Hello, dear friends and family of Saint Matthew UMC,

I am still humming the songs from our concert on Saturday, the 20th. What a beautiful evening it was—filled with music, fellowship, and a wonderful meal afterward. I am so grateful to everyone who helped make the event possible. The church looked so welcoming, and our guests commented repeatedly on the warmth and friendliness they experienced here. It was truly a night of community building. Thank you for your hospitality.

Our next concert will take place on Saturday, October 25th, at 6:00 PM, with a meal to follow. This free event will feature the choir from All People’s Church on Sandy Lane as they present Lazarus. I’m looking forward to an evening of music and fellowship with their choir and church family. Events like these are especially meaningful as we continue to strengthen connections with our neighbors and other congregations. Together, we become stronger.

I will be preaching this Sunday and hope to see you there.

Love and prayers,

Mary

Hello all! I am so excited about our Saturday Night Concert Series this fall. Beginning this Saturday, September 20th at 6:00 PM, we will be entertained by the MSB Gospel Choir. (I have learned what MSB stands for, but I’ll let them share on Saturday.) Thanks to your generosity, we will be able to make a wonderful contribution to Eastside Community Assistance for September.

We can also look forward to another brilliant show on October 25th at 6:00 PM, when All Peoples Church will perform the musical Lazarus in our Saint Matthew Auditorium. Dinner will follow both concerts.

For this Saturday, we need desserts. Our meal will be hamburgers and hotdogs with all the trimmings. We also need folks to help with set-up at 5:00 PM and clean-up after the festivities. And remember—I have 6 tickets to give away. If you haven’t purchased a ticket because $25 is a lot, please come to the concert anyway! There will be room and plenty of food for all.

Our dear and wonderful Faith Salfen is working daily to get the church cleaned and ready for the event. If you’re able to help with this, it would be greatly appreciated. Faith will be at the church Wednesday and Thursday afternoons beginning around 12:30. Thank you, Faith, for the love you show our church through your work!

Finally, I will be preaching in a couple of weeks. The sermon will be about lenses and the way we see the world. I hope you can join us every week—either in person or online at saintmatthewumc.com. The good news of Jesus Christ is shared each week in our worship and in our proclamation of God’s message to His beloved children.

I look forward to seeing you,

– Mary

Greetings to all of you! I thank God every time I think of you and of our wonderful church. I am grateful for your prayers and encouragement as my family works through some of life’s challenges. Thank you for respecting our privacy and for understanding the time required for me to be away from church. I do watch the services, whether live-streamed or recorded, and I love to hear you singing and worshiping. I am very much enjoying the new sound and video system—it is good to see all of you on the big screen, looking engaged and blessed by God. I am very glad to be back with you this Sunday.

We have a busy fall schedule! Choir practice begins very soon. The first rehearsal will be on September 21, 2025, at 9:45 a.m. Thanks to the new sound system, I have clearly heard some of your voices, and I know there are many of you who should be singing in the choir with us.

Our upcoming concerts include:

• September 20 at 6 p.m. – MSB Gospel Choir from Denton. Tickets are still on sale in the church office and on the church website.
• October 25 at 6 p.m. – All Peoples Church Choir performing Lazarus. This concert is free, and all proceeds will go to Eastside Community Assistance.
• November 23 – Thanksgiving meal (more details coming soon).
• December 5 at 6 p.m. – Western Hills Ensemble Choir, led by Blake Glass. All proceeds will support the Western Hills Choir’s 2026 competition expenses.

Meals will be served after every concert. We will announce what kind of food contributions are needed in advance.

My love to all,

Mary

Let me begin by saying the newsletter is a day late this week, and that is my fault. My nursing job and the program I oversee at the hospital have received much of my attention and time. Still, I bring you peace and blessings in the name of Jesus Christ, who loves us unconditionally and is present with us always.

I loved the music from Sunday. Traditional hymns are beautiful, but there is something especially uplifting about singing contemporary songs, especially those from the Gaithers. I don’t know if it’s the upgrades to the sound system or simply the strength of your voices, but the music has been so powerful lately!

We also had a very successful school supply campaign for Bill J. Elliot Elementary. Thank you, Connie Michael, for coordinating delivery and serving as St. Matthew’s liaison to the school. The few leftover items will be donated to Eastside Ministries. Thank you, church family, for your generosity—you have truly cared for your neighbors.

Tickets are still available in limited quantities for the MSB concert on September 20th. If you are unable to attend, please consider donating the cost of a ticket. That evening, we’ll be serving hamburgers and hot dogs, and we need desserts from those who can help. A sign-up sheet is located on the bulletin board, offering numerous opportunities to serve. Thank you to Brian McCosky for printing and distributing flyers, to Jason Hardy for handling online marketing, and to the Horizon Texas Conference for sharing the event details. I pray for God’s blessing over this outreach, that it may draw people into our loving, accepting, and affirming congregation.

My love to all! I’m thankful for the cooler weather ahead and for the beauty of God’s creation.

—Mary

I pray you are experiencing the peace and love of the risen Christ this week. It was wonderful to see you on Sunday, and I look forward to seeing you again this Saturday at 6:00 PM for Night on Broadway. Cindy Wheeler and her crew will have the meal prepared, and we ask that you bring desserts to share. We’ll enjoy a brilliant concert and a joyful time of fellowship afterward. Bring your friends and neighbors—everyone is welcome!

Our upcoming Saturday night concerts include:

• Sept. 20 at 6:00 PM – MSB Gospel Choir. Tickets are $25, and all proceeds benefit Eastside Community Assistance. If you cannot attend, please consider gifting a ticket to someone in need.
• October – Date TBD.
• Friday, Dec. 5 at 6:00 PM – Western Hills High School Ensemble Choir led by Blake Glass. All proceeds will support their spring competition expenses.

Thank you for your joyful engagement in worship this past Sunday. Your smiles, voices lifted in harmony, and even your laughter at my jokes bless me deeply. It is good to be surrounded by God’s love, poured out through the family of God. You are all kindom citizens—building, gathering, visiting, praying, believing, and worshipping together.

I am also grateful for the care you show our campus and building. With 4 ½ acres, three bathrooms, a kitchen, a 200-person sanctuary, a 70-person fellowship hall, five classrooms, and an office, it is no small task to keep everything clean and cared for. Your volunteer service in these ways is kingdom work done with the power of God.

Remember to live out your service bathed in God’s love and sustained by God’s power.

Blessings to all,

Mary