Ministries

One of the hallmarks of our St. Matthew’s life is the value we place on prayer in our worship, our ministries, and our individual lives. Prayer undergirds our lives as a parish family and as members of the Christian community.

Sunday mornings we are blessed to be part of a remarkable ingathering of prayer requests for people within our church family and those known to them. Our Book of Common Prayer offers formats called “Prayers of the People” that serve as the foundation for our petitions in local and world-wide government needs; national and local church needs; personal concerns such as grief, illness, emotional turmoil, marital discord, and financial distress; thanksgiving; and death.

The names included are gathered from Prayer Request cards located on the back of each row of pews, as well as requests that come into the church office by phone, email, and our website. For three Sunday mornings we pray for each need, but it does not stop there. Every Monday at noon, a faithful group of people gather in the library of Creasy Hall and join in prayer for the needs known to each. The prayer request cards serve to begin, but there are always other needs. As names are gathered and added to the list, discussion ensues asking for updates. A master list is kept with the name of the person who requested prayer to stay informed on how prayers are being answered. If you have included names for prayer, please update the information either on a card on Sunday morning or by contacting the office. Prayers continue depending on the type: “Immediate needs” for 3 weeks, “Intermediate needs” for 6 months, and “Perpetual needs” indefinitely or until the need is no longer there. The opportunity to offer thanksgiving when they are answered is a great reward for those praying. If you are interested in being part of this weekly ministry, stop by the parish hall on a Monday at noon. You will be welcomed.

At times there are prayer needs that cannot wait or do not seem appropriate for either the prayer request cards or the Monday prayer meeting. It may be a more immediate need than would be helped by those avenues, or perhaps it is a private concern that is best served by staying confidential. There are other ways of addressing those instances.

Every Sunday, at the end of each service, a prayer minister is invited forward to be anointed. Each minister has gone through specific training and commissioning supervised by Fr. Tim. An important part of that training involves the strict confidentiality involved in prayer ministry; it is a sacred trust.

Fr. Tim and our Lay Ministry Coordinator, Ellen Yelverton, are always available to you for private visits. You are invited to speak with either of them on Sunday mornings or contact the office to arrange a time to meet.