Saint Mark Messenger Mission Statement Here at St. Mark s Lutheran Church and Preschool, we believe in Growing God s Family. You will see this mission statement on our bulletins, business cards, newsletter and other printed correspondence. New nametags are also available. Inside this issue: Recycling 2 Church Council Treasurer s Report 3 Ministries/LWML 4 Birthdays and Anniversaries 4 November 2014 Once again, we are coming to the end of another year and the opportunity to celebrate the holidays. It just seems to come around faster every year, doesn t it? I know I am not ready for all of the holiday stuff yet. This being November, we are all probably looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday that will be here in a few weeks. While we all like to have 4 day weekends, there is more to November 27th than that. Thanksgiving is a holiday where everyone in this country can stop for a moment, pause, count their blessings, and thank God for them. I know I have a lot to be thankful for, my wife and family, that I am your pastor (and will celebrate my twelfth year here in March), all kinds of stuff! Thanksgiving Day (and weekend) is not just a time for us to get off work, eat turkey `til we burst and watch the lots of football. (The Erlers are not even having Turkey this year. The Scandal!) Instead, we are to remember how our heavenly Father has given us everything we need to support this life. We also remember how He has given us everything we need for eternal life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ Let me remind you of the annual Thanksgiving dinner that will be here Nov. 23rd with church following. Often, forgetting to say, Thank you." is too easy for us. Nevertheless, let's be reminded to say thanks to our God. Father, for all you have given us: Thanks! God bless, Pastor Preschool/Youth 6 Missionary 8 Rufus 9 Worship Schedule 10 Calendar 11
Other Simple Ways to make a difference: Scrip Next order is October 5th. You can also order online at www.shopwithscrip.com. St. Mark's code is DCCAD255756L.. Any questions contact Kim Hill. By purchasing Gift Cards through Scrip, the retailers give back a percentage. This money goes into an account to be used for youth retreats, conventions and supports the Lutheran Hour each year. It s very simple to do! Support Our Troops Support Our Troops sends packages overseas several times a year. They also take needed items to Ft. Sill. They collect various items throughout the year. There is a collection box for reading materials and other items in the narthex. Contact Merle Wagner if you have questions. Feed My People An ongoing food collection for the Hope Center of Edmond. Each month there is a suggested item(s). When you go shopping simply pick up a little extra and bring it to drop in the basket! Our church refers people to the Hope Center when they call requesting assistance. Mite Box Collection Save your change/mites for the monthly LWML Mite Box Collection. Drop your mites in the giant mite box in the narthex. All money collected is used for missions projects/grants. Lutheran Women s Missionary League has done some amazing things with pennies and dimes! Save your Trash to support these projects: Paper Recycling Bring your paper to the large green and yellow bin in the parking lot. Our youth receive $10 for every ton of paper that is recycled. Pop Tabs Bring your pop tabs from cans of soda to the jar on the narthex credenza. Tabs are donated through Thrivent to support the Ronald McDonald House. Best Choice Labels LWML sends in Best Choice Labels. For every 1,000 labels they receive a bonus $30! Easy money for labels you would otherwise throw away. Empty Ink Cartridges, Used Cell Phones & Other Portable Recyclable Items These items are recycled through LWML for money that is used toward Missions projects/services. There is a cell phone box in the narthex and a tote marked LWML in the coat room for these items. Thanksgiving Dinner Sunday, Nov 23rd @ 5pm Sign up in the Narthex Go to smile.amazon.com and register under St. Mark Lutheran Edmond. Make sure you are logged in to your Amazon account. Amazon will give back.5% of all qualified purchases back to the church! It is free to register and does not affect anything else on your account! 2
CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS If you are interested in obtaining an updated copy of the Constitution & By- Laws of the Church, you can find a copy on the credenza in the Welcome November Scripture Readings Nov 2 Rev 7:(2-8) 9-17, 1 John 3:1-3, Matt 5:1-12 Nov 9 Amos 5:18-24, 1 Thess 4:13-18, Matt 25:1-13 Nov 16 Zeph 1:7-16, 1 Thess 5:1-11, Nov 23 Nov 27 Matt 25:14-30 Ezek 34:11-16, 20-24, 1 Cor 15:20-28, Matt 25:31-46 Deut 8:1-10, Phil 4:6-20, Luke 17:11-19 TREASURER S REPORT Monthly General Fund Giving Target: $26,331.00 September Total Income $22,470.42 Budgeted Expenses $23,731.36 ---------------- ($1,260.94) General Fund Cash Balance 1/1/2014: $36,437.15 YTD General Fund Giving Surplus: ($13,858.47) ------------------- General Fund Balance: $22,578.68 Feed My People November Christmas Dinner Instant mashed potatoes, canned gravy, canned beans, canned corn, money for turkey and ham. The King will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine you did for me. Mt. 25:40 Any questions, contact David and Elizabeth Seaman at 749-0314. 3
Join the Prayer Chain: Do you need a special prayer? Call the Prayer Chain Contacts. Lucille McShane at 341-8986 Email Captain: Mike Hill at hilljm@cox.net Requests can also be included in the Sunday service bulletin by calling the Church office at 340-0192. To be added to the phone or e-mail prayer chain contact Lucille or Mike. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord s people. -Eph 6:18 Sundays at 9:30AM There are 2 Adult Bible Study classes currently. Pastor Erler will be teaching a class in the sanctuary topic is Genesis and Mike Hill is teaching the book of James in the library. Tuesdays at 10AM Join Pastor Erler in the church library for this weekday bible study class. 3 rd Saturday at 8AM Men s Study Bring your breakfast and join in a study with other men. Contact the office if you have questions 340-0192 LWML -MEETING TIME November 8th @ 11am The first Sunday of each month is Mite Box Sunday. Now we can listen to The Lutheran Hour on an OKC radio station! KQCV at 800 on the AM dial will broadcast The Lutheran Hour each Sunday at 9:00 a.m. Celebrate... November Birthdays Reece Wilson 11/4 Russell Wantland 11/6 Alicia Mowder 11/7 Lynnea Glass 11/11 Jayla Long 11/12 Parker Rupp 11/12 Jeff Jenkins 11/13 Sheila Rudat 11/13 Mandy Long 11/16 Nona Smith 11/16 Kerissa Holsten 11/17 Trevor Rudat 11/17 Steve Dodge 11/18 Vincent Iver 11/22 Marie Sterling 11/22 Natalie Iver 11/25 Abraham Gachoki 11/30 November Anniversaries Sangyoon & Eunhee Jeon Kris & Trish Harland Jerry & Judy Crabb 11/11 6yrs 11/27 21 yrs 11/30 52yrs Congratulations Please contact the Church office if you are new to the congregation or do not have your birthday and anniversary dates on file. We apologize for any omissions. 4
Congratulations to Derek and Jennifer Herrs on the Baptism of Mack Henry on October 26th, 2014. SUPPORT OUR TROOPS Please keep our troops and their families in your prayers. PLEASE update our addresses for the troops. We know there have been a lot of changes with our troops so please check the prayer list in the bulletin and the address list in the narthex of church. To add or remove someone from our list call the office at 340-0192 or e-mail office@stmarkedmond.org. If you have any questions about what we do or about the Warrior Transition Unit at Ft. Sill, please call Merle Wagner 330-3017. CHO IR P RAC T ICE Do you like to sing? Would you like to sing your praises to the Lord with like minded people? All people, confirmation age and older, are welcome to join the St.. Mark Choir! Contact Erica Erler for more information! HAND BELL P RAC T ICE New faces are welcome. The only requirement to join either group is a willingness to make a joyful noise unto the Lord! Contact Erica Erler if you would like to join! Nov 9- Moms' Luncheon right after church, potluck. We will have childcare available at the church. Call Julia with questions! Questions about the LCMS? The LCMS Church information Center is here to help you the member in the pew, the Church worker in a congregation, or the nonmember with questions about the Church and its ministry in any way we can. Call us 888-THE-LCMS (843-5267) This toll-free telephone number connects callers to real live people who will help you find information. Click us Infocenter@lcms.org Ask questions via e-mail. 5
From the desk of Sheila Rudat, DCE... Youth Mini stry... You Might Be a Lutheran If A VBS teacher was talking about God and Jesus to her pre-school class. An unchurched neighbor of mine, age 4, was listening with furrowed brow, since much of what she said was new to him. But when she asked the kids if they knew who angels were, his eyes lit up with recognition, his whole body filled with excitement, and he shouted out, "Yes! They're a baseball team!" It took the teacher quite a while to compose herself... Kathy Huntington, West Virginia A pastor started his Easter Sunday sermon with "I would like to have a word with the youngsters we have in the congregation today. Do any of you know what the Resurrection means?" A very precocious, and outspoken, little 7 year old boy raised his hand, stood up and said, "I sure do. If you have one longer than four hours, you have to call the doctor!" It took the congregation and the pastor a good 10 minutes... to compose themselves from their laughter. Nancy Tempe, Arizona A young lady was asked out for her first date and she went to talk to her pastor about it. He told he her she would probably be going to dinner and a movie. At the movie she could expect the young man to hold her hand which was ok with her pastor. Then he may put his arm around her shoulders, which was also ok with her pastor. But it he put his head on her shoulder, that was not ok with her pastor. After the date she again went to talk to her pastor. She told him that they went to dinner and a movie, and that her date first held her hand and then put his arm around her shoulders. The pastor inquired as to what happened nest. "I put my head on his shoulder and let his pastor worry about it!" was her reply. Jan Stevens Point, Wisconsin A Lutheran Minister was new to his rural congregation, but he had gotten word that a man was interested in joining his church. He went to the front door, and rapped several times, but got no answer. Reasonably sure the man was home he walked around to the back door, and to his surprise, the back yard was built up like an English garden with serpentine walks, a fish pond, fountains vines, the whole nine yards. He walked up to the back door, and still got no answer. Finally, he took out one of his calling cards and wrote on the back, "Rev 3:30" [Behold I stand at the door and knock...] The following Sunday, as the parishioners were leaving the church, someone slipped him their card with "Gen 3:20" written on the back. When he was finally able to get to a Bible, he discovered his response: "I heard you in the garden, but I knew I was naked, so I hid!" Ken North Canton, Ohio 6
All women and girls are invited to our annual Advent by Candlelight on Sunday, Dec. 7 th at 6:30pm. The theme is Take Me to the Manger and the events includes a program, music, light appetizers and desserts as well as coffee, tea and hot cider. If you are interested please sign up in the narthex. Preschool Mother s Day Out Program Introducing A Child to Jesus Preschool News Preschool is nearly at capacity! God is Good! Preschool Christmas Program will be Wednesday, December 3rd. Mark your calendars for the Annual Advent by Cand lelight. Take Me to the Manger Preschool Board Meeting January Children s Choir The children 3 year through 4 th grade will be singing Sunday, November 9th. Julia Wantland and Sheila Rudat will be working with them during their Children s church time. It will great to have the children to share their musical talents with the congregation. 7
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WORSHIP SERVICES Pastor Mark Erler Sunday Services Early Service Traditional 8:15AM Sunday School 9:30AM Late Service Contemporary 10:45AM Contact Us: If you would like to contact Pastor Erler, please call him at the Church office at 340-0192 or email pastor@stmarkedmond.org. After hours or in case of an emergency he can be reached on his cell at 205-5551 or at home at 844-4992. To reach our Preschool Director and DCE Sheila Rudat call 217-201 -1341 or e-mail at dce@stmarkedmond.org or preschool@stmarkedmond.org. Monthly Newsletter Deadline We encourage everyone to submit contributions for the St. Mark Messenger newsletter. If you have a short story, humor, quote, etc, please submit it along with its credits to the Church office. However, we need all material by the 18th of every month in order to edit, compile and publish it. Help us make this newsletter a quality product to inform, educate and enlighten. WORSHIP FOR SHUT-INS If you, or someone you know, are home on Sunday mornings, Lutheran Ministries Media, Inc. offers a program for shut-ins. The program can be found on the following television services: DIRECTV Channel 377, DISH NETWORK (check local listing) or TOTAL CHRISTIAN TELEVISION network TCT (check local listing); all broadcast on Sunday mornings. DIRECTV Channel 377 airs at 10:30 Central time. All programs are a half hour in length with no commercials and no reruns. This ministry is not a prerecording of a Sunday morning service but a special taping done just for this ministry. For more information call 888-286-8002 or go to www.worshipforshut-ins.org St. Mark Lutheran Church & Preschool 1501 N. Bryant Street Edmond, OK 73034 Ph: 405.340.0192 Fax: 405.340.0290 Church Website: www.stmarkedmond.org Pastor Erler E-mail: pastor@stmarkedmond.org Church E-mail: office@stmarkedmond.org 12