The Call. Looking for Good News

Transcription

1 The Call May the words of our mouths and the mediations of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight oh Lord our strength and our redeemer. A Monthly Newsletter Issue - October 2016 Worship Blessing of the Animals Formation Youth Page Christian Formation Offerings Children s Ministries Stewardship Fall Work Day Ingathering Financial Page Outreach Parish Food backpacks Transitions Thanksgiving Donations Wine Honoring our Veterns Book Club La Escuelita Dinner & Silent Auction Page 3 Pages 4-6 Pages 7-9 Page Pages Looking for Good News School started back. Labor Day came and went. Rally Day with its outdoor service, Sunday School rotations and lunch on the grounds came together nicely. Even collecting tithe materials went down easier when slipped into a festive red bag. But then there was another shooting, another tragedy for both an officer and a citizen family, another incident shrouded in questions and violence broke out, this time in our home town and we thought, not again. Not here. If you re like me, you are weary, weary oh so weary of sad news and mean spirited postings, bad mouthing political ads and election dooms day predictions. Coal ash, modified food seeds, low teacher pay, untreated vets with PTSD, refugees with no place to call home, graduates with exorbitant student loans, taxes too high and wages too low and the dangers and disasters just keep coming. They seem relentless. If you re like me, the drone of negative stuff in wearing you down and you too are in need of relief, respite, and refreshment! I m looking for things to lift my spirits. I m looking for things that encourage my faith, my faith in God, my faith in humanity, my faith in the possibility of peace and my conviction that goodness overcomes evil in the world. I ve been on a quest. I ve been looking for Good News to revive my soul, Good News to infuse my arid prayer life and Good News to help me dance in the presence of the Lord. When I find Good News, I ve been saving images so I can return to them when I need a reminder that from the center to the outer edges of anxious times, God is present prospering good. I thought to share three with you. My friend the Rev. Meg Buerkel Hunn told about Pray as you Go. It s an app for your phone or a site for your tablet. It s produced by the Society of Jesuits and it s really fine. Each day they provide a minute 1

2 meditation. It begins with bells chiming calling you to prayer. Then a piece of glorious music follows. An English accented voice describes the music and then stops as you listen. Another English accented voice reads the lesson of the day waits a few minutes then provides a question to ponder. The lesson is read again by yet another English accented voice. More music follows and then several voices join for the closing. On easy days, I pray the app on my deck with coffee. On hectic days, I pray the app on my drive in to work. Here s a link: Another friend sent me a video about Unity. Unity was an outdoor event created by Nancy Belmont in Alexandria VA. Brought low by too much bad news, she thought to try out a community building experience. In a public park, she made a circle of 32 poles and put one in the center. By each pole she placed a placard with some type of designation. I am a parent. I suffer a disability or chronic illness. I define as a Republican. I love science. I believe in a higher being. I come from European people. At the center pole, she set out skeins of yarn. Over the course of 8 days, 1500 park users picked up a skein and walked the yarn to wrap it around the poles next to the placards that applied to them. 37 miles of yarn were used and at the end one could hardly see the sky through the web created. The picture in pink above is one view of the result. Nancy said looking outside the web, it appears to be a massive structure but underneath you can see an individual string and you realize that string is a real person. As you back up you see more strings and you realize you re seeing a community. Backing up some more, it seems like you re looking at humanity. The Unity experience renews my hope. Here s a link Some&mes just seeing something beau&ful created by human hands from the human imagina&on is enough to li7 me up and remind me that loveliness is not accidental nor is it inconsequen&al. Manmade beauty has an origin and that origin is from the Preceding and Final Originator. We are created in the image of God and therefore we are capable of wondrous deeds. The picture in blue above is what looks to be a gravity defying on sculpture. Humans post snarky comments on social media but humans also make amazing art. From Our BeauCful Planet here s a link to more: hgps:// Following Jesus Christ, is no small thing. It requires courage to be vulnerable with oneself and compassionate with others. It requires wisdom and perseverance. It requires op&mism in the face of moun&ng nega&vity. Therefore, followers of Jesus also require refreshment and renewal. As we walk this way together, let us remember to share the signs of Good News we find with one another. Prayers for the journey, 2

3 Service for Blessing of the Animals Sunday October 4pm Outdoor Chapel All creatures great and small are welcome! The Outdoor St. Mark s Episcopal Church - 4pm The bond between person and pet is like no other relationship, because the communication between fellow creatures is at its most basic. It is a bond between the Creator and the creation, a community that embraces one another in the simplest form. The church is the place where the bond of creation is celebrated. ALL are Welcome to bring their pets for a special blessing to renew this community between God and creation. Please have your pet on a leash or in a carrier 3

4 O C T O B E R Formation Info. Christian Formation has started at St. Mark s. Has it started in your house? Each Sunday St. Mark s offers excellent Sunday School classes for all ages at 9:30. This is not a canned curriculum. It is hand written by the clergy and staff of St. Mark s to provide you with an experience that will meet you where you are and challenge you to become more. Formation doesn't just happen on Sunday mornings. Formation happens daily. It happens in our schools, work places, and most importantly our homes. The church began in homes for several reasons. It was cheaper than owning a building. It was safer to meet in a private discrete location. It also provided an intimate place of worship. One s home provided space for deep prayer, reflection, fellowship, conversation, and caring for another in a way like none other. This tradition sustained the church and allowed it grow exponentially for hundreds of years. What do our homes look like today? Are they places of deep prayer, conversation, or reflection? Are our homes dumping grounds for our stuff, a place to trade out our book bags, briefcases, and coffee cups for soccer cleats, softball bats, musical instruments, bathing suits or ski bibs? What would be different in our homes if there was a set time for prayer, conversation about what happened during Sunday School, or where Jesus was seen in the world? Christian Formation has started at St. Mark s. Has it started in your house? Let us continue a deep tradition of home church with your family each Sunday morning at 9:30. 4

5 Christian Formation For All Ages Session 1- Sept.18th-Oct. 30 Adults Holy Men, Holy Women, Standing for God, Standing with Others: God s call to Advocacy In the bible, God often directs the faithful to be observant and notice those in society who are being neglected, mistreated, left outside the circle of care and are deprived of equitable justice. God says, if you love me, then honor me by standing with and standing up for those who need an advocate. Where in Scripture does God give this direction? How do we identify those needing an advocate? How do we become effective advocates? Where is a hands on example? Where does God want me to serve as an Advocate? For 7 weeks, we will study Scripture, examine a real time issue to learn the basic tenets of Advocacy and explore our own call to a cause and what might prompt us to action. Youth The Gospel According to Harry Potter As you may know, a new book in the series has just come out. We will be exploring the series through the eyes of Jesus. We will seek to find God in the world of Harry Potter, and then apply these ideas to our world. When we can take things of our culture and look at them through the lens of Jesus, seeing Christ in our world becomes easier and we expect him to show in new ways. Children The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe Join us on an adventure of a lifetime as we explore the magical fairy tale world of Narnia! Discover the meaning behind the story and follow the trail of Lucy and her siblings while we relate what we have heard to God s Word through games and other exciting activities. 5

6 Children and Youth have a special place in our church community. We strive to offer experiences to help our children grow their faith. The experiences we offer are noted below along with age guidelines for each ministry. We invite all of our children to be engaged in their age appropriate ministry. Nursery: Provided from birth to age 4. The nursery is located in the downstairs of the Parish House. Nursery is available from 8:15 until after the 11am service. We have three trained nursery attendants who are very loving and capable. Heather Lauro, Elizabeth Pagan and Cassie Pagan. Children s Sunday School: Offered for ages 3 through 5 th grade. Sunday School takes place from 9:30 to 10:50. Classrooms are located upstairs in the Parish House. Youth Sunday School: Offered for grades 6 through 12. Sunday School takes place downstairs in Founders Hall from 9:30 to 10:50. Children s Chapel: Children ages 4 through 3 rd grade are invited to Children s Chapel. Children gather with the Children s Chaplain in the courtyard before the 11am service. They process through the church over to the Children s Chapel in the Parish House and return to the church to be with their parents at the Offertory. This is a wonderful opportunity for kids to experience worship with instruction that is child friendly. v Children in 4 th and 5 th grade are invited to serve as Jr. Acolytes for the children s chapel on a weekly rotation. Please see Sarah Milholland if you are interested in this ministry. sarahmilholland@stmarksnc.org v Youth 12 and up are invited to serve as acolytes during regular worship services. Please contact Joe Layman for additional information regarding this ministry. ASU1JL@yahoo.com v Children and Youth in 4 th grade and up attend worship services with their parents. Your Christian Formation Team 6

7 Church Work Day Sunday October 16th Come worship & stay to work or come early to work & stay to worship. The workday begins at 8:30am and continues past Hot Dog Lunch. Work available for all ages. Wear work clothes to church Bring gloves, wheelbarrows or garden tools. Help us be good Stewards of our space. Please contact Tom Watson with any questions 7

8 Ingathering and Blessing of Pledge Cards Sunday October 2nd Bring the Tithe St. Mark s continues to be blessed by the support of our parishioner s gifts of time, talent and treasure You should have received your Stewardship packages at Rally Day on Sunday September 11th and your tithe cards the following Sunday September 18th or in the mail shortly thereafter. We invite you to please prayerfully consider the abundant blessings in your life and what portion you will give back to God. In an effort to complete the 2017 Stewardship commitment process we plan on receiving tithe cards on Sunday October 2nd. These will be presented at the Stewardship Ingathering at the 8:30am and 11:00am worship services. They can also be returned to the parish office by mail. Extra tithe cards are available in Founders Hall if needed. They can be located in the bins on the wall by the restrooms. stew*ard*ship: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care stew*ard*ship: Utilizing and managing all resources God provides for the glory of God and the betterment of His creation. 8

9 2016 Stewardship Update 2016 August YTD Actual Current pledge total $308,150 $205,537 All other an&cipated income Special GiT $37,291 $38,741 Non-Pledge Offerings $23,000 $17,794 Other Income (use of space by outside groups) $15,000 $ 11,651 Sales Tax Refunds $3,000 $ 1,399 Daisy Shipp McCoy FoundaCon Trust Income $34,000 $24,083 Total Budgeted OperaCng Income $420,441 $299, Budgeted Expenses Approved by Vestry Staff $259,755 $173,327 Diocesan Support $40,927 $27,285 Campus Maintenance & UCliCes $51,486 $32,097 Office AdministraCon & Other $28,195 $ 16,612 Youth & ChrisCan FormaCon $7,555 $ 6,216 Outreach & Escuelita Support $13,300 $ 6,813 Parish Life, Pastoral Care, Stewardship & Parish Retreat $8,500 $ 1,933 Worship & Music $5,750 $ 6,325 %7 pledges unfulfilled based on historical average $21,571 Total 2016 Budgeted Expenses $437,039 $270,607 Current Budget Surplus/Deficit $16,598 $38, pledge notes 116 pledge cards of 150 have been received Average Pledge $2,656 *Year to Date Pledge Fulfillment 67% 9

10 WEEKEND FOOD BACKPACKS ARE WE MAKING A DIFFERENCE? On Visioning Day, Reverend Sarah asked committee chairs, do the projects we take on meet a need and how do we know? Sometimes we discover the answer to those questions in unexpected and powerful ways. This year, the Outreach committee had a table at Ranson Middle School s Open House at the beginning of school. Jon Rochester, the social worker at the school, introduced Marsha Phillips to a grandmother who is raising her Iive grandchildren. He told the grandmother that Marsha was from the church that provided the weekend food backpacks for her two middle school-aged grandchildren. The woman s voice cracked as she said how much she appreciated it saying, There were many weekends we would not have had enough food to get through the weekend without the backpacks. Thank you so much. The Outreach Committee wanted to pass this thank you on to all of you who make the Weekend Food Backpack Ministry possible. Clearly, it IS meeting a need. Please keep the list below handy as a reference for furture needs. Dinners (can pasta meals) lunch items fruit cups juice boxes cereal boxes granola bars peanut butter crackers pkg. fruit snacks individual cookie pkgs individual milk boxes Please contact Marsha Philips with any questions: mbp1936@carolina.rr.com 10

11 Community Thanksgiving We hope to host approximately people in Founders Hall on Thanksgiving Day (November 24th) at 12 noon following a service at 11am. In order to make this happen we will need food donations. The Turkey tree will be up by October 30th in Founders Hall. Simply pick a turkey from the tree in Osborne Hall to see what you can donate. Donations are due back by November 20th. Please contact Sue Bartlett with any questions susanellenbartlett@gmail.com The Hospitality Committee would like to honor the veterans & active military on Veterans Day as we did last year. Veterans day is on November 11th and we are asking our church community to create and sign cards which will be delivered to the veterans at the VA hospital in Salisbury. The cards will show our appreciation for the sacrifice our servicemen and women have made and are making to protect and defend the liberties we enjoy and take for granted here in America. The supplies, paper, envelopes, cards, stickers be available in the church foyer beginning Oct.9th. A list of guidelines to follow will be available. Please have all cards returned to Founders Hall by October 30th Please contact Jan Sanford with any questions. jsanfo1@yahoo.com 11

12 Please Join Us Annual Dinner and Silent Auction for La Escuelita San Marcos Saturday October 15th, Hopewell Presbyterian Church The 2016/2017 school year will be our 5 th year. We are doubling our enrollment, doubling our faculty and have a waiting list for students. La Escuelita San Marcos is adding at least two additional teachers to the staff of La Escuelita San Marcos enabling more low-income Hispanic children to attend and get important preschool preparation for elementary school. Tickets are $25 per person Buy yours after church on Sunday or For more information contact: Lacy Hamilton Can t attend? You can still participate. Make a donation through our Go Fund Me Link and/or Send the link out to anyone you think might be interested in making a monetary donation For more information contact: Lacy Hamilton

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14 Birthdays Nathan Kendrick - 10/1 Chaytor Chandler - 10/2 Scott McWhorter - 10/4 Jackie Blythe - 10/6 Clionna Coffey 10/10 Lauren Savage 10/12 Tracy Tinsley - 10/12 Katie Hamilton - 10/13 Annemarie Lafreniere - 10/13 Janet Mann 10/13 Rev. Cathie Caimano 10/17 Michael Thompson - 10/17 Gene Hughes 10/18 Candice Sullivan 10/18 Roger Benskin - 10/19 Eliza Grant - 10/19 Kathy Reade 10/21 Dawn Michael - 10/22 Shannon Hunt 10/25 Amelia James - 10/26 Mary Lou Haraburd - 10/28 Jessica McMullan - 10/28 Korinna Mooney 10/28 Tyler Haas 10/29 Philip Lloyd - 10/29 Doreen Mondlak - 10/29 Dillon Haraburd - 10/30 Robin Mason Alex Mondlak James Self Saunders Black Victoria Mason Tricia Stephens Connor Cooklish Anniversaries John & Sarah Milholland - 10/4 Eric & Lauren Savage 10/5 Scott & Jackie McWhorter - 10/10 John & Judy Sapielak 10/18 Prayers for continued healing: Judith Hundertmark Martha Ann Springer Pat Pagola Sue Layman Mary Beth Masline Betsy Hunt Wayne Hicks New Members: Jonathan & Emily Hines & children, Thomas & Emma Milton & Candice Sullivan Panera Bread Pick Up Mark & Lacy Hamilton 10/7 Willard & Barbara Osburn 10/14 Don & Debbie Siegel 10/21 Tonia Shelton 10/28 14

15 W.I.N.E. Women in Need of Entertainment WINE scheduled for October 17th 6:30pm at the home of Chaytor Chandler Sandy Cove Road Cornelius, NC Halloween Theme Bring a bottle of WINE or a Halloween themed dish to share. Costumes encouraged but not required. If you don t have time for either, just bring yourself. Please Be Aware: We are switching from E-vite to Sign up Genius. Please RSVP by using the link below Please contact Debbie Siegel debbiesiegel@bellsouth.net with any questions St Mark s Muses Book Club Will be reading Wicked By Gregory Maguire We will meet on October 14th at 10 am at the home of Amy Weeks 9906 Avon Farm Lane Charlotte If you would like to join us please RSVP at the link below If you need a copy of the book or additional information please contact Genny Hinkle for more information gnvvhinkle@yahoo.com 15

16 St. Mark s Episcopal Church 8600 Mt. Holly-Huntersville, Rd. Huntersville, NC