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To be a church aglow, ignited by the fire of God's Holy Spirit, lighting the way in our community and warming the hearts of those we meet.
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Change of
Contact Information?
Click here to fill out an online form to help us update your information for our records. |
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Contact Us?
Saint Mark UMC
616 Quincy Road
Seneca, SC 29678
Call us:
9 am - 5 pm (M-Th)
(864) 882-2603
Pastoral Care
Emergencies or after regular office hours
call or text
(864) 888-7072
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Saint Mark 2017 Ministry Guidebook
Click here
to view the entire Saint Mark 2017 Ministry Guidebook with information about church structure, leadership, ministries and our 2017 budget.
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Check Out Our Entire Church Calendar of Events
Click here
to see what is going on at Saint Mark this week and the weeks to come.
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November 19, 2017
Sunday
Schedule
8:30 am
Blood Drive to Benefit David Garland
9:00 am
Worship with
Holy Communion
(with Praise Team)
in the Sanctuary
9:15 am
Children's Church
Room A101
10:15 am
Sunday School
for all ages
11:15 am
Traditional Worship
with
Holy Communion
in the Sanctuary
12:30 pm
Mission/Service Team Meting
12:30 pm
Eleuthera Planning Meeting
4:00 pm
Wings 'N Things
5:30 pm
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Quick, easy and available
HERE
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Join us every day at 3:20 pm to pray for Saint Mark - our people and ministries.
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Listen to Last Week's Sermon Today
If you were not able to attend worship on any given Sunday, you can still listen to the sermon.
Click here to select and listen to sermons that you may have missed.
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Got Information to Share in Next Week's Heart Beat?
Click here
to send your Heart Beat post to us by no later than 12:00 noon next
Thursday. On the subject line, please type in "Heart Beat" so that we can easily find your article among the other emails.
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Got Good News To Share With Your Saint Mark Family?
Good news lifts our spirits. Share your good news with us. We will publish your good news in our
"People 'Neath Our Steeple" feature. Your news will be sent out as an email.
Click here to share your good news (achievements, births, awards, etc.). Include pictures if you have them.
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Got Pictures?
We are creating an archive of pictures taken at Saint Mark events and activities. If you have taken pictures and want to share them, please
Or use our hashtag
#stmarkumc and post your photos on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
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Interested in LGBTQ+ Inclusion?
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Prayer Focus for This Week
Pray for all men, women and children who are facing a winter without heat in their homes, or who do not even have a place to call home. We pray for individuals and families who live in their cars, or who find shelter in places such as door stoops and cardboard boxes. We pray for warmth and shelter for all people. We pray for those with compassionate hearts who work toward creating warm and safe shelters for the poor and outcast.
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Submit Your Prayer R
equests
Saint Mark is pleased to receive your prayer requests . . . for yourself or for friends or loved ones.
Click here
to submit your request.
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Worship With Us This Week
Sunday, November 19
TWO Services
with Holy Communion
both in the Sanctuary
9:00 am (with the Praise Team)
11:15 am (traditional)
Rev. Susan Leonard-Ray
our Anderson District Superintendent
Meet the Disciple - Judas
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CDC Parents' Night Out
Friday, November 17
5:30 - 9:30 pm
Childcare is available for children age birth to 12 years. The cost is $10 for 1 child, $15 for 2 and $20 for 3 children. If you are interested, please contact the Saint Mark Child Development Center at (864) 882-0333 and let them know you are coming.
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Benefit for Bobby McNair
Saturday, November 18
10 am to 2 pm
Hamilton Career Center
100 Vocational Drive
Seneca, SC 29672
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UMW Sponsored Coat Drive
Will Continue Through
THIS Sunday, November 19
Even though there are only a few days left in our coat drive for the women and children of Safe Harbor, the UMW women would like to thank everyone for their outpouring of generosity in donating coats. Thank you for sharing the warmth!
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Blood Drive to Benefit
David Garland
Sunday, November 19
8:30 am - 12:30 pm
TBC Donor Card or Photo ID Required
Saint Mark is sponsoring a blood drive to benefit one of our Saint Mark disciples, David Garland. He suffers with an autoimmune disorder that kills his red blood cells, so it could take over 90 units of blood to produce enough immune globulin to get him through this latest episode.
Just for your information, David's blood type is A-, but any blood that is donated will help.
Donors will receive a
$10 Walmart Gift Card that the Garland family hopes you will prayerfully consider donating to the McNair family.
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Thanksgiving reminds us of the many, many blessings we receive from God. Saying "thank you" to God is certainly an appropriate response, but it doesn't go far enough. Disciples of Jesus express their gratitude for God's gifts, by "paying it forward" - by blessing others through acts of love and service. If you are exploring opportunities to serve God by serving others, join us in the atrium THIS Sunday, November 19.
Representatives from 12 local agencies and ministries will be available to provide information, and to answer questions about the persons they serve in our community. These are the agencies that will be represented:
Mentor Oconee
Ripple of One
Days for Girls
Our Daily Bread
Our Daily Rest
Marvin's Kids
Golden Corner Food Pantry
Ride to Work
Wilderness Way Girls' Camp
Ann Hope Feeding Ministry
Safe Harbor
BabyRead
Show your gratitude for all of God's blessings by getting involved with ministering to God's people who live in our community!
This opportunity is brought to you, our Saint Mark family of faith, by the Saint Mark Elderberries.
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Eleuthera Pilgrimage Planning Meeting
THIS Sunday, November 19
12:30 pm
Commons Room
An information/planning meeting for our spring pilgrimage to the Bahamian Island of Eleuthera will be held this Sunday afternoon November 19. The dates of our pilgrimage are
March 10-17, 2018, and the estimated cost per person is $1,100.00.
If you are interested, join us Sunday afternoon to learn more
(or if you can't attend, let us know if you are interested). Due to our schedules of late, we are not planning to serve lunch at this gathering.
Bob and Lynn Dobson
(864) 723-1854 or (864) 247-1320
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I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 9:1
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There will be NO RENEW next Wednesday, November 22 because of the Thanksgiving Holiday
We will return to our regular RENEW schedule of activities on
Wednesday, November 29
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Greeter Orientation
Select ONE of the THREE dates below
Sunday November 26
12:30 pm
Room A201
Wednesday, November 28
4:00 pm
Church Library
Thursday, November 29
7:00 pm
Church Library
Are you thinking about becoming a greeter? Please plan to attend one of the orientation sessions above. In the meantime, click here to look over the Greeter Orientation materials found on our church website.
For more information, click here to contact Billy Boggs, or you can call him at (864) 723-7667.
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During our meeting, we will learn how parents are being empowered and children blessed through the mission of
Marvin's Kids, and also install the 2018 UMW officers. The luncheon is
$10.00. We need an accurate count of those attending, so please register at circle this month, or by calling Mona Fleming at (864) 646-8414. You may also
click here to email her. Please make your reservation by Sunday,
November 26. Join us!
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Join us on December 3
as together we celebrate the
First Sunday in the Holy Season of Advent
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During our normal time for Sunday School, let's come together as an entire faith community for a special Advent experience that will naturally flow from and flow to our
Hanging of the Greens services of worship as we celebrate the first Sunday of Advent.
Experience some old and new Advent traditions in a multi-generational "Make It & Take It" time for all ages. Enjoy several hands-on traditions that will truly bless you and your family throughout this holy season.
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Come and Support our Precious Children
Sunday School classes, we encourage you to suspend your lesson for that day and join us in the sanctuary for a different kind of "lesson" - through the gift of our children's voices.
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Elderberries (folks 50+), we want to spread some Christmas cheer to the folks at Seneca Residential,
an independent living community that serves adult men and women who cannot live on their own.
Here are ways you can participate:
Donate Empty Shoe Boxes
(before December 3).
Do you have empty shoe boxes lying around? We
need them as gift boxes. Drop them off in the atrium entrances, next to the wooden bins
Purchase gifts. Please don't wrap them. There are 30 residents at Seneca Residential
(15 men and 15 women). Here are some gift ideas:
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Chapstick
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Socks |
| Slippers |
Gloves |
| Scarves |
Small Stuffed Animals
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| Puzzle Books |
Toothbrush |
| Toothpaste |
Deodorant |
| Hand Cream |
Life Savers |
| Werther's Candy |
Peppermint Sticks |
| Fruit (Apples, Oranges) |
Candy Kisses |
Please bring the gifts to the atrium entrances and place them in the wooden bins.
Bake Cookies. We are looking for about 200 cookies. Bring them to the church office by Monday, December 11.
Assemble Sandwiches for the lunch. Gather in the Saint Mark kitchen on Tuesday, December 12 at
10:00 am to make sandwiches for the residents. The ingredients will be provided.
Pack Gift Boxes for the residents. Gather in the Commons Room on Tuesday, December 12 at
10:00 am to sort through the gifts that have been received and pack the gift boxes for the Seneca Residential residents.
Volunteer to
Serve the Meals and distribute the gifts at Seneca Residential on Tuesday December 12 - arrive at about
11:30 am.
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For more information,
click here to contact David Wilcox.
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6th Annual
Meal Packaging Event
Our Saint Mark family (children, youth and adults) loves to participate in this annual event to package food for hungry children around the world. Mark your calendars now for
Saturday morning, March 3, and save the date.
Before we package the meals, first we need to pay for them at $.29 per meal. We hope you will give generously toward this ministry outreach so that we can reach last year's goal of 50,000 meals! To make a contribution, make your check out to Saint Mark UMC and note that it is for "Rise Against Hunger."
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ELDERBERRIES EVENTS (FOR 50+)
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ARE YOU 50+?
Here are some Elderberries Events
that might interest you. Save the date(s) on your calendar.
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Christmas Outreach to Seneca Residential
Lunch and Christmas Gifts
Tuesday, December 12, 12 noon - 1:30 pm
2018
Bellamy Brothers Concert
Click the link below to see the video
Saturday, January 20
7:30 pm
Walhalla Civic Auditorium
Cost: $29.00 per person
Game (Bunko) and Grazing Night
Friday, February 23
6:00 pm
Commons Room
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Marvin's Kids Santa Shop
Saturday, December 9
Special Friends/Youth Christmas Party
Sunday, December 10
6:00 pm
Saint Mark Center
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Foothills Chorale
presents
Handel's "Messiah"
3:00 PM, Sunday, December 10
Trinity Baptist Church
504 S. Oak Street
Seneca, SC
Give yourself an early holiday treat, and enjoy the Foothills Chorale performance of Handel's Messiah, with outstanding guest soloists and accompanied by full chamber orchestra.
Directed by Justin Durham, a highly experienced musician, and Director of Choral Singing at Clemson University, the Foothills Chorale has gained an outstanding reputation in the Upstate over the last 25 years.
For more information, click here to contact David Wilcox.
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An Invitation from our Saint Mark UMW to Get Involved
Hunger and Homelessness Week
Oconee County is not immune to the problem of hunger and homelessness. Please
click here to read the facts below concerning hunger and homelessness. Consider being a disciple in action by helping locally! Here are some opportunities to do just that, by volunteering and/or donating at the following (Click on the links below to learn more):
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Wonderful News from Pastor Shawna!!
"I've been approved for full ordination and will officially be ordained at annual conference in June." Many of you in our church family know how hard Shawna has been working to get to this point - hours and hours of study, writing and then preparing for her final interview this past Tuesday. We are so very proud of what Shawna has accomplished on her journey toward ordination, and we are grateful that she has been appointed to live out her calling at Saint Mark.
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Stewardship Commitment Update
The results of our Stewardship Commitment campaign to support our 2018 Ministry budget are
encouraging to date, BUT...we still need to hear from many more of you! If you have not yet turned in your commitment to return to God a portion of what God has given you, please do so as soon as possible.
The Saint Mark
Council of Stewards meets on Monday, November 27 to finalize our ministry budget for 2018, so we need to hear from you soon! Cards and confidential envelopes will be available in the Narthex this coming Sunday. You can also pledge online by
clicking here, or go to the Saint Mark UMC home page (
http://sumucsc.org) and click on the last link under the "Connect" tab, or simply contact the Saint Mark UMC Operations Manager, Karen Holcombe with your pledge by calling (864) 882-2603.
Thank you for your commitment to the ministries of Saint Mark UMC!
Your Stewardship Ministry Team
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It's Not Too Late to Help Marvin's Kids!
In case you've been meaning to get involved with Marvin's Kids this year but just haven't had a chance to do so, it isn't too late!
Toy shoppers are still needed to purchase gifts for over 30 children. Stop by the Marvin's Kids table in the atrium on Sunday November 19 during the Thanks-GIVING event. You can sign up to shop for toys there. As a reminder, gifts do not have to be wrapped and need to be brought to St Mark by December 4.
If you want to get involved in other ways, sign up to
take a family shopping for warm winter clothes for the kids! Marvin's Kids covers the cost of the shopping trip and this can be a fun and rewarding way to engage with a Marvin's Kids family! More information about shopping will be provided at the Marvin's Kids table Sunday.
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From Your Evangelism Ministry Team...
Did you know that in 2008 the United Methodist Church added the word, "witness", to the profession of faith when we become new members? Our promise to the church reads:
"We pledge faithfully to participate the church's ministries by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our 'witness' to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord."
Our pastors have made this important change in the wording we use to welcome new disciples here at Saint Mark. Have we heard it? Are we doing it?
When our Evangelism Team meets in January, we will be talking about ways to grow and highlight evangelism here at Saint Mark. If you have ideas, please share them with anyone on the team!
Evangelism Team members for 2018 are:
Margaret Axson (team leader)
Vic Holley
Faith Holley
Pauline Adams
Jane Gabe
Cheryl Morocco
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The 2018 Disciplines Are Still Available
Three copies of this book of daily devotions are still available for you to purchase.
$17 - Regular Print
To reserve your copy, click here to contact Marla Fuller.
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The Stillwell family deeply appreciates the heartfelt expressions of sympathy following the death of Bob's mother, Ada S. Stillwell. Each text message, card, prayer or kind word has conveyed God's steadfast love and the the hope of resurrection cherished by followers of Christ.
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SAINTS IN SERVICE
HELPING YOU PLUG IN . . .
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LET US KNOW HOW YOU WANT TO PLUG IN!
Click here to discover the many ways to serve at Saint Mark. Fill out the form and return it to Marla Fuller in the church office. We will get you plugged in!
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