Blessed Comings & Goings
Pastor Mark Hagen

At St. Mark, we are always looking for new ways to welcome others into our faith community. Thanks to a generous outreach grant from the St. Mark Endowment, we are hosting a community-wide outreach event on Rally Sunday, September 9, at 10:00 A.M. Our theme this fall is, “Becoming a Welcoming Church.” Read more.

Have you seen our new website?
It is with a huge sigh of relief to announce that we have a brand new website! Jill Davenport and Pastor Chad have worked hard this summer to create a more accessible, organized, and mobile-friendly place for folks to learn about what we are up to. It is at the same address as before: www.stmarklc.com. There are still links to weekly sermon videos, announcements, and blog posts like this one. One new feature that will be useful to both guests and members alike is a calendar of all upcoming events. When you are not sure if a meeting is happening or not, you can now check the website to see for yourself! Online signups for Confirmation and Sunday School are already posted in the Newsstand section. Check it out!

Fresh Communion Bread from Great Harvest
Throughout August, our gospel texts are composed of various verses from John 6. This 6th chapter of John speaks entirely of Jesus as the Bread of Life. As a way to further experience the diversity of each Sunday’s theme, we’re going to offer a different variety of bread each week as we receive Holy Communion. We are purchasing this bread from Great Harvest, which is quite tasty. So, come join us in worship each week as we receive Jesus in multiple ways through Word and Sacrament.

New Member Orientation
New Member Orientation will be Sunday, October 7, 14, 21 and 28 from 10:45-11:45 A.M. in the Adult Ministry room that is located across the hall from the nursery. If you have already made a decision to join St. Mark, or would like to know more about St. Mark and the theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as you consider whether St. Mark is the church for you, we invite you to attend these coming sessions. The reception of new members is November 4 at the 9:30 A.M. service. Please contact Karen Kammer at 815-398-3557 or karen@stmarklc.com if you would like to be included in the class list. Thank you.

First Tuesday Book Club
The first Tuesday book club is resuming our monthly meetings on September 4 and will be hosted by Susan White. Please email her at lpsusanwhite@yahoo.com
and let her know if you will attend, or leave a message at 815-654-4113. We’ll read and discuss Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family, an autobiography by Condoleezza Rice. The stories make you laugh, cry, and get angry. The history that you see from her childhood in Birmingham helps you to understand what the black community went through and how her family made the decision to not live their lives as victims but to fight to succeed. Stella Schroeder will be the reviewer and discussion leader.

God’s work, Our hands
Saturday, September 8, Volunteers are needed for meal assembly. All meals will be donated to local food pantries. Join us 10:00-Noon at Lutheran High School.

Sign-ups going on in Fellowship Hall.

If you have a prayer request that you would like the prayer chain to pray for, please send it to Karen Kammer at karen@stmarklc.com. Please be specific about your prayer request. All requests are confidential within the prayer chain. If you have requested prayers from the prayer chain, please notify Karen Kammer of any changes or updates so that our prayers can be most relevant.

Mark your calendars. The first day of Sunday school is September 16 at 9:30 A.M. in the lower level. Students three years old by September 1 through sixth grade are invited to attend. There is no fee for Sunday school. Sunday school registration will take place on Rally Day, September 9 or you may contact Karen Kammer at 815-398-3557 or karen@stmarklc.com.

The installation of Sunday school teachers will take place on September 16 at the beginning of the 9:30 A.M. service. Third graders will receive SPARK NRSV Bibles that morning. All Sunday school students and teachers will gather in the sanctuary that morning and will move to Sunday school following the presentations.

Three year olds will receive SPARK Story Bibles on September 23 at the beginning of the 9:30 A.M. service. Students should sit with their families in the sanctuary that morning. Teachers will accompany the children to Sunday school following the presentation.

Good News Bearers, our drama group for second through sixth graders, will begin rehearsals in the sanctuary on Wednesday, September 12 at 5:30-6 P.M. Bearers meet weekly for practice and perform at the 9:30 A.M. service once a month. New actors are welcome!

Looking ahead: the Sunday school Christmas program will be December 9 at the 9:30 A.M. service.

Second Sunday is kicking off on Sunday, September 9, 7:00 P.M. All high school youth are invited carpool with us to Katie’s Cup. Join us for friends, games, music, worship and snacks! Several churches working together to make youth led activities happen. If you need a ride please message Melinda Alekna 815-0390.