"The Messenger"
Online Newsletter
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From the Pastor
Did you make any new year resolutions? One of the things that I hope we'll all resolve to do in 2020 is make worship a priority. The New Testament points to the first day of the week as a special time of worship (1 Corinthians 16:2; Acts 20:7,11; Revelation 1:10, for example). The Lord's Day being the first day has always been a way to witness to the importance of our faith.
But people throughout history have often struggled to keep the worship of God on the Lord's day a priority. Around 115 AD, Ignatius of Antioch (an early church bishop and writer) wrote to Christians in the Greek city of Magnesia who had "ceased to keep the Sabbath." Keeping the Lord's Day remains a struggle for many today.
I'd like to invite you to be present for worship at St. Mark's every Sunday in 2020 unless you're sick or out of town. If you're out of town, I hope you'll seek out another opportunity to worship with other believers. It might be with your family on the beach or with friends on the sidelines of a soccer field. It might be in a church near where you're vacationing or if all else fails a livestream of a worship experience online.
In Sunday's sermon (now available online), I also challenged us to grow spiritually and serve sacrificially in 2020. That means joining or creating a small group where we can study God's word with other people as well as looking for ways to be the hands of Christ in our community and world. If you need help with either of these challenges, please contact one of your clergy and we will be happy to offer guidance.
Let's worship regularly, grow spiritually, serve sacrificially, grow in our sense of God's purpose for us and our church, be committed to excellence, and creatively express our faith. Let's be a rockin' church in 2020.
It is a privilege to serve God as one of your clergy.
Tommy
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Thank You From Church Staff
Your St. Mark's staff thank you for the cards, notes, presents, and financial gifts that our church family gave to us during the Advent and Christmas season. These expressions of love touched us deeply and we are so appreciative. May God bless you for being such a blessing to us!
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LIKE Your Church
One of the best ways to express your love for St. Mark's is following us on social media and sharing our posts on your social media platforms. Follow us at stmarkstn on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Currently, we're most active on Facebook but we plan to ramp up our Instagram and Twitter presence in the coming weeks. If there is another social media platform that you think we need to be using, please contact the church office.
You can also post comments about your positive experiences at St. Mark's on your social media platforms and encourage those who are looking for a church home to join you sometime.
Stay tuned for more information about our social media presence as some exciting things are in the works!
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Words from Bishop William T. McAlilly
The United Methodist Church was in the news last week after a proposal for separation was made public to the media. As was shared during worship on Sunday, this is but one of many proposals that have been submitted for consideration as our denomination seeks to find a way forward in its ongoing discussion about human sexuality.
The presiding bishop of the Nashville Area, Bishop Bill McAlilly, has published a blog sharing his thoughts in the wake of this most recent proposal. You can find it
HERE
.
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Wednesday Night Together!
Family, Food, Fellowship, Faith, and Fun
for the whole Family!
Wednesday Night Together offers a full menu of
delicious food, warm table fellowship, and
fun and formative weekly classes, groups and events for all ages!
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5:15 - 6:00 p.m. Church Family Dinner
Reservations due by 12:00 p.m. Monday
$8.00/Adult, $4.00/Children and MTSU Students, $25.00/Family Max
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6:00 – 7:15 p.m. WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRAISE for Children
6:15 – 7:15 p.m. CLASSES AND GROUPS FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS
Wednesday, January 8
th
5:15 p.m.
FREE WNT MEAL – Reservations Required
6:15 p.m.
BRING YOUR GIFTS TALENT SHOW
YOUTH CHOIR BENEFIT
New Adult Classes Begin Wednesday, January 15
th
Feasting on the Word - led by Rev. Martha Touchton
The Transformative Power of Gratitude – led by Julie King
Beginning Watercolor Painting – Led by Kent Kigar and Kris Whitt
Click
HERE
to see the full January Brochure
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St. Mark’s Welcomes Chef Amanda Murphy
We are excited to welcome Amanda Murphy as our new cook! Amanda will cook for Wednesday Night Together and other meals and events at church, and is charged with overseeing the kitchen. For WNT, Amanda will be preparing home-style meals using more fresh foods and fewer processed products.
Volunteers
are needed in the kitchen! If you would like to learn more about cooking for large groups or are willing to serve your church in this way, volunteers are needed Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., and Wednesday afternoons 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. We would be glad to have persons serve one time a month or every week, whatever works well with their schedule. To volunteer, send an email to
amanda@stmarkstn.org
.
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SAGES News
The SAGES kick off the year with a big planning meeting on Monday, January 13, at 9:30 A.M. at the church. Please note that that meeting will be in Room 409 (Cornerstone Class Room.)
Thanks to Laura Hinote and her team for providing the birthday cake for our pastor last Sunday.
The Dementia/Alzheimer’s’ Support Group will meet Thursday, January 23, at 1:30 P.M.
Please keep this trip in mind – HWY 55 Café in Nolensville for lunch on Monday, January 27. The bus will leave the church at 10:30 A.M. Please sign up in the church office. Look for the book!!!
Please remember to pray for our monthly worship service at Adams’ Place. Rev. Linda Tunnell, Liz Bennett and their teams lead these services. If you would like to be a part of one of teams, please contact Linda or Liz.
We also offer services the second Tuesday of each month at Boulevard Terrace Rehab and Nursing at 2:00 P.M. If you would like to participate, please be there at 1530 Middle Tennessee Boulevard at that time... And we continue to provide services at The Rutherford Memory Care each Wednesday at 11:00 A..M.
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Deep Blue Kids: Sundays, 9:45 – 10:45 a.m.
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Jesus Leads the Community
So they went out and proclaimed that people should
change their hearts and lives. (Mark 6:12)
This January in
DEEP BLUE, we will study stories about Jesus and his ministry.
1/5 The shepherds in a nearby field are visited by angels who announce Jesus’ birth. The shepherds run all the way to meet the new king. The Wise Men come to visit Jesus and his family and bring gifts.
1/12 During Jesus’ baptism, a voice from heaven declared that Jesus is God’s Son and that Jesus made God very happy. This launched Jesus into his ministry.
1/19 Jesus declares what he intends to do in our world: preach good news to the poor, release prisoners, give sight to the blind, liberate the oppressed, and proclaim the year of Jubilee.
1/26 Jesus begins calling followers. He teaches them and then sends them off two by two to also share the good news of God’s love for all people— we hear about this in our final story this month. We can look to Jesus as his followers today and continue to share the good news.
OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL IS GROWING!
Teachers, helpers and substitutes are always needed in our Children’s Sunday School! Excellent curriculum and all supplies are provided. If you are willing to serve as a teacher or helper, contact Rev. Martha Touchton or Children’s Ministries Team Leader Julie King.
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Children’s Coin Offering for “Bless the Children”
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Sunday, January 12th
Children’s Coin Offering for “Bless the Children” of Matamoros, Mexico
This offering provides uniforms and supplies required for children who want to attend school.
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For All Men of the Church
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Gil Hanke, General Secretary of the General Commission on United Methodist Men has requested that all men of St. Mark's (not just those who attend the UMM meetings) respond to the enclosed survey. You can click on the direct
SURVEY LINK, or use your cell phone to go to the survey by aiming your camera at the QR Code image.
Please respond by the last Monday of January so we can view the results at our next UMM meeting on Saturday, February 1st. The United Methodist Men of St. Mark's meets on the first Saturday of each month in the Banquet Room at 7:30 a.m. All men of the church are invited!
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Let the Boy Scouts of St. Mark’s Troop 398 take care of your cooking on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 2
nd
.
We’ve smoked our own pork and turkey for 20 years!
Your order will be packaged and ready for pick up from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM in the Banquet Room on Super Bowl Sunday. Our prices remain the same as last year.
You can choose from pulled pork $9/pound and/or sliced turkey $10/pound (order extra and freeze it for a treat later on!) Whole Boston Butts are available for $40 and boneless Turkey half-breasts for $35. Ribs are $15/slab. To complete your feast, we offer 16 ounce sides of Cole slaw and baked beans for $4 each. Back by popular demand are our sauces: 12 oz Hummingbird (mild) and Screaming Eagle (spicy) for $5.
Please remember to place your orders in advance, since only limited quantities will be available for sale on Feb. 2
nd
. Tickets are currently on sale by troop members, Kyle Anderson, Aaron Brunner, Nathan Daniel & Jesse Hofer. Scouts will have tickets for sale in the Narthex on Wed. nights and on Sundays thru Jan. 26
th
. Order forms are also available in the church office or you can place an order by calling or emailing Scoutmaster Mike Warren (615) 473-7076 or
mike11345@aol.com
.
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St. Mark's follows the Murfreesboro City Schools (MCS) system in determining whether or not the church office will be open and church-wide events held. When MCS are closed, the church office will be closed and all church-wide activities canceled.
For church-wide events taking place on weekends, please check social media, the church website, and/or your email for updates in the event of inclement weather.
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In Other News:
Volunteers Needed - Tommy Walker needs volunteers to help with the Audio/Video Center on Sunday mornings and occasional other times. No special skills or experience required. See Tommy Walker at the center on Sunday morning with questions or to volunteer.
Flower Calendar
– The flowers on the altar each Sunday are available to be sponsored in honor or in memory of a loved one. To reserve a date, sign up on the flower calendar posted outside the kitchen on the bulletin board. Each bouquet (there are two per Sunday) is $25 and can be paid by check in the offering plate labeled "flowers" or in the church office.
Mission Team New and Stats
HERE
Missed a Sermon? Click
HERE to go to our sermons media page.
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