Messenger. UA Symphonic Choir In Concert. Holy Communion During Lent. Special Seder with Congregational Participation

Transcription

1 Messenger Changing the world through Christ, by caring for all people. Volume 58, Number 03 February 13, 2018 UA Symphonic Choir In Concert Join us this Sunday, Feb. 18 at 3:00 p.m., St. Mark s Sanctuary. The UA Symphonic Choir will present a concert titled Luminous including roots music from a variety of traditions and choral works on the theme of light. With music from classical to Broadway featuring everything from string quartet to rock combo and dancers from the UA Musical Theatre program, this program has something for everyone. The concert is free and open to the public - please feel free to invite your friends and family for this exciting event. For more information contact director, Elizabeth Schauer. Special Seder with Congregational Participation On Tuesday, March 13, Guillermo Katz, the North American representative of Hope for Israel is coming to St. Mark s to present Messiah, Passover and the Lord s Supper. Don t miss this opportunity to participate in this powerful presentation that shows how Messiah gave us the Lord s Supper as He celebrated Passover with his disciples. This reenactment of the Last Supper is a wonderful addition to our Lenten journey as we reflect deeply on Christ s sacrifice on the cross. And, since they are a ministry from Israel, it is like Guillermo is bringing the Holy Land to our church! Holy Communion During Lent For those of you who wish to receive Holy Communion on the Sundays during Lent beginning, Feb. 18 you may partake in the Prayer Room following the 8:15 and 9:45 a.m. services. On Feb. 25, March 11, 18, 25, you will find the pastors located in Fellowship Hall. Rev. Joe Brown will provide the elements after the 8:15 a.m. service, Rev. Roger Pierce will serve after the 9:45 a.m. service. This event will take place in the Fellowship Hall from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. and there is limited seating. Please make sure you pre-register for this event before March 7. You will find a sign up sheet on the Adult Spiritual Growth bulletin board, or you may contact the church office ( ) to register for this opportunity. 1

2 Holy Yoga-Evening Classes We will be offering a new Thursday evening option for Holy Yoga beginning March 1st through April 5 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Esther Rudegeair Delgado will teach a six-week series that will focus on being bold and strong in our relationship with God. Like our Monday morning 9:15 a.m. practice, this will be a slow flow Vinyasa type practice at a beginner to intermediate level. The attendance during this six-week pilot will determine whether we will continue an evening option. Whether you come on Monday morning or Thursday evening, we hope you will come and spend time on your mat with us as we explore the connection between our body, mind and soul, and our relationship with God. You can bring your yoga mat, yoga block & strap and also a small blanket to help with modifications. Come enjoy these peaceful places to become grounded in a chaotic world. If you have any questions or would like more information, you may contact Pastor Tammy (tammy@umcstmarks.org or ). Eating Mercifully Lots of attention is currently being paid to plantbased diets. Some people are drawn to them for health reasons. Others like the fact that they re more resource-friendly to our planet. Still others follow them for animal-welfare reasons. Market On The Move! Saturday, March 3 Have you considered a plant-based diet for yourself? Or perhaps you d like to better understand a friend or family member who follows a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Perhaps you re just curious, in general! The Animal Ministry Team invites you to the Fellowship Hall on Sunday morning, March 4, to view the DVD Eating Mercifully, followed by refreshments (donated by local stores and restaurants) and a casual discussion. The 26-minute documentary will be offered three times, at 8:15, 9:45 and 11:15, so you can attend before or after your regular worship service and/or Sunday School class. The DVD is a documentary provided by the Faith Outreach program of the Humane Society of the United States and looks at the present meat industry from several Christian viewpoints. There won t be any pressure to change your personal eating habits, just an opportunity to consider your choices from a more informed position. You re welcome to just pop in, but to have an approximate idea of how many are expected, we d love your RSVP to animalministry@umcstmarks.org (or ). Hope to see you on March 4th! Market on the Move (produce offered 60# for $10) will be hosted by St. Mark s again March 3 from 8-10 a.m. (FREE damaged veggies are available for farm animals between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m.) Twenty-five volunteers will be needed for setup/ organization at 6:30 a.m, the market is open 8-10:00 a.m., cleanup from 10-11:00 a.m. Please use the sign up sheet on the Adult Spiritual Growth bulletin board in the courtyard If you would like to volunteer, or text or call Lenna (see directory). 2

3 Spectacular Food Truck Café What a lovely evening! Wasn t it fun being at the Food Truck Café and Car Show recently? Fewer Food Truck Cafés are planned this year. Each one is designed to be easy, fun, and comfortable for everyone. And, to accomplish this we need a few good people to help one time, or a few times, or every time a Food Truck Cafe event is scheduled. The food trucks will be in St. Mark s parking lot, and we want to offer hospitality there and in our courtyard. Tentative dates for future cafés are April 13, August 10, and October 19. Setup work needs to be accomplished from about 4:30 5:00 p.m. on the applicable Friday afternoon that food trucks are scheduled. At least two people will be needed. The setup includes setting up five round tables with some chairs, one long table, the red Welcome Umbrella, and a pop-up canopy in the courtyard. Cleanup work can start about 7:30 p.m. and three people will be needed. All the tables and chairs, the red umbrella, and the pop-up canopy need to be put away; and the trash cans need to be emptied. If you re interested, willing to help, and/or want to talk with Kim Ogle or Kay Hayworth about this, please contact us (Kim Ogle, kim@umcstmarks.org or Kay Hayworth, (see directory). You can also leave a message with the church office ( ) and someone will call you back. Agua Prieta Mission Project St Mark s Agua Prieta Task Force needs some temporary storage space. If you, or someone you know, has some storage space in your garage, storage unit space, shed or barn available on a temporary basis that the task force could use, please let us know. Various sizes of space will be needed at different times, e.g., a shelf or two, or possibly a 6 X 8 foot area, etc. Storage space will likely be needed for only a few weeks, or possily a month at a time. If you have space available right now, or in the next couple of months, please contact Robert Kittrell (see directory) or leave a message in the church office ( ) and someone will call you back. PLEASE remember there is no room at St. Mark s church for these items to be stored even on a day-to-day basis. We have been told by the pastor of Fuente de Vida (Methodist) church in Agua Prieta, that there is a house located on the grounds of the Agua Prieta, Mexico hospital, that could be refurbished and used for medical residents and interns, working at the hospital. We have also been told good housing at reasonable rental prices is not available in Agua Prieta. The home needs some kitchen cabinets, a kitchen sink, at least two twin beds and mattresses, and probably some other furniture and household goods that are yet to be determined. Thank you for supporting and praying for this mission opportunity we have in Agua Prieta, Mexico. Inn Project Needs Help If you are interested in learning more about the Inn Project, and becoming a volunteer, there are a number of ways that you can support this group. For more information go to the Inn Project website at for details about how you can volunteer, and contribute, to this organization. Thank you and many blessings, Kathie Barrett 3

4 Microchipping Pet Event Pet collars and tags can fall off or be removed. The best way for a lost pet to get home again is through a microchip (about the size of a grain of rice). No Kill Pima County is offering monthly low-cost ($10) microchip clinics throughout our community, and our Animal Ministry Team is proud to host February s clinic at St. Mark s. If you have pets you d like to microchip, join us this Saturday, Feb. 17, between 2:00-5:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. You can find more details below or under Upcoming Events at When: Saturday, Feb. 17, :00 5:00pm No appointment necessary. Where: St. Mark s United Methodist Church 1431 W. Magee Road (SW corner of La Canada & Magee) Fellowship Hall Details: Available for dogs and cats. Dogs must be on leash; cats in carriers. Please bring multiple handlers if bringing multiple dogs. Highly recommended pets be fully vaccinated when bringing to public places. Cash, checks, cards accepted. Hosted by the Animal Ministry Team of St. Mark s. Thanks so much to each of you who have been volunteering at the Community Food Bank! We d also love to have additional new volunteers help out in the months ahead. It s a fun experience and we definitely make a difference packing food bags in their warehouse for families in need in our community. Mark your calendar for the Saturdays each month that we ll be helping at the Food Bank through June 2018: Feb. 24, March 17, April 21, May 19, and June 16. We meet in the north parking lot at the church at 8:00 a.m., carpool to the Food Bank and work from 9:00 a.m. to noon. You are also welcome to meet us at the Food Bank, too. Volunteers need to be 16 years old and everyone must wear closed-toe shoes and long sleeve shirts to work in the warehouse. If you re interested, please contact Nancy Jackson (see directory) to get on the list and we ll also have signup sheets on the Adult Spiritual Growth bulletin board in the courtyard each month. 4

5 Open Mind Book Study Friday, February 23 Our February book selection is undivded, by Patricia Raybon and Alana Raybon. It is a true story put in dialog form to address the diverse faith issues between mother and daughter. Mother is a Christian. Daughter was raised as a Christian and then became a Muslim. It is their attempt to answer the question, Can we find a way to make our torn family whole again? The study will be held in the Library at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 23. We hope you will join the discussion. The sessions are led by Todd and Tyger Penson. If you have any questions, call or them (see directory). A Message from St. Mark s Church & Society - Upcoming programs for Theology Uncorked at St. Frances: Monday, Feb. 19 at 6:30 p.m. Water Wars & the Common Good Gregg Garfin, PhD associate professor at the University s Institute of the Environment. Monday, March 5, at 6:30 p.m. Peace and Nonviolence in a Time of Climate Change Rev. John Dear is a long time peace activist, lecturer, teacher, and author. St. Frances Cabrini Parish Hall, 3201 E. Presidio Road (Country Club/Ft. Lowell). Please bring a donation for wine and snacks! You may contact St. Frances for questions (520) Our Heartfelt Thanks! With a grateful heart, the Early Childhood Center would like to thank the Missions Committee for designating such a generous portion of the Thanksgiving Offering for tuition scholarships at our center. We were able to help seven families with tuition assistance for the remainder of the school year in both our childcare and preschool programs. Two of the families receiving assistance have multiple children attending our school. The Early Childhood Center is blessed to be part of the St. Mark s community. Thank you again! Blessings, Laurie Walsh, Director 5

6 Prayer Corner We are a praying community at St. Mark s. Besides Sunday worship, you may submit prayer requests by to prayerchain@umcstmarks.org or from our website Also, visit our Prayer Room on campus and leave a prayer on our prayer wall. Please hold these people in prayer as well as our loved ones in the military: Ann Martin April DuBoce Breanne Hallam Carol Underwood Carolyn Hanna Cathy Simpson Connie White Dave Webster David & Floretta Harrington Del Long Don Chester Gail Blevins Harmon & Mary Harrison Howard & Gina Russell Jared Bowman Jim & Lona Stauffacher Jim Ward Judy Drescher Judy Mitzimberg Karen Linebarrier Keith & Mary Ann Glazier Lindsay Williams Lori Grimsey Louise Voelker LuAnn Roberts Margaret Armantrout Marian Shultis Pam Kytola Patricia Keele Ray Loughney Rich Hoffman Ruth Machtley Shirley James Tom & Linda Walker Yvonne Yare Meals for Soul Station Soul Station is our Wednesday night casual worship with a focus on fellowship. We begin this service with a meal furnished by St. Mark s (potluck on the last Wednesday of the month). We ask for volunteers to assist in planning, purchasing, preparing, and serving each week. This is another opportunity for your family or group to serve in Please consider signing up on the Volunteer Opportunities board in the narthex. Clara Campbell ( ) will answer any questions regarding budget and menus. Clara will also handle the room setup. Altar Flowers Altar flowers are donated each week with a dedication in the bulletin announcements. If you are interested in honoring a special occasion or remembering a loved one, please take this opportunity to get on the 2018 calendar now available in the narthex; please look for the board labeled Volunteer Opportunities. Contact Pat Adams (see directory) with questions. Dear Church Family... On behalf of the people with HIV that we serve, I want to thank you for your 2017 gift in support of our mission, programs, and people. Your gift of $2,581 will be transformed into love, care, support, advocacy for people in need, individuals and families living with and affected by HIV. We are grateful that the people of St. Mark s understand the need, and provide such generous support. It s said that the character of a community can be known based on how it treats its most vulnerable members: the young, the elderly, the sick, the poor, the marginalized, the incarcerated, the stranger. When the people of St. Mark s reach out to people deemed to be--and treated as-- the least among these, you are fulfilling Jesus gospel, recognizing their worth and value as God s children. Your generous support, your hospitality, your bold welcome. These are the things that make us proud to partner with you, and proud that you choose TIHAN and the people we serve to be among the many beneficiaries of the gifts and blessings given to you. Thank you, and God bless you! Scott Blades,Executive Director Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network (TIHAN) 6

7 February 13, 2018 Volume 19, Issue 3 UPCOMING MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL EVENTS February 18, :00 to 6:00 Mad gabs, Mad libs, Mad Science (Middle School) Ice cream off campus (High School) February 25,2018 R"#$" %$$&-$(# N" Confirmation (Confirmands, attend Sunday School) No Youth Group March 4, :00 to 6:00 Mad gabs, Mad libs, Mad Science (High School) Ice cream off campus (Middle School) > See what we did there?<

8 a note from the Middle School Moments So, Lent is upon us. Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent. It s forty days, not counting Sundays (mini Easters). During those forty days, we prepare for the resurrection of Jesus. We should prepare by taking a break from those things that get in the way of our relationship with God. Things like excessive screen time, junk food that isn t good for us, or forgetting to pray. Rachel mentioned adding something for Lent, rather than giving something up. Try this: the next time you look at the Catalina's, think, Wow, God made those just for me. He also sent Jesus, just for me. Yep, He sent Jesus for you, me, and even that stinky guy that sits next to you in class. Belief in Jesus and the resurrection is what separates us from other religions. We are Easter people! Blessings, Kim News How many of you watched the launch of the SpaceX Heavy Falcon February 6? We watched the replay on YouTube, and it s been the topic of conversation ever since then! The pictures don t even look real. Apparently the SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk, decided that he wanted to make what they used as the test weight to be the silliest thing he could imagine. So what did he choose? He sent up a brand new Tesla, and put a space suit clad mannequin in the driver s seat, to look like a person driving. The mannequin is named Starman. How awesome is that!? It s important to remember not to take life too seriously. Sometimes, you just have to be silly! See you Sunday! Rachel MARCH BIRTHDAYS Benjamin Fish MaKenna Walsh Jazmin Cunha (Faith Coach) We have many things coming up for SSP. Right away (March 10, we have the Parking Lot Sale. We need donated goods. We ll set-up on that Thursday and Friday. On April 1, we ll have our Easter Pancake Breakfast. (We love em) Then, on May 12th, we ll have our Golf Tournament.

9 Sat., Feb. 17 9:00 a.m. Prayer Beads Workshop Sun., Feb. 18 Celebration of Ministry - after all services, Fellowship Hall Communion, Prayer Room, after 8:15 & 9:45 a.m 3:00 p.m. U of A Symphonic Choir Concert 4:00 p.m. Preteen and Youth Groups meet Mon., Feb. 19 9:00 a.m. Holy Yoga, Fellowship Hall Wed., Feb. 21 Noon - BULLETIN DEADLINE 5:45 p.m. Community Meal, Fellowship Hall 6:15 p.m. Soul Station 6:15 p.m. Common Grounds Thurs., Feb. 22 Noon - MESSENGER DEADLINE Calendar Notes Fri., Feb. 23 9:30 a.m. Open Minds Book Study, Library Sun., Feb. 25 Communion, Fellowship Hall after 8:15 & 9:45 a.m NO Preteen, Youth Group, or Confirmation Mon., Feb. 26 9:00 a.m. Holy Yoga, Fellowship Hall Tues., Feb. 27 Noon - BULLETIN DEADLINE Wed., Feb. 28 5:45 p.m. Community Meal, Fellowship Hall 6:15 p.m. Soul Station 6:15 p.m. Common Grounds Thurs., March 1 6:30 p.m. MOMS of Military, Library St. Mark s Messenger Published bi-weekly St. Mark s UMC 1431 W. Magee Road Tucson, AZ (520) Fax: (520) info@umcstmarks.org Website: Senior Pastor: Rev. Sharon Ragland Associate Pastor: Rev. Tammy Hallam Sunday Worship: 8:15, 9:45, 11:15 a.m. Soul Station Wednesday Nights: Community Meal 5:45 p.m. Music/Programs 6:15-7:15 p.m. Dear Church Family Continued... Thank you to the entire St. Mark s community for all the prayers, love, and support during my recent surgery. I felt so blessed to receive so many cards, phone calls and s. Special thanks to Pastor Tammy who prayed with me in the hospital and brought me a beautiful prayer shawl, to Pastor Sharon for calls, support and prayers, and to the St. Mark s Prayer Group who kept me wrapped in prayers. I ask for continued prayers as I undergo three months of chemotherapy. With much love, Pam Kytola We are so grateful for your gifts to the Kairos Prison Ministry. Through your donations, the ministry is able to pursue its mission of ministry to those who are impacted by incarceration. Through the grace of God and enabled by your gifts, we are working to bring persons lost in shame, guilt, unforgiveness, and hatred to know the healing and saving power of Jesus Christ, and a new way of life. We are eternally grateful and hope that your love for us and our mission in Christ s name might continue. Brian Nikkari, Kairos Donor Coordinator Thank you so much for your generous gift to the Knitters of the Fountains of LaCholla. We really appreciate your kindness. Sincerely, Ann Hammond Thank you so much for your recent gift to Church World Services (CWS). Your support is greatly appreciated as we embrace 2018 and continue our mission of bringing help and hope to many families across the globe. Peace and Grace Always, Reneé Overton The Board of Directors, Staff, and volunteers of TMM Family Services would like to thank you for your generous gift received in 2017 in the amount of $2,500 which includes your most recent donation. God bless you and yours in 2018 and beyond! TMM Family Services, Inc. We want to thank our church family for all the prayers, cards, and visits by Sharon and Tammmy, and the many phone calls, and cards, before and after Ray s open heart surgery. Prayer does heal! Thanks to all, Ray and Wanda Loughney 7

10 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID TUCSON, ARIZONA NO W. Magee Road, Tucson AZ Address Service Requested If you would like to receive the Messenger electronically, and discontinue your paper copy, please submit a request to messenger@umcstmarks.org. Reflections In the last two Back Page articles of the Messenger, I ve shared parts of a State of the Church message. I m going to take a break from writing about that, and resume those messages in about one month. I m doing that because I want to share some personal reflections with you. As we live into Connecting to God and One Another as our focus for 2018, it has been a joy to watch people embrace this in worship, classes, small groups, and in conversation with one another. It seems like every time I turn around someone is saying, that s another way we re connecting, or the messages on creation helped me know God in a new way. We re longing for deeper connections, I think, with God and one another. When we think about connecting more deeply with God, we may realize we need to learn to listen to the ways God speaks to us, and leads and guides us. In this season of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, February 14, we re going to try to intentionally tune our hearts into God through the series, Connecting to God The Voice of God Within Us. Something in us, I believe, longs to know God more deeply. Even if we re not consciously aware of this, something in us craves more joy, peace, and gratitude. In Lent, we ll talk about God s call to us, the ways God seeks us when we sin, the cleansing power of repentance, the blessing of forgiveness, and more. So I invite you into this Lenten journey, leading us to Easter on April 1st. At least two significant events are on my heart as we begin Lent. This Sunday, February 18, representatives from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL, from which I graduated in 1991, will be with us in worship to inaugurate a scholarship in my name. I am deeply honored by this, and pray that the scholarship will help people who are called into ministry be able to more easily fund seminary education. On Monday, February 19, 34 people from our church embark on a journey to Israel, to be in the land of the Bible, and walk in the places Jesus walked. Please keep us in your prayers as we connect more deeply to God and one another. Art and I, along with Paul and Sallyann Wassmuth are leading this journey, and will return on March 3. I ll be back in worship with you on March 4. Pastor Tammy, with help from Pastor Evy, will be leading worship and caring for you while I m gone. Thanks in advance to them, and to you for your love, care and prayers. Blessings, Sharon 8