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FOOD FOR THOUGHT: What Our Youth Are Wondering About... and What We Can Learn From Them
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| On Sunday night, SMAC (St. Mark's Active / Adventurous Christians) - also known as our Youth Group - gathered in the basement. After enjoying sandwiches from Potbellies, Deane Johnson and I invited the youth to write down any questions they had about God, the Church, Jesus, Friends, or School and put them anonymously in the "Ask-it Basket." Each question was read out loud and honest and respectful conversation took place. I was so struck by their thoughtfulness, their curiosity and their wisdom, that I wanted to share their questions with you (I asked their permission first):
- How is it possible to create planet / the earth in 7 days?
- Did God create humans?
- Should we have to believe all the stories in the Bible are true?
- What should we feel we can trust our friends with (problems, secrets, troubles)?
- H ow much should we be exposed to news about the world?
 As witnesses to baptism, we are asked, "Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ?" I entered into this evening of conversation with our youth group with my affirmative answer to this baptismal question in mind. But as the evening went on, I realized that our youth are doing all in their power to support us in our life in Christ as well. In part, this realization came out of the seriousness of our conversation but it was what happened next that made it really clear. . . .
At the end of our "Ask-it Basket" conversation, we had some time left in our evening - and some energy to burn off. So, we went scavenging in the undercroft looking for "better furniture" for the youth room.  What they found surprised me - though perhaps it shouldn't have! Instead of furniture for themselves, they found an old wooden table and small chairs and decided these would make a great addition to the parlor so that the "little kids would have a place to sit during coffee hour." The youth asked, "Can we clean these and put them upstairs?" And, of course, I said "yes!" All of us are called to do everything in our power to support one another in our life in Christ. Sometimes it takes our youth to remind us of that calling!
- Pastor Debra+
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Worship
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In the baptismal covenant, we are asked, "Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?" and we respond, "I will, with God's help."
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Fifth Sunday of Easter: Acts 8:26-40; 1 John 4:7-21; John 15:1-8
"The poor shall eat and be satisfied and those who seek the LORD shall praise him:
'May your heart live forever!'" - Psalm 22:25
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This Sunday's Lay Ministers
Thank you to the following parishioners for sharing their time and talent with the congregation this week. If you would like to become involved, please contact Pastor Debra at 847-732-9564 or [email protected].
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Lector: Dorothy Szczepaniak & Casmir Szczepaniak
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Eucharistic Ministers: Motoko Maegawa & Byron Scott
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Acolytes: Wesley Urbanowski, Bruce Gaede, Mickey Loewenstein
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Eucharistic Visitors: Allison Ashley & Milner Seifert
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Altar Guild: Trish Barr & Rachel Easton
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Altar Flowers: Ellie Bergman
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Vestry Persons of the Day: Motoko Maegawa & Ted Richardson
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Ushers: Marion Macbeth, Dorothy Laudati, Richard Forst
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Coffee Hour Snacks: Last names beginning with
A - C
- Welcoming New Worshippers: All the People of St. Mark's!
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Acolyte Retreat
On Saturday, May 2 from 10 a.m. - noon all Acolytes and those who are interested in becoming an Acolyte, are invited to attend this mini-retreat with Bruce Gaede and Pastor Debra. We will practice processions, setting the table for communion, and answer any questions you might have. Please let Bruce Gaede know if you will be attending, [email protected] or 847-274-0541.
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United Thank Offering: Blue Boxes
If you would like a UTO collection box, they are at the back of the sanctuary on the table. Please return filled boxes on Pentecost Sunday - May 24th. Envelopes for checks made payable to the UTO will be available on May 24th as well. For more information about the UTO, visit
https://uto2014.wordpress.com/
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Christian Formation
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Lifelong Christian faith formation is important for lifelong growth in the knowledge, service and love of God as followers of Christ. Regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey, no matter what season of life you are in, you are invited to enter into a prayerful of continuous learning.
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 Children's Formation
On Sunday mornings from 9:30 - 10:15, children (ages 3 - 12) are invited to take part in small groups that include Bible reading and response through arts and crafts, games, and other activities. There are three classes and this week's leaders are: Liz McElhatton / Ellie Bergman (ages 3 - 5), Deane Johnson / Beth Johnson (ages 6 - 8), John Lucadamo / Lori Goede (ages 9 - 11).
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The Work of the Holy Spirit
St. Mark's Seminarian, Scott Sumner, is only with us through Pentecost. Come and take advantage of what he has to share with our community by joining in a lively Bible-based discussion around ways in which the Holy Spirit works in and through the life of St. Mark's. The conversation will take place in the Old Library (next to Pastor Debra's office) from 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. on Sunday mornings, May 10, and May 17.
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Older Adult Challenges & Caring for the Caregiver
If You are of an Age...or Have a Loved One Who is....What you Should Know. Yes, this should cover everyone! Kate Curler of Curler Law and Steve Steiber, Ph.D. of Creative Care Management will join us on Sunday, May 3 from 9:30 - 10:15 in Bethlehem Chapel to discuss issues of aging:
- The importance of disability planning and advocacy;
- Medicaid planning;
- Veteran's benefits;
- The new DNR - POLST
- Making what you want to happen...happen.
And please bring your own questions about aging well...and being well-prepared for aging. Hope you'll join us!
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Fellowship
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Where are you today? Lonely and afraid? Joyful and confident? Somewhere in between? Wherever you are in your journey of faith, know that there is a place for you here, companionship for the journey in this community gathered.
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?? Music Night??
If it's Wed
nesday Night it's Music Night at St. Mark's! Who will be the composer of the month? What will be the instrument of the fortnight? Will the
re be a quote of the week? Come and find out! Associate for Music Ministries, David Plank, leads "Music Night."
People with any level of musical background-even those with no music experience-are welcome to come upstairs to the choir room on Wednesday night from 6:00-7:30. Younger children, starting at age five, are welcome to join with all ages from 6:00-6:30. Youth and adults can come (or continue) from 6:30-7:30. Please contact David with any questions you may have at
[email protected].
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This Week at Saint Mark's
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Wednesday, April 29
11:00 a.m.
Wednesday Lunch,
St. Mark's
6:00 p.m.
Music Night,
Choir Room
Thursday, April 30
7:30 p.m.
Choir Rehearsal,
Choir Room
Saturday, May 2
10:00 a.m.
Acolyte Retreat,
Sanctuary
Sunday, May 3
8:00 a.m.
Holy Eucharist,
Lady Chapel
9:30 a.m.
Children's Formation,
Classrooms
9:30 a.m.
Adult Formation,
Bethlehem Chapel
10:30 a.m.
Holy Eucharist
with Music,
Sanctuary
12 Noon
Hand Bell Choir Rehearsal,
Balcony
1:00 p.m.
Social Justice & Outreach Team Meeting,
Bethlehem Chapel
6:15 p.m.
Confirm not Conform,
St. Matthew's
Tuesday, May 5
6:00 p.m.
Wednesday Lunch Packing,
St. Mark's
7:30 p.m.
InterPlay Class,
Cunningham Hall
Wednesday, May 6
11:00 a.m.
Wednesday Lunch,
St. Mark's
6:00 p.m.
Music Night,
Choir Room
8:00 p.m.
Evanston English Country Dancers,
Cunningham Hall
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| April 5 Sandra Howard April 6 Liz McElhatton April 7 Ellie Bergman April 9 Caroline Frowe Dan Whitmore April 10 Bob Barr April 11 Holly Yanaga Kendra Johnson April 16 Jeremy Greene April 18 Samuel Najem April 20 Owen Baker April 21 David Plank April 23 Rudy Burke Tim Himrod
April 28
Dick Brooks
Holly Benz
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April 10
Clark and Nasim Alexander
April 19
Gary and Liz McElhatton
April 26
Michael Schoen and Nathan Waller
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Social Justice & Outreach Opportunities
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St. Mark's continues its commitment to our community through its many social justice and outreach activities. Following are ways in which you can get involved with the St. Mark's community in helping to create a better world.
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| Spring Into Action: Impacting Homelessness in Evanston On Monday, May 11 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 1417 Hinman Avenue, Evanston join Pastor Debra (Chair of the Advocacy Committee of Interfaith Action of Evanston), Jim Picchetti (State Organizer for Chicago Coalition for the Homeless) and Sue Loellbach (Director of Development for Connections for the Homeless) for Interfaith Action of Evanston's Spring Gathering. This gathering will be a facilitated conversation about how advocacy work can enhance the direct service work that we already provide throughout our community to our homeless neighbors. Please come and be a part of the conversation - and be a part of the action! For more information, contact Pastor Debra at [email protected]. |
| Social Justice & Outreach Team Meeting St. Mark's Social Justice & Outreach Team will meet in Bethlehem Chapel on Sunday, May 3 at 1 PM. Anyone who wants to get involved in our outreach programming is welcome to attend! |
|  Midweek Lunch Program Volunteers! Lunches are being packed on Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m. in Cunningham Hall. Lunches are being served on Wednesdays (volunteers are asked to arrive by 10:45 and stay until 1 p.m.). If you're interested in volunteering, please sign-up here:
For more information, contact Community Engagement Coordinator, Jacqui Zeng at [email protected]. |
Keeping God's People Safe Training
St. Mark's and
The Diocese of Chicago is committed to doing everything in its power to maintain a safe and supportive atmosphere for the children and adults who are members of its congregations, attend its programs or participate in its ministries. To foster a secure environment, we have developed Keeping God's People Safe, a two-level workshop training program that sensitizes all of those who work with children in our church to the dangers of child sexual abuse and teaches them to recognize and prevent situations in which abuse or exploitation might occur. Level one, called Protecting God's People, is required for all clergy, paid employees, those who provide pastoral services, and all persons - volunteer or paid - who work with children or youth or vulnerable adults. This training will be offered by Pastor Debra at St. Mark's on
Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. - noon
. There is no cost to attend, but you must RSVP to [email protected] so that we have an accurate headcount. This training is required every 5 years. If you are not sure if you should attend, please speak with Pastor Debra.
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Social Media and St. Mark's 
If you have your mobile device it would be good if you put it on silent when in worship. But if anything in Sunday's service - a prayer, reading, hymn or the sermon-moves you, please feel free to tweet it or post it to Facebook #StMarkEvanston. While you're at it, "check-in" with us on Foursquare!
St. Mark's website has up-to-date information on all that's new at St. Mark's - including a current calendar of events - check it out at http://www.stmarksevanston.org. Also, we are on Facebook and Twitter! Find us at http://www.facebook.com/StMarkEvanston and follow us @StMarkEvanston.
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In The Community
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God calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Loving finds all of its meaning in relationship. The following are opportunities to be in relationship with one another and with the community of Evanston.
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Coriolis Spring Concerts
Saturday, May 16, 7:30 pm Christ Church, Winnetka & Sunday, May 17, 4:00 pm St. Mark's Episcopal Church. From Byrd and Mendelssohn to Whitacre by way of Rorem, Tavener, and Stroope. Throw in offerings by Forrest, Bright, and Mealor. Coriolis presents its spring program featuring our usual eclectic selection of works for
a cappella
voices. Join us in one of these beautiful churches, and you will hear some amazing harmonies and sonorities. We'll even throw in a little choreography. Find program details at:
http://www.facebook.com/coriolisacappella
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Adult InterPlay Group 
InterPlay is an easy to learn creative process that invites adult participants to express themselves through storytelling, movement and vocalization. Through well-established methods of play participants can simply have fun. They can also discover new things about themselves and others. InterPlayers across the world are celebrating its 25th birthday this year. You can be part of the party! No Prior Experience is Necessary. This class meets every Tuesday night in Cunningham Hall. The cost is $5 per session. Contact: Christina Ernst (847)899-5329.
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 Evanston English Country Dance Group
This group meets every other Wednesday in Cunningham Hall. All dances are taught and prompted. We learn English Country dances devised from pre-1650 to the present. Jane Austin would recongize much of the dancing we do. Once a month, we have live music performed by Putting on Aires; the other Wednesdays, the music is from an extensive CD collection. You are welcome to come with or without a partner. Wear comfortable shoes (the type you would use to walk a mile) and casual clothing. We ask for a $5 ($3 for students) admittance fee to cover the rent and to buy music for the band. For further information, contact Tom Senior 847-606-8704, [email protected].
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 Evanston Creative Writing Meetup
If you like to write and want a supportive environment in which to write, join us! Each week, a member volunteers to provide writing prompts to spark our creativity. It can be a first line, an object, a picture, a situation. For about 10-15 minutes we write and if we feel like sharing we read our creation aloud. This is not a critique group - only positive feedback is encouraged. We usually fit in 3-4 prompts in an evening. Member ages range from young adults to octagenarians. You do not have to be a serious or professional writer to participate. The group meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month in the Old Library at St. Mark's or Panera. For more information go to http://www.meetup.com/Evanston-Creative-Writing-Group/
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Wrestling with Angels: A Night of Engaging the Bible and Each Other
Brent House, the Episcopal ministry at the University of Chicago invites all to join in a discussion with the contributors to
Disquiet Time: Rants and Reflections on the Good Book by the Skeptical, the Faithful, and a Few Scoundrels
. The collection features essays and reflections from a wide range of contributors on the topic of the Bible, including the Rev. Victor Conrado, assistant rector at St. Mark's Glen Ellyn. Wednesday, May 27 from 7:30 - 9 p.m. at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, 5850 South Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago.
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The Volunteer Lay Chaplain's Training Program
is now accepting Applications for Enrollment in their Fall 2015 training program which will meet at Christus Victor Lutheran Church, 1045 S. Arlington Heights Road, Elk Grove Village on Saturday mornings September 5 through December 5. For more information and an application form, please see Pastor Debra.
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Parish Prayer List
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If you would like your loved ones added to (or removed from) the prayer list, please send an e-mail to [email protected]. Thank you.
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| We bid your prayers for: Helen Baker, Veronica Braithwaite, John Burnham, Tony Campise, Karen Cornelius, Bob Easton, Hal Griffith, Mary Hair, Charlie and Judy Kopp, Grace Lettner, Kathy Lettner, Ayden Lettner, Ann Lettner, Phyllis Lyons, Jake Morris, Mary O'Dowd, Jan and Jeri Offutt, Danny White, Char Wiss, Jane McCarron, Carol Albertson, Diana Austin, Carol Beatty, Roger Cain, Marilyn Goede, Patricia Gosling, Susan Greene, Dave and Jan Gurniak, Andre King, Allison King, Marc King, OJ Mabwa, Melendez-Madrigal Family, Carl Messier, Garrett Moody, Scott Moody, Tricia Moody, Leo Stuyt, Tim and his family, Jill Vannatta, Richard Walsh. We pray for those who have died: Jullia and Norma, friends of Judy Kopp. We pray for the people in: the Diocese of Southeast Mexico and in the Diocese of Renk. |
Stay Connected
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