Greetings friends of St. Mark s,

Transcription

1 St. Mark s Lutheran Church November Putnam Blvd. Pleasant Hill, CA Greetings friends of St. Mark s, Always being made new is a phrase we often encounter in ELCA publications to remind us that God is constantly reforming and reshaping us into God s image. I was delighted to see so many of you at the joint Reformation service hosted by Christ the King Church. We start out the month of November with All Saints Day. Martin Luther would hasten to remind us that we are all simultaneously saints and sinners. The ELCA has provided many resources for us to continue to discuss the impact of the Reformation at elca500.org; I encourage you to delve into the liturgy curated for this occasion, From Conflict to Communion. Another document worthy of your time is Declaration on the Way, a unique ecumenical text that draws on 50 years of Lutheran-Catholic dialogue. These are both available to download from the website listed above. God is not finished with any of us just yet! We gave thanks for the stirring of the Holy Spirit in each of us. Peace, Blessings to you during this month of Thanksgiving. Pastor Bekah

2 WELCA Luncheon for Bishop Victoria Cortez, Oct. 26th, Joint Reformation Worship at Christ the King Catholic Church, Oct. 22nd, Reformation 500th Anniversary Monthly Budget YTD Actual YTD Budget Giving 10,993 17, , ,268 Monthly Outreach Giving 530 9,515 Total Expenses 11,688 17, , ,268 Current financial statements and council minutes are available in the binder on the shelf in the back of the sanctuary. Adult Forum on November 5, 9:30 am, between the services, to discuss the draft budget. The Congregation Meeting will be held on November 19, at 9:30 am, between the two services, in which the budget will be voted on as well as the slate of new council members for Please try to be present for a quorum for the votes.

3 November Calendar Of Events Sunday 8:30am Worship (Traditional with Choir & Organ or Piano) Social 9:30am in Saint Mark s Center 10:30am Worship (Contemporary with Guitars & Drums) 10:30 am Sunday School 11:30 am Confirmation Class November 3-5th~Puppets of Praise, Alice@Wonderland, at the Lesher Theater, Walnut Creek November 5th ~ Budget Forum between services at 9:30 am November 9th ~ Veterans Day Office Closed November 11th ~ John Yeh & Edith Yuh s Wedding 2 pm November Mt. Cross ELCA Synod Middle School Retreat November 12th ~ Pastor Jim Brun Presiding at Worship November 12th ~ Social Ministry Outreach Forum, STAND!, 9:45 am & Temple Talk at Second Service November 12th ~ Council Meeting 12-1:30 pm November 18th ~ Crafty Ladies Holiday Craft Fair 9:00am- 2:30pm with a Baked Good Sale & Chili Lunch November 19th ~ Maggie & Matthew Waid s First Holy Communion at 8:30 Worship November 19th ~ Congressional Meeting 9:30-10:30am November 22nd-24th~Thanksgiving Office Closed Monday Night Crafts Meeting at 6:00 pm in SMC 1st Tuesday of the Month Martha Circle at 1:30 pm 2nd Tuesday of the Month Social Ministry Meeting 10:00 am MR Wednesday Crafty Ladies meet at 10:00 am in SMC Thursday Night Choir Practice 7:00 pm in SAN Saturday Worship Band practices at 10:00am in the SAN Upcoming Events February Mt. Cross ELCA Synod High School Retreat Calling all 8th 12th graders for the National Youth Gathering In Houston, TX June 24 July 3, 2018 Registration ends November 15th for Discount Pricing

4 November Birthdays Date 1 Cheryl Wight 2 Marion Bachofer 2 Jessica Cleese 9 Kennedy Follmer 11 Bridgette Majewski 14 Robert DeVries 19 Connie Bell 24 Mona Varner 28 Stephen Cleese 29 Jack Jones 29 John Valmores 30 Jonas Majewswki 30 Bill Wikander November Anniversaries Date 7 Ron & Patti Hein

5 Holiday Crafts Faire November 18th, 9-2:30 Come and see our handmade goods Christmas stockings, Tree Skirts, Ornaments, Wreaths, Christmas Pillows, Floral Arrangements, Fall decorations, Table Linens, Embroidered Towels, Casserole Carriers, Aprons, Bibs, Sock Monkeys, Children s Quiet Books, Baby Quilts, Homemade Baked Goods, and much, much more! wonderful for gifts and to fill your home in the holiday season. Beautiful Christmas cards are being sold 12 cards for a dollar. A chili lunch, with all the fixings, will be sold along with donated homemade baked goods. Please donate some of your favorite homemade goods for the Bake Sale that day. (all proceeds go to non-profit organizations)

6 Social Ministry Outreach for November Stand! For Families Free of Violence Stand! Is celebrating 40 years of work in Contra Costa County working to break the multi-generational cycle of violence, promoting safe and strong relationships and rebuilding lives. Among their services during the course of one year, Stand! has impacted our community by: Providing emergency shelter for 243 women and children 8 youth leaders have educated 1,855 of their peers on healthy relationships Has provided supportive services for 173 caregivers providing safe homes for 328 child-relatives in violent homes 2,214 support group sessions across the county to help people heal from trauma 527 mothers, fathers and young children received free early education and parenting classes at the Bay Point First 5 Center 1, 975 adults and children in the community attended Stand! presentations about violence prevention Community-based advocates and the toll-free, 24-hour crisis line answered 10, 479 calls The Adult Forum will host a speaker from STAND! on November 12 at 9:45, along with a brief temple talk at the 10:30 service. Please join us to learn more. Please designate any offering donations to STAND! by writing STAND! on the memo line.

7 On Thursday, October 26, St. Mark s hosted a luncheon for the Presiding Bishop of the Lutheran Church of Nicaragua, The Reverend Doctor Victoria Cortez Bishop Victoria Cortez served as the Vice President of the World Federation for Latin America between 2003 and Bishop Cortez s undergraduate study concentrated in economy and sociology. She later pursued graduate studies in: education, theology, gender and social development. She holds a doctorate degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Chicago. On Aug. 23, 2017, the Central American Women Forum awarded Bishop Cortez recognition for her trajectory as a refugee and visionary. Bishop Cortez was the preacher at the ELCA s ceremony to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation held at Grace Cathedral.

8 Reformation Joint Service with Christ the King Catholic Church

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10 500th Anniversary Reformation Sunday Children s sermon

11 Tickets are now on sale at Lesher Center for the Arts for Wonderland Puppets of Praise latest and maybe last major production. To refresh your memories, is described as The folly of 21 st century colliding with the madness of Wonderland. Alice is a texting, tweeting, and Googling girl of the modern era falling into the Wonderland of old. Wonderland is a sharply told, crisply paced 90 minute ride that appeals to children and adults alike. We have had no volunteers from St Mark s for assistance in our production so we are hoping you have all saved your energy for helping us promote and sell 300 tickets to make it a success. That means 30 families selling 10 tickets, or 15 selling 20 tickets, or you get the picture! Thank you for whatever difference you can make. There has been some encouraging news, we have had 2 additional cast members join us from Oak Park Christian Center and are hoping to create more interest from them going forward. Also, don t forget to check us out at Pleasant Hill s Art, Wine and Music event Oct 8 th and 9 th at 2:30 Kids section of the event where we have been asked to share 30 minutes of puppet energy. Story telling, song performances and picture taking will be part of our presentation. Thank you! Puppets of Praise and POP Theater Mark Pitzlin

12 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering in Houston, TX June 24th ~ July 3rd

13 3051 Putnam Blvd. Pleasant Hill, CA (925) Pastor: Bekah Davis Cell: (415) Office Administrator: Cheryl Wight Directors of 2 nd Service Music: Sherry & Mike Doyle Choir Director/Organist: Joyce Porter We pray for Marilyn and Guy s nephew Mike Erickson; Don Hickson; Tom; Ed; Lee; Jan; Sean; Brian s friend Sara; Iain and Maria on the death of their Uncle Richard and Geoff s If you would like to be included in the prayer chain or if you have a prayer request, you can the office at: officeadmin@sm-lc.net Martha Circle Study Tuesday, November 7, 2017 ~ 1:30 p.m. At such a gathering are multiple opinions. Share yours with the group. Please join us in the meeting room. All are welcome.