March 18, 2018

Worship Schedule 8:30 AM English Worship Service 9:46 AM The 9:46 Crowd 10:00 AM English Worship Service 11:05 AM Sunday School combined English/Spanish 12:00 PM Spanish Worship Service

Mid-Week Wednesday Worship Services February 21 – March 21 10:30 AM, English Morning Prayer * soup luncheon to follow * 7:30 PM, Holden Evening Prayer * preceded by soup supper at 6:30 PM *

Join  The 9:46 Crowd/11:06 Crowd  on Sunday! Reading Biblical Literature: Genesis to Revelation This is what we'll be studying  this coming Sunday— come and join us! [Exodus 1-15]  Moses and the Drama of the Exodus Both encouraging and threatening, Exodus 1-15 is one of the Bible’s most thrilling stories. First, consider the story’s literary setting (and its surprising humor). Then, discover its focus on two different forms of power:  God’s and pharaoh’s. Finally, see how the events in Exodus have resonated throughout subsequent history.

Pastor Triolo's Message

Dear Friends in Christ, I recently learned that there are many questions and some assumptions about our ongoing discernment around the presence of St. Mark’s in the Dale City, Woodbridge, Manassas area. Nothing significant has happened that has not already been reported in The Weekly Messenger and E-Messenger but it is understandable that some would like to know more. Rather than address you in a piecemeal fashion, I ask that you please send your questions or concerns to me directly at atriolo@stmarks-elca.org . I can then organize your questions and concerns and respond more succinctly. If you would like to be involved in the discernment, get involved in the actually ministry, or support it in some other way, you can also ask about these. I plan to follow up on this in next week’s publications; I may, however, need one additional week in light of my involvement in the weekend-long synod-wide middle school youth gathering and our town hall meeting this Sunday. Yours in Christ, + Pastor Albert

Announcements

My beloved community of Saint Marks, "My family for 11 years"   I had the great blessing of reaching this great family in 2008. These years were wonderful years of learning and spiritual growth. I am very grateful to God and the whole community for this great opportunity to serve the Lord with the gift he gave me, "music". Unfortunately with the current change of the schedule of services in Spanish, 12:00 pm, it is no longer possible for me to continue my work here. I feel very sad about this situation and it is a very difficult moment for me, because it is not about leaving a job in a company where buildings are built, it is a place where human lives are built. It is not leaving a company where fast food is served for the moment; it is the house of God where the best food for the soul is served through the word of God. It is not leaving a concert hall; it is leaving a house of praise and adoration to God. This difficult decision to leave San Marcos is completely voluntary. I always received the best of the Pastors' treatment: Albert Triolo, Pastora Varinia Espinoza and the community in general. It's just a schedule conflict. I know that every change is hard, but when guided by the hand of God they are always the best. I am sure that Saint Marks will continue to grow in this mission to serve such a diverse community. We are many People, many cultures, several languages, but one family in Christ. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the unconditional love and support. God bless the Great family of St. Mark's. Thank you, Julio Cuellar

Town Hall Meeting #2 Our second town hall meeting with round table discussions is coming up this Sunday evening from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Childcare will be provided and our meal will be potluck, so bring something to share. J To help our conversation move along more smoothly, we’ve decided to hold our English and Spanish language sessions separately. The Spanish session will be held the following Sunday, 3/25 after a reception to honor Julio Cuellar. Here are some things for us to think about prior to the meeting: Discipleship, How do these discipleship ministries at St. Mark’s help form your faith? v Worship v Christian Education v Prayer v Social Ministry v Evangelism v Giving of your time, talent, and treasure Also, how are we discipling those who will come after us? St. Mark’s Vison Statement, “Called by God into community with our neighbors, nation, and world, St. Mark’s is one Lutheran parish with many cultural voices and room for everyone to be at home.” There are many ways we might understand this vision statement. At our first town hall meeting I shared one member’s answer to the question in my research survey about what the statement means. I think this person captured well the meaning the Mission Planning Team intended in 2013-14. The member wrote: “The key word to me is ‘parish’…We are NOT one congregation…but we can be one parish. As a single parish, there can be different cultures that are welcomed into the St. Mark's Community of Faith and that live within the house of God (i.e., St. Mark's) but the cultures of all are preserved, respected and celebrated, not diminished or combined. It does not mean we have to worship together, socialize together, break bread together - all of which should be encouraged - but are not necessary to be one parish. It also means an equal sharing of responsibilities for each group's part in the parish - church leadership, financial support, participation, etc. - by those who call St. Mark’s their cultural church home…” Consider this definition. Are we there yet? How? How not?

6:30AM Spanish 7:45AM Easter potluck breakfast 8:30AM English 9:15AM Easter potluck breakfast 10AM English 5:30 PM Dale City Spanish

ST. MARK'S MONTESSORI SCHOOL IS CELEBRATING ITS 50th YEAR! Please join us in commemorating this special occasion by attending our annual Fun Fair on March 17th, 11:00 AM-2:00 PM in the lower level of the education wing and Fellowship Hall. There will be food, games, a raffle, silent auction, and more! In addition, 50% of all proceeds go toward our Tuition Assistance Fund.   Our online auction is already in progress and will run through March 11. Take a look! ( https://www.32auctions.com/organizations/30646/auctions/46943?page=2&t=all ) We thank you sincerely for your prayers, donations, and support over the last 50 years. We will offer any remaining Fun Fair goodies on Sunday morning March 18 between services for a free will donation.

April 1—Congregation Easter Breakfast Potluck (7:45 AM and 9:15 AM) What better way to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord then to share a meal in Fellowship! As was done last year, the Council is organizing an Easter Pot Luck Breakfast and asking all members of the St. Mark’s family to please contribute by bringing a breakfast-themed dish to share. There will be 2 breakfasts— the 1st at 7:45 AM and the 2 nd at 9:15 AM—so that all attending any of the 3 services may attend either before and/or after worship. We look forward to seeing you all!

Food for Others Outreach Mission  St. Mark's has served as a neighborhood distribution site for the Food for Others program for the past 20 years. Each Tuesday evening, teams of volunteers pick up food from the Food for Others warehouse and distribute it to families in need. The time commitment is approximately 1½ hours on a Tuesday evening, once every 4 weeks. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Debbie Brown or Nan Ackerman or the Church Office .

Military Packages Collection:  Sunday, March 25   We are still waiting for the specific name and address of our end-of-March recipient, but your wonderful packages will be for another deployed group of folks whose home base is Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. We’ll be receiving the name/address thanks to Sandy Lind, who told Christie Ballew about our program; Christie, who is also in the military, is furnishing the name and address.    You always come through with wonderful items, whether home-baked goodies, snacks, or supplies/toiletries—they are always grateful for the great items you provide as well as the love and caring that our packages represent. Thank you very much for your consistent and generous support for this project.

Friends & Family  Chamber Orchestra & Chamber Choir F. Wayne Taylor, Orchestra Director  Karen W. Randall, Choir Director Sunday, April 29, 2018, 4:30 PM St. Mark’s Lutheran Church 5800 Backlick Rd, Springfield, VA 22150 Orchestra will perform: Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in A minor Rami Kanaan, Violinist Anthony O’Toole: Passacaglia plus works by Purcell, Michael Haydn, Grainger Choir will perform: Vivaldi: Credo (with orchestra)  David/Knight: You Are the New Day plus madrigals by Farnaby, Morley, Palestrina, Gastoldi ADMISSION FREE Donations will benefit the St. Mark’s Music Program

Triple Your Impact!  During March 12-31, Amazon is tripling the donation rate on your first  smile.amazon.com  purchase! Make your first purchase at  smile.amazon.com/ch/54-0625293  and Amazon will donate 1.5% of the price to St. Mark's Lutheran Church. Other purchases outside of this special promotion earn 0.5%. AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as  Amazon.com .

Save the Date - Click on event for more information.

Lenten Schedule for 2018 February 25-March 30 Town Hall Meeting #2 March 18

Ministry Team March 18

Altar Flower Dedications

Communion Cards.  Please don’t forget to fill out a communion card each time you  worship . Cards are located in the pew racks. If your address has changed, you can include that information so the church office can update your records. In addition, use of the card allows the church office to enter your communion and attendance in the official church records. Thank you.

Kristin's Message based on the lectionary of the week by Kristin Berkey Abbott .

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Article Deadline We need YOUR help! In order that ALL OF US receive the necessary documents for This Week, The Messenger, and the website, please send all articles you wish to have published no later than 5:00 PM on the Tuesday before the Sunday you wish for the articles to appear. Send those articles to communications@stmarks-elca.org .