The newsletter for St. Mark's UMC in Murfreesboro, TN
Logo
"The Messenger"  Online Newsletter

January 30, 2018
Dr. Craig Goff
From the Pastor

Over the past few weeks I have recited a bible verse from the Psalms as part of my morning devotional time:

Teach me to do your will,  for you are my God. Let your good spirit lead me on a level path.
(Psalm 143:10)

There is nothing in that verse that is difficult to comprehend.  A child can understand what it means to learn to do God's will and to be led by God's Spirit.    I have not been reciting the verse to gain new information;  but for spiritual formation in the tradition of the ancient practice of Lectio Divina.
Read the whole article HERE

February 4 - Why do bad things happen?

Come to wrestle with these questions in a supportive, welcoming community of faith.Come and worship! 8:30 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Sunday.
SAGES News

Well, the month of February is filled with lots of good activities for the SAGES.
 
The monthly meeting of the SAGES' Ministry Team is at 9:30 A.M. on February 12 in Room 503/505. The SAGES will complete the planning cycle for the year, talk about other programming, review the caring list, and hear a great history lesson from Dr. Bill Windham.  

More SAGES News HERE
Sweet Potatoes Bagged for Red Bird Mission


On Sunday afternoon, folks gathered at St. Mark's to bag up 4,000 pounds of sweet potatoes that will be transported this week to Red Bird Mission in Eastern Kentucky!

Family, Food, Fellowship, Faith, and Fun for the whole Family!
Wednesday Night Together offers a full menu of delicious food, warm table fellowship, and wonderful classes and groups for all ages!
5:15 - 6:00 p.m. Church Family Dinner
Reservations due by 12:00 p.m. Monday
$6.00/Adult, $2.00/Children and MTSU Students, $20.00/Family Max

6:00 - 7:15 p.m. WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRAISE for Children
6:15 - 7:15 p.m. NEW CLASSES AND GROUPS FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS
CLICK HERE to view the 2018 WNT BROCHURE
Youth News 

Thank you to all of those who came out and
supported our annual Chili Cook-off! A special thank you to those who entered chili. Congratulations to the winners for this year, listed below.

Overall - Anne Gilliland
2nd Place - Carrie Henderson
3rd Place - Chris Sledge
Hottest Chili -  Sean & Amanda Murphy
Best White Chili - Tim & Jessica Duncan
Most Creative Chili - Caroline Bartlett
Best Booth Decorations - Sean & Amanda Murphy
Click HERE to see winner photos.

We are looking forward to attending Warmth in Winter at the Opryland Hotel on February 9th-11th! This will be a fun event filled with fellowship, music, and fun with over 2,000 other Methodist Youth from the TN Conference.

We are already looking ahead to our summer mission trips! For the senior high mission trip this year, we will be heading to Chicago June 17th - 23rd for some inner city outreach with local kids and beautification efforts. The cost is $400 per person, and a $50 deposit is due by February 11th to hold a spot. More information can be FOUND HERE , or you can talk to Tyler Neale. We are working on details for the middle school mission trip and will announce those soon!
24 Hours That Changed the World


During Lent, you and your family are invited to deepen your Christian faith and discipleship through experiencing one of the best studies available about the events of Jesus' final days, 24 Hours That Changed the World, based on the Gospel of Mark.   

CLICK HERE for the full schedule and lesson list.
Children's Coin Offering

Our February 11th Children's Coin Offering will be donated to St. Mark's Library for the purchase of new children's books during "Love your Library" Month.

To see how our  Children's Coin Offering collected $6911.12 in 2017, CLICK HERE.

St. Mark's will be hosting a "Big Game Party" to watch the "Big Game" on February 4th. Our narthex will become a giant living room where we will be streaming the game.

The gym will be open and a few games will be available during game time.

We will serve Boy Scout BBQ sandwiches to the first 100 people to arrive. Everyone should bring snack foods or sweets to share.

No RSVP's are necessary and everyone is welcome! Our gathering will begin at 5:00 (kickoff is at 5:30!). We hope you will plan to come!
The Big Game Solution


Let the Boy Scouts of St. Mark's Troop 398 take care of your cooking on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 4th. We've smoked our own pork and turkey for 19 years! Your order will be packaged and ready for pick up from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall on Super Bowl Sunday. 
Our prices remain the same as last year. You can choose from pulled pork $9/pound and/or sliced turkey $10/pound (order extra and freeze it for a treat later on!)  Whole Boston Butts are available for $40 and boneless Turkey half-breasts for $35. Ribs are $15/slab. To complete your feast, we offer 16 ounce sides of Cole slaw and baked beans for $4 each. Back by popular demand are our sauces: 12 oz Hummingbird (mild) and Screaming Eagle (spicy) for $5.  

Please remember to place your orders in advance, (see the attached order form) since only limited quantities will be available for sale on Feb. 4th. Tickets are currently on sale by troop members Jesse & David Hofer, Dawson Lapp, Connor Ott and Nathan Daniel. Scouts will have tickets for sale in the Narthex on Wed. nights and on Sundays thru Jan. 28th. Order forms are also available in the church office or you can also place an order by calling or emailing Scoutmaster Mike Warren (615) 473-7076 or mike11345@aol.com.
February is Love Your Library Month!!!

 
The entire month of February is dedicated libraries of all sizes, books of all kinds and the people who love to read.  There are three ways you can help celebrate St. Mark's library.  

Read all about it HERE.
St. Mark's Preschool Fall 2018 Registration

St. Mark's members have the opportunity to register for Preschool on Tuesday, March 6 from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m.  Check the preschool link on the church website for specific information regarding ages and classes offered, or call Sherrie Gilliam, preschool director, at (615) 895-1803.
In Other News...

You Are Invited to a piano recital by Dr. Adam Clark, our St. Mark's pianist/organist and Professor of Piano at MTSU, next Sunday (February 4th) at 2:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. The concert is free and open to the public; a love offering will be collected to support the next Redbird house build. 

"Better Marriages" Offers Local Marriage Enrichment Seminar - Better Marriages of Georgia invites you to consider making your marriage the best it can be through attending a weekend marriage enrichment retreat, "Mountain Top Marriages," held February 23-25 at the Marriott in downtown Chattanooga. Read more about it HERE.

Thanks to Everyone for the sympathy wishes, prayers, cards, calls, food, and expressions of love at the death of my sister Joan Partin. Your support was very encouraging. - Trish Clardy

Golf Tournament - Our spring golf tournament will be held at Old Fort Golf Course on April 14.

View Our Current Prayer List

See Our Full Event Calendar

Missed a Sermon? Click HERE to go to our sermons media page.
St. Mark's UMC | (615) 893-3455 | stmarks@stmarkstn.org