L I F E. From Pr. Travis. Council Members

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1 L I F E A Publication of St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church 2363 West Third Street, Davenport IA Phone: Pastor Travis Fisher-King: Annual subscription of $1.00 per year is included in payment of weekly pledge of members. stmark@stmarkcares.org September 2018 Volume 51 Issue 9 Council Members Nancy Beaderstadt (Vice-President ) n.beaderstadt@yahoo.com Chuck Crispin cacrispin@yahoo.com Richard Dabillo Diane Fellman (Secretary) fellmand54@yahoo.com Julie Ginn (President) julie-ginn@hotmail.com Barb Jakubowski (Treasurer) bjjakubowski@aol.com John Muhlhausen Kent Nichols (Youth Representative) Amber Sherrod asherrod82@me.com Linda Wescom linda.wescom@gmail.com Proverbs 16:3 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. As the school year begins, so does the program year here at St. Mark. It is the time of the year that many people begin a routine of learning, studying and a new schedule of activities evolves into a routine. The same can be true for your commitment to Christ and Christ s church. Will you commit to making attending worship a priority? Will you seek out opportunities to study and share with small groups talking about bible, faith, and service? Will you look at your check book and commit to give back to God a portion of the blessings God given you, so others may know Christ through the mission and ministry of the church? Will you commit to being a part of the worship leadership as an usher, communion assistant, lector, greeter, counter, or assisting minister? How about using talents of music in the choirs or bell choirs? Working all for the glory of God. Amber Sherrod, and a team of people have been working to make our annual sign up or rally day an exciting event for people of all ages. Please plan to attend and look for opportunities to commit to your spiritual growth and commitment to serve this church and community during the event. In this issue of life and throughout the year you will see opportunities to learn and serve. Grow in Faith Together (GIFT) opportunities for young and old will be offered after worship and fellowship on Sunday Mornings as well as a couple times during the week. Most weeks will have Sunday School and Educational type settings for different age groups, but occasionally we will have experiences that will include members of all ages. Other GIFT opportunities for bible study, learning and sharing is theology of tap book study group, Theology on Tuesdays, Searchers Bible Study. And Life Together see inside for more information on these groups. Also, we still have a Women s Circle at St. Mark if you would like more information about that; please contact Milly Heskett. Confirmation will be on Wednesday evenings for those who are 6 th grade through 9 th grade. If you haven t signed up please contact Pr. Travis today. We have a full and exciting year ahead. Receiving a GIFT and utilizing it demands of some time; I realize with everything else. But I am convinced that commitment to the work of the Lord, allows plans to be established and the work of God to be seen and felt through us in what we say and do. Don t pass up a gift; especially one from God and God s church. And remember as a child of God you too area gift and to be a gift to others. Journeying with you, Pr. Travis M. Fisher-King From Pr. Travis

2 Page 2 (W)holistic Living...Thoughts from the Parish Nurse. By the time this newsletter arrives, children, teachers and staff will have returned to school. With the summer full of fun, most children need help transitioning back into a routine with deadlines for a successful start to the school year. It s also a good time for kids to visit the pediatrician, dentist and eye doctor to make sure their health makes the grade. Here are some more helpful tips to be ready for a great school year. There is still plenty of time to start healthy routines. Sleep Routines: No more staying up late and sleeping in. Start with getting your kids back into their school year sleep habits. To help your child transition back to waking up early, establish a new sleep routine. Consider starting to go to bed one hour earlier every night and waking up early until the new routine is established. Start a week or two in advance, to get your school year sleep routines established. Get your Vaccinations and Sports Physicals: Pediatricians offices are full of patients the week before school starts. Annual checkups should be done by a pediatrician before each new school year to ensure that your child s medical records and vaccinations are up to date. Additionally, if your child participates in athletics, they will need a yearly sports physical in order to participate. Eating Schedules: With the summer packed full of activities, eating schedules may be different than those at school. Before the new school year starts. Get your child back into the habit of eating three regular meals daily: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Consider sitting down for meals together to help the child reset the routine. Backpack Basics: Backpacks full of books and school supplies can put a strain on your child s neck, shoulders and back. Make sure your child s backpack fits properly and is strong enough to carry a heavy load. Also make sure your child is carrying their back pack over both shoulders. Carrying it over one shoulder can strain muscles. Talk to your healthcare professional about additional tips to help get your child back into the school routine. This can include your doctor, nurse practitioner or your parish nurse. I am praying for all of our St. Mark students, parents, teachers and staff to have a great school year. In faith, hope and love, Parish Nurse Bev Source: UFMC p.c. September 2018 Wellness Opportunities 1. PN Bev s weekends at St. Mark will be September 8-9 and Friendship Group meets Tuesday, September 4, 11:30 Dynasty Buffet, 5388 Elmore Ave., Davenport. There is a signup sheet in the lounge. 3. Home communion kits will be distributed at each worship service September Life Together meets Tuesday, September 11, 12 noon at Garner Farms Independent Living dining room for lunch and devotions. Cost is $7. Please let PN Bev know if you plan to attend or need a ride. 5. Good Samaritan worship service with Holy Communion will be held Thursday, September 10:15 am in the music room. 6. Prayer Shawl Ministry will resume Saturday, September 10:00-11:00 am in the lounge. It will be held on the second and fourth Saturdays each month. If you like to knit or crochet or would like to learn, please come and join the group. Most of the prayer shawl patterns are easy to learn. The group welcomes new members of all ages. This is also something that can be worked on at home. If you are interested or have questions, please talk to Pella Fisher or me. 7. Unitypoint at Home Foot Care Clinic meets Monday, September 24, 12:30-2:30 pm in the bride s room by appointment. Cost is $30 (cash, check or credit card is accepted). 8. A healing service will be held during each worship service September

3 Page 3 Mission Action For June and July there were a number of items donated to Family Resources and Pregnancy Resources. These included toddler snacks, cereal, and bags for Pregnancy Resources. Various food items were also donated to Family Resources, as well as; t-shirts, flip -flops, bath towels, toothbrushes, combs, bags, nail clippers, files, and a large amount of travel size personal care products. Thank you for your support, as it is greatly appreciated. The need continues with some of the specific things listed below: Family Resources: dishes, pots, cleaning supplies, blankets, pillows, bed linens, and toiletry items Pregnancy Resources: baby lotion, wipes, shampoo, size 3-5 diapers, new pacifiers and bottles Hospitalized In August Betty Current Nancy Norton We offer the Families of Edward Bernaur Carol Peters words of love, support, and comfort. May they rest assured in the midst of their challenges and adjustments that God will sustain them in the loss of their loved one through faith in our Risen Lord. Because He lives, we too shall live. God's Work, Our Hands Lori Almasi A total of 564 people were served at our food pantry in July Items were donated from: St. Mark Lutheran Church members, Youth Group, and Friends; Popcorn Charlie, & Co.; Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Street Food Pantry, Trinity Lutheran Church, and the Midwest Food Bank (Expo.) Thank you! The Friendship Group will meet at: Dynasty Buffet at 11:30am on September 4. Everyone is welcome to join us for lunch! If you would like to come, please sign up in the lounge and indicate if you need a ride. Hope to see you there! Share-A-Meal September 27 at 6pm Please take time to look over the sign up sheet in the lounge to see where you can help. Each month we need servers, hot casseroles, vegetables and desserts. This is a worthwhile ministry that St. Mark is involved in. The beauty of this is anybody can help, no special skills are needed. Just a warm and giving heart is all you need. Once you break the ice and take that first step you will find out how gratifying it really is. The meal site is located at the Salvation Army Family services building at 5th and Harrison Streets. Meal starts at 6pm.

4 Page 4 God s Work, Our Hands. God's work, our Hands. Saturday Sept 8 We will be pack the back pack at River Bend Food Pantry. This will provide food for children on the weekend. Time 10:30-12:30. Sign up sheet will be in lounge. I have confirmed we will have 25 people (young and old) More information to come. Go in peace Serve the poor! Sign up in the lounge! School Year Blessing We would like to invite all students, teachers, and teacher's aides to our Sunday Worship Service for a special blessing for the School Year during our Sunday, September 9 th worship service at 9:30AM. Youth Group- Our September BIG Saturday Night will take place on September 8th at 5pm. Please make sure to respond via or the BIG Youth Group Facebook page if you are able to attend. Lisa and I are excited to implement more activities and programming to help grow the Youth Group even more. We would like to thank the Congregation for their continued support. Young at Hearts W are having our 2nd annual Weiner Roast at Camp Oakwood on September 7th (rain date is the 14th) at 5:00pm. We will be collecting $1.00 per person to cover the cost of the hot dogs and buns. We will furnish the drinks and tableware. A sign-up sheet will be in the Lounge. Please bring a dish to share. Questions? Please call Judy, or Bonny Save the date Trunk or Treat is scheduled for October 28, 2-4pm. Our goal is Trunks. This neighborhood outreach event is a good way to evangelize! More information to follow! Rally Day Rally Day- Come one, come all! Please join us for our annual Rally Day event on September 9th from 10:30am-12:30pm. This is an intergenerational event so all ages are welcome to join in the fun! We will have games, food, prizes, and a craft for the entire Congregation. Please make sure to invite your family and friends to this amazing event. Lunch will be served from 11am-12pm. We will be dispersing flyers to the neighborhood on Sunday September 2nd immediately following the 9:30am service. If you are able to help, please speak to Pastor Travis or Amber Sherrod. We are also looking for people who would be willing to sign up for an hour shift during Rally Day to help run the games and food. You will receive a Thrivent shirt for helping out with this amazing event. There is a sign-up sheet in the lounge. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to Pastor Travis or Amber Sherrod. IT'S CROP WALK SEASON Beginning with the Open House on August 9th and culminating on Walk Day, October 7th, the 2018 QC CROP Hunger Walk season is in full swing. We'll have sign up sheets on the bulletin board for those who want to walk with the St. Mark team and, closer to walk day, envelopes in the pews for donations. We also encourage every walker to register online at where you can: a. join others on the St. Mark team b. start collecting donations in your name to help end hunger c. skip much of the sign in process on walk day and d. reach out to friends and family and challenge them to join you. BTW: St. Mark is only one of eight QC churches to raise over $1,000 each of the last six years! Let's keep it going! For more info, please see Pella Fisher or Rick Martin. Thank you!

5 Page 5 Notes from the Organ Bench by Ross Jallo September 2018 Just the other day, I came across an article on "The Critical Importance of Church Choirs". (Yes, perhaps I'm a biased audience for such an article...) It had an alarming statistic: between 1998 and 2012, 40% of mainline Protestant churches (Lutherans, Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc.) stopped using choirs regularly in worship. Nowadays only 37% of such churches still use choirs regularly. As we begin another program year here at St Mark, I'm determined that we continue to maintain our music ensembles at a high level. I'm immensely grateful to all the wonderful people, of all ages and skill sets, who donate their time and talents to the Chancel Choir, Celebration Bells, and Young Ringers and Singers, and I encourage anyone who's had any inkling of interest in participating to prayerfully consider whether this might be the time to join. (I've said it before, and I'll say it again: if you can't commit to singing all year, that's okay! Let me know your availability, and I can work around varying schedules.) The article I mentioned also gives some compelling reasons to keep choirs in church. 1) Choirs are biblical: there are descriptions of a director of music and trained singers all over the book of Psalms. 2) Choirs encourage excellence in worship: preparing and rehearsing music allows for the best possible end result, and beautifying our worship is part of our duty as Christians. 3) Choirs celebrate the human voice. 4) Choirs inspire and lead worship. 5) Choirs are redemptive communities: a choir affirms all its members, not just the high-profile ones. A choir is always greater than the sum of its parts! 6) Choirs make us work together, and that's a skill we can always stand to improve. 7) Choirs encourage musical diversity: in the last year you've heard a great variety of sacred music at St Mark, from all major musical periods of the last thousand years of Western Civilization. You'll never hear such musical diversity on a radio station! I hope this helps make the case for why a choir (or other musical ensemble) is such an important component of Christian worship. I look forward to working with you all at St Mark to continue making beautiful music in this coming year. The ELCA Task Force on Women and Justice: One in Christ has written a draft as a step toward the development of a social statement that will be considered by the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Draft social statements are a means to invite everyone to participate in the process toward the creation of an official statement. Learn more and read the draft online. There will be two hearings around this statement in the Southeastern Iowa Synod: Saturday, September 22, 2018 Faith Lutheran Church, Clive 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM. Sunday, September 23, 2018 St. Paul Lutheran Church, Davenport 3:15 PM - 4:45 PM July 2018 General Fund Summary July Inc: $33, July Exp $36, ($ 3,284.23) Regular Offerings Year-to-Date Received $192, / 93.83%* Budgeted Amount $204, ($ 12,641.00) *To eliminate our budget shortfall of $63,505.00, we need to have regular offerings at 118% at year end. Food Pantry Report 6/30/18 Bal: $18, July Inc: July Exp: (1,236.26) 7/31/2018 $18,495.85

6 Page 6 Theology on Tap will meet Tuesday, September 11th at 6PM, the Pastor s home, to discuss Take this Bread by Sara Miles. The Spiritual Memoir of a twenty-first-century Christian. "One early morning, for no earthly reason, Sara Miles, raised an atheist, wandered into a church, received communion, and found herself transformed -- embracing a faith she once scorned. Her new found faith centered on real hunger, real food, and real bodies. Before long she turned the bread she ate at communion into tons of groceries, piled high on the church's altar to be given away." Take this Bread is rich with real-life Dickensian characters - church ladies, millionaires, schizophrenics, bishops, and thieves -- all blown into Mile's life by the relentless force of her newfound calling. Come join us for the discussion, drink, and meal. Upcoming Discussions Tuesday, October 9 at 6pm Love Wins By Rob Bell Tuesday, November 13 at 6pm Healing the Soul of America By Marianne Williamson Sunday, January 6 at 5pm The Book of Joy By Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu Searchers Bible Study will resume on Friday, September 7 th at 10AM in the conference room/ Library. We will begin our study of the book of Mark. All are invited to attend. Although we work our way through the Gospel of Mark, you do not have to be present at each study to attend. Coffee and Donuts are served Adult Sunday Education Everybody loves a great story. In the Gospels of the New testament, God has given us the greatest story ever told! Jesus life, death, and resurrection changed the people who knew him and changed the world through them. Come join us as we take a look at The Greatest Story: Jesus. In sixteen sessions you will encounter Jesus through the stories of those who first wrote about him, and whose words are gathered in our Bible. Find out how Jesus story connects with our stories and our lives! This class is for young adults and adults new to Bible study and others interested in encountering Jesus through the greatest story. Join us beginning September 16 at 11am- Noon. Pastor Travis (tfisher@stmarkcares.org) for more information or to join the class by September 9. Participant books are $15 each. The Schedule for September is as follows: Rally Day! September 9 This is an intergenerational event! The Greatest Story Ever Told September 16 Jesus September 23 Who is this Jesus: The Four Gospels September 30 God is With Us: Birth Narrative Theology on Tuesday Begins Tuesday, September 18 th 6:30pm We will be using Animate: Practices. In each session the group will watch a video featuring a leading voice from the Christian faith, spend time on personal reflection and journaling, and share ideas with the group. The topics are: Prayer: Food: Worship: Sacraments: Money: Service: Community: Oriented toward God by Brian McLaren Eating, with Jesus by Sara Miles Seeking God's Presence by Mike Slaughter A Tapestry of Traditions by Phyllis Tickle The Joy of Sharing by Shane Claiborne The Needs Right in Front of You by Enuma Okoro An Unexpected Family by Doug Pagitt

7 5:00pm Girl Scout Troup 4010 meets in Luther Hall 5:00pm Girl Scout Troup 4010 meets in Luther Hall 5:00pm Young at Hearts 2nd Annual Wiener Roast At Camp Oakwood 6:30pm Rehearsal Dinner

8 ST. MARK LIFE St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church 2363 West Third Street, Davenport, Iowa Address Service Requested Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit No. 909 Davenport, Iowa Worship With Holy Communion (Unless Noted Otherwise) Saturdays - 5:00pm Sundays - 9:30am Sunday School11:00am Beginning September 16 Church Women United FALL FELLOWSHIP St. Paul Lutheran Church 2136 Brady Davenport, IA Friday, September 28, 2018 Registration: 9:00am Brunch: 9:30am Program: 10:15am Cost: $7.00 (use the South entrance and go to the Library Commons) Rev. Rich Hendricks, pastor of Metropolitan Community Church, will speak on Combatting Hate.