A reminder that if you have announcements for the newsletter or the bulletin, they must be sent to Katie at community@stmarksevanston.org no later than Tuesday at 12 noon.
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Stewardship and the Annual Campaign
Each month in 2017 we will feature a ministry of St. Mark's where we can "count what counts" because we are Bound Together in Christ. If you have a ministry at St. Mark's where we can "cou
nt what counts" (lunches packed or served, pounds of produce distributed, hours of candles burned, number of notes sung!) contact Katie Kuriyama at community@stmarksevanston.org so we can assign you a month!
Counting What Counts: During the month of January, 29 St. Mark's parishioners spent 126.5
hours engaged in social justice, outreach and advocacy ministry through St. Mark's including volunteering at the Evanston School Children's Clothing Association, the Producemobile, attending the Y.O.U. Defiance with a Purpose event on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, participating in the Women's Rally in Chicago
and the Empowering Diverse Communities March in Morton Grove,
attending a City Council Meeting, packing lunches on Tuesday evenings, or serving lunches on Wednesdays.
Annual Campaign: Bound Together in Christ
- Thank you to all who have already made your pledge commitments: 80 parishioners/family units have committed $248,059. We are at 90% of our goal. Last year, 91 parishioners / family units made pledge commitments so we know we can still reach our goal if everyone participates in the campaign. If you have not yet had an opportunity to complete your pledge card, please do so this week. Extra cards are available at the back of the church and in the parlor or can be downloaded from our website: www.stmarksevanston.org. We can do this - but only if everyone participates as we are, indeed, bound together in Christ.
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Faith, Formation and Fellowship
Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end.
- Psalm 119:33
This Sunday is the Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany and the appointed readings are
Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18,
Psalm 119:33-40,
1 Corinthians 3:10-11,
16-23
and Matthew 5:38-48. We invite you to take some time this week to read them in advance so that they can speak to you throughout the week. If you don't have a Bible nearby, you can find the passages at this website:
www.lectionarypage.net
This Sunday's Lay Ministers
-- Thank you to the following parishioners for sharing their time and talent with the congregation this week. If you would like to become involved, please contact Pastor Debra at 847-732-9564 or rector@stmarksevanston.org.
- Altar Guild: Pat Bent, Rachel Easton
- Flower Guild: Dale Seifert
- Ushers: Fred Lewis, Susan Lewis, Lisa Montgomery
- Acolytes:Wesley Urbanowski, Betsy Johnson, Sebastian Urbanowski
- Lectors: Chris Schultze, Tacia Johnson
- Eucharistic Ministers: Sydney Johnson (8 a.m.), Milner Seifert, Betsy Johnson, Ted Richardson
- Eucharistic Visitor: Ric Ashley
- Vestry Persons of the Day: Doug Sondgeroth, Luke Urbanowski
- Coffee Hour Snacks: Last Names beginning with M through S
Lent Begins - Ash Wednesday:
On Wednesday, March 1 our Lenten journey begins. Worship will take place at 7 a.m. (Lady Chapel) and at 7:30 p.m. (Sanctuary). Communion and imposition of ashes will be part of both services.
Lenten Small Groups: Becoming the Story We Tell:
During the weeks of Lent, Pastor Debra invites you to take part in a small group that will meet weekly for 60 - 90 minutes. In that group, we will reflect on scripture and sacrament to see if we can find connection between the gospel drama and the drama of our own lives, to see if we might find ourselves shaped by the story and perhaps even better equipped to share it with others who are hungry to hear it. There will be one or two small groups. One group will meet on Monday evenings from 7 - 8:30 p.m. The second group, if there is one, will meet either on Sunday afternoons from 4 - 5:30 p.m. OR Tuesday evenings from 7 - 8:30 p.m. The first small group will take place March 5, 6 or 7. And it will meet every week through April 2, 3 or 4. Why would you participate? (1) It may be that your Christian faith is a family tradition. . . and this is the moment for you or your household to become more intentional about following the way of Christ, (2) It may be that your with is mostly a private affair. . . and you would like now to explore this faith with others disciples of Jesus; (3) It may be that Christ seems a distant figure to you. . . and this is the moment that you are being called to deepen your relationship with Christ; or (4) It may be that you are simply curious and are willing and able to be open-minded to a new experience that will be shared with others who are curious as well. If you are interested and would like to learn more, there will be a final info and sign-up session this Sunday (2/19) from 12 - 12:45 p.m. in Bethlehem Chapel. If this date/time does not work for you but you are still interested, send an email to rector@stmarksevanston.org and we will see what we can work out.
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Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper!
Mark your calendars and tell your friends! The ann
ual pancake supper will take place on Tuesday, February 28 from 5 - 7 p.m.
at St. Matthew's
(2120 Lincoln Street, Evanston). The hosts again this year are the Confirm not Conform students and their mentors.
Jubi-latte & Tea Deum with the Rector- On Friday, February 17 from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. at Curt's Café South, 1813 Dempster St., Evanston (note new location), Pastor Debra will be available to treat you to your favorite coffee or tea drink and to enjoy a time of relaxation and fellowship. No hidden agenda. Just a time to spend time together. Jubilate is Latin for "Rejoice" and the Te Deum is a Hymn of Praise.
Adult Forum on the Immigration Crisis: This Sunday, February 19 a
t 9:30 a.m. (Bethlehem Chapel), parishioners, Clark and Nasim Alexander (and Soren) will present a forum on the current immigration crisis. They will begin with a brief (extremely brief) recent history of the middle east and lead into how we "got into this mess." They will discuss some impacts this ban has on the current community of middle easterners in the United States whose legal statuses are now tenuous. They will suggest some ways to help (not all of which include donating money) followed by a Q&A.
One Book, One Diocese- Bishop Lee will lead an online book discussion during Lent. This year's book is
Living Into God's Dream: Dismantling Racism in America
,
is a collection of essays edited by Catherine Meeks, that combines personal stories and theological reflection with real-world examples of the ways in which new conversations on race can be forged. The book is available online from
Church Publishing, Amazon (book and Kindle formats), and other retailers. The book discussion will launch at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church here in Evanston on Thursday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. when the editor Catherine Meeks will lead a conversation and be available to sign her book, copies of which will be available for purchase.
Sunday School-
If you would like to join the crew of volunteers who sh
are the story for the day and/or coordinate the craft for the day, let Pastor Debra know,
rector@stmarksevanston.org
. The easy-to-follow curriculum is provid
ed and support is available.
Going Where the Youth Are: Being Church
The Church is wherever God's people are gathered and for our youth that is often not at St. Mark's - the building - because they are involved in so many extra-curricular activities. Imagine the positive message we might share with our young people by Being Church where they are - at the ice rink, on the baseball diamond, at the debate club, at their concert. Let's show up and cheer for our young people. Let's Be Church Where the Youth Are! Take pictures, congratulate often, and remind our young people that they too are Being the Church wherever they are! If you have events to add on behalf of your young person, please email Pastor Debra, rector@stmarksevanston.org
Abigail
will be performing with Evanston Dance Ensemble (EDE2) on the following dates: March 4 at 4 and 7 p.m.; and March 5 at 4 p.m. All performances are at Studio 5 at Dance Center Evanston.
Tyler is the Assistant Technical Director for USC's School of Dramatic Arts production of Evita which runs the weekends of March 30th and April 6th. If you can't get to southern California to see the show, you can send a note of encouragement to Tyler Maegawa-Goeser, Arts & Humanities Residential College, 920 W. 37th Place, Los Angeles, CA 90007 or email to tcmg98@gmail.com.
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Outreach and Social Justice
With St. Mark's
This Week is 3rd Sunday Food Collection
- This Sunday (2/19) our food collection will support the mid-week lunch ministry run by St. Mark's and St. Matthew's. Requested in-kind donations include gallon sizes of cranberry and apple juice, as well as packages of 50 single bags of chips. Donations can be placed in the red shopping cart located in the back of the sanctuary. Thank you, and for more information on the mid-week lunch ministry, see below!
Midweek Lunch: Come and join us!
There are two weekly opportunities to serve our neighbors who struggle with hunger and homelessness. Every Tuesday from 6:00-6:30 pm, lunches are packed in the kitchen here at St. Mark's, and every Wednesday lunch is served at 11 a.m. On Wednesday, volunteers are asked to arrive by 10:00 a.m. and stay until 12:30 p.m. For more information and to volunteer, contact John Lucadamo at
lucadamj@gmail.com.
Coffee & Council- The next Coffee & Council is Monday, February 27th! We meet at Coffee Lab (910 Noyes) at 6:30 PM for warm beverages, and then walk together to the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center (2100 Ridge) for the Council meeting. Free parking is available behind the Civic Center. All are invited to this time of fellowship and civic engagement. For more information, contact Katie at community@stmarksevanston.org or 847-864-4806. From here on out, Coffee & Council will be scheduled for the 4th Monday of every month.
In the Community
Black History Month Events--The following events are taking place in our community this month and all are invited:
Lecture: "The Underground Railroad: Our Journey Continues" Thursday, February 16, 2017 | 11:10 a.m. | Chapel of the Unnamed Faithful (Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary) |Glennette Tilly Turner (author, lecturer, historian, educator).
Lecture: "The Black Vote: What Just Happened - and What Do We Do Now" Saturday, February 18, 2017 | 1 - 4 p.m. | Levy Center, Sponsored by Evanston Branch N.A.A.C.P., African American History & Genealogy Study Group of Evanston, Shorefront Legacy Center, Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti.
Panel Discussion:
"The Underground Railroad's Legacy: Uniting Together as a Form of Resistance" Tuesday, February 28, 2017 | 11:10 a.m. | Room 205 (Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary) | Garrett-Evangelical Black Seminarians (G-EBS) Student Group
Islam Today: On February 19 at 1:30 p.m. (Beth Emet Synagogue, Evanston) join Azam Nizamuddin and Tahera Ahmad for a discussion of the state of the Muslim community in the U.S. and abroad to help us better understand the Muslim community. All are invited.
What You Need to Know About Standing Rock Water Protectors from the Voices of the Indigenous People- Saturday, February 25, 3 - 4:30 p.m. at the Levy Senior Center (300 Dodge). For more information about this event and to register, click here.
Understanding and Analyzing Systemic Racism workshop will be held on April 20 - 22 at Oakton Community College in Skokie, Illinois. This is a unique opportunity for St. Mark's as most of the trainings have taken place in Hyde Park. If you have questions about what to expect, contact Pastor Debra, Liz McElhatton, Andrea Nowack, or Katie Kuriyama who have all attended the workshop within the past year. The most recent workshop filled up quickly (over 60 attendees!); so, please register early. Registration is now open, and you can learn more and register online
at
http://bit.ly/ChicagoROAR.
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Other Announcements
Prayer List
If you have loved ones you would like added to the prayer list at any time, send an email to Pastor Debra at rector@stmarksevanston.org.
We bid your prayers for: Bob Barr, Louise Beem, Astley Bent, Veronica Braithwaite, John Burnham, Tony Campise, Genevieve Costello, Karen Cornelius, Caroline Frowe, Ann Lettner, Ayden Lettner, Charlie Lettner, Grace Lettner, Kathy Lettner, Donald McCrea, Bob Molumby, Jake Morris, Mary O'Dowd, Jan and Jeri Offutt, Casmir Szczepaniak, Danny White, Betty Augustinos, Lucy Augustinos, Jen and Patsy Becerra, Susan Murrell Castaneda, David Cresap, Eloise Fritz, Marilyn Goede, Katie Iles, Joan and Sherwin, Jay Johnson, OJ Mabwa, Ahmed Mahmoud, Carl and Lindy Messier, Reg Ryan, Herman Schrock, Stephanie Short, Lillie Grace, Kelly Wheeler Szczepaniak, Tim and his family, Dorothy Waller.
We pray for those who have died:
Char Wiss, longtime parishioner of St. Mark's
We pray for the people in
the Diocese of Southeast Mexico and the Diocese of Renk
Char Wiss Memorial: A reminder that the funeral service for Char Wiss will take place this Saturday at 2 p.m. in Eliot Chapel at Presbyterian Homes. There will be a reception at Presbyterian Homes immediately following the service.
February Birthdays -
Astley Bent (8), John Lucadamo (8), Helen Kelly (10), Neena Gaede (11), Emily Furlong (14), Manel Valdes-Cruz (16), Luke Urbanowski (16), Carly Ho (18), Alexander Rocca (20), Tyler Maegawa-Goeser (20), Abigail Seifert (21), Carolyn Brooks (22), Calvin Yanaga (23), Nonie Morris (23), Eleanor Lucadamo (23), Robert Lockwood (25), Charlie Lettner (25), Seth Himrod (26), Anne Sagan (26), Tom Bergman (27)
February Weddings -
Scott Lybrand and Charles Zaucha (25)
February Anniversaries -
John Lucadamo and Nancye Kirk (26)
If we have missed your birthday or anniversary, please do let us know so we can correct the error. Send your name and date of birth to
rector@stmarksevanston.org
Name Change:
On Saturday, February 25, Scott Lybrand, St. Mark's Pastoral Intern, will marry Charles Zaucha. From that day forward Scott will be using his new last name: Scott Zaucha. His contact information will remain the same. We just thought you should know who we mean when you see the new name. And, congratulations Scott and Charles!
Pastor Debra's Schedule: Beginning next week
, Pastor Debra will be returning to having Fridays as her day off (instead of Mondays). If you have a pastoral emergency, you can, of course, still reach her on Fridays by leaving a message at 847-732-9564. All emergency calls will be returned as quickly as possible.
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