Church Family News
THIS SATURDAY!
SPECIAL OLYMPICS AND PRIDE FESTIVAL
God’s Work our Hands.
September 14

 Consider joining the  Special Olympics Pepsi walk/running the morning (details below) and then coming to the  Pride Festival at the Downtown Pavilion starting at 11 and continuing through the afternoon. 

St. Mark will have a table at the Festival as in years past.  We’ll have cupcakes, a craft, and more!  You can volunteer (sign-up sheet in the narthex) or just come by to show your support for the LGBTQ community. For questions, contact Laurel McClurken, Lois Shepherd, or Jennifer Giacalone .  

The Special Olympics Pepsi 10k and 2 mile walk will take place also on September 14th. We would love to get a team of St. Mark members to either run the 10K, participate in the 2 mile walk or volunteer to cheer and help at food tables and other jobs.   
 
The money raised from this run goes directly to the Local Area 3 Special Olympics.  There are no paid positions at the local level and all the coaches and staff are volunteers.  All funds are used to pay for equipment, uniforms, travel to competitions and educational materials about Special Olympics.
 
Come, have fun, and mingle with some of the best runners in Charlottesville and several UVa Athletic teams and Special Guest, our very own "COSMO" the famous sheep dog.  To sign up for the run/walk you can go to the website ,  click on the link below

If you are interested in participating as a family and would like to get a discounted family rate, please talk to or email Pastor Viktoria ( [email protected] )
WELCOME OUR NEW MEMBERS

We rejoice with our newest church family members who were welcomed last Sunday.

Karen DelGrosso, Kiri Nicholson, Frank & Marian Lawson, Chad Crowley, The Dalton Family (Dave Dalton & Deirdre O'Connor), children: Dashiell and Cormac.

If you know someone who is interested to become a member, let Pastor Viktoria know.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”

(Psalm 46:1).

Hurricane Dorian has hit with devastating force, causing major damage and a growing number of reported deaths in the Bahamas, and inundating the Carolinas with flooding and storm surge. 

Lutheran Disaster Response is communicating with the Florida-Bahamas Synod, the South Carolina Synod, the North Carolina Synod, Lutheran Services Carolinas and other partners, who are assessing the immediate needs and initiating a response. While the extent of the damage is not yet known, we will accompany impacted communities from immediate relief through long-term recovery. This is our commitment as a church. 


Stay connected to the latest events and our response to this and other disasters through our  Facebook   page.
EVERY SECOND MONDAY

You are invited!

Our Beer and Hymns

Trinity Pub on the Corner, 7pm to 8 pm.

All ages are welcome. We meet the second Monday of each month, same time and place. Bring your friends to experience this Lutheran tradition. We will have a great time!
YOUR PLEGE OF MISSION SUPPORT
(By November 10)

DEAR ST. MARK MEMBERS, FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS, 
We are thankful for all the support you provided to St. Mark and our ministries in Christ in 2019. We are all stewards of the great gifts we have in Christ through our church. 

As we are looking forward to 2020, and what God is calling us to do in Charlottesville, we remember that our faith requires that each of us give of our time, talents, and resources to make our mission a reality. 

Stewardship is a spiritual discipline that draws from our thankfulness for what we receive from God and focuses on our responsibility towards God’s mission.
We ask you to prayerfully consider making a commitment toward our mission and ministry in 2020. 

If you made a pledge in 2019, please consider increasing your pledge.

If you couldn’t make a pledge before, we encourage you to make a commitment with the knowledge that we understand if life circumstances and abilities change. We believe that each of us has the ability to be generous. 

This letter is your commitment card and you can fill it out:
• By sending this form back in an envelop, 
• By filling it out on webpage under SUPPORT,
• By filling it out in the weekly newsletter 

In order to work on our budget presented at our annual meeting, the deadline for pledges will be November 10.

We are thankful for your generosity and promise to be good stewards of all of our resources. 
HELP MAKE OUR CHURCH BEAUTIFUL

SIGN UP AT CHURCH

SEPTEMBER 28
SATURDAY
9AM to 1PM

Join us for an indoor and outdoor cleanup morning at the church. 

Bring your favorite cleaning and gardening tools and gloves. Bring your kids, we have something to do for everyone.

We'll have cool drinks and food and free T-shirts.

If you can, let us know you'll be helping--contact Tim Hess our new property committee chair in person.

Sign up sheets at church or email: [email protected]
Synod and ELCA News
VIRGINIA INTERFAITH CENTER
You are invited to our annual Celebration and Awards party!
Join us on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 5:30PM at the Hippodrome Theatre in Richmond for dinner, music, and an exciting awards ceremony.  
This is our only annual statewide fundraising event and your participation is greatly appreciated. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the IRS.
There are many ways to support our mission:
2 -   BECOME A SPONSOR LINK   - Individuals, congregations and company sponsors will get free tickets, recognition in the program, and online PR
3 -  DONATE AN ITEM FOR ONLINE AUCTION LINK   - Donate a gift certificate, a service, or an experience.
Called to be a Prophet
Sept 27 and 28th.
2-day conference at Christ the King, Cary, on Friday-Saturday, to help you wrestle with the question: what is God calling you to do? Our world faces issues we can solve--or at least improve--in areas of climate change, racial inequality, and acceptance of all genders and sexualities as the Image of God. 

Join theologians, activists, pastors, and advocates as we answer the call to be modern-day prophets. Presented by the NC Synod; Christ the King, Cary; and Homebrewed Christianity; and featuring speaker Brian McLaren. The first 100 people signing up will receive copies of Brian's and Robyn's new books.
North Carolina is beautiful in September! Link to the event is  tinyurl.com/calledtobeprophets .
Community News
MIGRATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING CONFERENCE
Dennis Frado, Director of LOWC, traveled to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to deliver a presentation on how the UN is addressing the issue of human trafficking. The International Conference on Migration and the Human Trafficking Crisis in Asia, held August 21-23, was convened by ELCA Global Mission and local Cambodian partner   Life With Dignity . Four of the  17 Sustainable Development Goals related to the prevention of human trafficking were shared: SDG 5 (Gender Equality,  Target 5.2 ), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth,  Target 8.7 ), SDG 10 (Reduce Inequality,  Target 10.7 ) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions,  Target 16.2 ), alongside an extensive list of resources, protocols and initiatives. Dennis also highlighted the  Global Compact on Migration, adopted by the UN in December 2018. LOWC had monitored the negotiations leading to the Compact’s adoption.
Happening Tomorrow!
“Building a More Diverse Community” Six-Part Weekly Series
Starting Thursday, September 12, 6:30 pm,
The Center, 491 Hillsdale Drive Charlottesville

The Center  (formerly The Senior Center) is sponsoring a free series of presentations (by Rev. Dr. Lehman Bates, Leontyne Clay Peck, Dr. Kelly Palmer, Juandiego Wade, Khizr Khan, and Dr. Aliaa Khidr) regarding the need for increased diversity and inclusion in organizations.  
International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Charlottesville
Friday, September 13 at 12pm at Central Library. 
Former refugees will share their experience rebuilding their lives in Charlottesville. The discussion will be moderated by IRC in Charlottesville Executive Director, Harriet Kuhr. 
This event is free and no RSVP is required.
For additional information, please contact the IRC in
Charlottesville at 434-979-7772 x 114 or  [email protected]

This year's Welcoming Week includes several programs with refugee and immigrant themes, including:
  • Walk 6,000 Miles in My Shoes: a refugee simulation, Monday September 16 at 6pm at Northside Library
  • Enrique's Journey: How to fix immigration in a humane way, discussion with Sonia Nazario, Wednesday, September 18 at 6:30pm at the Haven
  • Author: Lee T. Bycel, Refugees in America, Thursday, September 19 at 12:30pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church
Climate Change Summit
Sunday September 15, 1:00 pm,
Unity of Charlottesville, 2825 Hydraulic Rd.
In partnership with Wild Virginia, Citizens' Climate Lobby, Virginia Inner Faith Power & Light, and the Piedmont Group of the Virginia Sierra Club, this summit will show the film "Paris to Pittsburgh," followed by a panel discussion.
Domestic Violence Awareness
Thursday, October 10, 6:30-8:30pm at Northside Library
For Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, Cville NOW hosts Jonathan Yglesias, Policy Director for the  Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance , who will share information on state and federal action priorities.
Charlottesville Youth Climate Strike
Friday, September 20 at Noon
Three days before the UN Climate Summit in NYC, young people and adults will strike all across the US and world to demand action to address the climate crisis. Rally in Charlottesville at noon on the downtown mall at the Free Speech Wall.

Pastor Viktoria will hold office hours any time by appointment. 

Please leave a message at 434-293-3311  
Sunday September 15
Welcome:  David Zentmyer
Greeter:  Sue Picket
Ushers:  Ali Griffith & Lewis Horton
Crucifer/Acolyte/Chalice:   Sylvie Bon-Harper
Assisting Minister:  Yvonne Osheim
Children Moment:  Pastor
Lector:   Tom Hecmanczuk
Cantor:  Sylvie Bon-Harper
Altar Guild:  Linda Imhoff
Nursery:  KC Jacoby
Snack:  Kathryn Stephenson & Marcy Wisbauer
Coffee/Clean up:  Yvonne Osheim & Amanda Nelsen
Counters:  Christa Escobar & Constance Johnson
Sunday September 22
Welcome: Marco Escobar                   
Greeter:  David Brumbaugh
Ushers:  Tom & Caroline Hecmanczuk
Crucifer/Acolyte/Chalice: Mia Martin/Alice McKenna
Assisting Minister:  Jack Milligan
Children Moment:  Tom Hecmanczuk
Lector:  Lewis Horton
Cantor:  Tony Marbury
Altar Guild: Patty Marbury
Nursery: Mia Martin
Snack:  Carolyn Rader & Kristen Wray  
Coffee/Clean up:   Lisa Veale & Caroline Hecmanczuk
Counters:  Greg Wichelns & Mark Giesecke
St. Mark Lutheran Church (ELCA) of Charlottesville, VA
(434) 293-3311 |  www.stmarklutheran.org