March 7, 2023

From the Pastor

This past Sunday, the scripture was about the call of Abram, when God called him to leave the comfortable, the familiar, and the secure in order to go to a new place that God would show him. It's only when he risked leaving those things that the opportunity for greater blessings was possible.

What might God be calling you to? Have you ever considered that God may be calling you to something that doesn't even exist yet and that it won't exist until you name it and bring into being?

May you and I be open to the call of God as we walk with Jesus during this Lenten season.

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

Tommy

On Friday, March 10, the SAGES will go to the Bell Buckle Café for a Dutch-treat lunch. The bus leaves at 10:45 AM from the church. Please sign up in the Narthex or the church office. Look for the book!

The next meeting of the SAGES Ministry Team will be Monday, March 13, in Room 503-505.

The monthly Alzheimer’s/Dementia Support Group will meet at 1:30 p.m. March 23 at the home of Cindy Filppen, 2714 Tower Drive, Murfreesboro, TN 37129. This is open to all who are caring for those dealing with Alzheimer’s/Dementia.

SAGES are invited and encouraged to participate in the follow-up meetings/groups related to the Waking To God’s Dream event a week ago. There are three different opportunities’ each week. Please consult this newsletter at another location for further details.

The SAGES continue to host services at Adams Place each month, and at Rutherford Senior Care, Rutherford Assisted Living, and American House Senior Living each week.

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

Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays. It began on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday (April 8). Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word 'Lenten', which means "spring." The season is a time of preparation for celebrating Easter, also known as Resurrection Sunday (April 9). 

Historically, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by converts and then became a time of penance by all Christians.

You can observe a holy Lent by making worship a priority, by joining or continuing to participate in Christian education opportunities (Sunday School and small groups come to mind), by reading and reflecting on scripture and/or our daily email Lenten devotionals, and by serving others, just to name a few.

Holy Thursday is April 6. On Holy Thursday, Christians commemorate the supper that Jesus shared with his disciples before his crucifixion, when Jesus washed the disciples' feet and instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion. 

You're invited to join us for a shared fellowship meal at 5 pm (reservations required), after which we will also experience elements of a Seder Meal, being reminded of what a Passover meal looks like and symbolizes.

Our worship service will include opportunities to confess our sin, receive pardon from God, hear God's word proclaimed, an optional foot-washing opportunity, and Holy Communion.

The season of Lenten calls us to increase our faith and devotion to Christ. This year, daily devotions are available via email to guide you in your Lenten journey.  It's not too late to receive these devotions. Simply click the button above and enter your email address.

Thanks to all of you who participated in our Waking to God's dream weekend on February 24-26. As a way of continuing the conversation on how our church can discover and live into God's dream as a United Methodist presence in our community, we are offering six-week small group discussion groups: one on Monday evenings (7pm on Zoom), one on Thursday at 1pm (in-person), and one on Sunday mornings at 9:15 (in-person).

The Monday evening group facilitator is The Rev. Dr. David Chotka and began this past Monday. The Thursday afternoon group begins March 16 and the facilitator is Rev. Martha Touchton. The Sunday morning group begins on March 19 the facilitator is Rev. Tommy Ward.

If you're interested in joining one of these groups, please contact the church office. Each group needs at least six participants to make a class.

On April 2, our communion rail offering supports the MTSU Wesley Foundation Campus Ministry mission trip. They will be going to Guatemala in May.

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 PARABLES OF JESUS



During Lent in Celebrate Wonder Sunday School, our preschool children are exploring Jesus’ parables, including The Good Samaritan, The Two Houses, and The Sower and the Seed. Our theme word for March is “PARABLES,” and our memory verse is, “He said many things to them in parables,” Matthew 13:3a.

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

GRADES K – 2 STUDIES THE STORIES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

During March, children in the K – 2 Young Elementary Class are studying New Testament Stories. Beginning March 19, the children will explore the stories of Holy Week:

March 12 – Mary and Martha – Luke 10:38-42  

March 19 – Maundy Thursday – Matthew 26:26-50

March 26 – Good Friday – Matthew 27:27-61

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

GRADES 3 – 5 STUDIES JESUS: THE SAVIOR

Children in Grades 3 – 5 are continuing a journey through the Bible, connecting with God’s big story through videos, engaging Bible exploration, and hands-on projects.

During Lent, children in Grades 3 – 5 are studying Jesus’ Stories of Jesus’ final week death and resurrection:

March 12 – Jesus Entry into Jerusalem,

Matthew 21:1-11

March 19 – The Last Supper, Luke 22:14-20

March 26 – Jesus’ Betrayal, Luke 22:31-33, 54-62

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

Day of Planting and Sharing!

3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, March 19^th

We’ll be planting butterfly bushes at church, and potting and delivering bulbs to our friends at the Rutherford. 

Meet in the Prayer Garden, and be prepared to dig in the dirt!

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

LENTEN SERIES FOR SOULFULL WORSHIP

During Lent each year, Christians often give up something as an act of sacrifice and spiritual discipline. Often it's something like chocolate, knowing that after Easter Sunday, they can once again enjoy what they have given up.

Why not give up something that we'd be better off NOT doing? Why not seek God's help to focus on eliminating habits or attitudes that are destructive, things like envy, jealousy, self-pity, apathy, procrastination, gossip, resentment, or negative thinking?

Come be a part of our Wednesday Night Together ministry by enjoying a meal at 5 pm (reservations required) and then choose from among several options to grow spiritually, one of them being SOULFULL worship and this Lenten series.  

Upcoming Topics:

Giving Up Enemies from Within (March 8)

Giving Up Running Away (March 15)

Giving Up Bad Habits (March 22)

Casual conversation around a variety of topics (books, movies, music, current events) and occasional guest speakers. Led by Butler Touchton in the Narthex.

SUNDAY MORNING LENTEN SERIES: BOOT CAMP FOR THE SOUL

We approach the Lenten season with an emphasis on interiority, personal investigation, and contrition--the intentional work of seeking a change of heart or actions. Reflection and change can take work, hard work, just like getting in shape. Lent can be like a boot camp for the soul, a restart in a focused area. We walk this season together, demanding the best of ourselves, ready to support one another, and prepared to see truths that shatter our self-understanding. 

Join us on Sundays in Lent as we get our souls in shape!

Upcoming Scriptures and Themes:

March 12: John 4:5-30 (Living water sustains us)

March 19: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 (We are more than we appear to be)

March 26: Ezekiel 37:1-14 (When all hope is lost, God revives)

The theme for our 2023 Lenten season is “Bootcamp For the Soul”, and in that spirit, St Mark’s Recreation Ministry is hosting a Family “Devotional” Hike at Barfield Crescent Park during the second weekend in March. We will be meeting at the Barfield Crescent Park Wilderness Station at 2 pm on Saturday March 11th and hiking the Marshall Knobs River Loop Trail, which is a paved 2 and 1/2 mile trail that takes an average of 1 hour to complete. We will hike out to the river overlook, share a brief devotional rest, and then return to the Wilderness Station. This event is free and open to all, including children and youth. Please reach out to Louis Toedt if you have any questions. 

If anyone is aware of any loved ones who will be graduating from High School, College or Graduate School this May and would like to see them honored during our "Graduation Sunday" service, please communicate this information to Louis Toedt (louis@stmarkstn.org) and he will follow up with further instructions."

St Mark's Student Ministry is in need of volunteers, especially for Sunday School! If you are interested in volunteering to help with Youth Activities in 2023, you can use our SignupGenius form (linked below) in order to choose the date(s) of your service.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E48A8A823ABFFCE9-youth1

The latest edition of our 'Bear Fruit' Mission Series took place on the morning of Saturday March 4th with a Service Day for St Mark’s Youth, as we joined with National Honor Society students from Stewarts Creek High School in traveling to Hamilton UMC in Antioch TN to assist with their Food Bank Ministry.   

Our next Youth outing will be to the Nashville Zoo on Sunday March 19th; we will meet in the St Mark’s Youth Wing shortly after the conclusion of the 10:30 service, grab some lunch together before heading on to the zoo, and plan on returning to St Mark’s by about 5pm. If you are able to join us as a volunteer chaperone, please contact louis@stmarkstn.org 

-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/

When we moved into the newest part of our facility ten years ago, the Arnie Flynn Adult Discipleship Center upstairs in Room 1203 was established. This curriculum resource center for our adult classes and groups has served us well, but like our own homes, we are frequently bringing things in and rarely taking anything out! 

It is time to eliminate some old titles that are out of print and make room for new ones that might get more use in the future. Thursday, March 9th, several people are gathering to sort through and re-organize those curriculum resources.

Sunday, March 12, 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., books and resources that are no longer needed will be offered to the congregation in the Narthex at no charge.     

The April meeting of our United Methodist Men is April 1. We gather for breakfast in the Banquet Hall at 7:30 followed by a brief devotional and then our guest speaker. April's speaker is Steven Scheid, from the General Council of United Methodist Men, where he serves as Director of the Center for Scouting Ministries.

You're invited to join us for a good time of food, fellowship, and faith.

We are still accepting applications for enrollment for the 2023-24 school year in classes for Friday Toddlers and 2's, MWF 3's and 4/5's, and in Tuesday/Thursday 2's, 3's and 4/5's.

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.

April 9 (one bouquet)

April 30 (one or both bouquets)

May 21 (one or both bouquets)

May 28 (one or both bouquets)

Wednesday, March 8

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

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

6:00 p.m. WNT Programming

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

Thursday, March 9

9:00 a.m. Women's Bible Study - RM 503/505

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

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

5:00 p.m. DKG - RM 501

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

Friday, March 10

10:00 a.m. SAGES to Bell Buckle Cafe

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

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

8:00 p.m. College Volleyball Night - Rec Center

Saturday, March 11

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

Sunday, March 12

9:00 a.m. Children's Choirs - RM 211, 304

9:15 a.m. Christian Education

10:30 a.m. Worship - Sanctuary

3:00 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

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

5:30 p.m. Disciple - RM 405

Monday, March 13

9:30 a.m. SAGES Meeting - RM 503/505

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, March 14

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

10:00 a.m. UMW Mary Martha Circle - RM 501

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

Wednesday, March 15

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

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

6:00 p.m. WNT Programming

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

Thursday, March 16

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

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

1:00 p.m. Waking to God's Dream - RM 405

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

Friday, March 17

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

12:30 p.m. UMW Lois Shipp Circle at Through the Grapevine

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

Saturday, March 18

7:00 a.m. Cub Scout Pinewood Derby - Rec Center/Kitchen/Banquet RM

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

Sunday, March 19

9:00 a.m. Children's Choirs - RM 211, 304

9:15 a.m. Christian Education

10:30 a.m. Worship - Sanctuary

12:00 p.m. Youth to Zoo

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

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 405

Monday, March 20

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, March 21

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

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