Pet Blessing & Vendor Fair
2025-10-25 10:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Church Grounds
Join us on Saturday, October 25 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm for a day of celebration, community, and furry fun!
Our Annual Pet Blessing & Vendor Fair invites you to enjoy browsing a variety of craft and pet-related vendors. Whether you’re shopping for unique handmade goods or treats and gear for your four-legged friends, there’s something for everyone. We’re also firing up the grill, so make sure to come hungry!
The Blessing of the Animals will take place at 12:00 noon, and we invite pets of all shapes and sizes to receive this special blessing as we celebrate Saint Francis of Assisi.
Feel free to RSVP to the event on Facebook as well.
Bring your pets, your family, and your friends — we can’t wait to see you there!

Thanksgiving Basket Project
2025-11-22 | Church Grounds
This Thanksgiving, let’s come together to share the gift of a holiday meal with families in need.
Our annual Thanksgiving Basket Project provides a full meal to local families, including all the essentials—stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie mix, and more—along with a gift card to purchase a turkey.
In past years, we’ve distributed 125 baskets. This year, the need is even greater, and we’ve set a new goal of 150 baskets. With your generosity, we can make sure more families gather around a full table this Thanksgiving.
Basket Assembly & Distribution will take place on Saturday, November 22, 2025, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
Donate: Monetary donations are needed to purchase the items for each basket. Every contribution—big or small—makes a difference.
Online Donations: Go to Realm and select Thanksgiving Basket Project Donations as the giving fund.
Physical Donations: Make sure to indicate in the check’s memo line or on your giving envelope that your donation is for the Thanksgiving Basket Project.
Volunteer: Sign-up sheets for helping assemble and distribute the baskets will be available in the Parish Hall at a later date.

Together, we can bring joy, nourishment, and hope to families in our community. Thank you for being part of this tradition of giving!

December & January Events
2025-12-09 08:00 - 2026-01-04 17:00
🎄✨ The season of hope, joy, and celebration is here! ✨🎄Join us at St Matthias Episcopal Church for a beautiful lineup of Advent & Christmas special services and events — from joyful tree decorating 🎁 to heartfelt Christmas Eve worship 🌟 and cozy cookie fellowships 🍪.
🕯️ Whether you’re a longtime member or a first-time visitor, there’s something special for everyone this season!
📅 Mark your calendars and gather with us in the warmth of community and faith.📝 Full schedule available here: https://stmatthiasfl.com/Christmas2025
#StMatthiasChristmas #AdventSeason #ChristmasWorship #FaithFamilyJoy #ChristmasAtChurch

Church office closed.
2025-12-23 - 2026-01-04
🎄✨ Holiday Office Closure Notice ✨🎄The St Matthias Church Office will be closed for the Christmas and New Year holidays from December 23, 2025, through January 4, 2026.
We’ll be back in the office on Monday, January 5—refreshed and ready for a joyful 2026! 💫
In the meantime, we wish you and your loved ones a blessed Christmas season and a peaceful New Year! 🌟❤️

Annual Parish Meeting & Potluck
2026-01-25 | Church Grounds
This upcoming Sunday, January 25th, we will gather as one parish family for our Annual Parish Meeting & Potluck. There will be one service at 10:00 am, followed immediately by the meeting around 11:00 am.

Each year, we pause as a community to reflect on the blessings and challenges of the year behind us, and to look faithfully and hopefully toward the year ahead. Together, we will hear committee and vestry reports, receive ministry updates, and participate in vestry elections as we continue understanding how God is calling us to serve in the coming year.

As Ephesians reminds us, “From Christ, the whole body, joined and held together… grows and builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:16). Our annual meeting is one way we live in this truth — listening to one another, sharing responsibilities, and participating in the common life and ministry of our parish. In this work, we remember that the Church is not just a building, but a community of people seeking to follow Christ and care for the world God loves.

Following the meeting, everyone is warmly invited to remain for a parish-wide potluck. Please bring a favorite dish or dessert to share and enjoy fellowship, conversation, and community around the table.

Stations of The Cross
2026-03-13 18:00 - 19:00, 2026-03-20 18:00 - 19:00

Easter Egg Hunt
2026-04-05

Holy Week & Easter Schedule
2026-04-05

Pancake Supper
2026-04-17 17:00 - 19:00

Pulse Remembrance Day
2026-06-12
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
Today, we remember the 49 lives lost in the Pulse Nightclub tragedy and hold in prayer all those whose lives were forever changed on June 12, 2016.
As we gather in remembrance on this anniversary, we give thanks for the lives of those taken too soon, pray for their families and loved ones, and remember the survivors, first responders, and all who continue to carry the weight of that day.
This day falls during Pride Month, a time when we celebrate the diversity of God’s beloved children and reaffirm the dignity and worth of every person. As followers of Christ, we are called to love one another, to seek peace, and to build communities where all people are welcomed and valued.
May we honor the memory of those we lost by choosing compassion over hatred, understanding over fear, and love over violence. And may God’s healing presence continue to comfort all who grieve and strengthen all who work for a more just and peaceful world.
Grant them eternal rest, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them.

Juneteenth Freedom Day
2026-06-19
“Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice and do what is right.” (Isaiah 56:1)
Today, we commemorate Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when news of emancipation finally reached enslaved people in Texas, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued.
As we give thanks for the gift of freedom and remember the resilience, faith, and contributions of Black Americans throughout our nation’s history, we also reflect on our ongoing call as Christians to seek justice, uphold the dignity of every human being, and work toward reconciliation and peace.
Juneteenth invites us to celebrate liberation while remembering the struggles that preceded it and the work that remains before us. In the words of our Baptismal Covenant, may we continue to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.
May this day be one of remembrance, gratitude, learning, and hope.

Happy Father's Day
2026-06-21
“For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.” (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12)
Happy Father’s Day to all the men who love with a father’s heart, offering guidance, encouragement, protection, and care to those entrusted to them.
We also recognize that this day can hold many emotions. Some celebrate with joy, while others carry grief, absence, complicated relationships, or the longing to be a parent. Wherever you find yourself today, know that you are held in God’s love.

Independence Day
2026-07-04
As we celebrate 250 years of our nation’s independence, we give thanks for the freedoms we enjoy and pray for the grace to use them wisely. We also recognize that every generation is called to continue the work of creating a nation where justice, dignity, and peace are shared by all.
As the Book of Common Prayer reminds us, “Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice, and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with thy gracious will.”
May God bless our nation with wisdom, humility, and hope.
