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This Week at St. Mark's United Church
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Dear St. Mark's Friends:
There's so much to be grateful for in our community. In the last week we've had vibrant worship, a wonderful retreat, a memorial service for a dear member, the startup of 2 exciting musical groups, and so much more. Tomorrow, a city-wide food drive will happen at St. Mark's (bring your donations if you can!) It seems that every time I'm around the church, I'm surrounded by people working hard, taking care of one another.
This work will continue through the fall - and we hope it's about to expand in a significant way. We are getting ready for a congregational meeting this Sunday, when we'll vote on taking a big step forward in our relationship with Lynden and Rock Chapel United Churches. Leaders from all three congregations have been deeply engaged in conversation that is so brave, and so hopeful. Changes like this are not easy to contemplate, and we know that there are some endings in the future - but still, it's a pretty neat time to be a part of these church communities. At one of our meetings this summer, a member of Rock Chapel framed it this way: "We've been friends for awhile, but now we need to become family." Here's to helping our family grow!
Please read on for some important dates and details. If you're looking for me next Wednesday, I'll be back at my Alma Mater, Emmanuel College in Toronto. I've been invited to lead the weekly chapel service, which means preaching to my professors and former classmates! It's hardly intimidating at all. If you want a sneak peek of next Sunday's sermon, and feel like a subway ride, come check it out. Worship begins at 1:30 pm.
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This Sunday: Congregational Meeting & BBQ
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September 25th will be a big Sunday at St. Mark's. Immediately following the worship service, we will gather in the Fellowship Hall for a
Welcome Back BBQ Lunch. Hot dogs and hamburgers will be provided, and the rest is pot luck. Please also remember to bring your own dishes if you can - it really saves on the work of cleanup, and is more environmentally friendly than disposables. Special thanks to Debbie Christie and the whole Pastoral Care Team, who have worked very hard to organize this.
As we finish lunch, we'll move into a
Special Congregational Meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to approve the proposed plan for shared worship with Lynden and Rock Chapel United Churches. Everything you need (the motion, and the parameters) is in the PDF document at the link below. Please read it, print it, or have an electronic copy with you on Sunday - we have some copies printed for those folks not on email, but not enough for everyone. We've had some requests about Proxy votes, and need to reiterate that these are not permitted. Both members and adherents may vote, but you must be present at the meeting to do so.
One final note for Sunday: after church (and after a quick bite of lunch) all young people are invited to participate in the 2nd rehearsal for the Youth music production,
Storytellin' Man. Ann Green and Terry McConnell will work with any interested youth to find the way that they would like to contribute - acting, singing, playing an instrument, or behind the scenes! Rehearsals are every Sunday from 11:45-12:45, with a performance in worship on November 20th.
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Save the Dates!! Oct 21 & 23
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Please circle the 4th weekend in October on your calendars, and plan to be at St. Mark's - we'll be providing all your food and entertainment needs! First up is the
Chicken BBQ, on Friday, October 21st, beginning at 5pm. Then, on
Sunday, October 23rd at 2pm, we'll host a fabulous concert in the Sanctuary, featuring the amazing local band
Cootes Paradise! Tickets for both events will be on sale soon!
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Women's Retreat 2016
We had a beautiful (if rainy!) weekend at Five Oaks. 16 women gathered for worship, reflection, study, and quite a few laughs!
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Women's Retreat 2016
Arts and crafts! We worked with clay and wondered about the Potter's role in our lives. We spent time dreaming, imagining, and illustrating what God's vision might be for our lives, and for our communities.
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