Love, Joy, Peace...
Calendar, Upcoming Events, and News
*Please note that some activities are not church-sponsored or may be private; contact the church office to confirm.
St. Matthew Upcoming Events
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June Mission Focus: Back-to-School Drive
It is summer vacation time for schoolchildren in the East Valley, but vacation will be over before we know it, as the next school year begins in late July. The Missions and Outreach Committee at St. Matthew is collecting supplies for teachers and students at Booker T. Washington Elementary School, our neighborhood school. Suggested items that can be donated include glue sticks, no. 2 pencils, dry-erase markers, copy paper, gallon-size Ziploc bags, facial tissue, hand sanitizer, or any other item you might think of that could be used in a classroom. Gift cards will be raffled for teachers and staff; cards for Walmart, Target, Starbucks, or restaurants would be appreciated. Another request is for underwear for the nurse's office. A box for donations will be placed in the narthex. We are asking for donations to be dropped off by June 29.
Looking ahead to July, the Missions and Outreach Committee will be collecting cases of pint-sized bottles of water for a neighborhood City of Mesa hydration center.
The committee thanks you for your generous and continued support of our projects!
Events Hosted by Our Partners in Ministry
2025 Annual Conference June 12-15, 2025
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Annual Conference is happening this weekend in Las Vegas. Please pray for Pastor Joel and our lay delegates, Sue Edman and Robin Watson, as they travel to represent us!
This year’s Mission Project focuses on a critical need in our own connection, supporting food pantries in the North District of the Desert Southwest Conference. St. Matthew UMC is invited to join churches from across the Conference to support the Annual Conference Mission Project. To find out how you can give, click the links below:
Summer Camp registration is open!
St. Matthew is part of the Desert Southwest Annual Conference, which is blessed to have two camps: Mingus Mountain (north of Prescott Valley) and Potosi Pines (southwest of Las Vegas, Nevada). Children and youth from St. Matthew and their friends may go to either camp. Mingus will also be hosting a Friends & Family Camp Sun.-Tues. July 20-22, which will be open to all ages! Register soon--our camps fill up fast! (Financial assistance may be available; please contact Tonia or Pastor Joel.)
     Mingus 2025 summer camps
     Potosi Pines 2025 summer camps

News
Letter from Pastor Joel 6/6/25:
Dear St. Matthew Family,
As I prepare to step into a new chapter of ministry, I want to thank you for the opportunity to serve as your pastor. You have been such a gift to me. Though our time together was only two years, what a blessing it has been to laugh, cry, hug, pray, and so much more together.
Recently, I came across an image by artist Kelly Latimore titled, "The Good Shepherdess." In it, Latimore beautifully captures the nurturing, fierce, and faithful presence of God through a feminine lens. It reminded me of how expansive God truly is—beyond our categories, beyond our limits. God is both strength and tenderness, both mystery and presence. I am grateful for all the ways God has shepherded us—through seasons of change, through moments of uncertainty, and through the steady love we’ve shared as a church family.
St. Matthew has always been a community that models this divine care. For 51 years, you have connected with God through worship and wonder, cared for others with compassion and courage, and created transformative change in the world. You have been the hands and heart of Christ in Mesa, and it has been one of my greatest honors to serve among you.
Now, as you enter a new season with Pastor Ann, I give thanks. She brings the gift of creative worship and seasoned leadership. But more than that, she brings *herself*—the gift of just being Ann. I am so excited for you to know her and for her to experience the love you have so graciously given to me. Please continue to keep her in your prayers as she prepares to become your pastor. She is walking into something truly special.
Though our paths will part, our call to love continues. Remember, we are called to connect with God, care for others, and create change that reflects the heart of Christ and we do this work together with the Spirit’s guidance.
You are deeply loved and truly appreciated,
Pastor Joel
From the weekly newsletter, 6/6/25:
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Dear St. Matthew Family,
Fred Rogers famously asked, “Won’t you be my neighbor?”—a simple yet profound question that calls us into deeper relationship with the people around us. As followers of Christ, we know that being a neighbor means more than just sharing a street or a zip code—it means sharing in one another’s joys and struggles, and showing up with compassion. Our “Reaching New People in New Ways” team has been studying who lives in our neighborhood, and some of what they’ve uncovered is both heartbreaking and full of possibility: many of our neighbors feel isolated, unseen, and alone.
This is where our calling meets their need. We have a sacred opportunity to discern how we might be present with those who long for connection. It may be as simple as a kind word, an open invitation, or a new ministry of presence.
Please join us in praying that God will show us how to intentionally care for the people who live right in our backyard. And remember—we are not alone in this holy work. We do it together, led by the Spirit, trusting that God’s love has already gone ahead of us. Let’s be the kind of neighbors who make space at the table, who listen well, and who reflect the heart of Christ.
You are loved and appreciated,
Pastor Joel
From the Office of the Bishop, Desert Southwest Conference, 5/27/25:
Dear Members and Friends of the Desert Southwest Conference,
Grace and peace to you in the name and spirit of the Risen Christ who calls us to health and wholeness.
At our annual conference session last year in Tucson, we cast a vision of “A Healthy Church for A Healthy World.” . . . The first facet of the vision is to form and grow healthy individuals in Christian discipleship. To provide leadership in this area, we are creating a new Director of Faith Formation and Leadership Development position. This director will resource churches, clergy, and laity in faith formation at every age and stage of the discipleship journey, ensuring that we have intentional discipleship and leadership pathways that will help shape and form current and future lay and clergy leadership in the church. Special focus will be given to the discipling of leaders from historically under-represented groups.
I announce that it is my intention to appoint the Rev. Joel Bullock, outgoing pastor of St. Matthew UMC in Mesa, as the new Director of Faith Formation and Leadership Development beginning July 1st. Joel has served in a variety of ministry settings with a deep commitment to nurturing faith in people of all ages. He earned his theological education at Anderson University School of Theology, taking his Methodist courses at Claremont School of Theology and Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. He is a national trainer with the Godly Play Foundation, helping others engage with a formational and imaginative approach to spiritual development. Throughout his ministry, Joel has created space for individuals across generations to connect with God, grow in their faith, and live it out in the world. He is passionate about empowering leaders to discover and use their gifts and excels at resourcing and equipping them for effective ministry. His calm presence, attentive listening, and grace-filled leadership will be invaluable as he supports the people and ministries of our conference.
Rev. Bullock will be based in Tucson, AZ. Please join me in welcoming Joel and praying for him as he steps into this new role.
. . .
Addaan namnama ken rag-o (With hope and joy),
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Bishop/Obispo Carlo A. Rapanut (he/him)
The United Methodist Church
Desert Southwest and New Mexico Conferences
dscumc.org | nmconfum.com
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From UMOM 5/30/25:
UMOM Update
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Construction continues on UMOM campus with the renovation of our main lobby! The new lobby will feature a variety of improvements, focused on the safety and dignity of our clients and staff. It also includes enhancements to vital services such as our onsite clinic in partnership with Phoenix Children's Hospital. Campus visitors will want to enter through our temporary lobby in the Activity Center (to the left of Helpings Café).
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In exciting leadership news, Monique Lopez, formerly UMOM's COO, has been named Deputy CEO! Monique has served UMOM with compassion and strength for the past 8 years. We're so grateful for her leadership and look forward to seeing her shine in her new role.
And finally, as all parents out there are already well aware, school is out for summer! That means our onsite Boys & Girls Club has shifted to full day operations to support the kids of UMOM, keeping this onsite resource busier than ever. Keep an eye on our volunteer opportunities to see how you can get involved!
From the weekly newsletter 6/6/25:
Project “Name Tag”
Greetings, Members & Friends of St. Matthew!
I will be facilitating a project to assist members and regular attendees on ordering name tags if you’ve misplaced it, and so on. This project will be open to all with a window of 2 months: May and June. Name tags will be ordered every other week until June 29, 2025.
If you'd like to order a name tag please feel free to email me at office@stmatthewmesa.org or complete the online Google form with your full name and email.
A donation of $7.00 is requested (not required) to help defray the cost. St. Matthew will cover shipping and handling.
~Blessings, Cheriden.
***This would be a great time to order a name tag in preparation for our new Pastor, to help her memorize our names with faces in July!***
From the weekly newsletter 6/6/25:
Summer music volunteers needed!
As our choir takes a lighter schedule this summer, we’re inviting individuals or small groups to offer music during worship on the 2nd through 4th Sundays of June, July, and August. If you sing, play an instrument, or know someone who would like to participate, please email Ben Shafer at ben@stmatthewmesa.org. We’d love to feature a variety of voices and talents this summer!
From the weekly newsletter 5/9/25:
Spring Update...
Fellowship Time is alive and well in the Activity Center after service each week! Come join your fellow worshippers for conversation and light refreshments. We've started something new this spring: Fellowship Time (including providing food and cold drinks, setup, and cleanup) is now hosted by a different committee each month. But Nolan will continue to make us delicious coffee each week!
Hope to see you in Fellowship Time next Sunday!
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 6/15/25