Saint Matthew United Methodist Church

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Category: News

  • Kids’ News

    Sue Kelcey
    Categories:

    This week, we met a boy named Samuel. He was just a kid—about 12 years old—when something incredible happened.

    Samuel lived in the temple with a priest named Eli. He was there because his mother, Hannah, had promised God that if He gave her a child, she would dedicate him to the Lord’s service. And she kept that promise. Samuel grew up helping Eli and learning about God.

    One night, after they had both gone to bed, Samuel heard a voice calling his name:

    “Samuel!”

    He jumped up and ran to Eli’s room. But Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.”

    This happened again. And again. And again.

    Finally, Eli realized what was going on—it wasn’t Eli calling. It was God.

    Samuel listened carefully, and when God called him again, he said:

    “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

    Samuel’s story reminds us that God speaks to people of all ages—even kids. If we listen closely, we might hear God calling us to help, to pray, to show kindness, or to do something brave.

    “We know that God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

    —Romans 8:28

    What We Learned:

    • God speaks to people of all ages—even kids!
    • Sometimes God’s call is quiet, so we have to listen carefully.
    • When God calls, we can say like Samuel did: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”
    • Every one of us can do something important for God, no matter our age.

    Thank you for bringing your young ones to church so they can learn and grow in faith, just like Samuel did. See you in church on Sunday!

  • Special Offering for Guadalupe Flood Relief

    Jason Hardy
    Categories:

    URGENT: Special Offering for Guadalupe Flood Relief – Tomorrow at Church

    Our hearts are heavy as we witness the devastation caused by the flooding along the Guadalupe River, which has already claimed at least 27 lives and left many without homes.

    Tomorrow during worship, we will collect a special offering to support the relief efforts led by the Rio Texas Conference Disaster Response Team. All funds will be sent directly to them and used to provide critical supplies like flood buckets, emergency cleanup, and support for displaced families.

    Our goal is to raise $2,000 to send immediate help where it’s most needed.

    Want to give electronically? You can make a secure donation now through our PayPal campaign: https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=3WZVX49XX4JK4

    100% of your gift will go to immediate disaster relief efforts.

  • Max’s Corner

    Max Brennan
    Categories:

    I’m Back

    For what it’s worth, I’ll return Sunday after a three-week absence following my collision with a concrete slab.

    Great thanks to Mary for her loving and excellent work in my absence. I know you’ve enjoyed her sermon series—and so have I.

    And online, Mary ended up doing a couple of solos last week when all help deserted her.

    She was preacher and songleader. (Shannon and Julian were out, and Blake left early.)

    But Mary’s a singer. She’s in our choir—one of her many hats.

    I’m excited about being back.

    If ministry were not at the heart of my life, I would have retired years ago.

    But I warn you—I’m not moving very fast.

    I know! I know!—I moved like a turtle before the accident.

    Well, now I move like a dead turtle.

    Been Watching

    I’ve been watching online like many of you.

    I now realize that the primary microphones for picking up the organ are the ones on the pulpit and lectern. These are usually off at the beginning of the service, which makes the organ sound distant online.

    Big in-house. Distant online.

    We also hear almost no congregational singing, which is why Mary sounded like she was doing a solo. This is also why we mic Blake, Shannon, and Julian during the hymns.

    Breakfast This Sunday

    If Winston is present, he’ll be doing breakfast.

    Feel free to help. Breakfast is at 10:30.

    Come early and eat. This fellowship time is lovely.

    My Class

    I’m easing back into things.

    Preaching and Communion will be enough for my first Sunday back.

    My class, Discovering God, will resume the following week—July 13.

    Our topic: What NDEs Tell Us About Salvation—Who Gets In, Who Doesn’t?

    New Procedure

    I’m asking our musicians to get music titles to me by Wednesday morning by email or text. (It may not work this week.)

    If you have announcements, get them to the church office—or to me—by Wednesday morning.

    There will be an announcement page in the bulletin so that we do not have to take worship time for announcements—at least not much of it.

    Veta will run the bulletins on Thursdays.

    This Sunday

    It’s Communion Sunday.

    My sermon title is: All Are One

    We’ll talk about the first great truth of our existence: that we are all one with one another—and one with God.

    I’ll share a couple of wonderful and surprising stories.

    We will sing.

    We will gather at the Lord’s Table.

    And I will have the joy of being back in church.

    Come—let us rejoice together.

    God Bless,

    MB

  • Mary’s Corner

    Mary Teague
    Categories:

    Words That Carry Us Closer

    Every breath we take, every move we make—everything we do is done in the presence of God.

    Over the past three weeks, we’ve explored how words matter—how communication is not just between us and others, but between us and God. We talked about the way we speak to each other, the way we speak to ourselves, and the way we speak to God.

    And what we’ve discovered is this: it’s all conversation with God.

    We are commanded to love our neighbor—that’s how we speak to each other.

    We are created in God’s image and pursued by grace—that’s how we speak to ourselves.

    And when we pray, worship, sing, study, and serve—that’s how we speak to God.

    I hope you’ve found something meaningful in this sermon series. I know I have.

    Please lift up our dear friend and church member Linda Pruett in prayer. She experienced a stroke last week and is now recovering at home. Her daughter is with her, and she’s doing well—but prayers are deeply appreciated. If you’re one of our Methodist chefs, a few small meals would be helpful in this season of healing.

    And now… Max is back!

    This Sunday, I encourage you—if you’re able—to be present in the pews. If not, send him a note or a message to let him know you’re glad he’s back. I’ll be sitting in the pew myself, feet up, simply ready to be fed by whatever word God has placed on Max’s heart.

    I love you all,

    Mary

  • Kids’ News – Barnabas and Saul Are Sent

    Sue Kelcey
    Categories:

    This week, we learned about the moment when the early church sent Barnabas and Saul (who we now know as Paul) on a very important journey. Before they left, the believers gathered to pray and worship. During that time, the Holy Spirit spoke and made it clear that Barnabas and Saul were being called to do something special for God.

    Then something powerful happened: the church laid hands on them.

    The laying on of hands is an ancient practice—a way of saying, “We believe in you,” and “We’re with you.” When the early believers placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul, they weren’t just sending them off—they were reminding them that they weren’t alone. The whole community was with them in spirit, and more importantly, God was with them too.

    That’s how the Holy Spirit works. The Spirit speaks, calls, and sends. And the Spirit gives us strength, just like Jesus promised:

    “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” (Acts 1:8)

    Even today, the Spirit is still calling people to do big things in love, kindness, and faith. And sometimes the Spirit calls kids, too.

    What We Learned:

    • The Holy Spirit calls and sends people out to share God’s love.
    • When we pray for each other, we are showing that we are a community of faith.
    • God’s Spirit gives us power to be brave, loving, and kind wherever we go.
    • We are never alone—our church and the Spirit go with us.

    In class, we talked about what it means to be “sent” by God—not just to faraway places like Barnabas and Saul, but even to our schools, neighborhoods, and homes. We colored cutouts of hands and wrote encouraging prayers on them to remind each other: you’re not alone, and you are loved.

    See you in church Sunday, where we’ll learn more about the Holy Spirit!