Greetings dear friends and family of Saint Matthew UMC,

I want to begin by telling you all that I am so very moved by your response to our new children’s project of raising money to help those less fortunate. Your response Sunday morning was phenomenal. The children ended up collecting $198 in change and small bills. For those of you who placed large bills in the bucket, I’m grateful for you. In the next few weeks, we will have newly decorated buckets, and we will have one large bucket for each child who comes to church.

I also want to tell you that our project with Bill J. Elliott Elementary School is off to a roaring start. We delivered quite a few pairs of undergarments to the school, and I have just been informed that the socks are already starting to show up at the church for our next event with the school. Your generous hearts are the perfect example of a follower of Jesus Christ putting action to their faith. We will have information very soon about a warm coat drive. This drive will include sweaters, hooded sweatshirts, coats, and warm mittens. Connie Michael is our liaison to the school, and we are grateful for her work.

I am excited by the many new connections we are making in our community. I’m also very excited about the work that we continue to do that we’ve always done. I know that a couple of our anonymous angels reached out to Charlotte Holder Sunday afternoon just to make sure that she had everything she needed. I was able to visit with Bill and Linda Parker that same afternoon. Bill is still recovering and still telling those same dad jokes that he always tells. We look forward to the day when Bill and Linda are back with us in worship.

By the time you read this letter, I will either be in the middle of or just finished with my interview with the District Committee on Ministry. You are all aware that the Board of Ordained Ministry opted for me to wait before being approved for ordination as a provisional elder in the United Methodist Church. I was devastated by that decision last March, but from where I stand today, it was one of the greatest blessings of my life this year. The work that would have been involved in being a provisional elder in the UMC is more than I would have been able to complete successfully given the events of 2024. I look forward to talking with DCoM on Thursday, and to interviewing with the board again next March. Your prayers and your support are absolutely vital to my success.

These horrid temperatures and the unsafe conditions they create will remain with us for the foreseeable future. It looks like it may not even be safe to go outdoors during the day before September. I also want you to be aware that mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus have been found in our neighborhood, making dusk also an unsafe time to be outdoors. Please try to remain indoors as much as you can over the next couple of weeks. I look forward to being outdoors with you in the fall, maybe even having a cookout or an outdoor worship service sometime in October. Speaking of October, on October 13th, Texas Health Fort Worth Faith Community Nursing will be at Saint Matthew from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM giving flu vaccines. The vaccines are not the senior dose of the flu vaccine; we will not have any supply of the senior vaccine. However, we will have plenty of regular flu vaccines for those folks in the congregation who want to receive a free flu shot. We will also be sharing this event with the elementary school for the parents to come and be vaccinated at our congregation. More to come as we will need volunteers to help with setup and managing the traffic I’m hoping we have that morning.

My love to all of you and wishes for a cold front to come sooner rather than later into our lives,
Mary

SERVICE FOR JK WARE

The graveside memorial for JK Ware, father of Sheila Taylor and Cindy Wheeler and grandfather of others in our church, will be at Shannon Rose Hill Cemetery on Thursday—at 10:30. A lunch for family and all friends will follow at the church.

The family invites you to share this time of remembrance with them.

JK is now with his beloved wife, Betty, and his loved ones who went before him.

We praise our Lord.

NDE CLASS

Both Diana and Danny Eades shared their near-death experiences from childhood. At age 10, Danny’s was brief, involving only a life review. Diana’s, at age six, was extensive as she hovered between this world and the next following a snakebite. During her NDE, Diana saw her grandmother, who sent back a message for Diana’s mother.

Class at 9:45—followed by breakfast.

SPEAKING OF BREAKFAST

This is a “Winston Sunday” Feel free to help.

Food and fellowship at 10:30.

The Concert

It could not have been any better.

We had 84 present. Thanks to Shannon and Julian. And thanks for all that good food.

A truly wonderful evening.

This Sunday

Sermon Sunday: The Gift that Makes Us Possible. And we return to the Garden of Eden—Genesis 3:1-13.

I look forward to Sunday. See you in church.

God Bless—MB

Bill Parker is in the hospital—and in our prayers. It does not seem right around here without Bill and Linda. Lord, get them back with us soon.

Mac Salfen—we love you and miss you.

Thanks for the gifts to get our audio and light systems repaired and upgraded. We have reached our goal. The work will soon begin.

Good Wednesday to you from your sacred servant,

Blessings and peace from Jesus Christ, our Lord, to all the sacred servants of Saint Matthew UMC. I am overwhelmed this week by the generosity of this congregation. We have collected $5,000 toward the sound system! We can now move forward with the necessary repairs and even complete a few upgrades that we previously couldn’t afford. I am also deeply moved by the love and grace you extend to each other and to visitors at our events and worship services.

Saturday night was especially touching, not just because of the beautiful music, but also because of the fellowship afterward. Laughter and storytelling filled the room long after plates were cleaned and dessert was enjoyed. What I witnessed filled my heart with joy. I look forward to the day when I can be at the church full-time, so we can schedule even more fellowship time together.

On Sunday, we talked about the sacredness of “never letting your love fail for your siblings” and the importance of serving God by serving each other. What you do at Saint Matthew and in the surrounding area is akin to what the 12 Apostles did over 2,000 years ago to start the church and share the gospel of the Risen Christ. We are all called to this ministry of service, and I am grateful that we are doing it together.

This Thursday, August 15th, at 10:30 am, we will lay to rest the remains of JK Ware in a graveside service at Shannon-Rose Hill Cemetery. Mr. Ware and his dear wife Betty attended Saint Matthew years ago. Cindy and Sheila were members of the church then, and are with us again now. The family will return to Saint Matthew after the service for a meal and fellowship. We need volunteers (aka sacred servants) to help with food preparation, set-up, and clean-up.

I’ve also been in contact with Ms. Blackman, the counselor at BJ Elliott Elementary School. She is thrilled to have the church’s support for their 334 students this year. According to Counselor Blackman, winter coats are the perfect focus right now. Connie Michael will provide more details about when our Winter Coat Drive will begin.

I am blessed to be a part of this church family. You are with me, “like a handprint on my heart,” as Julian and Shannon sang to us on Saturday and Sunday. And I am better because I know you.

Gratefully,

Mary

Jazz Concert Fundraiser for Eastside Community Assistance

Saturday August 24^th 6pm @ Meadowbrook/Poly UMC

3900 Meadowbrook Drive Fort Worth, TX 76103

This Sunday, we learned about a woman named Naomi. She left her home in Bethlehem with her husband and their two young sons to live in the country of Moab. While living in Moab, her sons grew up and married two young women, Ruth and Orpah.

Sadly, Naomi’s husband and sons passed away. With no family left in Moab, Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem. She encouraged Ruth and Orpah to go back to their own families. Orpah returned home, but Ruth chose to stay with Naomi, saying, “Wherever you go, I will go… Your God will be my God.”

Life was challenging for Naomi and Ruth when they returned to Bethlehem. They worked hard to set up a new home, but food was scarce. To survive, Ruth went out to gather leftover crops in the fields, as it was customary in those days for people in need to collect what was left behind.

A man named Boaz showed kindness to Ruth by allowing her to glean in his fields. This story reminds us that it sometimes takes courage to be kind, especially in difficult times. God calls us to be brave and show kindness, and when we do, that kindness can spread to others.

With school now in full swing, I know life can get busy; but I hope to see all our children in church this Sunday.

See you then!