Offering Christ Together...

Bereavement Ministry: Coordination of care and meals for families prior to or following funeral or memorial services in our sanctuary.  The F-3 (Food, Friends, Fellowship) Ministry, Sunday School classes, and small groups play a vital role in this nurturing care.  The F-3 ministry team helps plan and prepare meals, set up the room, arrange flowers for meal tables, serve as host/hostess to family members and friends during the meal, and clean up after the meal.  Kaye Herring is the coordinator.

Card Care: This group meets each Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in the Church Library (room 116) to pray for known joys and concerns before writing cards to members and visitors to communicate the love of Christ.  

Christ’s Cupboard (day-to-day): This is a ministry of meals and hospitality with friends in special circumstances - illness, homebound, new baby, recent surgery, hospitalization, or death of a parent or child.  Donations from church members of casseroles, vegetables, meats, breads, salads, soups, and desserts offer comfort and communicate God’s love.  Food donations and/or delivery help are always appreciated in this day-to-day ministry.  Contact Kaye Herring, coordinator.

Christ Cupboard Holiday Meals: Special meals are prepared in the church kitchen at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas and delivered to friends in special circumstances.  Help is always needed to prep, package, and deliver meals.  The whole family can be involved in this ministry.  Tami Rigby is the meal coordinator.  Kaye Herring is the meal packaging and delivery coordinator.

Church-wide Prayer Ministry: This ministry provides opportunities for the congregation to come together in prayer throughout the year.  It offers resources, hosts prayer vigils, prays for students, schools, clergy, and laity, sets up Stations of the Cross during the Lenten season, and participates in the National Day of Prayer observance.  All church members are invited to participate in all Prayer Ministry events.  Help is always welcomed to plan, set up, and staff any of the events.  

Communion Ministry: This holy Sacrament is offered on the first Thursday of each month to friends hospitalized, homebound, or living in area retirement homes.  Servers meet at 1:30 p.m. in the Church Library (room 116) for prayer prior to going out in the community to serve at 2:00.  Help us share the Lord's Supper with friends.  Kaye Herring is the coordinator.

Covenant Care: Ministry of the laity with those in our congregation who are no longer able to be present for fellowship and worship.  Training is required.  Charles Stewart is the coordinator.

Disability Paperwork Assistance: Ministry of helping with the completion of disability paperwork (such as Social Security or other disability questionnaires).  Please note that this is not for representation before medical personnel--but for help navigating the paperwork.  Contact Charles Stewart by email at ahoamanager@gmail.com.

Flower Ministry: Each week, small bouquets are created from Sunday’s donated flowers and delivered to friends in homes, hospitals, and retirement facilities.  All who enjoy arranging flowers and visiting will be blessed by this ministry.  

Fire Station Friends: Each week, Wednesday Night Live (WNL) meals are delivered to our First Responder friends in the nearby fire station.  It only takes a few minutes after eating on Wednesday nights, to make this delivery.  Kaye Herring is the coordinator.

Hospital Visitation Ministry: Compassionate laity offer a supportive, cheerful presence to hospitalized members.  This is a shared ministry with staff clergy and training is required. Kaye Herring is the coordinator.  

Joys and Concerns: Prayer lists are updated daily and are distributed to the congregation twice each week (Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights at WNL) to encourage a supportive church community.  Kaye Herring is the coordinator.  

Pillowcase Pals: This group meets on the third Thursday of each month at 1:00 p.m. in the Church Library (room 116).  In addition to pillowcases, they have made blankets, bibs, and pillows to take to area shelters, halfway houses, and retirement homes, and to children's homes throughout central Mississippi.  They also take on other special projects, such as making small, cuddly bears for newborn babies in the church, plastic bag holders for the Weekday Ministry, and eyeglass cases for the 2019 Honduras mission team trip.  If you like to sew, consider helping in this ministry.  Most of this work is done from home, with packaging of the items done at the meetings.  Deliveries of many items are made by the group.  Kathy Helstrom is the coordinator.

Prayer List to Homebound Members: Each week, the prayer list and the traditional service order of worship for the following Sunday is mailed to friends no longer able to come to church.  Kaye Herring is the coordinator. 

Spiritual Growth: Daily, Advent, and Lenten devotional resources, as well as encouragement care notes, are available to members and visitors at the church Welcome Center in the Narthex and at the north entrance by the Perry Fellowship Hall.  

WAGS Pet Therapy (Witnessing Animals God’s Saints): Docile dogs communicate, in their special way, God's love to friends in area retirement homes each month.  Animals are evaluated to determine temperament.  A community-wide blessing of the pets is held each year.  If you want to be part of this special ministry and have a dog with a suitable temperament, please let us know.  Mary Gressett is the coordinator. 

There’s always a place of service for you at St. Matthew’s!