Ministries, Studies, Missions, and Small Groups
At St. Matthew, ALL of our ministries, missions, groups, and activities are open to ALL people in the community.
No matter
who you are,
where you’ve come from,
where you’re going,
whom you love,
your beliefs,
your doubts or questions,
your skin color,
your abilities and limitations,
your skills,
your education level,
your religious affiliation,
your political views,
your gender identity,
your socioeconomic status,
your age,
your citizenship status,
or
your personal history,
God loves you. You are welcome here!
Lay Ministries within St. Matthew
If you're looking for a way to serve St. Matthew, click on the link above! (Social work, potlucks, and committees...yep, we're a United Methodist church!)
Local Missions of Love to the Community
St. Matthew has always been proud of its music program. Everyone is invited to join--you don't even need to know how to read music! If you're interested, we will teach you to ring!
Sanctuary Choir is open to 9th graders through adults. We are an SATB choir singing (typically) modern church choral music with occasional classical pieces. We rehearse at 7:00 p.m. Wednesdays during the school year and 8:15 a.m. the first Sunday of each month in the summer. We will soon start rehearsals on our 2025 Christmas cantata, Pepper Choplin's Night of the Father’s Love. Contact our director, Ben Shafer, if you're interested—or just show up on Wednesday night!
Bells of Joy handbell choir is open to all ages. We are a 5-octave choir currently ringing with 3+ octaves, and we're always looking for new ringers—no experience necessary! We rehearse at 7:00 p.m. Thursdays during the school year. (Psst—this is a great way to keep your mind and your arms active!) Contact our director, Anne Kelley, for more information. Come join the fun!
If you have musical talent you'd like to share, but you can't commit to weekly rehearsals (or you're not a vocalist), please reach out to Ben Shafer, our Director of Music; he'll find a place for you! We always love to hear soloists and ensembles!
March Youth Calendar (grades 6-12)
All activities are in the Youth Room unless noted otherwise. Every youth is welcome to attend our activities. We'd love to have you come! Please contact Pastor Ann if you have questions or if you're interested in joining the Confirmation class!
| Mar. 1 |
4 - 7 p.m. |
Youth Service Project (in Activity Center) (Those in Confirmation are asked to help before and after class.) |
| 5 p.m. |
Confirmation Class – Holy Trinity | |
| Mar. 8 | 5 p.m. |
Confirmation Class – Relationship Broken |
| Mar. 15 | 11 a.m. |
Planning for Sunrise Service |
| 5 p.m. |
Confirmation Class – Jesus: God with Us | |
| Mar. 22 | 5 p.m. |
Confirmation Class – Relationship Restored |
| Mar. 29 | 5 p.m. |
Confirmation Class – The Promise of the Resurrection |
| Apr. 5 |
6 a.m. |
Easter Sunrise Service Youth are leading the service; setup time will be earlier than 6:00 a.m. |
Youth in Worship
Every Sunday morning in Lent, we will have a recorded monologue from a biblical character in the worship service. Youth are encouraged to be one of our characters!
Easter Sunrise Service, 4/5 at 6 a.m.: At St. Matthew, Sunrise Service is traditionally led by our youth. Help plan and be part of Easter Sunrise service! We will meet on 3/15 to plan. If you cannot make that meeting but want to participate, let Pastor Ann know.
As always, youth are invited to participate in worship as ushers, liturgists, Communion servers, or by joining the Sanctuary Choir (gr. 9-12) or Bells of Joy.
St. Matthew UMC provides Christ-centered learning activities for children aged 4-11 years old. Special fellowship opportunities are available for youth aged 12-18. All youth and children are welcome to join us in a judgment-free environment where doubts can be expressed openly and questions are celebrated!
In addition to fellowship, youth at St. Matthew are encouraged to participate in the music program, in our community ministries (such as food boxes or missions), in Bible studies, and in any other work area to help further the ministries of the church.
Sunday School is offered for children each week during our regular Sunday service. Children are invited to sit in the pews with a parent or guardian, then leave with their class for Sunday School after the Children's Moment.
Baptism and Confirmation - Children or youth interested in being baptized, and youth interested in being confirmed (taking classes and formally joining the church), may talk to Pastor Ann to ask questions and learn more about the process. We will be starting a Confirmation class in Lent (Spring 2026).
Girl Scouts - St. Matthew has been proud for many years to support a multi-age-level Girl Scout troop that meets on our campus weekly. Girls learn leadership and life skills through earning badges, performing acts of service, camping, going on summer trips, and (of course!) selling cookies. If you want to add excitement and adventure to your life, just ask our troop leader and we'll hook you up!
Summer camps - 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. Register soon--our camps fill up fast! (Financial assistance may be available; please contact Pastor Ann.)
Mingus 2025 summer camps
Potosi Pines 2025 summer camps
Tell Me Something Good: A New Worship Series for Lent
Starting Ash Wednesday, February 18
Does this describe you: weary, tired, sad, frustrated, angry, exhausted, spent, not knowing what to do, how to live our lives fully, or how to fix things? If so, know that you are not alone. For many, our world is so confusing right now that we are feeling lost. Our world, our mess, needs the good news of Jesus and the God of love.
(And if you aren’t feeling that way, WE NEED YOU to help us tell the story!)
This Lent, let us remember that the good news really is good news. It is joyful—like fine wine saved for celebration. It grows like a mustard seed and smells like perfume poured from an alabaster jar. It tastes like bread passed endlessly through a hungry crowd. It sounds like laughter and feels like mercy. The good news is alive in the world.
Jesus’ ministry can be described as “radical” which comes from the Latin word “radicalis,” meaning “root” or “ground.” The good news should bring us back to our roots. Emulating Jesus and embodying his teachings should ground us in who God created us to be.
Lent was originally a season for new converts to learn and prepare for their baptism on Easter. During that time, they would study what was central to Christianity. This series builds on that tradition by focusing on what was central to Jesus’ life and ministry: radical welcome, love for neighbor, care for the vulnerable, nourishment for the hungry, nonviolence in the face of injustice. At the heart of Jesus’ teachings, we find liberation, love, mercy, and grace—all of which are very good news for us all.
Can we be “good news” people in a world too often burdened by bad news? Join us as we seek to answer that question with a resounding, “YES!”
Updated 2/6/26:
Thursday morning Pastor's Bible Study: Sermon on the Mount
Pastor Ann is leading a study on the Sermon on the Mount using Amy-Jill Levine’s book Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner's Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven. Books will be available for $15 each (which covers the church’s costs). You can get a book after worship, through the church office, or during class. Alternatively, you can order your book yourself.
Everyone is welcome to join the class. Online attendance is an option for anyone who needs it. We meet Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. in the Patio Room and we will meet weekly until the study is complete.
United Women in Faith
(formerly United Methodist Women)
(formerly United Methodist Women)
The United Women in Faith (previously known as UMW) is a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church.
Our vision is to turn faith, hope, and love into action on behalf of women, children and youth around the world.
Membership in United Women in Faith is open to all women. We are a Christian organization that welcomes spiritual women of all faiths.
If you have questions or would like more information, ask our UWF contact, or check out our UWF webpage. We'd love to have you join us!
2026 Monthly Mission Focus
One way that St. Matthew tries to help our neighbors is through collecting donations for organizations in our own neighborhood. Each month, we focus on a group outside the church. This year, we plan to assist
(January) Habitat for Humanity: collecting funds, signing up to donate our time and energy;
(March) a family shelter program: providing lodging and meals;
(April) Justa Center;
(June) Washington School (our neighborhood elementary school): collecting school supplies;
(July) City of Mesa Hydration Campaign: collecting bottled water;
(August-September) the 9/11 Day of Service: collecting clothing and non-perishable food;
(October) a family shelter program: providing lodging and meals;
(November) Washington School: collecting pies to be given away to students;
(December) Angel Tree families and the St. Matthew Food Box ministry: collecting gifts and "Advent Boxes" of food
(March) a family shelter program: providing lodging and meals;
(April) Justa Center;
(June) Washington School (our neighborhood elementary school): collecting school supplies;
(July) City of Mesa Hydration Campaign: collecting bottled water;
(August-September) the 9/11 Day of Service: collecting clothing and non-perishable food;
(October) a family shelter program: providing lodging and meals;
(November) Washington School: collecting pies to be given away to students;
(December) Angel Tree families and the St. Matthew Food Box ministry: collecting gifts and "Advent Boxes" of food
Donated items can be brought to the church Sunday mornings or dropped off in the office during the week. We are always collecting food for the food box ministry, even if that isn't the focus of the month.
Thank you for your generous, ongoing support!
Sponsoring a medical student
St. Matthew UMC, along with residents of Friendship Village, have found an opportunity to provide a village in Tanzania with a cardiologist! We are sponsoring the education of a young woman from Africa who is attending medical school. She has completed her Bachelor’s degree in medicine, and is now working on her Master’s, specializing in cardiology. She expects to finish in August of 2026! If you wish to contribute toward her education or living expenses, please contact the church office for more details.
Habitat for Humanity
A few times a year, St. Matthew joins other United Methodist Churches (the Mighty Methodist Coalition!) in constructing a house for Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona. There are many ways to help the team, even if you don't want to put on a hard hat yourself! Click here for more information about our Habitat ministry!
“...for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me...”
—Matthew 25:35 NRSV
Food Boxes
Everyone needs a little help from time to time, so St. Matthew collects and shares food for families in our neighborhood needing a temporary hand up. With donations from church members and partnerships with Midwest Food Bank, Waste Not, and the local Bishop's Storehouse of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, St. Matthew fills boxes with food to feed a family of four for 3-4 days. An enthusiastic group of volunteers—many of them past recipients of food boxes themselves—hand out boxes to upwards of 60 families every other Saturday.
Click here for distribution dates and more information about food boxes!
Sack Lunches
For over ten years, St. Matthew has created sack lunches for the East Valley Men's Center in Mesa. Volunteers shop, make sandwiches, pack 96 lunches, and deliver them to the shelter on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. The Center provides a temporary place to live to men who make the commitment to become self-sufficient and move back into the community. Donations of food, money, or time are always appreciated!
Family Promise
St. Matthew partners with Family Promise of Central Phoenix and other churches to provide living spaces for unhoused families. Every few months, Family Promise brings a group of families with children to the church for a week, where we share rooms to sleep, an evening meal, and friendly conversation. If you would like to visit with our guests or help prepare a meal, please contact Rosemary. We'd love the company!
Page updated 2/17/26
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