August 15, 2019

The Feast Day of St. Mary the Virgin And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation." Luke 1: 46-50

Conestabile Madonna , Raphael (detail)

Blessing of the Backpacks this Sunday Attention all students (pre-K through college), teachers and other educators! Most schools in the area begin on Aug. 19. Get off to a great start by bringing your backpacks or briefcases to church this Sunday, Aug. 18--either service--for a blessing for the new school year.

Blood drive this Sunday, 8 AM-Noon A word from Valerie Althoff of One Blood concerning the blood situation: "Collections are down and we need your help! We are coming to the end of summer and the summer months have hit blood collections hard, as always, but this summer seems to be harder." You can help! The Big Red Bus will be at St. Mark's this Sunday. Donors will receive a free cooler and wellness check. Drink plenty of fluids before donating and allow at least 45 minutes for the process.

Retreat theme: "Empowering the Saints" About the retreat on Oct. 18-20, the presenter Dr. Mary MacGregor says, " Paul’s letters to the early churches go into some significant detail about the importance of our spiritual gifts and the role they play in equipping each of us for ministry." This will be an opportunity to become familiar with spiritual gifts not only through biblical teachings but also in some fun and creative ways! You will learn a lot about yourself and also gain a better understanding about the contribution you make to building up St. Mark’s for the glory of God! Click HERE for more information and to find out how to register.

Walk for Water...so she won't have to! Join the St. Mark's team on Sat., Sept. 21, 9 AM, at Live Oaks Park in Port Royal to support Water Mission's efforts to ensure safe water around the world. A limited number of registrations are available through Westley Byrne ( wapwb1@gmail.com ). Otherwise, for complete instructions on how to access the website to register, see the flyer HERE .

Informational breakfast for Kairos Men, are you interested in participating in prison ministry? An informational meeting for Kairos will be held Sat., Aug. 17 at Golden Corral, 1196 Fording Island Rd. in Bluffton at 8 AM. For information contact Ken Kraft at 843 489-2544 or kraftken4340@yahoo.com.

T o donate to help alleviate the crisis at the southern border, click on this link to the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande-- www.dioceserg.org/.

Diocesan Convention You're invited to the 229th Diocesan Convention of the Episcopal Church in SC on Nov. 15-16 at the North Charleston Marriott. St. Mark's non-clergy delegates are Jim Phelps, George Utter, Susan Grimes and Katey Seibels, but everyone is welcome to attend. Everything you need to know about the convention can be found on the Diocesan webpage HERE .

Wednesday services this month, 5:30 PM in Union Church Aug. 21--Evening Prayer & Healing Aug. 28--Holy Eucharist & Healing

IN BRIEF

THE 24/7 CONTACT FOR THOSE NEEDING PASTORAL CARE during the month of August is Paula Miller. She can be reached at 913-515-0470 (mobile). A CENTERING PRAYER GROUP meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month at 5:30 PM in the church. Final meeting for August is the 27th. For more information, contact Judy Parichy at  judyparichy@gmail.com or pick up an information leaflet from the narthex. NEWLY-REVISED FAQ DOCUMENT - The Diocese has updated and revised the FAQ document and it is available online H ERE. ALL ANNOUNCEMENTS in this newsletter and the Sunday service bulletin should relate to St. Mark's or its ministry partners or have clearance from the Vestry. Deadline for this newsletter and the Sunday bulletin is 5 PM on Tuesdays .Verbal announcements during services should be given to the Vestry Person on Duty in advance of the service.

HELPFUL LINKS

To have members of our Prayer Ministry pray for you or a loved one, contact Debbie Dawsey-Davis at debdd3@gmail.com or 843-812-8255.  To see the Liturgical Ministry Schedule click HERE.  Available dates for altar flowers are HERE. To give flowers in memory of a loved one or in thanksgiving, pick up a flower envelope from the church or Center and follow the directions on the envelope.

Click the logo to visit St. Mark's web page Mailing address: PO Box 761 Port Royal, SC 29935

Click the icon to follow St. Mark's on Facebook . Parish Office 843 379-1020 Office hours are Tues., Wed., Thurs. 9-2