Jesus, the incarnate God, showed us the nature of servanthood. As a follower of Jesus, YOU are called to be one of the persons through whom the risen Christ is alive in this world! As we engage together to live a life that centers on loving Christ and loving others, we begin to accomplish God's mission of bringing healing and wholeness to a suffering world. Worship with us Sunday to find out more! Pastor Todd

GUEST MUSICIAN

Eric Lapin will be our guest clarinetist on Sunday in the 11:00 am service. Dr. Lapin is a senior lecturer in the Performing Arts Department at Clemson University where he teaches applied clarinet and courses in arts administration and music history.

AN UPDATE ON THE FUTURE OF THE 

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Please click HERE to read a letter from Pastor Todd Davis regarding this important issue. 

MEET INTERN RACHEL O'DELL: WORLD TRAVELER ON A MISSION

Hi everyone! My name is Rachel O’Dell, and I am so grateful to be involved in such a welcoming church family here at Saint Mark UMC! I am from Columbia, SC, and I am currently a sophomore at Clemson University, studying Psychology with a minor in Youth Development Leadership. I hope to attend graduate school to get my Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology. Once again, I am so glad to be able to be involved here, and I can not wait to see what all I get to help out with here. 

I recently traveled to Israel for a two week tour of the Holy Land and would love to share what I saw! I have spoken to the youth but would love to come to any Sunday School or bible study gathering to share about how my perspective has changed after learning the Land. 

I am also leading a group, through Praying Pelican Missions, to Puerto Rico from December 16th - December 22nd, 2022! This will be a ministry-based service trip, where we will distribute aid packages to struggling communities, provide activities through local churches, and gift toys to children for Christmas. All of this will be done with the help of an amazing team of leaders, your prayers, and through God’s protection and guidance!

With that being said, I will be collecting donations until November 10th, 2022. All proceeds collected will go straight to the communities we will be serving. Anything you are willing to give will help us pay for the items in the basic aid packages, food costs for ministry activities, and gifts for the children. We would also love for you to keep us in your prayers as we prepare for this trip and work as the hands and feet of God!

I am also looking to fill some more spots on this trip, so if you are interested at all, please reach out to me! You can find me at church, text, or call me. I would appreciate all your prayers and please spread the word!

My phone number is (803)-497-2936 and I will be taking donations through Venmo (@r-odell), cash, or check (made out to Rachel O’Dell for “Puerto Rico”. Feel free to reach out to me about any questions! 

We will be holding a church yard work day on Wednesday, November 9 at

9 AM. We will be weeding the perimeter areas, cutting the bushes around the parking lot on Quincy, as well as other tasks. Please join us with your hedge trimmers, limb saws, pole saws, rakes, and hoes. Please call Dal Poston at

(704) 641-9521 for any questions. 

THANK YOU from the CDC to 

Saint Mark’s Quilters!

Did you see the overflowing cart of beautiful baby quilts at this past Sunday’s traditional service? Saint Mark’s Quilting Ministry presented a labor of love to each of the babies in the CDC infant and crawler rooms. That’s a total of sixteen handmade, lovingly crafted baby quilts – hundreds of fabric swatches, thousands of hours, millions of stitches – all done as an expression of love to the children who received these works of art!

The CDC Steering Committee and staff cannot adequately express our thanks nor convey how much these gifts are appreciated by the families that received them. This is another very wonderful way that Saint Mark expresses its dedication to the ministry that is the CDC. THANKS SO MUCH!

Photo: Becky Hazelwood

Our Fall Festival/Trunk-or-Treat is just around the corner! Get your costumes ready and plan to come out for some fall fun with your family and invite your friends! If you want to help with this event by decorating a trunk, please email Becca Williams or add your name to the sign-up sheet outside the church office. Candy donations are also needed! Please place bags of candy in the collection bins located at the Atrium entrances between now and Sunday, October 14th! Thank you for supporting Family Ministries in this way!

Disciples of Saint Mark UMC will recognize that October is the time when our Stewardship Ministry Team reaches out to our church family with the opportunity to pledge their financial support for the upcoming year’s ministry budget. Saint Mark disciples will receive their annual pledge card (Faith Commitment) in the mail the week of October 24-28, 2022. Please fill out your pledge card and bring it with you to worship on Sunday, October 30, 2022. As part of our celebration, we will have one worship service only in the Sanctuary at 11 am, where we will dedicate our pledges to God with prayer. Please also plan to join us for a Celebration meal in the Saint Mark Center following worship. Meat and drinks will be provided. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share.

All Saints Sunday, celebrated the first Sunday of November every year, is a time to honor the memory of loved ones in the faith who have passed before us. Again this year we will mark the occasion with displays of red roses for our worship. You are invited to remember your loved ones by reserving and naming roses for the displays. Reservation forms are included in the church bulletins this Sunday and online on the homepage of the church website. Click here to be taken to the online order form. The deadline to reserve roses is Tuesday, October 18th. 

United Women in Faith (UMW) announces

Christmas Faire, November 16-20!

We are seeking donations for an “Upscale Resell” shop as part of the Faire this year. If you are downsizing or just tired of looking at all the great stuff you just couldn’t live without but no longer use, please consider donating your “too good to give away” to our “pop-up” shop.You may drop items off in the wooden trunks in the atrium entrances between October 13th and November 14th. A list of suggested, acceptable items follows. Please, no clothing, jewelry, purses, or large pieces of furniture.

• Small pieces of furniture such as end/side tables, night stands, lamps, small side chairs (no heavy upholstered pieces)
• Vintage Christmas and seasonal items, such as figurines, ornaments, nativities, wreaths or floral arrangements in good condition
• Candlesticks, decorative objects, pottery, baskets, collectibles
• China, crystal, serving pieces, platters, items for entertaining
• Table linens
• Hardcover books

If you have questions about particular items, please contact Becky Hazelwood.

• October Birthdays
• Pickle Ball Mondays
• Opt-In for Texting

Please submit your photos and updated contact information (if applicable) by December 31st so that we can have a new directory for 2023. Thank you for your cooperation. Click on the graphic above for details. 

• Come Be a Berry!

You can reserve tickets for the play this Sunday, October 16th in the Atrium between worship services. Look for Susan Smith and the Elderberries sign!