Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25

“The Promise of Hope”

 Rev. Erin Wyma

Click here to sign up for Sunday service volunteer opportunities (reader, greeter, acolyte, or usher)

We need announcement readers for December and January.

Advent Schedule

Advent begins on Sunday, November 27th. We will light the Advent candle every week through Christmas and hope to see you at church. 

We have some special events planned as well. 

December 11th: Enjoy the beautiful music of the Cantata during church.

Following the service, the crazies will hold their annual hot cocoa fundraiser in Dobstaff. 

Come sing some Christmas Carols at 4pm. After we sing, enjoy some hot chocolate and pizza with your St. Matthew family.

December 18th: Celebrate with cake after church during our annual Birthday Party for Jesus with the Sunday School children.

Christmas Eve: 6pm Family-friendly service and 10pm Candlelight service. 

Christmas Day: 9:30am Caroling, Lessons, and Cocoa in your pj's.

For our full Advent schedule, click https://stmatthewucc.org/advent/

Just a reminder that if you volunteered to fill a basket, they need to returned to church by December 4th.

Marla Mothershed is leading an Advent Yoga series on Thursday evenings at 6:30pm in the sanctuary on December 8th and 15th. 

This will be a gentle and calming practice suitable for everyone. There are mats available. Contact Marla Mothershed or just simply show up!  

Betty Greer will be at church on Saturday, December 3rd and 10th from 1-2:30pm collecting donations for the People's Resource Center and Interfaith Food Pantry. See the left sidebar for most-needed items. Thank you!

Prayers of deepest gratitude to the lovely St. Matthew church family for all your prayers, cards, and personal support these past 4+ years for Jack and me. They helped us feel great comfort and closer to God.

Thank you, especially to those who were able to be with my family
and me for Jack's visitation and memorial services so comfortingly
held at St. Matthew on November 21st and 22nd. Thanks to KC for her beautiful piano and organ music on November 22nd and to Rick Jungk for live streaming and recording the service for our memories. Thanks to Pastor Erin, who made time to meet with our son, daughter, and me before she left for California.

Last, but certainly not least, to Dani, who so unbelievably helped
us plan and pull off Jack's services in only 3 days, in the midst of
our grief, and during Thanksgiving week.

You all helped us experience in a most meaningful way as Allen always reminded us,

"God is good all the time.  All the time, God is good!" 

The Jack White Family, 

Sandy,  Patrick, Chelsea and Madison, and Colleen and
Thomas

The holidays are around the corner so here is your SCARCE recycling tip to help you have a more sustainable holiday season!

If you buy traditional wrapping paper from your local big box store, it's probably not recyclable. Most of the wrapping paper you see has some sort of plastic laminate or non-paper additives that cannot be separated from the paper at recycling facilities. Holiday cards are recyclable if they consist of only paper- no glitter, electronics, or ribbons. Instead, wrap presents in newspaper, kraft paper, or fabric, and avoid anything with glitter! Glitter is an unnecessary microplastic that makes a mess wherever it goes.

SCARCE has partnered with a recycling project - Danielle Cares for Chairs - to recycle bread tags (as seen in this photo). Funds raised through recycling bread tags provide mobility equipment for those in need. It takes at least 260,000 bread tags for one wheelchair. So far this program has been able to purchase 6 wheelchairs. Please consider joining in this project by collecting bread tags and dropping them in the labeled container in the narthex.

Help yourself to the firewood at the end of Gables, across the street from the church (the former More property).

Take as much as you want.

We are meeting this Sunday at 4:30 for Outreach Christmas shopping. 

We need 2 adult volunteers for December 18th or we will have to cancel. 

No crazies on December 25th or January 1st. 

Thank you to all who have sent their 2023 pledges. If you have not yet sent in your pledge, please do. Pledging helps us plan the next year's budget.

Click here to pledge online.

On Friday, December 2nd, at 8pm, Gavin Coyle is hosting his annual concert “A Celtic Christmas” in the Belushi Performance Hall at the MAC at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. Our own Karen Fernandez will be accompanying him on the harp. 

If still available, tickets can be purchased directly through the MAC box office, 630.942.4000.

Our Sunday coffee hour will resume in Dobstaff. Please consider bringing a treat on the following weeks:

First Sunday- last names A-C

Second Sunday- last names D-H

Third Sunday - last names I-O

Fourth Sunday - last names P-Z

Fifth Sunday- Anyone

Please contact Wendy Fanning if you are able to set up or clean up coffee hour. Thanks for your help.

The St. Matthew worship service will be streamed every Sunday at 9:30am. The service will be available on our website after the service.

Access the service through the St. Matthew YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/StMatthewUCC

**Once you are on YouTube, you have the option to turn on closed captioning and resize the font. Once the video is playing, click on the setting wheel in lower-right of your screen, choose Subtitles/CC, then choose English.**

You can also go to the St. Matthew homepage (stmatthewucc.org) to access the online service. 

Go to our website for instructions on how to donate to St. Matthew. Thank you!