September 19, 2023

From the Pastor

The fall is typically the season in which churches make their case for financially supporting their ministry while also teaching the biblical principle of giving. On October 1, I'll begin a new Sunday morning sermon series on gratitude, specifically calling out the things that keep us from being truly grateful. In each sermon, we'll see how a misplaced focus prevents us from seeing all the blessings that are right there in front of us.

The texts for the series will be:

October 1: Exodus 17:1-17

October 8: Philippians 4:1-9

October 15: Matthew 22:1-14

October 22: Matthew 22:15-22

October 29: Deuteronomy 34:1-12

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

Tommy

Join us Sunday for our final sermon in this series, as we discuss how God's idea of fairness is very different from our own.

September 24: A Fair Wage (Matthew 20:1-16)

When it comes to your relationship with Christ, would you say that you're a follower of Jesus or merely a fan? Our current series considers what it really means to call ourselves Christian. 

The SAGES are sponsoring a potluck luncheon on Friday September 22 at 11:30. Bring a dish and let’s have a lot of fun. The gathering will be in the banquet room.

On Monday, September 25 the concluding session of Adventures In Learning will be held at First United Methodist Church, 265 West Thompson Lane, Murfreesboro. Thanks to Jeff Henry and the AIL Team for another excellent program.

The Alzheimer’s/Dementia Support Group will meet Thursday, September 28, at 1:30 PM. at the home of Cindy Flippin, 2714 Tower Drive, Murfreesboro, TN 37129-1176.

A very special event for SAGES is coming Thursday, October 26. It will be held at Franklin First UMC. The bus will leave St. Mark’s at 7:45 AM. The event, Building Community with Older Adults, is designed for anyone interested in issues and concerns of our aging population. Sponsored by ENCORE Ministry in partnership with engAGING Communities TN, UT Chattanooga’s School of Nursing’s older adult initiative, the day’s focus is on bringing hope to aging populations and their caregivers through education and support. Beginning with worship at 9 a.m., the day features presentations by area experts on caregiving, congregational care, mental health, legal services, and grandparenting/grandfamilies. In-person attendees will enjoy a hot lunch for a nominal fee and can browse resource tables during breaks. Closing worship and Holy Communion conclude the day at 3 PM. This event can be viewed by streaming on the internet. For more information please visit https://encoreministry.org/training/. To register, click here.

Coming Activities: September 24 - Senior Appreciation Day beginning at 10:30. 

Coming Activities: October 30 – Loveless Café.

Coming Activities: November 17 – Midway Diner.

Coming Activities: In December – Christmas at Beersheba ( December 4); Senior Serenity at 11:00 A.M. (December 9)

The Friday class at 10:30 AM is now back in session. The class will view “The Chosen” series. Several SAGES are attending. All are welcome. The class meets in Room 505-505.

The SAGES will host services at Adams Place Tuesday, September 19 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. We have been asked to consider services at Parkview Meadows and to offer SAGES’ Care at the Stones River Manor.

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

SUNDAY MORNINGS AT 9:15!

Our Preschool (Ages 2 to PreK 5), Younger Elementary (Kindergarten to 2^nd Grade), and Older Elementary (3^rd Grade to 6^th Grade) children will meet for Sunday school to explore Spark: Activate Faith lessons. An activity-filled Sunday school curriculum that follows the salvation story from start to finish, helping kids explore key Bible stories from both the Old and New Testaments. The preschool class will meet in Room 305, the younger elementary class will meet in Room 214, and the older elementary class will meet in Room 212.

Spark helps kids learn at their level

Interact with the Bible in every lesson, helping kids navigate the story and begin to compare what they learn to their own life.

Focus on hands-on learning

Engage kids in the Bible story with lessons packed with activities, interactive games, and creative crafts.

Experience the Salvation Story arc

Help kids experience the Salvation story each year by exploring the Old Testament in the fall, and the New Testament in the winter and spring.

Frolic Nursery: Little Steps, Big Faith

Our Nursery-aged children (Birth to 1 year) will begin exploring Frolic Nursery lessons. Drawing on brain science as well as theology, Frolic was designed by early childhood experts to build faith through play in babies, toddlers, and young children from birth to age five. Frolic uses Bible lessons, music, and play to help build a firm Faith foundation. 

Start faith formation at birth

Uses a curriculum-based on early childhood best practices to help your little ones to take little steps to big faith—starting at birth.

Focuses on learning at their level

Frolic’s curriculum focuses on helping young children explore faith concepts in the way they know best— through play!

Equips caregivers to nurture faith

Equips leaders and parents to nurture faith in many ways—through storytelling, prayers, and music.

St. Mark’s Fall Festival is Saturday, October 21 from 4-6 pm!

Bring your kids, grandkids, neighbors, and friends!

There will be a sign-up sheet on each Christian Education class’s clipboard this Sunday. Please sign up for a game/activity your group is willing to provide. 

All children are invited to attend the Wednesday night children’s study,

“Joining God at Work in the World”! Every Wednesday at 6:00 pm

in the Children’s Choir room.

JAM Session is this Saturday from 11-1!

All 4th-6th graders are invited to attend. Please RSVP to Hannah Pratt by this Thursday. We are still in need of a parent volunteer!

Mark your calendars! JAM Session calendar for 2023!

Please contact Hannah Pratt at hannah@stmarkstn.org

if you have any questions.

Follow our St. Mark’s Children’s Ministry Facebook page and Instagram @stmarkstn_kids for more information!

-Because of your support, we were able to bring the Youth to Nashville Shores for a fun, waterslide-filled afternoon on Sunday 9/10, and then to Whataburger afterwards for a bite to eat. St. Mark’s Youth thanks you for making such outings possible through your generous financial contributions and volunteer efforts to serve this ministry!

-On Thursday October 19th (Teacher Admin Day - no school for RCS students), St. Mark’s Youth will be traveling to Fall Creek Falls State Park for a Ranger-led hike. Special thanks to our volunteers Susan McElroy and Marrie Lasater for helping to chaperone this trip! This trip is offered free of cost to Youth members; we will leave from the Youth Wing at 8 am and return around 3-3:30 pm.

-You can find a printable PDF version of the Fall Events Calendar for St. Mark’s Student Ministry by clicking here.

-St Mark’s Student Ministry hosts 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 7:30 pm.

-Our own Sam McElroy ran a mighty race on Wednesday 9/4 at the Cross Country Invitational hosted by Webb School - way to go Sam!  

-To stay informed about what St Mark’s Student Ministry is up to, follow us on Instagram @stmarkstn_youth, or visit the landing page for all things related to St Mark’s Student Ministry: https://st-marks-umc-student-ministry.mailchimpsites.com/

-If you would like to come out and support St. Mark’s Co-Ed Softball team, they will play a season of 1-hour games in nightly double-header format at 6 and 7 pm respectively on Thursday evenings (through October 12th) at the Star*Plex Baseball Field Complex … A complete schedule can be found here: https://allprosoftware.net/murfreesborosoftball/aplsteam347.htm

-St. Mark’s Fall Golf Tournament will be held at 1 pm on Saturday October 28th at the Old Fort Park Golf Course. Signup sheets can be found in the hallway connecting the Sanctuary to the Narthex, or you may register using the Google Form linked here: https://forms.gle/cucQGun68LTQM8hm8

We are so excited to introduce two new music ministries.

All are welcome to join whether you have experience or not in church music, but love to make a joyful noise, or want to find your hidden musical talents.

Here are opportunities in 2 areas:

Women’s Chorale   

• 3 rehearsals for any performance. (worship or community service)
• If you are interested in this group, please contact Carol McCauley (carolmccauley01@gmail.com) or Patti Brison (pgbrison@gmail.com).

New Hand Bell Choir

• Weekly rehearsal (expected Monday evening); Starting September 25^th. Time TBD
• Focus on learning bell ringing techniques and music.
• Occasional performance in worship service.
• If you are interested in this group, please contact HyeLan Pearce (hyelan@stmarkstn.org).

We invite all those who love to sing and enjoy playing Hand Bells.

J.S. Bach “Magnificat”

Dec. 17th at 10:30am Worship

• Rehearsal every Wednesday from 8pm-8:30pm in the choir room.
• In December, there will be extra rehearsal days and extended time on Wednesday evenings.
• If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact HyeLan Pearce (hyelan@stmarkstn.org).

St. Mark’s UMC is developing a new online church directory to help us get to know one another better and stay connected! This directory will be easy to access and can be updated as needed.

Individual and family photos will be taken in Room 407/409 by Noel Hinote on Sundays, September 24 – October 22, during the Sunday school hour. Each adult class will be assigned a particular Sunday when their members and families can come one at a time to have their photo taken, thus no appointments beyond that are needed at this time.  Thanks to the Cornerstone class for moving to Room 502 (Chapel) for the time being to make this possible.

The schedule is as follows:

      September 24 – Good News, Dimensions of Faith, Woman to Woman     

      October 1 – Pathfinders, Seekers, Young Adults

      October 8 – Mixed Blessings, College

      October 15 – In His Steps, Cornerstone

      October 22 – Spares and Pairs, New Horizons, Genesis Network

Additional dates will be made available. As families are having their photos made, they will also be asked to update their contact information.

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:

October 29 (one bouquet)

November 5 (one or both bouquets)

November 12 (one or both bouquets)

November 19 (one bouquet)

Wednesday Night Together provides a delicious, healthy meal along with opportunities for children, youth, and adults to grow closer to Christ and to one another. Nursery is available 5:45 – 7:00 p.m.

Dinner Reservations are requested by 12:00 Noon each Monday and can be noted on the attendance pads in the pews or called in to the church office.   The regular price of WNT meals remains at $10/adult, CHILDREN, YOUTH, & COLLEGE STUDENTS EAT FREE EVERY WEEK in 2023!

This Week’s Menu (9/20): Gourmet Burgers, Cajun Fries, Zucchini and Squash, Loaded Potato Soup, Cherry Pie

Adult options this Wednesday, September 20^th include:

As we progress through the sermon series on Fairness, you and your family are invited to join in a special focus on hunger, one of the most unfair issues in our world. We will first share in a Hunger Banquet, which will feature an unequal distribution of food, but have no fear, we promise no one will go away hungry unless they choose to do so.  

The meal will be followed by interactive discussion, small group activities, and family simulations for all ages that help us experience what it’s like to face food insecurity day-to-day.  All children and youth are invited to participate with their parents.  Reservations are requested by Monday, September 25th. 

A new ministry exploring ways to connect and expand each Sunday Sermon Series into our Monday – Saturday discipleship through: 

Small and Large group experiences

Class studies 

Spiritual practices

Service projects

Books, movies, and more!

Look for the Cross Connections Logo which identifies upcoming events!

SEPTEMBER’S SERMON SERIES: NO FAIR!

Followers of Christ are called to model the kind of selfless love that Jesus exemplifies, even when people are undeserving of it. The amazing grace we so joyfully sing about for ourselves is not so easy to swallow when we watch someone else receive it, but this is the heart of Christian community. As we grow in Christ, we learn to love like Christ, even when it’s not fair. This series challenges our notions about church life, forgiveness, and grace.  Throughout this month, we will also focus on one of the most unfair concerns of our time, HUNGER. You are invited to join in any of these upcoming experiences:

NO FAIR GAME NIGHT: WNT, September 20, 6:00 p.m. in the Narthex.

SERVICE PROJECT:  Pack Food Boxes. WNT, September 20^th, 6:00 p.m.

THE HUNGER GAMES:  Dinner and simulations for all ages at WNT, September 27, $10/adult, College, Youth and Children eat free.

SPIRITUAL PRACTICE: Friday Fasts, 22 & 29.  Contact martha@stmarkstn.org for more information.  

If you’d like to participate in the planning and implementation of future CROSS CONNECTIONS, email Rev. Martha Touchton at martha@stmarkstn.org.

Reading in the Schools Day is an annual event sponsored by Read to Succeed where elementary schools in Rutherford County host volunteer readers to read in their classrooms throughout the day. For students, parents, and community leaders, this event magnifies the importance of reading – in school, at home, and just for fun. Reading in the Schools Day is next Friday, September 22^nd!

Reeves-Rogers, St. Mark’s Partner School, is in need of volunteer readers. Most readers would need to go in the morning or mid-afternoon. To volunteer, click here. The school will have books to choose from to read. You may bring your own books but be prepared that they may need to be approved by the teacher.

Reeves Rogers is making great strides academically, and we are so excited to be a part of their accomplishments!  The investment we make is vital to seeing our children and our schools continue to succeed. We look forward to seeing you at Reading in The Schools Day!

St. Mark’s Preschool has supported the St. Jude Trike-a-thon program for 21 years, raising over $69,000. Our students will be able to ride in support of the event during the week of September 25-29. The 4/5’s classes will ride around the playground perimeter while the younger classes will ride around the portico columns between our building and the playground.

Because of generous participation from communities like ours, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — so they can focus on helping their child live. You can register here to make a donation: https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/Trike/Trike?fr_id=147957&pg=entry

There may be those who are grieving because churches you know and love have disaffiliated from our denomination in the past year. If that is the case, if a church near and dear to your heart has left The United Methodist Church, your St. Mark's clergy would like to know so that we might support you and pray for you. 

Please contact the church office at 615-893-3455 or stmarks@stmarkstn.org if you have been discouraged by the disaffiliation of a church. 

St. Mark’s is offering a Baldwin Acrosonic upright piano for sale to the highest bidder among our church members, friends, and their families.  

Baldwin is a very reputable American piano maker, and this model was top of the line when it came out in 1959. The piano has been in use at St. Mark’s for a very long time. Even so, all of the keys work, none of the keys are sticking, and all three pedals are functional. The outer cabinet is in reasonable condition, with only a few scratches and dings.  

This would be an excellent beginner’s piano. Prospective buyers are welcome to inspect and play the piano in the chapel across from the office. Offers will be accepted in the church office until October 1, 2023.

Mike Rose, our Administrative Assistant and IT Coordinator at St. Mark's for the past sixteen years, has announced his plans to retire on December 31, 2023. There will be formal opportunities for us to express our appreciation to Mike planned, but for now we express appreciation that he has shared his decision in plenty of time for our Staff Parish Relations Committee to make plans for life after Mike. Bless you Mike!

Wednesday, September 20

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

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

6:00 p.m. WNT Programming

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

7:00 p.m. Chancel Choir - RM 1119

Thursday, September 21

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

10:30 a.m. Knitting - RM 506

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

6:00 p.m. Softball at StarPlex #3

7:00 p.m. Softball at StarPlex #3

Friday, September 22

10:00 a.m. Senior Potluck Lunch - Banquet Room/Kitchen

10:30 a.m. Bible Study - RM 503/505

6:00 p.m. Pickle Ball - RC

Saturday, September 23

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

11:00 a.m. JAM Session to Journey Home- Van 2018

6:00 p.m. MTSU Football Game

Sunday, September 24

9:00 a.m. Children's Choir - RM 211

9:15 a.m. Christian Education

10:30 a.m. Worship - Sanctuary

4:00 p.m. GriefShare - RM 405

4:15 p.m. SONlight - RM 1119

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

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

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

5:30 p.m. Disciple Bible Study - RM 503/505

Monday, September 25

9:45 a.m. Preschool Chapel

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

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

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

Tuesday, September 26

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

9:45 a.m. Preschool Chapel

6:00 p.m. Woodworkers - Banquet Room

Wednesday, September 27

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

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

6:00 p.m. WNT Programming

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

7:00 p.m. Chancel Choir - RM 1119

Thursday, September 28

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 at Flippins'

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

6:00 p.m. Softball at StarPlex #3

7:00 p.m. Softball at StarPlex #3

Friday, September 29

10:30 a.m. Bible Study - RM 503/505

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

Saturday, September 30

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

Sunday, October 1

9:15 a.m. Christian Education

10:30 a.m. Worship - Sanctuary

4:00 p.m. GriefShare - RM 405

4:15 p.m. SONlight - RM 1119

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

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

5:30 p.m. Disciple - RM 503/505

Monday, October 2

9:45 a.m. Preschool Chapel

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

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

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

7:00 p.m. Discernment Group - Sanctuary/RM 1203

Tuesday, October 3

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

9:45 a.m. Preschool Chapel

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