Glad Tidings

WICKER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 
 Central/St. Matthew is developing a relationship with Wicker Elementary School at 2011 Bienville Ave.  Here's a great way to participate in ministry in the Bienville Corridor:
 We need volunteers for:
  1)  lunch duty (11:30 a.m. til 1:00 p.m.)
  2)  reading enhancement (3:15 to 5:00 p.m.)
  3)  crossing guards (7:15 til 8:15 a.m. and 4:45 to 5:30 p.m.)
  4)  choir assistant - they have a choir and clubs.
  Boy Scouts would be good.
 If you can give one hour or two a week, it would be wonderful.  All volunteers and staff have to have a police background check.  I have the forms that need to be completed and taken to City Hall.  There's a $5.00 cost, which will be refunded with the contribution of 10 hours to Wicker.  We will conduct a volunteer training session.            
 Thanks,
Dale J. Bonds

FROM OUR NATIONAL OFFICE OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
 Thank you for your continued witness for peace this Christmas.     
 As of December 18th we've raised $69, 023 toward our goal of collecting $100,000 before January 6 for the UCC's Iraq Humanitarian Appeal.  Gifts will provide essential life sustaining food, water, health care and education for war-affected Iraqi families displaced in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.  You may send a check to Wider Church Ministries, United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115-1100.  Note on your check that it is for "Iraq Humanitarian Appeal."  Please give generously and help us meet our goal in the name of peace.
 67,356 supporters have signed the petition to end the war in Iraq.  Are you one of them?  It is not too late. Go to www.UCC.org and follow the links or go directly to this page at http://ga3.org/campaign/100kfor peace..  You will find a complete copy of the pastoral letter and a place to add your name.
 The "100,000 for Peace" campaign is also committed to lifting 100,000 prayers for military personnel serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere this Christmas.  Please continue to pray for those serving their country.

The Rev. John H. Thomas
General Minister and President

 THANK YOU NOTE
Central Carrollton Association since its beginning in the late summer of 2006, has received from your church very special gifts. Members of your church have been hospitable and friendly to our organization and to our members. Secondly, a couple of members of your church are active participants in our neighborhood organization and have taken very responsible roles in making our community a better place. They are John and Ellen Pecoul. We are very grateful for their contributions and participation. Most importantly the leadership of your church has allowed us to use your facilities to hold meetings and assemble the membership of our beloved community to appreciate and understand the changing needs and character of our neighborhood and the city in the post storm era. In gratitude of these offerings given to us this note is our BIG THANK YOU.
Assisting an emerging organization trying to find a place in the new community after the storm requires vision and confidence. The leadership of your church in making the decision to support us has given the residents of our community an opportunity to volunteer and demonstrate leadership while witnessing the growth of our organization. We have not only made our presence felt in the city government but also allowed the neighborhoods along Carrollton Avenue to rely on our leadership to bring together different perspectives and guide the emergence of new network relationships among the many neighborhoods in the Carrollton area. These achievements could not have been possible without having a place we can call home. St. Matthew United Church of Christ gave us the home we did not have. Attached [on bulletin board] is a summary of some of our accomplishments during our short life. To that end we say Thank you.
In appreciation of your hospitality Central Carrollton Association is making a contribution to make your home a better place. First we will make a contribution of $100 towards the purchase of a new cooling unit in one of your classrooms. Secondly, we will volunteer our efforts to repaint one of your rooms to make it more hospitable for its users. We will consult with you to schedule a workday to complete this task.
Thank you for your commitment and giving us your confidence, your time, your facilities and hospitality. Thank you for the handshakes and the smiles and the unwavering support you have given. Paper can never express the full extent of our gratitude to you. Once again, for everything you have done, thank you.

H. V. Nagendra
President
Central Carrollton Association

NOTE: The CCA has become quite active since its inception in 2006.  They now have over 100 members.  The CCA has planted trees along Carrollton Avenue, has an active crime and safety committee, is monitoring the quality of life in the neighborhood (such things as maintenance of undeveloped lots, commercial property owners' respect for cleanliness and maintenance of the residential character of the neighborhood, drug and criminal activity and much more).  The Central Carrollton Association reports that streetcars will return to Carrollton Ave. in February or March.  If you want to know what is happening in the church's neighborhood, this is the group to contact.  We at St Matthew/Central are happy to provide them with a home for meeting.  You can find the complete list of their activities posted on the bulletin board outside the church office.

RECOVERY COMMITTEE NEWS
The New Year will be a busy one for St Matthew/Central as we host six recovery groups in January and February.  Three of the groups are coming from Pennsylvania, one from Massachusetts, one from Iowa and another from Maine.  We are so grateful that our friends from far away are still willing to come and help us in our rebuilding efforts. 
We continue to provide a dinner for each group while they are here so we will soon be putting out the call for more red beans from our talented cooks in the congregation.  One of the groups coming in January has been here three times before, and they have said one of the highlights of their trip is the red beans and rice dinner.  We also continue to provide a tour for each group and find that those who have been here before appreciate going back to see what has improved, and everyone enjoys Al Creel's presentation after the dinners.  I want to thank all our cooks, helpers, tour guides and Al for your continued involvement in hosting these groups.  We hope that some of the groups coming over the next few months will be able to worship with us so that you will have a chance to meet them.  Everyone is welcome to join us for the dinners that we have for the groups.  Just let Arlean Fermanis know that you will be joining us.  There are always plenty of beans to go around, and the groups really enjoy the opportunity for fellowship with our members.

CENTRAL/ST. MATTHEW MONIES FOR MISSION IN 2007
 It has been a year a year of impressive giving to others on the part of Central and St. Matthew members and friends.  The monies detailed below do not represent all gifts. Some individuals give directly to one or more of these groups.  It does not count generous responses to special needs that arise during the year for goods such as school supplies.  And it in no way includes the countless volunteer hours that many of you are giving to organizations and individuals in this city.  But the report below represents our corporate accounting of gifts to others.  What a high point of our life!  We as a community of faith were blessed following Katrina.  In 2007 we have been able to bless others.  Thanks be to God!   

BACK BAY MISSION
  Back Bay Mission was founded in 1922 as an outreach effort of the First Evangelical Church of Biloxi (later United Church of Christ), whose members responded with compassion and service to the needs of poor "fisher folk" living in deplorable conditions along the Back Bay of Biloxi, Mississippi.  Since then, Back Bay Mission has continually grown its services and ministries, always keeping the impoverished and marginalized at the center of its concern.  Although there were no longer any UCC congregations in Biloxi or in the state of Mississippi by the early 1970s, Back Bay Mission remained to offer a witness of the United Church of Christ.  Its commitment is to be faithfully responsive to the emerging and critical needs of God's people, ever seeking a day of greater justice and peace.  Back Bay Mission has been close to the hearts of our Central and St. Matthew congregations for years.  This year St. Matthew contributed $600.00 from our budget and St. Matthew/Central donated $751.00 from the art auction. Many more monies have been given directly to the Mission from individuals in both congregations.

SERRV
  This acronym stands for Sales Exchange for Refugee Rehabilitation and Vocation.  Since we are currently selling products during Advent and at the time of publishing this newsletter, a full report on the amount of our sales will be available in January.  Please note the following information on
SERRV:
   · Its mission is to promote the social and economic progress of people in developing regions of the world by marketing their products in a just and direct manner.
   · SERRV International was one of the first alternative trade organizations in the world and was a founding member of the International Fair Trade Association
   · They offer artisan and farmer partners up to 50% advance payment on orders.  This helps them to purchase raw materials and have a more regular income so they can avoid high interest rates from borrowing locally.

UPTOWN SHEPHERD CENTER
 The Uptown Shepherd Center holds a special place in the hearts of many at St. Matthew/Central. Our own Sylvia Warren is the director of this active center for seniors. John Warren drives the van which takes them on field trips and shopping, Ellen Bentz plays the piano and leads singing with the seniors, and Janice Markland works in many different capacities. This year we gave $200.00 to this important ministry.

ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR INDIA MISSION PARTNERS
          The Alternative Christmas gifts for India project was a rousing success. In two weekends of sales the members and friends of Central/St. Matthew purchased:

· School uniforms and supplies for 19 children,
· Lifetime immunizations for 18 children
· 5 months of Physical Therapy for a handicapped child
· 4 months of literacy training for a child
· Prenatal care for seven women
· And sewing machines so 8 women can earn a living for their families! In total we collected $1,725, all of which will go to the Global Mission India projects. Thank you all for you support!
    

Carol Etter, and the members of the Global Missions outreach committee

CENTRAL/ST. MATTHEW FIVE FOR FIVE
 Being a "5 for 5" Church in the United Church of Christ means that our congregation fully supports Our Church's Wider Mission.  We provide Basic Support and give to all four Special Mission Offerings.
 UCC Basic Support:  Provides funding from congregations for Conferences and the national ministries of Wider Church Ministries, Local Church Ministries, Justice and Witness Ministries, General Ministries and the Pension Boards.
 UCC Special Mission Offerings:  Part of Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM), these four offerings sponsor vital ministries that bring hope to people around the world.  The Christmas Fund helps provide pension and health premium supplementation to low-income retired church workers, emergency assistance to clergy families in need and Christmas checks to hundreds of annuitants.  This fund is administered by the Pension Boards.  One Great Hour of Sharing channels resources for international programs in health, education and agricultural development, emergency relief, refugee ministries, and both international and domestic disaster response.  Strengthen the Church supports leadership for new and revitalizing congregations, programs for youth and young adults, and leadership development for the whole church.  Neighbors in Need supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, including the Council for American Indian Ministries (CAIM), justice and advocacy, and direct service projects supported by Justice and Witness Ministries.

  The Christmas Fund  $ 814.00
  One Great Hour of Sharing        1,608.00
  Strengthen the Church   433.00
  Neighbors in Need    576.00
  St. Matthew OCWM         7,848.00
  Central OCWM          1,797.00
    Total   $   13,076.00

 Thank you to everyone who contributed to these important missions of the church.  St. Matthew/Central joins with more than 1,025 UCC churches who are "5 for 5"!

REMEMBER: STUDY SESSION ON ROOTS OF UCC WORSHIP, 1/13/08
          After Sunday services on January 13, the Worship Committee invites you to learn more about the varied background of the services found in our UCC Book of Worship. There are stories and reasons behind the ways we worship that can enrich our worship experience. They can also help us  appreciate and participate in ways of worship that we have not understood or have not shared, but that are part of our rich heritage as Christians. Please come explore that heritage with us.

John Pecoul
Worship Committee

ANNUAL MEETING
          Mark January 20th on your calendars as the date for the St. Matthew Annual Meeting.  This is an important meeting for members to attend: the church's budget for 2008 will be presented; annual reports from the minister, the moderator, the treasurer, and committees will be shared; voting for candidates to Association and Conference meetings will occur; and the opportunity to ask questions or make comments for the good of the church will be available.  Please plan to attend.  The meeting will not be long; lunch will be provided and a free will offering taken.  We need a quorum, we need your questions and comments, we need your presence, and we need you because you are an important member of the St. Matthew family.   

FILMS THAT SPEAK  - A Documentary Film Series Designed To Make You Think.
Coming Monday, January 14th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
·Born Into Brothels
All films in this film series are free and open to the public.
Please Join Us
More information may be found on our website, www.stmatthew-nola.org