Phone: 563-322-5318 Pastor Travis Fisher: 563-676-8160 Annual subscription of $1.00 per year is included in payment of weekly pledge of members. Email: stmark@stmarkcares.org November 2017 Volume 50 Issue 11 Walking with Jesus - Living Lives of Gratitude! Count your blessings name them one by one Count your many blessings see what God has done As a young child, I remember my grandmother singing this catchy little tune. I liked this tune as a child because it was a catchy tune but as an adult I like this song for its words because it gives some solid words of wisdom. The wisdom of counting our blessings and being grateful for the abundant blessings each one of us have received. When I was on internship, my supervisor loved to keep me on my toes and see if I could think on the spot. Wednesday Preschool worship was no exception. I would get to the Sanctuary and then he would give me a verse to teach to the children in a way they could understand. Pastor Ron thought he had me stumped on one particular Wednesday night with John 10:10. I (Jesus) came that you (all of us) may have life and have it abundantly. The children came for worship and we talked about the word abundant. It was the day after Halloween and we talked about how much candy they had gotten trick-o-treating the night before: Did they get a little or did the bags overflow abundantly? We showed abundantly with our arms open wide and yelling Abundantly! God s love for us overflows ABUNDANTLY! But, so often, instead of living with the awareness of this abundance, we get sucked into a scarcity mentality promoted by the news, social media, and commercials. We become painfully aware of what we don't have, and then begin to cling to what we have, and that is not the life that Jesus has come to give us Walking with Jesus - living lives abundantly involves living lives of GRATITUDE. In the book One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp asks the question How do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties? What does a life of gratitude look like when your days are gritty, long, and sometimes dark? Voskamp discovers and shares that the practice of gratitude waking up each day practicing an awareness to God s everyday blessings. She discovered that in giving thanks for the life she already had, she found the life she d always wanted. So, for the month of November, I invite you in practicing GRATITUDE this month. 1) If you haven t read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp - read it. 2) Make time during the day to keep a gratitude list. Write down 2-3 things you are grateful for even if (especially if) life is challenging right now. 3) As you think about your financial giving this year, consider the many blessings you have received and how you can give thanks to God through your offerings at church to God and God s work. Prayerfully consider increasing your giving by a 1% of your income or consider increasing it by a cup a coffee or a meal eaten out a week. 4) Finally, when someone asks you, How are you? instead of responding with an automatic I am fine respond with I m grateful and if someone responds with I m grateful to you take a moment for a personal connection and ask What are you grateful for today? Together, Let us Walk with Jesus, living lives of Gratitude.
The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have decided in your heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Second Corinthians 9:6-7 Experience the joy that comes from giving, serving, and growing in the Lord! To help me sow and grow in generosity: My giving per week in 2018 will be $. To help me grow in the joy of serving and growing in the Lord: I commit to grow in the joy of serving by using my time and talents in serving within the church. I commit to grow in the joy of knowing Jesus more by reading my Bible daily, attending church regularly and developing an active prayer life. Name(s) (please print) Address Please return this portion on Commitment Sunday, November 19th or send to the church office. Thank you! The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have decided in your heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Second Corinthians 9:6-7 Experience the joy that comes from giving, serving, and growing in the Lord! To help me sow and grow in generosity: My giving per week in 2018 will be $. To help me grow in the joy of serving and growing in the Lord: I commit to grow in the joy of serving by using my time and talents in serving within the church. I commit to grow in the joy of knowing Jesus more by reading my Bible daily, attending
Mission Action Report FAMILY RESOURCES received 204 items for the month of SEPTEMBER. Lots of sample personal care items, and regular size shampoos, body wash, conditioners, vitamins, pain relievers, sun screen, etc. There were articles of clothing for men, women and children, kitchen utensils, laundry detergent, cookies, cereal, jelly and cocktail sauce. PREGANACY RESOURCES received 4 items. Bibs and sippi cups. We are very thankful for all of your donations. Four complete PERSONAL CARE KITS for LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF were brought in along with towels and toothbrushes, bars of soap and combs. THANK YOU so much for helping us out. Our circles put together 21 KITS at our SEPTEMBER meeting. We now have a total of 25 PERSONAL CARE KITS ready to be taken to Cedar Rapids on OCTOBER 21. THANK YOU again for your kindness to those in need all over the world. The needs for FAMILY RESOURCES are as follows; pots, pans, dishes, utensils, towels, diapers, wipes, shampoo, bed linens, paper towels, dish soap, household cleaners and laundry detergent. The needs for PREGNANCY RESOURCES are as follows; bibs, pacifiers, baby towels, wash cloths, baby wash/shampoo, boy and girl fall and winter clothing size 18-24 months and 2T, diaper sizes; newborn, 2-5, and modern maternity clothes ISAIAH 41:13 "For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; It is I who say to you, "Do not fear, I will help you." Fred and Milly Heskett Hospitalized October 2017 Miriam Baehnk Elaine Bernauer Marian Branson Terri Fogel David Green Bliss Jones Bernice Lobdell Vicki Meyers Jean Mumm Elsie Quick Mary Jane Ricketts We offer the Family of Pauline Wulf words of love, support, and comfort. May they rest assured in the midst of their challenges and adjustments that God will sustain them in the loss of their loved one through faith in our Risen Lord. Because He lives, we too shall live. Nancy Beaderstadt 528-0208 n.beaderstadt@yahoo.com Chuck Crispin 386-1977 cacrispin@yahoo.com Richard Dabillo 326-1808 Diane Fellman 340-0814 We will meet at The Machine Shed Tuesday, November 7 at 11:30am Everyone is welcome to join us for lunch! If you would like to come, please sign up in the lounge and indicate if you need a ride. Hope to see you there! Don Henderkott 391-1615 pathenderkott@yahoo.com Joyce Hines 322-5889 Joyce.hines@msn.com Chip Schumann 322-2496 chipschu@aol.com
In this edition of Life we give thanks for the coordinating efforts of three social ministry action coordinators who have faithfully served in feeding the hungry in different ways as they conclude their service. First, we highlight Dave Jessen who has been leading the efforts at Share-a-meal on their fourth Thursday of each month for the last 10 years. Over the years Dave has encouraged St. Mark members and friends to not only serve the clients, but to talk with them like they were a part of their own family. Dave first began serving with social ministry while waiting for Jill his daughter to finish up with confirmation. Dave stated: I have enjoyed serving in this way over the years. We have such a great bunch of people here at St. Mark that make it very easy to do this ministry. I really feel this is one of the most basic and important things to do as Christians. Taking care of the less fortunate. I love doing it. Dave will hand over the bag of utensils at the end of serving our meal in December. Secondly, Linda Cook has been our food pantry manager since taking over from Bev Rostenbach. As many projects and ministries go there have been many layers added to this position that requires statistics, regulations, and scheduling. Linda with her right hand man Rich and the other food pantry volunteers serve hundreds of people a month. Linda reflects on her years of service: I taught criminal justice for many years. As an academic and a reporter both, I always have been aware of the connection between poverty, need and crime. We do more than feed the hungry at our food pantry: we stabilize people who are struggling. And when you do that, you prevent crime and keep everyone safe. The Volunteers at our food pantry are the most compassionate, kind, and giving people anywhere. It was such an honor to work with each individual and watch how they made a positive impact on people s lives. Linda has returned to full time work and has passed the responsibilities to Lynn Atkins. Last, but not least, Pat Thode has served as the coordinator for Funeral Luncheons. She took over the reins after Linda Wescom served in the same capacity. Offering space to families for a time of food and fellowship after a funeral or memorial service helps in the grieving process and allows more time of out of town attendees to converse with family and friends of loved ones. We thank Dave, Linda and Pat for coordinating these important food ministries and those who worked with them. We acknowledge their service this month as we typically gather around feasts at thanksgiving remembering and thanking God for all God has given us; but also remembering those who are often without food or proper nutrition. Please consider bringing food for the food pantry to help keep our food ministries viable. If you are interested in any one or more of these ministries please contact a member of the Social Ministry Committee. Advent and Christmas Ministries The Social Ministry Committee has recommended that we as a congregation support ELCA GOOD GIFTS as our Christmas outreach. We will have sign up sheets and a tree decorated with the ornaments. What an excellent gift for the hard to buy for person on your list or in memory of a loved one. Look for this Giving tree the first week of advent! The mitten/sock/underwear tree will also be up in the lounge. Please help us fill the tree for those in need. God s Blessings
We are approaching the holidays and I know there are those of you grieving the loss of loved ones, so this is a timely article for the time including Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is very natural to feel you may never enjoy the Holidays again. They will certainly never be the same as they were. However, in time, most people are able to find meaning again in the traditions as a new form of the Holiday Spirit grows inside of them. Even without grief, our friends and relatives often think they know how our Holidays should look, what the family should and shouldn t do. Do s and Don ts Do be gentle with yourself and protect yourself. Don t do more than you want, and don t do anything that does not serve your soul and your loss. Do allow time for the feelings. Don t keep feelings bottled up. If you have 500 tears to cry don t stop at 250. Do allow others to help. We all need help at certain times in our lives. Don t ask if you can help or should help a friend in grief. Just help. Find ways; invite them to group events or just out for coffee. Do, in grief, pay extra attention to the children. Children are too often the forgotten grievers. Source https://grief.com/grief-the-holidays I also have some helpful grief packets that Unity Point Pastoral Care provides. Let me know if you would like one as a resource. I will be gone the month of November and return December 5 so there will not be a PN newsletter in the December Life. The wellness opportunities will include the months of November and December. Aloha, PN Bev 2017 November and December Wellness Opportunities 1. Soul Fit exercise class meets Tuesdays at 10:00 am in Luther Hall. 2. Friendship Group meets Tuesday, November 7, 11:30 am at the Machine Shed, Davenport. There is a sign-up sheet in the lounge. 3. Life Together will meet Tuesday, November 14, 11:45 am at Garner Farms Independent Living in the dining room for lunch and devotions. Cost is $7. Please let Pella Fisher know if you plan to attend or need a ride. 4. Prayer Shawl Ministry meets Saturday, November 11 and December 9 at 10:00 am in the lounge. Prayer Shawl Ministry will not meet on November 25 and December 23. 5. Home Communion kit distribution will be November 11-12 and December 9-10. 6. Unity Point at Home Foot Care Clinic meets Monday, November 27, 12:30-2:30 pm and Friday, December 29, 12:30-2:30 in the bride s room by appointment. Cost is $30. Note: The December date will be a rescheduled date due to the holiday. 7. PN Bev s weekends at church will be December 9-10 and 16-17. 8. Friendship Group meets Tuesday, December 5, 11:30 am. The meeting place will be determined by the group in November. Sign up will be in the lounge.
As we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation this month, it's worth remembering what Martin Luther had to say about music: Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. Lutherans, more than any denomination, sing our theology in our hymns: they're not not merely pretty music to pass the time in church. Remember that, next time you're singing a hymn at St. Mark! And even if you don't think you have a good voice, you can take comfort in Luther's admonition to "sin boldly". Congregational singing is not about talent: it's about expressing our shared beliefs. If you're interested in observing Reformation Sunday this year with more music than usual, you're warmly invited to attend the Reformation Hymn Festival at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Davenport. It will be held on Sunday, October 29th, at 3:00pm. November will soon be upon us, and with it more opportunities for special music. If you're interested in participating more fully in the musical life of St. Mark Lutheran, don't hesitate to contact me! I'm always looking for soloists or small groups. The best way to reach me is my email, rossjallo@gmail.com. It's been a pleasure getting to know the congregation at St. Mark so far; please don't hesitate to say "hello"! A total of 581Individuals were served at our food pantry in September 2017. Donations were received from: St. Mark Lutheran church members, Youth Group and friends, Grace United Methodist Church, Asbury United Methodist Garden Ministry, Grace Lutheran Church, and Midwest Food Bank. Book Discussions at Augustana Discussions on "Radical Lutherans, Lutheran Radicals," edited by Augustana's Dr. Jason Mahn, will be held at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 13, 20, 27 and Dec. 4 in the Wilson Center. Free food and drinks will be served. Each week this group will discuss a chapter, so reading in advance is suggested. Books can be purchased on Amazon or through the Augustana College Bookstore Coming Soon! Dinner for Eight Do you want some good food, friends and fellowship? Then this is the group for you! Dinner for Eight groups bring eight willing people together, and they will plan meals, games and other activities in their homes, restaurants or other establishments in order to get to know one another better. Once groups are formed, the first host will be selected from the group roster. He/she will contact members to arrange the details for the first gathering. Dinner groups are encouraged to be creative; consider picking a dinner theme night (i.e. Italian, dessert or soup night), and everyone can bring a dish that goes along with that theme. Please Sign up in the Lounge. Young at Hearts Friday, November 17, 2017at 6:30 St. Mark Lutheran Church in the Lounge Come join us on For Bunko Please bring a snack to share. Hope to see you! Questions? Call: Judy, 563-349-3797 or Bonny, 563-388-7141 September 2017 General Fund Summary Regular Offerings Year to Date Received $254,428.98/85.88% Budgeted $296,250.03 Amount Behind ($ 41,821.05) Food Pantry 8/31/2017 $18,980.57 Sept Inc. 914.00
itment Sunday ur Windows Theology on Tap 5:00pm Young at Hearts Stewardshi 10:00am 12:00pm 5:00pm Rede Win
St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church 2363 West Third Street, Davenport, Iowa 52802 Address Service Requested Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit No. 909 Davenport, Iowa Worship Times Saturday Worship with Holy Communion 5:00pm Sunday Worship with Holy Communion 8:00am and 10:00am Sunday School 9:00am Rededication of Our Windows We are happy to recognize the completion of the window restoration and cleaning. This project could not have been done without the generous memorials given by friends and family of those who had chosen St. Mark to be a designee of Memorial Gifts and some special gifts toward this project. We invite you to attend worship on the weekend of November 11/12 as we will rededicate the windows and acknowledge those whose memorial money and special gifts has been used for this memorial. St. Mark Memorial Committee.