Update for the week of May 25 - 31, 2017
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Our Vision Statement
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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Contact Information?
 
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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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to  
send an email
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. 
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.
 
May 28, 2017 
 
Sunday 
Schedule 
 
9:00 am
Traditional Service 
Sanctuary 
This service will include the dedication of the remodeled sacristy and the new Heritage Center

9:00 am
Celebration  Service
Saint Mark Center 
   
9:15 am
Children's Chapel

10:00 am
Atrium Fellowship
with beverages and refreshments 
 
  10:15 am
Sunday School 
for all ages
Classrooms

11:15 am
Traditional Service
Sanctuary

4:00 pm
Wings Choir Tour Rehearsal


Quick, easy and available HERE 
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.
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
Wednesday.  On the subject line, please type in "Heart Beat" so that we can easily find your article among the other emails.
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. 
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 click here and send them to us.

Or use our Saint Mark hashtag #stmarkumc and post your photos on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. 
Interested in LGBT Inclusion?

Click here for more information. 
Prayer Focus for This Week  

Pray for children born with disabilities.  Pray for their families that they might receive the personal and financial support they will need.  Pray for all agencies and other services that devote their time and resources to the care of children with disabilities of every kind. 
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.
WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY 

Traditional Service  
THIS Sunday, May 28
9:00 am and 11:15 am
Sanctuary

Bringing the Message
Jens Holley
"Left Holding the Bag?"

Celebration Service 
THIS Sunday, May 28
9:00 am
Saint Mark Center (gym)

Bringing the Message
Rev. Ken Minton
"A Scroll of Remembrance"
THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARK 

Saint Mark Child Development Center 
Parents' Night Out 
(infants through 12 years old) 
TOMORROW, Friday, May 26  
5:30 - 9:30 pm 
$10/hour for one child 
$5 per hour for each additional child 
 
Please click here to contact  Becca Williams or call her at (864) 882-0333 for details or to reserve your child's spot. 

Caitlyn's first Sunday with us will be this Sunday, May 28.  Please make her feel welcome by introducing yourself to her. 

Our DREAM Campaign officially comes to an end this Sunday, May 28.  If you plan to make a pledge, we would appreciate receiving your pledge card by this Sunday, if possible. If you haven't made a pledge, prayerfully consider making a commitment to help us retire our debt so that we can grow and empower our ministries.  For more information, click here to contact Debbie Dubose. 

Summer Tour Sponsorships
Between Services and Sunday School 
In the Atrium 

Our annual opportunity to sponsor our "Wing's youth" on tour continues this Sunday in the atrium. With your $25.00 sponsorship, you will receive a photo of your youth, a ribbon to wear, and a specific itinerary to guide your prayers each day.  

Thank you for your continued love and support!
 

South Carolina Conference-Wide Mission
 
Saint Mark UMC has committed $1000 toward our South Carolina conference-wide mission to support Homes for Hope to reduce homelessness in the Greenville area. We need your donation toward our $1000 goal by this Sunday, May 28.  Thanks for your generosity!

Memorial Day 2017 

In commemoration of Memorial Day,  
the church office will be closed
on Monday, May 29.     
LOOKING AHEAD . . .   

Pentecost Potluck Lunch 
Pentecost Sunday, June 4 
12:30 pm 
Saint Mark Center

As part of our Pentecost celebration, a day set aside to celebrate the birth of the Church of Jesus Christ, we will continue our celebration by sharing in "table fellowship" - eating a meal together as one united family of faith. EVERYONE is invited. Will you join us? Bring a dish to share! Beverages will be provided. We hope to see you there! 

Church Office Carpet Installation  
June 5 - 9

New carpet will be installed in the church office wing the week of June 5 - 9.  Our church office will be open Monday, June 5 through Thursday, June 8, as usual, but some staff may not be accessible, or will be working from home while the installation is taking place. Please call before stopping by to see who is available to help you.  A reminder that Pastors Todd and Shawna will be be away at Annual Conference that week.   

Beyond Forwarded Yesterdays....
 
During this session you will engage in a combination of interactive activities, engaging short videos and robust group discussions, all designed to help you better understand and explore the why's of behavior rather than just the what's. Through the development of introspective empowerment, you will learn to become deliberate shapers of your environment rather than passive, reactionary respondents.

Join us June 11 at 4:00 pm in the Commons Room for a discussion on racial reconciliation, followed by a snack supper.  Winston Holston, of the Call Me Mister Progam at Clemson, will facilitate the discussion, and will be bringing several of his students from the program. 

For more information, click here to contact Mary Holley. 

Wings for the Lord
2017 Summer Tour
June 15 - 21
 
Our youth choir will "hit the road" on Thursday, June 15, headed south and west for a week of discipleship across Alabama, Louisiana and Georgia.  Below is their itinerary:
 
Thursday, June 15 
Hope Hull UMC, Montgomery, AL

Friday, June 16  
Somerby Retirement Community, Mobile, AL

Saturday, June 17
Blackwater UMC, Baton Rouge, LA

Sunday, June 18  
St. Andrews UMC, Baton Rouge, LA
Homeless Shelter for lunch, Baton Rouge, LA
New Orleans Mission, New Orleans, LA

Monday. June 19
Swamp Tour and Water Park

Tuesday, June 20  
First UMC, Newnan, GA

Wednesday, June 21
Woman's Community Shelter, Atlanta, GA
Saint Mark Homecoming Concert (7:00)

If you haven't already begun, please be in prayer for our 23 youth and their adult leaders as they prepare for this on-the-road mission.  

Elderberries?  What do Elderberries have to do with anything?? 

"Elderberries" is our brand new fellowship ministry for folks 50 and older. Members of our planning team include: Christi Greene (chair), Tom and Ilene Lund, Lilly Blue, Becky Hazelwood and Marla Fuller.

Our first event is coming up in a few weeks.

"Fabulous Friday Fun  
for Folks 50 - 105"
Friday, June 30 
6:30 pm 
Commons Room 

This fun-filled event will include a covered dish supper, entertainment and plenty of opportunities to mix and mingle - to get to know some other great people who are part of our faith community. Mark your calendar and join us!  

Pickup Choir  
for our Special Combined Service
Sunday, July 2  
10:30 am 

Additional singers are welcome to sing for our one combined service on July 2. We will sing The Battle Hymn of the Republic, and a setting of words by Thomas Jefferson. Rehearsal that morning will be at 9:15 am. Click here to contact David Wilcox, or call him at the church office (864) 882-2603.  
EVENTS CALENDARS  

South Carolina Annual Conference 
June 4 - 7 
TD Convention Center 
Greenville, SC 
Contact: Todd Davis

Wings for the Lord
Homecoming Concert 
Wednesday, June 21 
7:00 pm 
Sanctuary 
Contact: Donna Poston

Annual Staff Retreat
June 25-27 
Contact: Todd Davis 


July 4th Worship/Celebration

Sunday, July 2 
One combined Service
10:30 am
Sanctuary
NO Sunday School
followed by a Picnic-style Covered Dish Lunch
DRESS CASUAL
Contact: Todd Davis

"Summer at Saint Mark" 
Sundays, July 2 - August 6
Contact: Todd Davis
 

Wild and Wacky Wednesdays
    
(for youth)
July 5, 12 and 19
Contact: Donna Poston

Vacation Bible School
July 23-27
5 - 8 pm
Contact: Shawna Darnall

Special Friends Day Camp 
July 26-28
Contact:
Lee Ann Parker
    
 
Faith Formation Sunday 
Sunday, August 13
Two Services in the Sanctuary
9 and 11:15 am 
Contact: Marla Fuller

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       
IN OUR COMMUNITY  
Ride to Work Ministry 
Will You Volunteer?

Ride To Work Ministry needs volunteers. This nonprofit provides low cost rides to the workplace to help people achieve stable employment and self-sufficiency. UBER drivers are one source of rides and volunteers are needed to schedule rides on the UBER app. It requires a smartphone but only takes a few minutes each day.  Training will be provided. To volunteer, click here or click here to visit the website. 
FOR YOUR INFORMATION 

Our Saint Mark Child Development Center Yard Sale brought in around $2600.00 this past weekend. These funds will go directly toward serving the children in our CDC program. 

Thank you so much, Saint Mark, for your generous donations, your volunteer hours, and for supporting this fundraiser in any way.

Sunday Transportation Service  

We are exploring the possibility of providing transportation service to and from worship on Sunday mornings beginning sometime this summer.  Maybe you no longer drive, but want to come to worship.  Maybe you are temporarily unable to drive due to injury or surgery.  Maybe you don't have a vehicle.  We want to make sure that you can get to church on Sunday morning!  We hope to offer transportation that will give you the opportunity to attend Sunday School at 10:15 am and our 11:15 worship service

We need to find out if there is a need for this service, so it is important that you let us know that you are interested - or that someone you know is interested.  For more information or to express your interest, click here to contact Marla Fuller, or call her at the church office (864) 882-2603 by Sunday, June 11.    

Click here to contact Pastor Shawna Darnall.
SAINTS IN SERVICE
HELPING YOU PLUG IN . . . 

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!    
 


Saint Mark United Methodist Church

616 Quincy Road
Seneca, South Carolina 29678-3820
mfuller@saintmarkumcseneca.org
864-882-2603
    

Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors