NEW SENIOR PASTOR INSTALLATION

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "NEW SENIOR PASTOR INSTALLATION"

Emery Boone
5 years ago
Views:

L I F E A Publication of St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church 2363 West Third Street, Davenport IA 52802 Phone: 563-322-5318 Pastor Travis Fisher-King: 563-676-8160 Annual subscription of $1.

beaderstadt@yahoo.com Chuck Crispin 563-386-1977 cacrispin@yahoo.com Richard Dabillo 563-326-1808 Diane Fellman (Secretary) 563-340-0814 fellmand54@yahoo.

com John Muhlhausen 563-355-1082 Kent Nichols (Youth Representative) 536-468-8190 Amber Sherrod 309-721-6022 asherrod82@me.com Linda Wescom 563-349-7073 linda.wescom@gmail.

We thanked Rick and Janet Martin for their dedication and passion in fighting hunger, especially their work with the Quad Cities Crop Walk. This year, St.

We gave Mick Carstens a special send-off as he begins the next chapter of his life a well-deserved retirement for his years of serving St. Mark as our Church Administrator.

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 November 2018 Volume 51 Issue 11 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 It s that time of year again! Remember to set your clocks back 1 hour on November 4! Let s Celebrate - In October, we celebrated a number of special people in our congregation. We thanked Rick and Janet Martin for their dedication and passion in fighting hunger, especially their work with the Quad Cities Crop Walk. This year, St. Mark gave $1,233 with a total of $24,400 and counting for our area. Our ELCA Parish Nurses showed their appreciation to our Pastors with a special breakfast held in their honor. We gave Mick Carstens a special send-off as he begins the next chapter of his life a well-deserved retirement for his years of serving St. Mark as our Church Administrator. Also, we celebrated and encouraged our newly confirmed: Brendan Crispin, Gage McCalester, Gianna McDermott, and Kaleb Stellerecht as they begin a new chapter living out their Baptismal Call. In this season of celebration, let each of us prayerfully consider all the gifts that WE have been blessed with! With the latter in mind, give Thanks to God by sharing our time, our talents, and our treasures to extend God s kingdom. In Christ s Service Your Stewardship Committee NEW SENIOR PASTOR INSTALLATION With joy and thanksgiving First Lutheran Church in Maquoketa announces the installation of the Rev. Neil P. Harrison as Senior Pastor at the worship services on Saturday, November 3, 2018, at 5:00 P.M. and Sunday, November 4, 2018, at 9:00 A.M. The Rev. Paul Ostrem, Assistant to the Bishop, Southeastern Iowa Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will preach and officiate. Pr. Harrison is a son of St. Mark Lutheran Church and you are invited to attend his installation. (W)holistic Living Thoughts from the Parish Nurse. The focus this month is to remind everyone to make sure you receive your flu shot. An annual flu shot is the best way currently available to prevent flu as well as flu-related complications that could lead to severe illness or hospitalization. If you become ill with the flu, stay home from work, school or errands when you are sick. This will help prevent others from catching your illness. Avoid touching your mouth, nose or eyes. This will also help to prevent the spread of germs. Wash your hands frequently either with soap and water or hand sanitizer. If you develop flu symptoms, please consult your health care provider. They may prescribe influenza antiviral drugs, which can lessen the severity of the illness, shorten the time you are sick and prevent serious flu complications. There will be a permanent change for the foot care clinic beginning in November. It will be held on the second Wednesday of every other month or on the odd numbered months: November, 2018, January, 2019 and so forth. The time will still be from 12:30-2:30 by appointment and the cost of $30 remains the same. Please see me if you have any questions. In faith, hope and love, Parish Nurse Bev

Page 2 We offer the Families of Lowell Daasch and Shirley Crews words of love, support, and comfort.

Thanks so much to all our St. Mark family for all the prayers, cards, well wishes, and phone calls during our 5+ week radiation treatment visit to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN.

-Les Schjelderup THANK YOU to all who helped to make this years TRUNK OR TREAT a HUGE success. Despite the weather, 17 trunks decorated and loaded with goodies!

With our sincere thanks, Social Ministry Committee A total of 511 people were served at our food pantry in September 2018. Items were donated from: St.

2 Page 2 We offer the Families of Lowell Daasch and Shirley Crews 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. Thanks so much to all our St. Mark family for all the prayers, cards, well wishes, and phone calls during our 5+ week radiation treatment visit to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN. The prayers, cards and personal well wishes mean a lot, knowing you are not alone. And special thanks to my wonderful caregiver wife Carolyn for being with me every step of the way. -Les Schjelderup THANK YOU to all who helped to make this years TRUNK OR TREAT a HUGE success. Despite the weather, 17 trunks decorated and loaded with goodies! St Mark s parking lot FULL of smiling faces (children and adults)! God s Work Our Hands! With our sincere thanks, Social Ministry Committee A total of 511 people were served at our food pantry in September Items were donated from: St. Mark Lutheran Church members, Youth Group, and Friends; Popcorn Charlie, & Co; Grace Lutheran Church; Trinity Lutheran; Garden Ministry; and the Midwest Food Bank (Expo.) Thank you! The Friendship Group will meet at: Corner Kitchen at 11:30am on November 6. 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! Tuesday, November 13 at 6pm at The Barrel House Healing the Soul of America by Marianne Williamson Please sign up in the Lounge. There is a wheelchair ramp available to someone who might need this at your home. Please contact PN Bev for more information. Hospitalized In October Candy Bates Nancy Heinisch Robin Jasper Margy Nash November 2018 Wellness Opportunities 1. PN Bev s weekends in November are November and Friendship Group meets at the Corner Kitchen on Tuesday, November 11:30 am. Signup sheet is in the lounge. 3. Prayer shawl ministry meets Saturday November 10, 10:00 am in the lounge. The group will not meet on November Home communion kit distribution is November at each worship service. 5. Parish Visitor Appreciation Dinner meets Monday, November Mo Brady s, 5:30 pm. 6. Life Together meets Tuesday, November 13, 12 noon at Garner Farms Independent Living in the dining room for lunch and devotions. Cost is $7. Please let PN Bev know if you plan to attend or need a ride. 7. Unity Point at Home Foot Care Clinic meets Wednesday, November 14, 12:30-2:30 pm in the bride s room by appt. Cost is $ Good Samaritan worship service with Holy Communion is Thursday, November 15, 10:15 am. Parish Nurse Office Hours Due to a change in office hours beginning in November, my new schedule will include available office hours from 10 am-2pm Tuesday-Thursday and Friday by appointment. You may want to call the office phone or my cell phone as I am frequently out of the office for visits. Please use my cell phone # to text or call me and my address is: stmarkparishnurse2363@gmail.com. I will continue to also be here two weekends per month, usually the 2 nd and 4 th weekend but check the wellness opportunities each month as this can be subject to change.

Page 3 Notes from the Organ Bench by Ross Jallo November 2018 A Word or Two about Applause Several people, now, have asked me about clapping in church. I must admit I'm conflicted about it.

) I understand the impulse to applaud: whenever anybody performs music in a formal setting, we are conditioned to clap afterwards.

3 Page 3 Notes from the Organ Bench by Ross Jallo November 2018 A Word or Two about Applause Several people, now, have asked me about clapping in church. I must admit I'm conflicted about it. I'd like to take this month's Notes from the Organ Bench to examine the whole idea, so that at least you know my thoughts. (The decision to clap or not I leave up to you!) I understand the impulse to applaud: whenever anybody performs music in a formal setting, we are conditioned to clap afterwards. To not clap somehow leaves the musician(s) unacknowledged, and this feels rude. But church is different from the concert hall in several key ways. It's worth remembering that church musicians -- choir members, bell ringers, even special guest artists -- are not here for entertainment. We adorn and beautify the church service with music in order to better praise and glorify God, not to enjoy ourselves. That's not to say we shouldn't enjoy church music! Of course we can and should. But that's not the chief reason we have it: music is offered to God, not to you, the congregation. Church is not a concert venue; if it were, we'd sell tickets. Ever since I've arrived at St Mark, there have been wonderful people who have thanked me for my music. I think a lot of the clapping after the anthem comes from this same impulse: you're all just a nice bunch of people, and I greatly appreciate that. But I would encourage you, if you enjoy a given Sunday's anthem, to tell a choir member how much you liked it! No applause during the service is necessary. However, there are also times, even in church, where applause feels like a natural response, particularly after a really exciting piece of music. I won't tell you to stifle this impulse, because that would be just as unnatural as expecting you to applaud every Sunday. Ultimately it just depends on the occasion. To sum up: don't feel that you need to applaud in order to be polite, or to show your appreciation for St Mark's many fine musicians. No choir member will be offended if you don't clap, because they're not doing it for the applause. The only time to clap is when it feels like a natural response to what you've just heard. I hope this makes my thoughts on applause in church a little bit more clear. SAVE THE DATE! Tuesday December 11th 5:30pm Social ministry selected the SAFER young men as our Angels this Christmas season. For those who are not familiar with them, they are a group of young men who have made some bad decisions. They share Gods house, St Mark church, with each of us. They attend after school sessions at the church; a secure place for them to learn how to be better citizens in the community. We believe it is our responsibility to reach out to them and give them recognition so that they feel welcome into our church building. We are making we care kits for each one that is presently attending. Currently there are 12 young men, age The contents of these packages will be specific and we are currently working with the coordinator to make a list of what will be in each. Proposed thus far, 1 bath towel, Axe deodorant, 1 pair white Nike socks, 1 white undershirt, McDonald s gift card. We will present these gifts at a dinner hosted by St Mark members. This dinner will be for the young men and their family. Turkey dinner with all the fixings! We will be in need of people to prepare the food and serve these families. The more smiling faces and caring people they can see in 2 hours can change their lives. Gods Work Our Hands... more information and sign up sheets will be in the lounge soon!

Page 4 According to a medieval legend, God once sent two angels to the earth on a special mission, with each one of them carrying a From Pr. Travis basket.

4 Page 4 According to a medieval legend, God once sent two angels to the earth on a special mission, with each one of them carrying a From Pr. Travis basket. One angel was assigned to gather up all of the prayers of petition, and the other was assigned to gather up all of the prayers of thanksgiving. The first angel returned very quickly, and her basket was overflowing with requests. Ah, yes, reported this angel, the people of God have remembered well the Bible s counsel: Ask, and you shall receive. Yet the second angel was gone a long time, and when she finally returned, her basket was nearly empty. I had a hard time finding people who pray prayers of thanksgiving, she said quietly. Like everyone else, I too have plenty of petitions to place in the first angel s basket, including a petition for peace with justice throughout the ELCA, United States, and the world. I have a petition that God will inspire and empower each of us to be not part of the problem but rather part of the answer which I believe is forever and always blowing in the wind and that wind is the Holy Spirit of God. I have a petition that all of the subtle systemic aspects of all of the isms will be both honestly recognized and courageously overcome. I have a petition that every protest will clearly seek to address the problems which all of us have created together and which all of us need to correct together without creating distractions that lead us away from this task. I have a petition that we will seek what Martin Luther King, Jr. once called a double victory of freedom for oppressed and oppressor alike and that each and every protest will always be ultimately rooted in that divine love for all humanity which casts out human fear. I have a petition that we will all recognize the truth the Franciscan monk Richard Rohr expressed when he wrote, If we do not transform our pain, we will most assuredly transmit it. At the same time, I do not want to neglect the second angel s basket, as we are all often tempted to do. I give thanks for a God who steadfastly refuses to give up on any of us a God who is forever and always at work for good: forming, reforming, and transforming the world, the church, and every human heart. I give thanks for the privilege of being called along with all my sisters and brothers to be not passive spectators but active participants amidst the ongoing struggle for peace and justice in our personal relationships, our neighborhoods, and our world. I thank God for the freedoms we have in the United States and for those who have protected these freedoms. I give thanks for the ability to Vote. (Remember to Vote November 6 th ). I give thanks to God for those who have died in the faith and who have given generously their tithes and talents to the mission and ministry at St. Mark. I give thanks for the strength God graciously promises to us amidst that struggle. I give thanks for the inclusive church we have at St. Mark and the churches of the ELCA for all our flaws and foibles, as we continue to offer the world a glimpse of people who keep humbly seeking to learn to live together in love. Yes, I have my petitions, but I also have my prayers of thanksgiving and not just on the fourth Thursday in November. Journeying with you, Pastor Travis P.S. Join us in remembering the Saints on Nov. 3 at 5PM or Nov. 4 at 9:30AM and giving thanks to God on Wednesday, November 21 at 7PM at our Thanksgiving Eve Worship. September 2018 General Fund Summary Sept. Inc $30, Sept. Exp $32, ($2,65.63) Regular Offerings Year-to-Date Received: $241, / 91.56%* Budgeted Amt $263, Short: ($22,212.48) *To eliminate our budget shortfall of $63,505.00, we need to have regular offerings at 118% at year end. Food Pantry Report 8/31/18 Bal $17, Sept Inc $ 1, Sept Exp ($ ) 9/30/18 Bal $18,114.48

5 Page 5 Nurturing Generous Living Generosity is a matter of action, intention, and heart. One of the ways we can show our generosity is the grateful outpouring of our gifts to others, out of our love for God. For example, the priceless treasure of the gospel (and all the gifts of covenant, relationship, and life that go with it) comes from God and is meant to be poured out upon others. Paul states this directly in 2 Corinthians 4:5-7, when he says, "We have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us." Whether for fancy purposes or everyday usage, the "unadorned pots of our daily lives" highlights the fact that all of who we are and what we have comes from God and is to be used for God's purposes. God can use our uniqueness, even our limitations, weaknesses and eccentricities, to communicate God's powerful presence and love. Generous living is not just about giving money, or even just about giving. It has to do with the whole of who we are and how we care for our neighbors. Each of us offers unique abilities from our hearts, minds, souls, and strengths. The Old Testament word for "heart" is literally the leaning or thrust of our lives. We might call it our lifestyle or nonverbal witness. In other words, it is how we steward 100 percent of our lives, not just the "religious" sector or the percentage we give away. So how do we lead stewardship in our local church? By nurturing generous living in our personal lives and in our life together as part of St. Mark s congregation and Christ's interconnected, connectional church. Nurturing generous living in every aspect of our life together before God -- now that's great stewardship! Please fill out your stewardship pledge forms and offer them at the thanksgiving eve service, or get them to the church office by November 21 st. In Faithful Service, Your St. Mark Stewardship Committee With Thanksgiving I give back to my God In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35 I (we) pray for the work of the Lord through the mission and ministry at St. Mark. I (we) promise to worship regularly. I (we) commit to diligent study of God s Word. Regular group Bible study Personal and/or family devotions I (we) will commit to the giving of my/our time. Current service activities: New service activities: I (we) will faithfully give back to God the following first-fruits amount: My (our) faith offering each week will be $ totaling $ annually. (As you compute your weekly and annual contributions, please keep in mind that the Bible directs us to give in proportion to the blessings that we receive. A benchmark or guide given to us is the tithe which is ten percent of our income). NAME(S) (print): Please return this slip on Commitment Sunday or mail it to the church office.

Page 6 Happy November! Our school year is already flying by and the kids are loving the fact that the weather is finally cooling off. No more sweating on the playground!

These are delicious smelling wax melts that will make your house smell divine. There are many other items for sale as well.

! This month we will be holding parent teachers conferences the week of the 5th. This is a time when parents can come in check their child's progress. It is a great tool for families.

Our entire staff wishes everyone a safe and "filling" Thanksgiving! The BIG Youth Group is excited to announce their choice for the 2019 Summer Mission Trip.

This is somewhat similar to Work Camp, but the Youth will be working with the poorest reservation in the United States: the Pine Ridge Reservation.

It will be a wonderful opportunity to continue to build our relationships with these Congregations and it will be an experience we have not been exposed to before.

6 Page 6 Happy November! Our school year is already flying by and the kids are loving the fact that the weather is finally cooling off. No more sweating on the playground! November 1st we are kicking off our fall fundraiser. We are trying something new this year and doing a Scentsy fundraiser. These are delicious smelling wax melts that will make your house smell divine. There are many other items for sale as well. If you are interested in purchasing anything please contact me of check out the catalog on the table in the lounge. ALL proceeds go to our much needed playground expansion/outdoor classroom!! This month we will be holding parent teachers conferences the week of the 5th. This is a time when parents can come in check their child's progress. It is a great tool for families. We will once again be hosting our Thanksgiving Luncheon on November 20th! This is a wonderful event for everyone involved. The kids love showing off the food and decorations that they have made. Our entire staff wishes everyone a safe and "filling" Thanksgiving! The BIG Youth Group is excited to announce their choice for the 2019 Summer Mission Trip. They will be headed to Sioux Nation, South Dakota for Team Effort. This is somewhat similar to Work Camp, but the Youth will be working with the poorest reservation in the United States: the Pine Ridge Reservation. The Youth will be helping those on the reservation with repairs and renovations. We will also be attending this mission trip with Faith Lutheran, Eldridge and Grace Lutheran, Davenport. It will be a wonderful opportunity to continue to build our relationships with these Congregations and it will be an experience we have not been exposed to before. Our trip will take place from July 7th-14th, We can t wait to come back with some amazing stories. BIG Saturday Night is coming up on November 10th. Please check our upcoming s for further details. On Sunday mornings, during our education hour, young disciples who are in grades 6-12 are invited to the Youth Room for a group discussion on topics introduced in the ELCA s Faith Lens. Just a reminder, there will be no Sunday School for kids, the older youth or Adults on November 25th TWO EVENTS! Sponsored by the B.I.G. Youth Group* Sunday, November 4 th, 2018 St. Mark Lutheran Church Meyer Activity Center (Gym) 2363 W 3rd St Davenport, IA Bags Tournament 3pm-Til done! Check in starts at 2:30pm Tournament elimination play. $20 per team of 2 participants. $10 per person (single participants will be placed on a team) At least one prize for first place will be awarded. More teams participating means more prizes! Prizes of equal value are awarded to each participant on a winning team. Sign up before Friday November 2nd to ensure your team play. Want refreshments? You re in luck. Join us at 4pm for the St. Mark Chili Chefs chili cook off! Chili Cook off 4pm 6pm Cost of admission for Chili Chefs At least 2 gallons of your own famous chili. Enough to give samples to each judge and a bowl to those that judge you the best! Remember the more chili you bring the more votes you could get! One lucky winner will receive a New All Clad ladle and bragging rights! Soup crackers, corn bread, drinks, desserts provided. Any extras you want to provide are up to you! Chili Chefs reserve your spot by calling or stopping by St. Mark during open office hours: Sign up in the lounge or call Cost of admission for judges $6 per person. Admission will get you a ticket for one sample from each chili chef and one full bowl of your favorite. Ticket surrendered for your vote so hang on to it until you are done sampling! Cornbread, drink, dessert, included too! *Proceeds go to help fund the St. Mark B.I.G. Youth Group mission trip to South Dakota.

7 2:00pm Zither Concert 6:00pm Theology on Tuesday

Requested Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit No.

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 Education Hour 11:00am St. Mark Lutheran Church November 21, :00pm Please join us in giving thanks to our God on Thanksgiving Eve. All are welcome! Young at Hearts Annual Gift Exchange and Potluck Young at Heart s will be having our Gift Exchange on December 7th, at 6:00pm in the lounge. The potluck will start at 6:00 (please bring a dish to share) followed by the gift exchange. The gift should be wrapped and not more than $10:00. We will not be meeting the last Friday in November. Questions? call Judy, or Bonnie,

L I F E. Council Members

L I F E. Council Members L I F E A Publication of St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church 2363 West Third Street, Davenport IA 52802 Phone: 563-322-5318 Pastor Travis Fisher-King: 563-676-8160 Annual subscription of $1.00 per year