Join Us This Sunday
9:00 am — Holy Communion with Children’s Time — Sanctuary
10:00 am— Refreshments—Heritage Hall
11:00 am — Choral Eucharist — Sanctuary
11:00 am — Endowment Committee — Fireside Room
12:15 pm — Refreshments & Fellowship Hour— Heritage Hall
1:00 pm — Central Gardens Worship — Church
2:00 pm—SF Night Ministry Open House/ Fundraiser—Conference Room
New Staff!
We are delighted to welcome new people to the St. Mark's staff.
Please welcome Stefani Lawrence as our new Communications/Media coordinator. Stefani has a strong background in fine arts and graphics and will be working on all St. Mark's publications, social media presence, website maintenance and more. She will also serve as the Administrative Assistant in our office. You can contact her at lawrence@stmarks-sf.org;and ext. 2260.
Chiara DeJoy is our new Events Administrator. She will be promoting and booking events, weddings, receptions, and groups in our church space. She will also be maintaining the church calendar - so if you need to reserve a meeting room, contact her directly.
You can reach Chiara at dejoy@stmarks-sf.org. We are working on setting up an extension for her.
We are still completing the interview process for our Finance/Office Manager. We hope to have good news to share soon. In the meantime, please welcome Stefani and Chiara to our church staff.
Sharing our Spiritual Stories
Every Monday from 11:00 - 12:00 in Brockie Lounge at Martin Luther Tower with Pastor Elizabeth. Everyone welcome! Refreshments provided. Monday, June 15th will be the last meeting.
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.
Bakers needed! Interested in making communion bread? This easy recipe is available on the St. Mark's website. Contact Pr. Elizabeth if you are interested in this ministry.
Lenten Box Offering To ELCA Campaign And LSS
Thanks for the "Lenten Box" donations! $1379.11 will be split between the ELCA 25th Anniversary "All Things Made New" Campaign and Lutheran Social Services of Northern California. You have helped the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) and Lutheran Social Services (LSS) do important work in San Francisco, around the country and throughout the world.
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, June 27, Aug. 8, Sept. 26 and Nov. 7.
The time commitment is from 7:30am-10:30am. Visit http://www.stmarks-sf.org/ministries/pantry to sign up or for more information.
Guest Musician
Today we welcome Jonathan Dimmock as our guest musician. Jonathan is known internationally as a recitalist, choral conductor, accompanist, continuo player, ensemble musician and church organist. He is currently the organist for the San Francisco Symphony, and Organist & Choir Director Congregation Sherith Israel (in San Francisco). He has recorded more than 35 CDs and toured widely on five continents. More information is available at www.jonathandimmock.com.
Email Updates
We are in the process of updating our newsletter and electronic announcement mailing system. If you haven’t been receiving the newsletter and weekly announcements and would like to please send your current email address to lawrence@stmarks-sf.org.
Summer Knitting and Crocheting Retreats:
Learn How or Share Your Skills
The knitting and crochet ministry at St. Mark’s will have three retreats this Summer. All are welcome, regardless of your level of experience. If you would like to learn how to knit or crochet, experienced teachers will be on hand to get you started.
At each retreat we will have presentations on different projects created by members of the ministry to serve members of St. Mark’s and the broader community:
June 20th - Prayer Shawls
July 18th - Knitting and Crocheting for the Streets
August 15th - Comfort Knitting and Twiddle Muffs
Each retreat will be in Heritage Hall, from 10 AM to 2 PM. Each participant is encouraged to bring a bagged lunch and a snack to share. Questions should be directed to Knitters@stmarks-sf.org.
These retreats are made possible with the generous support of Thrivent Action Teams.
The Church Directories have arrived!
The long-awaited Pictorial Directories are available today. Thank you for everyone's patience in waiting for the directory.
If you had your picture taken for the directory, you can pick it up today or from the church office.
We have also created a simple directory with names and contact information which is available to everyone.
News from Mt. Cross Lutheran Camp
Registration is now open for summer programs at Mt. Cross! This year's theme, "A Love that Never Ends", centers around discussion of Deuteronomy 6:5 and what it means to love as God loves. Visit the Mt. Cross website to view a list of exciting programming options for children, youth groups, and families: http://www.mtcross.org/#!summer-programs/c3vgÂ
Mt. Cross has also begun hiring staff for the summer of 2015! Camp can be a transformative and rewarding experience for participants and staff alike. Know of anyone 18 years or older who would enjoy working at camp? Please encourage them to apply at: http://www.mtcross.org/#!employment/c1vudoccasion. The donation is $50 and can be paid via check in the offering plate. Please note "Flowers" in the memo of the check.
The Stars Come Out Talent Show/Fundraiser for the Friendship Line,
Sunday, June 14, 2015 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Heritage Hall, St. Mark's Lutheran Church,1111 O'Farrell Street, San Francisco. Come join the fun and help to raise funds for the Friendship Line. We have a tap dancer, dog act, wonderful pianist, clown, singer and possibly even you! And, of course, everyone needs an audience. Purchase tickets for $20 and donate at https://starscomeouttalentshow.eventbrite.com. Institute on Aging's Friendship Line reaches out to older and disabled adults offering emotional support, reassurance, crisis intervention, elder abuse prevention, well-being checks, and information and referral via phone as a lifeline of hope. Thrivent Financial provided seed money for this event. Please contact Judith Dancer at 415-437-7370 x117 or Judith.dancer@thrivent.com to be exhibit your talents-serious or funny!
St. Mark's Endowment Fund Request for Funding Forms Now Available
Dream it! Make it happen! Have an idea for a new ministry? Want to extend our reach doing God's work in San Francisco and around the world? If you can dream it, the Endowment Fund can help to make it happen! The Endowment Committee is delighted to announce that grants up to a total of $3,600 will be given to extend St. Mark's ministries both locally and globally. The 2015 Request for Funding is available on the web at www.stmarks-sf.org/endowment or by emailing endowment@stmarks-sf.org. Copies are also on the table under the window in Heritage Hall. The application deadline is July 19, 2015. Have questions? Need help completing the form? Contact us at endowment@stmarks-sf.com.
Night Ministry Open House
The staff and volunteers of the San Francisco Night Ministry invite you to attend their annual Open House on Sunday, June 14, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Heritage Hall at St. Mark's Lutheran Church. Our Open House provides a time to learn more about Night Ministry in general, and more about the specific programs that are offered. It is also a good time to explore opportunities to volunteer with us, either as a Crisis Line Counselor or a member of our Daytime Volunteer Corps. Meet members of the Night Ministry staff, Governing Board members, and current volunteers. Light refreshments will be served. This event will be followed immediately by a fundraising event (musical variety show) to benefit the Friendship Line, part of the Center for Elder Suicide Prevention and a valuable program of the Institute on Aging. ALL ARE WELCOME! Visit our website for more information on how Night Ministry serves. www.sfnightministry.org.
House Meetings!
The Council is pleased to announce that St. Mark's will begin a series of house meetings this summer and continuing into the fall. Over the last two years the Council participated in three training sessions with Joaquin Sanchez of the Bay Area Organizing Committee. Joaquin taught us valuable skills aimed at strengthening relationships within our congregation. This past February we focused on House Meetings. House Meetings have three purposes: 1) to connect members within the community, 2) to identify talent within the community, and 3) identify growth areas and solutions to issues within the community. Using information gained from the recent Time and Talent survey, ministry team leaders will invite Time and Talent Survey Respondents to participate in house meetings focused at specific ministries? Didn't complete a Time and Talent Survey? Don't worry! Everyone is invited to participate! The first house meeting, focused on Sunday School, will take place Sunday, June 7, at 10:15 a.m. Please contact Lisa Gray atlisabgray@yahoo.com if you wish to participate.
Worship Leaders This Sunday
Guest Musician...Jonathan Dimmock
Assisting Ministers...Ana Hurley (9); Philip Krikau(11)
Lectors...Diana Gomez (9); Bertie Brouhard (11)
Chalice Bearers...Jacqueline Nader (11)
Acolytes...Erika Taylor, Clovis Curl
Ministry of Welcome...Schieber Randall (9); Lew Randell, Viknesh Silvalingam, Rachel Renu (11)
Coffee Hour Chairs...Brandee Marckmann, Bill Mooney, and Kathy Lautz
Next week Coffee Hour Chair...Diana and Greg Gomez