The mission of the St. Matthew's United Methodist Church Mission Commission is to: discern, together with the members of the congregation, how God is calling the congregation of St. Matthew's to help fulfill God's mission in the world; equip and commission individuals to lead mission efforts; assist all members of the congregation in discerning their mission calling; and enable missionaries and teams to prepare for and engage in mission.

Click here to find out more about our successful ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Program!

If you are interested in participating in one of our local missions or to find out how you can help St. Matthew's give back to the community, please contact the church office at (703) 978-3500 or email us at StMatthews@StMatthewsUMC.org.

Food Closet

St. Matthew's Food Closet provides a bag of non-perishable food to anyone asking for food. Each bag contains a 3-4 day supply of basic foods. The Food Closet also provides Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets containing a turkey, vegetables and fruits, and seasonal treats such as cookies, pies, candies and sweet breads. The holiday baskets are given to persons selected by FACETS and the church staff.  Please contact FoodCloset@StMatthewsUMC.org with any questions.

Food For Others

St. Matthews is a partner with Food for Others, the Fairfax County Food Bank. Food for Others gleans food, primarily baked goods, from the Giant supermarket in University Mall on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and from the Safeway supermarket at Burke Center on Tuesday mornings. St. Matthew's volunteers distribute food from the warehouse to hungry people at sites in Bailey's Crossroads every Tuesday and Wednesday evening.  For more information visit: FoodForOthers.org.  Do you have questions for our Food for Others Coodinator?  Please email FoodForOthers@StMatthewsUMC.org.
 

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich Ministries

The Contemporary Issues Adult Sunday School Class and other friends of all ages make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches once a month and deliver them to the Food for Others warehouse in Merrifield. Using contributions of peanut butter and jelly from church members, bread often donated by Food for Others, and supplemented by a special offering taken each Sunday in class, participants meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM to make the sandwiches. Hands and hearts also join together to prepare sandwiches on the last Thursday morning of the month. All sandwiches go the help feed the hungry locally.
 

Wesley Housing Development Corporation

Created as a result of an "Urban Consultation" convened by the United Methodist churches of the Arlington and Alexandria Districts, Wesley Housing has worked for 30 years to develop, own, operate and maintain affordable housing and sustain quality communities for low- and moderate-income persons in Northern Virginia. To date, Wesley Housing has sponsored 18 communities comprising more than 1,000 housing units and served more than 10,000 Northern Virginia families.  Visit WesleyHousing.org for more information.

Society of St. Andrew

Through its Potato Project, the Society of St. Andrew is able to direct 45,000-pound tractor-trailer loads of fresh, nutritious produce to soup kitchens, Native American reservations, food pantries, low-income housing areas, local churches and other hunger agencies for distribution to the poor. Destined for landfills because of slight imperfections in size, shape, sugar content or surface blemishes, this produce is instead donated to the Society of St. Andrew, which pays only for the transportation and packaging of the food-an amazingly low four cents per pound! That means the Society can provide food to the nation's hungry for about a penny per serving! The Potato Project delivers about 20 million pounds of food per year to the nation's hungry each year.  For more details, please visit EndHunger.org.
 

All God's Children Camp

This summer camp provides a carefree week of swimming, boating, nature walks, Bible study, crafts, music and horseback riding to a group of youngsters with one basic element in common: their mothers are incarcerated. Each child is paired with an adult mentor who has volunteered to spend the week providing supervision, encouragement and companionship to the children during daily activities, mealtimes and bedtime rituals.  For more information please visit VAUMC.org/AGCC.

The Lamb Center

St. Matthew's is one of nearly 20 churches participating in the ecumenical ministry that is the Lamb Center. Its mission is to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ in word and deed to poor, hurting and homeless people in our community; to know them; to love them; to discover their needs with them; to foster and encourage their relationships with our Lord; and to help them to discover and enjoy the many gifts that God has given each of them, for His glory, for the good of the Church, and in ministry to others.

FACETS
(Fairfax Area Christian Emergency and Transitional Services)

FACETS seeks to build strong families and safe communities by improving the quality of life of impoverished men, women and children by offering programs that respond to their individual physical, spiritual and emotional needs. FACETS offers services that address short-term needs such as food, clothing, medical assistance and shelter, but emphasizes the transitional services such as pre-employment, education, child care, health care and transportation that can make long-term differences in the lives of those they serve. For more information, visit FacetsCares.org.

Mitten Tree

Each year during Advent, a Christmas tree is put up to collect contributions of mittens, gloves, hats and scarves which then are donated for those in need through Bethany House (which provides a haven for abused women and children) and Ministries of Rising Hope.

Venture Crew Troop

In coordination with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court and the Transitional Living Program/Boys' Probation House, St. Matthew's UMC serves as the sponsoring Charter Organization for Venture Crew Troop #62.  This first of its kind.  The Venture Crew program is created to serve at risk juvenile offenders who are transitioning from incarceration through the Probation House. 

The Venture Crew is uniquely established along scouting instruction and operating parameters.  The purpose is to instill values and appreciation of the scouting beliefs and activities for those at-risk youth who reside within the Probation House.  St. Matthew's will also establish a mentorship program for those youth who graduate from the Probation House.  This program will be independent of but supporting Venture Crew #62.  For more information contact Randy Jones at 703-455-4811 or Mark Monroe at 703-593-5079.

English for Speakers of Other Languages

St. Matthew’s has a long tradition of offering English as a second language classes to our Northern Virginian community of Annandale.

ESOL Level III Class - Fall 2010

ESOL Level I Class - Fall 2010

Student Guide to ESOL at St. Matthew’s:

St. Matthew’s offers English classes to Annandale and Fairfax area adults seeking to improve their language skills, from beginning levels to advanced, including conversation practice.  While our emphasis is on English lessons, we provide an opportunity for our students to meet and become friends with students from many countries and with our teachers. 

Our classes meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00, starting each September and January.  We offer various levels of classes, from beginning English through advanced Level 3, including both a conversation class and a mini Business English class.  Students are tested at registration so they can be placed in the right class for their learning needs.  If you are interested in becoming an ESOL student, contact us at ESOL@StMatthewsUMC.org or phone the church office at 703-978-3500.

Volunteer Guide to ESOL at St. Matthew’s:

St. Matthew’s volunteer teachers for the ESOL program provide a vital service to our community – helping our immigrant and foreign student population become more fluent in English, which benefits both them and our community.  This is a rewarding experience for our teachers, and many times our teachers learn as much about our neighbors as they discuss heritage country culture and life with students. 

Our volunteers generally teach one night a week (either Tuesday or Thursday) as part of a team with another teacher.  All materials are provided, along with training opportunities. 

Another volunteer opportunity is our ESOL Conversation Partners program.  This new program pairs congregation members and friends with ESOL students, to meet outside the class time to practice English conversation.

If you would like more information on either of these opportunities, contact ESOL@StMatthewsUMC.org.

Neighborhood Networks

In partnership with the Fairfax County Department of Family Services, the Fairfax County Public Schools and the Fairfax County Safe and Drug Free Youth Program, St. Matthews is sponsoring a family through the Neighborhood Networks program. This program works with families who exhibit significant strengths but also are facing significant challenges, such as problems with housing, substance abuse, parenting difficulties and/or finding and obtaining meaningful employment. St. Matthews already has assisted two families by providing food, financial assistance, holiday gifts and other means including the feelings of compassion and support these families receive from knowing others in their community care about them and want them to succeed in life.

Not sure where to begin? Contact St. Matthew's at StMatthews@StMatthewsUMC.org or come to any worship service to hear about how you can get involved.