Announcements

 

Welcome!

St. Matthew Lutheran Church is a fellowship of Christian believers called to: grow in Christ, share the Gospel, serve God’s people.

Do come again to St. Matthew Lutheran Church where you are always welcome.

 

Worship Services

  • Saturday, 5:00 pm - Healing Service on the 3rd Saturday of the month - A relaxed and informal worship held in the Christ Chapel.

  • Sunday, 8:30 am - Spirited traditional worship that focuses on participation through the liturgy, the great hymns of the Church, and corporate confession of our faith.

  • Sunday, 10:45 am - Praise and worship in an open and accessible style.

 

 

A Word from the Stephen Ministers of St. Matthew

For Someone Who Will Listen

Reading

The greatest need people have today is not for someone who will solve their problems for them, but rather for someone who will listen empathetically to the darkest and deepest wounds of their inner selves. We may feel as though we were useless and not particularly helpful to a friend in the midst of a crisis, and yet he or she will say in gratitude, "You were there when I needed you." Prayer I need a friend, Lord, someone who will just listen. Not someone who will try to fix me or attempt to solve my problems, but someone who will accept me for who I am. Not someone who will become anxious, suspicious, or frightened when I share the deepest feelings of my soul, but someone who will accept me. Not someone who will give chatty advice or scold or judge me, but someone who will quietly point me to you. I need someone to listen, Lord, someone like you.

 

John Gugel

Cries of Faith, Songs of Hope: Prayers for the Times of Our Lives

 

ALTAR FLOWERS

We are blessed with two beautiful bouquets on the altar this weekend! One is given by James, Jill & Will Quisenberry in loving memory of James’ parents, Jim & Nancy Quisenberry. May they rest in the company of angels. The second is given in celebration of Doris Love’s birthday from her children. Happy Birthday Doris! Help make our altar beautiful! Celebrate a birthday, anniversary, someone’s life or just because. The 2012 sign up sheet is now posted on the bulletin board in the narthex.

 

SUNDAY ADULT FORUM

Beginning next Sunday, February 12, the Adult Forum will explore the First and Second Letters to Timothy. These two short New Testament books give us a glimpse into the life of early Christianity, as the church entered its second century. In a touching and personal way the elder apostle gives advice and encouragement to one of the next generation's leaders. Pastor Setterlund has prepared a study guide, "Dear Tim", and will lead this five-part discussion on Sunday mornings, 9:45 to 10:30.

 

WEDNESDAY ADULT BIBLE STUDY

We continue our multi-year adult Bible study cycle that will take us through the whole of the scriptures. The Augsburg Adult Bible series is written by scholars and pastors from the Lutheran tradition and is formatted for both private study and group reflection. I hope you will take this opportunity to begin a purposeful journey through the Scriptures that bind us together, tell the sacred story and guide us in our daily living. We will meet in the Augsburg Wednesdays at 6:15.

 

LET'S MAKE 2012 ANOTHER GOOD YEAR FOR HELPING OTHERS

Your help to families in need of food in our community has always been a great success. Your response to our STM Food Pantry Weekends, and your continued help week after week to provide food is a generous way to help people, who are in need of supplying their family with food to eat. Here are some items that we can use at this time: Jell-O, spaghetti noodles, salad dressing, small bags of rice, condensed canned soups, canned or bottled juices, jelly, boxed mashed potatoes, and saltine crackers. If you have any questions about STM food pantry, or would like to join us in the food deliveries, we can always use more help. It only takes a couple of hours about every six weeks. Call Richard or Kay King for more information. Thank you!

 

FOOD PANTRY WEEKEND THIS WEEK!

Our food pantry does an amazing thing: it gives food to those who are hungry. However, there are times during the year that our supplies run low. In response to this need, we have of blessing items for the food pantry once a month during a Sunday morning service. This will fall on the first full weekend of every month. A basket for donations will be placed in the narthex Saturday evening and Sunday morning. We ask that you still give to the pantry on other days. Food Pantry Weekend will serve as a reminder that the need for food never goes away.

 

ADULT MISSION TRIP - THEY ARE ON THEIR WAY!

9 people left this morning for their annual New Orleans mission trip... our thoughts & prayers go with them. But this large a group strains the budget! They will need about $2500. If you would like to contribute to their trip it would be appreciated very much. Please put your donations in the offering or leave it in the office. We look forward to their pictures & stories upon their safe return.

 

JOIN US FOR SOME FAMILY FUN NEXT WEEK!

Parish Life invites you to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, a play presented by the Junior Women's Club and featuring our very own Stephanie Alumbaugh and Susan Gonzalez. We will attend the 4:00 p.m. performance at Centennial High School on Sunday, February 12. Tickets are $5 if purchased with our group or $7 if purchased at the door. After the performance, we plan to gather at Jupiter's at the Crossing for pizza, sandwiches, and fellowship. Please sign up for tickets to the performance in the narthex by Sunday, February 5th so we know how many tickets to request. Join us for fun for the whole family!

 

VALENTINE CELEBRATION FOR THE "NEW ELDERBERRIES"

Please come to the Augsburg Room for dessert and coffee/tea at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 15th. Social time will be followed by the viewing the movie "Canvas". This movie was shown at the Ebert Festival two years ago by the Anti-Stigma Alliance and gives insight into mental illness. It's a heartfelt story and ends on a positive note. I have posted the article from that showing on the bulletin board near the Parish Nurse Office. Please sign the sheet on the bulletin board if you are planning to attend - we want to be sure there is enough dessert! We will also need a few bakers, please sign up if you could contribute.

 

RELIGION AND LITERATURE

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis C.S. Lewis writes, “If we insist on keeping Hell (or even earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell.” This is the basis of his book “The Great Divorce”, where the protagonist finds himself boarding a bus in Hell heading to Heaven. How can one so easily transfer from one place to the next? What if, as Lewis claims, the gates of Hell, and Earth, are locked from the inside by our own human needs and desires? Come discuss! We’ll meet on February 17th at 7 pm in the Augsburg Room. Please call Jesse with any questions.

 

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY

The next meeting of the Prayer Shawl Ministry will be Wednesday, February 15th from 10-11:30am in the Augsburg Room. We welcome all who knit, and we also delight in receiving shawls from knitters who would be willing to make them for the ministry but cannot attend the meetings. The pattern is easy and the instructions are available and could be mailed to you. The stories from those who have received the colorful shawls are beautiful and filled with gratitude for the prayers and love that goes into making them. Please contact Vivian Larson or Joan Peterson for more information.

 

MONTHLY LUTHERAN SERVICE AT CCNH

Next Sunday afternoon, February 12, Pastor John Setterlund will lead a short worship service at 1:15 in the Chapel for the residents of the Champaign County Nursing Home. The Champaign County Nursing Home is located between Main and Washington streets in Urbana. Please encourage any family members or friends who reside in CCNH to attend, and bring a friend along as well. Ash Wednesday Service Assistants Needed Ash Wednesday is February 22nd! There is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board in the narthex for service assistants for the noon and 7pm Ash Wednesday services. Won’t you please consider assisting the day we begin the Lenten season? Please sign up as soon as possible. Thank you.

 

THANKS!

THANKS to Champaign County Chapter of Thrivent for Lutherans for funding the dinner being served to the St. Olaf College Choir prior to their concert on Thursday evening, February 9, at Krannert's Great Hall. Thanks, too, to all you St. Matthew people who are on the list for desserts and for helping to serve the meal.

 

JEWISH-AMERICAN PEACE ACTIVIST TO VISIT

Mark Braverman, a Jewish-American peace activist will visit Champaign-Urbana February 10-11. He has is the author of Fatal Embrace, a courageous book urging both Christians and Jews to move toward peace in the Holy Land. Besides meeting with several UI groups, Dr. Braverman will speak to the public at the Champaign Public Library on Friday, February 10 at 7:00 p.m. Saturday morning he will meet at St. Matthew Church, 9:30-11:30, with church and community leaders. All interested persons are invited to meet and hear him. These events are sponsored by the Urbana-Champaign Peace Initiative. Watch for further details, or contact John Setterlund.

 

IN THE HOSPITAL?

Under a federal law called HIPPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Privacy Protection Act) hospitals cannot, and will not, notify us when you go into the hospital. If you are going into the hospital, please call the church office ahead of time so we know the time and the place where you will be. (If you choose not to allow visitors, by the way, they will not give a room number when you are admitted either.) If a family member is taken to the hospital in an emergency, please notify us of that as well.

 

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT CROSSTRAINING THIS WEEK?

Quip (Joke) Night

Pizza, Salad, Carrot and Celery Sticks, Mandarin Oranges, Cookies, Milk & Water

Suggested donation $2.00 per person

 

The St. Matthew 2012 Variety Show Needs YOU!

Can you play a musical instrument? Can you sing? Can you dance? Can you juggle? Can you tell a joke?

We’d love to have you share your talent with your STM family! Sunday, February 19th in the Fellowship Hall Details in today’s bulletin stuffer!

Questions: Contact Nancy Schneider