PSST Food Drive Helps Area Needy Households

Here's a press release just sent to the local newspaper about our PSST Food Drive. (PSST stands for peanut butter, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, and tuna.)

The second phase of the Saint Matthew Lutheran Church PSST Food Drive happened on Saturday, May 16, resulting in at least 218 bags of food for Hocking County households. “They filled two offices and a hallway” at the Hocking County Jobs and Family Services, where the items were taken for distribution, noted assistant director Cindi Garrelts.

On May 9, thirty-four members of Saint Matthew distributed empty sacks to about 800 Logan households. Attached to each sack was a flyer asking residents to donate peanut butter, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, and tuna, place them in the sack, and then set the filled sack on their porch the following Saturday.

On May 16, Saint Matthew members went out to collect the sacks. About 40% of all the households receiving the sacks filled them with food donations.

The sacks were then brought back to Saint Matthew’s fellowship hall where, joined by six employees of Jobs and Family Services giving of their time during “off-hours,” the food was sorted into the 218 bags for distribution among needy households in our county. Jobs and Family Services will see that families they serve receive the food.

About 50 Saint Matthew members were involved in the pick up of sacks. Among the words used by them to describe the experience were “Fun!” and “Awesome!”

Becky Webb, who chairs the committee which spearheaded the effort, Saint Matthew’s new Servanthood Team, described herself as “overwhelmed.”

“I am so thankful to the people of our community who responded so generously,” said Saint Matthew pastor, Mark Daniels. “I also can’t thank the people of Saint Matthew enough for their hard work on this project and for their Christian compassion,” Daniels also said. He added, “Of course, the biggest thanks goes to God for working in our community in this way.”

An additional forty pounds of food not bagged will go to the CHAP emergency food bank. Several people who said they’d forgotten to get the PSST items donated cash, which will also be used for the Servanthood Team’s efforts.

The Logan Kroger store provided the sacks, Daniels noted. “We’re thankful for their help,” said the pastor on Saturday.

It was a fantastic event. Sharing the love of Christ with others is a mountaintop experience...and it can also be a lot of fun!


Some of the 50 Saint Matthew members who participated in the second phase of PSST sorting food in the church fellowship hall. [Click to enlarge image.]


Saint Matthew members formed "bucket brigades" to get completed sacks from the fellowship hall to vehicles waiting to take them to Hocking County Jobs and Family Services. [Click image to enlarge.]

Today's Announcements

Here are announcements shared this morning before worship.

1. Next Sunday, please bring your canned food offerings for the CHAP emergency food bank. As you can imagine, with the economic and employment situations as they are, the food bank is especially important for our community these days. We thank God for the free gift of new life we receive from Jesus by worshiping with our whole lives and that includes what we give to help our neighbor. Thanks to all of you for your help with the food bank!

2. The new adult Sunday School class begins one week from tomorrow. It happens at 7:00 to 8:30pm. We’ll be looking at the New Testament book of Hebrews. Hebrews is a somewhat strange book. But as you delve into it, you’ll learn a lot about the strength God gives in tough times. Call the church office to register for this class.

3. There will be a special meeting for all youth in the sixth through twelfth grades, their parents, and interested adults next Sunday, January 25. The first part of the meeting will deal with the mission trip, happening June 14 to 19. We want to try to get the exact number of those who are going and also answer any questions you may have. That portion of the meeting should last about twenty minutes or so. The rest of the get-together will be practice for the upcoming Bible Bowl. Now, in case you don’t know whether to show up or not, I’ll tell you this: There will be pizza!

4. Thanks to everybody who helped take down the directions last week. You helped make it go quickly and smoothly!

New Adult Study Begins January 26

The new evening adult Bible study, which starts on January 26, from 7:00 to 8:30pm, will be on the book of Hebrews. The whole thing will last six weeks. It’s meant to dovetail with the youth group’s participation in the Bible Bowl. (After that, it’s been suggested that we do a study of Genesis. After that, we hope to do a comparative study on how Mary, the Mother of Our Lord, is viewed by we Lutherans and Roman Catholics.) Register for the Hebrews class at 385-2272 or by sending the pastor an email at MarkLuth@aol.com.

Sign Up for Prayer Vigil, April 10-11

Good things happen when God's people pray! Last year, before Pentecost, we had our first overnight prayer vigil. People have wondered if we could do another one and not just once a year. There will be a Good Friday-Holy Saturday Prayer Vigil taking place after the Good Friday Tenebrae Service on April 12, and running through 7:00am, April 13. You'll be asked to come to the chapel for a half-hour shift of prayer. (If you can't come to the Saint Matthew chapel in person, you're asked to take a half-hour shift at home.) The idea is for someone from Saint Matthew to be offering prayers for three things, along with the usual prayer requests included in our weekly bulletins. The three things we'll ask God to do are:

(1) That God will help Saint Matthew to be a blessing to Logan and Hocking County by sharing Christ with and by being faithful followers of Christ in our words and actions;
(2) That God will show us new ways to serve others in Christ's Name;
(3) That God will use us to reach the county's young people with the life-changing power of God's love, given through Christ.

There will be a sign-up sheet in the fellowship hall, with slots both for those praying in the chapel and those praying at home during the Vigil.

Bible Bowl Happens March 1: The Whole Congregation is Invited

Make plans now to attend the 2009 Southern Ohio Synod Bible Bowl on March 1. Cheer on the young people from Saint Matthew as they compete (and have fun with) youth from other Lutheran congregations in our synod. The competition will focus on the New Testament book of Hebrews and happens at First Lutheran Church in Springfield, Ohio, from 3:00pm. Dinner will be provided during the event. We'll plan on forming a caravan for the trip over that day!

Get Ready for Lent, 2009

Our Lenten worship series this year will be geared to whole families, from the youngest to the oldest. Lent starts on February 25, with Ash Wednesday. We will have midweek gatherings on Wednesdays through Lent, potluck dinner happening at 6pm, followed by worship at 7pm. Watch for details.

A Message from ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson

Bishop Hanson talks about the November 4, elections, not taking sides, but reminding Lutherans of our call to responsible citizenship, among other things. Read his statement here.