The Messenger
Dear Friends, A recent visitor to our Sunday service said, "When we walked in the door, it was immediately clear that there was energy and excitement here. People were glad to see us, and they were glad to see each other. We knew that something was going on at St. Mark's."
So we have been practicing Passionate Worship-one of the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. And maybe we haven't even known it!
Bishop Robert Schnase describes the sense of expectancy filling the air in the time before service in churches practicing Passionate Worship. People have come not just for social reasons, and not just out of habit. They have come seeking both meaning and connection (with others and with God)-that is, they have come seeking spiritual growth and they have some sense that this is the time and place for it. They want both comfort and challenge.
That's why it was so gratifying, in the recent Worship Excellence Project, to see your answers to the question "In two or three words, how would you describe worship at St. Mark's to someone who hadn't been here before?" The words most often used were "friendly" and "meaningful."
It was also very encouraging to see what you said about risk and change. You appreciated that we are willing to try new things in worship, and you expressed an understanding that some change is necessary, while at the same time accepting that change brings with it both risk and discomfort.
We have been changing over the last two years, and we will continue to improve. Our goal always is closer connection with each other and with God. In worship we strive above all to be authentic, accessible, and uplifting as we celebrate God's presence with prayer, music, word, and sacrament.
St. Mark's is blessed with creative and imaginative people who plan and lead worship, including a hard-working and (amazingly) flexible Worship Committee, led by Diana Starnes. Thanks!
I so appreciate your presence and participation!
For a summary of results of the Worship Excellence Project, Click here!
See you in church.
Craig
All Church Directory
By Malinda Whiteley
We are excited to announce that we are in the final stages of preparation of St. Mark's All Church Directory. You can review the password protected directory online now at http://www.stmarksumcsd.org/directory or you are welcome to come by the church office to review a printed copy of the directory to ensure that all your contact information we have on file is correct before we finalize for publication and distribution.Complete instructions for viewing the password protected online directory are listed on the website when you visit this page: http://www.stmarksumcsd.org/directory.
If you would like any of your contact information changed, please be sure to contact me in the church office at 858-273-1480 or via email smumcsdoffice@gmail.com.
What is Storefront?
Storefront was created in 1986 to address the escalating crisis of homeless, runaway and exploited youth in San Diego. According to California Department of Justice, 7,852 children were reported as runaways in San Diego County in 2007. It is estimated that in the United States between 500,000 and 1.3 million youth who runaway or are thrown away become homeless. Of those youth in shelters, 62% indicated that a member of their family or household told them they were no longer wanted (Center for Law & Social Policy, 2003)Storefront operates a 20 bed Emergency Shelter, a Day Drop-in Center, and a comprehensive Street Outreach team. The shelter is a voluntary program designed to prevent the victimization and sexual exploitation of homeless and runaway youth. Storefront's purpose is to transition youth to a safe, long-term living option.
Many times upon exiting Storefront, a youth will share that living there was the first time they felt safe and that someone cared about what happens to them.
With the help of volunteers, St. Mark's provides dinner and a cake once a month for those staying at the shelter.
The following dates still need someone or a group of individuals to provide dinner for the youth:
March 24
April 28
May 26
August 25
November 24
If you are interested in helping feed these children, please contact the church office to sign up. Sunday School Lenten Giving Project
Did you know that one heifer provides milk, boosts income, encourages better crop yields? We think you'll agree that giving a cow is a good idea. And we're giving a llama, too. Llamas provide warm clothes and blankets made from dense wool, and allow families to buy medicine with profits from wool sales.
How 'bout a couple of goats? A goat provides up to four gallons of milk a day, plus cheese and butter. People earn money from selling this easily digested milk. And sheep: let's also send two sheep because these enable families to Pass on the Gift to others quickly, and sheep provide warm clothing in harsh environments.
With your help, kids will raise $1500 to purchase animals for people living in poverty. Come Palm Sunday, or any day, will you give so others can live?
Youth Corner
By Spencer Topham
It's Lent and the youth have entered this season alongside the rest of you, looking inward and spending some time thinking about how they are living out their faith.To help them along in this journey inward, the youth will be participating in a program designed around The Way written by UMC pastor Adam Hamilton. The Way is a detailed guide through the places and acts of the life of Jesus from baptism to Resurrection.
This is a great little study that truly helps us to follow in the footsteps of Christ and learn his desire for our lives.
If you want to know more about this study, ask a youth on the patio on Sundays, and share with them how you are exploring your own faith during Lent!
After Lent and Easter the youth will also continue their faith exploration with an overnight and trip to Sky Zone indoor trampoline park along with all the other Methodist youth from around San Diego. We will be hosted by Chula Vista first on the evening of Friday, April 25. Cost is $15, check your Youth News email or talk to me for more details, and make sure to RSVP right now!
Easter Egg Hunt
Sat. April 19
Next time you're in Target or at the grocery store, would you please hop on over and pick up a bag of candy and turn it in to the church office? Please no nuts and no chocolate, (allergies and chocolate melts.) The Easter bunny has some eggs to stuff for the hunt that begins 9 to 11 A.M.Thanks very much!
Next Week at a Glance
Sunday, March 23, 2014
8:30 A.M. Beach Service/Tecolote Shores
Pastor's Sunday School/NR
9:00 A.M. Youth Fellowship/Rm 10
9:30 A.M. Worship
10:45 A.M. Joyful Noise Choir/CR
Blood Pressure Screening/NR
Worship Committee/Lib
12:00 P.M. Tongan Fellowship Worship
Monday, March 24, 2014
1:00 P.M. Lenten Book Study/NR
5:30 P.M. St. Mark's in Prayer/Sanc
6:00 P.M. Carillon Bells/SH
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
5:30 P.M. Education Committee/Lib
6:30 P.M. NAMI Family to Family/SH
7:00 P.M. Trustees/Lib
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
4:30 P.M. UMW Executive Meeting/Lib
5:00 P.M. Peace Ringers/SH
5:30 P.M. Bible Study/NR
6:00 P.M. Glory Ringers/SH
Thursday, March 27, 2014
10:00 A.M. St. Mark's in Prayer/Sanc
12:00 P.M. CCSA Annual Mtg/SH
4:30 P.M. Hallelujah & Cherub Choir/CR
5:20 P.M. Chimes/SH
7:00 P.M. Boy Scouts/SH
Saturday, March 29, 2014
9:00 A.M. Art Viewing/Narthex; Sanc
Sunday, March 30, 2014
8:30 A.M. Pastor's Sunday School/NR
9:00 A.M. Youth Fellowship/Rm 10
9:30 A.M. Worship
10:45 A.M. Joyful Noise Choir/CR
Missions Committee/Lib
12:00 P.M. Tongan Fellowship Worship
*If you have any questions or would like to add an event to the church calendar, please contact Malinda Whiteley, Church Secretary at 858-273-1480 ext.10 or smumcsdoffice@gmail.com.
Staff Office Hours
Rev. Craig Dorval
Senior Minister
Monday - Thursday
10:30 A.M. - 6:30 P.M.
Rev. Jeri Newell-Davis
Associate Minister
Tuesday - Friday
9 A.M. - 3 P.M.
Spencer Topham
Youth Director
Tuesdays: 2 pm - 6 pm
Wednesdays: 9 am - 1 pm
Thursdays: 9 am - 11 am
Fridays: 9 am - 1 pm
1st, 2nd & 3rd Sundays: 9 am - 11 am
Malinda Whiteley,
Church Secretary
Monday - Friday
8 A.M. - 3 P.M.
About Us
St. Mark's United Methodist Church
3502 Clairemont Drive
San Diego, California 92117
858-273-1480
To contact any member of our staff, visit our staff information page.Rev. Craig Dorval, Senior Minister
Rev. Jeri Newell-Davis, Associate Minister
M'Lu Colbourn, Director of St. Mark's Preschool
Frank Williams, Music Director
Craig McIlwain, Organist
Jo Anne Hammond, Director, Carillon Bells
Robin Haber, Director, Glory Ringers and Peace Ringers
Christina Peer, Director, Chimes
Cheryl Eubanks, Children's Choir Accompanist
Spencer Topham, Youth Director
Marya Chuong, Website
Malinda Whiteley, Church Secretary
Angel Cardenas, Church Custodian
"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."--John Wesley
In This Messenger
Church Directory
Lenten Project
Easter Egg Hunt
St. Mark's in Prayer
Beach Worship
Pot Pies
Holy Week Schedule:
Palm Sunday, April 13, 9:30 A.M.
Holy Thursday, April 17, 7 P.M.
Good Friday, April 18, Noon
Easter Sunday, April 20, 8 A.M. and 9:30 A.M.
The newsletter can also be found on our website.
Pastors Sunday School
We will study the lectionary texts, which follow the church calendar. It's an informal study, always open to all, at 8:30 a.m. in the New Room, just behind the church office.
Below are the lectionary reading for this week:
Exodus 17:1-7
Psalm 95
Romans 5:1-11
John 4:5-42
Lectionary Scriptures:Exodus 17:1 All the congregation of the children of Israel traveled from the wilderness of Sin, by their journeys, according to Yahweh’s commandment, and encamped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.”
Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test Yahweh?”
3 The people were thirsty for water there; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”
4 Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
5 Yahweh said to Moses, “Walk on before the people, and take the elders of Israel with you, and take the rod in your hand with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb. You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He called the name of the place Massah,[a] and Meribah,[b] because the children of Israel quarreled, and because they tested Yahweh, saying, “Is Yahweh among us, or not?”
Footnotes:
a. Exodus 17:7 Massah means testing.
b. Exodus 17:7 Meribah means quarreling.
Psalm 95:1 Oh come, let’s sing to Yahweh.
Let’s shout aloud to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let’s come before his presence with thanksgiving.
Let’s extol him with songs!
3 For Yahweh is a great God,
a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth.
The heights of the mountains are also his.
5 The sea is his, and he made it.
His hands formed the dry land.
6 Oh come, let’s worship and bow down.
Let’s kneel before Yahweh, our Maker,
7 for he is our God.
We are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep in his care.
Today, oh that you would hear his voice!
8 Don’t harden your heart, as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
9 when your fathers tempted me,
tested me, and saw my work.
10 Forty long years I was grieved with that generation,
and said, “It is a people that errs in their heart.
They have not known my ways.”
11 Therefore I swore in my wrath,
“They won’t enter into my rest.”
Romans 5:1 Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; 2 through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope: 5 and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a righteous person someone would even dare to die. 8 But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.
11 Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
John 4:5:1 So he came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.[a] 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
9 The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. So where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his children, and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I don’t get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
17 The woman answered, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You said well, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly.”
19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father. 22 You worship that which you don’t know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah comes, he who is called Christ. When he has come, he will declare to us all things.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who speaks to you.” 27 At this, his disciples came. They marveled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, “What are you looking for?” or, “Why do you speak with her?” 28 So the woman left her water pot, and went away into the city, and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything that I did. Can this be the Christ?”
30 They went out of the city, and were coming to him. 31 In the meanwhile, the disciples urged him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.”
33 The disciples therefore said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?”
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. 35 Don’t you say, ‘There are yet four months until the harvest?’ Behold, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest already. 36 He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit to eternal life; that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true, ‘One sows, and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you haven’t labored. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
39 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the word of the woman, who testified, “He told me everything that I did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay with them. He stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of your speaking; for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
Footnotes:
a. John 4:6 noon
St. Mark's In Prayer
Be in prayer for St. Mark's. The church is beginning a period of discernment and positive challenge, and prayer is very important. All are invited to join Rev. Craig and Rev. Jeri for two weekly communion and prayer times in the sanctuary during Lent, on Thursday mornings from 10 to 10:30 A.M., and Monday evenings from 5:30 to 6 P.M.Worship on the Bay
Come and celebrate Spring San Diego style as we worship on Mission Bay, this Sunday, March 23, at 8:30 A.M. We will gather just south of the Hilton Hotel on Tecolote Shores. There will be coffee, donuts, and music; all you need to bring is a chair or blanket and friends as we embrace this new season and the change it offers to each of us.
Lenten Devotions
Adult and family Lenten devotions are available in the church office. Please be sure to come by and say "Hi" and pick one up.
Order Yummy Frozen Chicken Pot Pies to Take Home by Spencer Topham
The St. Mark's Sierra Service Project team is at is again! The team will be raising money for their summer mission trip by serving a chicken pot pie dinner to a mission team of over 200 youth from Rolling Hills UMC on Saturday, April 12. These team of youth and the adults will be spending the night in St. Mark's Social Hall before continuing on to their mission destination in Mexico following worship the next morning.In addition, the St. Mark's SSP team will be taking orders for frozen chicken pot pies for you to pick up after the church service on April 13, Palm Sunday!
There will be a sign up sheet on the patio after the worship for the next 2 Sundays for you to place your order or you can contact the church office during the week. The chicken pot pies will cost $5 each. We are not planning on ordering extras, so please make sure you place your order in the next two weeks!
United Methodist Heritage Class
Bill Galante will be teaching the United Methodist Heritage Course "Living Our United Methodist Beliefs." This course will explore the special gifts of theology, witness and organization that the United Methodist Church brings to the church universal; how we got where we are today; and how our distinctive emphases are still needed in the 21st century church. This is an Advanced Lay Servant class for those that need it but is open to all members of the congregation. The course will be conducted on Friday April 25, from 6 to 9:30 P.M.and on Saturday, April 26, from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. All that are interested please contact Ed Deitzler for details at 619-275-2733 or by e-mail askbred@yahoo.com.
In Our Prayers
♥ Rose Marie Pierce♥ Charlotte Liles and Family
♥ Tracy Taylor
♥ Joni Maraver
♥ Karen Dismukes
♥ Ricky Dean
♥ Lisa Denton
♥ Mildred Braman
♥ Lois Ramsey
♥ Joe Ramsey
♥ Walter Hebdon
♥ Julie Nelson
♥ Greg Erdman
♥ Lorretta Schaffer
♥ Shirley Jennings
♥ Renae Pierce
♥ Franki Benson
♥ Gene Hagar
♥ Gwynn Cannon
♥ Dana Robinson
♥ Rod Barrett
♥ Bill Burton
♥ Mitch Boyer
♥ Molly and Mack Barrett
♥ Margaret Westfall
Condolences
Condolences to the Burkett family in the deaths of Wayne and Natalie - charter members of St. Mark's.
We Remember Our Military Personnel, including
♥ Kris Brendal, Army♥ Robert S. Chisholm, Navy
♥ Craig Clemans, Marines
♥ Paul Clemans, Air Force
♥ Blake Cross, Navy
♥ Robert Davis, Navy
♥ Brandon Dempster, Navy
♥ Samuel England, Navy
♥ Lenny Hezelett, Navy
♥ Michael Hunter, Navy
♥ Brady Jackson, Army
♥ Jeremy Munson, Navy
♥ Daniel Ness, Army
♥ Milo Riegle, Marines
♥ Casper Stalnaker, Navy
♥ Nathan Streeter, Army
♥ Robert Tarango, Navy
Our presence in worship on Sunday, March 16 was 187 .
Links
St. Mark's Website Youth News
St. Mark's School
St. Mark's UMW News
Upper Room Daily Devotion
The United Methodist Church
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St. Mark's United Methodist Church
3502 Clairemont Drive
San Diego, CA 92117 United States
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