The OCTOBER So I say again, It is more than a logo!! It is a blueprint for our mission as a people of God! Your humble servant, Jeff McKenzie

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1 The VOICE OF ST. MARK LUTHERAN CHURCH OCTOBER nd Grade Bible Sunday is October 25, 2015 The 2 nd grade Sunday School students will be receiving their Bibles during 8am & 10:30am worship services that weekend. We pray for our Sunday school program and especially for these students as the word of God is placed in their hands. By Jeff McKenzie It s more than a logo!! Hopefully you noticed that we have a new St. Mark logo on the weekly announcements and The VOICE. We will be using this logo in a variety of ways in the future. There was a lot of time, effort and a number of revisions before we arrived with this final product. The idea originated with the Evangelism Committee who wanted to find a way to communicate the mission of St. Mark Church in a way that would be visible and easy to remember. We do have a great mission in our constitution. The problem is that it is fairly long and most people are probably not aware of it. Our mission reads as follows: Our mission is to give glory to God through the proclamation of the Word of God and through worship and the sacraments (Worship) and to build up the body of Christ (Love) that we might give witness to God s love and salvation (Share). We encourage all members to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (Grow), to seek to do God s will, and to use their time, talents, and possessions in service to God and all people especially those of the household of faith (Serve). So you see, this is more than a logo. It is a representation of our mission statement that will hopefully solidify our foundation for what we do at St. Mark and who we are as a people of God. New Member Sunday November 8th! New members will be received in at the altar during the 8am service! Please welcome them to St. Mark! This was not an easy process and I would like to thank the council, evangelism committee and all other committees for their work on this project. But I would like to give a special thanks to Michael White who volunteered his creative talents to create this logo. He did an amazing job of making it truly represent St. Mark using the likeness of the cross in the sanctuary. So I say again, It is more than a logo!! It is a blueprint for our mission as a people of God! Your humble servant, Jeff McKenzie The VOICE of St. Mark OCTOBER 2015 Page 1

2 Terry Breum Pastor Bill Shields Pastor & Youth Director Amy Paxton Youth Assistant Sharon Schranz Office Administrator Collin Crowl Organist / Traditional Music Coordinator Collin@smlc.info Todd Stickney Contemporary Music Coordinator Todd@smlc.info Deb Heide Nursery Supervisor deborahheide@att.net ST MARK COUNCIL President Jeff McKenzie Vice President Doug Sweeney Congregation Secretary Jill Mellender Financial Treasurer Lynn Wetterberg Controller Financial Secretary Patrice Sutton Board of Elders Roger Zuchowski Doug Sweeney Jerry Doran Board of Trustees Jim O Neal Robin Korom Steve Lary Council Meeting: October 13, :00pm in the Library Committee Meeting: October 27, :00pm in the main building ST MARK COMMITTIES Evangelism (overseen by Elder - Jerry Doran) Judy Dunfrund Kathy Nader Lori Jenkins Joyce Mol Parish Education (overseen by Elder - Roger Zuchowski) Lori McKenzie Connie Saunders Rhonda Doran Worship & Music (overseen by Elder Doug Sweeney) Rebecca Gundlach Charlie Burke Cliff Ewert Finance (overseen by Trustee - Robin Korom) Jill Winling Gary Olson Property Management (overseen by Trustee - Steve Lary) Carl Dunfrund Stewardship (overseen by Trustee - Jim O Neal) Carl Norlin Pete Bolender Laurie Kerns Steve Lary Maintenance Assistant Steve.Lary@yahoo.com Michael White Janitor Have something to say? Want to hear first-hand what YOUR council & committees are doing? Please feel free to attend the committee or council meetings! ALL meetings are open to the congregation! The VOICE of St. Mark OCTOBER 2015 Page 2

3 St. Mark Lutheran Church Annual Meeting November 8, :00am in the sanctuary 2016 Calendars are in! Please pick up your copy outside of the church office or at the Welcome Center. Election of new Council 2015 Budget Constitution changes Budget packets and annual reports will be available for your review several weeks prior to the meeting. PADS starts on October 2, 2015 Sign up to be a volunteer! VOLUNTEERS: Contact Jill Decker, Volunteer Coordinator Volunteer Sign up binder is in drawer in kitchen or decker0393@gmail.com LAUNDRY: Contact Karen Barnes FOOD: Contact Laurie Kerns PADS SEASON IS OCTOBER thru APRIL Got Special Music? If you are interested in providing special music for the traditional services, please contact Collin Crowl, organist and music coordinator, at Collin@smlc.info He will find a time to rehearse with you, if necessary, and a time for you to offer your gifts to the congregation in one of our traditional services. Celebrate Reformation Day: October 25, 2015 Reformation Day is an important liturgical festival that is celebrated by Lutherans and Christians of many Protestant denominations. It commemorates Dr. Martin Luther's posting of his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, This act triggered the movement in world history known as the Reformation. While the historical date for the observance of Reformation is October 31st, most churches celebrate it on the last Sunday in October. The VOICE of St. Mark OCTOBER 2015 Page 3

4 by Pastor Shields Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20a) The passage above, from the Gospel of Matthew, is called The Great Commission. Shortly before he ascended into heaven, Jesus gave this commission to the Disciples (who, from that point on, would be called the Apostles). Jesus commanded them to go out into the world and grow the Christian Church by making new disciples. And that command has been motivating the Church to do mission work for more than two thousand years. On Friday, October 16 th, Bob Yarbrough and I will be fulfilling the Great Commission once again, as we travel to Cape Town, South Africa, to teach at a week-long pastoral training conference. Why do we travel halfway around the world to train pastors? In an article that Bob recently sent to me, Dr. Ramesh Richard offers a reason. Dr. Richard says that there are presently between two and three million pastoral leaders serving in Christian churches around the world. But only 5% are trained for pastoral ministry. What this means is that more than two million pastoral leaders need immediate strengthening for their pastoral ministries. In the modern context, it doesn t make sense for western churches to simply go to faraway places and plant churches. There are some places where church planting needs to be done, but in many places the churches are already there! What we need to do is to find a way to support those churches. And the best way to do that is to train their pastors. Churches without strong pastoral leadership are likely to wither and die. But churches with faithful, well-trained pastors can become mission stations which will influence entire regions for Jesus Christ. For this reason, Richard says that, The strengthening of pastoral leaders forming, training, and uniting them needs a higher priority and a higher proportion of ministry interest and attention among the many methodologies, strategies, and initiatives in missions today. He offers six reasons why pastoral training should be given the highest priority in the mission outreach of western churches. 1. Pastoral training justifies the cost and preserves the fruit of the other sacrificial and successful ministry efforts. 2. Pastoral training protects churches from the spiritual health disaster that otherwise awaits them. 3. Pastoral training depopulates hell from the highest numbers of people in an earthly situation who are facing an eternal destiny without Christ. 4. Pastoral training helps to correct creedal and cultural misconceptions of Christianity when local believers permeate their social spheres. 5. Pastoral training prevents church growth from being a mere sociological phenomenon. 6. Pastoral training multiplies and sustains the future leadership of the faith. When St. Mark Lutheran Church supports Bob and me on our pastoral training trips, we are obeying the command of Jesus in the most effective way possible. In Sudan, South Sudan, and now South Africa, we have shared Biblical truth and practical strategies with hundreds of pastors. And those pastors have shared what they have learned with other pastors who could not attend the conferences. So the prayers and mission dollars of St. Mark have made an impact on literally thousands of people in those three countries. We are truly answering the call of Jesus to make disciples of all nations. And I pray we will always be committed to this purpose. I pray that St. Mark will always be a Great Commission church. Pastor Shields The VOICE of St. Mark OCTOBER 2015 Page 4

5 QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUTH ACTIVITIES: Please contact Pastor Bill Shields or Amy Paxton SENIOR HIGH YOUTH GROUP WINTER RETREAT winterxtreme at Camp Timberlee in East Troy, WI January 29-31, 2016 Early Bird Registration Deadline: November 1 st. Registration Deposit: $50 Total cost per person: $110 Registration fee is subsidized by St. Mark and covers retreat cost, food and activity. Checks can be made to St. Mark Lutheran and given to Pastor Shields or Amy Paxton. The remaining $60 will be due January 17th. If you miss the early bird deadline, you can still go, but the cost will be $135. (If anyone cannot afford the cost, please talk to Pastor Shields. There are people in the congregation who are willing to cover the cost of those who cannot afford it.) SIGN-UP for this carpetball, foosball, animal farm, broomball tournament, WORSHIPFUL, zip-lining, arbor.vitae music worshipping, crosscountry skiing, espresso bar, leather shop, snow shoeing, tobogganing, tubing, horse riding adventure! QUAKE IS AWESOME! 6 th -8 th Graders and Parent Chaperones YOUTH ENCOUNTER S QUAKE at Chicago Marriot- Naperville January 22-24, 2016 Early Bird Registration Deadline: November 1 st. Registration Deposit: $50 Total cost per person: $110 Registration fee is subsidized by St. Mark and covers program cost, room, and meals. Checks can be made to St. Mark Lutheran and given to Pastor Shields or Amy Paxton. The remaining $60 will be due January 17th. If you miss the early bird deadline, you can still go, but the cost will be $135. (If anyone cannot afford the cost, please talk to Pastor Shields. There are people in the congregation who are willing to cover the cost of those who cannot afford it.) Weekend youth events, called Quake, make faith come alive for youth through caring conversations, workshops, and worship. This year s theme is: UNBREAKABLE But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 High School Youth and Friends Richardson Corn Maze Sunday, October 11 Meet at church at 2:00pm / Return to church 7:30pm $8/person dinner included Seeking volunteers age 25+ to help drive. A NOTE TO THE CONGREGATION: In the past, members of the congregation have sponsored a young person who wants to go to Quake but cannot afford it. If you feel led and are willing to sponsor a young person fully, or in part, please make checks payable to St. Mark and give them to Pastor Shields. He will make sure that the money gets to the appropriate people. THANK YOU! The VOICE of St. Mark OCTOBER 2015 Page 5

6 The deadline for the NOVEMBER VOICE is October 11th articles to If you are going through a difficult time and need a fellow Christian to talk and pray with, the Stephen Ministers in our church can help. We are not professional counselors but we have gone through several months of intense formal training just for this. To date we have had numerous people go through this program in a time of need. We are not there to solve problems, we pray for God to do that but sometimes having another person go through the hard times with you can be comforting. If you would like to find a match with a Stephen Minister, please call one of the Coordinators: John Florip or Judy Dunfrund, or the Church office to be connected to one of the Stephen Ministers in our Congregation. Everything is kept in strict confidence. What s on the Shelf? St. Mark Library Book Corner This month s featured book is one that Pastor Terry Breum has used for adult classes, and it deals with marriage and its challenges. Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy? explores the many difficulties that can be found in even the best marriages and explains God s purpose placing these problems in our lives. According to author Gary L. Thomas, Happy is good. Holy is better. He says your marriage is more than a sacred covenant with another person. It is a spiritual discipline designed to help you know God better, trust him more fully, and love him more deeply. What if God s primary intent for your marriage isn t to make you happy... but holy? Sacred Marriage doesn't just offer techniques to make a marriage happier. It does contain practical tools, but what married Christians most need is help in becoming holier husbands and wives. Sacred Marriage offers that help with insights from Scripture, church history, time tested wisdom from Christian classics, and examples from today's marriages. You can find this book under call number THO. The St. Mark Library is located in the side room off of the Fellowship There are books and DVD s available for adults and children! If you would like to request prayer please your request to smlcprayers@gmail.com or submit your request via the Contact Us page of our website The VOICE of St. Mark OCTOBER 2015 Page 6

7 $17, was the most we have ever made. Did that make it the Best Sale Ever? Most people would say "Yes". Sue and I however have many other reasons to call it that. 1. Our volunteers-- old and new. Each year we cannot find enough words to thank all those who come back year after year and put in the hundreds of man hours it takes to make the sale look like a store on opening day. Without this hard working dedicated group there would be no sale. And then we have those new to the sale this year who we are hoping will become the old and faithful. The young man who volunteered his time to work all 3 days of the sale from open to close, the mom with her scout son who spent an afternoon with us and completed the many jobs we gave them, the many women who helped us bag and price all the items too small to sell individually, Pastor Shields who cashiered the whole first day from 9-7 and left the next day for vacation (I wonder who did all the packing), Pastor Breum who helped people carry items to their cars and visited with many of our customers, the new cashiers who I think had fun and will be old pros next year and the many men and women who helped after church on Sunday to move all the sale items and then helped with cleanup on Saturday. Also our office staff who let in all the people dropping off donations. All these people did all the work and as usual Sue and I get most of the credit. We would just like to tell them all how much we love each and every one of them. We could not do it without you. 2. We do have a few people we would like to highlight this year. Mike our part time janitor who seemed to read our minds and had all the items on our to do list for him done before we even asked. My daughter in law Jill who went through all the donated jewelry the past 2 years and picked out items that would be worth more (gold, silver, etc) that we took elsewhere and made $182 on. Wendy Rohlwing who volunteered to bag all our jewelry and found a watch that came in after Jill had looked at the jewelry. Wendy just had a feeling it was worth more and took it around to a couple jewelers and came back with $100! Thanks ladies. 3. The new pricing system Sue came up with was awesome. For a large part of the items we have to price it allowed us to work with the volunteers instead of pricing on our own. This not only let us enjoy more fellowship and fun (yes we do have fun) but get the pricing done sooner. We also now have a small core of people that are helping us with the pricing. This all means no more midnight pricing the night before the sale. Yeah!! 4. Husbands who are retired so they were able to spend a lot more time helping us all week. Thanks guys. 5. Having people take ownership of certain areas and getting them all set up without our help. Adult clothes, kids clothes, guyland, books, holiday/ crafts and linens are areas we have very little to do with. Thank you to all who have taken over these areas. So money isn't always the only way to judge success. Spending time with friends-old and new, less stress and early nights also count. We just want to again thank everyone who donated to the sale, took signs to help us advertise, set up or worked or cleaned up, donated baked goods for the bake sale, made food for the volunteers and came and shopped. This was our Best Sale Ever and it was all because of you. Thanks Laurie Kerns and Sue DeYoung. CARE PACKAGES FOR OUR MILITARY AND COLLEGE PEOPLE St. Mark Lutheran Church wants to stay close to those away in the service and in college. We want them to know they are still a part of our church family and they are in our thoughts and prayers. If you wish you may donate small items that can be mailed such as - pens, pencils, gum, candy, etc. Mailings will begin in the fall. We are collecting names and addresses during the entire month. If you have a college student going away please submit their name. If you have a family member in the military please submit their name. Please fill in the address information and drop it off in the office or contact our coordinator Terry Hansen at or THansen@ameritech.net Name of Military or College Student College or University: Mailing Address: Submitted by : Your Phone No. (if information is needed about the address) The VOICE of St. Mark OCTOBER 2015 Page 7

8 Missouri Musings: Waiting: A Reality Check by Bob Yarbrough "And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you" (Psalm 39:7 ESV) Living in the country you do a lot of waiting. You wait for rain so things will grow. You wait for the grass to dry so you can mow it. You wait for firewood to season so it will burn cleanly. In winter you wait for the snow to stop falling so you can plow the road. Scripture teaches us to "wait" on the Lord. This does not mean he is absent or tardy. It means he wants us to look to him expectantly. That's why the Psalmist (see verse above) says, "My hope is in you." In the midst of all of life's activities, his heart was set and his eyes were fixed on God. Here's the problem: we are tempted to set our hearts and fix our eyes on all that is not God. Some "wait" on the news--call them news junkies. Some wait on the Cubs (good luck with that). Some wait on interest rates--will the fed raise them? Lower them? Keep them the same? Others "wait" on the weekend, their next vacation, their next relationship, or their next purchase. Or, with trembling, their next credit card statement or medical report. Nothing wrong with weekends, holidays, relationships, or buying what we need. And yes, we all have things in our future that we dread. (How about the dentist?) But is Christ central in our thoughts, actions, and longings? It's awfully easy to crowd him out. Recently millions around the globe waited for a glimpse of the Perseid meteors as they streaked across the heavens. But what about "our great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God" (Hebrews 4:14 ESV)? People get more excited about a burst of light in the sky than about truths from the God who made the sky and all that is in, below, and beyond it. At the time of Jesus' birth, people like Simeon were "waiting for the consolation of Israel" (Luke 2:25). Anna and others were "waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem" (Luke 2:38). They were waiting for God's Messiah. These were normal, everyday people like us. But they harbored an inner longing for God. They already trusted the Lord and served him. But they awaited something dramatic, something fresh, something climactic, that was still to come. Scripture reminds us, "Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20). It is October. America awaits the fall, school activities for kids, the NFL season, and (sooner than we think!) Advent and the holiday season. Ministry Palooza Dates: Sunday, October 18 & 25 Time: 9:10am 10:30am Place: Fellowship Hall Purpose: To highlight St. Mark s Ministries October 18th Parish Ed Worship & Music Property & Mgmt. October 25th Evangelism Stewardship But with the Psalmist let's ask God: And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? We find life's deepest contentment when Christ alone is truly our deepest hope. No presents, just your presence. The VOICE of St. Mark OCTOBER 2015 Page 8

9 ATTENTION: St. Mark future college bound students, your family and other interested St. Mark members. St. Mark has received an invitation for college bound students (Jr./Sr. and young adult) and their families to visit the Creation Museum College Expo Friday, November 6 10:00am to 4:00pm EDT and Saturday, November 7th 10:00am to 4:00pm EDT to learn about a variety of Christian colleges and universities. There is also opportunity to attend various Genesis orientated workshops. Students will be provided complimentary museum admittance while parents and family members will receive a special discount rate when accompanying their students. Students also have an opportunity to win a $500 scholarship. Registration is free, but required. The Creation Museum is a rich Biblical resource in learning how to present the Creation story, it's Biblical counter to the evolution theory and to enrich one's faith. You can check out the details at shar.es/1sk4n0. Be sure to scroll down for listing of schools, workshops, lodging information and directions. The Creation Museum is located in Petersburg, Kentucky near Cincinnati, Ohio just off I 275. It is about a five-hour trip from Lindenhurst. St. Mark s Church Council has some funding available for this trip. If enough people are interested in attending, there may be an option to provide bus transportation. Contact Barb Ewert (b1182ray@aol.com) for additional information. Additional details and signup sheet can be found in the narthex. Signup deadline will be early October. Growing in Christ A NEW Adult Class for Teaching and Sharing the Faith Christianity is based on faith, defended by reason, and teaching God s truth about the life of the world and heaven. Today our American culture is being relentlessly challenged about our Biblical beliefs. The world is no longer tolerating Christian participation in the marketplace of ideas. Church attendance is down and the number of Christians leaving the faith in the United States is accelerating. Where do we go? In a study Already Gone, we found we are losing our kids in elementary, middle school, and high school rather than college and the Sunday school syndrome is contributing to the epidemic, rather than helping it. So how do we curb this phenomenon from spreading in St. Mark? First, we need to acknowledge that our Sunday school program is being overwhelmed by the anti-christian teachings in the educational environment and messaging from the media. Second, we must address the fact that we are being relentlessly reminded to keep our faith within the church and our homes rather than sharing it in the workplace/schools as commanded by Jesus. Third, we should realize each of us is part of the phenomenon as well as the solution. To counter act this challenge, St. Mark is offering to all adults a new class, Growing in Christ, that follows the Sunday school curriculum. Our Parish Education Committee is encouraging adults, specifically parents, grandparents, and guardians to consider joining this class during either the Sunday school hour or Wednesday evening during Confirmation classes. (1) the class will mirror each week s lesson from K-Seventh grades, (2) provide training through teaching as well as sharing instructional strategies, and (3) to provide Christian resources and tactics to share one s faith outside the church. Class materials will be provided. The class will begin on Rally Day (Sept 13th) and follow the Sunday school calendar. Class location will be determined by the size of the class. If you are interested and have questions, please contact Barb Ewert, one of the Sunday School superintendents or a member of the Parish Education committee. Please Barb Ewert (b1182ray@aol.com) to sign up so we have enough room to accommodate the class. Proverbs 22:6: Teach a child how to follow the right way; even when he is old, he will stay on course. Congregational Life Committee We re looking for volunteers to help out at the various church functions throughout the year such as potlucks, soup suppers, etc. If you are interested in helping with any activity please contact Lisa Shields. We understand that there are many children s school and non-church organizations outside of St. Mark that hold fundraisers throughout the year. Following our policy, we respectfully ask that you do not sell organizational fundraiser items on the grounds of the church. Thank you! The VOICE of St. Mark OCTOBER 2015 Page 9

10 COOL C.O.O.L. Food Pantry OCTOBER Breakfast Items If you are able, please consider donating a few extra items. Please place food donations in the yellow bins found by either entrance. The pantry can always use non-perishable food items - canned fruit and vegetables, soup, cereal, peanut butter, jelly, tomato /pasta sauce, toiletries, baby formula, diapers, mac & cheese / pasta, dessert mixes, boxed potatoes, etc. COOL gladly accepts donations of shelf-stable food items that have not reached their expiration or best by date. Also, items not packaged individually inside a box must be in an unopened container. Thank you. Food donations are taken to the Cool Food Pantry West, located at Trinity Lutheran Church W. Highway 134, Ingleside, IL Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a Fortune 500 not-for-profit membership organization of Christians. Our purpose is to serve our members which today total nearly 2.4 million by guiding them to be wise with money, live generously and change lives. We succeed when our members, their families and their communities thrive. We value our relationships, so we will be trustworthy in character and competence, act like owners and treat our members as owners, and strive to live balanced and generous lives. Thrivent Choice Dollars can provide St Mark Lutheran Church with monthly electronic grants from Thrivent as our members direct Choice Dollars to your organization. Members need to direct their Thrivent Choice Dollars annually by visiting St Mark members have been participating in Thrivent Choice dollars since January 2011 and to date (through 09/9/2015) $18, has been donated to St Mark. Watch future issues of the VOICE for monthly updates St. Mark Church Community Nights WHERE: Wendy s Restaurant 370 S US Highway 45 - Lindenhurst, IL (Rt. 45 & Sand Lake Rd) TIME: 5pm to 8pm DATES: October 15 November 19 December 17 Dine in or Carry Out! We receive 15% of Wendy s sales during these Community Nights! We received $ in August! They are open Mon 1-5pm; Wed 10am-2pm; and on the 4th Sat 11am-1pm. Thank you for your ongoing support! The ST. MARK ANNUAL MEETING will be held NOVEMBER 9th Immediately following the 8:00 am service Election of council members 2015 Budget Constitution Change Annual Reports and the proposed 2015 budget will be available for your review several weeks prior to the meeting. The VOICE of St. Mark OCTOBER 2015 Page 10

11 Prayer Shawl Ministry is looking for more volunteers to knit or crochet shawls! The supply is getting low. Shawls are available to be given to anyone you know that is in need. Prayer shawls are lovingly made, and prayed over throughout its creation. If you would like to gift a shawl stop by the office and we can assist you. For more information about the Prayer Shawls please contact Mary Jane Niles Be a blessing to a Confirmation Student by being a Confirmation Prayer Pal We are looking for high school students and adults who are willing to pray for confirmation students and secretly encourage them with notes or cards during their two year journey of faith. You will remain a secret to your student prayer pal until they finish the two year Confirmation program. You will be revealed to your Confirmation student at the Confirmation Reception on the night of their Confirmation Rehearsal. Sign up sheets are available on the FYI Board in the narthex. Please fill out the form and place it in the offering plate or in the Confirmation mailbox in the church office. We will contact you with information and a picture of your confirmation student. If you have questions, please contact Debbie Plishka. Church Council Ballot, 2015 St. Mark Lutheran Church, Lindenhurst, IL The nominating committee is pleased to present the following candidates for election to Church Council at the Congregational Meeting on November 8. We began publicizing the nomination process in June, from the pulpit, in The VOICE, and in church bulletins. We have been in conversation with many of you about these positions. The current Church Council approved this ballot at its meeting on September 8, This year, everyone who volunteered to serve and/or was nominated to serve was offered a place on the ballot. Please pray before you vote, asking God to guide our church in this election and in the months to come. Bios on each of the candidates can be found on the FYI bulletin board outside of the offices. Gratefully yours, Jerry Doran, Doug Sweeney, and Roger Zuchowski President Jeff McKenzie Secretary Kristi Knull Lynn Wetterberg Treasurer Jim O Neal Pam Preston Trustee Gary Edwards Jeff Rudolph Elder Sam Gerold Brad Gundlach CONSTITUTION CHANGES September 8, 2015 As posted on July 26, 2015 there are two proposed revisions to the St Mark Lutheran Church Constitution as reviewed by the Best Practices committee, modified and approved by Council. The Constitution requires amendments be submitted to council 90 days in advance of the Annual Meeting. These Amendments were submitted and approved July 14, 2015 in compliance with this requirement. The requirements for By-Law changes need to be submitted at least 60 days in advance of the Annual Meeting, they were submitted and approved July 14, A comment period of 30 days (until 8/30) was given and there were no comments or questions submitted during that period of time. As a result, the Council voted to accept the changes to both the constitution and by-laws as the final draft of the proposed documents. A final draft must be made available to the congregation 30 days (10/4) before the annual meeting November 8, The changes are minimal two (2) and include: 1. Constitution Article 1, section 2 to clarify the details of the church incorporation. 2. Bylaws Section 9 Officers and Boards, Part C section 1a and 2: To change the terms of the council so that their service starts January 1 st following their election in November. Copies of the approved final draft are available in the narthex. Questions, comments or concerns can be directed to the Congregation President, Jeff McKenzie at smlcprez@gmail.com The VOICE of St. Mark OCTOBER 2015 Page 11

12 ST. MARK LUTHERAN CHURCH 1822 EAST GRAND AVENUE LINDENHURST IL Address Service Requested Return Postage Guaranteed Dated Material Please Rush Non-Profit Org U S Postage P A I D Lake Villa, IL Permit No. 4 NEXT VOICE DEADLINE October 11, 2015 The VOICE OF ST. MARK LUTHERAN CHURCH Stephen Ministry The VOICE OF ST. MARK LUTHERAN CHURCH St. Mark Lutheran Church Phone: (847) Fax: (847) Worship Services: Saturday: Sunday: 5:30 pm 8:00 & 10:30 am Sunday School (Sept - May): 9:20 am A monthly publication of St. Mark Lutheran Church. Visitors Welcome! The VOICE of St. Mark OCTOBER 2015 Page 12