Covid Precautions and Updates |
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With Covid cases and hospitalizations still on the rise, it's time for us to make some changes to our worship life for the sake of caring for one another. We will be moving back to a mostly spoken liturgy, with a closing hymn being the only congregational singing. The service will also be a bit shorter- more like 45 minutes than an hour- and we're giving renewed attention to how we can space out, especially around communion distribution.
Please keep in mind the following as we worship together
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The cloth masks we started wearing in the beginning of the pandemic are not as effective as masks that offer more protection against the highly transmissible omicron variant, such as N95 or KN95 masks. One non-profit website with information about various kinds of N95 respirators can be found here. Some websites offer masks that are counterfeit, so be sure to look for appropriate labeling. N95 masks can be worn multiple times but when it shows signs of wear and tear, it’s time to switch to a fresh one. Wearing this kind of mask is especially important to consider if you are not fully vaccinated and boosted or in good health.
- We will be roping off every other pew again this week. Please leave space between yourselves and the next family in the open pews to allow for as much social distancing as possible.
- If you are feeling ill, please stay home until you are well and join us on our Facebook Page.
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Lutheran Service Carolinas Update |
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Circle of Welcome Information
The Afghan refugee families will be arriving over the next month and St. Mark's has set up a group of volunteers to help them get settled called the Circle of Welcome. When new families arrive, St. Mark's will be called upon by LSC to help out. Cindy Lauster is the leader of this group and is in direct contact with LSC. If you are interested in getting involved with the Circle of Welcome Volunteer group, please contact Cindy and complete the linked volunteer interest form. Over the next week or so, she and a few other volunteers will be creating a list of food items that are needed as these families transition. Be on the lookout for more information to join the sign up sheet downstairs over the next week!
A few items are needed immediately. Please drop them off at the church office for Cindy.
- Hot Plates
- Bus Tickets
- K95 Masks
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Office Hours
This Friday, January 14th , Danielle will be out of the office. If you need her assistances, she will return on Tuesday the 18th. The office will be fully closed on Monday, January 17th in observance of the Martin Luther King holiday.
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Annual Contribution Statements
Your 2021 Annual Contribution Statements will be available for pick up beginning on Sunday, January 16th. If you are not able to pick them up before February, they will be mailed to the address the church office has on file. In your household envelope, you will also be receiving a reminder of your intended 2022 pledge. Please review this, update your automatic giving if needed, and contact the church office if you see discrepancies in this information.
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2022 Updated Directory
Please take the time to review your contact information in the 2022 Directory. There will be a hard copy for you to review on Sunday in the Commons. If you are unable to view this copy, please double check your information using this linked document. Notify Danielle with any edits that need to be made by January 31st.
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Virtual MLK Prayer Breakfast
Beginning Saturday, January 15th
Monday, Jan 17, will be a day to celebrate and reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but beginning on Saturday, Jan 15, you can begin the celebration by attending the VIRTUAL 41st Annual MLK Prayer Breakfast hosted by the MLK Association of Asheville. Details can be found here about the breakfast and about all of the online events happening through Wednesday, Jan 19. This year's guest speaker for the breakfast is Marcia Johnson-Blanco, co-director of the Lawyers’ Committee’s Voting Rights Project, and will speak to the theme, "Give Us the Ballot Box, the Urgency of Now!" She is sure to be inspiring and we hope you will register to watch!
“For when people get caught up with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point short of victory.”
~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “I've Been to the Mountaintop” speech, April 3, 1968
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Updated Security System
Live on Tuesday, January 18th
Beginning on Tuesday, January 18th we will once again have a security system in place at St. Mark's. This system will monitor the second level of our facility, just as the old system did. Once you come up any stairwell, or enter in the North Liberty St. entrance, the alarm will activate and you have 60 seconds to enter in the code on one of the two keypads. If you remain on the main floor (Fellowship Hall, Kitchen, ect) you will not need to deactivate the alarm system.
The code for the new system will be the same code as before. The disarming key pads are located next to the elevator on the second floor and at the end of the admin office hallway. If you need access to this code, or a lesson on how to disarm the system, please contact the church office or Steve.
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Healing Service
Wednesday, January 19th @ 12pm
On the third Wednesday of each month, St. Mark’s holds a Service of Healing with Communion and anointing. Please join us for this service of prayer. If you are unable to attend in person, please visit Facebook Live for a live stream at 12:00 pm. You do not need to have an account in order to watch our videos.
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Adult Faith Formation—Worship Words
January 16, 23, and 30, 2022 from 9:45am-10:45am
Even if you've been coming to church since before you can remember, the terms that Christians use can seem like a foreign language (hint: sometimes they are). Join Cantor David for three more weeks of exploration of the weird and wonderful words associated with the church. Whether you already know your Mag from your Nunc, or couldn't pick out a ciborium in a sea of chalices, everyone is guaranteed to (probably) learn something new! This class will meet in the sanctuary and via Zoom linked here.
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New Member Sunday
January 16th during the 11am Worship Service
This Sunday during the 11am Worship Service we will be welcoming three new members to St. Mark's. Bill Chalmers & Mary Brady, as well as Mary Wilkins will be joining. We look forward to adding these new members to our ever growing ministry.
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Bishop's Book Study: Reconciliation
Beginning January 25th
Join Bishop Smith in a synodwide book study of Called to Reconciliation: How the Church Can Model Justice, Diversity, and Inclusion by Jonathan (Jay) C. Augustine. Bishop Smith and Pastor Augustine will kick-off the study with a conversation to introduce the book on January 25. Pre-order the book at www.jayaugustine.com to receive it on the release date of February 8! RSVP here to receive the Zoom link via email. The book study will meet on these Tuesdays from 7:00-8:15 p.m.
January 25 = Kick-Off Conversation on Reconciliation
February 15 = Part One: Chapters 1 & 2
February 22 = Part Two: Chapters 3 & 4
March 8 = Part Three: Chapter 5 + Author Q&A
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Sunday, January 16th
- 8:30am - Worship
- 9:45am - Faith Formation
- 11am - Worship
- 11am - New Member Sunday
Monday, January 17th
Office Closed
- 1:30pm - Book Study (Zoom)
Tuesday, January 18th
- 9am - Quilters
- 10am - Staff Meeting
Wednesday, January 19th
- 9am - Property Day
- 10am - Kairos Group (Zoom)
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Meeting Links:
-Faith Formation
Sunday, January 16th @ 9:45am
Password: stmarks
-Book Study
Monday, January 17th @ 9:45am
Password: stmarks
-Kairos Group
Wed, January 19th @ 10am
Password: stmarks
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Worship Assistant Information |
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If you are a worship assistant, please take a few moments and refresh yourself on the routines of your position either by watching these videos or by reading the linked text within the titles. If you would like to know more about these positions or any others on Sunday morning, please reach out to Danielle.
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January 16th @ 8:30am
Greeters
Vic Allwein
Evelyn Reinhold
Usher
Ken Lane
Deborah Lane
Altar Guild
Debbie Layne/Gerri Hill
Acolyte
Katie Rivers
Reader
Nancy Dodenhoff
Communion Assistant
Mary Anne Allwein
Assisting Minister
Amy Zellers
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January 16th @11:00am
Greeters
Katie Rivers
TBD
Usher
Scott Baumann
Anne Blackwell
Altar Guild
Donna Turnbaugh
Acolyte
Eileen Cram
Reader
Eileen Cram
Communion Assistant
Anne Blackwell
Live Stream
Gloria Sainio
Assisting Minister
Natalie Haynes
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Contact Information
Parish Administrator
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Our Mission:
Making disciples by loving Christ,
growing in faith, serving all people
Our Vision:
Experiencing and sharing God's grace as an inclusive, intergenerational congregation through Worship, Outreach, Learning and Fellowship
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