July 11, 2023

From the Pastor

On Sunday morning as I was driving to church, the critical inner voice that lives inside my head was hard at work. "Your sermon's trash. As much time as you spend in sermon preparation, it certainly ought to be better than this!" By the time I pulled into the parking lot, I was buying what that critical inner voice was selling. Was it too late to tell Jim Clardy that he was preaching today instead of me?

When I walked into the office, I noticed two notes in my mailbox. I sat down at my desk to read them.

One note said, "Today, I hope you hear the One who has called you to preach, speaking afresh and anew in your heart and mind." The other note thanked me for always preaching such meaningful sermons.

Differing voices. Differing messages.

Thanks for those notes, Amanda and David. I stood in the pulpit on Sunday mindful of my call and confident that God could speak through my sermon, regardless of how good it was.

Oh, and Amanda and David? I'm sure Jim Clardy thanks you too. As great as he is "on his feet," he probably appreciates not having to fill-in for me at the last second, all because I was tempted to listen to the wrong voice.

It is a privilege to serve God as one of your clergy.

Tommy

This Sunday, we begin a new sermon series, “Broken: Good News for Tough Times.”

In his letter to the Romans, Paul addresses people he has never met in the hopes of encouraging them in their Christian walk. He knew that the Christian life was a perilous one, especially with the church growing in such unpredictable and increasingly diverse ways. In this sermon series, we’ll look at some of the most intriguing and inspiring passages in Romans and how God sustains God’s people in the midst of their brokenness.

Invite a friend and make plans to join us.

July 16: Romans 8:1-11

July 23: Romans 8:12-25

July 30: Romans 8:26-39

August 6: Romans 9:1-5

August 13: Romans 10:5-15

August 20: Romans 11:1-2, 29-32

The SAGES Ministry Team met Monday, July 10 at 9:30, to plan for the remainder of the year.

On Wednesday, July 12 the SAGES are going to Smithville to eat and shop. The meal will be at Cheryl’s Beau Bees located just off the courthouse square. Please sign up in the church office. Look for the book! The bus will leave St. Mark’s at 10:30.

The Alzheimer’s/Dementia Support Group will meet July 27 at 1:30 PM. At the home of Cindy Flippin, 2714 Tower Drive, Murfreesboro, TN 37129-1176.

On August 15 the SAGES are going to the Cumberland County Playhouse to see “All Shook Up.” Lunch will be at the Cumberland Mountain State Park. Tickets are $29.00 and there are a few left. Please hurry to make your reservations in the office or the narthex.

A very special Encore Event for SAGES is coming October 26. It will be held at Franklin First UMC. Please watch this newsletter for further announcements and at the appropriate time register for the event.

Coming activities: September 22 – Senior Potluck Luncheon at 11:30 AM; September 24 - Senior Appreciation Day; October 30 – Loveless Café; November 17 – Midway Diner; In December – Christmas at Beersheba; Dec 9 - Senior Serenity at 11:00 A.M.  

The SAGES will host services at Adams Place Tuesday, July 18 at 10:30 AM and at Rutherford Senior Care (Wednesdays 11:00 AM); Rutherford Assisted Living (Fridays at 1:30 PM); and American House Senior Living (Tuesdays at 2:30 PM) each week.

A schedule of SAGES activities for 2023 is posted on the SAGES Bulletin Board outside the church office.

Our Second Annual SOULFULL Summer Concert series is underway on Wednesday evenings at 6 pm in the gym. Each week, we feature a secular song and ask what that song might have to say to us as people of faith and what our faith might have to say to that song.

This Wednesday night, we'll feature Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

We'll finish the series off with Kris Kristofferson's "Why Me Lord?" (July 19) and The Beatles' "Help" (July 26).

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.  

Preschoolers Explore the Names of God

This month in Celebrate Wonder Sunday School, our preschool children will explore well-known stories of the Bible including Noah and the Ark, Jonah and the Whale, and the stories of Daniel, including Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Our theme word for July is “BIBLE.”  As we study these familiar stories in the Bible, we give thanks for God’s Word that teaches us to know God and Jesus and informs who we are in relationship to God and Jesus! Our Bible Memory verse for July is “So our ancestors trusted God’s words; they sang God’s praise.” Psalm 106:12.



The Preschool children meet in Room 307 Sundays at 9:15 a.m.

Coming This Summer!

Our Elementary children in Grades K - 5 join together this summer for some extra fun and faith! Sundays, 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. in Room 212.

JULY: DIARY OF A GODLY KID



Following, Attitude, Honor, and Time – what do these words have to do with being a disciple? Through this study of the life of Moses, we’ll learn how to be godly kids who live out our faith every day!

Join us for a Children’s and Youth End of Summer Pool Party July 26th from 1:00-3:00 PM at 1920 Higgins Ln, Murfreesboro, TN 37130. In case of inclement weather, meet at St. Mark’s and BYO sack lunch. All children must be accompanied by an adult; no drop-offs allowed. 

Please contact Hannah Pratt at hannah@stmarkstn.org if you have any questions. 

Watch our St. Mark’s Kid’s Facebook Page every week for more detailed information!

Thank YOU!

For supporting St. Mark’s VBS

With your Prayers, Presence, Gifts, Service, and Witness!

Thanks to you, we had a super week!

Thank you for being part of St. Mark’s Vacation Bible School ministry! Your contributions were a tremendous blessing to the members and friends of St. Mark’s and helped children, youth, and adults come together to serve God!

Save the Date for

“Camp Firelight: A Summer Camp Adventure with God”

June 24-27, 2024

“Whenever I’m afraid, I put my trust in You.”

Psalm 56:3

-St. Mark’s Student Ministry is now hosting a weekly "Bible Study Hall" beginning at 6:00 pm (starting with the Wednesday night “SOULFULL” Worship Service in the Gym, and moving to the Library around 6:30), and ending at 8 pm. This will continue on all future Wednesdays for the remainder of the summer unless otherwise announced. 

Our next Youth meetings will be on Sunday July 16th, with Youth Sunday School at the usual time slot (9:15-10:15 am) and the Sunday Evening Youth Gathering back in its usual time slot as well (5-7 pm). St. Mark’s Youth are invited to prayerfully consider the direction of the Youth Ministry in preparation for a “Pulse Check” Meeting that we will be conducting over dinner (provided), where they will be asked for their input regarding Youth programming during the coming school year.

On the afternoon of Wednesday July 12th, St. Mark’s Youth are invited to a Back to School Pool Party, hosted by the Beckmans & St. Mark’s Children’s Ministry. We will plan on gathering in the Youth Wing, from which we will depart for the Beckman’s home at 1 pm and plan on returning to St. Mark’s by 3:30 pm.

Our Instagram handle is @stmarkstn_youth - follow us to stay informed about what St. Mark’s Student Ministry is up to. Additionally, the landing page for all things related to St. Mark’s Student Ministry can be found here: https://st-marks-umc-student-ministry.mailchimpsites.com/

St. Mark’s Youth, Parents & Guardians are invited to share their feedback to help us make St. Mark’s Student Ministry the most helpful spiritual resource it can be! To make your voice heard in shaping the future direction of this ministry, please click here for the link to a brief survey that takes an average of 3 minutes to complete - your answers can be as short or as long as you like (within the limits of SurveyMonkey’s design capabilities) and will be shared anonymously, so feel free to be completely honest! 

We are very pleased to welcome our two new Youth Interns, Katie Beatty and Kaylin Wiley, to the St. Mark’s Student Ministry team. Please be in prayer for them, that their work here will bear fruit and help our Youth program to flourish, and be sure to offer a word encouragement if you happen to see Katie or Kaylin around St. Mark’s!

Attention College Students: St. Mark’s is proud to host College Volleyball Night on Monday evenings this summer from 7:30-10 pm in the gym. No RSVP required - just come as you are!

The flowers on the altar each Sunday are available to be sponsored in honor of in memory of loved ones. To reserve a date, please call the church office or sign up on the Flower Calendar at the receptionist desk in the church office.

Each bouquet (there are two per Sunday) is $30 which can be paid by placing a check in the offering plate with "Flowers" on the memo line or contacting the church office for other arrangements.

The next four available Sundays are:

August 27 (one bouquet)

October 1 (one or both bouquets)

October 15 (one or both bouquets)

October 22 (one bouquet)

Grief Support Group Available At St. Mark’s UMC This Fall

Looking for help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member, or friend?  Grief Share is a special weekly seminar designed to help persons rebuild their lives after losing a loved one. St. Mark’s group is led by caring individuals who have experienced grief and want to help others through the difficult days ahead.

Sundays, 4:00 – 6:00 pm for 13 Sessions. Orientation Sunday, August 6, 2023

Led by Cyndy Stone Allen and Paul Givens. Limit 10 participants. Open to the public. $20.00 Materials Fee Payable August 6. Scholarships available. Books will be distributed at the Orientation gathering Sunday, August 6. To register, click here.

Almost everyone knows someone going through grief: it might be a friend or a family member, a neighbor, or a coworker.  You are encouraged to invite them to GriefShare!



To learn more about GriefShare, click here: https://vimeo.com/70809708

Wednesday, July 12

10:30 a.m. SAGES to Cheryl’s Beau Bee

6:00 p.m. SOULFULL Worship - Rec Center

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

Thursday, July 13

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

10:30 a.m. Knitting - RM 506

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

7:00 p.m. Discernment Group - Chapel

Friday, July 14

6:00 p.m. Pickle Ball - RC

Saturday, July 15

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

10:00 a.m. Banquet Room/Kitchen Reserved

Sunday, July 16

9:15 a.m. Christian Education

10:30 a.m. Worship - Sanctuary

4:00 p.m. UMW Brave Women of Faith - Library

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

5:00 p.m. Youth - Rec Center/Youth Center

Monday, July 17

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

5:30 p.m. Big Book Group - RM 503/505

7:30 p.m. College Volleyball - Rec Center

Tuesday, July 18

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

6:00 p.m. Trustees Meeting - RM 503/505

Wednesday, July 19

6:00 p.m. SOULFULL Worship - Rec Center

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

Thursday, July 20

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

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

Friday, July 21

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

Saturday, July 22

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

Sunday, July 23

9:15 a.m. Christian Education

10:30 a.m. Worship - Sanctuary

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

5:00 p.m. Youth - Rec Center/Youth Center

Monday, July 24

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

5:30 p.m. Big Book Group - RM 503/505

7:30 p.m. College Volleyball - Rec Center

Tuesday, July 25

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

6:00 p.m. Woodworkers - Banquet Room

Thank You St. Mark's Disaster Team From Covington, Tn.

We are so grateful for all the help given by your disaster team. You were working like 30 year-olds! Y'all reminded me of my dad and his buddies working and joking. Thank you so much for all the tree cutting and improving the premises. There is one tree standing and the house is burned and buried. God is Taking care of us. 

God Bless You

Z and M

In Other News:

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See Our Full Event Calendar 

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