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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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August 20, 2017
Sunday
Schedule
We Return to Regular Worship Schedule
9:00 am
Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary
9:00 am
Celebration Worship in the Saint Mark Center
9:15 am
Children's Church
Room A101
10:15 am
Sunday School
for all ages
11:15 am
Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary
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Quick, easy and available
HERE
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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 LGBT Inclusion?
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Prayer Focus for This Week
Pray for students, educators, support staff and all involved in the education of our children and youth, many of whom will return to the classroom today, August 17. Pray for safety. Pray for learning. Pray for the children who live in the margins of society - who struggle to stay in school or who experience ridicule because of their race, religion or socioeconomic status.
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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, August 20
Three Services
Meet the Disciples
Andrew
Sanctuary
Bringing the Message
Rev. Todd Davis
Celebration Service 9:00 am
Saint Mark Center
Bringing the Message
Rev. Shawna Darnall
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Blessing of the New School Year
This Sunday, August 20
This Sunday, during all three services, we have the opportunity to offer our blessings to all students, educators, and anyone involved in the education of our children and youth. Children and youth should plan to bring their
book bags to worship to be blessed.
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Bishop Bruce Ough, President of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, Issues a Statement on Charlottesville
My shock, dismay and grief over the clashes between white supremacy advocates and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, continue to grow. I grieve for the lives lost, and pray for the family of Heather Heyer, the families of the two state troopers killed while monitoring the Charlottesville demonstration from the air, and for the healing of all the injured. I am shocked by the blatant resurgence of white nationalism, neo-Nazism and racially motivated domestic terrorism in the United States. I am dismayed (and frightened) by the animosity, division, extremism and evil that is spiraling out of control in the U.S.
Let there be no excuses or political justification for the evil that was on full display in Charlottesville last Saturday. Nor, let us forget that many such displays of white supremacy, racism and hatred go un-reported or under-reported in many places. White supremacist and neo-Nazi ideologies are abhorrent and entirely inconsistent with the Christian faith.
Jesus called his followers to "love your neighbor." It is clear this key spiritual imperative means all neighbors without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. And, Paul taught that "enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions and factions" are among many works of the flesh that are antithetical to the kingdom of God. "By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 5: 19-23) These works of the Spirit lead to peace-making and the kingdom of God.
The Social Principles of our United Methodist Church are a clarion call and powerful witness in times such as these. "We affirm that no identity or culture has more legitimacy than any other. We call the Church to challenge any hierarchy of cultures or identities." (Para. 161A, The Nurturing Community, page 110, 2016 Book of Discipline). And, from Para. 162A The Social Community, page 120: "Racism, manifested as sin, plagues and hinders our relationship with Christ, inasmuch as it is antithetical to the gospel itself ... Therefore, we recognize racism as sin and affirm the ultimate and temporal worth of all persons ... We commit as the Church to move beyond symbolic expressions and representative models that do not challenge unjust systems of power and access."
Martin Luther King, Jr. echoed a similar sentiment when he challenged the United States to transform the thin paper of the Declaration of Independence that affirms the self-evident truth "that all men are created equal, are endowed with certain inalienable rights" into thick action.
I pray that the shock, dismay and grief of Charlottesville will be a turning point for the U.S. and even our global United Methodist church. We share collective responsibility to turn our thin words into thick action. We share collective responsibility to break our silence. We share collective responsibility to restore health to the communities and relationship out of which extremism, hatred and racism grow. We share collective responsibility, as followers of the Prince of Peace, to create non-violent communities where people with different political and religious views respect each other. We share responsibility to articulate the vision of the Beloved Community where no person feels endangered on account of their social, racial or cultural identity.
This collective responsibility begins by each of us examining our own hearts for the prejudice that contributes to attitudes of supremacy or hatred, or to violence, or silence or fear. Peacemaking and reconciliation always begins within.
This is the moment for The United Methodist Church and all peoples of faith to be bold in our witness against racism and white supremacy. The vision of the Beloved Community lies not behind us, but before us. I urge us to pray for the Holy Spirit to break through and work through The United Methodist Church to heal our broken world and make tangible, visible the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Bishop Bruce R. Ough, President
Council of Bishops
The United Methodist Church
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Embrace Love
From the mouths of children -
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For more information,
click here to contact David Wilcox, Minister of Music and Worship.
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Total Solar Eclipse
Monday, August 21
2:37 pm
Enjoy this unique spectacle of God's creation,
but please stay safe!!!
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Click here to contact Donna Poston, Minister of Youth and College Discipleship.
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Click here for more information and to make your reservation.
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Click here to register for this seminar.
There will be refreshments. Also care will be available for loved ones with dementia. Click here to contact Bonnie Holmes if you are interested in this service.
This event is co-sponsored by the Elderberries and the Dementia Concerns Group.
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Mark your calendar now. Watch for details!
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Join us in the Saint Mark Center
for an evening of fun, food and fellowship!
THERE WILL BE PRIZES!
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Women's Day Apart
with Rev. Susan Leonard-Ray
Saturday, September 16
10 am - 2 pm
Commons Room
Cost: $10
Brunch will be catered by
Friends Farm and Catering
We are not finished. We are people in the making. We have the capacity to learn, mature, think, change and grow. We also have the power to stagnate, regress, constrict, and lose our way. Without intentional attention to the ways of Jesus, we could find that our faith has landed us in a parking lot instead of on the road to the abundant life God holds out for us. What road will we take?
As followers of the Way, what practices will help us continue to grow in holiness of heart and life? What might we need to be attentive to so that the Spirit of Jesus more fully fills our hearts and governs our lives?
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The study for this fall is
All Things New by Kelly Minter. It is a study on 2 Corinthians. For more information,
click here to contact Sandy James.
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We are currently taking reservations for
a Sunset Charity Cruise aboard
"Life's ll Good."
Look for us in the atrium. We are limited to 75 people, so make your reservation early! Click here to contact Kathy Graves for more information.
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Fall Anderson District
Lay Servant Ministries School
October 7-8
Pendleton United Methodist Church
It's fall, a time full of new possibilities and new opportunities for serving the Lord. Have you heard a call to be a Lay Servant and want an overview of what it means to be a Lay Servant? Would you like to learn how to pray effectively in public? Can you deliver a message or plan a worship service in a meaningful way? Would you like to know more about the United Methodist Social Principles? Now is the time for you to explore these options.
Courses offered:
Basic Lay Servant Ministry
Basic Preaching
Prayer and Justice in Everyday Life
Cost: $45 if registered before August 25, $50 if registered between August 25 and September 1st.
Classes are open to everyone, regardless of whether or not they are interested in becoming a certified lay servant. For those who are or wish to be a certified lay servant, remember that you must take a course beyond the Basic course at least once every 3 years. For more information click here to contact Gwendolyn Brown, Chair of the Anderson District Lay Servant Ministry Board. Or call her at 678-480-5176.
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Mark your calendars! The annual Mission Auction is coming, and it's got a whole new look. We're going to a one-day auction-- that's right, just one day to bid on football tickets, homemade dinners, antiques and artwork, themed baskets and more. We plan to hand out lists of the items up for auction and work out some way for people to submit early bids if they are not going to be present on the big day, but for now, please mark your calendars for
Sunday, October 29th! We have already started accepting items for the auction (at least on paper!), so please start thinking about what you might be able to donate.
Thanks for supporting the auction that supports the mission work of Saint Mark UMC every year. Questions? Want to help?
Click here to contact Jane Harlin, or call her at (864) 638-2462. Do not use the home number listed in the directory--we've moved!
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Tentative Plans for an
Elderberries-sponsored Event
A Christmas Trip to Winston-Salem
ARE YOU INTERESTED?
Monday, December 4 through
Wednesday, December 6
Are you 50+? Would you be interested in a trip to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, during the month of December? Our trip would include a Christmas Candlelight tour, an opportunity to experience Old Salem, and some of the Moravian holiday traditions.
A proposed tour package includes two nights at the Historic Brookstown Inn, voted as one of the 25 best hotels in the south by Southern Living in 2016.
Click here to learn more about Brookstown Inn.
Click here to email Marla Fuller to express your interest in this trip.
You are not making a commitment if you reply. Let us know your interest by
Sunday, September 3.
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Summer Anderson District
Lay Servant Ministries School
Saturday, August 19 and Sunday, August 20
South Main Chapel and Mercy Center
Anderson, SC
Contact: Gwendolyn Brown
Wings 'n Things Resumes
Sunday, September 10
4:00 pm
Youth Fall Retreat
Asbury Hills
September 30 - October 1
Contact: Donna Poston
World Communion Sunday
Sunday, October 1
All three services
Contact: Rev. Todd Davis
Pet Blessing
Sunday, October 1
2:30 pm
Contact: Marla Fuller
Low Country Boil
Fundraiser for Eleuthera Mission
Sunday, October 8
6:00 pm
Saint Mark Center
Contact: Kathy Graves
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Reconciling Worship Service
Sunday, September 10
4:00 pm
Clemson United Methodist Church
This service of worship is sponsored by the Upstate Reconciling Ministries to promote Christian community that embraces our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters. Come for worship and communion, with a time of fellowship and refreshments to follow.
For more information, click here to contact Rev. Jim Morgan. Or you may call him at (864) 654-5547 ext. 102.
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Mentor Oconee
During last fall's Wednesday night series on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, many of you learned about and expressed interest in
Mentor Upstate, a mentoring program initiated by the Frazee Center in Greenville. We are happy to report that Oconee County has partnered with Mentor Upstate to expand the program to several of our county elementary schools, and the program is called
Mentor Oconee. Currently five public schools have committed to sponsoring mentor programs beginning this school year. The schools are Westminster , Ravenel, Tammassee-Salem, Blue Ridge, and Fair Oak. The kickoff training for interested persons is Monday evening, August 21. The training is free. If you cannot attend this session, training will be available on the first Monday evening of each month, with the exception of September, which will be the second Monday.
For more information on Mentor Upstate, visit the website at
mentorupstate.org. To read about the Frazee Center in Greenville, please check out the news on their website at
frazeecenter.org.
Questions can be directed to Becky Hazelwood.
Click here to send an email.
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Can You Help on Labor Day Weekend?
We still need nursery volunteers on Labor Day weekend, Sunday, September 3. Our paid staff worker needs to be off that day, so we need two volunteers for each spot instead of one. There is one opening for the Sunday School hour (10 am - 11 am) and two from 11:00 am - 12:15 pm. If you would be willing to express God's grace and love to our youngest disciples, please contact Jens Holley at (864) 882-2603 or click here to send an email.
Thanks for your help in this vital ministry.
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Disciples In Action:
Catch Someone In the Act
of Being a Disciple
In addition to the Heart Beat, Prayers of the People and People 'Neath Our Steeple, very soon you will begin to receive posts highlighting the many and diverse ways our Saint Mark folks live as disciples in the church, the community and the world. We are calling this new feature, Disciples in Action. We will count on you to help us catch people in the act. When you see an individual or a group of Saint Mark folks living as disciples, capture those moments or events in photos, and (with their permission) send them to us to post, along with a paragraph describing what you have captured in the photo.
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United Methodist Men
Men-N-Ministry
After a 25-year absence, the Anderson District United Methodist Men was re-established in January 2016. Currently 40 men, representing 18 churches in our district, are actively involved in this ministry. Below is information about the next meeting:
Saturday, October 21 at 10 am
Full Breakfast Meeting
Ann Hope UMC in Seneca
For more information, or if you are interested in starting a United Methodist Men unit at Saint Mark, click here to contact Rev. Dick Waldrep
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District and Conference
Volunteers Needed
Want to know more about our United Methodist Church? Once great way to learn more about our great church is to serve on the District or Annual Conference level. If you would like to be nominated to serve on a District or Annual Conference Committee (2018-2020 term), or even better, as a leader of a ministry team here at Saint Mark UMC, please click here to contact Rev. Todd Davis or call him at (
864) 882-2603.
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A Note of Thanks From United Way
Thank you so much for your recent donation of school supplies for our Back To School Program here at United Way. Your church is so responsive to community needs and is making a huge difference for the needy here.
We were so grateful for the back packs and school supplies (collected at Vacation Bible School). With your help, we will be able to provide backpacks and school supplies for over 300 children - they will leave our building happy, equipped and ready to learn.
We really appreciate your continued support of the needy in our community!
Sandra Pruitt
Program Coordinator
Family Friends
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Just a reminder . . . keep those prayers coming! Pray especially for our search for a Minister of Children's Discipleship.
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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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