Calendar, Upcoming Events, and News
*Please note that some activities are not church-sponsored or may be private; contact the church office to confirm.
From the weekly email 11/21/25:
Christmas Angel Tree
St. Matthew has adopted four families this Christmas. All of our tags have now been been taken from the tree. There are 15 children and their parents who will be having a little bit better Christmas this year because of you! Thank you!
Bring all gifts UNWRAPPED by Sunday, Dec. 14. They can be dropped off at the church office during the week or in the Narthex Sunday morning. We will wrap the gifts and deliver them by Dec. 16. We cannot accept the gifts after Dec. 14.
We appreciate all of your support on this fun and joyous outreach opportunity!
From the weekly email 11/14/25:
December Mission Focus: Advent Food Boxes
For over 40 years St. Matthew UMC has blessed our community with Christmas food boxes, and we're not stopping now! In the link below you can find our "Advent Food Box" list. There will also be paper copies available in the Sanctuary Narthex Sunday mornings.
Choose a few items from the list, or buy everything for a complete box. All donations are appreciated.
Please bring all donations by December 14, as boxes will be given out on Saturday, December 20 through our Food Box distribution. (Yes, the list is in the form of an Advent Calendar, but this time, we can't wait until Christmas!) Thanks in advance for your generous donation and participation!
—Missions & Outreach Committee
12/7/25:
Habitat for Humanity Advent Calendar
Every Advent, St. Matthew provides small cardboard banks and a printed calendar to help us remember how fortunate we are and let us share our fortune with others. We’re counting blessings in our homes and dedicating spare change as we are able to St. Matthew’s Habitat build! If you haven't picked up this year's calendar yet, calendars and a few banks will be available on the Ushers' Counter, or you can look it up online.
Encore presentation of Choir Cantata at Friendship Village Sunday, December 14
From the weekly email 11/15/25:
Advent & Christmas Worship Series & Study
Advent is the beginning of a new year of waiting, but it is an active and watchful waiting. It is tapping into the world's longing for redemption, salvation, and transformation. November 30 is the first Sunday of Advent when we turn our attention toward preparation for the coming of Christ. Our Advent worship theme this year is All Earth Is Waiting, from the hymn Toda la Tierra and its first line, “Toda la tierra espera al Salvador/All earth is waiting to see the Promised One,” hymn #210. This hymn, and indeed the worship series, is a reminder of what is at stake. “All the world, bound and struggling, seeks true liberty” in the first verse allows us to look back to the story of the Incarnation and to look forward to the coming of the kingdom of heaven, when the will of God will be done on earth as in heaven. All of earth is waiting for this fulfillment. In worship, we can see the signs of the nearness of Emmanuel, God with us.
| Nov. 30 | "Signs & Times" | Matthew 24:6-44 |
| Dec. 7 | "Signs & Story" | Matthew 3:1-12 |
| Dec. 14 | "Signs & Truth" | Matthew 11:2-11 |
| Dec. 21 | "Signs & Faithfulness" | Matthew 1:18-25 |
An Advent study prepared by Pastor Ann will accompany this worship series and will meet at 9:30 a.m. on Thursdays 12/4, 12/11, and 12/18. Booklets for the study will be available through the church office, at worship, or in class. Ideally, class members will pick up the booklet by November 30 in preparation for the first class the following Thursday, December 4. A $5 donation to offset the cost of printing the booklets is appreciated but not required.
From the weekly email 12/5/25:
Christmas Tea
United Women in Faith will have a Christmas Tea on Wednesday, December 17, at 10 a.m. in the Activity Center big room. There will be no business meeting – just fellowship, refreshments, and a program by the Hands of Joy Sign Language Choir. Guests will include UWFaith members from Dayspring and First Mesa. All women of the church are invited to attend!
From the weekly email 11/21/25:
“Waiting With Hope” Adult Sunday School led by Rev. Jim Ek
Begins Sunday, November 30 • 10:30 a.m. • Room C1-3
As Advent begins, I invite you into a gentle, reflective four-week journey of hope, peace, joy, and love. This study will help us slow down, breathe deeply, and open our hearts to the ways Christ is already drawing near. Together, we’ll explore Scripture, share meaningful conversation, and practice simple acts of compassion that help us notice God’s presence in everyday life.
Whether you’ve been part of the fall Sunday School series or are joining for the first time, you are warmly welcome! Come as you are. Bring your questions, your longing, your gratitude, and your need for peace – and your Bible! Let’s prepare our hearts for Christ’s coming—together.
December Youth schedule
| Dec. 7 | Cantata Sunday | 9:00 a.m. | Enjoy the music of the season with family and friends! |
| Dec. 14 | "Be the Light" party | 9:15 a.m. | Join the celebration with games & fun that bring us closer to the light! |
| Dec. 21 | Faithfulness Mosaic | 9:15 a.m. | Lend your creative skills to our community art display! |
| Dec. 24 | Family Service | 5:00 p.m. | Join us for a celebration of Christmas! |
| Dec. 28 | Winter FUNderland | 9:15 a.m. | Don't miss out on snow games & winter crafts for all ages! |
From the weekly email 11/14/25:
A Place for Quiet Hope: Our Longest Night service
Sunday, December 21 at 5:00 p.m.
For many, Christmas is a season of lights, laughter, and joy. But for others, this time of year can feel heavy. Grief has its own calendar, and it doesn’t take a holiday break. Worry, loneliness, or exhaustion don’t simply disappear because the world around us seems determined to be merry. And this year, especially, so many are carrying burdens—grief after the death of a loved one, the ache of being far from family, strained relationships, financial struggles, illness, anxiety, political unrest, or the deep uncertainty facing so many in our community and world.
If this describes you—or someone you love—then our Longest Night service (sometimes called "Blue Christmas") is a place made especially for you. This quiet, reflective worship service creates space for honesty, healing, and hope. It reminds us that it is holy to stop pretending to be joyful when joy feels far away. It reminds us that God sees us, just as we are, and meets us in our need....
Saturday, December 13, at 3:00 p.m. in the St. Matthew UMC Sanctuary
For the first time, St. Matthew will be hosting an Orpheus concert! Join us for Holidays with Orpheus as the Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix fills the air with festive cheer! Enjoy a mix of Christmas classics and holiday favorites, and don’t miss their famous sing-along to get you in the spirit.
Note: Orpheus is not a ministry of St. Matthew.
Paid tickets are required for entry; visit orpheus.networkforgood.com/events/91199-holidays-with-orpheus-mesa for tickets. General admission adult tickets are currently $30.
Paid tickets are required for entry; visit orpheus.networkforgood.com/events/91199-holidays-with-orpheus-mesa for tickets. General admission adult tickets are currently $30.
From the weekly email 12/5/25:
Note: Lost tool
While a Trustee was working on electrical outlets in the Activity Center on Friday, November 28, his personal Amprobe electric meter disappeared. If you have seen a meter somewhere on the campus, or perhaps moved it to a more secure location, please contact the church office or Roy H. Thank you!
From the weekly email 12/5/25:
A Year of Awe—December
It is my intention to gather with St. Matthew family and friends every month to celebrate life by connecting with awe. But December is upon us and I do not see an easy or convenient time to gather as one group. There are, however, an abundance of opportunities to experience awe this month.
Instead of gathering together to experience awe, let’s gather our experiences on Facebook and share where we find awe around us. You might find awe in your family, in community events, or in gathering with friends. Here are some ideas for where you might experience awe:
· Mesa Temple Christmas Lights 2025: 101 S. LeSueur, downtown Mesa, 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. each evening from now through December 30; free and open to all. Experience the gleam of hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Mesa Temple grounds alongside 10 biblical vignettes depicting the Christmas story, complete with QR codes for additional content.
· Mesa’s Merry Main Street: Downtown Mesa 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. every evening through January 3, with some additional afternoon activities; includes an Ice Rink, Jack Frost’s Food Truck Forest, and so much more. Find the full calendar of events at merrymainst.com/calendar/.
· St. Matthew UMC Christmas Cantata: December 7 in 9:00 a.m. worship. Join the Sanctuary Choir in preparing for the Christ Child with “Night of the Father’s Love.”
· “Holidays with Orpheus” concert (Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix): December 13 at 3:00 p.m. here at St. Matthew UMC. Ticket info at www.orpheus.org.
Find your holiday awe and then share your pictures and your experiences on the St. Matthew Facebook page. Mark your post with #yearofawe.
And watch for announcements about our January 2026 Awe Walk. You won’t want to miss it!
Blessings,
Pastor Ann
Pastor Ann
Thank you!
"Congregation of St. Matthew Church--
Thank you so much for your generous donation of pies for our students' families. Your kindness brought smiles and holiday cheers into the homes of Washington Elementary Families.
Thank you for making the season so much sweeter!
--Washington Elementary"
We delivered 32 pies the congregation donated to the Booker T. Washington Turkey Trot, which allowed two students from each classroom to win a pie. Gobble Gobble!
From the weekly email 12/5/25:
Thank you!
The Worship Committee would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to everyone who came last Saturday to help decorate our worship space. Because of your generosity, care, and willing hands, the Sanctuary looks beautiful!
From the weekly email 12/5/25:
Interested in a Pilgrimage?
St. Matthew UMC has been approached with the opportunity to plan a pilgrimage to Wesley heritage sites. Pilgrimage has long been central to our Christian tradition—a sacred journey that invites us into deeper communion with God, one another, and the broader Church. Whether walking in the footsteps of Jesus and the Apostles, visiting Celtic Christian sites, or exploring spiritual landmarks around the globe, pilgrimage offers rich opportunities for reflection, fellowship, and renewal. These shared experiences often spark lasting transformation, strengthening both individual faith and congregational life. Here is a description of the planned journey:
Can you imagine walking the same streets where John and Charles Wesley preached, worshiping in the chapels they founded, and experiencing firsthand the birthplace of Methodism? The itinerary, "In The Footsteps of John and Charles Wesley (10 Days / 8 Nights)," takes a group through the most significant sites in Methodist history. From the Wesley family home in Epworth to the chapels of London where the movement flourished, your congregants will gain a profound appreciation for the roots of their faith tradition.
If you would be interested in taking such a pilgrimage, email Pastor Ann at
pastorann@stmatthewmesa.org and be sure to put in the subject line “Pilgrimage.” Let her know if you are interested and how many people might travel with you (a couple, single, family of 4, etc.). An email will not commit you to anything, but it will let us know if enough people might be interested to start the planning process.
From the weekly newsletter 11/21/25:
Thank you, Girl Scout Troop!
Another big thank you to our local Girl Scout troop, led by Marion R, who also donated a large box of food to the food box program. You're not only being friendly and helpful, but you're making the world a better place! Thanks again!
—The Food Box Program
From the Desert Southwest Conference:
The Desert Southwest Conference lists job openings weekly for positions in local churches, Conferences across the country, and United Methodist General organizations. To see the listings, check out dscumc.org/classifieds/jobs.
Page updated 12/7/25
Rev. Ann Lyter, Senior Pastor
2540 West Baseline Road
Mesa, AZ 85202
(480) 838-7309
Office hours M-F 9 a.m.-noon
Office hours M-F 9 a.m.-noon
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