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The Messenger January 2026

Edition 63

A Call to Prayer

Dear St. Matthew’s family,

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42)

As we anticipate a new year of personal and communal growth in Christ, I want to invite each of us to a deeper spiritual life–to pray for ourselves, each other, St. Matthew’s mission, and our world. Prayer changes things because it changes us and invites God into the transformation.

A church that prays together is one where members unite in consistent, shared prayer, fostering deep fellowship, spiritual growth, and unity, modeled after the early church in Acts, strengthening their faith, equipping them for ministry, and magnifying God's love in community.

I invite you to explore prayer models that you can join with others who call St. Matthew’s home. Three examples are the A.C.T.S. Model, the St. Ignatius Spiritual Exercises,

and 3- Minute Retreats.

1. The A.C.T.S. Prayer Model

A) Adoration: Praising God and celebrating God’s love for you and our world.

B) Confession: Acknowledging where you've fallen short in your relationship with God, self, and others; Seeking forgiveness and reconciliation.

C) Thanksgiving: Expressing gratitude to God for Her gifts of life, love, and purpose.

D) Supplication: Making requests for your own needs and the needs of others, asking for guidance, healing, and justice.

Click HERE to access.

2. Ignatian Spirituality

Ignatian spirituality is a spirituality for everyday life. It insists that God is present in our

world and active in our lives. It is a pathway to deeper prayer, good decisions guided by

keen discernment, and an active life of service to others.

It uses is a technique of prayerful reflection, called the Daily Examen on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern God's direction for us. The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience.

The method presented here is adapted from a technique described by Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. St. Ignatius thought that the Examen was a gift that came directly from God, and that God wanted it to be shared as widely as possible. One of the few rules of prayer that Ignatius made for the Jesuit order was the requirement that Jesuits practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day. It’s a habit that Jesuits, and many other Christians, practice to this day. Click HERE to access.

3. 3-Minute Retreats

The 3-Minute Retreat invites you to take a short prayer break right at your computer. Spend

some quiet time reflecting on a Scripture passage. Knowing that not everyone prays at the same pace, you have control over the pace of the retreat. After each screen, a "continue" button will appear. Click it when you are ready to move on. If you are new to online prayer, the basic timing of the screens will guide you through the experience. Click HERE to access.

Fr. Joe

Contact Senior Warden Mark Flanders at 614-370-9110 if you would like to learn more.

Also, if you have any questions you would like answered at the annual meeting about how things work at St. Matthew's, or how or why we do certain things, let Mark know and he will address them at the meeting allowing the question(s) to be posed anonymously.

We now have ten “Care Circle Leaders” for our Circle of Friends care team ministry! You will be hearing from one of them by mail or email in the next month. The care circle leader’s connection will never be about church attendance, rather it is a way we can serve you by making a quick monthly check-in for any prayer requests, questions, and needs, such as rides or meals. We want to support and take care of each other, and this is the Circle of Friends' purpose. 

A “care team” has been one of our Vestry’s top goals this year, so we are happy to get

started. How will the Care Circles work? We want to simply make sure that:

1) no one falls through the cracks;

2) we have knowledge if something significant is happening in a member’s life (if

they are willing to share);

3) members know they can ask for a prayer request through their care circle

leader (or, if they want it to remain confidential, they know at least their care circle

leader will be praying for them); and

4) Fr. Joseph is informed of an issue (if the member would like this extra step).

Those who have stepped up to be on this new initiative are: Sandra Weisner, Elaine Freund, Mary McRury, Rebecca Wright, Marie Kovitch, Amber Nickels, Lynn Miller, Phil Richcreek, Mike Mahoney, and Glenn Myres. THANK YOU!

Volunteer at the Church House Office Would you like to help organize and maintain our church files? Clifton Flemister, who has been our historian and office supervisor for many years, will soon resign from those duties. Call or text Donna Wyatt at 513-203-6505 or email her to get more information.

Donate Cereal for Otterbein's Promise House (Free Store) Donations of cereal are always welcome by the students at Otterbein. Office hours of the PTL House are M-F 9 am-1 pm. Stop in with your donations, and say hello.

Help with Street Church St. Matthew's will be serving a hot meal at Street Church on January 11 in downtown Columbus. If you would like to help that effort in any way, contact Marsha at 614-477-9122. We will also provide more warm weather gear to these needy folks. If you have coats or blankets you can donate, please drop them off at the PTL house by Saturday the 10th. 

Support Immigrant-Owned Businesses Fr. Joe contacted WARM (Westerville Area Resource Ministries) who told him that many people cannot get food because they are living in fear. WARM is looking for volunteers to serve as “proxies” to help deliver food.

You can help by shopping at immigrant-owned stores, eating at immigrant-owned restaurants, and spending time at immigrant-owned coffee shops. Click here to read Fr. Joe's letter to us on ways to support our immigrant neighbors including a list of immigrant-owned businesses. 

Rev. Christopher Richardson Installation The Rev. Christopher C. Richardson, son of Deryck and Nadya Richardson, will be installed as the ninth rector of St. Philip Episcopal Church (166 Woodland Avenue, Columbus) at 6 pm on Wednesday, January 21. All are warmly invited. Please keep Christopher and his family in your prayers.

Christmas Eve services at the Chapel and the PTL House. Check out our Facebook video to hear the beautiful music Lindsay Smith and our choir presented.

ABOVE and RIGHT: The response for donations for local seniors was outstanding! Thank you, Elaine Freund, for organizing this with the Fire Department. ABOVE: Boxes of items for care packages. RIGHT: Karen Lewis delights upon receiving St. Matt's donations.

ABOVE: Thank you notes from Mrs. Rutherford's 6th grade Blendon Middle School class in response to our donating classroom supplies. Glenn Myers shared some of their responses: "Thank you for the supplies...most importantly we can definitely use the pencils for all the students who always need pencils and all the students losing pencils!" "When Blendon is at their low, you save the day!" "I am looking forward to using the pencils, wipes and tissues so I can stay clean, organized and smart." Thank you so very much for your continued support and amazing generosity! Your donations always bless us so very much. Happy holidays! -Mrs. Lee Rutherford

Online Weekly Offerings for Your Well Being

 QiGong via Zoom

Saturdays

9 am - 10 am

ZOOM LINK Password 2328

Poetry Group via Zoom

Saturdays

10:30 am - 11:30 am

ZOOM LINK Password: 2328

Meditation via Zoom

Mondays

7 pm - 8 pm

ZOOM LINK Password: 2328