St. Matt's News


Click for Events Calendar
Add Calendar Feed

Sunday Worship

7:30, 8:30,
& 11:00 a.m.

Education Hour:
9:45-10:45 a.m.

Office phone:
414-774-0441

 

 

Caring Ministries

 

Stitches of Love "Quilt Blitz" Feb. 4
Join the Stitches of Love Quilt Ministry Saturday, Feb. 4, 9:00 a.m. for a Quilt Blitz in Fellowship Hall. Time permitting, the group will cut, create and sew as many baby quilts from the bins of fabrics & batting offered by the ministry. Bring your portable sewing machine, rotary cutter, mat and scissors. NO experience needed. The Quilt Ministry is a blend of church members, friends and family. Join in the fun and see the results of the morning.

A light potluck lunch will be offered at 11:30. Please bring a dish to share. Everyone is welcome to stay after lunch to continue working on the blankets. The event will conclude by 1:30 p.m. Questions? Contact Bev Etzelmueller (bevetz@sbcglobal.net or 262-250-3969). A sign-up sheet is available at the Information Center.

 

Quilt Blessing 2011 - Created with love by Stitches of Love
On Mother’s Day all the quilts created in the past year were blessed during the worship services. The Ministry strives to make beautiful quilts and blankets from donated fabrics for distribution to individuals who are in physical, emotional, or spiritual need. The Ministry combines the talents of quilters who have eager hearts and hands to make the bedding for those in need, to the Glory of God.

Each item sewn through the Ministry is uniquely created and made with love, just as each of its members who created them has been formed by God. Many different talents, skills, friendships and creative minds woven together to touch the lives of those in need has been a miracle unfolding. Thanks to church members, children, grandchildren and friends of the quilting ministry for their donations. Prior to the quilts and blankets being distributed, all quilts receive a prayer of blessing.

Read more about the Stitches of Love Quilt Ministry [here]

 

Photos of the 2011 Quilt Blessing are below:
(Click photo to enlarge.)

 

Stitches of Love Quilt Ministry
The quilt ministry, Stitches of Love, at St. Matthew’s came into being in late 2003. Total of 1,306 quilts have been donated to date and this concludes our 8th year of creating love
and warm to those in need.

Accomplishments of Quilt Ministry September, 2010 – May, 2011

      • 150 quilts created & completed by the St. Matthew’s Quilt Ministry
      • Dental Bags distributed to children in Central America using recycled upholstered fabric samples
      • 3 blankets sent to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in SD in conjunction with ELCA
        Women of Greater Milwaukee Synod
      • 5 baby quilts completed; donation of squares drawn by preschool classes
      • 6 quilts with donation of quilt tops
      • 20 receiving blankets; distributed in memory of infant Vivienne Louise Rose Ubell
      • Numerous children’s medical gowns were sewn and distributed to dental clinics in Central America

Quilts and blankets will be distributed through the following organizations:

      • The Linus Project – a national organization that distributes blankets as needed to local hospitals and Bethany Christian Services
      • The Joy House – this welcoming home supplies the needs of women and children through Milwaukee Rescue Mission
      • Care Net Pregnancy Center of Milwaukee – serving & supporting the needs of women
      • BASICS (Brothers and Sisters in Christ Serving) – serving the many needs within the City of Milwaukee. Mark Mallwitz serves a director
      • Additional donations are made on an as-needed basis

Everyone is welcome to join the work of the Stitches of Love Quilting Ministry.

Pick up a brochure at the table in the Library Commons for details. It is also available online [here].

 

Quilt Ministry distributes bedding

With the cooperation of many hearts and hands, the Quilt Ministry of St. Matthew's has been the recipients of bedding tranported from the hotel rooms at The Wilderness in Wisconsin Dells to the church. St. Matt's member, Heidi Fendos travels to the Dells about every two weeks on business and brings back bedding in her van. The hotel is in the midst of renovating their rooms and Heidi took advantage of gathering the bedding. The items are transported to church and members of the Quilt Ministry are distributing the bedding. Thus far, the items have been shared with Mark Mallwitz of BASICS for needs within the City of Milwaukee. There are also plans on distributing bedding to The Joy House and the Repairers of the Breach of Milwaukee. 

The Sleeping Bag Ministry began in February of 1997 at St. Bernadette’s. Donated fabric is sized into 7’ x 7’ shape and layered over donated comforters and blankets. They are tied with yarn to keep everything in place. The "sandwiches" are sewn into sleeping bags and secured in a roll using discarded men's neckties. The finished product is given to the Repairers of the Breach to pass out to people living on the streets of Milwaukee. The Ministry just sent out sleeping bag number 429! Dawn says “the quilts are nothing glamorous, nothing fancy, only intended to keep people warm”. (View the photos to show the beginning and end process of the Ministry.) More photos of the Sleeping Bag Ministry are below [here].

Contact Jane Sandstrom  (262-790-1652) or Bev Etzelmueller (262-250-3969) if you have questions.

Photos of the Sleeping Bag ministry 2010 are below.
(Click photo to enlarge.)

 

Prayer Shawl Ministry:
Quiet, yet powerful expression of God’s comfort
Prayer shawls are created by knitters and crocheters to be given to those in need of God’s warmth and comfort, such as people dealing with illness, brokenness, loneliness. Those who create the shawls offer prayers while they work for the healing of the shawls’ recipients. Dozens of these shawls have been created and given away.

Many thanks to those who participated in making prayer shawls for Froedtert Hospital. New kits are available at the Prayer Shawl display table by the library. Please be sure to sign the clipboard sheet indicating when the kit was taken and when it was returned.

If you know of someone who would appreciate receiving a prayer shawl, please contact Jane Sandstrom (262-790-1652 or farmorjane@aol.com).

 

Photos of 2010 Quilt Blessing
(Click photo to enlarge.)

 

Photos: Prayer Shawl and Quilt Ministry Workshop Jan. 23, 2010
Photos of the event are [here].

 

Hat, Mittens and Scarves Project a Success
Thank you to everyone that helped make our fleece project a success. We have gathered more than 100 items to be distributed to children in need. We will continue collecting items through the end of January. The collection box is on the table outside the library. More fleece material is still available for those who would like to sew additional items. It is under the collection box. Again, a big THANK YOU to everyone!!

 

New "Quiet Sacs" provided by Quilt Ministry for children in worship
For many years, we have had "Children's Quiet Sacs" (also known as "Activity Sacks" or by other names) for children to use during worship. Since Summer 2009 additional new beautiful cloth bags have been used by these children, thanks to the Quilt Ministry.

These activity bags contain crayons, colored pencils, scratch paper, few short story books, activity sheets for the kids to stay busy and "quiet" during worship.

Originally made by Norma Pence about 10 years ago. Pastor Gary liked them and asked her to make some additional ones a few years ago. Norma purchased the fabric to make them, but moved before she could complete the project, so the fabric was given to Quilt Ministry to complete. In early 2009, there were 20 additional sacks completed and the 6th grade Sunday School class decorated them.

Thank you to both groups for these wonderful additions to our worship ministry!


Ongoing caring ministries

Celebrate Recovery!
Celebrate Recovery is designed as a program to help those struggling with hurts, habits and hang-ups by showing them the loving power of Jesus Christ through a recovery process. Celebrate Recovery has helped thousands of people at over 8,000 locations worldwide. If you are interested and would like to discover for yourself what this program is all about, contact Chris Capper (262-719-6886). The meeting time is Tuesdays from 7:00-9:00. You are welcome to join the group. Chris is also working with plans for two new groups in our wider community.
Contact: Chris Capper (262-719-6886)

 

Befrienders
This is part of our ministry that focuses on older adults who are homebound. Befriendersdevelop a one-to-one relationship with a person who “just needs a friend.” This can be done through phone calls, visits or correspondence. Some Befrienders bring people to worship or other events.
Contact: Judy Holmes (414-302-9419)

 

Quilting Ministry
The goal of the Quilt Ministry is to spread the love of our Lord worldwide through the warm bedding. The ministry strives to make beauti­ful quilts and blankets from donated fabrics, for distribution to individuals who are in physical, emotional, or spiritual need. Quilts are donated to ministries serving the needs of the Greater Milwaukee area, various charities and foreign missions. No experience is needed, just the love of creating warmth for those in need.

“Stitches of Love” creates infant/children’s quilts & blankets for physical, emotional,or spiritual need. Donated in the Milwaukee area and for worldwide missions.  Meets occasionally, September-May. Handiwork is done at home. No deadlines; no experience necessary.
Contact: Bev Etzelmueller (414-774-0441)

 

Prayer Shawl Ministry
Each shawl is special, created stitch by stitch, as the knitters pray for the recipient. Often the recipient is unknown, but the message that many people have been praying for them and will continue to do so is evident. This group meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the Youth Lounge.
Contact: Jane Sandstrom (262-790-1652)

 

Prayer Chain
The Prayer Chain is a group of believers devoted to interceding with love and compassion for all in need of prayer. This involves the willingness to spend individual time in prayer, at your convenience, in your own home. Most participants receive the prayer requests via e-mail; some by mail.
Contact: Rita Reinke (414-258-8006) (for info)
To request prayers: Contact the church office

 

Special Meal Providers
Members bring home cooked meals to families or individuals experiencing the birth of a baby, cancer concerns, recent hospitalization, chronic or extended illness, etc. Volunteers are assigned a date by a meal coordinator.
Contact: Sue Swing