Greetings beloved community,

I am recovering well from my sinus infection and will be back to my usual self in time for Curtis “Andy” Anderson’s memorial service. You will not get this newsletter until after the service, but I know you are praying for Linda and for their family as they go through this difficult time. I know Linda is grateful for this church and for the love and care we show to each other.

I am hoping that the sermons from Father Richard Rohr’s books are meaningful to you. I want to be relevant to you and to what is happening in your lives. I also want to avoid putting you to sleep😊 If you have any topics you want to know more about, please let us know. It is important to Max and me that we are preaching about the things that matter to you, along with the things God leads us to preach.

This Sunday, February 4, 2024, is All Council Sunday right after church. If you are on a church committee, please plan to attend. If you are not on a committee, show up and we will find a place for you to serve. We will be talking about 2024 plans and our 2024 budget. 

I pray you have a peaceful week, enjoying the few days of sunshine and moderate temperatures. My love to all, Mary

This week we discussed the Parable of the Mustard Seed. The kids knew exactly what a mustard seed is; last year they each received one.

They were amazed to realize that this tiny seed could grow into a tree that is 8 to 10 feet tall.

Sometimes we imagine the kingdom of God as being a time and a place in the future. Jesus said God’s kingdom is here on earth right now!

Jesus encouraged his friends then, and us today, to make sure we are all working to bring about God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom comes into being with tiny and almost invisible things — a tiny, almost invisible, seed turns out to have an enormous effect.

Do something this week to show someone God’s love. Make a pay-it-forward gesture that shows God’s love through you. You could do something nice for a friend or a neighbor or do something to show appreciation for a member of your church. By loving others, you show God’s love through you.

We hope to see you in church Sunday. We will review the most important thing — that you help someone feel cared for.

Blessings

A Loss in Our Church Family

Curtis Anderson passed in his sleep during Sunday night. Arrangements have not been made, but we will send out an announcement as soon as we know. Our love and prayers are with Linda and all of Curtis’ family. May the Lord remind them that Curtis is feeling great now in the presence of the Lord and all of his family who went before him.

This Coming Sunday

Mary is back and will be preaching for us. Blake will be gone, but Julian Rodriquez will sing for us. Expect some high tenor notes.

Sunday, at church time, it will be 50 degrees under a bright sun.

Good weather for church. And don’t forget breakfast—at 10:30 before worship.

End-of Year Reporting

On Monday, we turned in “the numbers” (our finances and membership statement) to the Conference, as we do every January. We had a successful year. Our people were faithful. All bills were paid.

In the coming year, I would encourage us to continue to be careful with our spending. A church growth expert has said a church needs to hold a third of their yearly budget in reserve. We do not have that much, but we do have some.

And we can depend on the faithfulness of our people. We also depend on the power of the gospel to continue to draw people to our church.

Every few Sundays we see new faces in our midst.

I am excited about 2024.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

God bless—MB

Hello dear church and friends,

We lost Curtis Anderson on Monday morning. He passed peacefully in his sleep. Linda we are praying for you and your family. Linda and Curtis have been members of the United Methodist Church for a long, long time. They even have some original artwork from a Methodist circuit preacher from BEFORE the UMC was united at all. I wonder how all of those circuit riding preachers would feel about the UMC if they could see us now? And the lay ministers who served in between visits from the circuit riders, what would they think of the church today? It was a very conservative time then and a little bit now; but, the UMC is slowly making progress in the areas of affirmation and inclusion. I am proud to say that our congregation moves faster than the majority. I say all that to tell you that I found out that Curtis and Linda Anderson are also trained and certified lay speakers for the UMC. They preached many years ago at Eastside UMC. I know how they feel about the church today. They love Saint Matthew and have become an important part of our history and community. Funeral arrangements are pending. You will receive a special email with the details.

I am back from my vacation to the beach. It was a peaceful and restful time for me. I hope to share some photos with you soon. Mostly, I hope to see you in church on Sunday. Love to all, Mary

Jesus was walking along the shore of the Galilean Sea when he saw two brothers, Peter and Andrew, fishing with nets. Jesus called to them: “Come, follow me! I will teach you how to fish for people.”

They dropped everything and followed Jesus. Further along the shore, Jesus saw two brothers, James and John, fishing with their father. He called out to them the same invitation and they left their father to follow Jesus.

The phase “to fish for people” is Jesus’ invitation for us to truly follow him. This is a calling for everyone. When we accept this calling, we are invited to be disciples and to share this message with the world. Everyone is called. We can all be a follower of Jesus; we are all included.

Thanks for being in church with us to learn more about this invitation.

Blessings