St. Mark s Newsletter The Reminder April 26, 2017 Worship Schedule +++ Women of St. Mark s are Invited to a Celebration on May 14, 3pm, Family Life Center May 7 4 Easter 2017 Woman of the Year Nominations Accepted until April 30 May 14 5 Easter Mother s Day Each year the St. Mark s Women of the ELCA elect a Woman of the Year who will be recognized at the celebration on May 14. Any woman in our congregation is eligible for the award. Please give your nomination letter to Ginger Carpenter with the reasons why you believe your nominee should be given the designation. May 21 6 Easter May 28 7 Easter June 4 Day of Pentecost Thankoffering Camp Sending Graduation Recognition June 11 The Holy Trinity Homecoming Sunday One Service Gigi Sigmon presented Judy Carpenter the 2016 Woman of the Year award. Mother s Day Bulletin Insert Dedications Due by May 7 The Women of the ELCA will again host a Mother's Day Bulletin Insert honoring and remembering mothers on May 14. The cost is $1 for each woman. Please put your donation and dedication information in an envelope and mark it Mother's Day. Women of the ELCA Study is Tuesday, May 16 May s theme is You Are Not Alone presenting 10 reflections from 10 diverse women of many generations sharing what it means to trust God, who knows us completely with our joys and our struggles. The study meets in the lounge at 11am. +++ Younger than Springtime Lunch on Tuesday, May 16 Sunday Mornings The Younger than Springtime group goes out to lunch after the Women of the ELCA study. All are welcome to join them! 8:15 am Contemporary 9:20 am Sunday Brew 9:30 am Sunday School 10:30 am Traditional Quilting Group meets on Tuesdays from 10am until noon The quilting group meets every Tuesday (except for when the Women of the ELCA study meets). Join them for quilting and fellowship at the Quilting Mission on Main Street, next the to the church. Homecoming Sunday with Pastor Josh Tucker is June 11 St. Mark s honors its 130th anniversary this year with Homecoming Sunday. Call family and friends and invite them to celebrate! There will be one service on June 11 at 10am with Pastor Joshua Tucker preaching. Following the worship service, there will be bouncy houses for the children and fellowship for adults. Lunch will include barbeque, hot dogs, and all the fixings. Congregation members are asked to bring a dessert to share. 1
What Are Your Children and Youth Doing This Summer? Summer Camp at Lutheridge and Lutherock: June 4 August 5, 2017 Camp Opportunities through Novus Way Summer Camp at Lutheridge (Arden, NC) or Lutherock (Newland, NC) begins the week of June 4 10 and runs through the summer ending the week of July 30 - August 5. The program costs and descriptions can be found at www.novusway.com. Scholarships to send your child to a Lutheran camp! St. Mark s pays $150 towards registration and another $150 is available through the Alec Calvin Sigmon Memorial Camp Scholarship. Hooray for Summer! The BEST season of the whole year. And we are preparing the BEST week of each child s summer! That means: Activities you cannot do during the school year Playing outside from morning until night! Catching fireflies, roasting marshmallows Making new friends and hating to say good-bye Silly skits and songs, games galore! Bible stories that come to life New skills and adventures: make a craft or climb a mountain! Counselors who model Jesus: always watching, teaching, and caring. Providing for faith formation of young people as well as leadership development for the Christian church. Grades 1-2: First Camp Half Week Program or First Camp Full Week Program with special themed weeks for the 4th of July, Music and Christmas Week (Lutheridge only). Grades 3-5: Pioneers with special themed weeks for the 4th of July, Music and Christmas Week, Pathfinders, Mountaintop Pioneers, Crazy Cool Campout and Pony Express weeks. Grades 6-8: Nite Owl Explorers, Paddlers, High in the Sky, Fire & Water, Nite Elf Explorers, Horseback Explorers, Rock & Raft, Hammock Hangout, Surf & Turf, Cave & Wave, Cycle & Zip, Grandfather Mountain Excursion, Canopy Adventures, Whitewater/ Backpack, Blue Ridge Expeditions and more! Grades 9-12: Asheville Adventure, Nite Owl Mountaineers, High in the Sky, Waveriders, Rock & Raft, Surf & Turf, Camp Summershine, Cave & Wave, Appalachian Adventures, Cycle -N-Zip, Cross Training Weeks, Hilltop Summershine and more! Alec Calvin Sigmon Memorial Camp Scholarship You are Invited to Donate to the Alec Calvin Sigmon Memorial Camp Scholarship In October 2014, we tragically lost Alec Sigmon in a car accident. We still miss him, and invite you to continue to pray for the family. Alec loved camp particularly Lutherock. The family has designated that memorial funds given, and those that continue to be given in his memory, be specifically given as camping scholarships. The total amount per camper to be given once per year is $150. Please contact the church office or see the 2017 Yearbook for more details about the Alec Calvin Sigmon Memorial Camp Scholarship. 2
Lutheroad Day Camp June 12 16, 2017 Trinity Village & Lutheridge Offer Lutheroad Day Camp When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. Isaiah 43:2 Lutheroad Day Camp is for children, ages 5-12, as well as seniors who live at Trinity Village. The camp provides the two groups with opportunities to learn and grow together in faith. Counselors from Camp Lutheridge, together with staff members from Trinity Village, will lead campers in music, arts and crafts, Bible study, and nature programs. All staffers bring a great love of children and contagious enthusiasm for sharing their faith. Having cool college kids witness to the power of Jesus love in their lives leaves a lasting impression. Add in the special relationships formed with caring, older adults, and your child is certain to have a week they will long remember. A Family Faith Fest will be held Thursday evening for parents and friends. Campers and counselors will share what they have learned and perform alongside the seniors. The cost is $115 per child. A limited number of scholarships are available. Please contact Marchetta Campbell (828-328-2006) for more information. Registration deadline is June 1. Brochures are available at the sanctuary doors and in the Parish Hall. 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering June 27 July 1, 2018 Early Bird Registration is September 15 November 15, 2017 Every three years, 30,000 high school youth and their adult leaders gather for a week of faith formation known as the ELCA Youth Gathering. Through days spent in interactive learning, worship, Bible study, service and fellowship, young people grow in faith and are challenged and inspired to live their faith in their daily lives. The theme for the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering is This Changes Everything. The primary scripture will be Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. Grace is a foundational and distinctive piece of the Lutheran faith. This gift, undeserved and freely given, changes lives and perspectives as people realize they are enough because of what Christ has done and are called into the world to serve their neighbor and share the good news. The logo incorporates the coming together of a mosaic to reflect the diverse host city of Houston, as well as the idea that we are a church where all are imperfect and incomplete, yet we each belong in and have an important place in God s masterpiece. The cross at the center of the logo is the focus it is God s grace, through Christ s life, death and resurrection, that changes everything for all people. In her book Woo: Awakening Teenagers Desire to Follow in the Way of Jesus, Morgan Schmidt identifies the three central desires of teens. All youth desire: Someone to become Somewhere to belong Something to do that changes the world The Gathering seeks to be a ministry that helps to open up pathways of discovery. Ultimately, we want youth to understand the fierce love that God has for them, just as they are, and that by grace, through faith, they have been saved. When young people (or really any age person!) truly claim this reality, it indeed changes everything. 3
Congregation Announcements Welcome to Our New Members On Sunday, April 23, we welcomed new members: Lisa Carrigan, and Rev. Richard & Nancy Schroeder. Lisa is married to Doug Carrigan. She started attending St. Mark s with her cousin, Gigi Sigmon, and appreciates how welcome everyone made her feel. Lisa is interested in learning more about St. Mark s quilting mission. Interests she enjoys with her husband are tractor pulls and tractor restoration. Lisa has a daughter and two sons. Rev. Richard & Nancy Schroeder moved here from Cincinnati, Ohio. Nancy enjoys the Women of the ELCA Bible study as well as playing bridge with friends. Richard was ordained in 1998 as an ELCA pastor and serves as an interim pastor in an area congregation. They have two sons and two granddaughters. Baby Shower for the Blossoms Sunday, May 7 in the Family Life Center Please join us in celebrating the upcoming birth of Luke Alexander Blossom, son of Emma Grace (Sigmon) and Nick Blossom! 4 This is a drop-in, book-themed baby shower held in the Family Life Center from 11:30-2pm on Sunday, May 7 right after the late service. Instead of a card, please bring your favorite children s book. Make sure you sign the inside so that Luke can cherish your gift. The family is also registered at Babies 'R' Us and Target. There will be plenty of food. This is not a womanonly event men and children are welcome. Hostesses are the Sigmon girls: JoAnna, Mary Catherine, Brittany, and Melanie. Thank You! Thanks to all who volunteered their time for Passion Sunday, Seder Meal, Children at Christ s Table, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil, two Easter services, Easter breakfast, and a memorial meal. We could not have done it without you! ~ Pastor Gary Thanks for your Support! Thanks for your cards, meals, and visits during my recent illness. Your support was really appreciated! ~ Gigi Sigmon Holy Baptism of Brendan McCartney Miller On Sunday afternoon, April 23, Pastor Haddock officiated at the baptism of Brendan McCartney Miller. Brendan, born March 31, 2016, is the son of Patrick & Brandi Miller and brother of Lennon. Grandparents are Michael & Patricia Miller and Winston Small. Daniel & Sarah Locke To Graduate From Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary on May 20 Native son, Daniel Locke, and spouse, Sarah will graduate from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary on May 20. Daniel and Sarah got married in 2015 then spent a year in Malaysia. While there, Sarah completed her internship at Luther House Chapel, and Daniel worked in a pastoral capacity with a Bangsor Lutheran Church. In 2016, the couple returned to complete their final year at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. Thank You for the Meal! Special thanks to Food Group One for the delicious meal following the memorial service for Arny on April 15. Your kindness meant a great deal to us! We also thank Pastor Haddock for officiating and Pastor Christ for assisting in the memorial service. ~ Miriam Neumaier and family
Stewards of God s Love: ELCA World Hunger s 40 Days of Giving DOWN OUT OUT For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Matthew 25:35 IN More than $4008 was donated by the St. Mark s congregation for ELCA World Hunger s 40 Days of Giving Campaign. Thanks for your generosity! DOWN, IN, AND OUT: LOVING GOD AND LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR When we practice stewardship in this way we are making the sign of the cross. God makes the first vertical line DOWN; we follow by moving IN to the center and then OUT to our neighbors on either side, both near and far. We form a cross with our lives and through our faith, we are marked with the cross of Christ forever. From the Support Team: Over the last year, a ministry team has been highlighted in the second edition of the newsletter and in the fourth Sunday of the month bulletin. There is one more ministry team left. We will not feature a team during the month of April. May: Witness Team. 2017 NC Synod Assembly June 2-3 in Greensboro Women of the ELCA Annual Gathering June 23 25 at Lenoir Rhyne Pastor Gary, along with St. Mark s representatives, Nicky & Evelyn Setzer, will attend NC Synod Assembly. This is the official annual gathering of the NC Synod of the ELCA for the purpose of conducting business as well as gathering for worship, learning and fellowship. Go to the website for more information: www.nclutheran.org. On June 23-25, each Congregational Unit of Women of the ELCA is invited to send a voting member, and as many participants who wish to attend, to the NC Women of the ELCA Annual Gathering at Lenoir Rhyne University in Hickory. The theme is Commissioned To Go Love, Serve, Pray, Proclaim, Give. Registration forms are available at the sanctuary doors. Contact Tamarah Hefner with questions or online: www.ncwelca.org. Helen Albert Brown (April 21), Mother of Cheryl Brown Edith Hager Williams (April 5), Sister-in-law of Norman Morrow Gregory Scott Ramsey (March 24), Friend of the Congregation Arnold Arny Neumaier (March 15) Husband of Miriam Sigmon Neumaier 5
Congregation Council Minutes from March 20, 2017 Call to Order Opening Prayer Roll Call - Present, Pastor Gary Haddock, Terry Hefner, Gigi Sigmon, Tanya Stephenson, Angela Brown, Kerri Nash, Michael Korn, Teresa Rozzelle, Edie Connor, Scott Ramsey, Cathy Sigmon Absent: Nicky Setzer, Carol Schaeffer - both excused. Approval of Minutes from March Meeting Pastor s Report Pastor John Mocko, Director for Mission of the NC Synod inquired if St. Marks would be interested in participating in the Forward Together Emphasis through the Synod. Pastor Gary will speak to Pastor Mocko about that option. Synod Assembly registration is now open at a discount before April 15, and the need for 2 delegates from St. Marks was noted to be recruited. The spot lighting on the altar will be changed, and other changes are to be made as per Property Team recommendation and approval. Action Item: A motion was made to nominate and approve Brianna Bumgarner, Kiersten Bohn, Gina Schaefer for the Lenoir Rhyne University Martin Luther Fellow Scholarship. Motion seconded and passed. Finance Report Review the current status all bills are paid and up to date. A review of all our accounts was presented to the Council. All is in order, and will be reported to the congregation in the newsletter. Team Reports NCD No report Learning Verbal report. The team is pleased with Katie Hamaan s work. Witness and Social 99 pounds of food donated. Support verbal report on plans for this fall. A 4- week program will be conducted with the use of video, and tailored for our congregation. Technology no report Youth no report Congregational Care Written report a new Congregation Care List will be published soon. Property no report. Worship & Music Action Item: On recommendation of the Worship and Music Team a motion made to approve an additional four more weeks of practice with pay for Myra Long given the needs for Chancel Choir music for the Christmas and Easter cycles (24 weeks of practice rather than the current 20 weeks of practice). Motion seconded and passed. Fellowship Plans for food for Homecoming were reviewed, and Easter Breakfast need for volunteers was noted. Preschool Registration for next year is open with a few openings available. Memorial no report Global Missions 40 Days of Giving, with the goal of raising $4000 for World Hunger continues through Lent, and will include proceeds from the Easter Breakfast. Personnel no report. W-ELCA no report Men in Mission no report Old Business - The sound panel design, approval and installation for the Nave are still a work in progress. Nicky Setzer will present several options for the Task Group made up of Pat Kale, Paul Gibson, Nicky Setzer, Terry Hefner, and Pastor Haddock. New Business Adjournment and Lord s Prayer St. Mark s Directory Updates Let us know of corrections and updates (lisa@smarklc.org or 828-459-2161) for the church directory: Betty Campbell, 3343 E. Calvin Street, Claremont (Betty is home from Catawba Valley Assisted Living). Lisa Carrigan, 5641 Bolick Rd, Claremont, NC 28610 (828-228-0145) Rev. Richard & Nancy Schroeder, 4268 Holly Circle NE, Conover, NC 28613 (R: 517-404-0709 & M: 517-404-7409) 6
Financial Update In Memory Of None Received In Memory Of None received Memorial & Honoraria Gifts to St. Mark s In Honor of: None received Memorial & Honoraria Gifts to St. Mark s Preschool In Honor Of: None received Memorial & Honoraria Gifts to Alec Calvin Sigmon Memorial Camp Scholarship In Memory Of Arny Neumaier by Sue Karen Falls Arny Neumaier by Barry & Kathy Whisnant Arny Neumaier by Sarah Hayes Arny Neumaier by Thomas & Arlene Hedrick Arny Neumaier by Glenn & Gaye Morrison Arny Neumaier by Elaine Brooks Worship Attendance: In Honor Of: None received 4/9-170 Holy Thursday - 52 Good Friday - 64 Easter Vigil - 33 Easter Sunrise - 169 Easter Worship - 96 4/23-115 Ministry Financial Update as of March 31, 2017 Reported as of March 31 March Year to Date General Fund Receipts $28,522.88 $79,721.89 Expenses (includes payable) $30,940.86 $86,970.14 Spring and Summer Calendar Highlights Red Cross Blood Drive on May 8 Red Cross Blood Drive (May 8) Mother s Day and Women of the ELCA Celebration (May 14) Memorial Day (May 29) NC Lutheran Synod in Greensboro (June 2-3) Pentecost Sunday & Thankoffering (June 4) Camp Sending & Graduation Recognition (June 4) Homecoming Sunday (June 11) Lutheroad Day Camp (June 12 16) Pastor Gary out of country (June 12-26) Father s Day (June 18) Women of the ELCA Gathering at Lenoir Rhyne (June 23 25) Independence Day (July 4) Campfirmation at Lutherock (July 16 22) Rally Day at Kermit s Park (August 27) The next blood drive at St. Mark s will be held in the Family Life Center on May 8, 2:30-7pm. Please contact the church office for an appointment or online: redcrossblood.org. Forty-one pints were donated at the Red Cross Blood Drive on March 13. 7
St. Mark s Lutheran Church P.O. Box 550 3216 West Main Street Claremont, NC 28610 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED NON-PROFIT ORG. Permit #2 U.S. Postage P A I D Claremont, NC Church Staff Pastor Gary Haddock: Senior Pastor gsh@elca.org (828-781-3060) Pastor Paul Christ: Associate for Pastoral Care paulernestchrist@yahoo.com (828-409-4681) Myra Long: Choir Director, Organist, Int. Praise Team Leader longmyra@ymail.com (704-213-7623) Katie Hamann: Interim Youth Leader katie@smarklc.org (828-459-2161) Randyl Abernathy: Preschool Director stmarkspreschool@charter.net (828-459-2873) Lisa Underwood: Church Secretary lisa@smarklc.org (828-459-2161) Karen Hunt: Financial Secretary karen@smarklc.org (828-459-2161) Mike Baker: Church Sexton (828-459-2161) 8 Newsletter Mailing The next mailing of the St. Mark s Reminder will be on May 10. Please have information for the newsletter to the church office by Thursday, May 4. Congregation Council Meeting Council will hold its next meeting at 6pm on May 15. Church Office Hours Mon - Thu, 8:30am - 4:00pm; Fri, 8:30am - 12:30pm Follow Us Online St Marks Lutheran Church...Claremont stmarksclaremc smarklc.org Vol. 7, No. 8 4-26-17