Kickoff!
Dear friends and members of St. Matt’s,
I’m so looking forward to seeing you this weekend for the beginning of our new year together! We have a whole kickoff weekend planned for you – beginning with the first concert in The Arts at St. Matthew’s season on Saturday night! Scroll down to learn more about Ryan Young and this free concert. Then come on Sunday at 10am for worship as we celebrate the feast of St. Matthew, our patron. And stay for some fun afterwards – there will be sliders, salad, tots, and ice cream. A bouncy house. And a lot of fun together and with our neighbors. Bring the kids in your life, bring your friends and neighbors. It will be a lovely morning together. There are a few more things we need – if you can help, click here to see the signup genius. Let the kickoff weekend commence!
Over the next few weeks, we’ll pick up our pace. We have adult forums coming up at the beginning of October. Opportunities for connection and fellowship. An auction later this fall. Church School begins this week and will continue through the rest of the year. (Keep in mind that kids will stay in worship now on the 1st Sunday of the month – and we’ll be adjusting the service slightly to include them more!) Parents of youth & confirmation age kids – keep an eye on your inboxes this coming week. You’ll get a note from me inviting you and your kids to give some feedback and be a part of a new and exciting year together – coming soon!
And I mentioned on Sunday that there will be one other new thing this week, too. It’s not often that we have new settings of the liturgy approved for our use – but over the summer our Bishops approved a new setting of prayers that focuses especially on creation care. They’re lovely. And as is often the case, when we hear new words, they call us to new understandings. They invite us into new postures of prayer and new actions, to consider new ideas. I had planned early in the summer for us to try this setting this fall. And I’ll admit that now, as we experience record heat and storms, it feels especially appropriate that we spend the season ahead exploring these prayers. I’m looking forward to it and to your feedback as the next few weeks progress.
Keep a close eye on our e-news and socials over the next few weeks. There’s a lot coming your way! The Vestry and I look forward to welcoming you to this new year – and to sharing the journey with you. Make sure to grab your name tag on the way in on Sunday!
Faithfully,
–Marissa +