Join us Sunday, April 14, at 3 p.m., for the Saint Matthews Fellowship Choir “The Evolution of Praise 20th Anniversary Concert,” followed by a reception. The concert will take place in the Sanctuary and the reception will be in the Coley Hooker Jr. Fellowship Hall.

Admission is free. Please bring nonperishable food item(s) to support the SMUMC Food Pantry.

The Saint Matthews United Methodist Men’s Civic Prayer Breakfast will be Saturday, April 13, at 9 a.m. in the Coley Hooker Jr. Fellowship Hall. Allen Johnson, editor of the Greensboro News & Record, will be the featured speaker. SMUMC members and their guests are invited to attend.

Join us for a little “spring cleaning” in the Samaritan Garden on Saturday, April 6, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This activity will be in recognition of Earth Month. We hope to see you in the garden!

Saint Matthews UMC’s next Faith, Fellowship and Friends Sunday will be March 31 at the 10 a.m. worship service.

Congregants are encouraged to invite family, friends, co-workers and others in the community to join us for worship. Easter treats will be distributed as attendees exit the church.

— Acts 2:42

This year during Lent, you are encouraged to participate in the “40 Days, 40 Items” challenge. Each day from Wednesday, Feb. 14, to Thursday, March 28, place a nonperishable item in a box. After the 40th day, bring your box to Saint Matthews UMC for the Food Pantry.

The following items are needed: canned meats (tuna, spam, salmon, ham); canned entries (ravioli, beef stew, spaghetti and meatballs, chili, etc.); canned fruits (mixed variety, peaches, pears, etc.); canned vegetables (pork and beans, black eyed peas); saltine crackers; peanut butter and jelly; boxed or canned milk (whole milk or 2%milk); packaged pasta (macaroni, noodles, spaghetti); small bags of rice or pinto beans; cereals (oatmeal, grits, boxed cereals); and small bottles of condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo). 

Fresh items such as loaves of bread, fresh fruit, prepackaged sliced cheese are also needed, but please deliver them to the church as soon as they are purchased. 

Respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, are surging in North Carolina, and hospital admissions are spiking. If you have mild symptoms, do not wait! Get tested and treated now to prevent severe illness. Early treatment and preventive strategies like vaccines, hand washing, social distancing and wearing a mask keep our families, church and communities safe and healthy. Be Safe, Mask Up!

— Nurture Education and Congregational Care Ministry 

We need you to help clean Saint Matthews UMC’s Samaritan Garden on Saturday, Feb. 10, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring your energy and enthusiasm and we will provide everything else. For more details, contact Karlah Burton.

Hot food or drink in single-use cups and take-out containers made of what is often called “Styrofoam” leach toxins (Styrene and Benzene—both suspected carcinogens and known neurotoxins). Some ultimately will be absorbed into our bloodstream and tissues. Keep that in mind. Demand and use alternatives such as glass, ceramic, aluminum, and multiple-use plastic ware. Speak up for your health and the health of the environment. 

The Outreach Ministry is looking for participants for the Loving Hands Crochet & Knitting Ministry, which will begin with an orientation session Saturday, Jan. 27, 10:30 a.m. until noon. This ministry is open to all with varying degrees of crocheting and knitting skills, as well as those who want to learn to crochet (we will teach you).

Activities will include praying for each other and our community, crocheting and knitting items during group sessions and participating in at least one craft fair per year. Proceeds from the fair will be distributed between reinvestment of materials for future projects and the SMUMC Food Pantry.

If you are interested in participating in the Loving Hands Crochet & Knitting Ministry, please contact Ramona Miller.

Global Board of Higher Education Ministry (GBHEM) Scholarships offer financial aid to United Methodist students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees. Every year an average of $5.5 million is awarded to help students in the United States and abroad pursue their dreams through higher education, opening pathways for students of all backgrounds to earn degrees and serve as the next generation of leaders for the church and the world.

The application period for the fall 2024 term is Dec. 15 through March 13. All complete and qualified applications are reviewed and placed for consideration in the best available categories:

• General Scholarships
• HBCU Scholarships
• Ministry Scholarship

Funding for scholarships is made possible through the generosity of United Methodists and through decades of sound financial stewardship. Financial support for all GBHEM and scholarships comes from five primary sources:

1. 63 percent – Endowments
2. 22 percent – Wills and annuities
3. 13 percent – United Methodist Special Sunday
4. 1 percent – Online gifts
5. 1 percent – Fiduciary income

Learn more at https://www.gbhem.org/.

To apply, click here. 

— Submitted by Albertina McGirt, outgoing Stewardship Chair