the pews and church office.

We need everyone in our church family to give in support of our mission. Your financial pledge allows us to establish a realistic and responsible budget so our important ministries including worship, music, outreach and more can reach their full potential.

If you have any questions about making a pledge please contact clergy or the Stewardship Co-Chair, April Kerwin at 512-459-9888. Thank you! Submitted by April Kerwin

Church Workday Thank You!

The St. Matthew’s campus looks so wonderful! Thank you so much to all who participated in the church workday this past Saturday—your hard work is very much appreciated and a blessing to us all! Submitted by Merrill Wade

Seasonal Meeting Changes?

If your regularly meeting group will not be meeting as normal during the Christmas/New Year season, please email Mickie at office@stmattsaustin.org with changes to your schedule. Submitted by Mickie Dunn

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Save the Date for the ECW Advent Coffee Saturday, December 5 10:00 am-noon at the home of Sharon Von Wupperfeld, 3101 Appennini Way, Cedar Park

Come mingle, munch, sip, and support with your friends and fellow parishioners. This year we have chosen to support the Woman’s Story Book Project. Join us to learn about this wonderful outreach while slowing down and enjoying a Saturday morning with good friends and good food. It will be a potluck brunch, and sign-up sheets will be available in the Commons and after Family Service November 29 or you can email Sharon at svw1@me.com. Submitted by Alexis Bagshaw

Chorus Austin Events at St. Matthew’s!

26th “Sing-it-Yourself” Messiah December 5 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm The yearly presentation in which you get to join the choir! Orchestra and soloists make the afternoon one that will raise your spirits as we enter into the holiday season.

On A Winter’s Eve December 19 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Our annual holiday concert fea-tures traditional and new carols, audience sing-along, and the world premiere of a work for choir and organ by Karen Thomas, commissioned by Chorus Austin. All three Chorus Austin ensembles will appear in a family-friendly concert not to be missed!

Tickets: General Admission: $25 Senior Admission: $20 Student Admission: $15

**All tickets will be at Will Call for pickup on the date of the Concert | St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church**

* * Preferred contact method is via email * *office@chorusaustin.org Submitted by Jean Fuller

Advent Noonday Concerts—Thursdays at 12:05 in the Sanctuary

December 3: Advent poems and readings by the staff of St. Matthew’s Music by Eric Johnson & Jean Fuller

December 10: Mesa Trio with Martha Galie, flute; Chichi Armstrong, piano; and Joanne Bonnington, cello

December 17: Jean Farris Fuller, organ works by Bach, Buxtehude, and Duruflé

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A Service of Advent Lessons and Carols for 2015 – Advent II – Combined services at 10:30 am – Sunday, December 6

We sing the lovely hymns of Advent with anthems sung between the readings of the Old Testament including Genesis, Isaiah and Baruch; chanted prayers and Holy Eucharist. Please join us.

The Purpose of Advent We all like to welcome visitors, especially those who are close to us and those we love, and we sometimes find the waiting difficult. So we use the waiting time to make our preparations. The same is true with our Christian Family. Each year the church reserves four weeks before Christmas in order to give us time to make the nec-essary preparations. We call this season “Advent” which means “coming”. A New Guinea Christian once put it this way: “At Advent we should try the key to our heart’s door. It may have gathered rust, if so, this is the time to oil it, in order that the heart’s door may open more easily when the Lord Jesus wants to enter at Christmas Time.” Advent is the time of year when we prepare ourselves, as a Church and as individual Christians, for the coming of Jesus – The one who came 2000 years ago, the one who comes again this Christmas and the one who will come again at the end of time as King and judge of all. Submitted by Jean Fuller

Seminary of the Southwest Advent Meditation Booklets

As a cherished friend of our community, we want to reach out to you with gratitude and good tidings for the approach-ing Christmas time. In celebration of this joyous season, please accept the gift of our community’s Advent Meditations. We offer you these copies to share with your whole congregation. As in years past, the Seminary of the Southwest Ad-vent Meditations provides a tapestry of our community’s spirit and devotion. With contributions from students, faculty, board members, alumni, and distinguished guests, you will get a sense of how the Spirit is at work at SSW. We hope that you will join us this season in contemplation and prayer. Merry Christmas!

The booklets can be found in the tract rack in the Commons, in the Huffman Hall entryway, and in the church office. We invite you to pick one up! Submitted by Tara Elgin Holley, VP, Institutional Advancement, SSW and Christine Havens

Holiday Remembrance Eucharist Service Sunday, December 6 at 5:15 pm in the Wilson Chapel

It's not always easy to be 'merry & bright' when your heart is heavy. With good reason, the holiday seasons are among the most difficult times for people who have experienced the death of a loved one. Be gentle with yourself. You are NOT alone in your journey! Give your-self this time to come together with others where 'a burden shared is half a burden'. Please join us for this annual contemplative service of remembrance to honor our loved ones who have gone before us, or who may not be present for this holiday season. The Wilson Chapel (B-14) will be open at 5 pm for those who wish to come and light candles in memory of a loved one. The service will begin at 5:15 pm. A recep-tion will follow immediately after in Room B-13. You may bring a light snack to share, but is not necessary. Many THANKS to the St. Matthew's Circle of Care for hosting the reception. Submitted by Judy Neely

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Prison Fellowship Ministry 2015

St Matthew’s has participated in Prison Fellowship Ministries Angel Tree program for sixteen years. The program is designed to provide a gift to the child in the name of the incarcerated parent. The normal practice is to provide a gift to an Austin-area child, but our church will be serving children in other parts of the state by sending a Christ-mas card with a $20 Walmart gift card and a note from the incarcerated parent.

Each year, there are Angel Tree Children who are not assigned to a church in their area. This is especially true in the Rio Grande Valley where there are many children and the economics in the area make it more difficult for church spon-sors to accept the financial responsibility of providing gifts. We will be providing some of these children with a gift card.

Tables with Angel Tree children’s names as well as information on the child will be set up in the Commons as well as in Huffman Hall. Please purchase a $20 minimum gift card from Walmart and mail it to the address given. Please sign the card using the incarcerated parents name.

St. Matt’s Caritas Pantry Needs Your Help

For many years St. Matthew’s has supported Caritas of Austin, a nonprofit that serves over 20,000 people annually whose opportunities have been diminished by poverty and homelessness. While the organization offers many ser-vices, our focus is on providing food to people less fortunate than ourselves.

There are three ways you can help:

Contribute to the Caritas Food Pantry by bringing non-perishable food items each Sunday for the Caritas Food Pantry baskets, which you will find in the Sanctuary Commons. Suggestions on what to bring are published each week in the Weekly Word. Please be sure that all donated food items are not past their expiration date. If you weren’t able bring items this week and would like to contribute, you are welcome to place a $1.00 donation in the Caritas box, also near the baskets.

With approx. 200 households attending services each week, we have the potential to contribute over 10,000 pounds of food annually. Please help us achieve that goal.

Who to contact: Jack Robertson jcrobertson@austin.rr.com 512-453-4115

Volunteer at a Caritas Food Pantry location, downtown or in the newly opened Caritas North location, where take-home groceries are provided to people in need.

Who to contact: Linda and Nick Noy annoying29@aol.com 512-2508011

Cook for Caritas - If you enjoy cooking, you can don an apron and join our Cooking for Caritas team once a month to prepare fresh meals. Otherwise, you can make a donation to help pay for the food. Each meal costs approx. $1 or you can sponsor a month of Cooking for Caritas at $200 per month.

Who to contact: Nancy Mallory Nancy1574@att.net 512-257-0735

At this special time of thanksgiving, we ask you to help put food on people’s tables. Thank you in advance for your generosity. Submitted by Jane Baxter Lynn

noun, Latin, meaning: Love and charity

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ADVENT 2015 AT ST. MATTHEW’S

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29 (Advent I), 10:30 am .................... Children’s Choir and Handbells, Sanctuary

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 12:05 pm ......................................... Advent Noonday Concert, Sanctuary ..................................................................................... Readings & Music by St. Matthew’s Staff

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2:00 pm ............................................ Sing-It-Yourself Messiah, Sanctuary

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6 (Advent II), 10:30 am, ......................... Advent Lessons and Carols, Sanctuary

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 5:15 pm.................................. Holiday Remembrance Service, Wilson Room

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 12:05 pm ........................................ Advent Noonday Concert, Sanctuary ........................................................................................... The Mesa Trio: cello, piano and flute

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 11:00 am ............................ Day School Christmas Pageant, Sanctuary

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 12:05 pm ........................................ Advent Noonday Concert, Sanctuary ............................................................................................................ Jean Farris Fuller, organ

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 4:00 pm ............................ Chorus Austin, “On a Winter’s Eve”, Sanctuary

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20 (Advent IV), 5:00 pm ................................................ Neighborhood Caroling ........................................................................................ Meet in Huffman Hall; bring flashlights!

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20, 7:00 pm ......................................... Christmas Show with The Belle Sounds ............................................................................. Soul of a Musician Series at Iron Cactus North

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24:

4:00 pm ................... Children’s Pageant

8:00 pm ................... Choral Concert; 8:30 Festival Choral Eucharist

11:00 pm .................. Solemn Christmas Mass; incense and candlelight

CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25

10:00 am .................. with Music

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Sunday Morning Adult Education Classes There is something for everyone!

These classes meet weekly, November 8 through December 13 at 9:15 am. Pick one class and attend each Sunday, or enjoy a different class every Sunday. It is up to you!

Story Bridge (Location B-14) - Facilitated by Nan Harrison and Lisa Hobbs This class of guided storytelling is designed to create intentional connections among participants and, along the way, see God’s story in each other’s stories.

The Gospel’s Message (Location: B-6) - Facilitated by Chuck Naeve This class enjoys a facilitated discussion of the Bible lessons which will be read in the Sunday service for that day.

Worship and Prayer - (Location: B-18) - Led by Rev. Jim Williams and John Pitzer, Seminarian at Seminary of the Southwest

November 29 "Beyond Dying: What's Next?" Well, you did die, after all! No surprise there, everyone does. And yet, there is that one little question: "What's Next?" We hear strident voices from many faith communities, each claiming to have "the answer." We're also seeing the emergence of a pop-culture syncretism ("Ghosts"),as well as a proliferation of "near-death" experiences, heavenly visions, and a variety of exotic theologies from other cultures—and from California. OK, so what about "What's Next?" We're going to wade into our "Liturgy for the Burial of the Dead," and the Prayers, found in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP 469 ff, and 491 ff). This will ground us in the Scriptures, as the BCP always does. We'll also look at the Catechism, "Christian Hope" (BCP 861), and at the Creeds. Bring your thoughts and questions and we'll explore it all together. Onward!

December 6 and 13 – John Pitzer spent 20 years as a Dominican (Order of Preachers) priest in the Catholic Church. He will give us a two-week look into the worship and prayer life of the Dominican Order with the inten-tion of helping us shape a pattern of prayer and worship that deepens our life in Christ.

These classes will be in lecture format with questions and answers along the way. Submitted by Rev. Merrill Wade and Lisa Hobbs

Minimize Your Taxes to Maximize Your Charitable Contribution

Congress has once again not extended the ability for people that are 70½ or over by the end of the year to transfer money from their IRAs to qualified charity organizations, such as St. Matthew’s, without it counting as taxable income using the process known as Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs). Since QCDs were first introduced in 2006, Congress has extended this tax feature and made it retroactive for the expiring year, such as 2015, six times. The problem with that, of course, is most people have completed their annual charitable giving and can not benefit from the extension unless they do their gifting as if the law is in effect when they do the donations. Then, if the law is not extended, the money distributed from the IRA is taxed as normal and becomes an eligible deduction if the person itemizes on their tax returns. If you are not familiar with the QCD process, refer to the article on the St. Matthew’s website: stmattsaustin.org/About/8giving-to-st-matts.html. Submitted by Larry Richards

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Children’s Ministry News Save the Date! Early Communion Training class on December 13. Look for more details to come! Questions? Contact Susan Goodman at sgoodman@stmattsaustin.org

Christmas Eve Pageant! It is almost that time again! Susan Goodman is taking names for children to participate in the Children’s Pageant on Christmas Eve at 4:00 pm. We still need many more main characters. All children are encour-aged to participate in the pageant and if your child feels like they want a more visible role, please contact Susan at sgoodman@stmattsaustin.org. It’s 1st come, 1st serve list, so be sure to send in a request. We will have a short rehearsal the Sunday prior to the pageant (Dec. 20 after the 10:30 service, in the sanctuary). Christmas is an exciting and joyful time at St. Matthew’s. Be sure to invite your friends, neighbors, and loved ones to join us for the Advent and the Christmas seasons. Submitted by Susan Goodman

Youth Ministry News

Advent Events for St. Matthew’s Youth Please join us for both of the following, and stay tuned for more fun, meaningful December events.

Sunday, December 22 — Compline Field-Trip. Bring your families, bring your friends as we begin this season of sacred anticipation and contemplation with Compline at St. David’s. We’ll meet in the Mesa lot at 6:00 pm, and carpool down for dinner downtown (likely at Stubb’s) before enjoying the sanctity of a larger-scale version of the service we pray to close our Youth Group gatherings. Service starts at 8:00 pm. Bring $ for dinner and plan on being back by 9:00 pm.

Sunday, December 29 — Special Youth Group Planning Meeting. All St. Matthew’s Youth please plan on attend-ing this special planning meeting as we discuss a shared vision for our community in the new year. We will elect a gov-ernance counsel, draft & ratify a community Covenant, and discuss exciting possibilities like a group name, mission statement, program and service ideas, and the possibility of forming a Youth Group band! As usual, we’ll meet from 6:00-8:00 pm and enjoy food and fellowship, and close with Compline.

Submitted by Travis Helms

Family Ministry

Save the Date—April 15-16!! Family Campout at Inks Lake. Look for details this spring!!

Family Service Dates: November 29: Family Service December 6: Lessons & Carols combined service December 13 Family Service December 20: Family Service December 27: Combined service Submitted by Susan Goodman

Children and Youth Sunday School offerings (9:15 - 10:15 am)

Childcare/Sunday School (Location: B-16) Fun activities for 3– and 4-year-old children

GRACE (Location: B-21)Join us in B-21 at 9:15 am. K-5 welcome.

Youth Sunday School (Location: Youth Center) Fun, fellowship, and learning about the power of prayer with Youth Minister Travis Helms.

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In Our Prayers November 29 – December 6, 2015 This list is read aloud at daily Evening Prayer (6 pm, Charlotte Cauley Gray Bell Tower Chapel)

and is included on the Intercessory Prayer Network.

Clergy: Justin of Canterbury; Archbishop; Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Andy, Dena, and Jeff, our Bishops; Merrill, Christian, Chuck, Jerry, Jim, Dorothy, and Margaret, our clergy; and John and Carrie, our seminarian interns.

Lay Leadership: the Staff, the Wardens, Treasurer and Vestry, the Endowment Committee and the Memorial Garden Committee, and all the other commissions and councils of the Vestry of St. Matthew’s.

Our Outreach Partners and Ministries: Kairos, Habitat for Humanity, El Buen Samaritano, Good Faith Ministry, MPAC, Job Support, Care for the Caregiver, Heifer Project, Casa Marianella, Caritas, Capital Area Food Bank, Trinity Center, Women’s Story Book Project, Hope House, Honduras Good Works, Interfaith Action of Central Texas (IACT), Prayer Shawl Ministry, Threads of Love, Interfaith Hospitality Network, Daughters of the King, the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Community of Hope, and the Episcopal Veterans Fellowship.

Our men and women in the Armed Forces and others who serve our country at home and overseas.

Our brothers and sisters in Christ who are actively being persecuted for your name, and all of God’s children who know suffering at the hands of war, disease, natural disaster, injustice, and oppression. Remembering especially the churches in Syria, Egypt, and Iraq, and the people of Afghanistan, Ukraine, and the Holy Land; Syrian refugees; those in Bastrop and Smithville affected by the wildfires; all those in central Texas affected by recent flooding; the people of Paris and of France; the people of Beirut and Lebanon; and all those around the world affected by terror-ism and violence.

The students, families and staff of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Day School and other schools and seminaries: General Theological Seminary, Seminary of the Southwest, and Berkeley Divinity School at Yale .

Those on our prayer list:

Jim Sparks Kelley Meyer Tom Hudson Alex Acosta Jane Bray

Judy Hogan Barbara Borden Larry Nichols Glen Ellis Colette Torres

Mike Wilson Sue DuMond John Burton Dorothy Keys Rich Miller

Melissa Stokes Gloria Merlick Howard Murphy Julia & family Lakki Brown

Gloria Bankler Julian Cordi Billie Rhonda Myers Larry Carpenter

Sarah Janet Glen & Jane Gail Camilla Garrett

Madeline Westbrook Carolyn Huffman Nicholas & Caitlin Lane

Robison family Cooper & Escalante families the Rev. Dorothy Robinson

Jack & Carol Hitt Nancy & Joe Satterfield Cyril & Lynn Durrenburger

Mark Clifton & family Julie Kocurek & family

Those who have died

Bob Webb, husband of Connie Webb

Altar Flowers Dedications for this Week

The flowers on the altar this week are given to the glory of God and by Mia Nieman, in memory of her mother, Rosie.

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This Week In the Life of the Parish November 29 - December 6, 2015

The Church Calendar can be accessed on the St. Matthew’s Website: http://stmattsaustin.org/About/resources.html

Evening Prayer Daily at 6:00 pm in the Cauley Bell Tower Chapel

THE CHURCH OFFERS NURTURING AND EXPERIENCED CHILDCARE EVERY SUNDAY MORNING

7:45 - 9:00 in B-16 for children 0-4 years old (Childcare)

9:00 - Noon in Huffman Nursery for children under 3 (Childcare)

9:00 - Noon in B-16 for children 3 & 4 years old (Childcare/Sunday School)

Personal prayer teams are available during communion at Prayer Stations on either side of the Sanctuary during the 10:30 service. One is lo-cated on the east side by the windows, and the other one is on the west side in the gallery. All prayer requests and discussions are completely confiden-tial.

Home delivery of communion is available if you are unable to come to church and would like Holy Communion brought to you on Sunday, please call the church office at 512-345-8314.

If you are unable to walk to the altar for holy communion today, please notify an usher and the communion elements will be brought to you where you are seated.

BE IN THE KNOW about parish events and news! You can subscribe to the St. Matthew’s email list by visiting our website at www.stmattsaustin.org and typing your email address into the “Subscribe” field on our homepage.

All submissions, including prayer requests, for the Weekly Word must be received by the church office by Wednesday at noon in order to appear in the upcoming Sunday’s edition. Please send Weekly Word articles to Christine at chavens@stmattsaustin.org or word@stmattsaustin.org;

prayer requests, send to Mickie at office@stmattsaustin.org

Sunday, November 22: 8:00 am HE I, 31; 10:30 am HE II, 227; Family Service, 105; 2:00 pm Brookdale, 27; 5:15 pm Contemplative HE, 5; Soul of a Musician, 145; Total: 540

Vestry Persons of the Month for November: Mary Nell Frucella & Charlie Smith

If we can assist you in any way, please contact the Church Office.

Rector: The Rev. Merrill Wade

Associate Rector: The Rev. Christian Hawley

Rector Emeritus: The Rev. Charles Huffman

Assisting Clergy: The Rev. Jerry Chapman, The Rev. Dorothy Robinson, The Rev. Jim Williams, The Rev. Margaret Waters

Director of Music/Organist: Ms. Jean Farris Fuller

Choral Director: Eric Johnson

Family Minister: Susan Goodman

Youth Minister: Travis Helms

Children’s Minister: Gloria Bankler

Seniors’ Minister: Lucy Boyea

Our Vestry: Senior Warden, Doug Webster; Junior Warden, Lise Harding; Carol Webb; April Kerwin; Michele Meadows; Mary Nell Frucella; Debbie Simons; Jim Michael; Doug O’Connell; Janice Watkins; Lisa Ottenbacher; Christian von Wupperfeld; Charlie Smith; Alison Street; Sandra Bravo; Treasurer, Jack Robertson

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church 8134 Mesa Drive Austin, TX 78759

Telephone (512) 345-8314 FAX (512) 346-2085 www.stmattsaustin.org Follow us: Facebook: St Matt’s Austin Twitter: @StMattsAustin

ST. MATTHEW’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

This Week in the Lives of the Saints November 29 - December 6, 2015

Monday, 11/30: St. Andrew

Tuesday, 12/1: Nicholas Ferrar; [Charles de Foucauld]

Wednesday, 12/2: Channing Moore Williams

Thursday, 12/3: [Francis Xavier]

Friday, 12/4: John of Damascus

Saturday, 12/5: Clement of Alexandria