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Weekly News from St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church
Acton, Massachusetts
Growing in Faith, Walking in Love
Called to be a welcoming, joyful, diverse, and vibrant community
that creates disciples who put faith into action to transform the world
April 21, 2015
CHURCH NOTICES, SERVICES, UPDATES, EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
 Adult Study
 Adult Youth Leadership Team Meeting – May 2
 Living Faith at Home
 Did you know that Easter lasts for 50 Days?
 Anti-Racism Training here May 16
 Energy Conservation Efforts Honored on Earth Day
 Music at St. Matthew’s: Richard Wood & Gordon Belsher – May 3
 Ride to Church (Sundays, Second Service) Needed
 Women’s Study Group
 Spring Basement Cleanup
 SMUMC Hosting Free Youth Handbell Concert – June 23
 Trustees Work Day – May 2 (rain date May 9)
MISSION, OUTREACH & ADVOCACY
 Central MA District UMW Spring Gathering and Brunch – May 2
 First Sunday is Food Sunday!
CHURCH CALENDAR
CHURCH NOTICES, SERVICES, UPDATES, EVENTS
& OPPORTUNITIES
Adult Study
Our two Sunday morning adult studies continue this week:
Bible Study
Our student intern, Kai Chur, will lead a study on the Scripture passages for the day in the Blue Room.
The Jesus Fatwa: Love Your (Muslim) Neighbor as Yourself
This study is being led by Bob Anders and takes place over the next several Sundays. This program
comes to us from Living the Questions. Islamic and Christian scholars will offer reliable information
through a video program about what Muslims believe, how they live out their faith, and how we all
can build relationships across the lines of faith. We hope to have guest speakers and a visit to the
Islamic Center in Wayland. The group will gather in the Library.
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Adult Youth Leadership Team Meeting
The team will meet again on Saturday, May 2nd from 9:00- 11:00 AM. At our last meeting, we
developed a mission statement for our Youth Group and began working with the 2015-2016 program
year. If you are an adult interested in thinking and planning with us, it isn’t too late to join our team!
Please let Dr. Elizabeth know of your interest via email: drelizabethsmumc@gmail.com.
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Living Faith at Home
Are you a parent, grandparent, Godparent or young person’s mentor faithfully doing your best to live out
your baptismal promise to “nurture, teach and guide” those in your care “to accept God’s grace for
themselves” (UMH Baptismal Covenant)? Would you like some guidance, company and conversation
on the journey? Beginning on Tuesday, April 28th from 10:00 am -11:30, we will begin a group
study of the book, Making a Home for Faith, by Elizabeth Caldwell. Please email
drelizabethsmumc@gmail.com to let her know if you would like to be part of the group. The book
can be ordered from Cokesbury or Amazon.
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Did you know that Easter lasts for 50 Days?
The Great Fifty Days of Easter offer lots of opportunities to deepen your family’s life of faith at home.
You will find lots of ideas on Dr. Elizabeth’s website.
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Anti-racism Training Here May 16
The New England Conference is sponsoring an anti-racism training event which St. Matthew’s will host
on Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The training will be led by Donna Bivens and Paul Marcus
of Community Change, an organization working for racial justice. The purpose of the event is to train
leaders who will then conduct anti-racism training in their own churches. We need some St.
Matthew’s, people to attend! If you are interested see Pastor Steve or email him:
pastorstevegh@gmail.com.
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Energy Conservation Efforts honored on Earth Day
Through the conscientious efforts of the Trustees and the Congregation, we have cut our CO2
emissions by approximately 9.1 tons over the last 6 months as compared to last year. Through
insulating the attic from the sexton’s closet over the kitchen up into the I to I storage room, insulating
the boiler distribution pipes, keeping the doors closed between the occupied and the unoccupied
spaces to conserve heat, and turning lights off when not in use, we have saved approximately
$1,577.00 on our heating bill and $383.00 on our electric bill totaling $1,960.00. Caring for our
environment is loving thy neighbor as we honor our beautiful Earth this April 22. Congratulations to
us.
Susan Evans
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Music at St. Matthew’s: Richard Wood & Gordon Belsher –
May 3
Fire and Embers! An apt description of performances of Richard Wood and Gordon Belsher, who will
grace the Music at St. Matthew’s “stage” on Sunday, May 3, at 3 p.m.
Fiery Prince Edward Island fiddler Richard Wood has lit up a lot of stages from Carnegie Hall with The
Chieftains, to David Letterman with Shania Twain; from major festivals to small theatres to intimate
house concerts; from North America to Europe, Japan and Australia. Over the years, Richard has
graced the stage for Royalty - the Queen of England, the Emperor of Japan, and Canada’s Governors
General. Most recently, he performed for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during their Canadian
visit to his home Province. He has entertained Canadian troops in Bosnia and Afghanistan, and
MacLean’s Magazine named him one of the Top 100 Canadians to watch in the 21'st century.
Gordon Belsher brings a glowing warmth to the stage with a gentle charm that has become his
trademark. His solo CD’s have been nominated for Canada’s East Coast Music Awards. As accompanist
and featured vocalist with Richard Wood, Gordon has toured extensively across Canada, the U.S., the
U.K., Europe, Australia, and performed as part of the cultural delegation for Team Canada in Tokyo,
Japan in 1999.
Over the last few years, Richard and Gordon have been performing and touring as a duo. Enthusiastic
audiences have been taken on a roller coaster ride of exhilarating - even exhausting - jigs and reels,
strathspeys and hornpipes, and beautiful airs, many composed by Richard himself. This is
complimented by Gordon’s engaging songs, some humorous and some poignant, warming things up
for the next fiddle blaze.
Tickets can be reserved by calling the church office (978-263-2822) or Gary Lawton (978-263-9735).
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Ride to Church (Sundays, Second Service) Needed
Congregational Care Ministry is looking for a volunteer to bring Barbara Ketz to the Second Service on
Sundays, June 7 and June 14. Barbara lives in Maynard. If you can help, please call/email Bunny Lawton
(978-263-9735) or bunny.lawton@gmail com. Thank you.
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Women’s Study Group
Are you:
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


Looking for a way to get to know other St. Matt's people better?
Someone who enjoys camaraderie and exchange of ideas on faith?
Somewhere between young and young-at-heart?
Available on Thursday mornings from 9:30 til 11:30 at the latest?
Our Women’s Study Group is currently reading a book by Sue Monk Kidd called Firstlight, a chapter at
a time, and gathering at Lynne Osborn's house (2 Winter Street in Acton -- just 5 minutes' drive from
the church) to talk about our impressions and get to know each other better. The chapter for
Thursday, April 23, is called Simplicity of Spirit. Don't worry if you don't have the book yet; just come!
New people are joining us, so why not you? Please contact Lynne Osborn at 978.263.3149 or
gilyn1961@verizon.net if you need a ride or have any questions. Otherwise, just come!
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Spring Basement Cleanup
Does this scene look familiar? This is our basement storage area. The area is filled with items that
could be useful, may be important, might not be important, could be recycled, or should be thrown
out. Some of the things in the basement are stored for church use, mission use or group storage but
a lot of the things down there have simply been left and forgotten. The Trustees plan to organize the
space and remove any unneeded items.
First we need to identify the origin and contact person for the various items. Please help us by
identifying any items or areas that are being stored/used for church missions or other groups and let
us know if the space will be needed indefinitely or if items are being held for a particular event. Put a
sign on the items/area with a contact name and let us know what areas are demarked for these uses.
Be sure and include your contact information on the sign so we know who to call. Karen Friel
(km.friel@verizon.net) will be the Trustee contact if you have questions. We are hoping to remove
unwanted/forgotten items by May 2.
The Trustees understand that storage is critical to run many of the missions at St. Matthew’s. We do
not want to discard anything that is mission critical. Please help us to identify what we have.
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SMUMC Hosting Free Youth Handbell Concert – June 23
St. Matthew’s will be taking advantage of the opportunity to host and sponsor a free concert by the
Carol Ringers and the Celebration Ringers from St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in Annandale,
VA. on Tuesday, June 23, in a concert at 7 PM. The concert will be preceded by a pot luck supper in
Campbell Hall. The youth are from seven schools in Fairfax County. They are two of the seven choirs
that participate in worship monthly, and present several concerts in the community each year. The
youth tour for 8 – 10 days each year and attend a Handbell Festival Conference. This year they will
attend the Area 1 Festival/conference at UMass in Amherst in June. Several members from our Bells of
St. Matthew's will be attending this same Festival/Conference.
We are in need of host families to provide overnight housing for the group on Tuesday evening, June
23, to include breakfast the next morning and transportation back to St. Matthew’s by 8:00 am. There
will be 12 boys, 18 girls, 4 female chaperones and 3 male chaperones, and they would like to be
hosted in groups of 2 or more (chaperones do not need to be housed together). It is hoped that the
chaperones and boys will have separate beds, and transportation will be provided by an adult driver.
An on-line sign-up is being created, or you can contact Sue Lee for more information by email:
handbells@saint-matthews.org
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Trustees Work Day – May 2 (rain date May 9)
The trustees are having a spring work day on May 2 from 9-noon, with a rain date of May 9th. Please
consider signing up and pitching in. If you have tools, please bring them.
Thanks so much, Michele
Work to be done:
1. Power Wash the siding. I have a power washer, which I can bring, but will only attempt the first
floor, I do not mind ladders, but don’t have one large enough.
2. Trim various broken bushes around the church, and pull out one or two that are beyond help.
3. Weed, weed, weed...
4. Tie up the poplar trees at the front that have been bent by ice.
5. Clean up the rocks at the exit side of rock wall.
6. Mulch
7. Remove the leaves in front of the rock wall.
8. Remove the last scrub bush in the raised bed holding up the sign in front.
9. Anything else that you see needs to be done, of course!
MISSION, OUTREACH & ADVOCACY
Justice Café:
Behind the
Kitchen Door
“Issues Affecting Workers from Farm to Table”
Focusing on justice issues embedded in and related to the restaurant industry.
Question: Do you know someone working in an un-just restaurant situation? Call Sherry Anne Bryant 508-358-4310
Central Massachusetts District United Methodist Women
invite you to join us
Saturday, May 2, 2015 for our Spring Gathering and Brunch
at the Justice Café
Registration at 9:15am
Fisk United Methodist Church in Natick
106 Walnut Street
Brunch
Natick MA 01760
Fun
Prizes
Fellowship
Mission Today Recognitions
508-655-0587 www.fiskumc.org
Reading Certificates
Take-away goodies
Resources
Ingathering for the Salvation Army: Packages of crackers, cookies, individual
pudding cups or applesauce, or Granola bars.
Cut here_________________________________________________________________________________
REGISTRATION FOR SPRING GATHERING
Deadline is April 27, 2015
Name________________________________________________Church__________________________
Mailing address_______________________________________________________________________
Street or PO Box
City
State Zip
Email address_______________________________________Phone____________________________
Special food considerations_______ Child care needed (ages of children)_________(must know by 4/27)
Spring Gathering registration and brunch is $9.00 each.
Checks payable to: CMA UMW
Send to: Marcia Hoyt 8 Bacon St. Natick MA 01760 by April 27th 2015
(or call 508.655.0077 marciahoyt@aol.com)
Sponsored by the Central MA District United Methodist Women for ALL women.
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First Sunday is Food Sunday!
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat…”
Matthew 25:35
In Massachusetts, about 1/7 of our families lack the resources
to put adequate, nutritious food on the table for themselves
and their children. To help meet this need, St. Matthew’s
contributes to local food pantries: Acton Community Supper
Food Pantry, Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry in Devens, and Open
Table Food Pantry in Maynard.
The Mission, Outreach, and Advocacy Ministry (MOA) has decided to spread our contributions
throughout the year. On the first Sunday of each month, beginning with MAY 3, we’ll collect a single
category of donations. For May 3, it’s canned VEGETABLES, such as corn, beans, chickpeas, beets, etc.
You’ll find the categories for the other months on shopping lists available at church.
We’ll still deliver to the pantries any non-perishable, unopened, unexpired donations,
but focusing on a single category each month has many benefits:

It focuses on what the pantries tell us they need the most

It allows us all to watch for sales on the upcoming items

It’s easier for MOA to sort the donations and to deliver them to the pantries

It’s easier for the pantries because the donations arrive to them already sorted
Remember: Bring canned VEGETABLES to church on MAY 3, when you can place them in the usual
basket or in the grocery cart kindly donated to St. Matthew’s by Roche Bros.
Thanks for helping feed the hungry in our midst,
Betsy Comstock
CHURCH CALENDAR
For the most up-to-date church calendar information, please go to the website, or click on the
following link: http://www.saint-matthews.org/happenings/calendar/