The Remarks

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Dinner begins at 5:30 PM.

Program begins at 6:00 PM.

$10 for seniors, $11 general

January 31 Program

Eddie Gammill and documentarian , Sofia Wellman

Sofia Wellman is a documentarian who has focused her storytelling art on the everyday person's life experience. She produces a weekly series on her YouTube channel, revealing people's struggles to be authentic. After interviewing others, Wellman encapsulates her findings: "People spend their lives figuring out what they are not by unpacking the conditioning from the script we were born to fulfill. We dare take the lone journey to ourselves when we realize we are not alone. Until we go through that process, life has little meaning." Go to Sofia Wellman YouTube channel and subscribe. Don't miss an episode. Subscribe to the media making a difference! 

Join us for an unforgettable evening of "Songs of Love and Heartache" with Clint Clark Duke on Wednesday, February 28, 2024! 

Dinner starts at 5:30pm, followed by the concert from 6:00pm to 7:00pm in Wade Hall. 

Saint Mark United Methodist Church, 781 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308. 

Tickets: $10 for seniors, $11 general (includes Wednesday night fellowship dinner). 

Don't miss this musical journey! 

#LoveAndHeartache #ConcertNight #AtlantaMusic

Wednesday Afternoon Book Study

with Rev. Andy



Hope is Here!

by Luther E. Smith Jr.

Starting in February 2024 on Wednesdays at 5:00 PM.

Joyful and daunting opportunities to live into God's dream of justice and beloved community are compelling and available. Hope, says Luther Smith Jr., is essential to the needed personal and social transformations that prepare us for such sacred opportunities. Yet genuine hope is often confused as merely wish fulfillment, optimism, or perceiving better tomorrows. In Hope Is Here! Smith describes how we truly perceive and join "the work of hope" enlivening us to a life that is oriented toward immediate and future experiences of personal fulfillment, justice, and beloved community. Interpreting five spiritual practices for individuals and congregations to experience the power of hope, this book prepares us to engage racism, mass incarceration, environmental crises, divisive politics, and indifference that imperil justice and beloved community. It delivers the inner resources necessary to work for change through its interpretation of hope.

Order your book from your favorite bookstore or click here to order from Amazon.

Sunday's Communion Offering

The North Georgia Housing and Homeless Council provides capital and operational grants to organizations throughout the North Georgia Conference who are serving our brothers and sisters in need.

By contributing to the Homeless Offering, you are directly supporting ministries and agencies serving those experiencing homelessness and poverty in communities across our state. These organizations might include housing programs, food pantries and other feeding programs, Habitat for Humanity houses, and many other programs in communities large and small.

100% of the Homeless Offering goes to ministries serving persons experiencing poverty. Please prayerfully consider supporting this important work.

Learn more at https://www.nghhc.org

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I HAVE A DREAM” speech rang out across America at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom August 28, 1963. This March involving over 250,000 participants was a “peaceful protest” calling attention to some of the injustices that existed in our country at that time.

Earlier that year on June 6, 1963, President John F. Kennedy in a televised broadcast urged the nation to take action toward guaranteeing equal treatment of every American regardless of race. Soon after, Kennedy proposed that Congress consider civil rights legislation that would address voting rights, public accommodations, school desegregation, nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs, and more.

However, when civil rights leaders announced plans for a March on Washington that summer, Kennedy initially opposed the idea, fearing a large demonstration in the capital could turn violent and jeopardize the civil rights bill. After a meeting with key leaders, he was persuaded that the March was "in the great tradition" of American protest.

Those key leaders were some of the most well recognized and highly respected names within the civil rights movement. Each one played an important part in America's struggle for civil rights. People like Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, A. Phillip Randolph, Martin King, James Farmer, John Lewis, and Bayard Rustin. The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom would not have captured its astounding success had it not been for the last name on that list, Bayard Rustin.

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom galvanized the people as they sought to address the disparities that existed. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom demonstrated how “civilized-humane-peaceful” people expressed their discontent with the status quo. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was effective, efficient, coherent, constructive, credible, beneficial, powerful and it was legal.

This February, the social justice committee offers opportunities for you to learn about an unsung hero, a logistical strategist, an intellectual engineer, and a charismatic genius, Bayard Rustin. Each week we will post links in our Remarks and in the bulletin so that you might broaden and expand your knowledge of this individual and the contribution he made.

Submitted by Sheila Chandler Stephens, committee member

Midtown Alliance 2024 Annual Meeting



Midtown Alliance is seeking volunteers for their 2024 Annual Meeting, which will take place on the morning of Tuesday, March 5th at the Fox Theatre. This annual signature event attracts Atlanta’s business, civic, and residential leaders and is our first and largest event of the year. It includes an amazing networking breakfast at 7AM, followed by and engaging program at 8AM with Midtown leadership, City leadership, and a keynote speaker.

Volunteers should be enthusiastic about the exciting developments in Midtown and be able to be at the Fox from 6:00 AM to 8:30 AM on the morning of the event. If you are available, please contact Philip Rafshoon at Philip@MidtownATL.com or 404-274-5404 by Friday, February 16th – thanks for your consideration and support of Midtown Atlanta.

Congregational Care

Pastor Carolyn has been thinking about some of the ways we can continue caring for each other as a church family, and one of the ways it can be done is through a congregational care ministry. This is a ministry where members write notes and call other members who are sick or homebound, or who have not been in worship for a period of time. This intentional care by members will be in addition to what Pastor Carolyn and Rev. Andy, will continue to do. If you are interested in being a part of the congregational care team, please let Pastor Carolyn know.   

Please email Robert Gilleo at RJGilleo@stmarkumc.org to let him know, so that we can add your name to the team. This will be fruitful and thriving ministry of our church.

Saint Mark Green Team

Last week I had the exciting opportunity to represent Saint Mark at a retreat hosted by Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) on “Christian Leadership in a Climate Changed World”. GIPL is a wonderful organization dedicated to empowering faith communities to care for the Earth. I met with lay leaders, clergy, and community leaders from all over Georgia who are working in their communities for environmental justice. One way we can get involved with this important work at Saint Mark is by starting a green team, which is a group within a congregation that focuses on environmental stewardship and sustainability.

On February 3rd, GIPL is hosting their Annual Green Team Summit at Oak Grove UMC. The summit will provide workshops to help guide us in getting our green team up and running. We are looking for two additional church members to accompany us, so if you are interested in education and advocacy around issues of climate change and environmental justice, I encourage you to consider being a part of this inspiring event!

Learn more about GIPL and the summit at https://gipl.org/our-story and https://gipl.org/events/gts24.

If you are interested in attending GIPL’s Green Team Summit or interested in joining Saint Mark’s Green Team, you can email me at mwilliams@stmarkumc.org.

Thank you,

Meagan Williams

Celebration of Life: Dr. Jesse Peel

Saturday, January 27, 2024

This past Saturday, in the sanctuary, we held a service celebrating the life of Dr. Jesse Peel. The celebration began with a preservice concert with pianist, Brad Collier. The service included musical selections from our own Saint Mark Chancel Choir and the Atlanta Gay Men's Chorus.

Georgia LGBTQ History Project held a Zoom meeting on January 10th honoring Dr. Peel and Local Story of AIDS. Click below to view the Zoom meeting.

2024 Commitment to Saint Mark

Click on the image above to make your 2024 Commitment to Saint Mark.

If you need help setting up, confirming, or managing your

electronic donations, please contact Deana Hilton

at dhilton@stmarkumc.org or 404-873-2636, ext. 14. 

Tuesday Office Volunteer Needed

Our Tuesday Church Office Volunteer is retiring. If you've ever had an interest in working in the Saint Mark Office, love to help others, want to hang out with Deana, Robert, and Pastor Carolyn during the weekday... now is your chance.

The current position we need filled is a church office volunteer who is able to work from 10 - 3 or 4 on Tuesdays. To find out more, please contact Robert Gilleo at RJGilleo@stmarkumc.org for more details or to sign-up.

UMCOR Recovery Project

Have you got anyone in your church or community interested in helping with the 2023 tornado rebuilding in Griffin or West Point? We are an active UMCOR recovery project helping uninsured elderly folk in those communities rebuild, & are currently scheduling individuals and work teams. Perhaps you saw some of our efforts in the news: https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/homeowners-spalding-county-tornado/85-f5f9d374-781b-4504-ae96-90932b5245a9  

See details & register at

https://www.ngumc.org/longtermrecovery 

to get your church into action!

During winter quarter we are also preparing for our next disasters as tornado season is here. Who represents your church in local disaster response or may be available to network with us? We'll be offering Early Response Team training classes this quarter as no church can do this alone & we do best when we gather a number of churches together. This is a foundational way to be active in our UMCOR network and to be ready if a tornado hits your district & we work together in ministry.

Thanks for your consideration! Don't hesitate to reach out to me if I can assist you with your mission or if you have a great church mission story of 2024 to share!

Join us in current tornado recovery efforts! https://www.ngumc.org/newsdetail/rebuilding-hope-mission-teams-needed-in-griffin-and-west-point-18183278

Social Justice Corner

Join Saint Mark Social Justice Committee Members at: Moms Demand Action Rally at the GA Capitol



Wednesday, February 28 | 8:30 AM

Central Presbyterian Church (free parking provided)

201 Washington St SW Atlanta, GA 30303

Please join us for our 2024 Advocacy Day! We, along with several of our statewide community partner groups, will be going to the Capitol to meet with legislators and advocate for gun safety legislation to make our communities safer.

Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)

Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining"!

North Georgia Conference laity are invited to take part in one of four regional gatherings scheduled across our conference this March. Hosted by the Board of Laity, these events will be a time for fellowship, strengthening our United Methodist connection, and deepening our identity as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Laity may attend any gathering in any region. 

Registration cost is $20.

The gatherings are:

Sunday, March 3

North East and Central East Districts

Korean Church of Atlanta UMC in Duluth

2 to 5 p.m.

Saturday, March 16

Central North and South West Districts

Impact UMC in East Point

11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 23

North West and Central West Districts

Trinity UMC in Cartersville

11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 24

South East and Central South Districts

Madison First UMC

2 to 5 p.m.

Tithes & Offerings

Your generosity allows us to love, accept and serve the people of our community. 

Using your Smartphone’s camera, scan a QR Code below and follow the prompts.

Gifts to Saint Mark

Scott Dixon gave a gift to Reconciling Ministries via Saint Mark in memory of Dr. Jesse Peel.

Disciple II

Tuesdays | Zoom |6:00 PM

Vespers

Wednesdays | Chapel |6:30 PM

Young Adult Book and Bible Study

Wednesdays | Room 201 |6:30 PM

Four Quartets Study

Wednesdays | Room 205 |6:30 PM

Fast Track Disciple I – New Testament

Wednesdays | Room 111 |6:30 PM

Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) Annual Green Team Summit

Saturday, February 3 | Oak Grove UMC | 10:00 AM

Souper Chili Cookoff

Sunday, February 11 | Wade Hall |10:00 AM

Ash Wednesday

Wednesday, February 14

Moms Demand Action Rally at the GA Capitol

Wednesday, February 28 | Central Presbyterian |8:30 AM

Cabaret with Clint Clark-Duke

Wednesday, February 28 | Wade Hall |6:30 PM

LifeSouth Blood Drive

Sunday, March 3 | Outside |9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

NGUMC Laity Gathering I

Sunday, March 3 | Korean Church of Atlanta |2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

NGUMC Laity Gathering II

Saturday, March 16 | Impact Church - East Point |11:00 AM - 2:30 PM

NGUMC Laity Gathering III

Saturday, March 23 | Trinity UMC - Cartersville |11:00 AM - 2:30 PM

Palm Sunday

Sunday, March 24

NGUMC Laity Gathering IV

Sunday, March 24 | Madison First UMC | 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Holy Thursday

Thursday, March 28

Good Friday

Friday, March 29

Easter

Sunday, March 31

One way to stay connected to information and resources in this season is by subscribing to email communication from the North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church.

The conference offers a variety of enewsletters—some with relevance to everyone across the Conference, some focused on specific ministry areas, and some from your District. (You may already be a subscriber to some or all of these newsletters!)

Newsletters include:

Weekly Update

If you only choose one e-newsletter, make it the Weekly Update. Sent each Thursday, the Weekly Update offers an overview of inspiration, information, resources, and events specifically to keep North Georgia United Methodists connected and informed.

Monday Memo

Each week Rev. Dr. Terry Walton, our Executive Assistant to the Bishop, shares a reflection with North Georgia United Methodists. "Always thinking," Terry writes about his personal experiences, ministry insights, concerns, and joys. Monday Memo has become a treasured touchpoint for many as they begin their week.

Prayers & Celebrations

The Prayers & Celebrations newsletter highlights prayer needs of North Georgia Conference clergy. The itinerant nature of our church means clergy have deep connections in a number of communities—and our whole Conference benefits from regular prayer for clergy. 

Laity Message

Each month the Board of Laity shares a reflection and key news with local church lay leaders and lay members.

Clergy Check In

In each "Clergy Check In," our Center for Clergy Excellence and Conference Benefits Office share valuable information specifically for clergy and those who care for clergy. This is a great newsletter for SPRC chairs and members, too.

Annual Conference Daily Wrap-Up

Sent daily during the Annual Conference session in June, this newsletter helps summarize the worship, work, and happenings of our North Georgia Annual Conference.

and more!

Subscribe at www.ngumc.org/subscribe!

As a United Methodist Church we are proud to be a congregation with open hearts, open minds, and open doors. We strive to be a congregation that embodies God’s absolute love and hospitality, proclaiming Jesus as our savior and as our model of the ultimate embodiment of God’s love. We believe that all persons are of sacred worth and dignity as part of God’s good creation. Saint Mark United Methodist Church welcomes all persons into the full life and ministry of our congregation, regardless of race, culture, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, family, or socioeconomic status, physical or mental ability, or faith history.

The Remarks is a weekly publication of Saint Mark United Methodist Church, Atlanta, Georgia.

The email addresses used in this mailing were provided by the addressees for church use.

To ensure that you continue to receive emails from Saint Mark,

add remarks@stmarkumc.org to your ISP address book & ISP safe list today.