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This Week at St. Mark's April 14, 2016
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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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Third Saturdays Holy Eucharist, April 16- This once per month worship will offer those who cannot attend on Sunday mornings - or those who might prefer an occasional evening service - the opportunity to come together for prayer, Bible reading and reflection, and sharing the bread and cup of Christ with one another. Like all worship at St. Mark's, this service is a family-friendly, single-friendly, GLBTQ-friendly, married-with-no-kids-friendly, come-as-you-are-friendly, doubter-friendly, seeker-friendly service. It is also a I've-never-been-to-church-friendly service - together we will learn and grown. We hope you will make it a part of your spiritual life. Please join us April 16th at 4:00 p.m. in Bethlehem Chapel.
This Sunday's Lay Ministers-
Thank you to these parishioners for sharing their time and talent with the congregation this week. If you would like to be involved, contact Pastor Debra at [email protected].
- Altar Guild: Patricia Bent, Rachel Easton
- Flower Guild: Dale Seifert
- Children's Formation: Liz McElhatton, Tyler Maegawa-Goeser, Anne Heinz, Nasim Alexander, Luke Urbanowski, John Lucadamo, Lori Goede, Chad Goeser, Deane Johnson
- Ushers: Fred Lewis, Susan Lewis, Lisa Montgomery
- Acolytes: Wesley Urbanowski, Abigail Seifert, Patrick Nee
- Lectors: Andy Howard, Chris Schultze
- Eucharistic Ministers: Abigail Seifert, Edie Molumby, Lynette Murphy, Liz McElhatton
- Eucharistic Visitor: Milner Seifert
- Vestry Person of the Day: Ted Richardson, Nathan Waller
- Coffee Hour Snacks: M-R
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| Formation |
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 life of continuous learning. Following are some upcoming opportunities for your journey in faith.
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Following the Way to the Font and Beyond: Baptism, Confirmation and Reception Prep- Pentecost (Sunday, May 15) is a great day for baptisms. And, on Saturday, June 11, the Bishop will be worshiping with us at 3:30 p.m. for confirmation and reaffirmation of baptismal vows.
If this is the moment for you or your household to become intentional about following the way of Christ, this small group is for you. If you are ready to make common cause with other disciples of Jesus, this small group is for you. If this is the moment for you to deepen your relationship with the risen Christ, this small group is for you. The journey may lead to baptism (your own or that of your child), the journey may lead to confirmation or a reaffirmation of faith, the journey may lead you to asking more questions. Wherever the journey takes you, we will walk the path with you. If you would like to participate in this small group, please contact Pastor Debra at
[email protected]. Every effort will be made to find a time that works for all who are interested.
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The Quality of Mercy Project-
We have the opportunity as a faith community to participate in a community effort on behalf of the Piven Theatre. The Quality of Mercy project is a 3-month community programming initiative which invites us to discuss the complex issues arising from the play Dead Man Walking. These include forgiveness, compassion, the death penalty, mass incarceration, racial inequity, and social justice, among others. Based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean, Piven Theatre's production of Dead Man Walking tells the story of Sister Prejean's journey through our system of capital punishment.
Visit www.piventheatre.org/deadmanwalking for a full schedule of community events.
Here are ways you can participate with us:
- See Dead Man Walking on Friday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m.
- Adult forum at St. Mark's on restorative justice on Sunday, April 24 from 9:30-10:15.
- Attend a panel conversation at Curt's Cafe on Monday, April 25 at 6:00 pm. This panel will be centered on the stories of young people and how their lives have been impacted by the criminal justice system.
If you want to go to the play on April 22, please let Anna Holladay, Community Engagement Director, know ASAP either by emailing [email protected] or calling the church office, (847) 864-4806. There are probably seats still available! Additionally, please drop a check for your ticket(s) made out to St. Mark's in Anna's mailbox. Tickets are $15 each.
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ECW (Episcopal Church Women) Annual Meeting-
On
Saturday April 23, 2016 at Saint John the Evangelist in Flossmoor,
Mary Fran Crist will present a two-part workshop on adult bullying:
"Bullying: it even happens in our churches". The day will include the annual meeting, lunch and a worship service. For questions or to reserve your place please contact Dorothy Laudati at [email protected]. We will carpool to the event.
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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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Midweek Lunch: Come and join us!
There are two weekly opportunities to serve our neighbors who struggle with hunger and homelessness. Every Tuesday from 6:00-6:30 pm, lunches are packed in the kitchen here at St. Mark's, and every Wednesday lunch is served at 11 am. On Wednesday, volunteers are asked to arrive by 10:30 am and stay until 1 pm.
Lunch packing and serving is a great way to get to know members of your church family and meet others from St. Matthew's, our partner in this ministry. Please join us as we joyfully build a deeper sense of community both within our church and more broadly in Evanston. You can make this commitment to fit your schedule: weekly, monthly, or every once in a while! Do you have summers off from school or work? Start thinking about ways you can plug in to this ongoing program.
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Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 9:36-43; Revelation 7:9-17; John 10:22-30
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want."
Psalm 23
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Thursday, April 14
7:30 p.m.
Choir Rehearsal, Choir Room
Saturday, April 16
9:00 a.m.
Cathedral Youth Day, St. James Commons
10:00 a.m.
The End is Where We Begin: Facing Healthcare Decisions, St. James Commons
4:00 p.m.
Holy Eucharist
: Third Saturdays,
3 - 5 Year Old Classroom
(note change of space - this month only)
Sunday, April 17
8:00 a.m.
Holy Eucharist, Lady Chapel
9:30 a.m.
Children's and Adult Formation, Classrooms and Bethlehem Chapel
10:30 a.m.
Holy Eucharist, Sanctuary
12 noon
Handbell Choir Rehearsal, Loft
Tuesday, April 19
6:00 p.m.
Lunch packing, Cunningham Hall
Wednesday, April 20
6:45 a.m.
AA meeting, Bethlehem Chapel
11:00 a.m.
Midweek Sack Lunch, Cunningham Hall
7:00 p.m.
Vestry meeting, Bethlehem Chapel
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April 5
Sandra Howard
April 6
Elizabeth McElhatton
April 7
Ellen Bergman
April 9
Caroline Frowe
Dan Whitmore
April 10
Bob Barr
April 11
Kendra Johnson
Holly Yanaga
April 16
Jeremy Greene
April 18
Samuel Najem
April 20
Owen Baker
April 21
David Plank
April 23
Timothy Himrod
Rudy Burke
April 25
Anna Holladay
April 28
Holly Benz
Richard Brooks
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April 10
Clark & Nasim Alexander
April 19
Elizabeth & Gary McElhatton
April 26
Michael Schoen & Nathan Waller
April 30
Blair and Dr. Melind Lele
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Our Midweek Lunch Ministry is growing! We have started a partnership with the King Home on Oak Ave. On the first Tuesday of every month, King Home residents will be making the sandwiches in their lounge. Volunteers are needed at the usual time, 6 pm, to transport lunch packing materials over to the King Home and provide assistance to the residents while they make sandwiches.
To sign-up, please click these links:
Questions? Contact Anna Holladay, Community Engagement Director, at
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Third Sunday Food and Sock Drive-
On the third Sunday of each month, St. Mark's will collect non-perishable food items to be shared with local food pantries. On Sunday April 17, please bring your boxes of cereals, cans of soup, jars of peanut butter and other non-perishables with you to church. The big red shopping cart will be waiting for you at the back of the sanctuary. This month's food donations will be given to the food pantry at Hemenway United Methodist Church.
In addition, you are also encouraged to donate a pack of new socks that will benefit our sisters and brothers at the Hospitality Center. Thank you for your generosity!
Stand Against Racism on April 29- All who are available on Friday, April 29 from 12:30-12:55 pm are encouraged to come to St. Mark's so that we can embody our commitment to Stand Against Racism. The Stand, organized by the YWCA, makes visible the broad range of people in this community who are committed to working towards eliminating racism. Since the Stand will take place on Ridge Ave., we at St. Mark's have prime real estate! Please make every effort to stand with us. Contact Anna Holladay, Community Engagement Director, with any questions at [email protected].
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Lifetouch Photo Directory this spring- On May 6th, 7th, and 10th, Lifetouch will behere taking portraits for our very own St. Mark's photo directory! You will receive a call on March 24th with information about how to sign up for a photo session. Everyone who participates will be included in a PDF photo directory and will receive a free 8.5x11 print photo. You will also have the option of purchasing more print photos for personal use.
Click here or click the blue image below to schedule your appointment.
We also need volunteers to help greet people during the photo sessions! Contact Natalie Greene, our Office Manager, with to volunteer or with questions at (847) 864-4806 or
[email protected].
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Fifth Saturday Men's Breakfast-
The St. Mark's Men's Group
will meet for breakfast on the fifth Saturday of April (4/30} at 7:30 AM at Walker Bros. on Green Bay Road. We would like for this meeting to be a tribute to the memory of long-time member Walter Clarkson, so check your memory banks for your best Walter stories. Questions? Call Bruce Gaede at 847-274-0541.
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Society of Miriam Reception
- If you have remembered any Episcopal entity in your estate planning, you are a member of the Diocese of Chicago's Society of Miriam. So that the Diocese can invite you to its annual celebration at St. James Commons, please send an email to Pastor Debra at [email protected] letting her know. Again, all that it takes is remembering any Episcopal entity in your estate planning. If you would like to learn more about how to include St. Mark's in your estate planning, please contact Pastor Debra.
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Traffic Change at Ridge & Grove-
To address safety and operational concerns at the intersection of Ridge Ave. and Grove St., the City of Evanston's Public Works Agency, in coordination with the Evanston Police Department, have implemented changes to the traffic patterns at the intersection through October 2016. Between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., the following traffic restrictions will be
enforced:
- Northbound and southbound traffic on Ridge Ave. will be prohibited from making left turns onto Grove St.
- Eastbound and westbound traffic on Grove St. will be required to turn right onto Ridge Ave.
- Left turns and traveling straight through the intersection will not be allowed from Grove St.
Traffic signs will be posted. The trial implementation will allow the City to evaluate if these modifications improve the safety and operations at this intersection before proposing permanent changes. For information, please call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may simply dial
3-1-1 in Evanston.
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!
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St. Augustine College will hold its annual "El Puente Awards Gala" on April 28, 2016, 6 pm at the Aragon Ballroom, 1106 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago.
This year, The Rt. Rev. James W. Montgomery, Episcopal Bishop of Chicago (Retired), has been selected to receive the "El Puente Achievement Award".
The Hon. Heather Steans,
Illinois State Senator, will also be honored for championing St. Augustine's mission to provide access to higher education to the communities we serve.
We invite you to join us in honoring Bishop Montgomery as a sponsor or through table/ticket purchases
. Attached is an invitation, which includes information on various levels of support. The funds raised at this event will go toward scholarships for students in financial need, which will make it possible for them to attain a college degree and to find success through education.
Most of the students at St. Augustine are from low income households and the first in their family to attend college. Single tickets are $175 and tables are $1,750. St. Augustine College is a 501(c)(3) organization. Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Please contact Gail Lawler (773-878 -3694 or
[email protected]
) about tickets, tables, donations, sponsorships or with any questions.
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Bexley Seabury Seminary Lead Change training June 2016-
Congregations...church organizations...judicatories. All need strong clergy and lay leaders to make a difference. Our sixth annual Bexley Seabury Leadership Institute will help leaders at all levels become more confident and more effective.
Participants will interact and collaborate with one another and with faculty from Bexley Seabury and the Kellogg School Center for Nonprofit Management at Northwestern University.
Through lectures, interactive exercises and dialogue, participants will b
uild skills for effective leadership, g
ain a deeper understanding of complex cultural change, and l
earn strategies to make your faith community more vital. Click here to apply online by May 2.
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Contemplative Leadership Retreat: May 16-19- In this retreat, we will explore a way of being contemplative that can be practiced both in solitude and action. Often called "mindfulness," a contemplative awareness can transform both how we feel and how we effect others as we go through the day. As leaders in ministry, this gives us the opportunity to bring perspective, patience, compassion, and faith to bear even in the most demanding situations. And this has the potential to transform the community we serve, so that together we might experience and build up what Jesus called "the kingdom of God." Register online!
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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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Ten Thousand Villages Rug Sale-
Ten Thousand Villages, Evanston fair trade rug event returns this year from
April 21-25.
For just a few days, Ten Thousand Villages will be home to more than 300 high quality hand-knotted Pakistani rugs.
In addition, on
Thursday, April 21
we will have an Intro to Rug Evening
at 7 pm
. The event is free but please RSVP online or by calling (847) 733-8258.
The Unitarian Church of Evanston presents a spectacular concert on Saturday, May 21, 2016, 7:30 p.m. at 1330 Ridge Ave. featuring Howard Levy with Kalyan Pathak, Larry Gray and Jean Christophe Leroy. Howard Levy's Musical Worlds concert will include World Music, Afro-Cuban sacred chants, Vedic and Jewish traditions, as well as the music of Bach, original compositions, blues and some free Jazz improvisation - a truly eclectic program. A variety of instruments will be played from the west, Africa, India and Asia.
Tickets are $30. For more information or tickets contact
[email protected]
or (847) 864-1330.
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Kantorei, the Singing Boys of Rockford-
St. John Brebeuf will host the Singing Boys of Rockford on Sunday, April 24th at 3 p.m. for a free concert. Come hear this special group of talented young people at 8307 N. Harlem in Niles. For more information, call (847) 966-8145 or visit kantoreirockford.com.
Tai Chi Chuan is an ancient Chinese martial art that promotes well-being by circulating the chi of the body through a series of slow, relaxing movements. The Human Process teaches the Yangstyle short form each Saturday morning at St. Mark's. Practicing Tai Chi helps replenish energy reserves, improves balance, loosens tight muscles and brings more flexibility to joints and ligaments. It is a cardiovascular and weight-bearing exercise. For more information, contact The Human Process at 847-556-6040.
Evanston Sings: A Community Choir- Do you like to sing? Perhaps only in the car or shower? There is a community choir that would benefit from your voice! Every other Saturday, the Evanston Sings choir rehearses at Friendship Baptist Church (2201 Foster St.) at 3 pm. Although rehearsals have already begun, people are more than welcome to join and catch up on the music (gospel and old spirituals). This choir has gathered for the purpose of having a concert on Friday, June 17. All ticket sales from the concert will go to benefit the Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program. Contact Anna Holladay, Community Engagement Director, with any questions at
Evanston Creative Writing Group- Do you like to write? Do you like to be creative but find it challenging sometimes to put yourself on the page? Do you enjoy receiving challenging prompts that spur your creativity? The Evanston Creative Writing group is a creative prompt group designed to get you on the page and start the creative juices flowing. Each meeting one member will act as the Prompt Master, offering a writing prompt like a picture, a first line, an object, or even a single word. From these prompts members will write for fifteen to twenty minutes, creating a unique and original story, or perhaps creating something that will be the start of something bigger. Please note that this is not a critique group. We offer positive comments on what our authors create, understanding that the writing generated within our group is rough or "first-draft". We accept all members, from those who are serious about writing to those who use the time offered to blow off some creative steam. We meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month in the library at St. Mark's. For more information visit us online here.
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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 recognize 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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Soul Mates
is an ongoing support group for those who have experienced the death of a spouse or life partner. This free group meets at NorthShore Hospice, 4901 Searle Parkway, Skokie on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month from 6:30 - 8 p.m.
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Legacy is an ongoing support group for adults who have experienced the death of a parent. This free group meets at NorthShore Hospice, 4901 Searle Parkway, Skokie on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month from 6:30 - 8 p.m.
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Parish Prayer List
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If you have loved ones you would liked added to (or removed from) the prayer list at any time, send an email to Pastor Debra at [email protected].
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We bid your prayers for:
Helen Baker, Astley Bent, Veronica Braithwaite, John Burnham, Karen Cornelius, Bob, Rachel and Nicholas Easton, Lynn Erickson, Hal Griffith, Charlie and Judy Kopp, Grace Lettner, Kathy Lettner, Ayden Lettner, Ann Lettner, Ted Loda, George Mitchell, Jake Morris, Mary O'Dowd, Jan and Jeri Offutt, Sarah Sutcliffe, Casmir Szczepaniak, Char Wiss, Ronnie Witt IV, Carol Albertson, Betty Augustinos, Carol Beatty, Margaret Beatty, Susan, Michael, Julia and Jack Brierton, Corinne, Paul, Steven Clarkson and their families, David Cresap, Janice Dillman, Cynthia Garrels, Janet Gurniak, Mary Hair Graham, Nancy Hair, Dennis Johnson, OJ Mabwa, Ahmed Mahmoud, Pat Martin, Carl & Lindy Messier, Noanie O'Brien, Helen Snow, Tim and his family, Richard Walsh, Miriam, Christopher and Jonathan Witmer.
We pray for those who have died:
Holly Anderson, sister of Bill Hall;
Walter B. Clarkson,
St. Mark's parishioner;
The Rev. David F. Gurniak, father of Rachel (Bob) Easton, grandfather of Nicholas Easton and former Rector of St. Mark's (1984-1988); Ron Hunter, friend of Mike and Tacia Johnson.
We pray for the people in:
the Diocese of Southeast Mexico and the Diocese of Renk.
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