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

It’s important!

It will be more fun than anything you can find on TV. And we need—yes, I said need—you. Our great singers work so hard on these concerts. Their effort must be rewarded with people who care enough to come.

And you deserve to be here! You deserve to have a little fun. And an uplift in your spirits.

If you have not heard our “star” singers do their Broadway thing, you just don’t know how good they are. We are privileged to have this kind of music at St. Matthew.

So, put aside all else and come this Saturday, Aug. 30, at 6:00 for the big show: “A Night on Broadway.” Supper after. (Some of you are bringing desserts.)

Please!—give our great singers a great audience to sing for. Make this a wonderful evening. It is all free. But it is a fundraiser for Eastside Ministries. An offering will be taken. There are families depending on us for help. We give that help this Saturday. At 6:00.

Watching Online

Wow! The picture is beautiful and the new camera angles enrich the experience. And we will conquer that sound problem. (Way too low.) Our guys will soon have it licked. Chuy and the crew from 4Stage will finish all work this Friday. There is one more pew to go in (at the back—don’t fight over it) and a device that will allow us to have all of the microphones up front that we want. It will take 16—more than we will ever need. But right now, we can’t even do four mics for a quartet. And for the ones we do have, 100-ft. cables run over carpet through one transept, covered in tape. Jerry-rigged. Tell Jerry he is out of business. We’re doing it right.

My Class

We are looking at how our study of experience has changed our belief system. Truth is, the study of the experience of God gives us a new understanding of who we are as humans—and a new understanding of our relationship to God. It brings us more in line with the teachings of Jesus—but less in line with the teachings of most churches. Get in on the discussion. You are welcome to this class. At 9:45—followed by breakfast.

Breakfast this Sunday

It’s a “we-bring” Sunday. (Great breakfast last week.) Help, if you can. At 10:30.

This Sunday

My sermon: The Shocking Story of the Woman at the Well. She’s got the bucket. But He’s got the water. Come, let us be uplifted, encouraged, through worship and thanksgiving.

Love to our folk who have been ill or had surgery lately. We look for the day when you can return.

God Bless—MB

Hey! Do whatever you need to do to REMEMBER the concert Saturday night. Tie a string around your refrigerator—or stick your chewing gum in a new spot on the bedpost. But remember! And come!

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

We’ve been talking about the fruit of the Spirit, and today’s focus is on goodness.

The friendship between David and Jonathan shows us what goodness looks like in real life. Jonathan was the son of King Saul and could have been jealous of David, since David had been chosen by God to be the next king. Instead of rivalry, Jonathan chose friendship. He stood by David, trusted him, and showed him kindness, even when it was hard.

The Bible says: “Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.” (1 Samuel 18:3)

Jonathan told David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.” (1 Samuel 20:4) And David replied with trust, knowing Jonathan was a true friend.

Their story reminds us that true friends are a gift from God. Good friends show goodness through loyalty, trust, and love. Sometimes friends can even become like family, teaching us how to grow in our own relationships.

What We Learned:

• Goodness means showing kindness, loyalty, and love.
• True friendship reflects God’s love in our lives.
• Friends can become like family when we care for one another.