Mission & Service
Dear friends & members of St. Matt's,
One of the pieces of our life together that I value most is our commitment to service, in God's name, both within and outside our walls. Service - the way that we serve each other - something we often think about as participating in God's mission, is a fundamental part of the Christian life. Jesus talks about it all the time - he even describes himself as having come not to be served, but to serve. For generations, Christians have served their communities and the world around them in big and small ways. Some, admittedly, more flashy than others. But that isn't really the point, is it? Any time we use our hands and our hearts to love and serve our neighbors, no matter how small the task may seem, or how great, God delights in our work.
On December 3rd, we have an opportunity to gather some volunteers to serve with two local organizations that we have relationships with: HomeFront and Open Doors. We're looking for 10-12 volunteers, some skilled, some don't need to be! We'll do some light repairs on homes owned and used by Open Doors and some light landscaping outside. If you're interested, please send me a note.
There are a number of other opportunities coming up to serve our neighbors locally as the holidays approach. Lisa Williams announced on Sunday ways to be involved with our Toy Drive for Circle of Care. And there are a few more things that will pop up in the next few weeks that will give you the opportunity to make a direct impact.
And, I want to offer my sincere thanks to everyone, members of ours, members of WPC, and Scouts who turned up to help at the WEPCO Clean Up Day a few weeks ago. Even though this is service "within our walls", it makes a huge difference to our community in so many ways. And it makes us a more hospitable place for all of our visitors and renters. Thank you so much for giving of your time and energy to make our campus lovelier. I'm so grateful.
There are a number of other things to be mindful of in this edition of the e-news - especially as we begin the season of Advent next week (1/27). I hope you'll take a look and plan to join us.
As some of you start to travel this week, know of my prayers for you and your families. God loves you. And so do I.
Faithfully,
--Marissa +
Tags: Welcome from the Rector