Looking for general announcements and church news?
Handbell Concert with the Bells of Joy
Next Sunday, April 26th, at 3:00 p.m. @ Dayspring UMC, 1365 E. Elliot Road
From the weekly email 4-16-26
Peace Pole
Please come after the service on April 26th to the Peace Pole to pray for peace in the world as the children of God.
From the weekly email 4/14/26:
Rising Strong: An Easter Journey of New Life
What does resurrection actually look like? Not just on Easter morning—but in real life?
This Easter season at St. Matthew, we’re exploring a series called Rising Strong, and it’s built around a simple but powerful idea:
the Resurrection doesn’t just change what we believe—it changes how we live.
From the weekly email 4/14/26:
New Youth Fellowship Time Begins in April
Starting Sunday, April 9, at 10 a.m. in the Youth Room
Starting in April, middle school and high school students are invited to a new weekly Youth Fellowship Time! This fellowship time will coincide with our congregational fellowship time.
* Grab a snack from the Activity Center
* Gather in the Youth Room
* Enjoy conversation, connection, and a short devotional
* Gather in the Youth Room
* Enjoy conversation, connection, and a short devotional
This will be a relaxed, welcoming space designed to help our youth build relationships and grow in faith as we reimagine student ministry together.
All youth and their friends are welcome!
April Outreach Projects
There will be two separate outreach projects for the month of April! One includes new items to be purchased, and the other are used items found in your home. Items can be brought to the church or to the office any time in the month of April. They can be dropped in the bins on the west side of the narthex on Sundays.
New Men’s Boxers and Boxer Briefs - We will again be collecting new underwear for the Justa Center and Helen’s Hope Chest. The Justa Center helps homeless or near homeless seniors. They offer showers to the men who visit the center, and have noted that it feels good to put on a new pair of underwear after a shower. With summer coming, cotton boxers are comfortable and cool. Helen’s Hope Chest serves foster kids. They have noted that older boys who have reached men’s sizes struggle to find underwear in their size. These young men prefer boxer briefs. So, we are requesting boxers and boxer briefs.
Old Neckties and Used Devotionals - First United Methodist in Mesa has a quilting group that makes sleeping bags for disaster relief. Once the sleeping bag is made, they sew on 4 neckties to keep it rolled up. They also include a bag of toiletries and a devotional. They are often short on neckties and devotionals, which is why we offered to help collect those items.
Thank you for your contributions to all of our outreach programs. St. Matthew has such generous members!
–The Missions and Outreach Committee
April 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!
It's New - Student Fellowship Time!
Beginning in April, middle school/junior high–high school students are invited to their own fellowship time in the Youth Room. Grab a snack from the Activity Center and gather in the Youth Room for conversation, fellowship and a short devotional!
| Apr. 5 |
6 a.m. |
Easter Sunrise Service Youth are leading the service; setup time will be earlier than 6:00 a.m. |
| Apr. 12 |
10 a.m. |
Student Fellowship Time |
| 5 p.m. |
Confirmation Class – What's Yet to Come | |
| Apr. 19 | 10 a.m. |
Student Fellowship Time |
| 5 p.m. |
Confirmation Class – Talking with God | |
| Apr. 26 | 10 a.m. |
Student Fellowship Time |
| 5 p.m. |
Confirmation Class – The Church: Partnering with God's Mission |
Youth in Worship
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 met on 3/15 to plan. If you missed 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.
From the weekly email 4/16/26:
Save the Date!
All-Daughters Luncheon
Saturday, May 2, 2026 (Note: this is the weekend prior to Mother's Day weekend.)
United Women in Faith are not "horsing around" when it comes to sponsoring the All-Daughters "Derby Daze" Luncheon. The event is open to all women of the church, including their female friends and relatives. Whether or not you like horses, or the Kentucky Derby, come for a day of food and fun! Wear your fancy hats or come when doors open at 11 a.m. to make a "fascinator." Plans for the luncheon include many things associated with the Kentucky Derby.
Tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets will be on sale after church on April 19 & 26 on the patio; no tickets will be sold after April 26. Adult tickets are $15, including vegetarian and gluten-free options, and tickets for girls ten and under are $5.
(Volunteers are needed for food prep & cleanup! Please contact Bev S or the church office for details.)
From the Desert Southwest Conference 3/24/26:
2026 Summer Camp Discounts to first 100 registrants!
We are excited to share that the Desert Southwest Conference's Board of Camping and Retreat Ministries has approved a 50% reduction in camp costs (excluding Beach Camp) for the first 100 campers at Mingus Mountain and Potosi Pines for summer 2026. This one-time opportunity reflects a commitment to remove financial barriers so more children and youth can experience the life-changing impact of camp. We encourage families to register early, as space is limited and this reduced rate is available only for this season.
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.
Updated 4/4/26:
Food Boxes
Upcoming 7:30 a.m. distributions: Saturdays, April 11 & 25
As grocery prices increase, so does our need for food donations. 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!
Membership and Confirmation classes
We will be holding Membership classes soon, and our youth Confirmation class is already underway. 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 4/14/26
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