Update for the week of August 23 - 29, 2018
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Our Mission Statement

To Be and Make Disciples of  
Jesus Christ 

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Contact Information?
 
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Need to 
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 2018 Ministry Guidebook 
Click here to view the entire Saint Mark 2018 Ministry Guidebook with information about church structure, leadership, ministries and our 2018 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.
August 26, 2018
  
Sunday 
Schedule 
  
9:00 am 
Sunday School
     
9:40 am
Fellowship Time in the Atrium
   
10:00 am
Traditional Worship
Sanctuary 
 
10:00 am
Celebration Worship
Saint Mark Center 
 
3:00 pm 
Youth Progressive Dinner at the Lake 
 

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
Thursday.  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. 
Interested in LGBTQ+ Inclusion?

Click here for more information. 
Prayer Focus for This Week  
 
Pray for families who are dealing with the death of loved ones due to senseless acts of violence . . . whose lives has been shattered because an innocent loved one has suddenly been taken from them.  Pray that these grieving families will be surrounded by persons who will provide love, comfort and support.  Pray that they will turn to God for their hope and healing. Pray that, after a time of grief and healing, God will use their tragic loss for something good to benefit others.  
Submit Your Prayer Requests
Saint Mark is pleased to receive your prayer requests . . . for yourself or for friends or loved ones.   Click here to submit your request to Pastor Todd Davis.
WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY  

This Sunday, we return to our new regular schedule and begin our new sermon series, Moving Forward, in which we will be addressing head on the ways we are moving forward together at Saint Mark.
 
August 26 -
Moving Forward: Changing Lanes 
September 2 -
Moving Forward: Life in the Carpool Lane 
September 9 -
Moving Forward: GPS  
September 16  -     
Moving Forward: Keeping Our Eyes on the Road 

Moving Forward at Saint Mark 
Worship with us THIS Sunday, August 26 
 
Traditional Service
10 am in the sanctuary
 
Celebration Service
10 am in the Saint Mark Center
 
Moving Forward: Changing Lanes
Bringing the message at both services 
Rev. Shawna Darnall  
 

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARK 

This event will kick off the new program year for our Saint Mark youth, grades 6 through college.  For more information, click here to contact Donna Poston.


For more information, click here to contact Donna Poston, our Minister of Youth and College Discipleship.

Ladies, Don't Forget 
Circles of Faith - Circles of Hope -  
Circles of Love in Action
UMW General Meeting
Tuesday, August 28
6 pm
Commons Room   
 
Saint Mark UMW (United Methodist Women) is collecting products to use in putting together feminine hygiene kits for homeless women and girls in need. Kits will be assembled following the August 28 UMW General Meeting and subsequently made available locally through distribution points like Safe Harbor, Grace's Closet, Our Daily Rest, etc. Containers for collecting hygiene products are located in the atrium entrances. Items needed are pads, tampons, panty liners, and individually packaged non-alcohol cleansing wipes. Please support this effort with your contributions!     

Click here to visit the Homeless Period Project website for more information. 

For more information, please click here to contact Becky Hazelwood , or call her at (770) 633-2434.  
LOOKING AHEAD

Our Next Memory Café Event 
Come Cruise With Us!
FRIDAY, September 7
 
Memory Café participants will be cruising on Lake Keowee on Friday, September 7 at 1:30 pm. If enough people come, we may have a fleet of pontoons. Won't that be fun!
 
Participants should plan to meet at Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Seneca at 1:00 pm, to caravan together to Keowee Cove, where they will board the pontoon boat(s). (Pontoon boats are easy to get on, even with a wheelchair or a walker).
 
Memory Café is a social group for family caregivers and their loved ones with memory loss or any type of dementia. The group meets once a month, usually the second Monday of each month. The purpose of the group is to keep caregivers and their loved ones from becoming isolated, and to promote support and socialization. It is a place where participants can laugh, cry, talk about their concerns and realize they are not alone. Memory Café will offer lots of fun activities throughout the year. These activities will be determined with participant input, and will all be free because Memory Café is sponsored by people who understand and appreciate the heroic role of caregivers, and want them to succeed.
 
In July we had 4 participants. At our gathering in August, we had 12 participants! This ministry is growing rapidly. If you would like to participate with your loved one on this boat trip, you will need to make your reservation soon so that we can ensure that there will be enough boats and snacks for all to enjoy. (Please note that this event is on a Friday and not on the customary Monday.) 
 
For more information and to make your reservation, call Bonnie Holmes at (864) 916-9204. Bon Voyage!

CALLING ALL YOUTH!!
Grades 6 - College
GET PLUGGED IN!!

For more information,  click here to contact Donna Poston, our Minister of Youth and College Discipleship.

TREK Will Meet on Sunday Afternoons!
(for children through 5th grade) 
 
For more information, click here to contact Lisa Kiser, our Minister of Children's Discipleship.

God Changes the World One Person
and One Family At A Time
 
A little nod to those of us who are still feeling slightly half-baked: those with struggling families, cracked relationships, and a world that's showing a little weary around the seams. When God wants to create the remarkable, He chooses to work with the less-than-perfect.
 
Genesis is a book of beginnings. It is deeply concerned with the origins of things-of the universe, of humankind, of relationships, of sin, of civilization, of families, and of one special family created and chosen by God to be the instrument through which He would bless the world. That family is our family, yours and mine. Like all good family stories, it starts with not just a something or somewhere, but a someone. 
 
For more information, click here to contact Debbie Barton or call her at (513) 659-9913. 

For more information, click here to contact Donna Poston. 

We are excited about the return of our monthly midweek "gatherings" that will provide the opportunity for our church family to enjoy delicious meals and great fellowship.    
Menu
Baked Chicken
Full Salad Bar
(Garden Salad, Potato Salad, Pasta Salad, etc.)
 
The meal costs are as follows:  
Adults (18 and older)
 $7.00 each
Families (2 adults and 2 children)
 $18.00
 Children/Youth 5 - 18
 $3.00 each
 Children 4 and under
 FREE
Click here to make your meal reservation online, or call the church office at (864) 882-2603.  You can add your name to the "Master List" or make your reservations on a weekly basis.

Following our meal on Wednesday, September 12, we will enjoy a rousing game of Bingo - WITH PRIZES!!.  This activity is for ALL ages - children, youth and adults.  Come join us as together we kick off our new program year!  

The Mini Mission Auction is almost upon us! We have some nice items coming in for our Clemson table and our holiday table, but we could always use a few more. We also need more handmade items for the Buy It Now table. For this table, we are looking for handmade craft items or homemade food items (quick breads, soup mixes, etc.) that would sell in the $10-$25 range. 
Items for the auction should be new or nearly new. 
   
The date of the auction is Sunday, September 16, and the time is from 8:30 until noon. Substantial snacks will be provided, so please plan to stay after the worship services that day to place your bids, buy some nice items made by fellow Saint Mark disciples, and support the mission work of the church. Proceeds will support local and global outreach projects. Please contact Jane Harlin at (864) 638-2462 or click here to email her for more information or to list your donations for the auction/sale.  
 
Thanks for your support!

The Commission on a Way Forward is a task force, whose purpose is to do a complete examination and possible revision of every paragraph concerning human sexuality in the Book of Discipline, while exploring options that help to maintain and strengthen the unity of the United Methodist Church. The Commission will make its recommendations at a Special Called Session of the General Conference in February, 2019.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR SAINT MARK?

On Sunday afternoon, September 16, Pastors Todd and Shawna will help us to better understand the structural workings of our denomination. Please make every effort to be present as our pastors lead us toward empathy, understanding, and generative dialogue, as we continue to be the Body of Christ. Childcare will be provided.

Set Apart:
Holy Habits of Prophets and Kings

Set Apart is a dynamic six-week study of 1 and 2 Kings that examines the holy habits of the prophets and kings who were set apart by their close walk with God. Each week we will explore the central story of one of these intriguing men of God and the specific practice each observed, as well as what the Bible teaches about this practice.

Each of these characters was trying to follow God while carrying out his calling on earth. As we consider their example, we will discover that even prophets and kings struggled and grew in their faith through spiritual practices, and we will learn how to follow God's unique purposes for us in His Kingdom.
 
For more information, click here to contact Sandy James.

Are you 50+? 
Another Elderberries Event!!!  
 
Join us for a relaxing evening of fun, food and fellowship at beautiful Biggerstaff Retreat Center, right here in Seneca. The evening will begin at 5 pm with conversation and hors d'oeuvres, followed by our meal at 6:30 pm.   
 
Plan to bring a dish to share (hors d'oeuvres, salad, side dish, dessert), plus $5 to cover meat, beverages and paper products.    
 
Transportation is available, if you prefer not to drive there.   
 
LET'S HAVE A GREAT TURNOUT!!!    
 
Click here to RSVP and to indicate that you would like to reserve transportation for that evening.    

For more information, click here to contact Marlene Edlund.

For more information, click here to contact Donna Poston.

Anderson District  
Lay Servant Ministries School
Saturday and Sunday, October 13 and 14
First United Methodist Church in Easley 
 
It's fall, a time full of new possibilities and new opportunities for serving the Lord. Have you heard a call to be a Lay Servant, and want an overview of what it means to be a Lay Servant? Would you like to learn how to deliver an effective message? Would you like to know more about the organization of the United Methodist Church? Now is the time for you to explore these options at the the Anderson Lay Servant Ministries School.
 
Courses offered:  
  • Basic Lay Servant Ministry
  • Preaching (From Pew to the Pulpit)
  • United Methodist Church Polity 
Cost:
  • $45 if registered before August 24
  • $50 if registered between August 25 and August 31
Classes are open to everyone, regardless of whether or not you are interested in becoming a certified lay servant. For those who are, or who wish to become a certified lay servant, remember that you must take a course beyond the basic course at least once every 3 years.  
 
For more information click here to contact Gwendolyn Brown, Chair of the Anderson District Lay Servant Ministry Board, or call her at (678) 480-5176.

An Elderberries Event 
The Lettermen in Concert
Sunday, October 14
7 pm
Walhalla Civic Auditorium
Tickets are available now: $37 per person
 
Join us for supper at Puerto Nuevo Restaurant  
in West Union at 5 pm
Click here to make your meal reservation  
with Marla Fuller 
 
Only 7 of 35 tickets are left . . . Reserve your tickets today!   
 
Click here to reserve your ticket(s) now!     
OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS 


FIRST Monthly Elderberries Lunch Bunch
Tuesday, October 23
12 noon
Commons Room
Contact: Marla Fuller
 
Fall Festival for Children
Wednesday, October 24
5:00 pm
Contact: Lisa Kiser 

 
16th Annual Minister's Cook-off 
Thursday, November 1
5:30 - 7 pm
Clemson United Methodist Church
Contact: Todd Davis  
 
Annual Charge Conference
Wednesday, November 7
6:30 pm
Commons Room 
Contact: Todd Davis 

ELDERBERRIES EVENTS (FOR 50+)   

ARE YOU 50+?
Here are some
Elderberries Events
that might interest you.  Save the date(s) on your calendar. 
 
Covered Dish Supper at Biggerstaff Retreat
Friday, September 28
5 pm - hors d'oeuvres
6:30 pm - supper
Transportation will be available 
 
The Lettermen in Concert
Sunday, October 14
7 pm
Cost: $37 per ticket
TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE NOW!
Transportation will be available
 
Monthly "Lunch Bunch" Gathering
beginning on Tuesday, October 23
(4th Tuesday of each month) 
12 noon
Commons Room  
 
Turkey in the Hole
Wilderness Way Girls' Camp
Church-wide Event Sponsored by the Elderberries
Saturday, November 17
Campsite Tours 10:45 - 11:15 am
Dinner - 12:30 pm
Bring sides and desserts
Transportation will be available  
 
PLEASE NOTE:
We could use a few more 50+ people to serve on our planning team.  We meet once a month to plan our activities and trips.   
 
We also need another bus driver or two to provide transportation to some of our social and educational events.  You would drive one of our church buses. You do not need a special type of license to drive.   
 
If you are interested in getting involved in this popular ministry for seniors at Saint Mark, please click here to contact Marla Fuller or call her at the church office Monday - Thursday from 10 am - 5 pm. 
CHURCH AND SOCIETY  

Blessed are the Peacemakers
The U.S. Congress has begun making major budget decisions regarding war and peace.  Your Senators and Representatives need to hear from you as a person of faith about decisions prioritizing investments in peace-building and people . . . not war .
Click here to learn more.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION . . .   

Do You Want To Reserve a Room
in our Church Facility?

Our church facilities are well used - sometimes seven days a week! We love to see our church building busy and utilized for so many good purposes. Do you need to reserve a room?

Your first step, whether it is for a ministry team meeting, a church event, a study, a UMW circle, a community event, a wedding - or any number of reasons - is to contact our Operations Manager, Karen Holcombe, to set things in motion.  She will see if the space you want to use is available on the day and time you want to use it.  If you want to reserve space for a group outside the church, she will be able to explain the policies.  You can reach Karen at the church office Monday - Thursday, 9 am - 5 pm at (864) 882-2603, or click here to send her an email. You are also welcome to stop by her office. Thanks for your help to prevent multiple groups from claiming the same space at the same time.
2019 Disciplines
Daily Devotions
Growing in faith and discipleship includes an intentional time for devotions, prayer and reflection. The Upper Room publishes an annual devotional guide that will soon be available for you to purchase.  Click here to contact Pastor Shawna to reserve your copy. The book also comes in large print.
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@smumcsc.org
 

864-882-2603
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors