The Year of St. Mark
Pastor Chad McKenna During worship a few Sundays ago, I announced a theme we will be leaning into in 2021. Those of you who have been around a long time may know that this is a milestone year for St. Mark Lutheran Church. Our congregation will be 60 years old in April. You could call this our diamond anniversary. By total chance, the lectionary just so happens to be focused on the Gospel of Mark this year. With a major anniversary and a focus on our namesake, what more reason do we need to declare 2021 to be The Year of St. Mark? Read more. | Live-stream Worship Service Sunday, January 24
Join us on this 3rd Sunday after Epiphany at 9:30 A.M. We will be live-streaming our worship service and available anytime after on our YouTube channel. | Home Communion Kits
If you need to replenish your communion supplies, please stop by the church during office hours, Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm. If you need to come by after these hours, please call the church office at 815-398-3557. Watch this short video from Pastor Chad or read more here. | Sunday school supply kits for the February and March lessons are available for pickup at the church. If you need your kit delivered, please email julie@stmarklc.com. | Pledge Note:
Recently St. Mark members received a letter regarding our current stewardship drive, in the hope of closing a shortfall in our budget for 2021. Whether or not you have already submitted a 2021 Plan for Giving, your council and pastors encourage you to read that letter in full and consider again your commitment to our shared ministry. You can update your pledge online with this simple form. Click here. | Making Changes to your Online Pledge?
A number of members have had run into problems when making changes to their online giving through Pushpay. The best way to make a change to your payment is to delete the old payment and set up a new one. Please feel free to contact Wendy Iversen 815-980-8926 if you need assistance or have any questions. | On October 18, we announced our 2021 Pledged Giving goal of $750,000, which is similar to our budget for 2020. To date, we have received 219 Pledges totaling $659,533. This amount represents 88% of the pledged giving needed to meet our budget goals for the coming year. This year’s stewardship campaign will continue each week until our goal is reached. We thank you for your participation in this important expression of support and gratitude. Together, we can keep our ministry moving forward with confidence and hope. | UPDATE: Resume Small Group Gatherings
On Friday, January 15 the state reduced our COVID-19 mitigations down to Tier 1 of the current Restore Illinois plan. As a result, St. Mark will now be able to resume small group gatherings of 25 or fewer people, not to exceed a 25% room capacity. Bible studies, circles, and committees can meet in person while following our social distancing guidelines, which include taking temperatures upon arrival, wearing masks at all times, and maintaining 6 feet of distance from others outside your household. The decision to meet in person or virtually is now up to each group and committee. Some may still wish to remain at home, and others may want to take advantage of a small, in-person gathering. The Wednesday morning Men’s and Women's Bible Studies, for instance, will not be resuming quite yet. Please check with group leaders to be sure of what your group plans to do. We continue to remain cautious and optimistic while keeping your health as our main priority. As has been the case, our strategy follows the state’s Region 1 mitigation plans for meetings, social events, and gatherings. You can read more about the current mitigations, as well as our region’s metrics, at the Illinois Department of Public Health. | Save the Date!
St. Mark's Annual Congregation meeting will be Sunday, February 14 at 1:00 P.M. in the parking lot. Morning worship will still be online at 9:30 A.M. | Did someone say “tubing?”
St. Mark families and youth are all invited to Alpine Hills Sunday, January 31. Cost is just $8. Please message Melinda Alekna if you are interested ASAP 815-871-0390. There is also ice skating, snowboarding, and skiing available. Check the park district website for more details. AlpineHillsAdenture.com | Coats For Hope
We are collecting gently new or used coats through January 29th. You have donated 40 coats so far! It is so exciting each time someone donates a coat. We are much closer to our goal of 60 coats. Please drop off your donated coat at St. Mark between 9:00 A.M. -1:00 P.M. The coats will be delivered to area agencies at the end of January. Check out coatsforhope.org | First Tuesday Book Club
With great joy, we’re delighted to announce that the First Tuesday book club is resuming meeting once again on Tuesday, February 2 at 1:00 P.M. in the church café and follow the now usual procedure of wearing a facemask, having your temperature taken, and signing in. Upon leaving, we’ll wipe down the tables and chairs. We will review The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides with Stella Schroeder reviewing the book, giving some author biography and leading the discussion. The book is a psychological thriller, sly, hypnotic character study, a gruesome murder, a woman held captive in her own mind, and a therapist determined to unlock her secrets. Should make for a fast and interesting read! Carol Malmgren will be the hostess. Please email her at carol@whitebirchvillage.com and let her know if you will attend, or, leave a message at 815-985-7835. ALL readers are welcome. In discussion, we often leave finding there was more to the book than we saw just reading it on our own. | St. Mark Mobile App!
Download our free mobile app on the app store or google play. If you are having trouble downloading or have any questions, please call Jill Davenport at 815-218-3403 or email jill@stmarklc.com, she will help you through the process. This is different than our church directory app.
Our mobile app is designed specifically for St. Mark to improve our communication with our congregation and nurture our members. We encourage you to download the app. It's about getting involved and staying connected. Click on this link for information on how to download the app! | SAVE the Date Saturday, February 20th for another Mobile Food Pantry.
Volunteers can sign-up by calling St. Mark. We need volunteers that day from 10:00 A.M.-12:30 P.M. There are more volunteer opportunities to help the food bank…go to www.solvehungertoday.org Groups are needed to help consider getting your co-workers, school group, friends to help. They especially need help at the large food distributions, and packing of produce, etc. | St. Mark Prayer Chain
Would you like to be a part of the St. Mark prayer chain? Prayer requests come into the church office weekly. As we receive prayer requests we would send out an e-mail and ask that you pray daily for the persons mentioned in the requests. All requests are to remain confidential. Please e-mail melinda@stmarklc.com if you would like to participate in the prayer chain. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Colossians 4:2. | Regular Office Hours
Monday through Friday 9:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. As always, please call the office or Pastor Chad if you have any needs or concerns. | Our St. Mark members: Dave and Peggy Bargren, Constance Carlson, Russ Oellig, Linda Crooks, Jay Trost, Jan Cotter, John Johnson, Roger Lind, Diane Swanson, Billie Reinhold, Sherri Lindquist, Tim Vivian, Bill Jennings, Tim Panjkovich, Bette Patterson, David Young, Keith Haggestad. Family and friends of St. Mark members: Debbie Adams, Susan Vincent, Deb Oleson, Butch Cotter, Wanda Adamson, Milane Bagel, Janet Webster, Rae Ann McIntire, Linda Johnson, Pastor Jane McChesney, Emily Tropp, Eva Love Sherbondy, Norma Comstock, Carolyn King, Ashton Henley, Nathan Gyllin. Those serving in the military and their families: Hunter Haggestad, Tristan Davenport, Scot Hornick, Bailey Panjkovich, Xander Gehrke, Jim Tammen, Brandon Ballenger, Taylor Eversole, Dean Barron. Strengthen and encourage those in public health services and in the medical profession: care-givers, nurses, attendants, doctors, all who commit themselves to care for the sick and their families. | Office Hours
Monday through Friday
9:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
Telephone: 815-398-3557 Publications
St. Mark Memos, the weekly e-newsletter, is distributed each Thursday. The deadline for submission is Monday by 3:00 P.M.
Please click to send submissions. Sermons Online
Miss a Sunday at St. Mark? Please visit our website and watch the sermons online.
Please click to watch. | |
