The Messenger of St. Mark's | After Pentecost | September 17, 2021
Please come wearing a mask - Masks are required indoors - even if fully vaccinated - per our current State of NM mandate.
For a complete listing and schedule of our online / in-person offerings available, please click on the button below:
Useful links:
Save the dates:
  • St. Mark's Safe Church Parish Training Event, Sunday, 9/26 at 11:00 a.m.
  • Cosmos Mural Dedication & Art Sale Event, Sunday, October 17 at 11:00 a.m.
SAINT MARK'S MISSION & OUTREACH
Help Make St. Mark's a Safe Church
St. Mark's is committed to being a place of true sanctuary and safety for ALL people, including children, youth and vulnerable adults. St. Mark's is also committed to growing as a vibrant, intergenerational community where everyone is building relationships and sharing in ministry with people of all ages. The realization of our vision demands commitment and effort on everyone's part. 

We are asking every member of St. Mark's (age 16+) to make a concrete commitment towards making St. Mark's a safe church by completing our basic Safeguarding God's Children abuse prevention training as part of our preparation for post-pandemic church life and programs. Our diocese REQUIRES that all ministry leaders and people in positions of parish leadership (staff and vestry) as well as all members involved with ministry to children, youth, and vulnerable adults (including Eucharistic Visitors and Pastoral Care, Senior Ministry, Worship Leaders, Youth Group, Sunday School, Children's Chapel, Vacation Bible School, Camp Stoney, Nursery, etc.) complete and renew this training every 3 years. 

Because we believe that creating a safe, welcoming church is not the responsibility of a select few, but is the responsibility of ALL OF US, we are requesting that every member of St. Mark's (age 16+) complete and renew this training every 3 years. Please plan to join us as we complete Part 1 of Safe Church Training together (in person or on zoom) on Sunday, September 26th, from 11-12:30PM at St. Mark’s. 

By completing this training together, we can engage the challenging content in a supportive context of prayer, community, conversation, and pastoral care. If you prefer, you are welcome to complete the training independently at home using the online training modules. 

Please RSVP here, and indicate whether you plan to complete this training in person, on zoom, or independently.  (If you plan to complete the training independently, we will follow up with instructions about how to access the training modules online.) 

Thank you for making this sacrifice of time to do your part to make St. Mark’s a safe place for all!
Save the Date (October 17): Cosmos Mosaic Blessing, Dedication &
Art Sale Fundraiser
Save the Date: We will hold a Cosmos Mosaic Blessing & Dedication Ceremony directly following our Sunday Liturgy (starting at 9:30 a.m.) on October 17. We will share prayers, songs, hear from the artists and enjoy a reception following. There will also be an art sale happening in the hallway to the Parish Hall to help us fundraise for the Cosmos Mosaic.
Afghan Refugees in Albuquerque
Albuquerque FaithWorks is partnering with Lutheran Family Services to assist Afghans settling in our community. Read more at the FaithWorks website here, and volunteer to help, either with FaithWorks or LFS. Contact Jessica Corley (email here) or 505 333 8059.

Lutheran Family Services has been tasked by the US government with overseeing the supported resettlement of 400 Afghan refugees (~80 families) who were recently evacuated from Afghanistan. They expect to welcome and resettle ~20 households in Las Cruces, ~20 households in Santa Fe, and ~40 households in Albuquerque between now and Christmas. LFS anticipates providing comprehensive support for these refugee families for ~ 8 months following their arrival. Both financial and practical assistance from congregations and individuals is needed to aid these refugees. For a current list of opportunities to donate and volunteer visit: https://www.lfsrm.org/partnerwithlfsrm/.
 
Transportation. You can also help Afghan and Central American asylum seekers never miss a doctor, dentist, ICE, or tutor appointment by volunteering to drive occasionally. Contact Mary Beth Libby (email here). Better yet, if you can donate a motorized vehicle of any kind, there are two migrant families in the FaithWorks program who live far from their work and also from any bus lines who would greatly benefit. Contact Jessica Corley (email here) to help.

If you are interested in helping coordinate the involvement of St. Mark's members in meeting these and other refugee needs as they emerge in the coming weeks, please contact Mother Sylvia+ (via email).
Sunday: Fall Rosary of Remembrance
As summer turns to fall, we honor the seasons of the natural world, we honor the seasons of life and death, and we honor the seasons of grief with our Fall Rosary for Remembrance.

Join us Sunday, September 19th at 1:00 PM in person or online to remember and honor those who have died with a time of reflection through prayer, poetry, song, and silence. You are welcome to bring a photo to share of the loved one(s) you come to remember. Click this link to join via zoom. 

Please RSVP to Mother Sylvia+ (via email).
Invitation for Choir
You are invited to join the St. Mark’s Choir as we have our first rehearsal in more than a year next Wednesday, September 15, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. in the nave (downstairs) in the St. Mark’s sanctuary. Each week we will rehearse at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday and gather at 8:45 a.m. on Sunday to prepare for the 9:30 a.m. service.  Those who are unable to attend a Wednesday rehearsal may gather on Sundays at 11:00 for an alternative rehearsal. For the time being, all singers will sit socially distanced and will wear masks when singing. If you have not sung in the choir before, now is an excellent time to join. We will be both picking up right where we left off and also re-inventing everything from scratch, so new voices and new ideas are welcome. For questions, please contact Music Director Jeremy Wirths via email or at (505) 358-6729.
New Art Exhibit in the Parish Hall
Come see color works painted by our own parish. The gallery will run from September 3 through December 3 and is adorning the walls of our Parish Hall. Come check out the beauty! 20% of all purchases go to the St. Mark's Gallery Fund. You may view the gallery artwork between 9-2, Monday-Thursday (closed on holidays), and 9-12 on Sundays.
GIVE TO ST. MARK'S
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All are welcome to give and/or pledge to St. Mark's by:

  1. Mail (St. Mark's has a secure mailbox and is checked regularly): 431 Richmond Place NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106.
  2. You may give electronically through the Diocese of the Rio Grande Parish Donation site and check the box next to "Albuquerque-St. Mark's". Just fill out the rest of the information and click the Next button at the bottom of the page. Please make sure fill out "special instructions or comment" to let us know how to apply your gift (i.e.: pledge, congregational relief fund, etc.).
  3. You may give electronically (including pledge payments) to St. Mark's - securely via PayPal® - anytime. Please consider checking the box that reads, "I’d like to add to my donation to help offset the cost of processing."
DIOCESE & BEYOND
Women of the Diocese of the Rio Grande Fall Retreat
Women of the Diocese of the Rio Grande
Virtual Fall Retreat w/Mother Sylvia: 
Gentle Movement Meditations
Saturday, September 25th, 10AM on Zoom

The Rev. Sylvia Miller-Mutia (St. Mark's, ABQ) will lead us in prayer, reflection, and entering the presence of the Holy with our entire souls and bodies through Gentle Movement Meditation on 33 Names of God. Wear clothes you can move in and have Anglican prayer beads handy (optional). You will be refreshed and renewed by this time of joyful worship and fellowship on Sept. 25 at 10AM on Zoom. To register and receive the zoom link, email Cynthia here.
Free Flu Shot Clinics
'Tis the season to get your free flu shot. Downloadable version of the flyer here.
Email submissions should be sent (via email) to the Communications Specialist by 12:00 p.m. each Thursday for inclusion on Friday e-news. Please see submission guidelines here.
St. Mark's Episcopal Church
431 Richmond Place NE | Albuquerque, NM 87106 |505-262-2484 | www.stmarksabq.org
© 2021