St. Mark’s Newsletter The Reminder

1 Worship Schedule + + + July 30 Pentecost 8 August 6 Pentecost 9 August 13 Pentecost 10 August 20 Pentecost 11 August 27 Pentecost 12 One service at 10am Kermit s Park Rally Day Blessing of the Backpacks + + + Sunday Mornings 8:15 am Contemporary 9:20 am Sunday Brew 9:30 am Sunday School 10:30 am Traditional St. Mark s Newsletter The Reminder July 26, 2017 Sunday Schedule 3:00 3:25pm Opening in Family Life Center 3:30 4:00pm Session 1 4:05 4:35pm Session 2 4:35pm Meal and Fun Activities Bring bathing suits and towels for the children! There will be a huge slip and slide that slides into a pool of water. The older children will love this! There will also be other water slides for smaller children. Monday and Tuesday Schedule 5:00 6:00pm Meal (Family Life Center) 6:00 6:30pm Opening Assembly (FLC) 6:30 6:35pm Transition Time 6:35 8:15pm Story time, Crafts and Activities 8:20 8:30pm Closing in Family life Center All Are Invited to Our Community Wide Vacation Bible School hero central !

2 Sunday, August 6, at 3pm Monday, August 7, and Tuesday, August 8, at 5pm VBS Program for Adults Sunday "Samuel Anoints David" Monday "Abigail Saves the Day" Tuesday "Jesus Goes to the Temple" Adults, lets come out and be active in our church! Each adult will be creating their own apron with symbols representing the three lessons and making their own tool belt with symbols telling how you are a hero of God. Let's have Fun! Each year, four churches, Bethlehem UMC, Liberty Hill Baptist, Mt. Calvary Lutheran, and St. Mark s Lutheran, hold a community wide Vacation Bible School. It will take place at St. Mark s over three evenings. The whole family is invited! This summer s theme will be hero central . The program takes kids and adults on awesome adventures alongside some of their favorite Bible heroes to discover the qualities that make us truly heroic.

3 VBS hero central uses epic music, spectacular science, crafty crafts, heroic recreation, and fantastic Bible stories to help kids and adults discover their strength in God! 2 The Parables of Mayberry Summer Sermon Series Continues Through August 20 Jesus use of parables often included that of telling a short story. Not historical, the parables imaginatively captured in their narratives, events, and characters what was true to life. Jesus' use of parables was effective in teaching a truth or in answering a question. We will do likewise. Grounded and in dialogue with Scripture, we will use portions of The Andy Griffith Show as parables to hear and receive God s Word for us today. July 30: Missing the Boat August 6: A Little Boy s Faith August 13: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie August 20: You Can t Judge A Book By Its Cover Rally Day and Blessing of the Backpacks Sunday, August 27 at Kermit s Park Worship: Begins at 10am with music by Praise Team Where: Home of Kermit & Kay Nash, 4586 Hwy 70 N.

4 Food: Barbeque will be provided. Please bring a side dish and a dessert to share. Fun Activities: Tractor rides for all ages, a giant waterslide and bouncy activities for the younger kids. Bring your swimsuit, towel, and lawn chairs. 500th Anniversary of Reformation Worship In God s Own Country Celebrates This Year s 500th anniversary of the Reformation Salisbury, October 12 15 & 18 21 Do not miss the North American premiere stage production of In God s Own Country, a unique collaborative effort between St. John s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, the State Theater Company of Landesb hnen Sachse in Germany, and the Piedmont Players. The play will incorporate 17 cast members from Germany and an equal number from the Salisbury community. On the surface, In God s Own Country tells the story of Lutheranism in America; but the broader story tells the dramatic and multifaceted ways in which religion was foundational to our country s founding.

5 The play makes it clear that we simply cannot understand American history without an understanding of religious history. The play is centered on Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, the German pastor-missionary whose call was to plant the church in America during the early and mid-1700s. His journey begins on a treacherous sea voyage from Germany to Charleston, SC, and later continues by horseback throughout Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the Carolinas. Muhlenberg churches were established in every part of the mid-Atlantic, including multiple congregations in the Rowan-Cabarrus area. There is no doubt that Michael Brown s time in Rowan County was influenced by Muhlenberg, widely known as the Father of American Lutheranism, but whose impact reached far beyond the church. In God s Own Country is the perfect play for those eager to know more about early American history.

6 It also tells the dramatic story of this small group of German Lutherans, many of whom were escaping severe persecution, who remained steadfast and faithful to a single call: The church must be planted. Audition Dates: September 5 & 6 Performance Dates: October 12 15 & 18 21 Meroney Theater, 213 South Main Street, Salisbury (704-633-5471 or ) 3 Parables of Mayberry Sermon Series (July 30, August 6, August 13, August 20) Women of the Vine Pool Party & Cookout, Carpenter Home (July 30) VBS hero central (August 6, 7, 8) Sr. High Youth Outing to Blowing Rock (August 9) Youth Night (August 13) Rally Day and Blessing of the Backpacks at Kermit s Park (August 27) Labor Day Church Office Closed (September 4) God s Work. Our Hands. Sunday (September 10) Confirmation Meeting with Parents (September 10) One derful Wednesdays Resumes (September 13) Youth Gathering Registration Opens (September 15) Women of the ELCA Congratulations to Danny and Randyl Abernathy on the birth of their grandson, Caleb Andrew Abernathy.

7 Caleb was born on July 16, weighing 7 lb. 11 oz. and inches long! Parents are Andy and Shannon Abernathy. Uncle is Ryan Abernathy. St. Mark s Calendar Highlights St. Mark s Quilt Mission Tuesdays, 10-12pm 3244 W. Main Street, Claremont Every Tuesday except when the Bible study meets. Women of the ELCA Bible Study, Tuesday, August 15 Meets in the church lounge at 11am Younger Than Springtime Lunch follows the Women s Bible Study about 12:30pm Women of the Vine Pool Party and Cookout is July 30 at 3pm Home of Judy & Tim Carpenter, 2727 Sigfield Drive, Claremont Bring bathing suits, towels, and a dish for the cookout. to Tamarah Hefner or 828-459-7053) Congratulations on the Birth of Caleb Andrew Abernathy Highlights of the Tenth Triennial Gathering of the Women of the ELCA Nearly 3,400 participants attended and more than 1,300 were first-timers.

8 $49,094 was raised at the Thankoffering service. 404 participants ran in the Run, Walk and Roll, and $19,116 was raised for seed grants to support Women of the ELCA's health initiative, Raising Up Healthy Women and Girls. In-kind gifts included $19,000 in gift cards, 27,000 hygiene products, clothing, quilt kits , and Days for Girls kits . Nearly $64,000 was collected during Sunday's service of Holy Communion. The offering is being shared among PV for Phebe Project (25%); Cherish All Children (25%); and Women of the ELCA (50%). 97 people gave blood for a total of 81 good units. Each unit is separated into red cells, platelets and plasma, which could potentially help 243 people. Tamarah Hefner with Bishop Eaton 4 On Sunday, September 10, ELCA churches across the country will participate in God s work. Our hands. Sunday.

9 This annual day of service is a time to share God s love, serve local communities, and lift up neighbors in need. St. Mark s Ministry teams may do something on September 10 or another date. For t-shirts, baseball caps, and other resources, visit Order personalized t-shirts by August 15. Attention Ministry Teams! God s Work. Our Hands. Day of Service, September 10 Day of Service Ideas from Lutheran Services Carolinas (LSC) Listed below are multiple ways your congregation can partner with Lutheran Services Carolinas for a meaningful service project. Collect needed items. Various items are needed to support LSC programs including bingo prizes for senior living communities, winter coats for children in foster care, and household items for refugee families who are starting a new life. Contact LSC for a complete list of suggested items.

10 Complete a home improvement or landscaping project at your local LSC child and family or senior ministry. Provide music or art therapy for individuals with developmental disabilities, severe and persistent mental illness, or symptoms resulting from traumatic brain injury (TBI). Lead an activity at a senior living community. Activities can include singing or playing instruments, visiting with residents, calling bingo, participating in the weekly worship service, sponsoring arts and crafts projects, leading an exercise class, hosting a spa day, or sharing devotions. Teach a life skills class to parents living in Supportive Housing. Topics to consider include cooking a nutritious meal, writing a resume, or planning a budget. Distribute handwritten cards or notes to LSC residents or staff members letting them know someone is thinking of them.