*Please note that some activities are not church-sponsored or may be private; contact the church office to confirm.

While you are packing away your winter clothes, you may find some outerwear that you didn’t wear this year and could part with. The Outreach Team is collecting coats, jackets, sweaters, and sweatshirts that are new or have been gently used. We will store them away until fall when we’ll distribute them to some of our ministry partners, including the Justa Center, UMOM, and others. You may also find new children’s coats and jackets on clearance racks which could go to Helen’s Hope Chest for foster kids. Please bring donated items through the month of March to the church on Sundays or to the church office.

Thank you for your continued blessings to our community!

The Hardest Part: Hurt We Carry, Hope We Find by Kate Bowler is a daily Lenten study that explores the fragile and complex nature of life—balancing joy and sorrow, love and loss. Lent is a time to acknowledge life’s hardships rather than ignore them, reflecting on our struggles while seeking hope and grace. A free, downloadable study guide includes daily Scripture, reflections, and blessings. You are invited to participate in a weekly group discussion during Pastor’s Bible Study to discuss Kate Bowler’s daily devotional. To download the devotional/study guide, please click here.

Have you ever wondered where our images of Christ come from? You are invited to join Pastor Jim Ek in exploring Stephen Skelton’s work, Seeing Jesus: The Visions, the Paintings and the Films that Shaped How We See Christ.

“Thank you! We wish we could stay here forever. It is so nice and so are all the people!”

Those comments were made by two of the families we were blessed to care for during our week hosting Family Promise. Those words were made possible because of YOU, the friends and family of St. Matthew supporting this wonderful ministry. We would personally like to thank all those who helped us by hosting overnight, cooking delicious meals, cleaning, laundering, and performing all those little tasks it takes to make it a success. We hosted six families, a total of twenty people: eight adults and twelve children, ranging in age from 15 years to one year. For the first time ever, we actually had three fathers who came with their families. We celebrated the birthdays of three of the children and each of the smaller children left our care with a quilt and a teddy bear to remember us. Again, we thank all of you who helped and look forward to offering everyone the opportunity to join us in October, when we will once again host families.

Thank you for being a blessing.

The New & Vital Faith Committee and the Committee on Religion and Race would like the Conference to know about a free opportunity for pastors and church leaders offered by Gammon Theological Seminary, the only historically Black Methodist seminary in the United States.  With five weeks of learning sessions and collaborative calls, Lift Every Voice participants can explore the challenges of modern ministry and discuss leadership, worship, personal growth, and faith!  Click here for more info!

The United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) scholarship application portal is open for United Methodist students seeking scholarships for undergraduate and graduate study at colleges, universities, and seminaries in the United States. The Scholarships Office administers more than 70 scholarship programs, divided among general scholarships, HBCU scholarships, and “Ministry as a Career” scholarships. The application deadline is Monday, March 31, 2025. Visit gbhem.org/scholarships for more information!

The First United Methodist Foundation of Phoenix awards theological scholarships to Certified Candidates for the ministry as defined in The Book of Discipline. Scholarships are awarded for education-related expenses only. Scholarship applications must be submitted by Monday, April 21, 2025, by 4 p.m. Arizona time.  Apply Now!