|
Like us on Facebook |
|
St. Matthew's is trying to reach as many people as
possible through different technologies
available. Click on the link below to "like"
St. Matthew's, Goffstown NH so that we may
grow.
|
|
St.
Matthew's
Episcopal
Church
The Rev.
Wm. E. Exner, Rector
7 North Mast
Road
Goffstown, NH
03045
Sunday Worship 8
& 10 am
Coffee Hour
follows. All people of faith are welcome to receive Holy
Communion at the Lord's Table.
Sunday
February 5 Readings
Isaiah
40:21-31
Psalm 147:
1-12, 21c
1 Corinthians
9:16-23
Mark
1:29-39
In Our
Prayers |
|
Get Well and God Bless
Gayle,
Josh, Alice, Dale, Alfred, J.M., Laura, Bryer, Dan and
Liz, Randy, Gail, Frank and Nancy, Andy, George, Jessie,
Dawn, Cheryl, Shawn, Karen, Stephen, Nancy, Betty, Sue,
Deb, Alison, Kasey, Barbara, Gabriel, Barbie,
Sarah, Jen, James, Randy, Sharon, Tom, Grady, Chris,
Moira, Rick, Erin, Leo, Dylan, Lexi, Julia, Dominic,
Peg, Trey, and Lee
Birthdays
Known to Us
Joe
McCarthy
Anniversaries
Known to Us
|
|
Important
Dates |
|
February 9 - Leadership
Vestry Meeting 6pm
February 10-11 - Diocesan
Youth Retreat (see article)
February 11 - Super
Roll-a-Thon (see article)
February 12 - Old/New comers
Winter Gala Sledding Party 11:15 at Jeff & Joan
Alayne Stevens' home 50 Stinson Rd, Goffstown
February 12 - NHTI presents
a discussion on diversity for youth. Pizza
provided, bring a friend (please rsvp the office so we
know how much pizza to order).
February 19 - Parish
Breakfast 8:45-9:30am
February 21 - Shrove Pancake
Supper 5-6pm
February 22 - Ash Wednesday
- Services at 7am & 7pm
Weekly - Sunday School age 3 - grade 8,
9:55am
Children's Music Hour
9-9:45am. |
|
Traveling or
Homebound? |
Now
you can see & hear Sunday Services from St.
Matthew's anytime on the internet as we continue to
reach out to share God's many blessings.
Click
here to see all the recordings
available for viewing. |
|
Safe Church Training |
| St. Matthew's Sunday School could
not function without our many volunteers. The
Episcopal Church has taken the safety of the children in
our care very seriously and thus requires that regular
volunteers attend the free Safe Church Training
Course. There is an Initial Training offered April
14 at St. Paul's, Concord. A Refresher Course for
those having taken an Initial Course is offered May 5 at
St. Paul's. Once you have attended, the
certificate is good for five years. Please contact
the office to be registered. |
|
2012 Pledge Ministry Drive
Update |
Goal
$147,000.00
109 Pledges
have been received for a total of
$152,468.60! Large or modest, every single pledge
helps St. Matthew's work wonders for the glory of God.
Thank you.
Download
the
Pledge form
and/or the
Time
and Talent form
*****
If
you requested offering envelopes - they are available on
the back table. |
|
Nut Allergy Alert |
Everyone please be aware that
several members have severe allergies to nuts at St.
Matt's. Therefore, please do not bring snacks,
salads or dishes with nuts into the church or Parish
House.
|
|
Where's
Benge? |
Our Sr. Warden Benge Ambrogi is on his
bicycle visiting all 56 Episcopal houses of worship this
summer. Follow his trail at www.episcopalbike.blogspot.com
Might Benge engrave on his bicycle psalm
26:verse 4 ('Happy are the people whose strength is in
you!, whose hearts are set on the pilgrims'
way.') OR perhaps verse 6 ('They will
climb from height to height...'), especially when
pedaling over the Notch?
Go
Benge Go! |
|
Bishop Search |
For
more information concerning the search for the 10th
Bishop of New Hampshire, please click on the above link
to the Diocesan website. | |
|
February
2 Rector's Notes-
"In
the morning while it was
still dark, Jesus went out to a quiet place and
prayed."
Let
this be a lesson to all of us. Jesus himself
sought out regular, quiet opportunities to
practice the
essential art of prayer. Prayer. These Sundays in
the
epiphany season the
Bible says much of Jesus' very active
ministry of loving service to people encountered
on His way to Jerusalem. He
taught. He listened. He challenged. He affirmed.
He walked along and invited others
to 'come and see' the
life of faith in action. He healed. Jesus'
spirituality included intense stretches of active,
hands on ministry. Just as importantly, however,
was the
rhythm of prayer and rest that always followed
action as recorded in the
gospels of Mark and Luke in particular. In fact it
must be said that Jesus' regular rhythm of
devoting periods to quiet and prayer serve as a
model for us to adopt in our lives. There is
nothing wrong with being productive, but we need
also be prayerful. Prayer is connecting one's soul
to God's heart. Prayer is like bringing
the
blood back into the
heart for cleansing and refreshment so that it can
go forth and nourish the
body once more. Jesus worked with God and Jesus
also rested and prayed in God.
Are
you getting enough soul time lately? Would you
know what to do with yourself if you, like Jesus,
'sat in a quiet place for prayer'? First things
first. Carve out 5 to 15 minutes today and just be
still. (God does not require chatter.) Try it
again tomorrow. Next consider sitting quietly for
five minutes the third
day and then offer to
God a thing or two that you need a little divine
help with. I always say that if you can share it
with God you will find a way to do something about
it. Insights seem to follow soon
thereafter. Energies
return. There is a rhythm - a spiritual tempo to
these things. Say
the names of your
children and loved ones out loud before God.
That's a prayer too.
May
I suggest that we all practice
the rhythm of life that
Jesus employed? Prayer, action, rest - prayer,
action, rest. I have it on good authority that you
will not regret it.
God bless you in the
week ahead.
Faithfully,
Rev. William E. Exner+
+Thanks
everyone for a joyous Annual Meeting last Sunday!
The report is now available on our website, click
here to see the Annual Report. We have a
healthy Mission/Ministry Budget for 2012. We have
great newly elected leadership in Joan Alayne
Stevens our Jr. Warden, Natalie Sennett our new
Vestry member, Karl Schwab our Treasurer,
Kelly Kennerson our
Secretary, and our Parish Delegation
Sarah Ambrogi,
Jill Desrochers, Deb
Haines, Nancy Nichols,
Deb Moore, Sharon Benard, Morgan
Pierce, Barbara Carbonneau and Youth
Delegate Andrew McKim.
The
Bugbee Outreach award went to Natalie Sennett for
extraordinary work on
the Deployed Families
Support/Dinner Project. The
Tower of
Faith Award went to
Katie and Jean Leduc for everything
they have and continue
to do for God in this Church.
(A
more detailed report will soon be out in
the February
Matthean Parish
Newsletter.)
+Parish
Youth (and a friend) - Pizza and N.H. Teen
Institute Night February 12, 6 - 8
pm in
the Church
Undercroft. "Celebrating our Differences:
Appreciating Diversity!" grades 6 - 12 welcome.
Please rsvp to Church office at office@stmattsepiscopal.org.
State your favorite pizza
flavor.
+SUNDAY
MORNING CHILDREN'S MUSIC PROGRAM WELCOMES ALL KIDS
AT 9 AM IN THE
UNDERCROFT. Mr. Josh Desrochers and helpers want
every child to feel welcome to jump in any Sunday
morning to enjoy the fun
and comradery of music. See you
then. Coffee pot is on
for parents. Cereal and bowls for at
the Welcome Table.
+
Another great opportunities for Teens.
Goffstown is holding a training session for CERT
(Certified Emergency Response Team) specifically
for Teens. Click here for more
information.
+Three's
a charm! This Sunday morning at
10 am worship St.
Matthew's celebrates its
third baptism in a row! It is becoming
the Holy chapel of
the babies around here
lately! What a joy! Let's all welcome little
Julianna Nichole Sarette into
the household God.
Coffee hour follows.
Click HERE to go to St. Matthew's
website.
| |
|
Goffstown residents: Please, please,
please plan to attend the School Budget
Deliberative Session this Saturday at Goffstown
High School at 10am (child care provided).
For the first time in several years
the School Board and Budget Committee agree
on a budget proposal. Our local schools
have been on default or less since 2008.
This year let's support our local school
budget. Our kids are scoring in the top
fifith in statewide academics. They are
doing their part! With the United States
now ranking 20th and below worldwide in reading,
math and science the last thing our children
need is further cutbacks. Please get out
and vote your conscience this Saturday.
Bill
Exner |
|
Wanted:
A couple of able bodied volunteers to
shovel off a short entryway for a local elderly
member (if extreme weather strikes).
Please contact the church office or see Melanie
Sherwood.
|
|
Annual
Super Roll a Thon for Outreach
will be held on Saturday, February 11 at
1pm, King Lanes, Goffstown. All ages
welcome. Cost of
$11 includes three strings and
shoes. Money raised by getting sponsors
will go to the Goffstown Clergy Association
Fuel Assistance Fund. For more info
contact Barbara Carbonneau at 497-3295 or glenlake.nh@comcast.net.
|
|
LAST
CALL! Winter Youth Retreat set for
Feb
10-11
The annual Diocesan Youth Retreat for 7-12
graders, offering a time for creative
reflection, spiritual growth, and fun, will be
held at Camp Sentinel, Center Tuftonboro,
Friday-Saturday Feb. 10-11, 2012. Fee
is $55 per person. Last year's retreat
provided a meditation on a popular TV show, had
a labyrinth walk with prayer stations before a
roaring fire, guitar music, and the opportunity
to use clay and a potter's wheel. The
group had an amazing time with night walks in
the moonlight, too. More information and
registration forms are on the diocesan website
www.nhepiscopal.org.
Click on Youth/Young Adult under
'Quick Links'. Email Kellie kelliedenoncourt@gmail.com or
Kurt kcwiesner@allsts.org with any
questions.
Let's send a bunch from St.
Matt's. |
Thoughts on
Faith formation and
development
by
Linnae Peterson
When
I found out I was pregnant with my first child,
one of my first stops was the bookstore. I was
looking for a book to guide me through the next
9 months, and another one to give me some idea
of what I needed to know about this new life I
was responsible for. There were books, dozens of
them, but none of them addressed the development
of my child's spirituality. What books I
did find on the subject were dense academic
tomes, so here I will boil down some of their
information. Most researchers find that children
pass through 4 or 5 "stages of faith," beginning
in infancy and continuing through adulthood.
Unlike physical development, many people stop
along the way, spending more or less time in one
stage or another as their personality or
situation requires. Some spiritual directors
liken the spiritual life to a spiral, where we
revisit similar themes and issues throughout our
lives from a different perspective.
Part
I The Good Shepard
Part
II The Forgiving Judge
Part
III The Community of Faith
One
of the hallmarks of a healthy church is the
friendships that form. This is one of the
critical elements in the third stage of faith
development. "Church friends" provide a
community where tweens and teens can begin to
explore what it means to belong to this
community of faith. In this context they can
explore all the questions that are floating
around: What do I really believe? How should I
respond when people are mean? What should I do
about the things that I see in the world that
are not right? Where is God in this world? Will
everyone still like me on a bad hair day?
Belonging, no matter what is going on, is a
critical part of being in the community of
faith, so keep trying to bring your kids to
church, even when they have purple hair. It will
make a difference to them when an adult comes up
to them and says, "Cool hair".
(I
will continue with the Adult stages IV and V at
a later time)
|
|
|
|
Weekly
Offerings
Sundays
8:00
am Worship Rite I - simple, spoken
10:00
am Worship Rite II - Holy Communion with choir,
Nursery available, Coffee Hour follows
service
Mondays
10:00-11:00 am -
Playgroup for infants, toddlers, preschoolers
and their caregivers in the church
undercroft.
AA meetings held in the church
undercroft
8:30pm
Wednesdays
10:30-11:45
am SHINE Senior citizens, Parish
House
Noon - 12:45 Bible Chat,
Parish House
7:00 - 8:30pm - Senior Choir rehearsals,
all welcome.
Fridays
Overeaters
Anonymous (OA) meetings Fridays from 5:30 to
6:30 p.m. at the Parish House. If you need
more information, please contact, Deb
McCarter-Spaulding at
774-573-0378.
Outreach
Food
Pantry - Wednesday 6:00-8:00 pm and Saturday
10:00-noon
Community Clothing Center -
Tuesday 11:00-2:00pm, Wednesday 6:00-8:00 pm and
Saturday 10:00am-Noon
|
Stewardship -St. Matt's Needs YOUR
help!
"Lord help us to be grateful
for your whole creation, that we may
honor thee with our substance
and be faithful stewards
of thy bounty." (BCP pg.
329)
E-GivingSt
Matthew's now has the ability to accept
donations electronically There is
a link on St Matthew's website that will take you
directly to the St Matthew's E-Giving window or
click here. The very first you
visit, you will be asked to enroll as a member -
set up a user name and password and, if you
wish, accept the ACH authorization to create
bank account transactions. Once you are a
member, you only need to log in using your user
name and password. (Note: If you specify a
regular ongoing offering for a particular time
frame, please consider renewing it when the time
runs out. Thanks!)
"The Earth is the Lord's and
all that dwells therein." (1
Corinthinian)
Anniversary?
Birthday? Thanksgiving? Offerings for
special occasions may be made by providing for
worship in the following
manner:
Candles
$20.00
Sanctuary
Lamp
$20.00
Flower Offering
$30.00
Weekly
Wafers/Host
$10.00
Please make checks payable to St.
Matthew's Church and either put it in the
Sunday Offering plate or mail it to the church
office. |
General Information
Historic St.
Matthew's Episcopal Church is known for great
liturgical music and progressive preaching in an
inviting, traditional setting. Since 1867
souls have given thanks through prayer,
fellowship and sharing. Fall worship times
are at 8am (Rite I) and 10am (Rite II).
The Nursery is staffed from 9:55am-11:15 on
Sundays. This House of Prayer
welcomes all people of faith on their spiritual
journey. St. Matthew's Church is located at 7
North Mast Street in Goffstown, across from
Sully's. (603) 497-2003. Check us out on the web where you can support
St. Matthew's by clicking on the e-giving icon
or click on Publications for weekly Parish
notes, a current copy of The Matthean, and
important dates listed.
|
|
Give Thanks To God
Always
IN GOD'S PRESENCE IS
JOY
IN GOD'S SERVICE IS PERFECT
FREEDOM |
Contact
The
Rev. William E. Exner+, Rector
Administrative
Asst. Kelly Kennerson
St. Matthew's
Church 7 N. Mast
Goffstown, NH 03045
phone: 603-497-2003
email: office@stmattsepiscopal.org
Note: Office hours are:
Tues 10-Noon,
Wed. 9-1:30, Thurs
9-10:30
| | | |
