The newsletter for St. Mark's UMC in Murfreesboro, TN
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"The Messenger"  Online Newsletter

June 27, 2017
Dr. Craig Goff
From the Pastor

St. Francis of Assisi loved God.  He also loved the church.  He sought to reform the church with all his heart.  Unlike other reformers, including Luther, Calvin and even Wesley, Francis and the organizations he started remained within the church he served throughout his life.

The church in all its representations always needs reforming...
    
SAGES News

Please remember the bus will leave at 7:30 A.M. on August 7 going to Lake Junaluska, North Carolina,  for the Festival of Wisdom and Grace.  We will  return as soon the conference is over. 
 
Thanks to Barbara New, Chair of our St. Mark's Sages Ministry Team,  for her faithful leadership as a member of the Older Adult Ministry Team for the Tennessee Annual Conference.  She represents us well..
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It's a Sizzling Summer at St. Mark's for Children!

All St. Mark's children and their friends are invited to enjoy a wonderful summer of fun, faith and friend-filled activities, including Music and Drama Camp, Vacation Bible School, The Storytelling Tree, Art Camp, Cedar Crest Camp and more!   Details are available in the BROCHURE HERE

Fill Your Child's Summer With Fun, Faith and Friends!

"God's Great Gallery" Art Camp

Monday - Friday, July 10 - 14   9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.  Explore Bible stories through various forms of creative art.  Camp fee: $10/Child, limited spaces available.   Registrations Due: Sunday, July 2.  Registration forms available on the Kiosk.
Youth News 
Thanks to everyone for their support our senior high mission trip. We had a great time and can't wait to show you all of our pictures and give a full report at our Stockholder Dinner.  We want to give special thanks to our adults who participated with us: Kevin Clement, Michelle McDaniel, Chris Beckman, Kathy Waldecker, Thong Bacon, Lilly Clark, Buddy Howell, Fred Daniel, John McDaniel, Tyler Neale and Rodney Dawson.
We will not have FusionYouth on July 2, but we will have Splash! on July 5. We will meet at the Howell house at 4:00 and finish at 6:00.

We will meet at Jump Street for an afternoon of playtime on July 6. We will meet at 1:00 and pick up will be at 3:00. The cost will be $14.00 per person.
 
On July 9th, we will travel to Nashville Shores for the conference sponsored afternoon. The cost is $20, with a portion of that going to YSF. Please sign up on the bulletin board to get your name on the list . We will meet at 2:00 and return by 8:30.

Our middle school mission trip we leave on July 9th and return July 14th. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel and work together.
Come to the  The Storytelling Tree!


June & July Wednesdays, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Especially for Younger Children.

Bring a friend to this special time in St. Mark's Library!

Enjoy stories, simple activities, play time, and check out books for the week ahead! 
St. Mark's Mentors "Make the Day"

Our St. Mark's Mentors made approximately 500 visits to Reeves Rogers to "make the day" of their Mentees during the 2016-17 school year.  A big Thank You to our Mentors:  Pat Richardson, Larry Richardson, Rich Dendler, Larry Ward, Karen Warren, Joy Rogers, Rev. Craig Goff, Robbie Hooper, Mary Wallace, Maureen Palmer, Bonnie Ward, Pam Parkes, Chuck Parkes, Barbara New, Ann Scales, Debi Lamback, Kenny Luse, Lisa Thayer, Mary Edith McFarland, Claudia Hunter, Jan Hayes, Kathryn Wright, Rev. Mary Dicken, Rene Sharkey, Bernie Sharkey, Patti Daws, Georgene Brinkley, Cindy Flippin, Becky Waldrop, Peggy Harrell, Debra Brown, Olivia Schade, and Linda Honey. 

In addition to our Mentors, Marrie Lassiter helped Ms. Carter, third grade teacher, create and implement learning centers for her classroom during the school year.
You Can Help!

The summer months are especially difficult for the homeless community.  Programs that provide services often experience decreased donations as people are traveling etc.  This is the spot The Way of Hope servicing homeless women and children in our community finds itself.  They drive a small bus and a 15 passenger van daily providing transportation to host churches, jobs, doctor appointments, and The Journey Home for lunch as well as locations for the ladies and children to stay during the day. Money for gasoline is always needed.  

You can help by purchasing a gas card and leaving it in the church office with Charlene Parkinson marked for The Way of Hope.  We will give any cards donated to The Way of Hope when we host them overnight on July 6 and August 3, 2017.  Thank you for your help and continued prayers.  If you have any questions regarding this, please contact Lynne Paredes at 615-542-8886.
Share the Spirit of 1776

More than 240 years ago our forefathers
invested in the future of our Nation.  The endowment team is asking YOU to invest in the future of St. Marks. To worship God and express our faith in peace and without duress is a freedom we enjoy. 

During July, consider a gift to our Endowment fund using the numbers 1776. (For example, $17.76 or 177.60.)  No gift is too small.  Any Sunday in July, you may place your gift in the collection plate or in the Endowment Team Basket located in the Narthex
St. Mark's UMC  Vacation Bible School -  June 25- 29, 2017
All Heroes Welcome!
Sunday, 4:00 - 7:00 p.m., Monday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

On-site Registration Open for Children Ages 4 - 6th Grade  and Younger Children of VBS Volunteers.   
 
We are having a great week at VBS Hero Central, where children are learning that Jesus is the only Superhero they will ever need, and that they can be superheroes in love and caring for others!

Thank you, VBS SUPERHEROES!
Thanks to our tremendous VBS Leadership Team: Eryn Wilson, Kathy Edwards, Kellie Spier, Becky Latta and Pam Forrest for their hard work these past days, weeks and months!
 
Thanks to our mighty VBS Team Leaders, Shepherds and Helpers who are serving this week!   What a gifted and dedicated group of people!     
 
Thanks to everyone who is serving as a Superhero this week, including the employees of Simmons Finance!  And Thanks to all those who submitted photos and stories of their personal heroes! 
 
ST. MARK'S 2017 VBS MISSION: PROJECT TRANSFORMATION
DONATE $$$:  
$3.... Provides one book for a child   
$25.... Provides art supplies for a child
$55.... Supports a child for Day Camp
$100.... Provides housing for one young adult intern for one week
 
DONATE HEALTHY SNACKS: Individually wrapped snacks such as animal crackers, cheese crackers, goldfish, granola bars, pretzels, raisins, trail mix, peanut butter crackers, or fruit gummies for the children.

"Do good!  Seek peace, and go after it!" - Psalm 34.14b
In Other News...

BREAKING NEWS: July ScheduleOur Sunday morning Worship and Sunday School schedule will be different in the month of July. On these five Sundays (July 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30), we will worship together as a whole congregation at one worship service, with Sunday School beforehand:

9:15 a.m. Sunday School
10:30 a.m. Worship Celebration

Please note that on Sunday, July 2, we will have a church-wide brunch at 9:15 a.m. in lieu of Sunday School. Worship will follow at 10:30 a.m. Thank you for making note of this month-long change!

Church Wide Potluck Breakfast - On July 2nd we will have brunch at 9:15 a.m. (no Christian Ed classes) followed by one combined worship service at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary.  Bring a Family-Size breakfast food to share. Coffee, juice and milk provided.

Kitchen Help Needed! - 8:45 - 10:30 a.m. Contact Rev. Touchton @ (615) 893-3455 or martha@stmarkstn.org to volunteer.

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St. Mark's UMC | (615) 893-3455 | stmarks@stmarkstn.org