Annual Saint Mark's Guild / ECW Christmas Party and Dinner

Saint Mark's Guild/ECW most cordially invites the women and girls of St. Mark's to be our guest at the Annual Saint Mark's Guild Christmas Party and Dinner on Tuesday, December 16 at 6:30 pm at the home of Betsy and John Sagan, 1314 Forest Avenue, Evanston. This year's entertainment will be a GLORIOUS GRAB BAG GIFT exchange, so if you would like to participate, bring a "grabbable" gift (please spend no more than $10.), something which is fun. functional and/or funky. Please let us know if you can attend by calling or emailing: Tacia Johnson, 847/328-0993, [email protected] or Dorothy Laudati, 847/491-1026, [email protected] no later than December 12th. Guests and neighbors are welcome.

Caroling, Carol Sing, and Cookies

On Sunday, December 21st, SMAC (St. Mark's Youth Group) invites everyone in the congregation to join them in caroling, followed by a carol sing. We will leave St. Mark's at 2 p.m. to sing at Albany Care, an Intermediate Care Facility dedicated to the treatment and recovery of individuals suffering from chronic mental illnesses. Afterwards, if it's not TOO cold, we'll do some door-to-door caroling around the St. Mark's neighborhood. Around 4 p.m. we'll gather at the Rectory for hot cocoa, coffee, cookies and an old-fashioned Carol Sing. If you are not able to join us for Caroling at 2 p.m., we hope you'll join us at the Rectory at 4 p.m. for the Carol Sing - a great St. Mark's tradition returns! Feel free to wear a "fancy" or "funny" Christmas sweater of hat! 

Evanston English Country Dancers

Evanston English Country Dancers meet in Cunningham Hall on alternate Wednesday evenings beginning at 8 p.m. All dances are taught and prompted and include English Country dances devised from pre-1650 to the present. Once a month, live music is performed by Putting on Aires; other Wednesdays, the music is from an extensive CD collection. Please come with or without a partner. Wear comfortable shoes (the type you would use to walk a mile) and casual clothing. The fee is $5 ($3 for students). For more information, contact Tom Senior at 847-606-8704 or [email protected]. Upcoming dates are December 3 and December 17.

InterPlay for Adults

The Chicago InterPlay community offers weekly community classes at St. Mark's each Tuesday from 7:30-9:00 pm, with doors open at 7:15 pm for registration and meeting other participants. The cost to attend the classes is $10 per class or $40 for a five class card ($8 per class). InterPlay is an easy to learn creative process that invites participants to express themselves through storytelling, movement and vocalization. InterPlayers across the world are celebrating its 25th birthday this year. To learn more about InterPlay, visit www.meetup.com/ChicagoInterPlay and www.InterPlay.org. You can also email event leaders Christina Ernst at [email protected] or Jeff Breting at [email protected].

SMAC (Youth Group) in December

On Sunday, December 21st all in grades 6 - 12 are invited to stay after worship for an afternoon of fun! We will eat lunch together and then decorate cookies which we will be sharing later in the day. At 2 p.m. we will leave St. Mark's to go caroling around the neighborhood and at Albany Cares. At 4 p.m. we will share the decorated cookies with the St. Mark's community at a Carol Sing / open house at the Rectory. Activities will conclude around 6 p.m. We hope you'll join us for this day of cookies, caroling, and carol sings! Please remember to dress for the weather --- hats, gloves, scarves (you get the idea!). If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Debra at [email protected]; text 847-732-9564 or Deane at [email protected]; text 231-313-9217.

♪♫ Music Night ♫♫

Each Wednesday from 6:00-7:30pm, our associate for Music Ministries, David Plank, will be leading "Music Night" at St. Mark's. People with any level of musical background-even those with no music experience-are welcome to come upstairs to the choir room. 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].

Producemobile - Tuesday, December 9

On the 2nd Tuesday of each month, Interfaith Action of Evanston teams up with the Greater Chicago Food Depository to bring free, fresh produce to our neighbors in need. The distribution takes place from 9:30 - 11:30 at the Robert Crown Center. Volunteers are needed from 8:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. If you are able to help on December 9, please send an e-mail to Pastor Debra, [email protected] or sign-up at www.signupgenius.com/go/5080D4FAFAC2FAB9-evanston. Thank you to St. Mark's November volunteers: Nasim Alexander, Debra Bullock, Bruce Gaede, Betsy Johnson, Lisa Montgomery, Chris Schultze, Abigail Seifert, Austin Suvari, and Jacqui Zeng. 

People of Faith Stand Up for Worker Justice: St. Mark's Black Friday Action

On Black Friday - the biggest shopping day of the year - members of the Social Justice and Outreach Ministry Team and other interested members of St. Mark's will be gathering at Walmart in Niles to join Walmart workers in holding Walmart accountable for their poor treatment of workers. Why? Because we people of faith, gather in one accord, acknowledge that God sees ". . . people oppressed. . ." and God hears ". . . their cry of injustice. . . " (Exodus 3:7-8, CBE) because of the working conditions and low wages that deprive them from fully providing their families with fair living. And, because the Waltons (who own Walmart) could decide tomorrow to pay a fair wage to workers who help the company make $16 billion in annual profits.

Those who wish to carpool together should meet at St. Mark's by 8:30 a.m. on Friday, November 28th for a prompt departure or you may choose to meet us at Walmart, 5630 W. Touhy Avenue, Niles at 9 a.m. where we will pray a Litany of Confession and Commitment, take a group photo and share it on social media, invite you to sign a petition supporting Walmart workers' calls for $15/hr and access to full-time hours, deliver the petition to the manager inside the store, and, we willtake a stand together, joining our voices with countless others across the nation who are standing up for worker justice on Black Friday.

More information - including a sign up form, the petition for those who would like to read and sign in advance - are available in the parlor. St. Mark's is proud to be an Interfaith Worker Justice Congregation! OR, you can sign-up online at http://bit.ly/BlackFridayAtWalmart   

ReVive Christmas Basket Program

St. Mark's once again has the opportunity to share our Christmas spirit and gifts with families on the west side of Chicago by participating in the annual "Christmas Basket" program sponsored by ReVive Center for Housing and Healing (formerly Cathedral Shelter).  Information about each of the eleven families assigned to St. Mark's, along with instructions and sign-up sheets can be found in the Parlor.  The deadline to return all wrapped and labelled gifts is November 30th.  For further information call or see Dave Himrod (847-864-7815).

ReVive "Christmas Baskets" -- Thank You!

On behalf of the Chicago West Side families, the Outreach/Social Justice team thanks parishioners who have contributed gifts to the ReVive (formerly Cathedral Shelter) Christmas Basket program.  See or call Dave Himrod (847)-864-7815 if there are any questions.

Sesquicentennial Anniversary Blood Drive

LifeSource will continue to accept donations. to help us meet our goal of 150 blood donations to mark our 150th anniversary year. Please sign-up at https://donateblood.lifesource.org/ to donate at LifeSource, 2436 Main Street, Evanston, at a time that is convenient for you. When you donate blood, identity our blood drive by using the special code O57G (zero, five, seven, g). If you have any questions please contact Donna Richardson at 847-677-0701.

Building Work

Some of you have already noticed the "upgrades" taking place at St. Mark's - ceiling repaired in the women's restroom in the Parish House, most of the water damage to the walls in the sanctuary taken care of. But, there's more to come. Roof repairs have begun and we will soon have leak-free roofing again! Next spring will bring some masonry improvements . . . Thanks to your generous giving and to the legacy of St. Mark's Saints, the vestry has determined not to undertake a capital campaign at this time. However, if you would like to make a donation to capital repairs at any time, you are, of course, encouraged to do so - simply make a note on your check that it is for capital repairs. And, if you haven't already, please do remember St. Mark's in your will.

Gift Shop Sale - Thank You!

Thank you to all who made the Gift Shop and Bake Sale a success. At this time we believe we will clear around $900, which will be transferred to the St. Mark's Capital Projects Account when figures are complete. The Sale will continue in a reduced form and with reduced prices on Dec. 7 (not Thanksgiving weekend, except for remaining baked goods). Special thanks go to the many who helped make the event happen (with apologies to anyone whose name is omitted here): Allison Ashley, Helen and John Baker, Virginia Beatty, Louise Behrends, Pat Bent, Dalia Benz, Ellie Bergman, Mary Pat Buckley, Rachel Easton, Lynn Erikson, Katie and Tori Gallegos, Lori Goede, Joanna Greene, Mary Hair, Mary Hair Graham, Anne Heinz, Beth Johnson, Tacia Johnson, Dorothy Laudati, Lizzie Lele, Bonnie & Don Lindstrom, Rima Lockwood, John Lucadamo, Carol Martin, Natasha Oussenko, Rudy Burke, Donna Richardson, Liz Stout, Dorothy Szczepaniak, Zubaira Waraich and Pastor Debra (for her patience with the process). You made a great team. Lola Himrod

Sesquicentennial Photos

If you took photos during any of our Sesquicentennial events, Bruce Gaede would love to have copies. You can put actual photos in his mail folder in the hallway of the Parish House OR you can e-mail digital files to him at [email protected]. Also, if you enjoy scrapbooking and would like to help compile a Sesquicentennial Album, please contact [email protected].

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. 

St. Mark's Anniversary History Booklet

The Sesquicentennial Steering Committee is pleased to announce that St. Mark's Anniversary History booklets have been printed and are now ready for distribution to parishioners. Members of the parish can pick up their copies in the parlorthroughout the season of Advent. The committee wishes to express our appreciation to Bruce Gaede, church historian, for assembling and editing the booklet. If parishioners would like to purchase an additional copies, the cost is $5 per copy.

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.

Race and Healthcare: Dealing with the Disparity

As part of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center's RACE Exhibit, a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Daniel Vicencio, Medical Director, Mercy Family Health Center and hosted by North Shore University Health System at Evanston Hospital will take place at the Museum, 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie on Tuesday, December 2 at 3 p.m. Registration is required due to limited seating. RSVP to [email protected].

"Blessed to Be a Blessing: 5th Annual Musical Program"

The H. E. Lane Center for Positive Change announces their 5th Annual Musical Program, "Blessed to Be a Blessing" on Saturday, December 6 from 6 - 8 p.m. at the Unitarian Church of Evanston, 1330 Ridge Avenue. Many area pastors will participate in a "Pastor's Chorus" and any other singers (or want-to-be singers) are welcome to sing as well. Rehearsals will take place on Mondays. For more information, call 847-769-2736.

Race and Law: Criminal Justice and Immigration

As part of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center's RACE Exhibit, a panel discussion including Dr. Jacqueline Battalora, St. Xavier University; Lonnie Nasitir, Anti- Defamation League; Patrick Keenan- Devlin, Moran Center for Youth Advocacy; and Dr. Juan Perea, Loyola University Law School will take place at the Museum, 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie on Sunday, December 7 at 1:30 p.m. Registration is required due to limited seating. RSVP to [email protected].

For All Adults Who Value Reading Aloud to Children 

Reading aloud to children is a proven, simple practice for creating the enthusiastic readers of tomorrow. Join Brian Wilson, EPL Children's Librarian as he shares his picks for Best Picture Books of 2014 on Saturday, December 13, 10:30 AM, in the Evanston Public Library Community Meeting Room. Parents, teachers, child care workers, grandparents and anyone else who values reading aloud to young children at home, in school, in child care or playgroups will enjoy "Mr. Brian's" lively presentation. Participants will also get great ideas for picture books that make great gifts.(NOTE: This event is for adults only!) For more about Mr. Brian, check out his blog at mrbrianspicturebookpicks.blogspot.com.

If you would like your loved ones added to (or deleted from) the prayer list at any time, please send an e-mail to [email protected]. Thank you.