Children's Faith Formation Fall Sunday school is set to begin with an intergenerational focus on September 11 following our Day of Service at L'Arche on September 10 and continuing emphasis on God's creative activity in nature.    Teachers will be installed and blessed; families will receive information on the coming Sunday school year; and kids will receive a blessing as they begin a new school year.  Regular classes begin on September 18.  Registration for Sunday school helps us keep information up to date on your child--forms are available each Sunday in the Narthex and on-line this week.  Are you interested in teaching?  There is room for you on one of our teaching teams and we would love to have you consider this important ministry with children!  Teachers ARE needed.  See the display table in the Narthex on Sundays or talk with/e-mail Char Leone ( [email protected]).  

A big THANK YOU goes out to Boy Scout Troop 216 for their service project at our church this past Saturday, 8/20. The scouts and their leaders spread 18 yards(!) of bark to get the grounds looking terrific for the start of fall programs here at St. Mark's. And a special thank you to member Paul French for pulling all the volunteers and details together. Next time you see the Scouts, please let them know their service and dedication is very much appreciated!

Beginning Saturday, September 17, St. Mark's will again host up to five homeless families with children. This is our fourth year as part of the Family Housing Network. Volunteers are needed to bring meals, prepare bedrooms, and host the families during the evening and overnight. See the signup table in the narthex!

You may recall that in 2015, our congregation started funding a reserve for large-scale facilities projects needed around the church. Thanks to your generosity, we have over $21,000 in that fund to date and have an additional $17,000 in the fiscal year 2016-2017 budget that was approved at our  May 22nd  congregational meeting. We will start seeing the benefits of our collective stewardship toward the end of August, as Washington Patriot Construction begins to replace the woodpecker-damaged siding on the northwest corner of the sanctuary (replacing cedar siding with Hardie siding/trim). Washington Patriot is just one of the firms that bid this project, and is a legacy firm of Wade Perrow, who constructed our parish commons/preschool addition. We are so excited to take this first, readily visible step toward caring for our facility through the long-term property maintenance fund. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jennifer Droubay at the church office  (253-752-4966 ).

Thank you for your generous donations to provide bathroom kits to new refugee families coming to our community!   At the end of the month, we'll have exceeded our goal.    We filled 36 plastic bins with bath towels, hand towels, wash cloths, toilet paper, soap, a wastebasket, and a shower curtain for a family's new apartment.   Any donations received on August 28 will allow us to fill a few more bins.   Thank you!     Please stop by the refugee ministry table in the narthex  today (Aug. 28) if you are interested in providing transportation, cultural orientation, mentoring, or language/tutoring.   We have applications for interested volunteers.     More information?  Contact Kathleen Campbell at [email protected] or 253.820.3297.

St. Mark's will be hosting a Marimba Camp the 22nd to the 26th of this month.   Have fun everyone!

Saturday, September 17- The annual Pierce County Alzheimer's Caregiver Conference is an opportunity for individuals and families to learn about Alzheimer's and other dementias, get practical tips and skills, hear about local resources and pick up important information from area providers.  The keynote with Dr. Stephen Thielke, MD, will focus on managing agitation and challenging behaviors with and without medications.  Breakout sessions include home modifications, hospice & end of life, legal issues, paying for care, meaningful activities and a hands-on dementia experience.  The Alzheimer's Caregiver Conference is free.  Registration at  8 a.m. ; keynote at  9 a.m. ; event ends at  1 p.m.  at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 1315 N. Stevens in Tacoma.  Refreshments provided.  RSVP is required  online  or by calling  (253) 798-8787 .  Complimentary respite care is available by contacting Cascade Park Gardens - call  (253) 475-3702 .  Call  (253) 798-4600  for event details.

Thrivent Builds celebrated a milestone in its partnership with Habitat for Humanity when it launched a Worldwide Build in Romania in 2005.   Eleven years later, Thrivent Builds Worldwide will return to Romania, and you are invited to participate!

Visit  www.Thrivent.com/TEAM1000 to learn more about how to be part of the team travelling to Romania October 1st-8th, 2016.  You will find information about the costs involved, the registration process, and who to contact with questions.  (Talking to our own Tom Geary is also helpful-he has worked with Habitat in Romania many times).