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Dear Saint Mark Family,
I must begin by sharing some wonderful news with you. Yesterday, The General Conference of the UMC voted for worldwide regionalization. This enables each geographical region of our global Church, including the US, to adapt the Book of Discipline according to its context. The annual conferences will now vote on this constitutional amendment, for it to be ratified. This is a good step in the right direction, for the work being done to honor the dignity and worth of all of God’s children. This is good news worth sharing.
There are a number of things happening in the life of our church that I want to highlight.
Last week Sunday, we announced the appointment of our new associate pastor, Rev. Charlotte Crofton, whose first Sunday with us will be July 14. I encourage you to be in prayer for Rev. Charlotte in anticipation of her arrival. I know she is excited and is looking forward to being here.
This past Sunday, our newly formed Congregational Care Ministry team was introduced in worship at both the 9:00am and the 11:00 services. The purpose of this ministry team is to work alongside Pastor Andy and me to provide additional care for members of our congregation, as needed. We are thankful to the team members for undertaking this role, and I know they will make a positive impact on the life of our church.
As also shared in worship, this coming Sunday, April 28, will be Meagan Williams last Sunday with us. Meagan has been such a blessing to Saint Mark. She has done a wonderful job in building the young adult ministry, and has played a significant role, participating in leading worship. We are truly thankful for her invaluable contributions to the ministry of Saint Mark. We will celebrate Meagan with a farewell reception after the 11:00am worship service on Sunday. I invite you to come out and let Meagan know how thankful we are for her, and how much we appreciate her.
Sunday, May 5th, after the 11:00am worship service will be our churchwide congregational luncheon to celebrate all our volunteers. Every pastor knows the ministries of the church could not happen without the participation and sacrifice of the members. The work of our volunteers, whatever capacity they serve in, is invaluable to the life of our congregation, and we are thankful. Whether you are a current volunteer or a former volunteer, I invite you to come and let us express our heartfelt gratitude to you. If you have never volunteered, we still invite you to come and be a part of the celebration, and thank those who have served and those who are serving.
Finally, on Monday I will be leaving for General Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. Please be in prayer for all the delegates at General Conference, and especially for our own North Georgia delegation. Pray for wisdom and divine guidance for all the delegates; pray for the the proceedings and the legislative processes; pray for the bishops who are in attendance, including our own Bishop Dease; pray for unity and Christ-centered decisions that will respect the dignity and worth of all of God’s children; and pray for a Holy Spirit-led revival for all the churches and conferences represented there.
I look forward to seeing you in worship this Sunday.
God’s grace and peace,
Pastor Carolyn.
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