St. Mark s Lutheran Church April 2018 3051 Putnam Blvd. Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 Dear Friends of St. Mark's, Eastertide is nearly upon us! You could say we are in the final stretch. The only thing between us and the joyfulness of Easter is this pesky issue of the crucifixion and the tomb. I am reminded of the tv series Friends, and an episode in which the character Phoebe told her friends that her favorite childhood movie was Old Yeller. Baffled, her friends couldn't understand why she loved such a sad movie. It turns out that Phoebe's parents had always turned off the movie before Old Yeller contracted rabies and died. For Phoebe, the story didn't end in the same place as the rest of us. (To be clear, I am not comparing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to a rabid dog!) I am, however, wanting to make sure that each of us sees the full story. To truly celebrate Easter, we have to be at the last supper with Jesus on Maundy Thursday and to feel the solemnity of the tomb on Good Friday. Blessings to each and every one of you, Pastor Bekah
Discussion of opening the Nursery on Sunday and scheduling teachers for Sunday School. Preparations for Pastor Bekah and Rob s Wedding Celebration, Klara Elizabeth Harlow s Baptism and Don Hickson s Celebration of Life. Monthly Budget YTD Actual YTD Budget Offering 20,750 17,988 37,441 215,856 Monthly Outreach Giving 1248 1803 Total Expenses 26,150 17,988 43,396 215,856 Current financial statements and council minutes are available in the binder on the shelf in the back of the sanctuary. You are invited to celebrate the marriage of Pastor Bekah & Rob on April 15th, following the 10:00 am worship at St. Mark s Center A catered lunch and entertainment are part of the celebration of love.
April Calendar Of Events Sunday 8:30 am Worship (Traditional with Choir & Organ or Piano) Social 9:30 am in Saint Mark s Center 10:30 am Worship (Contemporary with Guitars & Drums) 10:30 am Sunday School 11:40 am Confirmation Class This Month Maundy Thursday Worship 7:00 pm Good Friday Worship 7:00 pm April 1st, Easter Sunday, Brunch & Egg Hunt April 8th, 12:00 pm, Council Meeting April 8th, 5:00 pm, Youth Spaghetti Fundraiser for ELCA Youth Gathering in Houston, TX April 14th, 11:00, Don Hickson s Celebration of Life April 15th, Combined Service, 10:00 am Baptism of Klara Elizabeth Harlow Celebration of Pastor Bekah & Rob s Wedding 11:30 am 1st Tuesday of the Month Martha Circle 1:30 pm MR 2nd Tuesday of the Month Social Ministry Meeting 10:00 am MR Wednesday Crafty Ladies 10:00-2:00 SMC Wednesday Night Choir Practice 7:30 pm in SAN Friday Morning Adult Bible Study 10:00 am SMC Saturday Worship Band practices at 10:00 am in the SAN Upcoming Events June1st- 3rd, Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly, Sacramento, CA June 24th July 1st, ELCA Youth Gathering, Houston, TX
April Birthdays Date 7 Sherry Doyle 9 Debra Brown 11 Derrick Clark 13 Jace Klinglehafer 14 Nathaniel Quimby 19 Samantha Alm 25 Michael Waid 26 Warren Larson 26 John Yeh 30 Elizabeth Englund April Anniversaries 6 Bennie Rodriguez & Celeste Nelsen 8 Mike & Sherry Doyle 11 Iain Harlow & Ida-Maria Skavhaug
Social Ministry Outreach April 2018 Mt. Cross Ministries Our special outreach for the month of April is Mt. Cross Ministries, a ELCA Lutheran retreat center located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where they have been providing profound experiences in God s creation. Mt. Cross has been operating since 1948, hosting summer camps and year-round retreats, including confirmation retreats attended by our St. Mark s youth over the years. This past year the youth have attended three retreats, one summer and the ELCA Middle School and High School retreats. Mt. Cross has recently called the Rev. Sarah and Adam Erickson to serve as Co-Directors. Pastor Sarah will join us at St. Mark s on Sunday, April 22, when we will have the opportunity to learn more about Mt. Cross and their upcoming plans. Pastor Sarah will hold an Adult Forum at 9:45 and a Temple talk during the 10:30 service.
PLEASE COME TO RISTORANTE DI SAN MARCO ON APRIL 8 TH!! The confirmation class is hosting another fabulous dinner (with help from Thrivent Financial) for the congregation! On Sunday, April 8 th from 5pm-7:30pm, St. Mark s social hall will be transformed, and Ristorante di San Marco will be open for business (come when you wish within that time frame). Our special chefs will prepare a delicious dinner of spaghetti, salad, bread, and much more! A staff of enthusiastic waiters/waitresses will serve you while you enjoy an one of a kind talent show (by the way, we very much encourage anyone who is up to it to share their talent with the group karaoke, skits, music, singing, dancing, anything). This is a fundraiser for the youth, especially those going to the National Youth Gathering this June in Houston, so if you are able to support that with a donation at the dinner, it would very much be appreciated. If possible, please rsvp to the church, so we know how much food to purchase. You can also call/email Debbie Wilson at (707) 853-5462 or Mommymook1@comcast.net with rsvp s or questions. If you know in advance that you are able to share your talent, please let us know that as well. Hope to see you there!!
The Youth Having Fun Preparing A Dinner As A Fundraiser For Their Trip To ELCA Youth Gathering This Summer. A special thanks to the Martina & Vic Reyer family for the winning bid!
2018 ELCA Youth Gathering in Houston, TX June 24th ~ July 1st We are praying for Garrett Hein, Casey Jones, Jason Snyder, Jared Wilson & Pastor Bekah who are attending the Youth Gathering this summer.
3051 Putnam Blvd. Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 (925) 934-6114 www.sm-lc.net officeadmin@sm-lc.net Pastor: Bekah Davis Cell: (415) 335-3599 Office Administrator: Cheryl Wight Directors of 2 nd Service Music: Sherry & Mike Doyle Choir Director/Organist: Joyce Porter Weekly Adult Bible Study Please join us for a weekly Bible Study at 10 am on Friday mornings, open to all. We have begun studying the Book of Mark, which is also the focus of the current lectionary. Please contact Lisa Farnitano (lisa.farnitano@gmail.com) or Nicole Coggiola for more information. Martha Circle Study Tuesday, April 3, 2018 ~ 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. We pray for Bob; Glen; Tom; Ed; Jan; Sean; Ryan Joseph; Steve s mom Helen; Gordon s brother Ted; Katherine s friend Cathy; Patti s friend Yvonne; Ron s friend George: and Geoff s family. If you would like to be included in the prayer chain or if you have a prayer request, you can email the office at: officeadmin@sm-lc.net