Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
The St. Matthew MessengerNews of and for the Congregation October 2016 of St. Matthew Presbyterian Church
News from Malawi By Leslie Klingensmith
Good news and bad news...sometimes they comeawfully close together. First, some GREAT news: On
Sunday, September 25, St. Matthew hosted a fundraiser
for the University of Livingstonia Foundation. The
University of Livingstonia (UNILIA) is a school in Malawi
that St. Matthew has supported for several years, and a
number of our members have ties there. The UNILIA
Foundation is a United States based organization that
supports the University by raising money to help meet its
needs. In 2015, more than 60 students at UNILIA received
scholarship aid from the Foundation, helping them to obtain their degrees and
become leaders in their country. St. Matthew's own Donna Chirwa is the President of
the University of Livingstonia Foundation Board, and Don and Ruth Sasscer are
members of the Board.
If you attended the fundraiser on September 25, youknow that it was a special time. There were around 25 St.
Matthew members present, plus supporters from other
churches and members of the Malawian community. We
saw a slideshow of photos of all three campuses of UNILIA
and learned of exciting new initiatives at the school having
to do with setting up computer labs, creative use of solar
power, and increasing the number of women students. We
also listened to memories from a panel of former
Livingstonia students and began to understand the role the
school has in shaping the leaders of Malawi. I learned a
UNILIA seal
few days later that the event brought in over $5,000 and
some participants promised to send checks later.
But there is alsosome bad news.The same morning
that I learned of the
fundraiser's
success, I learned
of a tragic fire at
UNILIA's Ekwendeni
campus (the
University has three
campuses,
Ekwendeni is the home of the theology and
social sciences schools). Three students are
being treated for minor injuries, but no one was
seriously injured or killed. For that we give
thanks. The main computer lab was badly
damaged it had around 40 computers, and all
but 10 of them were burned beyond repair. The fire is believed to have been caused
by faulty electrical wiring. Early estimates report repair costs of least $50,000.
I know the resilient spirit of the Malawian people. UNILIA is a treasure the peoplethere know that, and so do many of the Malawian expatriates living here in the United
States. The University will continue, and will in all likelihood rebuild even stronger than
before. Tyler Holm, who teaches theology at UNILIA, wrote the following words to
supporters of the University just one day after the fire: "Through God's providence
Jerusalem was reformed. So too we have faith that our campus will emerge from this
trial." I agree with him and look forward to seeing what the future brings for the
Ekwendeni campus of UNILIA. But for now, we grieve with the students, the staff, and
the faculty. Please join me in praying for our Malawian sisters and brothers, and for
the UNILIA community. Pray as well that we will continue to find creative ways to
support the important mission of the University of Livingstonia.
Grace and peace,
Leslie
Upcoming Events Mark Your Calendar!
STOP HUNGER NOW,Sunday, October 2
Special Music Concert,Saturday, October 29
Join us this Sunday afternoon from12:30 2:30 pm, in The Commons. St.Matthew will be packing meals with foodprovided by the organization known asSTOP HUNGER NOW which distributesmeals to needy persons worldwide. Wehave set a goal of 10,000 meals and willneed 6070 volunteers to help pack.Bring your friends and neighbors!
Come celebrate a joint concert ofsacred music on Saturday, October 29 at4pm in St. Matthew's chancel. TheChristian Oratorio Society of GreaterWashington, DC, together with the St.Matthew choir, will perform AntonioVivaldi's Gloria, as well as many favoriteanthems.
St. Matthew Fall Workday
Sunday, October 30
This year's fall workday will be onSunday, October 30, starting afterTrunk and Treat, and going until about 3 pm. Lunch will be served.
We have a wide range of indoor andoutdoor tasks to help keep our buildingsand grounds looking good and reducing
our need to pay for services. It is also a great way to get to know your fellow churchmembers. Please bring gloves if you have some, other tools will be provided. Don'tforget to dress informally for church.
If you have any questions, please contact Nulty Lynch at [email protected], David Hartley at [email protected], or speak to anyone on the Building andGrounds commission. We look forward to seeing you there!
October Youth Notes
World Wide Communion,
Sunday, October 2by Konni Brantner
On Sunday, October 2, in celebration of WorldWide Communion, our congregation will breakbread from every continent of the world. Thebread was made by the children and youth in ourChurch School classes. A selection of the breadwill be available for tasting at coffee hour. Thebreads and the continents they represent are: Asia: Russian brown bread
Africa: African short bread :
North America: Colonial bread
South America: Potato bread (milcao and chapalele),
Antarctica: Sledging biscuits
Europe: Soda bread (known as Norwegian flat bread and Irish soda bread)
Australia: Austrian damper (A staple of the early Australian settlers' diet)
Halloween Party and Haunted Forest,Saturday, October 22by Konni Brantner
Once again, the Middle School youth havedecided to create a haunted house, and of coursewe want to pair that with a Halloween party. Last year's event was a tremendous success!So...would you PLEASE be willing / able to helpwith this event? The Haunted Forest is scheduled for Saturday,October 22, from 6:30 8:00 p.m. We'll have games, crafts and the haunted house willbe open for those who want to go through it.
Please check your calendar, and let Konni know if you can help.
Trunk or TreatSunday, October 30by Karen Brown Gonzalez
In the upper parking lotafter church (about 11:30 a.m.)
Great Trick or Treating Fun in a familyfriendly atmosphere and sharing theholiday spirit with others. Gather your favorite Halloween candy or
treat to share and wear your best costume. Decorate your trunk, hatch, or tailgate witha family friendly theme, and come share in the fun and also share the message ofGod's love for us. If you plan to participate, park in the upper lot with trunks facing the interior of thelot. Children will don their costumers and gather around the circle outside theSanctuary to parade to the lot with great expectations that your trunks will offer lots of treats!
Charles Munthali and other UNILIA graduates / photos by Donna Chirwa
University of Livingstonia Fundraiser,
Sunday, September 25by Donna Chirwa
Many thanks to everyone who participated in the University of LivingstoniaFoundation fundraiser last Sunday. We had a wonderful afternoon of presentations,learning, singing, eating and time for fellowship. And we raised $5,140 with promisesof more. This amount will stretch a long way at the University in their mission ofeducating future leaders.
Attendees arrivingMalawi jewelry given as mementoes
October Congregation Notes
Stewardship Suggestions
by Leigh Leslie Christian stewards give not only of their money, but of theirtime. As we have tried to increase our focus on all types of giving
and participation in the church, we want to again focus this year
on opportunities to give of your time. Listed below are activities
that will be going on at St. Matthew this fall. Please contact the
listed elder if you would like to give of your time for any of these
activities.
Activity Date Contact Person
Stop Hunger Now help pack meals Oct 2nd Blair Kincer [email protected]
Haunted House/Halloween Party help is needed to both construct set beforeevent and help tear down/clean up the dayof the event
Oct 22nd Eseme [email protected]
Building & Grounds Work Day help clean up and beautify the St. Matthew church grounds
Oct 30th Nolte Lynch& David [email protected]@yahoo.com
Coffee Hour help set up, serve and clean up after Sunday service
Weekly Karen [email protected]
Long Range Planning serve on committeeto develop longterm plans for the church
Ongoing Gus Clay [email protected]
Altar Flowers arrange flowers for the sanctuary
2nd Sunday ofevery month
Thanksgiving Lunch help coordinate, setup and clean up after this annual event
Nov 20th Karen [email protected]
Mary Martha Circle Bible Study,
Wednesday, October 12 By Millie Ames
You are invited to join us for our next meeting onWednesday, October 12 at 10:30 a.m. We will be
continuing this year's course of study: Who Is Jesus?
Study guides are available.
The Circle meets on the second Wednesday of the
month in the Agnes Wilson Room. Join us and bring a
sandwich as we share lunch after our study group
concludes. Beverages and dessert are provided.
Looking ahead...
Children's Christmas Play Sunday, December 18
It's hard to believe, but Christmas is less thanthree months away! If you have a child inelementary school to 6th grade who is interestedin participating in our Children's Christmas playon Sunday, December 18, please let Konniknow. Your child will need to attend practices whichare held each Sunday before church, twoDecember Saturday rehearsals, memorize theirlines and be ready to cooperate. The plays are alot of work, but also a lot of fun. If you havequestions, or if your child wants to participate,please let Konni know ASAP by emailing her at [email protected] or calling3015984400. We're also recruiting children for the Christmas eve pageant. This requires tworehearsals. It is a very low pressure, casual type of service. Any child three years oldor older is welcomed to participate. Please contact Konni if you're interested.
October Congregation Updates
The "Stealth" Administrative Committee by Phil Tarnoff The Administrative Committee has been active in the life of St. Matthew since itsinception three years ago. This relatively unknown committee was formed to addressadministrative issues not covered by existing St. Matthew commissions andcommittees. In many respects it is the administrative equivalent of the Buildings andGrounds Commission. While Buildings and Grounds is responsible for the church'sphysical plant, the Administrative Committee is responsible for the Church's procedures and administrative resources.
Here are just some of the committee's recent projects...
Click on the photo to go to the Church's new website.
St. Matthew's new website. It can be viewed at the same address as the "old"website at www.stmatthewpcusa.org. The many people that worked on this
website are proud of its modern look, and the degree to which it describes and
promotes our church.
The creation of the Breeze database. Breeze is a consolidated database foruse by our members. Its primary function is as picture directory. Breeze
provides members with uptodate, confidential access to their financial records.
It gives the leadership of St. Matthew the ability to communicate with the entire
congregation or members of their group (commission, committee, choir, etc.)
either by email or text message or both. Breeze is accessed using the internet
address: https://stmatthew.breezechms.com. Passwords are available from
Paul Neal.
Click on the photo to go to the Breeze login screen.
Comprehensive review of the Church's insurance coverage. Severaladjustments were made to this coverage as a result of this work. In addition,
several suggestions made by the insurance company have resulted in a risk
management program and new signage on the Church grounds.
Indepth review of the Church's physical assets. Members of theCommittee, working with the Buildings and Grounds Commission, reviewed the
Church's structures and their contents to determine the funds that should be set
aside in a reserve for future maintenance. The success of this work was
demonstrated by the recent replacement of the heating and cooling system of
the sanctuary, paid for entirely by the funds in the reserve.
There are just a few of the activities that have been completed. Ongoing workincludes a review of our computer and communications (information technology)
infrastructure which is aging and in need of replacement. It also includes an extensive
effort leading to the development of a set of policies and procedures that is intended
to define and formalize the entire range of activities performed by the commissions
and committees that are the backbone of St. Matthew.
The hardworking members of the Committee include: Phil Tarnoff (Chairman), PaulNeal, Terry DeJong, Sylvia McPherson, John Meyer, Chad Whaley, Sara Lou
Cardwell, Ed Buchanan and Karen Brown. They have worked long and hard to ensure
its success.
St. Matthew Perpetual Endowment Fund Update By Bill Leffingwell
Our Perpetual Endowment Fund was established in
2001 to encourage, receive and administer gifts to the
work of the Church. The purpose of the fund is to
provide a continuous and reliable source of funds to
enable the church to better meet the needs of the
community and undertake projects outside of the
annual operating budget. The dividends and interest
earned by the Fund are disbursed each year more
than $16,000 has been paid out since the Fund's
inception. Various recipients have been St Matthew
Vocational Scholarships, various Presbyterian Disaster
Relief Funds, St Matthew Youth Scholarships, the
University of Livingstonia, Interfaith Works and Bel Pre
Day Care.
As of June 30, 2016 the fund balance was $125,526.
For fiscal year end 2015 the fund had a total of $1,602
to disburse. The fund trustees approved disbursements
of $502 to the St. Matthew Camp Joy group to purchase a large tent/canopy for tools
and storage; $500 to be used for joint projects/programs with the BairurRaimann
Mosque of the Ahmadiyya Community and $600 to Presbyterian Disaster Relief Fund
for Syrian Refugees. Contributions are welcome and encouraged in any amount at
any time!
Important Contacts
Leslie A. Klingensmith,
Pastor
3015984400
Konni Brantner, Director of Youth
Education and Outreach
3018716275
Jeremy Young, Director
of Music and Organist
3016818013
Al Conner,
Church Office
Administrative Assistant
3015984400
Julia McBee, Clerk of Session
3016030450
Bill McBee,
Newsletter Editor
3016030450
Do you have articles or information you think might be of interest to the congregation? Please submit them by email or
in writing no later than October 30 for the November newsletter. Thank [email protected]
Bill McBee, newsletter editor
