Join Us This Sunday
9:00 am - Holy Communion with Children's Time - Sanctuary
9:45 am - Sunday School - School Rooms
10:00 am - Refreshments and Fellowship Hour - Heritage Hall
11:00 am - Choral Eucharist Worship Service - Sanctuary
12:30pm - Refreshments and Fellowship Hour - Heritage Hall
Festival Epiphany Service
Wednesday, January 6, 7:00 pm
Come and celebrate this ancient festival of the church, Epiphany. The Christmas decorations will still be up for this lovely communion service with special music. Bring white socks and place them under the Christmas tree as your offering alongside the Magi. These socks will be given to the Lutheran Social Services office in the Tenderloin for distribution.
Women's Monthly Study Gatherings
All women are welcome to come and study together at our evening and/or morning Women of the ELCA Gatherings. In January our groups will meet on:
Evening Gathering - January 5 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm in the Fireside Room
All women are invited to come for dessert and fellowship for the first half hour and then discussion until 8:30. This month we will be reading In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming.
Second Tuesday - January 12 from 11:00 am to 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. Our winter study is on the Philippians and our program topic is "Confidence in God's Beginning and Ending."
Third Sunday Bible Study - January 17 from 10:10 to 10:50 in the Conference Room
All women are invited to come for Bible study from the Women of the ELCA's Gather Magazine. Our winter study is on the book of Philippians and our monthly topic is "Confidence in God's Beginning and Ending."
If you have any questions, please contact Suzanne Smith at 415.285.7438 orsuzathome@comcast.net.
Improvements to the St. Mark's Kitchen
Keep an eye out for improvements in the church kitchen in the new year. The old linoleum flooring will be replaced with new tile and some damaged under cabinets will be replaced with more functional stainless steel ones. The work will finish before the Interfaith Winter Shelter returns to St. Marks on January 17. Please be aware that the kitchen will not be available for use on Sunday, January 3 or Sunday, January 10.
If you have questions about anything related to this work please contact Chiara atcdejoy@stmarks-sf.org or 415-928-7770.
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 at lawrence@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).
Adult Forum
Adult Forums will resume on January 10, 2016. Look in the announcements for upcoming topics.
Weekly Announcement Inserts
Please click the link below to see the inserts that went into the announcements this week.
Weekly Inserts
Worship Leaders This Sunday
Director of Music...Dr. Tim Zerlang
Assisting Ministers...Sharon Reinbott (9); Greg Jahnke, Ed Chitty (11) Lectors...Barbara McCormick (9) Cora Lea Rose (11)
Chalice Bearers...Jeremy McClain (9)
Acolytes...ricka Taylor, Nora Hurley
Sacristan and Altar Guild...Richard Boyle, Ed Chitty
Ministry of Welcome...Tina Hogan, Kimberly and David Lam (9) Pam Cheung, Pedro Ospina, Tina Niu, Linda R. Jackson (11)
Coffee Hour Chairs...Nadine Robinson and Kimberly Hamilton-Lam
Next week Coffee Hour Chairs...Andrew Sallach
