Electronic Contribution Option (ECO)

Please take a moment to reflect on this opportunity to support the ongoing stewardship renewal at our parish. In doing so, consider the following passage from the Old Testament: “The choicest of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God” (Ex 21:19).

Instead of using a weekly envelope, parishioners are invited to use our parish Electronic Contribution Option program. This is a direct transfer of funds from savings or checking accounts to the parish account.

The ECO program provides our parish with reliable income each month. The more income we receive through this program, the more accurately we can project and control our cash flow.

By making contributions more convenient, the ECO program also provides the contributor with some advantages. They merely identify the amount that they would like to contribute, the account from which they would like the money transferred, and the frequency.

Transfers can be made once per month for the whole sum, or twice per month for half the sum. It is important to note that the traditional envelope system for weekly contributions will remain as an option for those who wish to use it.

Another valuable, though less obvious, advantage of the Electronic Contribution Option is that it helps the individual to sustain their financial commitment to the church. The average, well-intentioned church contributor would like to give a certain amount to the parish. However, church contribution is not typically the first expense allocated once they set about the business of paying the bills. The end result is that the church is one of the last "bills” to be paid.

Often it is not what one hoped to give but what is left over that goes to the parish. The ECO program helps the contributor to offer the first fruits, not the leftovers, to God.

To sign up this program, please contact Ann Connor at 614-471-0212 or at ANN@stmatthew.net.

Ministry Volunteers Mark August 8th On Your Calendars

The Stewardship Committee is sponsoring a cookout for volunteers of the 50 diverse ministries we offer at St. Matthew Parish. According to Stewardship Committee chairperson Greg Thompson, "This is not only an opportunity for Father Noble, his staff, and our ministry leaders to thank our volunteers, it's a forum where we can provide an update on the progress and future of the Generations project."

The event will begin with noon Mass on Sunday, August 8th followed by a short Generations presentation. The cookout will begin at 1:30 p.m. with family activities following lunch. Ministry leaders will be invited to participate in a "Town Meeting" style session beginning at 2:30 p.m. The topic will be "How to improve communications within our parish leadership."

Neighborhood Ministry

St. Matthew the Apostle Church is more than just a name, a location on a map, or a group of buildings. We are a family of faith made up of individuals that love God and their fellow human beings. This is evident by the wide variety of ministries, services, and outreach programs sponsored by our parish. These programs are here because St. Matthew parishioners have a strong commitment to their faith and their neighbors. This commitment to God and family is the lifeblood of St. Matthew.

The Welcome Committee has begun a journey to create an exciting new ministry at St. Matthew Parish. The purpose of this ministry is: to create a welcoming environment for newcomers joining our parish family; to develop an environment encouraging prayer, faith formation and stewardship; to develop a support network in times of need or crisis such as death or illness; to develop opportunities for social interaction; and to celebrate joyful events in the lives of St. Matthew parishioners.

The Neighborhood Ministry will become an integral part of our faith community. Ellen Smith our parish Development Director feels, "This ministry is a great opportunity to take our faith out into the community." Our parish is very large and it’s sometimes difficult to get to know each other and to feel a part of a caring community. This is especially true of newcomers. By forming neighborhood groups, new people can be welcomed, friendships can be developed, and people can experience a personal link to the parish community.

The parish is being divided into ten regions. Each region of the parish will contain approximately 200 families and will have a Regional Coordinator. This individual will serve as a link between the parish and the Neighborhood Ministers. Each parish region will be further sub-divided into neighborhoods of 20-25 households with a Neighborhood Minister for each. These ministers will not be asked to solicit funds or recruit volunteers. Their role will be to provide support and fellowship in the minister's neighborhood community.

We will be presenting the complete program during Stewardship Weekend on September 25 and 26. At that time, we will be inviting 100 households to participate as Neighborhood Ministers. Please give this new ministry prayerful consideration.