TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Widows are visible everywhere in today’s readings. Jesus denounces those scribes who pray impressive prayers but devour widows’ houses. He commends the poor widow who in his view gave far more than the major donors. Jesus doesn’t see her simply as an object of compassion or charity. She, like the widow of Zarephath who shares her last bit of food with Elijah, does something of great importance.
This Sunday at St. Mark's
9:00 am - Holy Communion with Children’s Time - Sanctuary
9:00 am - Endowment Committee Meeting - Break Room
9:50 am - Sunday School - Sunday School Rooms
10:00 am - Refreshments and Fellowship Hour - Heritage Hall
10:00 am - Town Meeting: Should St. Mark’s be a Sanctuary Congregation? - Heritage Hall
11:00 am - Choral Eucharist Worship Service - Sanctuary
12:15 pm - Refreshments and Fellowship Hour - Heritage Hall
12:30 pm - Delegation to El Salvador - Heritage Hall
4:00 pm - Bay Area Choral Guild Concert - Sanctuary
“TOWN MEETING”: SHOULD ST. MARK’S BE A SANCTUARY CONGREGATION?
November 18, 2018
10-10:50am
St. Mark’s Heritage Hall
St. Mark’s is an inclusive congregation, now and in the past.
Our St. Mark’s Mission Statement says...
“St. Mark’s Lutheran Church is a growing Christian community rooted in tradition and open to new expressions. Responding to God’s compassionate love, we reach out in service to the community and the world. With openness of heart and spirit, we welcome all.”
Our Sierra Pacific Lutheran Synod voted in 2017 to be a Sanctuary Synod. We are increasingly aware of the difficult issues for our immigrant friends and neighbors in the community and around the world. We are in a Sanctuary city and partner with several Sanctuary congregations in the city and Bay Area, including two Lutheran Sanctuary congregations, Santa Maria y Santa Marta in San Francisco, and University Lutheran Chapel in Berkeley.
So, should St. Mark’s be a Sanctuary Congregation?
Come and join the conversation on November 18 at 10am in Heritage Hall as we consider the following:
1. What does Sanctuary look like in the 21st century?
2. We are an ELCA AMMPARO Welcoming Congregation. What would be the difference if we were a Sanctuary Congregation?
3. Would we house immigrants or protect them from deportation?
4. What are the legal issues of Sanctuary?
5. Can we work with other Sanctuary Congregations or immigrant resource agencies, or would we be a Sanctuary Congregation alone?
6. What are the financial costs?
7. What are the staffing and volunteering requirements?
Come and join the St. Mark’s Sanctuary Task Force and St. Mark’s members on November 18 at 10am in Heritage Hall as we prayerfully consider these issues.
St Mark’s Sanctuary Task Force
Mary Ritter, Chair
Laura Evenson
Kimberly Hamilton Lam
Jason Jennings
Pastor Ron Moe-Lobeda
Cora Rose
JOYOUS GENEROSITY COMMITMENTS - PLEASE TURN YOUR COMMITMENT IN!
Last Sunday, we joyfully received your commitments toward St. Mark’s ministries in the upcoming year. Our goal is to have everyone participate by sharing their commitment to St. Mark’s ministries. Please bring your commitment card to worship and place it in the offering plate, mail it to the church office, or go on-line and fill out your commitment card on the website - stmarks-sf.org/giveagift/. Every commitment has a direct impact to St. Mark’s ministries and our goal is to have 100% participation!
Thank you, The Stewardship Team
SHARING WITH OUR SISTER CHURCH IN EL SALVADOR
St. Mark’s Delegation in El Salvador - Nov. 20 - 25
Please hold in prayer your brothers and sisters from St. Mark’s traveling to El Salvador to spend time with the congregation of Cordero de Dios Lutheran Church:
Matt, Allana, Clarke and Linnea Helland, Aaron Greig, Liv Beck and Ryan, Jennifer Sun and Wei Lang, Diana and Greg Gomez, John Elford, Mary Ritter, Pastor Elizabeth Ekdale and Hans Hoch. We look forward to sharing our experiences with the congregation during the Adult Forum on Sunday, Dec. 2 at 10:00 am.
We are thinking about ways for the St. Mark’s community to participate in the spirit of sharing and accompaniment that is key to our sister church relationship with Cordero de Dios. We’ve thoughtfully put together a list of items we are bringing to share, and if you have any such items you are looking to repurpose or reuse to give to another family, please bring them to the box located in the Narthex labeled “El Salvador Sharing.” We are collecting through the afternoon of Sunday, Nov 18.
Our wish list includes: Larger luggage (50 lbs capacity, the kind you check) with wheels, Soccer gear for teens and kids (cleats, shin guards, jerseys, etc.), decorative candles in fun colors and styles, pizza-making supplies, and children’s books in both English and Spanish side-by-side (preferably soft-cover). Used items are preferred since this specific project is about sharing more than giving. If you are interested in giving, we also have a very specific medical need for a young woman at Cordero de Dios who is currently hospitalized. For a donation to medical expenses you can write a check to St. Mark’s with “Cordero de Dios Medical” in the memo. Please talk to Mary Ritter (mlrpeds@aol.com) to learn more. Thanks for considering this ministry.
THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO FILLED OUT A TIME AND TALENT SURVEY!
We received over 40 surveys from members and friends of the congregation wanting to share their gifts and skills to support the ministries God has called us to do. We would love to have every member and friend of St. Mark’s to fill out the survey. Your gifts are important and needed.
Once we have compiled and organized the survey, you will hear back from leaders of our different ministry groups inviting you to be involved in specific ministries. Thank you to all. You can fill out the survey on-line on the website:
www.stmarks-sf.org/resources/forms-and-downloads/
INTERFAITH FOOD PANTRY, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17
St. Mark’s members staff this food pantry on several Saturdays throughout the year at Old First Church in SF from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. You could help for any length of time by unloading the food from the truck, setting up the distribution sequence, or handing out food to over 300 people. The next distribution date is Saturday, November 17. Please contact Diana Gomez if you have any questions (dianamrsgomez@mindspring.com).
PROPERTY TEAM DAY SATURDAY DECEMBER 1, 9:00AM-12:00PM
All members of St. Mark’s are invited to join the Team as we hang the Advent Wreath and tackle our ToDo list of minor repairs and cleaning. Enjoy fellowship and treats while we continue our stewardship of this beautiful building. Please contact Tim Bohan if you are able to attend, timelain@pacbell.net 415-6945-9499
DONATE FLOWERS
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. We still have dates available in December for Advent so please sign up!
Your donation can be in memory of a loved one or in honor of a particular occasion. Please go to 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.
NEW TO ST MARK’S? NEW JOURNEYS IN FAITH GROUP FORMING
Information Gathering for New Journeys in Faith Group: November 18. New to St. Mark’s? Thinking about your faith journey and a community to support it? What does it mean to be a member of a church? How do you become a member of St Mark’s?
All are invited to learn about participating in our next Journeys in Faith group. We will meet in the Urban Life Center in the Journeys in Faith room at 10:00 on November 18. For more information, contact Liv Beck (beckliv@gmail.com)
CALLING ALL ANGELS AND SHEPHERDS!
Preparations are underway for the St. Mark’s Christmas Pageant! If you have participated in the past you know it is a great event. If you haven’t, please consider starting a new tradition this year! All families are welcome, and there is a role for everyone!
The Pageant is at 5:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Call time will be 4:00 p.m. Rehearsals are Saturday, December 15 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm (although we will likely stagger the rehearsal so not everyone has to stay the entire time), and Sunday, December 23 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Note this change from previous years! The second rehearsal is on Sunday so we don’t have to break the set down after rehearsal, and to free up that final Saturday of December. We will make sure there is enough food for everyone to eat for lunch.
Please contact Matt Helland (helland@nka.com) if you plan to participate or if you have any questions.
QUARTERLY MINISTRY TEAM LEADER MEETING WITH PASTORS ELIZABETH AND RON
On Nov. 29, we will hold our Ministry Team meeting at 7:00 in the conference room of the Urban Life Center.
All Ministry Leaders are invited to attend to hear about the Annual Vision for Ministry, congregational goals, and governance changes. Please come and meet with other leaders for support and communication.
ST. MARK’S ADVENT AND CHRISTIAN DEVOTION BOOK TO BE DISTRIBUTED ON SUNDAY, DEC. 2
This daily devotional book has a personal devotion and prayer written by a member of St. Mark’s. Each day you can enjoy a devotion as a part of your Advent and Christmas celebrations. Pick one up in worship on Sunday, Dec. 2, the 1st Sunday in Advent.
LITURGICAL CALENDARS TO BE DISTRIBUTED ON SUNDAY, DEC. 2
The new Liturgical calendars will be distributed on Sunday, Dec. 2 so don’t forget to pick one up along with your Advent devotion book.
BERNAL GATEWAY APARTMENTS CHRISTMAS PARTY
For the past few years, St. Mark’s has assisted the staff of Lutheran Social Services with the family Christmas party at Bernal Gateway Apartments (Mission St. and Cesar Chavez St.) by serving at the potluck supper, providing pies for dessert, collecting gifts for the children and youth, and helping with the distribution of gifts. The party this year is on Wednesday, December 12 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. If you are interested in assisting with any facet of this project or would be willing to coordinate this event, please let Pastor Ron know ASAP. In the meantime, a Giving Tree will be set up in Heritage Hall to invite members of St. Mark’s to purchase gifts for the children and youth according to their gender and age.
ELCA GOOD GIFTS
If you are looking for an opportunity to give a Christmas gift in honor of someone in your family, you may want to consider the ELCA Good Gifts Program. Purchase a chicken, a goat, a share of a well, farming tools, school supplies for children, mosquito nets, a share of a start-up for women through this program, etc. Your gift will be used where it is most needed within the wider category of each gift that you have selected. You may go to ELCA.org/goodgifts or call 800-638-3522 for more information and the purchase of a gift(s). A couple of catalogs will be on the table in Heritage Hall for your perusal as well.
DO YOU DAILY TEXT?
You may text every day on your cell phone, but what if you had a text stream that has been going since the year 1731? You would have the Daily Text, bible verses read worldwide for 287 years. The print version has an Old Testament and a New Testament verse plus a prayer for every day of the year. You can order this small book from Greg Gomez for $8.00. Please email me at solresolgomez@mindspring.com, or call me at (415) 533-5203. I have to put in the order by Nov 30, and I will arrange delivery at the church usually before Christmas. Daily Text is also available online.
2019 MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
Our 2019 Membership directory will be in production soon and we want to make sure we have the most up-to date information. Please send any address changes to Stefani at lawrence@stmarks-sf.org by January 2. Thank you!
WORSHIP LEADERS THIS SUNDAY
Director of Music...Dr. Timothy Zerlang
Assisting Ministers...Sharon Reinbott (9); Linda Jackson, Steve Ernst
Lectors...Dianne Velleno (9); Deborah Halladay
Communion Ministers...Beth Dioli, Aaron Greig (9) Geri Bailey, Nadine Robinson (11)
Altar Guild...Sharon Reinbott
Acolytes...Grace Ekdale-Hoch, Tayte Sall
Sacristans...Libby Pfaff
Ushers...Omer Voss (9); Debra Varian, Larry DeSpain (11)
Fellowship Hour Chairs...Barbara Bock
Next Week’s Fellowship Hour Chairs...Nadine Robinson, Kimberly Hamilton-Lam