Casper lost many things on that Monday.He lost his car keys, eyeglasses, and book.Years ago, he had lost his ability to bounceup from his chair and walk quickly to thedoor. Life was not easy. But on that Monday,he spent the day volunteering at the neigh-borhood school. He read to the younger chil-dren and listened to the older ones read tohim. It didnt matter what he was asked todo, he loved being at the school.Jackie didnt have much money to pay forher apartment or food, but that didnt matter.She loved to take her coins and buy trinketsfor the elderly in her apartment building. Noone had much, so her little gesture broughtjoy. She would stay, listen to the stories ofthe elderly, and try to learn from their wis-dom. Although Jackie was just a youngadult, she had already learned life can bequite difficult.The whole concept of giving ones lifeaway is a foreign concept in our fast-paceconsumer world. Too often, we chase afterstuff, believing it will help us to feel betterand make us whole. Instead of giving, weinvest our time accumulating things. Jesusreverses the trend of consumerism byencouraging his followers to give their lifeaway. Jesus also encourages his followers to pickup the cross. This does not mean to sufferthrough the inconveniences of life such as along line at the grocery. A cross is an instru-ment of death. Due to the size and weight ofa cross, a person does not easily pick up across. Jesus is underscoring his invitation togive ones life away. Carrying a crossinvolves death of ones own selfish desiresas well as the possibility of ones own death.Imagine a cross big enough for you to beplaced upon. Imagine the weight of thatcross. Imagine you being willing to beplaced upon that cross and facing death allfor the sake of Jesus.PrayerLamb of God, you sacrificed your life so wemight live. Inspire us to lose our life foryour sake. Amen

ConnectionsSt. Mat thew Lutheran Church Connec t i ng Fa i th W i th L i fe !

CALENDAR of EVENTS

SAT., SEPTEMBER 2FOOD PANTRY WEEKEND

10am-12pm Concord RoomReserved/Al-Anon Mtg.

5:00 pm Worship

SUN., SEPTEMBER 3

FOOD PANTRYWEEKEND

9:30 am Worship10:45 am Coffee Fellowship

MON., SEPTEMBER 4Labor Day Holiday

Office ClosedNo Morning Prayer Groupor Pastors Text Study

TUES., SEPTEMBER 510:00 pm Mens

Coffeeat Lincoln Square

5:30 pm Executive Committee Meeting 7:00 pm Bell Choir Rehearsal 7:00 pm Boy Scouts

WED., SEPTEMBER 6 6:00 pm Adult Bible Study

THURS., SEPTEMBER 7 4:00 pm Fellowship Hall Reserved/

Private Party

FRI., SEPTEMBER 8 11:30 am Lets Do Lunch

Ladies Luncheon atPerkins

SAT., SEPTEMBER 910am-12pm Concord Room

Reserved/Al-Anon Mtg. 5:00 pm Worship

SUN., SEPTEMBER 10FIRST DAY OF SUNDAY SCHOOL

AND CONFIRMATION

8:30 am Worship 9:45 am Coffee Fellowship 9:45 am Parent/Student

Confirmation Meeting 9:50 am Sunday School10:00 am Adult Forum10:45 am Worship11:30-4pm Fellowship Hall Reserved/

Private Party

STMFOOD PANTRY

WEEKEND

STAFF OF ST. MATTHEW LUTHERAN CHURCHPHONE: 367-1189 www.stmatthewurbana.org

Pastor Robert J. RasmusAssociate Pastor Maggie FalenschekOffice Manager Gayla PellumNursery Ruby Splittstoesser & Emma LacefieldParish Nurses Aziza Awate, Kathie Pound, and Beth Riddle

Connections Deadline: Submit announcements in writing to the church office or by e-mailto gayla.stm@stmatthewurbana.org no later than 9:00 a.m. Wednesday. Thank you!

Please note: Names on the list for prayers will be posted for one month unless otherwise requested.Please contact the church office with any updates or extensions. Thank you.

Msgr. Greg Ketchum, friend of Vickie HartAndrew Rogers, friend of Jill QuisenberryLaurie Padjen, friend of the Deck familySpecialist Sean Splittstoesser,

grandson of Ruby & Dan SplittstoesserBrody Welshofer, friend of Danielle DeckAmy Cole and Liam Snow,

daughter & grandson of Susan & Claude Cole

Julie, colleague of Sarah LoftusNic Brandon and family,

friends of the Daly familyDonna Gehrt, aunt of Jill DalyChris Galvin, friend of Morgan JohnsonMacy Slade Tester,

friend of Mel & Liz SchwartzRita, sister of Diane DurbinTerry Green & family,

friends of John & Peg WarrinerMichael & Cheryl, friends of Chris BedfordVickie Fitzsimmons,

sister-in-law of Shirley Shaw****************Bernie & Sara Donahue,

friends of Dorothy GrahamMeghan, friend of Chris Bedford****************

Randy Buhr, son of Hervin BuhrRobb & Karen Keller,

friends of John & Peg WarrinerLinda & Ver Jacinto,

sister & brother-in-law of Diana Marshall****************Sharon Hedrick John GantzIsabella Gonzalez Muryl OhmsRita Vanier Mandi GillilandSuzanne Ross Carolyn AdamsDanielle Deck Ted SandwellBruce Carroll Hervin BuhrBetty Everence Gerald SmithMason Minnes Steven RhoadsGarris Graham****************Remember our shut-ins:Vivian Larson Elaine EbelingLeona Saathoff

PrayerRequests

Welcome!St. Matthew Lutheran Church

is a fellowship of Christian believers called to:

grow in Christ, share the Gospel, serve Gods people.Do come again to

St. Matthew Lutheran Churchwhere you are always welcome.

Worship ServicesSaturday, 5:00pm A relaxed and informal worship held in our ChristChapel.Sunday, one service at 9:30am on September 3rd,starting September 10th service will be at 8:30amSpirited traditional worship that focuses on participation through the liturgy, thegreat hymns of the Church, and corporate confession of our faith.Sunday, starting September 10th service will be at 10:45amPraise and worship in an open and accessible style.

Stephen MinistryThe Lord has heard my cry for mercy;

the Lord accepts my prayerPsalm 6:9

Praise God for: a safe place to sleep at nightThank God For: the ways He blesses me each dayAsk Gods Forgiveness For:

the times I put my own needs firstAsk God To Help: me remember to thank

and praise Him for answered prayersAsk God To Supply Our Need For: the chance to make a difference

Sometimes I act as if God were on a party line. I decide Hes too busy to listen tomy concerns. Or that my persistence on some matters might be annoying. Or eventhat someone can overhear the personal things I need to share with Him.Gods line is always open, always private, and He longs to hear from me each day.

Penney Schwab (from Guidepost July Prayer Companion)In light of what is happening in the world and in our own backyard we can alwaysturn to God. Many people tell us how we should feel and react to social issues.Each side believes their way is the only way. It can cause tremendous worry andfear. As we know the only Way is through Jesus Christ. God is here and you can talk toHim to calm your fears and worries. Take the time to listen to what God says to you.Use your privilege as a Christian to take comfort in His love and cast all your caresupon Him.If you are interested in knowing more about Stephen Ministry please contact PastorBob, Pastor Maggie, or Mike Krumwiede for more information.

FOOD PANTRY WEEKEND THIS WEEKEND!The first full weekend of every month, we ask the members of ourcongregation to bring in items for our food pantry. Our Food Pantryprovides a week's worth of meals to families within the communityon a regular basis. Our current needs include canned fruit, cannedvegetables, canned tuna, canned or bottled juices, jello, boxed mashed potatoes,rice, mac and cheese, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, jelly, salad dressing, completepancake mix, pancake syrup, saltine crackers, cold or hot cereal, Hamburger Helper,cornbread mix, toilet paper, and bath soap. A basket for your donations will beplaced in the narthex Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Feel free to give to thepantry on other days, too! Thank you!

SUNDAY SCHOOL BEGINS NEXT SUNDAY!Children will begin with music time and then get to know theirnew teachers and classmates. If you haven't already, pleaseregister your child for Sunday School. You can register onlineby going to stmyouthmin.weeby.com, clicking on the formstab, and selecting Sunday School Registration.

WEDNESDAY ADULT BIBLE STUDY THIS WEEKIn the early years of the church, expectations were high that Jesus,the Messiah, would return at any moment to fulfill all the promisesof God and reward and gather the faithful. As time passed andChrists return was delayed, some began to struggle with their faithand question their convictions. Others were pressing the new believ-ers to abandon their faith and return to their previous affiliations. TheLetter to the Hebrews was written as an encouragement to the young church and asa defense of Jesus as Messiah and as the fulfillment of the law and prophets. Pleasejoin us as we will take up the study of this rich account in our Wednesday NightAdult Study beginning on September 6 at 6:00.

CONFIRMATION PARENT/STUDENT MEETING NEXT SUNDAYWe will have a parent and student meeting to go over every-thing confirmation related on September 10th at 9:45am in theConfirmation Room. Each family will get a calendar with spe-cial dates to remember and we will talk about what we all canexpect this year. Please let Pr. Maggie know if you are unableto make it!

SUNDAY MORNING ADULT FORUM NEXT SUNDAYThis Reformation Sunday, October 29th, we will cele-brate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformationthat transformed the church and the western world. Ofcourse, one of the key figures in that history was MartinLuther. In his role as professor, pastor and scholar, Lutherpublished volumes of works on scripture, the sacraments,ethics and the church in society. Among all of these,though, maybe his most enduring work is the SmallCatechism, a teaching tool he developed to instruct families and pastors in learning the basics of theChristian faith. In celebration of this anniversary and in an effort to again familiarize ourselves withthese basics and the history and tradition behind the catechism, we will offer theclass, By Heart: Conversations With Martin Luthers Catechism, in our SundayAdult Class beginning on September 10th. The course runs for seven Sundaysand will be completed in time for our Reformation Day celebration.I see this as an opportunity for long-time Lutherans to brush up and embrace one ofthe seminal teaching tools of our history, for folks new to the Lutheranism who willgain a sense of the history, tradition and key theological ideas that formed theProtestant church, and for others quite unfamiliar with faith basics to gain a strongfoothold in the development of their own spiritual journeys. Participant books are$15.00. Please indicate in the bulletin insert that you intend to join the class sowe can get the books ordered and on hand by the time of the first class.

STMFood Pantry

MENS COFFEE THIS WEEK!JOIN US FOR A SECOND CUP

Our Mens Coffee group meets twice a month. All available STM men areinvited to gather for a cup of coffee & conversation on the first and thirdTuesday of every month. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, September 5at 10:00am in the Lincoln Square food court area. Men of all ages are wel-come & encouraged to join our discussions.

LETS DO LUNCH LADIES LUNCHEON THIS WEEK!Join us on the second Friday of each month at 11:30 am at a differentrestaurant each month. No age limit, no jobs to do, no colored hatsto wear, nothing to study, strictly social & fun. Come when you canwhatever months you can. The next lunch will be held Friday,September 8th at Perkins on University in Urbana. The sign up sheet isposted on the bulletin board in the narthex If you forget to sign up... come anyway!Women of all ages are welcome!

STM QUILTERSWere back! STM Quilters meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of eachmonth. Our first meeting is on Tuesday, September 12th from 9:00am 12:00pm. We meet in the Fellowship Hall and cant wait to beginwork on the Senior High and Project Linus Quilts. We have 4 seniors this year andproviding quilts for children in the hospital is a wonderful community project.Everyone is welcome to join us. If you have any questions please contact PegWarriner 217-369-5433.

MARTIN LUTHER: THE IDEA THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

The 500th anniversary of the Reformation will be observed onOctober 29. Showing on WILL TV on Tuesday, September 12, is anew film following ... the dramatic story of Martin Luther's life: themassive lightning storm that nearly killed him, the bleak self-punishment of his time in themonastery, the corruption that unleashed his anger, his trial before the most powerful manin Europe, and the staged kidnapping that helped him escape the death penalty.This is a highly-visual documentary with elaborate full-scale dramatizations that werefilmed in the castles, monasteries and cobblestone streets of eastern Europe. Dozens of his-torians from Europe and the Americas were interviewed, with a careful eye to ensure allsides of the story are represented. The film is narrated by Hugh Bonneville ("DowntonAbbey") and stars Padraic Delany ("The Tudors," "The Man Who Knew Infinity").

Its Time to Make Up the Next Worship Assistant Schedule!Preferences Due this Week!

I will be scheduling worship assistants in early September for theOctober 2017 through January 2018 services. If you are currently partof the schedule, please contact me to let me know if you are unavailablefor certain weekends and/or if you have a scheduling preference. We can add people to any of the assisting duties and would love to see more of youhelping out! If you are currently not on our schedule, please consider giving any ofour assisting positions a try! We will be happy to train anyone who is interested. Wewould love to have your smiling face be part of our team of worship assistants!Please have your requests and/or preferences emailed to me at my office address(gayla.stm@stmatthewurbana.org) no later than September 7th. If you have anyquestions, please give me a call at the office . Thank you! Gayla Pellum

ALTAR FLOWERSThe flowers on the altar this weekend are given by Mark and TinaShaw in celebration of Tinas birthday. Have a very happy day!Help make our altar beautiful! Celebrate a birthday, anniversary,someones life or just because. The sign up sheet is located on thebulletin board in the narthex. There are still open dates availablethis year.

PRAYER

CORNER Throughout the summer months, as space is available, the namesof our church families will be presented to be prayed for. Our hope

is that within a years time, all members will be prayed for. Please include these fellow STM members in your special thoughtsand prayers this week:

The Tammen Families The Tjaden/Durbin FamilyThe Unangst Family The Vanier FamilyThe Volkening Family The Wahlfeldt FamilyThe Wallig Family The Warfield FamilyThe Warriner Family The Weckel FamilyThe Wegeng Family The Westfield FamilyThe White Family The Wilson FamilyThe Withrow Family The Wood/Caldwell FamilyThe Wrona Family The Ya FamilyThe Yearsley Family The Zvilius Family

LUTHER ON THE BIG SCREEN!The ELCA churches of Champaign/Urbana are sponsoring a screen-ing of Luther starring Joseph Fiennes at the Art Theater in down-town Champaign at 2:30 on Sunday, September 17th. After themovie, a panel of pastors will be available to lead a discussion andanswer questions. The screening is part of our celebration of the500th anniversary of the Reformation. Adult admission is $5.00, kidsare $3.00. Any proceeds over the cost of the screening will go toLutheran Social Services Storybook Project prison ministry project that is sharedamong local ELCA churches. Bring your friends and family. Its a big theater!

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRYThe next meeting of the Prayer Shawl Ministry will be Wednesday,September 20th at 9:30 a.m. in the Concord Room at church. We wel-come all who knit. If you know of someone who would be comforted bya prayer shawl, please contact Joan Peterson (384-7415), Mary Anderson (896-2061), Pastor Bob, Pastor Maggie or the church office (367-1189). The stories fromthe recipients are beautiful & filled with gratitude for the prayers & love that goesinto making them.

RELITFriday, September 29 will be the next meeting of Religion & Literaturediscussion group. We'll meet for an hour, starting at 7 p.m., to discussGrounded: Finding God in the World....A Spiritual Revolution by DianaButler Bass. Bass brings her understanding of the latest research andstudies and her deep knowledge of history and theology to Grounded. She citesnews, trends, data, and pop culture, weaves in spiritual texts and ancient traditions,and pulls it all together through stories of her own and others' spiritual journeys.Bass invites readers to join this emerging spiritual revolution, find a revitalizedexpression of faith, and change the world. We'll decide what books we'll read duringthe 2017-2018 program year, so if you have one you would like to suggest, bring italong or send the title to Nancy Schneider@hotmail.com.

WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDYThe WELCA Bible Study will meet at Prairie Winds of Urbana... likelast year we will meet on the same day (last Thursday of the month)and at the same time (9:30am). If you would like to join the women'sBible studies based on the Gather magazine Bible studies (& we would welcome anyother Bible study ideas) pick up one of the complimentary copies of the magazinetoday in the narthex & join us on September 29th for fellowship & coffee. Hope tosee you then! Thanks ladies, Mary Anderson, Bible Study coordinator