Holy Saturday Service
Join us on Saturday, March 30 from 4:00 - 5:00 pm. This is a service for people of all ages. By that, I mean it’s not just for kids. This dynamic worship moves us from the stark emptiness of Good Friday into the fullness of Easter. We start in darkness, with an empty communion table; and we end in the same bright lavish glow we witness on Easter morning, lilies and all. In the middle of the service, worshippers have been able to get up and move to different areas of the sanctuary to pray, share communion, or discover something new about the story of Easter. These stations engage all five senses, inviting folks to approach the hope of resurrection in new ways.

Come engage with the story of Easter, grow closer to one another, and explore the good news of Christ’s resurrection in a more interactive way.

New Member Orientation
Are you interested in joining St. Mark or are you and your family returning to St. Mark? We have orientation sessions on April 7, 14, 21, and 28. The orientations will include an introduction to St. Mark, what we are doing as a church today, a tour of our beautiful building, the history of Lutheranism, the Lutheran reading of the Bible, and staff and committee introductions. We will meet from 10:05 - 10:55 A.M. in the Conference Room. There will be donuts and coffee. We look forward to seeing you! Let the church office know if you plan on coming or need more information. 815-398-3557 or general@stmarklc.com. New members will be received on Sunday, May 5 at the 9:00 A.M. service. There will be a reception following the service.

NAMI FaithNet
On April 10th at 4:30 pm NAMI FaithNet (National Alliance on Mental Illness) will be at St. Mark to introduce us to who they are and what they do. It is important that we talk about mental illness. 1 in 5 adults in the United States lives with a mental illness condition. We need to remove the stigma of mental illness. When the faith community speaks openly about mental illness, we begin to remove the shame associated with mental illness. Please join us to learn about NAMI FaithNet. Invite your friends and family, this is an event for St. Mark and for the community.

Try-Beta Foundation’s 48th Annual Mother’s Day Hanging Basket Sale
Try-Beta Foundation, through member Mark Malenchik will be taking orders for New Guinea Impatiens baskets on Sunday, April 13th in the cafe. The price is $35. Proceeds benefit Rockford area charities, including our own Uniform Co-Op program. Cash, checks and credit card payments are accepted. New this year, you can order online, at try-beta.com.

Happy Campers
Happy Campers will meet on Saturday, April 20, at the Rockford Art Scene. Join us at 4:00 PM for social time at Carlyle Brewing before we go explore art! We will have maps on Sunday, April 5th. In the Fellowship Hall. Sign up and say you'll join us. Text Melinda Alekna at 815-871-0390 for more information or click here to visit Rockford Art Scene.

Our next youth group event will be April 7th from 2-3:30 pm at FLOW 5505 E. State Street Rockford. The cost is $20 per person, this includes the socks required by Flow. I encourage you to arrive at 1:45 pm to get checked in. Please be sure to sign a waiver for each participant. The waiver is available here or you can get a printed copy from Pastor Katrina. If the participant is under 18 years of age a parent or guardian must sign the waiver. Please note that FLOW will not let you participate if there is not a signed waiver.

If you are attending the youth gathering, we will meet at 4pm at St. Mark to give you updated information. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Katrina at prkatrina@stmarklc.com. Thank you and I hope to see you at FLOW on April 7th.