Christian Spirituality At Saint Matthew’s
The Christian life is a journey of growth, transformation, ministry and
discovery. It begins from the moment of our baptism and turning to Christ,
and lasts throughout our lives. Scripture encourages us to “grow
in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”
(2 Pet. 3:18). Saint Matthew’s offers a wide range of programs and
activities to allow our parishioners of every age and season of life to
“grow in grace and knowledge.”
 For
Children and Youth
On Sunday mornings, Saint Matthew’s offers Godly Play, a Montessori-based
spiritual formation program developed by Episcopal priest and educator
Jerome Berryman. Widely used in the Episcopal Church and beyond, Godly
Play gives our children - and the adults who teach them - an extraordinary
opportunity to deepen their faith in Christ.
"Godly Play is so different from the very traditional academic
programs offered at most schools that the kids will love to come and
play at Sunday School - it will seem like a vacation!" says our
Rector, Howard Anderson, who has extensive first-hand experience with
Godly Play.
Godly Play presumes that children have an experience of God and simply
need help in formulating a faith vocabulary to describe their experience.
The sacred stories, liturgical lessons and parables told in Godly Play
classes provide the foundation for each child to use his or her imagination
to deepen their spirituality. For a great introduction to Godly Play,
please view this
video which was produced by Sain John’s Episcopal
Church, Stamford, Connecticut.
For more information about Christian formation for young people, to
enroll your child, or to contribute your gifts and energy to ministry
to children at Saint Matthew’s, contact Missy Morain at 310/573-7787
x 139, or via
email.
Resurrection Cookies recipe
The Emmaus Small Group Ministry
 Our
parish’s Emmaus small group ministry offers a wide range of opportunities
to meet with other members of our parish to share our spiritual journeys,
worship together, deepen our knowledge of Scripture, and offer ourselves
in service to the wider community.
More information about Emmaus small group
ministry.
Discovering the Bible
The Bible is the Word of God, and the unique, invaluable sourcebook
for all Christians on their spiritual journey. It's also a huge, sprawling,
challenging, fascinating and even intimidating book to study and make
sense of, and figuring out where to start can be tough! If you've been
looking for a place to begin your study of Scripture, here's a great
opportunity. The "Discovering the Bible" program is a 15-week
series that offers a top-down, big-picture view of the Old or New Testaments.
By reading some carefully chosen excerpts from the Bible, we'll get a
broad sense of the Bible's history, meaning and wisdom. This is an incredibly
time-effective way to get a real grasp of the Bible, even if you've never
opened a Bible before in your life! The Rev. Michael Seiler teaches this
series, using the time-tested “Kerygma” Bible study program.
A 15-week session begins in November 2010. Questions? Interested?
Contact The Rev. Michael Seiler via
email or at 310/573-7787 x 123. Advance
registration will be required so we can purchase materials before the
first meetings.
 Baptism
for Adults
From the very first days of the Christian faith, persons seeking new
life in Christ received the sacrament of Holy Baptism as a sign of their
sharing in the death and resurrection of Christ and their new and full
participation in the glorious company of Christ’s redeemed people,
the Church. In our own day, preparing for and receiving the Sacrament
of Baptism as an adult is still an extraordinary way to deepen and bear
witness to a commitment to Christ, and to be open in new ways to God’s
love and grace. If you haven’t been baptized and you would like
further information about being baptized at Saint Matthew’s, feel
free to contact The Rev. Michael Seiler in the Parish Office at 310/573-7787
ext. 123 or by email at mseiler@stmatthews.com. |
