St. Mark’s matters

Sponsored by the Consultation of Religious Communities Held at St. Mark’s; Donations and Volunteers Needed!

Gifts for Parents

December 3, 2016

This annual, city-wide event gives children

in our community an opportunity to

experience the joy of Giving. Children ages

3 to 14 get to “shop” for gifts for the

significant adults in their lives. Volunteers

help the children choose presents from

among items donated for adults in their

lives. Other volunteers wrap the gifts. All

enjoy a free pancake breakfast provided by

St. Mark’s Methodist Men. There are lots of

ways you can be a part of this:

1. Donate gifts- We need your donations

of new or gently used items suitable as

a gift for an adult. Ideas include:

kitchen gadgets, tools, wallets, costume

jewelry, Hawkeye items or flashlights.

We are always short of men’s gifts. No

clothing please.

2. Donate supplies- We could also use

donations of:

Stick-on bows, adhesive gift tags, tissue

paper, transparent tape and gift bags

Large, handled paper shopping bags ( like

from Von Maur)

Empty boxes( shoeboxes or Amazon)

of various sizes.

3. Volunteer to help & set-up - We need

people to set up and sort gifts on

Friday, December 2 at 8:00 a.m. to 1:00

p.m.

Sorting ( + help set up tables at the

beginning). Come when you can. See

Sign up sheet in Fellowship Hall or join

in when you are able. It’s fun to gather

small things into “gift bags.”

Distribution morning, December 3rd, we’ll

need lots of people (adults only)

Escort the kids

Wrap the gifts ( bring scissors)

Help with Pancakes - St. Mark’s

Methodist Men are serving pancakes

and need more help.

First shift 8:30-11:00 a.m. or fuel up

with pancakes at 8:00

Second shift 10:30-1:00 (last year done

at 12:30)

Clean up to follow

Sign up sheet in Fellowship Hall

Contact: Judy McRoberts at 515-346-0313

Church Events Nov 5th - United Methodist

Men Breakfast & Meeting

Nov 8th - Grayye Matters

Nov 9th - Infinity Senior

Group

Nov 21st - Free Lunch

Nov 16th - UMW World

Thank Offering (Noon

Potluck)

Nov 22nd - Good Lunch

Bunch

Nov 24th - Happy

Thanksgiving!

Nov 27th - Children First!

Worship

Dec. 3 - Gift for Parents

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF ST MARKS

NOVEMBER 2016

Living on Purpose Groups Have you found your Living on Purpose Group yet? Living on

Purpose groups are a modern take on the Wesleyan class meetings.

These small groups meet for support and accountability in your faith

journey. In these groups you will explore the age-old question: “How

is it with your soul?” AND you will explore the Strengths Finder tool.

This tool helps you identify your signature strengths and how to live

out those strengths. Your small group helps you apply these gifts and

talents to accomplish your goals - in your personal/home life; in your

work life; and in your faith life. It is our hope that everyone at St.

Mark’s will become a part of a Living on Purpose group. If you

would like to join or form a group, contact Deacon Chris at

deacon@stmarks-umc.net. To help you become acquainted with the

Strengths Finder tool, each month we will feature one strength in this

newsletter. Each strength falls into one of four categories: Executing,

Influencing, Relationship Building, or Strategic Thinking. This

month’s strength is Achiever, which falls in the Executing category.

Achiever

People exceptionally talented in the Achiever theme work hard and

possess a great deal of stamina. They take immense satisfaction in

being busy and productive. Achievers have a constant need for

attainment. They have an internal fire burning inside them. It

pushes them to do more, to achieve more. People with strong

Achiever talents feel as if every day starts at zero. By the end of

the day they must accomplish something meaningful to feel good

about themselves. And “everyday” means every single day -

workdays, weekends, holidays, and even vacations. If the day

passes without some form of achievement, no matter how small,

Achievers feel dissatisfied. Upon finishing a challenging project,

they rarely seek to be rewarded with a rest or an easy assignment.

While they appreciate recognition for past achievements, their

motivation lies in striving toward the next goal on the horizon.

Achievers love to complete tasks, and they derive fulfillment

from their accomplishments. Putting it simply, people with high

Achiever have as strong inner drive - an innate source of

intensity, energy, and power that enables them to push hard to get

things done. As a result, they often set the pace and define

productivity levels for the people around them.

Does the Achiever theme sound like you? Take the Strengths

Finder and find out!

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous in every way.

Such generosity produces thanksgiving to God through us.

2 Corinthians 9:11

Senior Group The next meeting of our Senior Group is Wednesday,

November 9 from 2 to 4 p.m. at St. Mark’s UMC. We are

going to have a brainstorming session to plan for speakers for

the group for 2017, so please come with your ideas. We will

have coffee, potluck snacks, and time for visiting as well, and

all senior people are warmly invited. If you need more info,

please call Sage at 319-354-5484 or sage-

river@icfirstchurch.org.

United Methodist Women It is November and time to celebrate all for which we are

thankful at our annual Thanksgiving Potluck luncheon at

Noon on Wednesday, November 16th. Please bring your

gift for the world thank offering (or your Thank Bank), a dish

to share and your table service. Information will be shared

about the worldwide projects, as well as Iowa-based

missions which our thank offering supports. All women are

welcome.

Update on TESOL School Submitted by Barb Fisher-Krueger

In July we took up an offering for the English speaking School of

Lubumbashi. The school now has 8 classrooms and one toilet block

completed and grades 8-12 are accommodated in the new campus,

using 6 of these rooms.

The current project is for a tank stand for storage of 20,000 (5283.41

gallons) Litres of water from the new bore hole.

To be able to shift grades 4-7 and the English Language Learners

class, plus have an Administrative office and library, the new campus

would require that we build at least another 8 classroom block and

ablution facilities. Having this many students would also require that

we arrange the playing field areas for safe sporting events.

As you can see the school still needs or support. On Christmas Eve,

our Special Offering will be for Ellen and Jeffrey Hoover, our

Missionaries in D.R. Congo. Keep this in mind when you make your

Christmas list.

Submitted by Brenda Mayer

We are making progress on our goal of 111 school bags but

are still in need of rulers, scissors, crayons and pencils. We

also need baby sleepers/gowns for layette kits. Toothbrushes

and bar soap are needed for health kits. Please prayerfully

consider how you might contribute to this vital ministry.

All staff offices will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 24th

and Friday, November 25th. Offices will re-open on November 28th

A New Mission Project Submitted by Brenda Mayer & Beth Deuel

We would like to make 300 Christmas stockings (and fill them!) for our

community. We are planning to share these stockings with the

Coralville Ecumenical Food Pantry, The Domestic Violence Program,

Iowa City Rehab and others. Please see the schedule for Saturday

afternoon times - there are many Saturdays to work on the actual

sewing and decorating of the stockings. We will need items to fill the

stockings. For children: small toys, candy, toothbrushes, books,

socks, gloves/mittens. For Adults: stationary, pens, pencils, fluffy

slipper socks, puzzle books, lotion, shampoo, soap, etc. Please feel

free to join us for stocking making and start bringing stocking stuffers

anytime! Questions: text/call Brenda Mayer @ 319-936-8118 or call

Beth Deuel @ 319-351-3630.

We are doing a Food Bank Drive!! Submitted by Brenda Mayer & Beth Deuel

However, instead of food, we are asking for all those necessary items

that are not covered by SNAP (food stamps). Food banks also are

not allowed to purchase non-food items with any government money.

But, can you imagine running your household without laundry soap or

dish soap? Or bar soap for a bath? We would like to flood the

Coralville Ecumenical Food Pantry and the Johnson County Food

Bank with non-food items, including:

Dish, laundry and bath soaps

Toothpaste and toothbrushes

Toilet paper

Feminine products ( tampons and napkins)

Deodorant

Zipper bags

Sponges

Diapers (adult and baby)

Whatever you feel you would need

Pastor’s Pen Extravagant Generosity

An Unreached People Group

Submitted by Lou Schooley, ICI

Total communication acknowledges that the means of communication

may need to be adjusted based on the situation. People that start to

lose their hearing should learn Sign Language with family members.

Watching the signs, hearing the voice and looking at the person talking

will enhance the understanding what is being said to you.

I use what is knows as Pidgin Signed English, a mix of American Sign

Language signs and signs in English word order. If English is the first

language you learned, Pidgin Signed English would be the best signs

to learn.

I encourage everyone to learn Sign Language! It makes a great

communication tool if you do not want everyone to know what you are

saying! You can talk about other people and they would not even

know you are talking about them!

Another reason I would like to have everyone at church learn Sign

Language is better communication between hard of hearing and

hearing, and it will make the Deaf feel more at home when they come

to our church. Our ministry to the Deaf would be a one of a kind! We

could set a great example of our mission where everyone is accepted!

While there are advantages to being Deaf, the sad reality is that many

Deaf people do not know they have a tremendous disadvantage --- they

do not know Jesus as their Lord and Personal Savior. It has been

reported that out of an estimated 250 to 300 Million Deaf people in the

world, only 2% of them are Christians. That means 98% of Deaf

people will miss out on the blessings of eternal life with Jesus in

heaven. Deaf people are among the largest unreached people groups

in the world.

The Gospel writer, Mark, tells the story of Jesus healing a Deaf man in

Mark 7:31-35 (NIV). Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went

through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the

Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was Deaf

and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.

After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers

into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He

looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him,

“Ephphatha!” (Meaning “Be Opened!”) At this the man’s ears were

opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.

This passage teaches us to bring Deaf people to Jesus! There is a

particular phrase in this passage that stands out to me. It’s verse 32,

“there some people brought to him (Jesus) a man who was Deaf and

could hardly talk…” There some people brought to Jesus a man who

was Deaf. It doesn’t matter who these unnamed, unsung missionaries

were, what truly matters is what they did. They brought the Deaf man

to Jesus. I personally believe that when Jesus said,

“Ephphatha!” (meaning to “be opened!”), the man was not only

physically healed, he was spiritually healed. He had met Jesus and

now knew him.

So, how do we bring Deaf people to Jesus? This is life with hearing

loss, our constant companion.

Everywhere you look there are signs of gratitude and

generosity. “Heart cards” are filling the church building

with expressions of love. What do we love most about St.

Marks? The people! Generous welcome and acceptance.

Support and care through the good and bad. Open minds,

growth in faith, and commitment to making a better world.

Who has made a difference for us? Parents, teachers,

pastors and missionaries. Just look around the church and

you will see this is just a small sample - you may even find

your own name!

In addition to these expressions of gratitude, some have

already committed to financially support the ministries we

share. Members of the St. Mark’s Executive Council and

elected leaders of the church have already pledged over

$35,000 to support our shared ministries in 2017.

On Sunday, October 30th, we will bring heart cards that

share the dreams that God has planted in our hearts, and on

November 6th we will celebrate our shared commitment to

live into those dreams, supporting our church’s ministry

with our prayers, presence, witness, gifts, and service. We

invite you to be a part of this special celebration of

gratitude and generosity!

Youth & Music

Mark your calendars! The Xth Annual Christmas

Xtravagannnnnnnnza!!! Will be Sunday, December 18th at

2:00 p.m.

The Chancel Choir (as always) welcomes any who wish to

join in the singing the Christmas Cantata for the X!!!.

Rehearsal CD’s will be available, singers can join just for

the season! See Rob for details.

Thanks to all who helped the Youth in their first ever

pumpkin selling fundraiser! We sold the majority of our

pumpkins all in one day and all the money raised will help

us get to our summer 2017 mission trip!

Financial News Submitted by Finance Team

Executive Council News

Submitted by Finance Team

The following action was taken at the September Executive Council

meeting:

Approval of the 2017 expense budget

Accept the bid from Solon Heating for $7250.00 to replace two

air conditioning units

The Executive Council is the governing body of our church. The

members of the Council want to hear from you and invite everyone to

attend the monthly Council meetings the 4th Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The

next meeting is October 25th. Another important meeting this month

is the 2016 Charge Conference on Sunday, October 30th at 1:00 p.m.

Hope to see everyone there!

Good News! As is typical of the

giving pattern September pledged and

identifiable not pledges income

rebounded from the summer dip.

Thank you so much for your continued

financial support of our many

wonderful programs.

It seems like a while ago that we were

out in the hot summer day cooking,

boxing and selling pork chops. What a

successful event! We ran out of pork

chops 1/2 hour before our ending time. All the bills are not

in so we do not have a total profit but it was a fun day

thanks to those who sold tickets, those who baked and

especially those who volunteered to work. You are

amazing!

The Finance Team is very excited to show our November

Purposeful Spending video during worship on Sunday,

November 20th. The video will feature three of St. Mark’s

charter members visiting with the youth confirmation class,

sharing their stories of starting a new church and the many

joys St. Mark’s has brought to their life. St. Mark’s is so

blessed to have 13 charter members still living. See if you

can name them….names will be revealed at the end of the

November 20th.

Reminder: Sunday, November 6th is your opportunity

to pledge part of what God has so generously provided

to you allowing St. Mark’s to continue to build ramps

into relationships with those in our community, state

and world.

FINANCE TEAM: Kay Seagren, Diane Berwald, John

Green, Ed Pierson (Financial Secretary), Bob George

(Treasurer) and Chris Cheatum (Lay Leader)

Grayye Matters Grayye Matters will be meeting on Tuesday, November 8 at

the Pizza Ranch in the Iowa City Marketplace (formerly the

Sycamore Mall) at 9:30 a.m. We will be discussing the book, A

Man Called Ove, by Frederik Backman. All are welcome to join

in this lively discussion. United Methodist Men The United Methodist Men will meet on Saturday,

November 5th at 7:30 in the Fellowship Hall. Dale

Thomas, the Choir Director at the West Branch United

Methodist Church for over 50 years, will be the speaker.

Dale also has a band that has been playing for a number of

years. The Dale Thomas Band includes one of St. Mark’s

very own, Larry Fountain. Breakfast will be served at

7:30, come early for coffee and fellowship. All are

welcome!

Worship Servants 8:00 AM

Ushers

11/6 - Ed & Suzanne Krogh, Chuck & Phyllis Lindemann

11/13 - Jeff & Dianne Wasson, Tony & Pam Freund

11/20 - Lavon & Nancy Rutt, Jerry & Patti Mitchell

11/27 - Pam Bleckwenn, Barb McCormick, Barb Smith, Barb Fisher-

Krueger

12/4- Neil & Jeanne Bennett, Carolyn Brown, Chris McMorris

Greeters

11/6 - Rose Hanson & Jerine Strommer

11/13 - Clarence & Jean Skog

11/20 - Dick & Marlene Lake

11/27 - Traci Huffman & Roberta Harding

12/4 - Earl & Jeanne Phillips

Readers

11/6- Dennis Preslicka

11/13 - Jan Soboroff

11/20- Rebecca Weatherford

11/27 - Sally Hoelscher

12/4 - Ed Krogh

Communion

11/6 - Tony & Pam Freund, Barb Fisher-Krueger, Rose Hanson,

Jan Soboroff

9:30 AM

Ushers

11/6 - Jim & Mardee Wood, Mary Brown & Tom Shepherd

11/13 - Bob & Diane DeWitt, Bob & Maggie Elliott

11/20 - Mary Curtis & Kathy Harrison, Les & Bonnie Jenkins

11/27 - John Melby-Oetken, Bill Thorne, Jim & Elaine Warth

12/4 - Roberta Caris, Gary & Jeanie Nagle

Greeters

11/6 - Barb Nelson, Lynn Dornfeld

11/13 - Dennis & Wanda Stevens

11/20 - Jeremy Showers & Marlene Slaubaugh

11/27 - Mark & Carolyn Brock

12/4 - Keith & Nancy Thayer

Reader

11/6 - Cheryl Davis

11/13 - Bob DeWitt

11/20 - Eileen McPherson

11/27 - Tom Shepherd

12/4 - Chris McMorris

Communion

11/6 - Jeremy Showers, Judy Brookhaus, Bill Thorne, Keith & Nancy Thayer

10:50 AM

Ushers

11/6 - Don Anderson & Jane Dohrmann

11/13 - Steve & Karen Laughlin

11/20 - Peg Horn & Laura Lage

11/27 - Abbie Buhr & Karen Miller

Reader

11/6 - Rebecca Carver

11/13 - Bob Hoover

11/20 - Steve Laughlin

11/27 - Marsha Lowe

12/4 - Peg Horn

Communion

11/6 - Sue Brenneman & Mark Meyers

11/13 - Bob & Jo Hoover

11/20 - Steve & Karen Laughlin

11/27 - Karen Miller, Peg Horn, Melanie Justice

12/4 - Don Anderson & Jane Dohrmann

Pray without Ceasing If you know of anyone in need of prayer; please contact

Pastor Sean or Deacon Chris

Carla Melby-Oetken for treatment of ovarian cancer

Beverly Yoder for health issues

Emily Lewis, Dale Bream’s sister, for treatment of lym-

phoma

Judy Pierson for treatment of uterine cancer

Newell Nobbs’ nephew, Gary Warren

Prayers for folks in nursing homes or homebound Marilyn Matthews at home

Iva Sagert at home

Jim Lindemann in Solon Care Center

Eldon Prybil

Pauline Trout at Melrose Meadows

Phyllis Showalter at Crestview in West Branch

Operation Backpack You are invited to help fill food bags that will be delivered to

elementary children in Iowa City. We will be filling food bags on

the following Fridays: November 18, January 6, February 3,

March 3, April 17 and May 5. Please join us in rooms 108/109

at 8:30 a.m. We will be filling a month’s worth of food bags

each time and welcome your help. No experience necessary.

Questions? Contact Sally Hoelscher (hoelscher4@yahoo.com)

or 319-541-2622 or Marsha Lowe at 319-339-4267.

Communion during

Advent Advent begins on Sunday, November 27th; each Sunday during

Advent, we will share Communion together. Please visit our

sign up page at the link below and please sign up to serve.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0E4CAFAC2FA7F58-

advent2

Announcements Parsonage Study Information Sharing and Listening

Post—Many of us know that Pastor Sean and Colleen have

purchased a home and moved out of the parsonage. What

does this mean for St. Mark’s? Is the budget affected?

What will happen to the parsonage? Will we rent the

space?...use it for new ministry opportunities?...something

else? Our Executive Council would like to share

information and answer your questions about the decision to

keep the parsonage, and would like to hear your ideas,

questions, and concerns about what should happen next.

Please join us at one of two sessions:

Sunday, October 30, 9:00-9:25 a.m., in the Adult Sunday School

classroom or Tuesday, November 1 at 6:30 p.m. in Fellowship

Hall.

Announcement from Judy Brookhaus—The Fellowship

& Sharing group has decided to disband because so many

people have passed away who had been coming to these

meetings and unfortunately we have not gained any new

folks. The four that have still continued to meet, will meet

at Panera in Iowa City the 3rd Wednesday of each month at

10:00 a.m. and ANYONE is very welcome to join us for

coffee. The current folks meeting are: Marlene Lake, Nancy

Thayer, Jeanne Phillips and Judy Brookhaus.

November Birthdays 2 David Ploof

3 Morgan Sammons

8 Helen McClean, Beth Ackerson

9 Brian Cassady

10 Paula Eifler, Beth Yeates, Bud Forbes

11 Dale Kofron

14 Derek Lewis

16 Donna Higgins

17 Keith Ablett, Abigail Barten, Ann Parker, Samuel Showers

18 Patrick Barten, Kaylee Marie Stewart

Fruitful Congregation (submitted by Laura Lage)—will

be meeting the second Monday in November (the 14th) at

7:00 p.m. in the adult Sunday School room. Anyone is

welcome to join is pack blessing bags. Items needed (36

total of each) are: gallon ziplock bags, water bottles (8 & 16

oz.), fruit snacks, socks, deodorant (30 men & 6 women),

toothpaste, lotion, granola bars and chaps tick.

Free Lunch is meeting at 10:30 a.m. The next Free Lunch is

Monday, November 21st.

Good Lunch Bunch is meeting on Tuesday, November 22nd

at 11:30 a.m. at the Longbranch Steakhouse in Coralville.

Special offerings for November are:

11/6/2016 - PET

11/13/2016 - Common Fund (2nd offering)

11/20/2016 - Self-Help International

11/27/2016 - United Methodist Student Day

IF you have recently changed your address or phone

number, please let the office know.

20 John Snyder

21 Stan Aldinger, Dale Bream, Alan Skelley

22 Avonell Rutherford

24 Bryce Frantz, Randy Krutzfield, Tyler Locke, Jim Wood

25 Richard France, Karen Miller, Mardee Wood

26 Brad Parker

27 Parker Mueller

28 Barbara Beard

29 Marlene Lake, Lindsey Young

30 Missie Forbes, Mark Krutzfield, Alex Young

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St. Mark’s United Methodist Church

2675 E. Washington Street

Iowa City, IA 52245

www.stmarksic.aboundant.com