Women
The Women's Ministry at St. Matthew's Church is multifaceted. Our driving ethos is to build up one another in our faith and to serve the Lord by supporting other ministries in our parish with our time, talents and treasure.
Women's Group
The St. Matthew's Women's Group fosters Christian friendships through weekly meetings which include Evening Prayer, dinner, and reading Scriptures, books and essays from prominent Christian writers. Women of all ages are encouraged to attend as the group views one of its core strengths to be the wide spectrum of the ages of its members, enabling all to benefit from each other's perspectives and life experiences. Please join us in the library Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m. Contact if you would like to know more about the group.
Moms' Group
As a support to the many moms in our church and school we have special group for just for moms. It is a weekly time for us to get together. We have a short Bible study and share one another's parenting struggles and joys. In a world where many of us live far from our families, it is important to have others that can walk along side us as we raise our children. Come be a part of something genuine.
The group meets from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. Childcare is provided for infants and toddlers. If you are interested in joining us contact .
Crafternoon
This is a new ministry which is experiencing great success. Organized by Rashelle Wade, the 3rd Saturday of each month is set aside for the ladies to participate in craft activities together. They have some long terms goals of using their skills to support other ministries such as outreach to hospice/nursing homes. Recently they held a knitting clinic to provide beanies for the NICU at Hoag. Contact for more information, or just drop in the 3rd Saturday of each month, 1 pm – 4 pm.
Altar Guild
This is a devotional lay ministry with ancient roots in the Church. Altar Guild teams of two or three work together on a monthly basis and serve under the orders and authority of the Priest in accordance with his instructions. In general terms, the Altar Guild prepares the altar and those things necessary for the celebration of the Eucharist and the observances of the other sacraments and Offices of the Church. Altar Guild members are mindful of the privilege of serving God in His Sanctuary. Serving on Altar Guild is a quiet devotional exercise: a wonderful benefit of Altar Guild service is the incorporation of the liturgical seasons of the year and special feast days and observances into regular remembrance. Members of Altar Guild are a part of a long tradition of serving Christ. No prior experience is needed, new members learn by working with others. If you have any questions or would like to know more about this ministry please contact Susan Lintz or Vanessa Anderson at 949-219-0911.
Book Club
The book club at St. Matthew's meets the third Saturday of each month to discuss different books. Although attending mostly by women everyone is invited to join the lively discussion as we work to broaden and sharpen our Christian World view. For more information you may contact .
Benedictine Chapter
In 2004 a group of women at St. Matthew's formed a Chapter of the Order of St. Benedict. It answered a prayer for a deeper closeness to God. Benedictines are men and women, single and married, lay and clerical. They have chosen to follow the "Path of Life" by forming a personal "Rule of Life" based on the teachings of St. Benedict.
This Chapter is not another club to join, full of jobs and other requirements. They simply meet once a month to encourage one anther along their shared spiritual journey; sharing in each other's struggles and rejoicing in one another's successes. As a chapter, there is a strong emphasis to develop and use of each member's Spiritual Gifts. We are all of the Body of Christ and recognize that "there are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone." (1 Cor 12: 4-7)
As a chapter these women use their gifts in service to the parish of St. Matthew's by organizing Quiet Days and weekend Retreats. You are invited to join them the first Wednesday of each month. You may contact the chapter director or call 949-219-0911 for more information.
Women's Guild
The purpose of the Women's Guild is to support the established ministries in the church. For example we meet monthly with the Young Mothers Group to teach crafts. The Guild visits the sick and provides meals to their members in need. They support the St Matthew's Orphanage in Mexico on a monthly basis and financially help those in need in the Parish.
The Guild meets monthly. They meet every other month on the first Saturday of the month at the church at 10.00 a.m. This consists of a business meeting followed with a speaker. On alternate months they organize an outing -- for example to a museum followed with lunch.
All women are welcome. If you are interested in joining us please contact .