St. Matthew's United Methodist Church Blog

SAVE THE DATE: Bethany House of Northern Virginia’s 2nd Annual Garden of Light

On Saturday, May 4, 2013, Bethany House of Northern Virginia, Inc. presents its 2nd Annual Garden of Light Reception from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Holiday Inn and Suites (625 First Street, Alexandria, VA). The event will feature refreshments, live music, and a silent auction that benefits victims of abuse served through BHNV’s Family Assistance Program. Ticket Cost: $55.00 per person. Click here to purchase tickets. For more information, contact 703-658-9500 or jwitcher@bhnv.org.

Bring Your Own Wheels Event for Toddlers- March 16: We’d like to invite children, ages 18 months to 4 years old, to bring a ride-on or push toy to the Social Hall on Saturday, March 16 from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (noon). This is a fun opportunity to let our toddlers burn some energy and let parents in our community get to know each other. Light refreshments will be served. Please contact Emily Yosmanovich at eyosmanovich@stmatthewsumc.org for more information.

You’re invited to a holiday handbell concert given by the St. Matthew’s Peace Ringers this Sunday, December 2nd! The Peace Ringers are an advanced adult handbell choir and they will be performing at Arlington United Methodist Church at 4:00 PM. Everyone is welcome, the concert is free of charge and is a great way to kick off the Christmas season.

Blessing of the Animals: On the afternoon of Sunday, October 7th at 3:00 PM there will be a service of the Blessing of the Animals here at St. Matthew’s UMC. Bring your pets, helper animals, or other furry and feathered friends as we celebrate the ways in which God is present to us in and through these animals. Invite your friends and neighbors (human and animal) to this service of worship and blessing. We will meet in our outdoor prayer labyrinth in the woods next to the church (to you left when facing the church’s front door). In the event of rain, we will meet in the social hall.

Community Easter Egg Hunt: All are invited to join us, regardless of church affiliation, for our annual Community Easter Egg Hunt at 10:00 AM on Saturday, April 7th. This family event will be filled with games, music, treats, an Easter Egg Hunt and of course, our special guest the EASTER BUNNY! We hope to see you there!

Dessert with the Pastors: April 1st - All New Members & Visitors Welcome

All new members and visitors are invited to Dessert with the Pastors on Palm Sunday, April 1st at 3:00 PM at the parsonage. This event is a casual time with the pastors for new members and visitors to get to know them a little better. Please RSVP to Holly at HMarkwalter@StMatthewsUMC.org.

It’s that time of year again! It’s the Annual Youth Rally/Bowling Lock-In sponsored by the Alexandria District! All students from 7-12th grade are invited to join us. We’ll be meeting on Friday, January 27th at 8:30 PM and return to church by 7:30 AM on Saturday January 28th. Cost is $25/person, and RSVP’s are due by January 23rd!! Please submit your RSVP by contacting Grace Han at ghan@stmatthewsumc.org and turning in a Universal Consent Form.

Sr. High Youth Faith & Relationships Workshop: Sunday, Nov. 13

Faith and Relationships Workshop, Sunday, 11/13, 1-8 PM

Please save the date: All Senior High Youth are invited to join us for this important workshop about how our Christian values and ethics inform our decisions and choices about relationships, sexuality, and communication. The workshop is for both youth and parents and will emphasize honest communication.

1-4:30—YOUTH SESSION

4:30-6—PARENT SESSION

6-6:30—Snack Supper

6:30-8—COMBINED SESSION (Youth and Parents)

There is no cost for this program but there is a suggested donation of $25/family. Please RSVP to Grace if you are able to participate so we can plan accordingly. Hope to see you Sunday, 11/13!

2 Free Financial Planning Sessions!

As part of our fall stewardship focus on Simplicity, Generosity and Joy: Enough, we are offering two sessions on financial planning on Saturday, October 29th.

Both sessions will include information on the financial risk faces by families, debt management, investing, insurance, and estate planning. The first session, from 9 AM to noon, will provide basic information for younger people and those in the early stages of financial planning. The second session, from 1 to 4 PM, is for those more experienced with financial planning. There is no cost for these sessions, but enrollment is limited, so please sign up by e-mailing Barb Tuceling at tuceling@cox.net, indicating which session you’d like to attend. Our presenter, Pat Beagle, is the owner and President of WealthCrest Financial Services, LLC. He is a Certified Financial Planner™ and a Chartered Advisor for Senior Living (CASL) who holds two Masters Degrees, one of which is a Masters of Business Administration with an emphasis in Individual Financial Planning. As an Investment Advisor Representative, Patrick has helped many clients over the past 16 years develop sound financial plans custom tailored to their individual needs.

Born and raised in Illinois, Patrick enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1979. Later, he was commissioned, serving most of his career as a Naval Aviator. He transitioned from the Marine Corps as a Lieutenant Colonel after more than 24 years of service, to open WealthCrest Financial Services. A noted authority and speaker, he has had guest appearances on the local ABC and CBS TV affiliates in Washington, DC and speaks regularly at pre-retirement seminars to raise awareness about financial planning issues. He is also sought as a contributor to print articles on federal and military benefits and has been cited in several major publications including Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Investment News, The Washington Post, and Military Times. Patrick is very active in his community and the financial services industry. His volunteer efforts have included pro bono financial planning for injured military personnel and low income individuals referred through local charity organizations. He speaks on topics related to financial planning and works as an adult leader in the Boy Scouts of America. He is an active member of the Financial Planning Association, National Eagle Scout Association, Military Officers Association of America and the Marine Executive Association.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND HELP US CELEBRATE THE 25TH ANNUAL CRAFT FAIR, sponsored by the St. Matthew’s UMW, on November 17, 18 and 19th. Over 33 vendors including St. Matthew’s own Hands Helping Humanity and Caring Cards, Ink will be featured as well as:

Supper on Thursday: 5:30 to 7:00 pm
Lunch on Friday and Saturday: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm
United Methodist Men’s drawing for Christmas tree
Our Famous UMW Bake Sale Friday and Saturday

The proceeds from the Craft Fair will go to the following organizations:

Local: St Matthew’s Youth Mission Programs, Joy Fund and Venture Scout Troup
National: National Disaster Rebuilding (Joplin, MO and Mineral, VA) and Henry Fork Service Center
International: United Methodist Committee of Relief (UMCOR)

Bring your Christmas lists and support these worthy organizations while shopping in a relaxed and festive atmosphere.

Consecration Sunday - This Sunday!

Sunday, October 23rd, is Consecration Sunday, the time when we invite every member to return their estimate of giving form for 2012. Pray about the commitment you would make to Christ for the coming year and then bring your card with you to worship. (Form are being mailed to you this week.)

SAVE THE DATE: Our Annual Craft Fair is right around the corner: November 17, 18, & 19. More details will follow soon!

Blessing of the Animals - October 2nd!

On the afternoon of Sunday, October 2nd at 4:00 PM there will be a service of the Blessing of the Animals here at St. Matthew’s UMC. Bring your pets, helper animals, or other furry and feathered friends as we celebrate the ways in which God is present to us in and through these animals. Invite your friends and neighbors (human and animal) to this service of worship and blessing. Questions? Contact the Church Office.

SEPTEMBER 18TH “Blessing of the Backpacks” and “Community Fall Picnic”: On Sept. 18th, bring your friends and join us for our annual “Blessing of the Backpacks” session during all three of our worship services. Each backpack will be blessed by our worship leaders to promote a safe, healthy and happy return to school. At 12:30 PM (noon) we will kick off our Community Fall Picnic—come enjoy activities, giveaways, great food, fellowship, games for the kids and entertainment. While you’re here stop by one of our many booths and learn about all that St. Matthew’s has to offer. We are inviting everyone from the surrounding communities to join us for all of these activities!

Family Potluck on August 14th!!!

All are invited to come to the Family Potluck on Sunday August 14th at 12:30 PM (noon). The picnic is hosted by the Children’s Council and will hotdogs and burgers will be provided. Please bring a side dish or a dessert to share. There will be activities for the kids so the adults can visit and get to know some of the new families who have moved to the area. Everyone is invited whether you have children or not! So please mark your calendars and plan to attend. We are looking forward to a relaxing picnic and time to catch up with one another! If it rains we will just move inside to the social hall. Questions? Contact Carrie: CSchwab@StMatthewsUMC.org