Join Us This Sunday
9:00 am Holy Communion with Children's Time - Sanctuary
9:40 am Sunday School Chapel - Conference Room
9:45 am Journeys in Faith Gathering - Fireside Room
10:00 am Sunday School - School Rooms
10:00 am Refreshments - Heritage Hall
10:10 am Adult Forum: Dennis Frado - Auditorium
11:00 am Choral Eucharist - Sanctuary
12:15 pm Refreshments & Fellowship Hour - Heritage Hall
1:00 pm Central Gardens Worship - Central Gardens
Adult Forum
Feb. 8—Dennis Frado, Lutheran Office of World Community
Dennis Frado is the Director of the Lutheran Office of World Community, a ministry of the ELCA which represents the Lutheran World Federation at the United Nations in New York. He will be speaking about his recent delegation to Palestine/Israel with Bishop Eaton, and opportunities for our community and the ELCA to be effective advocates for peace and justice in the Holy Land.
Feb. 15—Pastor Elizabeth’s Ecumenical Pilgrimage Report
Pastor Elizabeth will have just returned from the Ecumenical Pilgrimage Journey with ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton. Come and hear about their visits with ecumenical partners in England, Geneva and Rome while Bishop Eaton serves as an ambassador for the ELCA both in the United States and abroad.
Pastor Elizabeth on Pilgrimage
Pastor Elizabeth travels from Geneva to Rome on February 8, and will return home next weekend. If you’d like to check out her itinerary and see photos from her trip, visit the St. Mark’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stmarkssf. If you haven’t already “followed” or “liked” us on Facebook, please take a moment to do so!
Women’s Monthly Study Gatherings
All women are welcome to come and study together at our Women of the ELCA Gatherings. Coming this week is our Second Tuesday gathering on February 10 from 11:00 am-1:00 pm in the Fireside Room All women are invited to come for study at 11:00 and then at noon to eat their sandwich or salad and share fellowship. Drinks and dessert will be provided. This year our focus will be on Transforming Life and Faith by Carol Scheersten LaHurd and our program topic for February is “Making Conversion Last”.
Meeting About Detroit National Youth Gathering, July 15-19
High school youth and parents are invited to a meeting on Sunday, Feb. 15th at 12:30 pm in Heritage Hall about the ELCA Youth Gathering this summer in Detroit. For more details, please visit http://www.elca.org/youthgathering or contact Pastor Bekah.
Lent Begins on February 18, Ash Wednesday
Please join us for Ash Wednesday worship at 12:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Both services will offer the Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion. There will be no Wednesday supper on that day. Childcare will be available at the 7:00 pm service.
Next SMOP Outing: John McLaren Park, Sun., Feb. 22nd
Join SMOP for the next hike at San Francisco’s second largest park! The carpool will depart from the upper parking lot at 1:00 pm to explore Yosemite Marsh, the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, and the Redwood Grove. Please bring food to share for a picnic during the hike. Contact Pastor Bekah for more details.
Loyalty Awards Program Coordinator for St. Mark's
We are looking for a volunteer to coordinate and promote eScrip and other customer loyalty programs to support St. Mark's ministries. The coordinator will help to encourage St. Mark's friends and members to sign up with these loyalty programs and designate St. Mark's as a recipient. St. Mark's receives a small percentage of money from the purchases made with these specific merchants. Interested? Please speak with Pr. Elizabeth for details.
Career Opportunity with Thrivent Financial
Are you interested in exploring a new career? Thrivent Financial is looking to grow its team here in San Francisco and is seeking to have a conversation with those interested in joining the organization. Greg Jahnke & Judith Dancer from Thrivent will be hosting a “Taste of Thrivent” at the Hotel Vitale on Thursday, Feb 12th from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. This will be a social gathering to learn about opportunities with the Thrivent community. Light food and refreshments will be served. To reserve please RSVP to Jo Zemke at 415-437-7370 x211 or email jo.zemke@thrivent.com. Finally, we encourage you to bring an interested friend or others seeking work.
Interfaith Food Pantry
Each year, St. Mark's — along with several other churches — rotates on a weekly basis to distribute food to the needy at Old First Presbyterian Church (1751 Sacramento Street near Van Ness Avenue.) We are looking for at least 12 volunteers for each session to help. The dates for 2015 are Saturdays March 28, May 9, June 27, Aug. 8, Sept. 26 and Nov. 7. The time commitment is from 7:30am-10:30am. Please contact Mary Ritter (mlrpeds@aol.com) or John Elford (jbruceelford@gmail.com) for more information.
Give Thrivent Choice Dollars® to St. Mark’s Now!
Thrivent Financial members: Please take a moment to direct your Choice Dollars to St. Mark’s. Thrivent just posted your Choice "earnings" through December. Our Thrivent members at St. Mark's recently had $2,000 available to donate!! Whether you have $10 or $20 or $200, please donate now! You can check your Choice balance and donate online or by calling 800-THRIVENT (800-847-4836) and saying "Thrivent Choice." Contact Omer Voss with questions at omervoss@prodigy.net.
Next SMART Outing: Ai Weiwei’s @Large on Sat., Feb 28th
The Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is internationally renowned for work that defies the distinction between art and activism. In this exhibition of new works created specifically for Alcatraz, Ai responds to the island’s layered legacy as a 19th-century military fortress, a notorious federal penitentiary, a site of Native American heritage and protest, and now one of America’s most visited national parks. Revealing new perspectives on Alcatraz, the exhibition raises questions about freedom of expression and human rights that resonate far beyond this particular place. Ai's sculpture, sound, and mixed-media installations occupy four locations in the former prison: the New Industries Building; a group of cells in A Block; the Hospital; and the Dining Hall. See Pr. Bekah for more details and ticket information.
Donate Flowers in 2015
The 2015 Flower donation chart is posted in the hallway across from the church kitchen. St. Mark's members and friends can sign up to donate flowers for the chancel on a Sunday by placing your name on the chart for the Sunday you wish. Your donation can be in memory of a loved one or in honor of a particular occasion. The donation is $50 and can be paid via check in the offering plate. Please note "Flowers" in the memo of the check.
Housing Needed
A friend of St. Mark’s, a quiet professional, is in need of immediate short or long term housing in San Francisco (or the Peninsula/East Bay). She can be reached at (415) 730-6475.
Worship Leaders for this Sunday
Assisting Ministers...Sharon Reinbott (9); Phil Krikau, Linda Jackson (11)
Lectors...Debby Halladay (9); Barbara Bock (11)
Chalice Bearers...Robert Rathmell, Lin Cerles (9); Suzanne Smith, Cora Rose (11)
Acolytes...Erika Taylor
Welcome Ministry...Randy Schieber, Tapio Boles (9); Lew Randall, Rachel Letchumanan, Viknesh Silvalingam (11)
Refreshment Hour Chairs...Coffee Hour Committee #1