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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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October 8, 2017
Sunday
Schedule
9:00 am
Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary
(regular format)
9:00 am
Celebration of
Youth Ministry
in the
Saint Mark Center
9:15 am
Children's Church
Room A101
10:15 am
Sunday School
for all ages
11:15 am
Celebration of
Youth Ministry
in the
Sanctuary
12:30 pm
Church and Society Meeting
4:00 pm
Wings 'N Things
5:30 pm
In His Eyes Rehearsal
6:00 pm
Low Country Boil
Eleuthera Fundraiser
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Quick, easy and available
HERE
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Join us every day at 3:20 pm to pray for Saint Mark - our people and ministries.
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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 the hundreds of persons injured in the mass shooting that took place in Las Vegas on Sunday, October 1. Pray for the families of all who were killed and injured in the massacre. Pray for the family of the shooter.
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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, October 8
There will be
THREE services this Sunday
ONE Traditional Service
and
TWO special services
highlighting the ministry of our youth.
(see the details below)
9:00 am Traditional Service
(this service will be like any other
9 am Traditional Service)
Sanctuary
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Please note that this special service of celebration, led by our Saint Mark youth, will take place at 2 of our 3 services of worship:
9:00 am in the Saint Mark Center
11:15 am in the Sanctuary
Come and celebrate with us!!
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The event is THIS Sunday. If you decide you want to attend, it's not too late. Click here to contact Kathy Graves. You can pay at the door. Join us!
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RENEW Schedule
Wednesday, October 11
RENEW Dinner
5:15 - 6:15 PM
Saint Mark Center
or call the church office at 882-2603
Menu
Taco Salad Bar
Ground Beef or Chicken
Whole Kernel Corn
Refried Beans
Assortment of Toppings
Boston Creme Pie
Drinks
Kids' TREK (K4 - 5th grade)
Worship Arts and Activities
6:00 - 7:15 PM
Youth Journey (6th grade - college)
6:00 - 7:15 PM
Moving Forward in the Wesleyan Way
a time of learning, conversation,
and sharing in holy Communion for Adults
(See details below)
6:00 - 7:15 PM
Commons Room
RENEW Fellowship
Feel free to just hang around in our gym to fellowship with friends - or make new ones!
6:00 - 7:15 PM
Saint Mark Center
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Next Wednesday, October 11
Topic
Lay Servant Ministry
Discussion and Holy Communion led by
Jens Holley
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Click here to contact David Wilcox for more information.
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Are You 50+?
Join us for an evening packed full of fun, food and fellowship. This event starts at 5:30 pm and includes:
- "Happy Hour" with Hors D'oeuvres and Mocktails
- A Pumpkin Carving Contest with prizes (pumpkins will be provided)
- A Chili Cook-off Competition with prizes (prepare your favorite recipe)
- Covered Dish Chili Supper
- A Costume Competition with prizes
- Music and dancing
Click here to make your reservations today!
PLEASE NOTE: On the online reservation form, please indicate
1) if you would like to carve a pumpkin and
2) if you plan to bring chili for the cook-off competition. If you will be bringing chili, bring a large amount to serve for supper. If you will not be bringing chili, please bring one of the following to complement the chili:
hors d'oeuvres, salad, side dish, cornbread or dessert.
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The newly formed Church and Society Ministry Team (combination of former Interfaith/Intercultural and LGBTQ+ teams) invites you to gather on October 22 to continue the important conversation about race relations.
Special guests will be Winston Holton and students from the Call Me MISTER® program at Clemson University. The mission of the Call Me MISTER® (acronym for Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) initiative is to increase the pool of available teachers from a broader more diverse background, particularly among the state's lowest performing elementary schools. Student participants are largely selected from among under-served, socio-economically disadvantaged and educationally at-risk communities. Click here to learn more about Call Me MISTER®.
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For more information,
click here to contact Mona Fleming.
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Don't Miss This Annual Fall Event!
Mark the date on your calendar! This event will include supper ($10 per family and $4 per individual adult), followed by "Trunk or Treat" for the kiddos. Saint Mark family, we will need your trunks, games, and treats. Let's come together make this a fun-filled evening for the children our church, and our community.
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Stewardship Sunday
October 29, 2017
It is time to think about our pledges for next year's ministries. These ministries change lives, both the lives of those receiving the ministry and those delivering the ministry.
Please be sure to be in worship on Sunday, October 29 to receive your pledge card and make your support known for God's Kingdom.
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Mission Auction Update
The Silent Auction for Missions will be here in a few weeks so here's an update.
- The auction is Sunday, October 29th, from 8:30 am until 12:45 pm. We will be providing some fun tailgating themed snacks from 11:00 until the auction closes, so if you attend the first service, please plan to hang around until the auction is over!
- On Sunday, October 22, we will publish a list of items to be auctioned, and if you cannot be with us in person on October 29, we encourage you to find a "Bidding Buddy" who can help you place bids by phone or text.
- We need 5-10 volunteers to help collect bid sheets at the end, and check people out so they can take their items home as quickly as possible.
- Auction items are being collected in the closet of Room A202. There are donor forms to complete when you drop off your item. Do not drop off sports tickets there!
- Finally, we still need a few themed baskets for the auction. Please encourage your Sunday School class, UMW circle, or other small group to donate a themed basket.
Thanks for supporting the local and global mission work of Saint Mark, either by helping with the auction, donating items to be auctioned and/ or bidding on some of the wonderful items that are being donated. As always, if you have any questions, please
click here to contact Jane Harlin or call her at (
201) 835-3007.
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All Saints Day 2017
All Saints Day is an opportunity to give thanks for all those who have gone before us in the faith. Sunday, November 5, we will remember those in our community of faith who have entered the church triumphant since
All Saints Day 2016. You have the opportunity to remember your loved ones who have died over the years by reserving a red rose(s) in honor of your deceased loved one(s). Together, the roses will be displayed in all three services. The cost is $3 per rose.
Click here to reserve your rose(s) online.
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Do Your Christmas Shopping Here!
Get a head start on Christmas Shopping for the children in your life! Books are always a great gift. Once again, your Saint Mark Library Team is sponsoring an Usborne Book Sale early in mid-November. You will be amazed at the number and variety of books that will be available for your shopping pleasure between Sunday, November 12 and Wednesday, November 15.
Our Library will benefit from the sale of the books you purchase by receiving a selection of Usborne books for the children's section of our library - based on the number of books sold. Everyone benefits!
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Elderberries December Trip
to Winston-Salem
December 4 - 6
Here Is What You Need To Know
- Estimated cost per person is $300 per person, based on hotel double occupancy room and a minimum of 40 participants. Included in this price is transportation, 2 nights lodging, all meals except lunch, luggage handling, and planned tours (three or four tours will be included in the itinerary).
- Travel from Seneca will be on a 54-seat motor coach, provided and driven by Ionosphere Travel, an Anderson, SC company.
- We plan to depart from Saint Mark on Monday, December 4 at 12:00 noon. Please eat lunch first, or you can bring a bag lunch or snack with you. Drinks must be in a container with a lid to minimize spills. No milk or ice cream. We will plan a rest stop about half way to Winston-Salem. It is about a four-hour trip, plus a short rest stop.
- Lodging will be in the historic Brookstown Inn, voted by Southern Living as one of the South's 25 best hotels in 2016. The building in which the inn is housed was Winston-Salem's first factory, commissioned by the Moravian Congregation as the Salem Cotton Mill in 1837. Twenty years later, the building was converted to the Wachovia Flour Mill and ultimately served as a warehouse until the 1970's. Brookstown Inn opened in late 1984.
- The inn will welcome us with a wine and cheese reception each evening, and milk and cookies at bedtime. The hotel is located ½ mile from Old Salem Museums and Gardens.
- Tentatively, tours and activities include:
- Krispy Kreme donut reception and overview tour by Winston-Salem Tourism
- Evening visit to Festival of Lights at Tanglewood Park
- Old Salem Museums and Gardens tour
- Reynolda House Museum of American Art Tour "A 1917 Christmas"
- Tour of Korner's Folly, a unique Victorian era home in Kernersville, NC, decorated in period Christmas décor
- Stop at Mrs Hanes Handmade Moravian Cookie factory on the way back home. This is the only factory that makes all of their cookies totally by hand.
- Expected return to Seneca will be on Wednesday, December 6 no later than 5:00 pm.
- A non-refundable deposit of $50/person will be required by November 1 so the bus can be reserved.
For more information, click here to contact Becky Hazelwood. Click here to make your reservation(s).
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ELDERBERRIES EVENTS (FOR 50+)
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ARE YOU 50+?
Here are some Elderberries Events
that might interest you. Save the date(s) on your calendar.
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Halloween Costume Party and Chili Cook-off
Friday, October 20 at 5:30 pm
Party with a Purpose
Covered Dish Supper
Friday, November 17 at 6 pm
Trip to Winston-Salem
Monday, December 4 - Wednesday, December 6
Estimated Cost: $300/person
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United Methodist Men
Saturday, October 21
10 am
Full Breakfast Meeting
Ann Hope UMC in Seneca
Stewardship Series
Sundays, October 22 and 29
Wings for the Lord
will sing during morning worship
at St. Andrew UMC in Easley
Sunday, October 29
Youth Halloween Party
Sunday, October 29
Time TBD
at the home of Curt and Alice Evatt
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If your hands and face don't get messy eating barbecue, you are doing it wrong!
J
oin the Seneca Lion's Club for a Chicken Barbecue to help the Lions Club with their good works in the community.
To reserve your tickets, click here to contact Dean Garland.
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A Discipleship Opportunity
The Salvation Army Advisory Board of Oconee County is recruiting new members. The Board meets 9:00 - 9:45 am on the third Thursday of each month at the Salvation Army Church in Walhalla. If you are interested in serving on this Board, please contact Rev. Todd Davis at 864-882-2603 or
click here to send him an email.
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Be a Salvation Army Bell Ringer
The Salvation Army needs volunteers to ring bells for their annual Red Kettle Christmas Campaign. To ring bells in Seneca, SC visit
redkettlevolunteer.org and sign up! Bell Ringing starts November 17. Thanks for your support!
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Thank You Saint Mark Family!
Thanks to you, the faithful disciples of Saint Mark, we were able to send a total of
160 Health Kits and 25 Cleaning Kits
to Columbia for hurricane relief. And thanks to Pastor Todd and Billy Boggs for taking them to Columbia for us.
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Pictured above are our new Kindergarten through 5th Grade Sunday School teachers, (from left to right)
JoAnne Metts. Marlene Edlund, and Mona Fleming. They want to remind all parents and children to come to Sunday School every Sunday morning where learning is fun! Our teachers are excited about the new
Think Orange curriculum which has both large group and small group activities. Here are details to know:
- Large Group - All children meet in the Children's Church classroom (A101) between 10:00 and 10:15 am for a video on the week's topic and our opening prayer.
- Small Group - After the large group activity, the children go to their grade level classrooms for their age-appropriate lesson.
- Safe Sanctuaries- Our teachers request that parents sign their children in and out each week.
- Special Note - Please try to pick your child up at her/his classroom by 11:10 am in case teachers and their families are worshiping at 11:15 traditional service.
JoAnne, Marlene and Mona hope to make lasting and life-changing connections with the children every Sunday morning.
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UMW Shortbread Cookie Fundraiser
for Local Mission
We love that you loved our cookies! Once again, the UMW will bake and sell traditional Scottish shortbread as our fall fundraiser for local missions. You may know that we sold out last year in less than two hours! Because of the unexpected demand, we are taking pre-orders for persons wishing to buy 6 or more packages only. If you want to place a bulk order, please
click here to contact Becky Hazelwood, or call her at (770) 633-2434.
Pre-orders will be accepted until October 15.
The cookies will be $8 per package, or two for $15 and may be purchased in the atrium on Sunday, December 3.
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Gifts that REALLY Make a Difference
When you give a beautiful and unique
fair trade gift, not only does your gesture bless the recipient, your purchase helps to bring healing to the lives of disadvantaged artisans from countries around the world by promoting economic and social justice.
Cokebury, the retail division of the United Methodist Publishing House, has an online
fair trade catalog where you can, in good conscience, shop for gifts for your friends and loved ones.
Click here to take a look.
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You may already be aware that all church email addresses have changed over the last couple of months. If you have sent emails to any staff member using the old email address that ends in
saintmarkumcseneca.org, you have received an auto-reply providing you with the new email address that ends in
smumcsc.org. If you have used the old email addresses, your emails have been forwarded to the new address.
However, the forwarding feature will end on October 31. If you haven't already done so, please update the staff addresses in your address book or contact list.
Rev. Todd Davis - Senior Pastor
Rev. Shawna Darnall - Associate Pastor
Davis Wilcox - Minister of Music and Worship
John Glenn - Celebration Service
Worship Leader
Marla Fuller - Minister of Adult Discipleship
and Communications
Donna Poston - Minister of Youth and College Discipleship
Minister of Children's Discipleship
Jens Holly - Administrative Assistant
Karen Holcombe - Operations Manager
Donna Jaynes - Facilities Manager
Becca Williams - Child Development
Center Director
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We are looking for someone with an IT background and experience to assist in the maintenance and updating of our computers, and related equipment. If you would like to volunteer to join our IT team,
click here to contact Todd Davis.
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We have our Adopt-a-Plot team leaders in place, but we could still use just a few more people to help pull weeds, trim bushes and manage plantings in one manageable area of our beautiful church property. If you are interested,
click here to contact Ginny Murdock, or
here to contact Dean Garland.
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We Are Still Looking . . .
We are still looking for a new
Minister of Children's Discipleship. The job description has been updated this week. We are looking for just the right person to fill that position - someone who is qualified, and who will lovingly and faithfully serve the children and families of Saint Mark. If you are interested in this position, or know someone who might be interested,
click here to see the revised job description.
Resumes should be submitted to Mary Ann Schrecengost.
Click here.
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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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