October 25, 2022

From the Pastor

I find myself looking forward to several things. First, I'm excited to be preaching again this Sunday after enjoying the gift of spending time with my incredible wife and our precious newborn, Liliana, for the last few weeks. Thank you for the cards, the gifts, the meals, and the love that you have shared with the Wards. 

Second, I'm excited about our Wednesday night plans for the months of November and December. Specifically, Wednesday Night Together and the SOUFULL worship team are working collaboratively to create opportunities to remind us, as disciples, we are blessed to be a blessing. After our delicious meal prepared by Chef Doug, we'll have a time of worship. Then, our response to what God has done for us will be to do things for others- from preparing Christmas cards for area inmates to send to their families (November 3) to making ornaments for the family receiving our St. Mark's Habitat house (November 10) to packing food boxes for the hungry to preparing gift bags for Reeves Rogers Elementary (December 7).

Third, All Saints Sunday will be observed on Sunday, November 6 at 10:30 AM. See the article below for additional information.

Finally, SOULFULL worship is moving to Wednesdays after December 7th and will become one of the options during our Wednesday night programming. Both the leadership of Wednesday Night Together and SOULFULL believe this change will be mutually beneficial for both ministries and for our church as a whole. As a church family, we can eat together and enjoy fellowship around the table. Then those who want to participate in our small group offerings can go to those gatherings while those who want to worship can do that as well, all the while youth and children's programs continue. 

It is a privilege serving God as one of your clergy.

Tommy

This Sunday, we continue a new sermon series entitled "What Disciples Do." Although Christians are often identified by what we believe, Jesus seemed to care most about what his followers do. Faith practices, along with theological beliefs, are crucial to Christianity. This series will offer an opportunity to explore what disciples do: practice generosity, wrestle with God, and take their faith public, just to name a few.

October 30: Disciples Live by Faith (Job 19:23-27a)

November 6: Disciples Affirm Resurrection Hope (Ephesians 1:11-23)

November 13: Disciples Take Faith Public (Isaiah 65:17-25)

November 20: Disciples Give Allegiance to Christ (Colossians 1:11-20)

You’re encouraged to worship with us unless you’re sick or out of town. And if you’re out of town, consider finding a place to worship while you’re away!

SOULFULL worship is for those who can’t be in church on Sunday, for those who are looking for a different approach to worship, or for those who are looking for other opportunities to worship. It’s also great for friends and neighbors who don’t have much of a church background.

SOULFULL is moving to Wednesday nights in November. See Pastor Tommy's article above for more information. 

St. Mark's will observe All Saints Sunday on November 6, 2022. On that day, we will name and remember those from our church family who have joined the Church Triumphant since All Saints Sunday 2021.

Remembering those we love is an expression of our love for God and our commitment to further the ministry of the church they loved. If you would like to make a special contribution in memory of any of our recently departed saints, please use the pew envelopes and indicate your gift in memory of the person(s) named.

The SAGES trip to “The Top Of The Rock” in Jasper was a wonderful trip. The food and fellowship were wonderful. The sites there and along the way were gorgeous.

On Sunday, October 16, St. Mark’s SAGES along with the conference Encore Ministry hosted SAGES leaders from Rutherford County and the Stones River District. These were from churches intentional in starting older adult ministries and others who desire to grow an existing older adult ministry. Dr. Rick Gentzler from Encore Ministry was the guest presenter. Thanks to Laura and Noel Hinote for their dedicated leadership with the adventure. Cindy Flippen and Joyce Vaughn served as greeters. This was a very successful workshop with about twenty-five persons in attendance.

The Alzheimer’s/Dementia Support Group will meet again on Thursday, October 27, at 1:30 in Room 503-505. The group is led by Cindy Flippin, Susan Green and Stephanie Treutlein. Caregivers for those with Alzheimer’s/Dementia are encouraged to attend.

The next meeting of the SAGES Ministry Team will be Monday, November 14, at 9:30 A.M. in Room 503-505. The purpose of this gathering will be a “hands on” completion of projects for the Senior Serenity gathering in December. You are asked to bring a treat to share while we’re working on the Serenity luncheon.

The SAGES will be going to “Dancing With Lights” in Lebanon on November 15. The bus will leave at 4 PM. We will have dinner in Lebanon and proceed to the light show. Dinner will be Dutch Treat and there will be a $5 charge to ride the bus and a $5 admission fee to see the lights. Please make your reservations in the church office. Look for the book!

Some of the other upcoming events for the SAGES will be Christmas at Beersheba on Monday, December 5. The bus will leave at 8:30. Please sign up in the church office. There will be a $5.00 charge for the church. Registration for this event which includes lunch is $25.00.

Our Senior Serenity Luncheon will be December 10. Worship will be at 11:00 and lunch at 11:30 AM.

The SAGES continue to celebrate birthdays, send cards, deliver flowers, make visits, complete projects, lead worship services, etc. God bless everyone for your participation.

Please remember. We have the opportunity to give memorials for friends who have joined The Church Triumphant. The family always receives notification when those memorials are given.

JOIN US EACH WEEK FOR FAMILY FELLOWSHIP,

GOOD FOOD, FAITH & FUN!

5:00 p.m. Dinner

(Reservations Required)

6:00 p.m. Groups and Classes

Wednesday Night Praise for children Ages 4 – Grade 5. Join in the fun with music, rhythm, crafts, games, and more! Our theme is “God’s Glorious Creation.”

St. Mark’s Student Ministries Bible Study

This small group time will provide a safe space for wrestling with faith and doubt, for both believers and skeptics alike. Topics that we address will include the most challenging and difficult questions that arise from Scripture as we seek to apply its lessons to the practical realities of everyday life.

ADULT MINISTRIES

SIGNS AND WONDERS: THE MIRACLES OF JESUS

October 12, 19 and 26, Led by Dr. Barry Culbertson in Room 402/404

Written by Vanderbilt’s New Testament Scholar Amy-Jill Levine, this video series explores selected miracles of Jesus in historical and theological context, and helps the learner understand how past witnesses would have understood the events, but also how today’s readers can draw meaning from Jesus’ words and actions.

Dr. Culbertson, a retired UM pastor and chaplain, will lead us discussing the impact of Jesus’ signs and wonders on our faith today.

JOURNEY HOME: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MINISTRY

October 26, with special guest Lisbeth Couser, Director of Development and Marketing

The Journey Home is a Christian ministry that serves the homeless and disadvantaged of Rutherford County by helping to rehouse and provide resources and relationships that encourage faith, economic stability, wholeness, and reintegration into community life.  St. Mark’s supports this ministry in several ways. Come learn more about this ministry and how you can give your support.

Coffee Talk Join us for casual conversation around a variety of topics (books, movies, music, current events) and occasional guest speakers. Led by Butler Touchton, in the Narthex.

Make Plans Now to Give Thanks at 

St. Mark’s UMC Church Family Thanksgiving

Dinner and Worship 

Tuesday, November 22nd, 5:00 p.m.

Dinner, 6:00 p.m. Worship 

Children have a natural sense of awe, wonder, curiosity and imagination that helps shape their spiritual lives. In Sunday school, we hear and reflect on God’s Word, experience spiritual practices, play games, learn Bible skills, ask big questions, and help each other claim our spiritual identity as children of God.  

This November in Celebrate Wonder Sunday School, preschool children will explore the Old Testament prophets, including stories of Elijah and the Ravens, Elisha and the Widow’s Jars, The Call of Isaiah, and Jeremiah. Our theme word is “VOICE”, and our memory verse is, “My mouth speaks wisdom; my heart’s meditation is full of insight.” Psalm 49:3.    We hope to see you in Room 305 at 9:15 a.m.!

This Fall, children in the Kindergarten – 2^nd Grade are exploring 12 Old Testament Stories using a new, video-based curriculum called Holy Moly. During November, we are studying the stories of Naomi and Ruth, David and Goliath, and Solomon, wonderful accounts which are foundational to our faith!

Young Elementary meet in Room 212 at 9:15 a.m. 

Grades 3 – 5 Completes the Book of Genesis

The Book of Genesis provides the foundation of our faith. This Fall, children in Grades 3 – 5 are continuing on a journey through the Bible, connecting with God’s big story through videos, engaging Bible exploration, and hands-on projects through a new curriculum called “Connect.”

During November, the class is studying these stories from Genesis:

• Jacob to Israel – Genesis 32:22-31
• 12 Sons – Genesis 49:28
• Joseph – Genesis 41:14-16, 39-40
• Rewind – Review of Units 1 & 2

The Older Elementary Class meets in Room 214 Sundays at 9:15 a.m.

UPCOMING dates for Children’s Ministries

Sunday, November 20, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Advent Kick-off

Monday, November 21, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. JAM Session 

Serve Lunch at the Journey Home

Saturday, December 24, 4:00 p.m. – Christmas Eve Worship

Sherrie Gilliam, Director of the St. Mark’s Preschool and Parents’ Day Out, has announced that she is retiring, effective December 31, 2022. Sherrie started as an educator in a classroom in 1988 and became the director of our program in 1994. She has dedicated over half of her life to this ministry and she will be missed.

Stay tuned for more information about how we plan to celebrate Sherrie’s ministry in our midst. In the meantime, let’s be praying for her as she and our preschool begin new chapters in their lives.

Rev. Chip Hunter, Superintendent of the Stones River District, has set the St. Mark's United Methodist Church Charge Conference for Wednesday, November 16, immediately following our Wednesday night meal. Members of the Church Council are voting members of the Charge Conference and are expected to attend.

For those who are not interested in or a part of the Charge Conference, other programming will be available as part of our Wednesday Night Together.

What: Merry Mission Marketplace, where your dollar gives twice!

Date: Wednesday, November 30, 2022 

Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Where: St. Mark’s United Methodist Church Gym

VENDORS NEEDED!

Non-Profits who offer items for sale at the MMM retain 100% of their profits. Crafters and other Vendors must agree to donate 20% of their profits to a non-profit agency.

Need a Vendor Application or Know a possible Crafter who has a heart for mission? Contact Rev. Martha Touchton, martha@stmarkstn.org

As the sponsor church of a Habitat House, we have one remaining opportunity to work with Mamii’s family on completion of the house! Shifts for these work days are 8:00 – 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 – 3:30 p.m., and you can work one or both shifts. Thanks to those who serve faithfully! 

Need more information about serving or want to volunteer??

Contact meg@megvanpatten.com or martha@stmarkstn.org. 

Come out and enjoy a bowl of Butler Touchton’s chili as he represents St. Mark’s UMC at Habitat’s Cooking to Build at the Square! 

Thank you for signing up for the Altar Flowers and adding the beauty of God’s creation is a part of our service. The calendar is full through the remainder of 2022.  

The 2023 Calendar is now open for signup. The notebook is at the reception desk. Please consider selecting your special day early. For 2023, the price will increase to $30 per arrangement or $60 for both arrangements. 

• Fall Retreat for St. Mark’s Youth will take place at Cedar Crest Camp on the weekend of November 5th and 6th 

• We will plan on departing in the Church Bus for Cedar Crest Camp at 7 am on Saturday 11/5 and will return by noon on 11/6. Contact louis@stmarkstn.org for more details

• Looking for an opportunity to serve God by pouring into others? Look no further than our own St. Mark’s Student Ministry 

• If interested, you can use our SignupGenius form (linked below) to choose the date(s) of your service. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e48a8a823abffce9-youth

• St. Mark’s Student Ministry Bible Study Small Group meeting in the St. Mark's Library after dinner (6 pm) as part of Wednesday Night Together

• Dinner at 5 pm in the Banquet Hall (MTSU Students eat free, but they still must call 615-893-3455 by Monday to reserve their meal!) 

Contribution Statements for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, were distributed last week. The statements were sent electronically to those having an email on file with the church office. Paper copies were mailed to those who do not have an email address or have requested a paper copy. Contact Buddy Howell in the church office if you have not yet received your statement or if you have questions about your giving summary.

Boy Scout Troop 398 is smoking turkeys again for Thanksgiving to help fund our sailing high adventure trip to Sea Base in the Florida Keys this coming summer.

We will take orders for boneless cherry wood smoked turkey breasts to be picked up (still warm out of the smoker) Wednesday, November 23^rd in time for Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, November 24^th. We sell half or whole breasts only. There will be no sliced pounds or sides or sauce offered. Our smoked turkey will keep well if frozen for 6 months or more, so order extra. Scouts now have to believe in inflation – unfortunately our prices reflect the increase in our cost. Our supplier is confident that he can fill our order in spite of tightening supplies, but please place your order as early as possible.

All orders need to be turned in no later than Wednesday, November 16.

A boneless (half) breast (averages 3 1/2 pounds and yields fourteen 4-ounce servings) sells for $50.00. A whole breast or 2 half breasts (averages 7 pounds and yields twenty-eight 4-ounce servings) sells for $90.



Orders will be ready for pick-up at the Eagle’s Nest behind St. Mark’s UMC from 4 to 7 PM on Wednesday, November 23^rd. Pay when you pick-up your order. Card, cash or check to “BSA Troop 398”. Order from one of our scouts or adult leaders, Kyle Anderson, Nathan or Fred Daniel, Steve Dix, or contact Scoutmaster Mike Warren mike11345@aol.com or (615) 473-7076. An order sheet will also be in the church office and in the Narthex.

You may have noticed the addition of welcome center stations just outside the back doors of the sanctuary. Each week, we invite first-time guests to stop by and receive a small gift as they leave worship. It includes a QR code that takes guests to our church website.

Do you have a welcoming spirit or a gift of hospitality? Would you be willing to be in the rotation to be a welcome center greeter? If so, please contact the church office at 893-3455 or stmarks@stmarkstn.org.

St. Mark’s staff seeks to care for God’s creation by recycling paper, cardboard, plastic, and aluminum. Unfortunately, we have been unable to find a reliable, dependable company to pick up our recycling on a weekly basis, and are looking for another option.

If you would be willing to take the church’s recyclables to a convenience center once a week, or to be part of a team that shares in this responsibility, please contact Rev. Martha Touchton as soon as possible at martha@stmarkstn.org.  

For ten years, St. Mark’s has maintained a wonderful adult curriculum library that not only serves our church’s Christian education needs but is also used throughout the Stones River District.  This Library needs some TLC!  Specifically, we need to weed out some older, out-of-print resources and sell or give them away to make room for newer resources. If you would be willing to serve on a team for this endeavor in 2023, please contact Rev. Martha Touchton, martha@stmarkstn.org.

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

5:00 p.m. WNT Dinner - Banquet Room

6:00 p.m. WNT Programming

6:00 p.m. Youth Bible Study - Library

7:00 p.m. Chancel Choir - Sanctuary

Thursday, October 27, 2022

9:00 a.m. Women's Bible Study - RM 1203

10:00 a.m. Quilting Bee - Banquet Room/Kitchen

10:30 a.m. Knitting - RM 503/505

1:30 p.m. Alzheimer's/Dementia Support Group - RM 503/505

6:30 p.m. SOULFULL Worship - Rec Center/Kitchen

6:30 p.m. ACOA Meeting - RM 503/505

Friday, October 28, 2022

10:30 a.m. Bible Study - RM 503/505

6:00 p.m. Pickle Ball - Rec Center

Saturday, October 29, 2022

8:30 a.m. AA Group - RM 503/505

9:00 a.m. SOULFULL Rehearsal - Sanctuary

Sunday, October 30, 2022

9:15 a.m. Christian Education

10:30 a.m. Worship - Sanctuary

4:00 p.m. GriefShare - RM 405

4:00 p.m. AA Group - RM 503/505

5:00 p.m. Bible Study - RM 1203

5:00 p.m. Chancel Ringers - RM 1117

5:00 p.m. Finance - RM 503/505

5:00 p.m. Rec Center/Youth Center

Monday, October 31, 2022

9:45 a.m. Preschool Chapel

10:00 a.m. Watercolor Class - Banquet Room

2:00 p.m. Tech Goes Home - RM 503/505

4:00 p.m. Cub Scouts - Banquet Room/Rec Center/Kitchen

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

9:00 a.m. Note Writers - RM 506

9:45 a.m. Preschool Chapel

4:00 p.m. Disciple I - RM 503/505

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

5:00 p.m. WNT Dinner - Banquet Room

6:00 p.m. Blessed to Be a Blessing Mission Project 

6:00 p.m. Youth Bible Study - Library

6:30 p.m. SOULFULL Worship - Rec Center

7:00 p.m. Chancel Choir - Sanctuary

Thursday, November 3, 2022

9:00 a.m. Women's Bible Study - RM 1203

10:30 a.m. Knitting - RM 503/505

6:30 p.m. ACOA Meeting - RM 503/505

Friday, November 4, 2022

10:30 a.m. Bible Study - RM 503/505

6:00 p.m. Pickle Ball - Rec Center

Saturday, November 5, 2022

7:30 a.m. UMM Meeting & Breakfast - Banquet Room

8:30 a.m. AA Group - RM 503/505

Sunday, November 6, 2022

9:15 a.m. Christian Education

10:30 a.m. Worship - Sanctuary

4:00 p.m. AA Group - RM 503/505

4:00 p.m. GriefShare - RM 405

4:00 p.m. Children's Ministry Team - Library

4:15 p.m. SONlight - RM 1119

5:00 p.m. Bible Study - RM 1203

5:00 p.m. Chancel Ringers - RM 1117

Monday, November 7, 2022

9:45 a.m. Preschool Chapel

10:00 a.m. Watercolor Class - Banquet Room

10:00 a.m. Wings of Hope - Banquet Room/Kitchen

2:00 p.m. Tech Goes Home - RM 503/505

5:00 p.m. Cub Scouts - Banquet Room/Rec Center

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

8:00 p.m. Habitat for Humanity Workday

9:00 a.m. Note Writers - RM 506

9:45 a.m. Preschool Chapel

4:00 p.m. Disciple I - RM 405

In Other News:

View Our Current Prayer List

See Our Full Event Calendar 

Missed a Sermon? Click HERE to go to our sermons media page.

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