New members joyfully welcomed last Sunday 

 St. Matthew's is pleased to welcome 15 new members to our faith community.  They include Lloyd & Sherry Latty, Mary Ann & Bob Evander, Beatrice Nasike, Chris Hosch, Claire Fromme, Barbara and Paul Toren, Nellene Benhardus, June Sherren, Patricia & David Fenrick, Laura Perticara and Marissa Schmitz.

The group met with the Rev. Blair Pogue this fall to learn more about St. Matthew's, including our history, program offerings, an introduction to the Episcopal tradition and opportunities to become involved in the life of the parish.  At the same time, the new members shared their individual stories and what drew them to St. Matthew's.  Over the next several weeks, we will feature each of them in Tidings.   
Meet Our New Members...

Chris Hosch: Most of you already know me as Elizabeth's husband and Spencer's father. I've been coming to St. Matthew's for about 7 years. I'm a graphic designer for Fantasy Flight Games, a board game publisher located in Roseville. I enjoy reading, games of all kinds (which is fortunate given my occupation), outdoor activities such as hiking and camping, and spending time with my wonderful wife and adorable son. Lately, most of my spare time has been devoted to preparing to move into a new house!
I grew up in a small town in Iowa in the Catholic tradition and after having explored various faith options while in college at the University of Northern Iowa, I ended up abandoning the notion of religion as not being worth my time. I came to the Twin Cities for the job opportunities it provides and for nearly a decade I was content to live my life as an agnostic, not really giving a second thought to the possibility of joining a faith community. Then I got a call from my sister, Rebecca, who had just attended a knitting group at St. Matthew's with her friend Maclore Christensen. Rebecca said she had met the most charming young woman and that I should meet her. My sister wasn't one to get involved in my personal life so I decided this Elizabeth girl might be worth a shot. I'm glad I did. A scant two and a half years later Elizabeth and I were married and three years after that Spencer was born.

My romance with Elizabeth may have seemed like a whirlwind, but my reintroduction to faith has been more of a slow walk, with St. Matthew's marching me inexorably to a relationship with God. At first it was just a service here and there to support my wife's interests, but over time St. Matt's became my interest too. While it was my wife who introduced me to St. Matthew's, it was the community that I found and the friends I made that have kept me coming back. St. Matthew's has always made me feel welcome while at the same time giving me the space to find my faith again, even if it did take a few years. It was the arrival my son that finally convinced me to become a member. I want Spencer to grow up in a strong, supportive community so that wherever life takes him, he'll know that St. Matthew's will be there for him, as it has been for myself and so many others.

Barbara & Paul Toren

Paul:  Born in Lincoln, Nebraska
 I grew up in a close family affiliated with the Swedish Covenant Church. I attended the University of Nebraska for two years when called into the army for three years, (USA, Japan) ending my military career as 1st Lieutenant Field Artillery, Liaison Pilot. After finishing my degrees at Nebraska I began studies toward my PhD in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Minnesota.
This was a full time responsibility augmented by the needs of my wife and children while living in veterans housing near the University's Farm Campus.  An important change occurred when we wanted to have our baby baptized, and a neighbor asked if we had considered the Episcopal Church. I had never heard of it, but soon found out, and our baby was baptized at St. Matthew's where we became members, and I even joined the choir. Sitting next to me in that choir was professor Dr. Bryce Crawford, who served on my dissertation committee. Upon acquiring my PhD, my career as a research chemist began in Bartlesville, Oklahoma with Phillips Petroleum, then to Minnesota with 3M in Central Research for 28 years.  During my employment and since my retirement I have been actively involved as a volunteer in church, environmental, civic, and governmental areas.

Barbara: A St. Paul native influenced by family, my paternal grandparents' country life, and kindergarten through eighth grade Catholic School education with a bonus of sacred music at daily mass.  A year after high school graduation I married. It was during those years, along with raising children that began my involvement in church and civic affairs as an organizer, and fundraiser.  Five children and eighteen years later the marriage ended resulting in my becoming head of household scrambling for lucrative employment.
Fast forward seven years three kids entered military service shrinking our household to two kids offering me an opportunity to seek higher education, a continuing quest until attaining an MA in Leadership from Augsburg College. Meanwhile, intrigued by the Episcopal Church via St. Mark's Music Series, I was impressed meeting Paul Toren, an Episcopalian who, after his wife died, joined the community chorus where I was a member rehearsing the Braham's Requiem.

Paul and Barbara
: We married in 1982 adding his three children to my five. Together we faced many adjustments, as we became staunch partners in parenting, which by the way is never ending.  For years we were active in organizing, planning, and facilitating programs focusing on aspects of community sustainability, citizen participation, and the environmental ethic.  Each of us in our own right received bipartisan gubernatorial appointments to statewide boards.  Our travels included camping in State and Provincial Parks across the United States and Canada. Retiring has never been an option, but slowing down is.

St. Paul Promise Neighborhood Pilgrimage:

On December 2 from 11 am to 1 pm, St. Matthew's High Commitment Discernment Team is offering a pilgrimage into the St. Paul Promise Neighborhood (SPPN), a broad public, private, and community collaboration to help children in Saint Paul's Frogtown and Summit-University neighborhoods succeed in school and in life.

SPPN focuses on children's academic and social development, birth through grade five. The pilgrimage will include an overview of what is happening in the SPPN, a visit to three very different schools (transportation between the schools is provided), and exposure to the life-giving and fruitful collaborations and approaches to education and family engagement taking place. Please reserve a spot by emailing Blair Pogue.

Notes from "The New Jim Crow"
"The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" book discussion was moderated by Kevin Reitz and Susan Jones last Monday night.  Here are a few facts and notes from Kevin's presentation:
  • We're hearing a rhetoric of change around sentencing reform from left and right, but actual changes being proposed and implemented are so marginal.
  • We are back to prison rates of 2005 - very high. In about half the states in the U.S., prison populations are still growing.
  • Unless there is serious change at every level (state and local) you can't unwind what we have now.
  • Crime has been dropping nationwide for about 23 years. This is part of what is creating the political space to think differently.
  • We have mass incarceration and mass supervision - rates far exceeding those of other countries.
  • The black incarceration rate in Minnesota is 9 times that of whites.
Here is a handout from Susan Jones, featuring a timeline of the history of legal restrictions on African-Americans, to provide context for The New Jim Crow.

November 15 Faith Forum: "A People for God's Name: Believing and Belonging in Luke"
Dr. Eric Barreto will join the Faith Forum again this Sunday at 9:15am in the parish library. Eric is Associate Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary and an ordained Baptist minister. 
This is the second conversation that began on November 1.  Come engage in the conversation: What might a church that invites diversity look like? We will turn to the Gospel of Luke to wonder together how God's gift of diversity might take root in our lives together. Too often, our tendency has been to imagine that our faith "solves" the "problems" of diversity by making us all one, the same. In contrast, the author of Luke views our differences as a gift to be treasured, not a difficulty to be overcome.  

SAVE THE DATE:  Dec. 6 Faith Forum with Michelle Chiezah  
At 4:00pm on Dec. 6, St. Matthew's parishioner Michelle Chiezah will present an important report a second time for those who missed it in October.  Michelle works for the Minnesota Dept. of Health as the State's Infant Mortality Consultant. They recently released a major report authored by Michelle, titled The Infant Mortality Reduction Plan for Minnesota, Part 1. Although Minnesota ranks well among all states in the nation regarding infant mortality, it does not fare so well with racial disparities. According to the report, "Minnesota has the 8th best infant mortality rate overall among all 50 states in the country. But this overall rate hides stark inequalities between Whites, American Indians and Populations of Color. More specifically, infants born to African American and American Indian women are twice more likely to die before their first birthday than babies born to White women. This heart-breaking statistic suggests that not all communities in our state have equal access to resources and opportunities that optimize health and allow families, mothers, and infants to thrive and develop to their fullest potential."
2 Sneak Peeks...an Invitation...and a Priceless Reward! 
by Mary Dario

Totally New at this year's Blue House Boutique:

Colorful Beadwork...                                        Yo Bots - A 'bot to make your own!
- Made by the girls of the Blue House.
- Made by Jeff & Owen.
It's never too late...to join the amazing community of crafters that produce the Boutique each year.  Come share your God-given talents to help make the world a  better place -- just one or two items of your specialty will increase the variety and selection for our shoppers. 
What do you get in return?
  • The opportunity to change the lives of some very special girls at the Blue House.
  • The knowledge that you are helping provide a safe, loving home for these girls.
  • The satisfaction that you are helping provide them with an education that will change their lives.
  • The hope that you are giving them a chance to someday change the world we all live in!
PS:  Come, and bring your friends, relatives, neighbors--people you meet on the street!-- to shop December 5th and 6th.  Thanks. Contact Mary Dario or 651-739-6263.
Mary Dario, a member of Holy Spirit church in St. Paul, has been Boutique Crafts Chair since 2011.  Also, be sure to pick up the latest Blue House newsletter in the parish hall.
Looking Ahead: Calendar Highlights
  • November 15: Dr. Eric Barreto at Faith Forum, 9:15am
  • November 22: Loaves and Fishes at the Dorothy Day Center, St. Paul
  • November 26: Thanksgiving Service, 10:30am and Feast, 12:00pm
  • November 29: Advent begins with a procession of light
  • November 30: Advent Taize Candlelight Service, 7:00pm
  • December 2: St. Paul Promise Neighborhood Pilgrimage, 11:00am
  • December 5-6: Blue House Boutique
  • December 6: Faith Forum with Michelle Chiezah, 4:00pm - Infant Mortality report
 
Please share your news and photos with us: [email protected] 

Visit our website for the prayer list, calendar and sermons