At St. Matthew’s, we know that the church is not the building that we meet in, but the community of people that gather worship and reach out as Christ’s hands to the world. We strive to worship in the most joyful, welcoming, inclusive, and participatory way possible. There are many ways to take part in our communal worship and our care for each other at St. Matthew’s. Each new person in these ministries expands our community to better reflect God’s image and love among us.

For more information on any of the ministries listed here, please contact the Rev. Benjamin Hart. 

Our Eucharistic Visitors take communion to parishioners who cannot come to church. We have a group of dedicated volunteers who are trained and licensed to perform this ministry. They receive a communion kit at one of our Sunday services and are sent out with words that remind us that even though we cannot all be together all the time, we are one body of Christ.

Also called Chalice Bearers, Eucharistic ministers are volunteers who help distribute communion.

Each week, the Sunday altar flowers are divided and sent out to let people know we are thinking of them and care for them. Thoughtful volunteers divide and rearrange the Sunday altar flowers, and other volunteers deliver the flowers to the selected recipients. 

St. Matthew’s Altar Guild is a group of loyal women and men who serve the church by meeting every Saturday morning to prepare for three Sunday services. The Altar Guild service includes preparing the altar for worship, cleaning up between services, and caring for all the silver and linens. The Altar Guild is also responsible for other special services such as weddings, funerals, and baptisms. Qualifications include the following: being faithful and on time, having attention to detail, asking questions, valuing neatness, being a good team player, and enjoying the pleasure of working with and serving others. 

The Flower Guild members arrange flowers for the altar every Sunday, for the Easter and Christmas season, for the annual lunch meeting, for guest speakers, and for receptions for special occasions. We always have fun with any project, and it's always a learning experience. We would love to have anyone who just loves flowers, and our schedule is flexible because everyone is willing to switch dates. 

The Visitation Committee organizes refreshments such as cookies, muffins, coffee, lemonade, and water for funeral visitations at St. Matthew’s. The Sexton sets up tables and chairs in the narthex. Before the visitation, our committee sets out glasses, napkins, tissues, arranges cookie trays, and accepts flowers. During the visitation, we replenish refreshments and make ourselves available to the family and visitors. After the visitation, we clean up, put away serving trays and pitchers, and prepare any leftover refreshments for the family to take with them. This is such an important ministry and so appreciated by the families. 

The Care Team Ministry continues as a volunteer team of 38 parishioners. Teams are composed of one (1) Team Leader and five (5) or more team members. Each team is in rotation for one week, once every five (5) weeks. This is about ten times a year. We make connections with our parish family through cards, emails, visits, phone calls, and meal deliveries. Working closely with our clergy, the Care Team provides support to parish members in need and enables our clergy to focus on areas of ministry beyond the Care Team mission. We welcome new volunteers to provide care. 

Greeters are the first way that we welcome people into our church building. These volunteers are friendly people who are interested in welcoming newcomers to the church. They help orient new visitors to where they can find the restrooms, childcare, and the Nave. They are an essential part of our welcoming community.

At all our services on Sundays, ushers serve by welcoming parishioners, helping them to their seats, distributing bulletins, collecting the offering, and directing people during the Eucharist.

Acolytes assist the clergy in religious services and lead processions. At St. Matthew’s, youth in grades 4-12 serve as acolytes at the 10a service (1 adult at the 8a service). Any interested youth can contact Julie Mushkin to be trained and added to the rotating schedule. 

Parishioners can take part in the Sunday services by volunteering to read the Hebrew Bible and New Testament passages as well as the weekly prayers of the people. New lectors and intercessors go through a brief training session before serving to acquaint new participants with the reading locations and service flow.