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From the weekly email 3/13/26:
Wanted: Sunday School Teachers
Do you have love to share?
Do you want children to know that God loves them?
Our children are showing up. The curriculum is ready. All that is missing is YOU!
Do you want children to know that God loves them?
Our children are showing up. The curriculum is ready. All that is missing is YOU!
You don’t need to create lessons — everything is prepared. You simply need a caring presence and a willingness to guide conversation and activities. With just a few volunteers, we can rotate teachers, so this does not have to be an every-week commitment.
If we want to continue offering faith formation for our children, we need a few adults to step forward now. Please contact Pastor Ann or Susan T, the chair of SPRC, through the church office.
Tell Me Something Good: A Worship Series for Lent
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.
Our Lenten series, starting on Ash Wednesday, focuses 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.
From the weekly email 2/6/26:
This Lent, our worship series, “Tell Me Something Good,” will feature short video monologues spoken from the perspective of people who encountered Jesus—ordinary voices inside the gospel stories.
We’re inviting members and friends of the church to share your voices to help bring the good news to life...
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.
2/4/26:
Sunday Adult Discussion Group — Table Talk: Faith, Life, Jesus
Join Pastor Jim Ek and others for a time of reflection and short, informal conversation connecting Jesus' teachings with everyday life. We meet in the Fellowship Hall each week after the Sunday morning service. Grab some food, visit with friends, and then sit down for some insightful chat!
2/28/26:
A Year of Awe—March: Desert Botanical Garden
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the church or 9:00 a.m. at the Desert Botanical Garden
Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the church or 9:00 a.m. at the Desert Botanical Garden
Our Year of Awe continues with a trip to the Desert Botanical Garden. March 10th, the second Tuesday of March, is “Community Day” when the Garden does not charge an admission fee and instead invites you to make a donation that will support the Garden’s “research, conservation, and protections of desert plants.” March’s theme is Desert Blooms & Pollinators. There will be docents to answer our questions and to share information and displays about the plants and the pollinators that can be found in the Garden.
How long we will stay at the Garden, the paths we will walk, etc., will be up to each person (and the group they rode in with). For those who want to carpool, we will meet in the church parking lot around 8:30 a.m., planning to leave the parking lot no later than 8:40 a.m., giving time for people to group into cars based on how long they want to stay at the Garden. For those who want to drive themselves, we will meet in front of the entrance to the Garden at approximately 9:00 a.m.
You will want to wear comfortable walking shoes and a hat and bring a water bottle. Because admission is free, you can expect that there could be more people than usual in the Garden, so come with that in mind and God’s love for all people in your heart.
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For those who want to make an event of it, Gertrude's (within the Garden) is open for lunch beginning at 10:30 a.m. Because it does get busy, especially on Community Day, we will want to make reservations for lunch. When you sign up, be sure to mark whether you want to have lunch so we make enough reservations.
There will be a sign-up sheet for the Garden available Sunday morning, or you can email Pastor Ann to let her know you plan to come. Be sure to include whether or not you want to stay for lunch!
For February, I took my awe walk in Dobson Ranch, walking around the lake near the church. I noticed how peaceful it was. I listened to birds sing, watched ducks land in the water, and saw people walking their dogs. I met people on my walk (including a beloved St. Matthew friend). I was surprised at how different it was to walk along the streets after having been around the lake. I was in awe at how Dobson Ranch created a space of nature and retreat that is so different from the residential streets right next to it.
If you took an Awe Walk in February, please let me know: What did you notice? What surprised you? Where did awe meet you? Send an email to pastorann@stmatthewmesa.org.
Blessings,
Pastor Ann
Pastor Ann
Updated 3/8/26:
Food Boxes
Upcoming 7:30 a.m. distributions: Saturdays, March 14 & 28
Over the past few weeks, our Food Box ministry has broken our own record several times for the number of food boxes handed out. If you're looking for ideas of what non-perishable items we can always use, we still need small jars of peanut butter, canned tuna or chicken, canned vegetables, canned pasta sauce, and cereal. We also love gift cards for groceries!
The Food Box Crew thanks you for your participation in this much-needed mission!
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!
| Feb. 22 | 5 p.m. |
Confirmation Class – Bible and The Story of God |
| 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.
Membership and Confirmation classes
We are looking forward to both Membership and Confirmation classes in Lent. If St. Matthew UMC feels like your church home, but you aren’t a member yet, please talk with Pastor Ann about how you can join the church. We'd love for you to join our family!
Page updated 3/13/26
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