MESSAGE FROM PASTOR ERIC. THE BAZAAR IS COMING! Saturday, November 5, 9 am-2 pm THANKSGIVING PIES BENEFIT TRIP

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1 Spokane, WA November 2016 Vol.2016, No. 9 MESSAGE FROM PASTOR ERIC Just then God showed up and said, Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods--- who gets it? That s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God. (From Eugene Peterson s The Message Luke 12: 20, 21.) The above is an interpretation of the parable known around many circles as the parable of the rich fool. The story is, the rich fool believed in God, but when it comes to managing his life, dealing with possessions and planning for the future, he lives as though there were no God. How many of us, also, live our lives as practical atheists? The question is, What difference should our faith in God make in the practical matters of life? As you read this, there is just over a week left before we know who our next president will be. Anxiety has been higher than I remember. Reports have been made that even school children are picking up on the anxiety of their parents over the election. Anxiety is high for other reasons as well. Our nation has been more on edge lately because of gun violence, tensions with Russia, lack of job security, lack of job opportunity, lack of retirement resources. And so I ask you, have we all become a bunch of practical atheists? Let me just say, no matter who is elected as our next president, I am not moving to Canada. While I would argue I am as patriotic as the next person, I strive to put my relationship to God above my patriotism. For all of us, when our anxiety creeps up, where do we turn? In the end, are we able to put our faith in the one who has conquered all that we truly need to worry about in his death and resurrection? The problem with the rich fool was that, though he may have believed in God, he lived continued page 2 THE BAZAAR IS COMING! Saturday, November 5, 9 am-2 pm St. Mark's Annual Bazaar and Bake Sale takes place in the fellowship hall, with beautiful crafts, quality seconds and next-to-new items. Bake sale items include cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, lefse, breads, muffins, candies and more! Watch for the specialty gift baskets and raffle items in the narthex, too. Silent auction baskets are now available in the narthex for bidding! If you have items to donate to the sale bring them on by the church! (No clothes, please.) We could still use help on set up days Thursday and Friday, November 3 and 4. Please call Loris Stupel at with any questions. THANKSGIVING PIES BENEFIT TRIP White Box pies for your Thanksgiving dinner go on sale November 6, and proceeds support the congregational mission trip to Costa Rica. Watch for details in the Sunday bulletin, and contact Susan Hagen in the church office with any questions. ADVENT BREAKFAST WELCOMES HOPE Saturday, November 19, 9:30 11:00 am The Advent Breakfast is a celebration for families of ALL SIZES and ALL AGES to welcome this season of hopeful expectation. Enjoy a light breakfast, Advent hymns, family crafts, and possibly some new family Advent traditions! Please RSVP to the church office at or office@stmarks-spokane.org NOTE: If your family already has an Advent wreath candle ring, please bring it with you. Otherwise, one will be provided. If you have questions please contact Debbie Olson at

2 PASTOR ERIC continued from page 1 his life as though the pleasures of this world were the primary concern, and love of God and neighbor didn t even make the conversation. What about you? What is of primary concern for you? If you are like me, it is a continual battle, especially when it comes to matters of time and money. As November hits, we are embarking on a stewardship emphasis entitled, Give Boldly! The challenge will be made for you to consider how you might give boldly trusting God really does take care of the ultimate matters. We are therefore freed up to live, relying on that promise. During the month we will hear from our call committee, encouraging us to think about giving as we plan for our next pastor. How might we position ourselves to expand our mission and ministry well into the future? We will hear from Dale Soden who will help us consider what celebrating the 500 year anniversary of the Reformation has to say about where we go from here in Christ. We will also hear from Pastor Mark Nelson as he challenges us to consider how our spirituality and our stewardship go hand in hand. Do not worry are the words of Christ. God has taken care of us through the death and resurrection of his son. Give boldly of who you are and what you have to give, watching that what possesses you are not your possessions, but your living God. See you in church, Pastor Eric FALL BACK! Move your clocks back one hour on Sunday morning, November 6, when daylight savings time ends. NOTE THIS! OFFICE CLOSURES The St. Mark s Church Office will be closed on Friday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day. The office will also be closed on Thursday & Friday, November 24 & 25 in observance of Thanksgiving Day. CHURCH COUNCIL St. Mark s Church Council will meet on Monday, November 14 at 7:00 pm in the conference room. CHANCEL CHOIR St. Mark s Chancel Choir rehearsals are on Thursdays, at 7:15 pm in the music room. If you are interested in singing in the choir we d love to have you. If you have questions please contact Debbie Hansen at SMORGASBORD Our annual Smorgasbord will take place on Sunday, December 11. Two meal times to choose from: 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm. COMPLINE FOR ADVENT Take a break this Advent. On Wednesdays, November 30, December 7, 14, and 21 at 7:00 pm, we will be using the service of Night Prayer also known as Compline. This worship service lasts between twenty and thirty minutes. Following our worship time we will serve wine, juice, crackers and cheese for a brief fellowship time. VOLUNTEERS FOR MEAL AT ST. ANN S St. Mark s volunteers will cook and serve the St. Anne s Thanksgiving meal on Sunday, November 20 th. The meal is served to low income and neighborhood people of St. Ann s Catholic Church. Besides the regular crew of Sunday helpers, they will need help roasting and carving turkeys and performing other meal prep on Saturday, November 19. Please call Kathy Hammonds ( ) if you would like to volunteer or have questions. 2

3 ST. MARK S WILL TURKEY TREAT FOR S.P.E.A.R. St. Mark s is Turkey Treating for the families of the SPEAR (Serving People through Education Arts and Recreation) program in lower East Central Spokane. SPEAR provides meals and support for children aged Forty plus children and families are served weekly. Our goal is to provide Thanksgiving baskets for 18 families supported by the SPEAR program. Here is what we need: turkey canned yams/sweet potatoes Stove Top stuffing mix instant potatoes cranberry sauce gravy mix canned fruit green bean casserole fixings olives rolls pie Bring your items to St. Mark s by November 20th for delivery to S.P.E.A.R. A collection bin can be found in the narthex! Questions? Contact Susan Hagen at DINNERS, CLASSES HELD FOR NEW MEMBERS AND THE CURIOUS New Member Dinner and Inquirer Classes continue each Sunday, at 5:00 pm, through November 6. Each week we have dinner together with one of our pastors, staff members and a few church members, followed by informational classes about the Lutheran faith and what we do at St. Mark's. We encourage our members to share this information with anyone who might benefit. If you are considering becoming a member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church on Sunday, November 13, please call or Loris Stupel at or fundsoups@comcast.net. THANK YOU Thank you to all who participated in St. Mark s Oktoberfest celebration on October 16. Great food, music, and fun were had by all! Thank you for eating, drinking, dancing, and singing with us. Your generous donations are so appreciated. We made $2000 which gives us a great start in our fundraising efforts for our upcoming mission trip. We are grateful for your support! From the Costa Rica Mission Trip group YARD HELP NEEDED! Thanks to all our members who have volunteered their time and energy this summer maintaining our extensive grounds. Several members volunteered to work on a section of the yard while others stepped in to tackle a special need. The grounds looked wonderful this year. We need your help again. When the leaves finally turn and if the snow hasn t fallen when you read this, we could use your help raking the fall leaves and beds. Feel free to stop by with your rakes and tackle any area. We ll provide the bags and hot coffee if the office is open. Thanks for your help! Thanks to the Mary Cares Group for cards for my husband s 95 th birthday. From Carol Rankin Dear Mary Cares, Pastor Eric, and all the people who gave food, I would like to thank you for the cards, food, thoughts, and prayers and visits while recovering from my open heart surgery. My recovery is progressing well. Thank you, Leo Lang 3

4 Learning for All Ages BENEFIT PERFORMANCE FOR SHALOM MINISTRIES AND SPEAR Plaid Tidings is a brand new show that offers the best of Forever Plaid, tied up in a nifty package with a big Christmas bow on top! Filled with Christmas standards that have all been "Plaid-erized," our boys are back to do their Christmas Special. This holiday treat will lift audiences' spirits and fill them with nostalgia for a bygone era of classic music sung in perfect harmony. SPOKANE CIVIC THEATER 1020 N. Howard Street, Spokane WA Featuring PLAID TIDINGS as performed by the cast of the Civic Theater silent auction appetizers and wine SHALOM MINISTRIES SPEAR MINISTRIES BENEFITS TICKETS $35 For purchase or information: Deidre, (509) or healingpen@comcast.net SUNDAY SCHOOL All are welcome! Your child can join Sunday School any time during the year. We meet between services from 9:45-10:30 am. Three and four year olds meet upstairs in their classroom. Just follow the signs. K-6th grade meet in the choir room. The 7th and 8th graders have Sunday School with their youth leaders in the youth room. There will be no Sunday School on Sunday, November 27th because of Thanksgiving break. Questions? Contact Katie Kadlec at or office@stmarks-spokane.org. Sunday School Service Project Our Sunday School classes will begin to raise funds for the Feed My Starving Children organization as our service project for the school year. FMSC is a non-profit organization that provides nutritionally packed meals for malnourished children throughout the world. These meals cost less than 25 cents per meal! Starting on Sunday, October 23rd, we will begin to pass a donation jar at the beginning of class for the students to donate any change. We will be able to keep track of how many meals they will be providing for other children around the world. Look for loose change in the couches, dryers, cars, pants pockets, etc! For more information please visit the Feed My Starving Children website at: ALLELUIA CHOIR Alleluia Choir is a fantastic opportunity for 1 st through 6 th grade kids to refine singing skills, learn more about church music, and deepen friendships at church. The choir meets in the choir room each Sunday during the 8:30 am service. For more information, contact Ann Benson at annmbbenson@gmail.com or WWL and CONFIRMATION WWL/Confirmation (5th 10th grade) classes have concluded for the first session. Classes resume on Wednesday, January 4,

5 September MONEY MATTERS Happy fall! September giving equaled our September expenses, which is a good thing. Fall is a time of starting up lots of church programs, resulting in higher expenses. We are so appreciative of all contributions large and small. Do know that every little bit helps at St. Mark s. We couldn t have all the wonderful programs that we all depend on without your assistance. Our annual November Stewardship Drive is right around the corner. It is helpful to have EVERY- ONE fill out a pledge card as this is how we plan for our future budget, so please do so. Loris Stupel Financial Secretary finance@stmarks- spokane.org 2016 Operating Budget Year to Date Fund Giving Giving Expenses Budgeted Net - YTD General $ 60, $ 502, $ 523, $ 554, $ - 21, Mortgage $ 6, $ 63, $ 51, $ 51, $ 11, ADULT FORUM St. Mark s Works! SUNDAY SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PAGEANT All Sunday School kids are involved in the annual Christmas Pageant. It s a great way to bring the Christmas story to life for them. We try to keep it as low-key as possible, doing most of our preparations during Sunday School. You won t want to miss it, so put it on your calendar now! Rehearsal #1: Sunday, December 4, at 9:45 am DURING SUNDAY SCHOOL. Rehearsal #2: Sunday, December 11, at 9:45 am DURING SUNDAY SCHOOL. Dress Rehearsal: Sunday, December 11, at 3:40 pm. Parents: Bring your kid to church, then go enjoy the smorgasbord at 4:00 pm. We ll feed them pizza after rehearsal and then you re all set to enjoy the Christmas Pageant performance at 5:00 pm. Any questions or interest in helping out? Contact Ann Benson at: annmbbenson@gmail.- com or Nov. 6: St. Mark s Works in Community: Goals of Care Near the End of Life, Dr. Bob Bray Nov. 13: St. Mark s Works to the End: The Church on Death and Dying, Pr. Kate/ Pr. Eric Nov. 20: St. Mark s Works for Families: Documents and Discussions- Communicating One s Wishes Around Death, Dr. Bob Bray Nov. 27: No Forum (Thanksgiving weekend). Spend time together at coffee Dec. 4: TBA EMPTY NESTERS This group is for parents who have young adults recently out of high school or who will be flying from the nest in the next year or two. If you are interested please contact Pastor Eric. Our next meeting will be Sunday, November 20, 4:00 pm, at Andy and Tammy Walker s home, 2217 S. Rockwood Blvd. Bring an appetizer and beverage to share. 5

6 We Are LCS Lutheran Community Services Northwest Sunday, Nov. 13, 9:45 a.m. in the fellowship hall Ev Nyholm, long-time St. Mark s member and pre-school teacher, will be presenting: Deepening Family Awareness of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit during the Holidays. Ev will draw from her many years as St. Mark s pre-school teacher and from her own family traditions as she shares ideas, stories and activities for families to use during Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas. ANNOUNCEMENTS Births Merritt Olivia Johnson, granddaughter of Stephen and Jean Johnson Kaylee Rae Yancey, daughter of Matt and Regina Yancey and granddaughter of Rodney Thompson and Mary Engstrom Abigail Claire Briehl-Duba, daughter of Mary Emily Briehl-Duba and Jason Duba and granddaughter of Martin Wells and Susan Briehl In Sympathy Family of Scott Olson, brother of Sam Cassel Family of James Heintz, father of Merlin Heinz DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS November 6 33 rd Annual Fundraising Luncheon Sunday, November 6 th, 2016 Mukogawa Ft. Wright Commons 4000 W Randolph Rd., Spokane, WA Social Hour: 12:30 Lunch & Program: 1:30 Program Spotlight: Advocacy Erin Williams, Program Director There is no cost to attend. You will be invited to give gifts and pledges to support the programs of LCSNW: Sexual Assault & Family Trauma Response Program Child Welfare & Clinical Human Trafficking Advocacy & Outreach Education & Prevention International & Domestic Foster Care Please RSVP by Sunday, October 30 th online at Questions: Christie McKee (509) cmckee@lcsnw.org MUSIC AT THE CATHEDRAL Two upcoming music events at The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, our near-neighbor at 13th and Grand, may be of interest: Friday, November 4, CONTRA DANCE and POTLUCK. A regular series for all ages and dancing abilities. Dinner at 6:30 and dancing concludes by 8:30, in the Great Hall. Sunday, November 6, 3:00 pm, CATHE- DRALS REMEMBRANCE CONCERT. Durufle Requiem and reflective poetry. Cathedral Choirs of St. John s and Our Lady of Lourdes. Donations gratefully accepted. 6

7 Faith and Fellowship Groups SCRIPTURE AND COFFEE Tuesdays, November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 10:30 am Questions: church office, Bible-based conversation in the conference room with Pastor Eric or Pastor Kate, to study the scripture texts for the week. MOVIE DAY AT ST. MARK S Second Wednesday, November 9 Questions: Patti Berg or Dick Thiel, Enjoy an afternoon of fun, fellowship and film. We will have popcorn and snacks while watching Mama Mia. EAT, PRAY, LAUGH First Tuesday, November 1, 7:00 pm Questions: Pastor Kate, Don t let this meeting slip by since it hits on the first day of the month! Eat, Pray, Laugh will meet in the Parish House. All women are invited to this support group for conversation, laughter, prayer and refreshments. SUNRISE SAINTS AND SINNERS Second & Fourth Wednesday, Nov. 9 & 23 6:30 am Questions: Roger Chase, This men s group meets at The Chalet Restaurant on 30 th and Grand Blvd. We promise you'll have lots of laughs, crazy discussions about everything as well as breakfast. All men are welcomed, saints or sinners! SATURDAY EVENING POTLUCK First Saturday, November 5, 6:30 pm Great food! Great fellowship! Bring your favorite dish (serving 8-10 people) and join this fun group! On the first Saturday of the month you are welcome to join us for a potluck immediately following the 5:30 service. ST. MARK S MEN S GROUP Second Tuesday, November 8, 7:30 pm Jared Hertz, Associate Athletic Director for Gonzaga University and St. Mark s member, will speak about his role in the athletic department. You ll hear about Gonzaga basketball, baseball, volleyball and all the sports he s involved with. Please bring a refreshment of your choice. RUTH CIRCLE Second Thursday, November 10, 10:00 am All women are welcome to join us at the church for refreshments, very brief project discussion, and Bible study led by Pastor Kate or Pastor Eric. WALKING CIRCLE Second Friday, November 11, 10:00 am The Walking Circle group will meet at the church, then carpool to Mary Haberman s home to walk in her neighborhood and enjoy a delicious soup luncheon. Please bring a salad or dessert. Mary will provide the soup and rolls. continued page 8 7

8 GROUPS continued from page 7 CANCER SPIRITUALITY GROUP Third Sunday, November 20, 12:00 pm Questions: Elaine Orness, This new group will reach out to those who have cancer or have had cancer, and to family members and friends. The group will meet in the conference room. Pr. Mark Nelson will be the facilitator. A light soup luncheon will be served. THEOLOGY ON TAP Third Monday, November 21, 7:00 pm Questions: Pastor Eric, Great conversation and fellowship with this 30ish or younger group at Two Seven Public House in Lincoln Heights. One of our pastors will lead a discussion and buy a few appetizers to share. DIAKONIA GUILD Fourth Tuesday, November 22, 2:00 pm Questions: Ruth Schmidt, Diakonia is an auxiliary of Lutheran Community Services. The members meet monthly at various locations with a speaker from LCS. In November the meeting will be at Zion Lutheran Church ((8304 E. Buckeye) for coffee and tea. Please contact Ruth Schmidt if you have any questions, or would like to be part of this important service. BOOK GROUP Last Wednesday, November 30, 7:00 am St. Mark s Book Group meets at Forza Coffee in Lincoln Heights. The book to be discussed is Last Bus to Freedom by Ivan Doig. All book lovers are welcome to join any discussion! 8

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