We are a Stephen Ministry congregation Christian Care, Compassion, Listening — when you need it most.
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Worship Schedule 5:00 PM Saturday Evening Worship
9:00 AM Worship in English with Holy Communion 10:00 AM Fellowship Between Worship Services 11:00 AM Worship in Spanish with Holy Communion
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Message from Pastor Triolo
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We concluded our academic year by reading Acts 15, which many of our Bibles sub-title, "The Council at Jerusalem." It is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Why? Because it shows us that the church in the first century wasn't much unlike our church today. Up till Peter's and Paul's separate missionary journeys to Gentile lands, people needed to be Jewish in order to become Christian. Well, God changed that.
God's Spirit was poured out on Gentiles who were not converts to Judaism and they were baptized. Peter and Paul made their cases to the church council in Jerusalem. To say the church was hesitant to change would be an understatement. With people on both sides of the issue they eventually came to a compromise: people did not need to convert to Judaism before becoming Christian, but they would need to follow a limited number of rules.
Does this all sound somewhat familiar? For example, we at St. Mark's are still wrestling with worship times. We all want worship to be as meaningful for us as it is for God, but we don't all agree on how to get there. One thing is for certain, no solution will likely make everyone happy. Personally, I haven't heard one that doesn't require me to make some sacrifice. What sacrifice is too great for you, and why?
That can be a rhetorical question, but it doesn't have to be. Beginning this Sunday, some of our Council members will be available in the narthex for cafe conversation with members and friends of St. Mark's.They want to hear your ideas. I want to hear your ideas. We've already heard from 103 people about worship times (when we conducted our worship survey last summer), but worship isn't the only thing happening at St. Mark's to talk about. We pray, study, serve, share, and witness to the world in a variety of ways. Your Council wants you to be part of the conversation.
So, grab a cup of coffee and find a member of St. Mark's with a red name tag, they are your Council members. Please remember to wear your name tag, too! Join one of them at one of our new tables, or in the comfy green chairs, or at the coffee table by the sanctuary doors. Hurry up, if you don't act fast, those guys in the photo will beat you to the table! And Lord knows what changes they'll ask for!
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LutherFacts In 1519, after Martin Luther's contentious debate with Johann Eck, he found himself in the center of growing controversy. At such times, he often turned to the written word to advance his views. During the following year, he produced three remarkable documents: The Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, Prelude on the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, and On the Freedom of A Christian. These publications advanced his view that a break with Rome was inevitable in order to rescue Christians from their "captivity" by the Pope. He again argued for a Christianity based on faith rather than works, and further developed the concept of the "priesthood of all believers" in contrast to a church administered by the papal hierarchy. As the conflict between Luther and the papacy intensified, Eck travelled to Rome where he assisted the Pope in drafting a response to Luther. Entitled the Exsurge Domine, and issued on June 15, 1520, the document demanded that Luther recant forty-one of the ninety-five theses that the Pope found unacceptable, even "scandalous" in their content. Luther rejected the papal bull, as it was called, and on December10,1520, he cast the document, along with other books, into a fire that he identified as "the eternal flames of Hell." In response, the Pope excommunicated Luther on January 3, 1521.The stage was now set for a final showdown.
Reformation Reverberations
Two weeks ago, in the June 4th edition of The Weekly Messenger, a quote of Luther about music appeared. It was not identified as such, so there was some confusion as to whose words they were, and who "she" was. The words were Ulrich Leupold's English translation of Luther's German text. "She" was Music herself. We may share that quote with you again in the future, but for now let it suffice to say that in the 16th century artists liked to personify the arts, sciences, virtues, etc. Music was often a lady. In Luther's A Preface for All Good Hymnals, which never appeared in print in Luther's lifetime except at the end of the Klug hymnal of 1543, "Dame Music" speaks in a series of 20 couplets. She begins: "Of all the joys upon this earth / None has for men a greater worth / Than what I give with my ringing / And with voices sweetly singing." She concludes, regaling the song of the nightingale: "But thanks be first to God, our Lord, / Who created her [i.e., the nightingale] by his Word / To be his own beloved songstress / And of musica a mistress. / For our dear Lord she sings her song / In praise of him the whole day long; / To him I give my melody / And thanks in all eternity." (M. Luther, trans. Paul Nettl, revised U. Leupold)
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St. John's 2017 Summer Music Camp will be held Tuesday, June 27 to Saturday, July 1 from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The camp is free for children ages 4-10 years old. Campers will need to bring their own snacks and drinks each day. Classes will include Singing, Handbells and Handchimes, Orff and Rhythm Instruments, Creative Movement, and Kids' Zumba. Alice Real, St. Mark's Handbell Director, is on the staff along with two other Fairfax County general music teachers. Campers will present a musical program for their families and the St. John's congregation at the 10:30 AM worship service on Sunday, July 2.
Registration ends June 20. Visit www.stjohnsumc.org for registration forms or contact Dr. Kitty Yang, St. John's Minister of Music, at kittycyang@gmail.com.
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Use of ECHO’s food pantry is especially high during the summer as many clients have to feed their children breakfast and lunch, usually provided by the school during the school year. St. Mark’s is again asked to help keep ECHO’s food pantry stocked. To help, please pick up a bag from the narthex, fill it and bring it to church the next Sunday – or just pick up a list of needs and bring your own bag. A list of the items most needed is attached to the bags and also available next to the bags.
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17th Annual Free School Physical Examination Outreach Ministry
Many children are still not covered by health insurance in our community. St. Mark’s has been involved with the program for 10 years! This year, the Springfield and the South County Health Department Offices in Fairfax County will be held on Saturday August 5 at the South County Health Department Offices. This larger County Health Department offers more services than were possible at Springfield including dental screening, vision screening and other services. Another goal for this program is to connect eligible families, calling to make an appointment for a physical, with low or no cost insurance that will provide them a “medical home” with continuing medical care.
These physicals are for Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grades students who will enter the Fairfax County School system for the first time. This can be a financial burden for many families.
With generous donations we have been able to provide each child with a backpack filled with school supplies for their grade level. This year we expect to serve 100 or more children on August 5th. Any school supplies left over will be distributed among ECHO, Crestwood, Lynbrook and Garfield Elementary Schools, the Springfield/Franconia Family Resource Center and Crestwood Family Center, all locations where they are badly needed.
How can St. Mark’s help? *We need doctors, and foreign language speakers (especially Spanish) who can help with translations. Those who are interested in volunteering can contact Lynn Knox .
*Donate school supplies. (Place in box in narthex.)
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Military Packages Collection: Names Needed for June 25 Mailing!
We could use some more names for our project of sending packages to our deployed troops – repeat names are fine! If you are able, please get the name, address, and email address if possible. If we have the email address, we can ask them if they want or need specific things. If you can’t get an email address, perhaps you could get information on what they’d like to receive, if your contact person knows.Your wonderful items are always things they love to get, whether or not we have specific requests.
We are so thankful for all you have contributed over the years, and you know how thankful our troops are for your work and thoughtfulness. Here is an excerpt from another thank you we received. Thank you for the very generous delivery of baked goods, snacks and other useful donations – we got eight boxes from you! Please know that all your items went quickly, especially the brownies – and no, I did not keep them all to myself! Everyone enjoyed the items. Your thoughtfulness was much appreciated and definitely brought a taste of home to all….Your thoughtfulness and actions assured the service members here that we have people such as you thinking about us.
Another person told of the story of his son-in-law’s response to our packages: the recipient opened the packages and shouted “Brownies!” – he became swarmed with people around him, and said he was the most popular guy in the barracks while the goodies lasted!
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Summer Lunch Program
This summer, our neighbors at The Journey Church are beginning a new program in Springfield to help feed local kids during the summer. Chad Simpkins, one of the congregation's new associate pastors, started this program 4 years ago in Chapel Hill, NC, where last summer a combined 650 volunteers filled 2,000 volunteer slots to hand out 48,000 meals and 3,500 books. Imagine the good we can do together in our community!
By participating in this program, we will be partnering with The Journey, Fairfax County Food and Nutrition Services, the USDA, Virginia Department of Health, Fairfax County Libraries, and others. Pastor Simpkins approached us because in conversations in the community, St. Mark's kept coming up as one he should connect with about this program. It will be serving 3 sites: Springfield Gardens, Springfield Square and Chelsea Square.
Check out the website for more information. https://summerlunchbunch.org/
This summer lunch program is exactly the kind of work God is calling us to as we seek to make new connections with our neighbors! Join me and my family as we love and serve God and neighbor by signing up to participate in this program. You can sign up for multiple slots or just one. You can also try one, then sign up for more once you realize how much you love it. Adults and youth are welcome to participate; and anyone under 18 is eligible to eat so our youth have an opportune to make even deeper connections by sharing in the meal.
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St. Mark's Members Invited
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Our Vacation Bible School, Mighty Fortress, (July 30-Aug. 3, 5:30 - 8 p.m.) needs you!
1) Register your children or grandchildren, age 3 through rising 6th grade. Bilingual registration forms are available on the VBS bulletin board in the Narthex and on the website.
2) Donate items listed on the bulletin board. Some items are for decorations that we are making now and soon we’ll add food items for the dinners.
3) Volunteers are also needed before and during the week.
Contact HarrietLatta 571-435-3975 or Christine Soileau 910-987-6064
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Article Deadline
We need YOUR help! In order that ALL OF US receive the necessary documents for This Week, The Messenger, and the website, please send all articles you wish to have published no later than 5:00 PM on the Tuesday before the Sunday you wish for the articles to appear. Send those articles to communications@stmarks-elca.org.
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