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1 Newsletter March 2015 Vol. 13, No. 3 In the 1960 s and 1970 s a cultural upheaval occurred in our nation. Spurred by the challenges of racial and gender issues, the war in Viet Nam and the criminal activity of political leaders, our society began to question the role of power and organizational structures in the world. To a certain extent, we still have a tendency to distrust the man. A certain degree of skepticism can be helpful, but we all know organizations that are genuinely fruitful and helpful to the world, who are worthy of trust. We know the value of structure in organizations to help ensure efficiency and effectiveness. Against this backdrop and with 14 months of important Church administration in front of us, I thought I might take this opportunity to share how The United Methodist Church is structured. If that does not get your attention, perhaps this will St. Mark s United Methodist Church will pay about $70,000 in apportionments this year to the District, Conference and General Church. So what in the world is all of this being used for? Well, let s start with structure. The United Methodist Church is a worldwide organization. We are governed by theology, doctrine and practices outlined in the Book of Discipline. So where does the Book of Discipline come from? Every four years, delegates from across the globe gather for a two-week long set of meetings called General Conference. In 2016, the General Conference of the United Methodist Church INSIDE THIS ISSUE NEWS /ANNOUNCEMENTS 2 CHILDREN S MINISTRIES 6 BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES 7 YOUTH 7 WORLD NEWS 8 will be called to order in Portland, Oregon. Our 12 million members will be represented by 850 delegates who will pray, discuss, pray, discuss, pray and vote on everything from the language of the Book of Discipline to the UMC s budget to a series of non-binding statements contained in the Book of Resolutions. If it seems like a lot of work, then you have gotten the picture. General Conference is like a holy race. Okay, so the General Conference meets every four years, but who leads the Church the other 99.5% of the time? That is a more nuanced answer as there are really two ways the Church is governed. The first way the Church is governed is by 13 General Boards and Agencies from the Board of Discipleship to the General Council on Religion and Race to the General Council on Finance and Administration. Among the largest of these is the General Board of Missions that sponsors our missionaries around the world and in our local communities. Becky Parsons at Community Outreach Program is a missionary supported by the Global Board of Missions. Returning to the issue of the $70,000 we will pay this year for apportionments, that money goes toward the global ministries of our connection, everything from providing pensions and health benefits to pastors and retired pastors to funding missions to publishing resources at little or no cost to local churches. In short, our apportionments go to fund the global ministries of this global church, and those resources are ad- (Continued on page 2)

2 news announcements news announcements news ministered in large part by the 13 General Boards and Agencies of the UMC. The second answer to the question, who governs the Church in the 99.5% of the time that General Conference is not in session is well us. We do. We do this through more localized gatherings. The Church is broken down into regions called Jurisdictions. We are part of the Southeast Jurisdiction. Next year, the Southeastern Jurisdiction will meet at Lake Junaluska. Their single task is to elect clergy to become bishops. Under the Jurisdictional Conferences are Annual Conferences. We belong to the Virginia Annual Conference. The Annual Conference meets, well, annually and is presided over by a Bishop; our bishop is Rev. Dr. Young Jin Cho who preached at our consecration service last year. In both 2015 and 2016, the Virginia Annual Conference will convene right down the road in Roanoke. Each church sends a representative. St. Mark s representative is Norman Craft. The Annual Conference votes to approve ministries, budgets, and initiatives. It ordains elders and deacons and makes recommendations and proposes resolutions for General Conference. One truly exciting fact about the Virginia Annual Conference is that we have adopted an ambitious plan called All Things New, a vision to open 250 new churches across the commonwealth in the next thirty years. It was the Annual Conference that gave St. Mark s the land we call home today. The annual conferences are arranged into Districts led by District Superintendents. Our District is Roanoke, and our Superintendent is the Rev. Kathleen Overby Webster. Then, of course, there is the local church. One could think of the governance of the local church the same way we think about the U.S. government. There are certain executive responsibilities held by the pastor and we have a legislative branch which we call council. On March 23, our council will meet for its quarterly meeting. And I want to invite you to come. During the meeting we ll be receiving a proposal from the Worship Exploration Taskforce that has been meeting over the last 9 months. That proposal concerns the addition of a third worship service here at St. Mark s, and it will be a very exciting time of prayerful reflection. Come and be part of the holy conversation!!! There are a lot of moving parts in our global Church, and while it is not necessary that we all understand them, it is important that we recognize how deeply we are connected. It is important to see that we each have the opportunity to participate in the vision, direction and mission of our congregation and denomination. One more thought: will be a time of great deliberation, prayer and decision-making. Please pray for our UMC leaders over the course of the upcoming year that God will give grace, vision and direction as we strive to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Wednesday Lenten Noonday Services Lenten services are once again offered at the Fincastle UMC Family Life Center, located on 137 S Church Street in Fincastle. These are short, 20-minute events beginning at 12:05 pm with music and messages of faith and hope from area pastors. A home-cooked lunch immediately follows each service at 12:30 p.m. Take out meals will be available, donations are gratefully accepted. The lunch menus are posted on the bulletin board outside Pastor Rob s office, or you may call the office. Parking is available on the street, at the Masonic Lodge, and in the parking lot beyond the Lodge. TAME Needs Your Help We want to thank all that contributed to our recent Soup For Seniors food drive sponsored by LOA. St. Mark s has a very generous and caring congregation. Many will benefit from your giving. We are now gearing up for our annual auction, soup and sandwich luncheon on the 19th of April. There are so many avenues that you can choose to help feed the hungry. This is our big- (Continued on page 3) 2

3 news announcements news announcements news gest fund raiser that helps to sponsor our Stop Hunger Now meal packing event, donations to the Botetourt Food Pantry as well as other food pantries, Seeds of Love, and sponsorship of the Drumstick Dash of the Roanoke Rescue Mission. You can help in any number of ways and we appreciate it all. We need donations of sandwiches and crock pots of soup. Call Karen Sledd if you can bring either of these so she can get an accurate count. We also need donations of items for auction. If your are talented with art, jewelry making, baking, crafts, we would love to have your creations for auction. If you want to donate your skill and time for organizing, car washing and/or detailing, garden plowing to name a few, that would help make our event successful. We would love to have any gift baskets you would like to put together such as coffee items, chocolate, gardening, skin care/beauty or nail products are some suggestions. Use your creativity! If you would like to help with the event on April 19th, we will need help with set up and clean up, set up of tables and chairs, runners to take items to our auctioneer and most important is that you bid on some of these items! COFFEE, COCOA AND TREATS, OH MY! Please make sure to stop by the tables in the narthex on Sunday March 8th for a sampling of tasty treats, hot chocolate and coffees being offered by TAME. You'll be sure to find something tempting after both the 8:30 and 11:00 services. Your continued support allows TAME, St. Mark's year-round hunger ministry, to feed people locally and around the world. Words of Thanks: To our cherished St. Marks family, Steve and I want to thank you for your cards, visits, gifts of food, and mostly for your prayers that sustain us through my ongoing struggle with Parkinson s disease. There is not a day goes by that I don t thank God for the blessing of your continued love and support. May the Lord be ever with thee. Peace to you, Thelma Hample 3 Operation: Easter Bunny Sarah Hamblin is starting her sixth year of collecting Easter baskets for children in need in Botetourt County. Baskets can be homemade or store purchased, can include candy, toys, books, games, stuffed animals and other items, and must be secured in a cellophane bag. Easter baskets are for children age newborn through age 12. Any basket designed for a specific gender or age should be labelled. Last year Sarah s goal was 75 baskets and she collected 138 enough for all the backpack buddies elementary age children as well as children served through the Botetourt Food Pantry and Botetourt Resource Center. Youth groups, church groups and scout troops are encouraged to participate. Further information and basket guidelines are available on the information sheets attached to the collection bin. Baskets can be dropped off in the collection bin in the church foyer anytime up until April 1. Sarah and her family will personally deliver the baskets at Easter. Adult Fellowship Luncheon Adults of all ages are invited and most welcome to join us Wednesday, March 4th at 11:30 a.m., as we meet at Bellacino s here in Daleville, to enjoy a meal and Christian fellowship. This is a great way to meet and make new friends at St. Mark s! Meals On Wheels Needs a Few Good Men and Women! The League of Older Americans' Meals on Wheels program is in need of people to help deliver meals to seniors in our area. Many of our older neighbors depend on this food which is available to homebound seniors who are unable to prepare a nutritious mid-day meal without assistance. Volunteers deliver hot lunches Monday through Friday. Each meal is 1/3 of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance. The Meals on Wheels program serves over 650 recipients in the greater Roanoke area each day.

4 news announcements news announcements news All meals are delivered by volunteers and routes take only 1-2 hours per day. LOA is flexible and will work with you and your schedule. You can volunteer once a week, once a month or even once a year! You choose the route and day(s) that fit into your life. Several people at St. Mark's are currently delivering food and if you would like to learn more about the program and process, please talk to Jane Wenrich ( ). She can even arrange for you to ride along on a route to see just how it works and how much of an impact an hour or two can have in someone's life. As one daughter said of this program, "There has been much improvement in my mom's outlook on life since getting Meals-on-Wheels. She dresses every morning and waits for the person to arrive. There is always someone different that she gets to meet and that seems to make her day." If you'd like to "make the day" for a senior in our area, check out the Meals on Wheels program! What do Joseph, Gospel Jubilee, & The Rockettes Have in Common? They are destinations for the Joyful Journey Travel Club here at St. Mark's. All information, registration forms, and sign-up sheets are on the small bulletin board across from the choir room. Reservations for these trips are already being taken: JOSEPH at the Sight & Sound Theater in Lancaster, PA, with a guided bus tour of the Gettysburg Battlegrounds - June 25-26, $247; GOSPEL JUBILEE at the Wohlfahrthaus Dinner Theater in Wytheville - August 11, $65; the ROCKETTES' Christmas show in NYC - Nov , $374. Questions? Contact Julia Greer at NEWS The United Methodist Women of St. Mark s invite you to join us and other United Methodist Women on the Roanoke District in collecting new and gently used bras to be donated to Free the Girls (FTG) which is a small grass-roots organization that provides job opportunities to survivors of human trafficking. Currently million men, women and children are being held as slaves around the world more today than in any other time in history. The majority of those slaves are women and girls many of whom are victims of sex trafficking. There are a number of amazing organizations that are helping to rescue these women out of a life of prostitution, but what happens after they are rescued? Many aftercare providers are doing great work in providing comprehensive restoration and educational opportunities to survivors, but often their resources are limited. By partnering with established after-care facilities, FTG provides an opportunity for sex trafficking survivors to build their own business selling second-hand clothing while going to school, establishing a house, and caring for their families. Selling clothes allows them to work as much or as little as their school schedule permits. The women in the program receive their starting inventory as a donation, and are then able to buy additional inventory from FTG for below wholesale value to help maintain their competitive edge in the marketplace. Revenue from inventory sales covers the overseas program costs so the international programs are sustainable. FTG works one-on-one with each budding entrepreneur in areas like inventory management, budgeting, and financial planning for future dreams and goals they want to achieve. WHY BRAS? Let s face it, ladies: the back of your underwear drawer is most likely a graveyard of bras you don t wear anymore or that never fit right in the first place. By contrast, second-hand clothing is a profitable market in many countries around the world. Bras are sought after items. And even better, bras provide an opportunity for these women to work with other women, since they have a history of being abused and used by men. (Continued on page 5) 4

5 news announcements news announcements news If you want to become more involved or want to learn more about this issue and the journey of FTG so far, please visit their website at freethegirls.org. There will be a container in the narthex of the church for collection of the items until April 16. Our February meeting welcomed our guest speaker, Penny Felts, co-owner of Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Company, located at the Daleville Town Center. Penny shared how she, her husband, Scott, and their two sons opened the coffee shop in June The family had just traveled with a mission team to Rwanda and while there, they met the coffee farmers. They felt God called them to help the people of this county. Most of their coffee comes from Rwanda, with some coming from Haiti and other neighboring countries. They know the farmers are paid fairly and relationships are developed through love and care. Getting the shop up and running was a learning experience at times as they had never owned a business, but they believe their coffee shop is more than a business, it is a personal mission. Looking Ahead to our Meeting on Monday, March 9, : Jamie Starkey, Director of the Salvation Army s Turning Point, will be our speaker. Turning Point is Roanoke s only secure and accredited shelter for domestic and sexual violence. The program offers 60-days of secure shelter for up to 60 individuals in imminent danger of violence. Through case management services, individuals are connected with resources to assist with regaining independence in the community. Jamie has a Master s degree in social work and has served the community in various capacities for the past 16 years before coming to Turning Point in February She is a member of Franklin Heights Baptist Church and is passionate about sharing her testimony. Refreshments will be served following the program and a short business meeting will follow. All ladies are invited to join us as we continue to learn more about missions and its many forms. Reading Challenge Eat With Joy - In our fast-paced world eating is often on the go, alone, or in vehicles. Rachel Marie Stone urges us to celebrate food as a gift from our Heavenly Father not just to nourish our bodies but also our spirits. She examines the scriptures pointing to God s care for creation with food. Jesus fed the multitudes with a few loaves and fishes showing God s abundance. Despite being a source of anxiety as the many with obesity and eating disorders, eating in community can bring healing. The author shares many tasty recipes throughout the book as well as a guide to how eating can be a source of communion with God. Good Friday Service There will be an Ecumenical Good Friday Service on Friday, April 3 at 6:30 pm. The service will be led by the Youth from across the county. Easter Sunrise Service Join us for worship as we meet at 7 am on April 5th, Easter Sunday! Location to be determined. 5

6 news announcements news announcements news Children's and Family Ministries Down at the Pond FROGs and Tadpoles are looking forward to a busy month in March! We will meet on March 8th and 22nd from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. The FROGs and Tadpoles will also sing at the 11:00 worship service on Palm Sunday, March 29th. Please have your FROG and/or Tadpole in the Fellowship Hall by 10:50 that day. The children will participate in a palm processional that day! March will be Mission Month for the FROGs, as we prepare Seed of Love once again to be distributed through the Botetourt Resource Center and the Botetourt Food Pantry. Thank you to T.A.M.E. for supporting this project again this year. We will also support the Shepherding Ministry by making Easter gifts for the shut-ins of the church. Please dress to make a mess on March 22nd! We are in need of cardboard egg cartons for this project. If you have cardboard egg cartons to donate, please leave them in the green bucket under the bulletin board in the Narthex hallway. Thank you! Looking Ahead to Vacation Bible School All children ages 3 through rising 4th graders are invited to Cokesbury s G-Force God s Love in Action Vacation Bible School program this summer! Rising Fifth and rising Sixth graders are invited to be a part of our Service Squad during VBS. Vacation Bible School and Service Squad will be held Sunday, July 26th through Thursday, July 30th from 6:00 to 8:30 each night. Dinner will be provided for the families of our VBS volunteers at 5:30, by reservation only. Registration will begin later this spring. Vacation Bible School can have a powerful and positive effect on a child! Every summer we are blessed with many children who come from outside of our church community! VBS is truly an outreach ministry, as well as a ministry to our St. Mark s children. Volunteers are needed to staff our VBS this summer. We particularly need people interested in working on decorations in April and May! If you are interested in helping or learning more, please contact Lee Ann Critz at or leeanncritz@yahoo. com. Don't miss being a part of all the excitement and sharing the good news with a child! Everyone is invited to the Amazing Easter Race on Palm Sunday, March 29 th! Race Waves will depart every few minutes starting at 3:00. Teams will be traveling back in time to visit locations throughout the church that represent places visited by Jesus and his followers before and after Easter. There will be special tasks to perform at each stop. Every member of your team will receive a prize for completing the Amazing Easter Race! This is not a drop-off event, but an event for the whole family to enjoy! Please join us in the Narthex that day and bring your family and friends! 6

7 World news world news world news world news Youth Events: Sunday Youth: On Sundays during Lent we will be studying out of Mike Slaughter's book Renegade Gospel. We'll be learning about the rebel Jesus who wasn t a quiet, well-mannered young man who behaved Himself!! And how does this effect YOUR life?? Come and join the study! Even if you haven t been around for the whole book it s ok. We d still love to have you on Sunday evenings from 6-8 pm Wednesday Youth: Come join us for Unwind From the Grind from 4-6 pm! Thank you so much to all of the wonderful and crazy adults who helped to make the Youth lock-in a success!! You're so wonderful and goofy and loving and a little crazy for allowing yourself to be locked into a church with a bunch of teens! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Youth Council will meet on March 15th from 5-6 pm in the Youth Room. You do not have to be a part of youth council to participate. All are welcome but if you're in youth council please try to make a point to be there. Let get together to talk about how to make the shipyard something amazing that will help change the world on Christ's behalf! Dinner will be served at the beginning of our meeting. If you're planning on coming on the Summer Mission Trip to Chattanooga this June please join us for a QUICK meeting on March 22nd at 5 pm in the Youth Room. We will talk about expectations and collect $60 deposit. Newsletter Deadline for April: March 22 Bulletin Deadline: Thurs. AM St. Mark s United Methodist Church 19 Cedar Ridge Drive Daleville, VA Phone: Becky Arthur: stmarksumcdaleville@gmail.com Rev. Rob Lough: loughrob@yahoo.com Lee Ann Critz: leeanncritz@yahoo.com Erin Huddleston: shipyardyouth@gmail.com Deborah Wiley: dwiley4music@gmail.com Michele Richardson: mrich.hotlanta@gmail.com Website:

8 World news world news world news world news For more on these stories you may view them on the United Methodist website at: Plans underway to make Discipline global MAPUTO, Mozambique (UMNS) What are the essentials that bind all United Methodists and what can be adapted for use outside the United States? That is the heart of the debate before an international body of church leaders, who met last week in Maputo, Mozambique. The hope is that a truly global Book of Discipline can answer these questions. Slain hostage was following call to offer aid PRESCOTT, Ariz. (UMNS) Kayla Mueller died 6,000 miles from her Arizona home, taken hostage and then killed as she followed her call to offer humanitarian aid in Syria. Friends and family say the 26-year-old was walking the path she believed God set for her. E-readers offer better, cheaper theological texts ABIDJIN-DOUMÉ, Côte d Ivoire (UMNS) Tété Gnamba Laurent Martial, a freshman at a United Methodist seminary, has spent $400 copying textbooks in the past four months. But a program to provide e-readers for theological students in Africa and the Philippines has brought relief for 50 students and faculty members at the theological school. WCC mourns killings of Egyptian Christians GENEVA (UMNS) The World Council of Churches has joined its member churches, partners and people in Egypt as they mourn the killings of 21 Egyptian Christians kidnapped by militants in Libya. Join Rethink Church in a Lenten photo challenge NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) Some will choose to give up something for Lent, others will choose to be more reflective. Whatever your practices this season, Rethink Church asks that you join a photo-a-day-challenge to share how you perceive each word or phrase for the day. 8 Lent: Find your own spiritual path NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) During Ash Wednesday services, many United Methodist pastors invited their congregations to observe a holy Lent. There is no one way to observe Lent. Instead, we are each encouraged to find our own method of confronting our sinfulness, remembering our mortality, and giving thanks for the gift of salvation we receive through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Joe Iovino has some suggestions. Methodist History: Mother African Zoar s long legacy PHILADELPHIA (UMNS) African Zoar United Methodist Church has served as a refuge for 220 years. The historic church was a stop on the Underground Railroad and housed the first well-baby clinic for African Americans in Philadelphia. And the name Mother is significant because we birthed five other churches, says Betty Henderson, a member of the church. Church partners get Lilly grant on financial literacy GLENVIEW, Ill. (UMNS) The Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded a $50,000 planning grant for improving financial literacy and overall financial well-being of pastoral leaders in The United Methodist Church. The United Methodist Boards of Pension and Health Benefits and Higher Education and Ministry, along with the Texas Methodist Foundation, will collaborate on this effort. Smart Loan program costs less NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) Daniel Mateer knew the United Methodist Smart Loan option made the most sense for helping pay for his electrical engineering courses at West Virginia University in Morgantown. Do the numbers, he said. After running a spreadsheet with figures from various student loans, it was obvious that the non-deferred loan cost less. The United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry is accepting applications for spring and summer loans until May 5. Go to:

9 March 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2nd Sunday in Lent TAME Coffee Break 9:30 am United Methodist Women TAME Coffee Break 12 noon United Methodist FROGs / Tadpoles 5- Men 3rd Sunday in Lent 15 Boy Scout Court of Honor 2 pm Youth Council 5 pm 4th Sunday in Lent 22 FROGs / Tadpoles 5- Youth Mission Mtg. 5 pm 5th Sunday in Lent 16 MOSS 23 Administrative Council BTCWC Children 11:00 service The Amazing Easter Race 3 pm Palm Sunday 3 Christmas Fair Cmte. 5 pm Girl Scouts #620 Boy Scouts 10 TAME Young Adult Bible Study Boy Scouts 17 Children s Council Girl Scouts #620 Boy Scouts 24 Young Adult Bible Study Boy Scouts 31 Boy Scouts 4 Adult Fellowship Bellacino s 11:30 am Chancel Choir 11 Chancel Choir 18 Chancel Choir 25 Chancel Choir 5 12 Trinity Outreach John s Team 5 pm Leadership Mtg. 6 pm Prayer Shawl Ministry 1 pm April 1 April 2 April Boy Scout Eagle Court of Honor Rescue Mission Day of Helping Good Friday Ecumenical Service 6:30 pm April 4

10 March 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2nd Sunday in Lent TAME Coffee Break 9:30 am United Methodist Women TAME Coffee Break 12 noon United Methodist FROGs / Tadpoles 5- Men 3rd Sunday in Lent 15 Boy Scout Court of Honor 2 pm Youth Council 5 pm 4th Sunday in Lent 22 FROGs / Tadpoles 5- Youth Mission Mtg. 5 pm 5th Sunday in Lent 16 MOSS 23 Administrative Council BTCWC Children 11:00 service The Amazing Easter Race 3 pm Palm Sunday 3 Christmas Fair Cmte. 5 pm Girl Scouts #620 Boy Scouts 10 TAME Young Adult Bible Study Boy Scouts 17 Children s Council Girl Scouts #620 Boy Scouts 24 Young Adult Bible Study Boy Scouts 31 Boy Scouts 4 Adult Fellowship Bellacino s 11:30 am Chancel Choir 11 Chancel Choir 18 Chancel Choir 25 Chancel Choir 5 12 Trinity Outreach John s Team 5 pm Leadership Mtg. 6 pm Prayer Shawl Ministry 1 pm April 1 April 2 April Boy Scout Eagle Court of Honor Rescue Mission Day of Helping Good Friday Ecumenical Service 6:30 pm April 4