Third Sunday of Epiphany
Join Us This Sunday
The glory of the Lord is revealed in the reading of scripture. People stand at attention. People weep. People prostrate themselves in prayer. The unity of the church is another reflection of the glory of God. Most gloriously, the promises of God are fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. Gather round. Listen up. Glimpse the glory of God.
9:00 am - Holy Communion with Children's Time - Sanctuary
9:45 pm - Sunday School - School Rooms
10:00 am - Refreshments and Fellowship Hour - Heritage Hall
10:05 am - Adult Forum - Auditorium
10:05 am -Journeys In Faith - Fireside Room
10:05 am - Confirmation - School Rooms
11:00 am - Choral Eucharist Worship Service - Sanctuary
12:15 pm - Refreshments and Fellowship Hour - Heritage Hall
2:00 pm - Night Ministry Training - Fireside Room
4:00 pm - American Bach Soloists Concert - Sanctuary
5:00 pm - Interfaith Shelter - Auditorium
The Adult Forum, This Sunday!
The Adult Forum at 10:05 AM this Sunday will focus on the operating budget and the proposed projects for the capital campaign. This will be an opportunity for you to learn and ask
questions about St. Mark's missions and ministry for the coming year and into the years to come.
St. Mark’s Annual Congregational Meeting-Jan 31 at noon
Members and friends of St. Mark's are encouraged to attend the annual congregational meeting on Sunday, the 31st of January, starting immediately after the 11 o'clock worship service. A quorum is necessary to vote on several important items.
During this meeting the congregational council will present a proposal for the scope of work to be undertaken with the funds raised from the 2016-2019 Capital Fund Drive. There will also be votes to approve the 2016 operating budget and to elect members of the congregational council. The annual report can be viewed here: https://stmarks-sf.squarespace.com/s/2015-Annual-Report-scv7.pdf
Wednesday Worship at 6:45
Come and recharge your batteries mid-week at this 30 minute service.
Silence, candles, Holy Communion, and lovely music will leave you feeling at peace and revitalized for the rest of the week. All are welcome. (Note - the community dinner prior to the service will begin Feb. 17)
White Socks to be delivered to Lutheran Social Services in the Tenderloin
Pr. Elizabeth welcomes parishioners to join her in delivering the donation of socks to the offices of Lutheran Social Services. We will find a convenient time for all interested and arrange for a tour of the LSS offices at 191 Golden Gate Ave. Please speak with Pr. Elizabeth if you are interested in joining her on this field trip. And, thank you to all who donated the socks!
ekdale@stmarks-sf.org or 415 928-7770 ext. 2300
Great news!
The prestigious Olaf Palme Prize is being awarded in Stockholm, Sweden to Pastor Mitri Raheb of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem and Israeli journalist Gideon Levy of Ha'aretz newspaper in Jerusalem, acknowledging "their courageous and indefatigable fight against occupation and violence, and for a future Middle East characterized by peaceful coexistence and equality for all." Check the website www.brightstarsbethlehem.org for more details and to find out how to support Pr. Raheb's outstanding Christian ministry of hope in the Holy land.
IRA Charitable Rollover
Recent law changes have made the 'IRA Charitable Rollover' or 'Qualified Charitable Distribution' permanent. This can help both you and St. Mark's. If you are at least age 70 ½, you can give up to 100,000 per year from your IRA to the church to fulfill your pledge or gift. And, your gift will not be taxed as income. This is a great way to be a generous steward and to be a smart manager of your assets. If you think this option might be helpful for you, please inquire with your financial or tax advisor and they will direct you to the details. Be a smart and generous donor.
Additional Security in the parking lot
We have posted a security person to watch over the upper parking lot on Sundays from 9:00 - 1:00 pm. We have had several unfortunate incidents of car break-ins on Sunday mornings. If you notice any suspicious behavior in the parking lot, please alert the security attendant. Also, please do not leave any valuables in your car or any items visible in your car no matter what time of day or day of the week you are parked in the lot. Thank you for doing your part to keep the Square safe and secure.
Thank you for the Christmas gifts!
The children of Grace Lao Lutheran Church in Richmond wish to sincerely thank the congregation for all the generous and precious gifts donated to us. May the Lord bless you, your families and your ministry abundantly, and of course, every person who bought the gifts for us.
Sincerely on behalf of the children,
Rev. Doris Ng
Numbers 6:24-26
Restoring the Rose Window: A word from the Council President
The rose window on the north side of the church is bowing badly and has places where rain can come in. I find this particularly worrisome considering any leaks from that window can get water on the organ or even worse, in the organ. Since the storms will start (have started) before the council could evaluate the results of the capital campaign and propose projects to be funded, I looked into other ways to mitigate the risk.
The best and most cost effective mitigation is to remove the window and put up a sealed protective barrier, which would be the first steps for restoring the window. Because it is an integral part of a wall that protects a valuable and expensive component of our worship at St. Mark's, I made a proposal, which the council approved, to begin restoring the rose window.
Restoration of the art glass windows is a project we hope to fund with the capital campaign, I am concerned that actions taken before the congregation votes on scope of the capital campaign could seem the council made a premature assumption that the congregation will agree to restore the windows. That is not the case.
The council addressed the rose window only and is using unrestricted funds from bequests and memorials to cover the initial payment to begin work on the rose window. Once it has the results from the capital campaign, the council will prepare a proposal for how to fund the remaining work.
Jeremy McClain
President-St. Mark's Congregational Council
Pictures of St. Mark's Events
We are currently working on updating our website and we would like to include some pictures of St. Mark's members, ministries, and events. Please send any photos to Stefani Lawrence atlawrence@stmarks-sf.org.
Donate Flowers in 2016
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. Please go to http://www.stmarks-sf.org/flower-donations/ to sign up on our online chart. If you are unable to sign up online please call the office (415-928-7770).
The donation is $50 and can be paid via check in the offering plate. Please note "Flowers" in the memo of the check. If you would like to submit your payment online please click on the donate tab on the main page on St. Mark's website and enter your flower donation under the "other" option and write flowers in the box.
What is Journeys in Faith?
We are forming a new group for Journeys in Faith! You are invited to join us. Our Sunday gatherings start shortly after 10AM in the Fireside room. Everyone is welcome to join in! Learn about this opportunity to set aside time this Winter for reflection on our faith and faith community.
Journey with others who are considering joining St Mark's, being baptized, or affirming their baptism. Journeys in Faith is taking a break and will resume on January 10th. All questions
welcome. Contact Liv Beck (beckliv@gmail.com).
Weekly Announcement Inserts
Please click the link below to see the inserts that went into the announcements this week.
Weekly Announcement Inserts
Worship Leaders This Sunday
Director of Music...Dr. Timothy Zerlang
Assisting Ministers...Liv Beck (9); Phil Krikau, Linda Jackson (11)
Lectors...Robert Rathmell (9) Marlo Tellschow (11)
Chalice Bearers...Kimberly Hamilton-Lam, Marisa Lee (9); Andrew Sallach, Viknesh Silvalingam (11)
Acolytes...Astra Varian, Clovis Curl
Sacristan and Altar Guild...Richard Boyle, Ed Chitty Ministry of Welcome...Marisa Lee, Louis Gutierrez, (9) Larry DeSpain (11)
Coffee Hour Chairs...Brandee Marckmann, Bill Mooney, and Kathy Lautz
Next week Coffee Hour Chairs...Diana and Greg Gomez
