St. Matthew’s is……vibrant worship, with great music, excellent preaching, everybody involved, in a spirit of reverent joy! Two traditionally-oriented services on Sunday mornings are supplemented by special services and a Summer, early morning garden service. …active ministries with people of all ages: education groups for children, youth and adults. Middle High and Senior High Youth Fellowships, special events, retreats and camps. Vacation Bible School. Summer Mission Trips. Men’s and women’s ministries. Ministries tailored to seniors. Daytime and evening Bible studies. …heavily involved in ministry and service in the local, regional, and world community. Local ministries include support for the local food bank, homeless shelters and transportation service, shelter and housing projects, and a disaster response team. Regional ministries include participation in Mission Central and Appalachia Service Project. World ministries include missions to Liberia and Haiti. In addition, through the United Methodist Connection, we support ministry and mission all over the globe. …most of all, people! Friendly people committed to growing in faith, friendship and service together, and continually welcoming new people into the family! We are a diverse bunch, and we welcome everyone! And we’d love to include you!
St. Matthew’s is an Inclusive Community.
|
Welcome to St. Matthew’sClick here for a printable version of our Welcome Brochure Welcome to St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church! Bowie, Md. We hope you will join us to celebrate God’s presence in our midst. All are welcome. Connect with us in the worship of God, be a part of our supportive fellowship, and grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ. Our joy is found in growing together and finding peace in the Holy Spirit. You can find yourself at St. Matthew’s. By holding you in our love you have the freedom to grow into the person that God wants you to be. You make a difference at St. Matthew’s. Our membership comes from nearly every denomination and background. Our ministers have been a huge contributing aspect of the success of our church in the community for 50 years. We are joyfully appreciative of our first woman senior minister, Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli. With her cheerful enthusiasm, sharp intelligence, witty humor, she leads us forward and upward into the next decade of change and adventure in faith, ministry, and service to others. Come visit us anytime. When are the Services? Sunday Service: Our 8:30 and 11 a.m. Services are traditional with familiar hymns, stirring choral music and a structured liturgical program. Communion is offered the first Sunday of every month during each service. All are welcome to take communion, church membership not needed. Services are about an hour long. How should I dress? St. Matthew’s is a “come as you are” church. Whether you like to wear a three piece suit, a fashionable dress — or if you prefer shorts, T-shirts, jeans and tennis shoes — all are equally welcomed. What Do You Have for the Kids? We have a wealth of children’s programs running throughout the year designed just for them so they can learn about God’s love for them every week in a special vibrant way. Sunday School is open to all children ages 2 years old to 12th grade beginning at 9:30 a.m. and lasting one hour. Children are always welcome in the worship services. It is important for our kids to be with us during the service. We have an exciting Children’s Service during the 11 a.m. worship hour. We offer a nursery during the 8:30 and 11 a.m. worship services for children ranging in age from infants to 2 years old. Coffee Social Hour A long-time tradition is our coffee social hour 9:30 am – 10:30 am, after the 8:30 am service and before the 11 am service. It is an opportunity to meet our friendly membership, greet guests, meet someone we don’t know yet, get caught up with life events, or discover more about St. Matthew’s. What kind of Music do you have? We enjoy diverse opportunities to glorify God through the use of music in our corporate worship. We like to have a variety styles that compliment the makeup of our congregation and musicians. We use the best content from historic and recent compositions, focusing on the theological richness of the lyrics, the expressiveness of the melody and harmony combined with the opportunity for God’s people to respond to Him passionately through both lyrics and music. Will I be asked to give money? We teach and believe in Biblical stewardship at St. Matthew’s. Offerings are given as an act of worship for attendees who consider St. Matthew’s their home. For new guests, your presence is a gift to us. We would like you to be blessed by the service without feeling any obligation to give. Other helpful tips for your first visit:
How Do I Learn More?Check out our welcome center in the front of the Sanctuary or click on the link Home where we have a number of resources to point you in the direction you would like to go. They’re all great ways to learn more about St. Matthew’s and the folks who call it home.
Why St. Matthew’s? “My involvement at St. Matthew’s has helped me develop my values and helped me to become the person I am now. ‘ve gone to Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, and Youth Fellowship all of my life at St. Matthew’s and through all of that I’ve learned what it means to be a Christian.“ —Brianna Phair “We are a military family and moved to Maryland from upstate New York. Leaving our loved ones was the most difficult part of our relocation but St. Matthew’s has become our Maryland family. They have offered kindness, compassion, support and helped us raise our four children in a loving Christian environment. We are proud to call St. Matthew’s our family.” —The Vare Family “I’m part of St. Matthew’s because of the warmth that surrounded me when I first came, the way the church is focused on outreach and missions and the love I’ve experienced from everyone. St. Matthew’s is special enough for me to come quite a distance.” —Ray Orocco-John “St. Matthews has been our rock to lean on in times of distress and a community of loving and caring Christians that has helped us become more and more faithful over the 45 years we have been members.” —Gordon and Thelma Harvey |